Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I’m Not the Demon Lord - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Hidden Boss Enters the Academy

The first to speak up after silence had taken over the Academy’s great hall was the headmaster.

“I’m sure it just malfunctioned.” He called over a member of the staff. “Have the backup magical instrument prepared for assessment.”

The backup was immediately brought out, and I placed my hand on it as instructed. Unfortunately, the result hadn’t changed. After a pause, the headmaster spoke again. “It seems that you are level 99, after all.”

In an effort to confirm if the magical instrument was functioning properly, teachers took turns assessing their own levels. The previously silent hall began to fill with the murmuring of uneasy students, so I allowed myself to escape the discomfort by thinking back on my level grinding once more.

I was already at the max level? All that extra EXP I worked so hard for... What a waste...

Finally, the teachers concluded that the magical instrument was indeed not broken, and one teacher made their way toward me.

“Lady Yumiella, do you have any idea as to why your level is so high?”

I didn’t just have ideas... I probably knew the exact reason. For a moment, I considered coming up with an excuse, but the thought of having everyone suspicious of me for three years made telling the truth sound like the better idea.

I’d rather take action now than spend my days terrified of the truth coming out.

“Yes, I can think of a few reasons why this assessment is correct.”

“The magical instrument itself is working properly. You must have done something to meddle with it, did you not?”

“No, I did not. Level 99 should be my correct level...” I said tentatively.

“You may not know this, but in order to increase your level, you must defeat monsters. We’ll know if you’re lying, so just tell us the truth.”

I was telling the truth, and yet I was under suspicion for falsifying my level. It’s a hard world out here for honest people.

All of a sudden, the headmaster spoke up in a powerful voice that reverberated throughout the entire hall.

“Everyone, please settle down. Whether or not she speaks the truth will become clear when classes begin.” With the teachers not any closer to an explanation that would satisfy them and the students’ unease increasing, he probably felt he had to say something.

The headmaster turned to address me. “Lady Yumiella, finish your introduction and return to your seat.” I could see his glare in my peripheral vision. It seemed that even the headmaster was suspicious of me.

Would they believe me if I blew up the school with magic?

I gave up on trying to explain my situation with words and decided to keep my introduction short.

“I’m Yumiella Dolkness. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” As I returned to my seat, I began to mentally prepare for the worst-case scenario.

I’ll just leave the kingdom on my own. I can probably strong-arm my way through the borderlands.

The level assessment and introductions continued in the apprehensive atmosphere. If things had progressed according to the game’s story, the main character should have stood out as the only commoner in the incoming class. However, her assessment and introduction took place with no particular attention drawn toward her, and the entrance ceremony came to an end.

Sorry about that, Miss Heroine.

It should be noted that, just like in the game, she was at level 1.

After the entrance ceremony, a buffet party was held to welcome the new students. Since I didn’t know anyone, and no one seemed to want to get to know me, I hung back in the corner of the venue.

I should start thinking about my plans for my future here.

If nothing else, I didn’t want to get involved with any drama related to the revival of the Demon Lord. I would need to keep my distance from the main character and love interests to make sure that didn’t happen.

I’ll just wait a bit longer and then say I’m not feeling well and head back to my dorm.

Just as I was finished coming up with my escape plan, I locked eyes with someone making their way toward me.

Speak of the devil.

The clearly angry male with fiery red hair making his way toward me was one of the love interests. His name was William Ares, the swordsman of the hero’s party. He had an extra strong sense of justice and a short temper—in other words, he was a hothead.

Without any sort of preamble, William loudly snapped, “You with the black hair! What kind of trick did you use? Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, pulling a stunt like that?!”

“Um...are you talking about the level assessment?”

“What else would I be talking about?! I don’t know if you just wanted attention or something, but don’t you have any pride as an aristocrat?” William, who seemed to be a second away from taking a swing at me, was stopped by someone who came chasing after him.

“Calm down, Will. I understand how you feel, but don’t cause a scene at the party!”

It was Edwin Valschein, the second prince of this kingdom and the main hero of the story, complete with his sparkly blond hair. He was a magic swordsman—proficient in magic and competent with a blade. Realizing that I was in the presence of the prince, I hastily curtsied.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am Yumiella Dolkness.”

“The Dolkness family. So, a pseudo-centralist,” Edwin whispered to himself. He looked up to address me. “Lady Yumiella, Will has worked harder than anyone on his swordsmanship from a young age, and he finally reached level 10 just before entering the Academy. What you did made a mockery of his efforts.”

Why does everyone keep assuming I cheated? Maybe they’ll start believing me if I go on a magic shooting spree.

“I’m sorry, but my level being 99 is the truth. As the headmaster said, I’m sure you will understand once classes begin.”

Prince Edwin was unable to hide his irritation as he spoke. “So you’re going to feign ignorance until the end, are you?”

“Are you saying that you’re stronger than me? You’re lucky I don’t have a gauntlet to throw down!” William lashed out.

Is he trying to challenge me to a duel? William, my dear, you should really cherish your life more. 

As the people around us quieted to listen in on our conversation, the final love interest unsurprisingly appeared.

“Level 99 isn’t even a realistic level to be at. Were you unable to even consider such a basic fact? Well, I suppose not.” This fellow with the insulting attitude was Oswald Grimsarde, a blue-haired mage with glasses.

The three love interests were childhood friends, so close that they called each other by the nicknames of Ed, Will, and Oz—The golden, orthodox prince; the red, fiery swordsman; and the blue, cool mage. This world was full of attractive people, but these three were on another level. However, while they were all good-looking, interacting with them was quite troublesome.

Welp, all the love interests are here now. Just my luck.

This might have been exciting for a fan of the game, but I was only into the RPG portion.

“Hey, why don’t you say something?” William seemed to have gotten impatient with my silence.

“It seems that I’m unable to get you to believe me, so...” I mumbled, eager to escape.

“You’re still not fessing up?”

“Is your head completely empty?”

“Are you a compulsive liar or something?”

Jeez, do they kiss their mothers with those mouths? Don’t they know that they’re just characters in an otome game?

In an effort to end my conversation with them, I tried to change the subject to something that would encourage them to go to the main character.

“Wasn’t there a commoner who uses light magic? She may be having trouble with...something. I think it would be best if you checked in on her.”

“Yes, that would probably be much more productive than playing along with your nonsense. I’m sure the Academy will issue a decision regarding your lies soon enough, so be prepared.” With that final remark, Prince Edwin turned and left with the other two.

Ugh... That was exhausting. I better hurry back to the dorm.

Having returned to my dorm, I had my maid Rita prepare some tea for me. Despite being a noble already, I couldn’t help but be charmed by how aristocratic it felt. Having tea like this was refreshing since, back at the mansion, I only had tea as a part of etiquette classes.

“My lady, are you sure you’re all right with being back so early? I believe the party is still going on.”

“It’s fine. It seemed like I wasn’t going to be getting friendly with anyone anyways.”

“You won’t be able to find a good partner with that kind of attitude. It’ll be a problem for the master as well.”

Rita was a maid working at the Dolkness mansion in the Royal Capital but was reassigned as my attendant yesterday when I entered the Academy. The Academy had a dining hall as well as specialized staff for chores such as laundry, making a maid feel unnecessary. However, there was no going against my father’s orders. It had only been two days since we met, but she took every chance she got to remind me about finding a suitor—likely an order from my father. She was probably also here to supervise me so I wouldn’t act out of line.

“With classes officially starting tomorrow, I’m sure you’ll meet someone great, my lady. Isn’t the second prince one of your classmates?”

I’ve already made quite a bad impression on the second prince. Wait, she doesn’t know about all the ruckus at the entrance ceremony? Well, she’s not a very good supervisor.

I was still curious about the term that Prince Edwin muttered after hearing my family name, and decided to ask Rita. “On an unrelated note, do you know what ‘pseudo-centralist’ means?”

“Someone must have called you that. Don’t worry. It’s nothing you should concern yourself with.” Just as I expected, it didn’t seem to be something good.

“I never said anyone called me that, but I suspect it’s something that describes the Dolkness family, is it not?”

“Er...” Rita seemed to give in and began to explain. “You know about central aristocrats and provincial aristocrats, right, my lady?”

“Yes, I believe the Dolknesses are provincial aristocrats, since we don’t hold any official positions at the Royal Capital or anything like that.”

“That’s correct. With regards to that, ‘pseudo-centralist’ is a derogatory name for provincial aristocrats who spend all their time in the Royal Capital without a central position.”

“I see, so basically, it refers to good-for-nothing aristocrats who leave their domain to a deputy and spend their time partying without working in the Royal Capital.”

As an employee of said good-for-nothing aristocrat, Rita kept her mouth shut and scowled. As the daughter of said good-for-nothing aristocrat, I let out a heavy sigh.

◆◆◆

Classes officially began starting today. It seems the basic schedule was lectures during the day and practical lessons in the afternoon. I was, of course, a total loner in the classroom. No one wanted to get on the prince’s bad side by interacting with me—as a result, everyone avoided eye contact.

This could actually make things easier for me. Spending three years as decor doesn’t sound too bad.

As I sat at my desk quietly, I began to listen in on all the gossip going on around me. Thanks to the sensory enhancement gained through leveling up, I was able to make out all the whispers in the classroom without any trouble. According to the other students, I was a carefree airhead who had convinced myself that I was amazing based on nothing.

Why stop at the Academy? Maybe I should blow up the entire Royal Capital to prove that I’m level 99.

Right before class began, Miss Heroine entered the classroom with her trio of love interests, the four of them having a friendly chat together.

“So light magic can heal wounds too? You’re impressive, Alicia,” William praised.

Oswald was impressed. “It’s an element not even I can use. So, do you think you’ll be able to do well at the Academy?”

“To be honest, I’m a little worried, being a commoner and all...” she replied anxiously.

“If you ever need anything, just let us know. We promise to help you,” Edwin encouraged earnestly.

Isn’t it too soon for them to have fallen for her? They shouldn’t have even spoken to each other at this point in the game. I wonder if things are straying away from the story because of me.

The main character’s name was Alicia Ehnleit. The game allowed the player to change her name, but Alicia was the default. Adorned with pink hair, she was your typical protagonist, defined by her optimistic and cheery personality. She was accepted into the Academy despite being a commoner due to the fact that light magic users were extremely rare. Light magic was so valued because it was the only weakness of the dark element, making it capable of being a secret weapon against the Demon Lord.

I would have liked to have kept my distance from her, but just like the love interests, that probably wasn’t going to happen. Why? Well, in the short moment that we made eye contact, Alicia glared at me as if I had murdered her family.

◆◆◆

On the first day, afternoon classes started with swordsmanship. Although most of the male students were participating, there were only a handful of female students who chose to get involved, including me—most of them had opted to watch instead.

“All right, we’ll be taking turns and doing battle simulations to check everyone’s skills. First up will be...you, Level 99.”

Jeering laughter erupted from the surrounding students. Unfortunately for me, the teacher leading the swordsmanship lessons was the same teacher that had accosted me at the entrance ceremony.

First William, and now this guy... Do all swordsmen have short fuses?

“I will be her partner.” William stepped forward, which was followed by a shrill outburst of cheers from the other female students.

We were to use wooden swords for the simulation, so I randomly picked a sword out of the pile and stepped into the center of the training area. William picked what looked to be the longest and thickest wooden sword. It seemed fitting since he wielded a longsword that was about the length of himself in the game.

I mainly used magic when hunting monsters, but my physical strength was still on par with my magic. The last time I was caught off guard and a monster had gotten close to me, I kicked it away without thinking, and all that was left was a pile of dust with no resemblance to the monster it once was.

Okay, how am I gonna hold back?

“Last chance to back down.” I ignored his warning and took the pre-match bow. “I look forward to our battle.”

William sucked his teeth in disdain. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Jeez, back off. I’m busy thinking about how I’m going to not kill you. Whether you live or die depends on how careful I am.

“All right, raise your swords,” instructed the teacher.

At that moment, I realized I had no idea how to properly hold a sword. In fact, it was my first time picking one up. I was able to handle most enemies with my magic and, if needed, my bare hands, so there hadn’t been an opportunity to use one until now. William looked confused as I continued to stand there without raising my sword.

“Hey, hurry up already. Or is this your way of saying you want to forfeit?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that this is my first time using a sword. Let’s just begin.”

The students watching didn’t even try to hide their roars of laughter, with shouts of abuse sprinkled in here and there.

William was visibly irate—his face twisted in anger. “How long are you going to keep making a fool out of me?! I’m not going to hold back just because you’re a girl, so expect this to end with a broken bone or two!”

Without waiting for the starting signal, William charged at me. He was probably fast to the average person, but with my reaction time, it wasn’t a problem. As William made his way toward me, I continued to think about how I could get through the lesson without hurting him. It only took a second for him to be right in front of me with his sword raised and ready to strike, but I was ready. The moment before the wooden sword swung down, I swiftly ducked to the side and positioned my wooden sword by his feet. He stumbled as his swing only struck air before William’s foot got caught on my sword, forcing him to fall to the ground face first.

Sorry about that. I didn’t expect you to tumble so magnificently.

Everyone fell silent, confused at what had just happened. I turned to the teacher and spoke. “Is that it? Or should I continue?” I vigorously spun the wooden sword in my hand while waiting for an answer, which created a gust of wind in the training area.

The teacher finally came to his senses and declared, “Th-The winner is Yumiella Dolkness.”

William jumped back up from his fall and objected, “No, not yet! I was just caught off guard! Pretending to be an amateur... You’re a coward through and through!”

It’s hard to take you seriously when you’ve got blood dripping down your face...

“Graaah!” William let out a battle cry and charged at me once more.

He probably wouldn’t let it go if I just dodged again.

I swung my sword to match his attack, and they collided. The crash caused the swords to resonate with an unrecognizable boom from the wood and sent William flying backward.

These wooden swords are surprisingly tough! Wait, that’s not important right now. Is William okay? If something were to happen to him, would it be considered an accident? All right, if anything happens, I’ll just hold the teacher responsible since they were the supervisor.

As I contemplated my liability, the training area was filled with screams like he was dead. I hurried over to check on William, only to find him unconscious, probably from hitting his head. His breathing was stable, so I was most likely in the clear. At worst, he was maybe a little less intelligent.

“Oh...should I carry him to the nurse’s office?” I held William up by his collar, which caused the teacher to panic.

“No, no! That’s fine. I’ll take him, so just...hand him over, all right?”

What is this, a hostage negotiation?

Though I was a bit offended, I released William to the teacher.

“I’ll be taking William to the nurse’s office. Everyone, practice your swings on your own until I return. Do not, under any circumstances, have any matches.” With that, the teacher ran out of the training area.

Since I was new to swords and had no idea how to practice my swings, I decided to just copy the others. Upon looking around for someone to show me what to do, I realized that no one was moving. Everyone who made eye contact with me let out a small gasp, and the female students who came to watch were gone.

There’s no need to be that scared...

I made sure I held back. The fact that William wasn’t ground meat was proof of that. With nothing else I could do, I attempted to practice some sort of swing, making motions based on what I thought was close enough. The class passed by like that, and the teacher didn’t return until the end of the lesson.

The next class was magic. The magic training area was lined with scarecrows dressed in metal armor with roofing only over the targets—similar to an archery range.

The teacher arrived right on time and took a look around at the students before saying, “Let’s begin with everyone showing me their magic skills. All you must do is hit the target with at least one element.” Similar to the swordsmanship class, we were to take turns performing magic in order to assess each student’s skill level. There were four main elements: fire, wind, water, and earth. There were very few people who could use light or dark magic.

One by one, students stepped forward to perform their magic, but surprisingly, there were only a few students who passed. For most, their magic went flying in unintended directions or didn’t reach the target. Even those who were able to hit the target could only manage to do so with up to two elements.

The targets don’t seem like they’re taking damage at all... I wonder if their magic just isn’t potent enough.

Alicia missed the target on her turn, but people exclaimed in awe because she used very rare light magic. Oswald was able to use all four of the main elements to hit the target each time. Though his magic looked more potent than the others’, the target still wouldn’t budge.

That target must be really sturdy.

“Wonderful! I expected nothing less of you, Oswald. It’s no wonder you’re hailed as a magical genius!” the teacher enthused.

“It’s only natural to be able to do this much.” Oswald then turned to me. “It seems that she’s the only one who hasn’t shown her magic yet. I wonder what kind of amazing magic she’ll perform for us.” He pushed up his glasses, looking at me mockingly.

Oh, right, he didn’t participate in the swordsmanship lesson. I guess he doesn’t know that I sent William flying.

As I stepped forward, the students who had participated in the swordsmanship class stepped back in anticipation of something happening.

There’s no need to be so cautious...

The truth was, I couldn’t properly use any of the four main elements. At most, I could produce a flame as strong as a lighter or create a gentle breeze. Yes, I was the woman who allocated all her skill points to her muscles and dark magic.

“I was wondering, would it be all right to destroy the target?” I wanted to know if it was okay to destroy such sturdy school equipment, but Oswald answered in place of the teacher.

“The armor on that scarecrow has gone through a special treatment. Besides, how could you destroy something that even I couldn’t?”

If you’re going to speak, could you at least answer my question?

I ignored him and turned my attention to the teacher.

“Only the Court Mages are strong enough to destroy them, but if you think you can do it, go ahead.” With the teacher’s approval, I cast my magic.

“All right, then, Dark Flame.” A pea-sized black flame appeared from the tip of my finger and shot straight out toward the target.

“What was that?” Oswald chortled. “I was curious as to what you would show us, but I didn’t think it would be a popgun.”

On the other hand, the teacher seemed to have noticed that I used dark magic and was wide-eyed with amazement. The pea-sized flame finally landed and immediately upon contact set the entire target ablaze. Now engulfed in flames, the armor began to melt into a viscous mess.

Dark Flame was a spell that I used often. Though it produced no heat, just like its name suggested, it was magic that looked like fire, even though the way it melted stone and metal looked more like acid than a fire—using it on a monster led to quite a grotesque result.

The scarecrow, once protected by the armor, had completely dissolved, and the black flame dissipated. The training area fell silent for a few moments, but then, someone spoke up.

“Is that...dark magic?” they muttered.

“Yes, it is,” I replied without hesitation. “It seems to be the only element I’m any good at.”

“B-Brilliant work, Lady Yumiella! Oh, there have even been some Court Mages who were dark magic users, so try not to be biased toward it,” the teacher explained with a slight stutter. I hadn’t realized that dark magic had such a negative connotation.

Come to think of it, most villains in picture books had black hair and were dark magic users... Am I a villain? Oh, right, I’m the villainess and hidden boss, duh.

Oswald, who had been quiet until now, began to mutter under his breath. “That’s impossible! Something’s not right! I’m the genius when it comes to magic!”

I think it’s just our difference in levels, not ability.

“I-I won’t accept this, you got that?!” His dissatisfaction culminated in a scream before he fled the training area.

How out of character... What happened to being the cool glasses guy?

As I stood there, put off by Oswald’s behavior, Prince Edwin appeared with the headmaster, just barely missing his friend.

“Yumiella Dolkness, the paperwork for your expulsion has been completed. You aren’t fit for the Royal Academy.”

Prince Edwin had apparently been making preparations for my expulsion.

Huh, so that’s why I hadn’t seen him since this morning. What a busy day you’ve had, Your Highness!

“My expulsion...?”

While I reassessed my plans moving forward, the headmaster chimed in.

“Someone who would lie to a member of the royal family is not fit for the Academy, nor are they fit to be an aristocrat in Valschein. If you are expelled, it will be quite difficult to remain at your current standing.”

“Hah, maybe a vacation would do you some good. Perhaps foreigners would treat you better,” Prince Edwin chimed in.

Is he implying that I should be exiled to a different kingdom?

Just then, the magic teacher spoke up in a panic.

“Y-Your Highness, Headmaster, please hear me out. She’s able to use the very rare dark magic and was able to destroy a target that even a Court Mage would struggle with. She may be telling the truth about being level 99. I believe that expelling her would be a loss for this kingdom.”

“But a Court Mage could destroy it? Then that isn’t proof of her being level 99.” His Highness turned to address me. “If you want to stay enrolled, you’ll have to convince me.”

It seemed that Prince Edwin was insistent on getting me expelled.

Wouldn’t it be a problem if a member of the royal family were to hand someone as strong as a Court Mage over to another kingdom, Your Highness? Hm... I wonder which would be better, going into exile and being harbored by another kingdom or hiding my identity and living as a commoner?

While I weighed the pros and cons of each, the magic teacher begged me to prove my innocence. “Lady Yumiella, that magic that you performed earlier wasn’t your full strength, was it? Please, show us what you can do at full power.” He seemed to be ready to prostrate himself if necessary. Perhaps it was his loyalty to his kingdom that drove him to such desperation, but I couldn’t turn down someone pleading so earnestly.

“Very well, I will launch a spell into the sky.” I turned to face the prince. “Your Highness, would it be all right if I used my magic?”

“Do as you wish. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Are you really sure about that?”

“Stop talking and get on with it!”

“The thing is, if something were to happen, I would need someone to take responsibility...” I don’t want to be liable, you know?

“Why would something happen when you’re aiming for the sky? Fine, I’ll take responsibility!”

All right, gonna hold you to that, Your Highness. Pushing responsibility onto the prince is my best option, considering what’s about to happen.

“In that case, let us move to an area with no roof.” I left the training area, and the prince, the headmaster, and the magic teacher followed suit, with the other students anxiously trailing along.

Though I said I would showcase my full power, I wasn’t planning on actually going all out. I had refrained from using my full magical power since an incident in the past where I left a forest with a crater. As I had most definitely grown since then, my current full strength was beyond even my own imagination. Regardless, I decided to use the strongest dark magic spell—a spell that could only be used by the Demon Lord and myself in the game.

“Black Hole.”

In the blink of an eye, the Royal Academy was enveloped in darkness. If someone were looking in from far away, it would have looked like a black orb appeared above the Academy. It was large enough to be spotted from anywhere in the Royal Capital.

All the sunlight was completely obstructed at the Academy, making all the surroundings as dark as night. However, it only lasted for a moment before the black orb shrank before everyone’s eyes. Once it had disappeared, it was quickly followed by a strong gust of wind blowing up toward the air.

Black Hole was a spell that unconditionally obliterated any matter within its range. In other words, the air above the Academy had been eradicated in an instant. This caused the atmosphere in the area to become a vacuum and pull in all the surrounding air.

Once the violent winds had subsided, I did my best to put on a kind face and addressed the prince. “How was that, Your Highness? Was it enough to prove that I am level 99?”

“Eeek!” was all he managed.

Though he was scared stiff, Prince Edwin was desperately trying to run away from me.

Goodness, there’s no need to be so scared.

◆◆◆

The day after I made a black hole appear above the academy, I was called to the Royal Palace to have an audience with His Majesty, the king. Although the orb floating in the air yesterday had quickly disappeared, many people had witnessed it, causing a bit of a stir in the Royal Capital. Knights were dispatched to the Academy to investigate the situation. Naturally, I was questioned, but of course, I made sure to emphasize that Prince Edwin was responsible for the entire situation.

Along with the prince and the headmaster, other Academy teachers and students who watched it happen were questioned as well.

When I was called to the Royal Palace, I learned that the Academy uniform was on the same level as a military uniform, and I was able to appear as is for my audience with the king.

Not only is it comfortable, but I can wear it almost anywhere? This is great! From now on, I’m always gonna be in uniform.

The heavy doors to the audience chamber opened, and the knight who had guided me here prompted me to enter. The room was adorned with lavish furnishings and a red carpet, with a handsome, mature-looking man seated in the back. It was the king himself, and the queen was seated next to him. They were surrounded by people who looked to be prominent figures in this kingdom. I was knowledgeable about the principal aristocrats, but I couldn’t put any names to the faces in front of me.

Upon seeing me, they began to whisper among themselves.

My hair? Again? This is getting old.

However, the king and queen’s expressions were free of that sort of disgust—perhaps they were just good at hiding how they felt, but for now, it was reassuring. I stepped forward to the center of the audience chamber and bowed to the king and queen.

“Yumiella Dolkness, raise your head,” His Majesty called out. He refrained from continuing until I lifted my head up. “I am aware of what happened at the Academy. It seems that my son and the teachers at the Academy behaved rudely. You have my apologies, Lady Yumiella.”

Though it was just a small bow from the king, the audience hall echoed with gasps of shock, and I was just as surprised to be receiving an apology from the king himself.

“I-It’s all right. There’s no need for you to apologize, Your Majesty. I was the one who caused trouble for everyone by conducting myself abnormally, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”

The king responded to my panicked apology in a kind voice. “Lady Yumiella, please raise your head. There were a variety of methods that could have been used to confirm your level, such as a physical assessment or a simple display of magic. I find it unreasonable that they made accusations based on their one-sided assumptions. However, it is also true that many would find it hard to believe that a petite young lady such as yourself was level 99. Some of my vassals are suspicious of your level as well, which is why I would like for Adolphe to decide the truth. A decision from him should satisfy everyone.” As His Majesty spoke, a strapping man who appeared to be around the same age as the king stepped forward.

So you’re Adolphe, Commander of the Knight’s Order.

He was considered to be the strongest knight in the entire kingdom. If I remembered correctly, he was around level 60. To put that into perspective, the recommended level to take on the Demon Lord was around 60 to 70—he was definitely strong.

“In honor of your attainment of the highest level of human achievement, I will deliver a strike with my full strength.” Adolphe stood before me and unsheathed his sword, immediately swinging it sideways toward my throat.

Huh? We’re starting already?

I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for me to counterattack, but it felt wrong to use magic without permission in front of the king.

The king didn’t say I should fight, but he also didn’t tell me to block the attack. I guess I should just dodge it.

All of my thoughts took place within a split second, allowing me to evade the attack with a curtsy. The sword had barely missed the top of my head. I raised my head to prepare for the next attack, but Commander Adolphe had already sheathed his blade, looking slightly disappointed.

“Not even members of the Knight’s Order can handle that strike,” he confessed. “On top of that, it appears you even had time to think about how you would dodge the attack. There is no doubt that you are level 99.” It was only after Commander Adolphe finished speaking that the others realized he had even swung his sword, once again filling the chamber with whispers.

“I’m sorry about that, Lady Yumiella,” Adolphe apologized. He spoke quietly, so only I could hear. “As a knight, I’m ashamed to have surprised you with an attack like that, but I can’t go against His Majesty’s orders.”

Ah, so the king had instructed him to do that in advance.

“I apologize for testing you so suddenly, Lady Yumiella. I’m glad that you weren’t harmed.”

Once Commander Adolphe had returned to his position next to the king, His Majesty asked, “Would you please show us some magic as well? You are free to use any small-scale magic right here.”

“Yes, I’ll go right ahead, then.”

I decided to cast Shadow Lance in an effort to use a spell that presented the least amount of danger for everyone in the room. Slowly, several black lances rose from my shadow, causing a commotion.

“Dark magic. How interesting... Court Archmage, is there anything dangerous about the element of darkness?”

An elderly man dressed in robes spoke up to answer the king’s question.

“Darkness is merely an element, just as the four main elements and the light element are. It is weak to light but strong against water, earth, wind, and fire, making it a very powerful element. It is up to the user to decide how to use it.”

“Dark magic is used by high-ranking monsters. Are you sure it’s not something evil?”

“There are also monsters that wield the four main elements. Though I cannot confirm if it is true, there are written records of monsters using the light element as well. Given that it is an element with very few users, there were probably many people whose imaginations ran wild, leading them to believe it is a negative path.”

“Hm, I see. You’re saying that people tend to fear uncommon things that they don’t understand. It may be that black hair is loathed for a similar reason.”

The king and the archmage spoke as if they were making sure their conversation was heard by everyone. This Q and A session was probably done for my sake. Seeing that dark magic and black hair seemed to have the worst reputation, I was grateful for their consideration.

The king moved his gaze back to me. “Lady Yumiella, you have reached a height that perhaps no man ever has. Well done. I’d like to hear about your process of how you reached that point.”

Ah, he wants to know how I level grinded. It’s only natural for him to be curious, given that this is a matter of national strength. I don’t think I’ll be of much help since I didn’t do anything particularly special, but there’s no harm in telling him the truth.

“There wasn’t anything particularly special about what I did, I merely kept taking down monsters. I was luckily able to use some magic at level 1.”

“You must have had a mentor, no?”

“I did not. I am self-taught. I started with the monsters in the forest in our county, and once I got comfortable, I continued my training in a dungeon.”

“I was unaware that there was a dungeon in the county of Dolkness,” His Majesty mused.

“Yes, we have a dungeon nearby. It’s not very popular because it’s disadvantageous for the four main elements due to the considerable number of dark-type monsters that appear.”

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen anyone else in that dungeon. In the game, it’s actually a bonus stage for the light-type main character.

“So, you had no mentor... Does that mean you had no battle training?”

“That is correct. I thought I could get stronger by focusing on defeating monsters and increasing my level.”

“O-Oh... I see...”

The king seemed disturbed by my response. Apparently, the standard procedure in this kingdom was to have plenty of training before taking on a monster.

“Did no one in your household try to stop you from doing something so dangerous?”

“This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but the truth is, I was sneaking out to train. No one noticed as long as I was home on the days that the tutors came by.”

“Your parents didn’t... Oh, I’m sorry. You can disregard that.”

The king must have remembered that my parents never left the Royal Capital, as his expression had turned to one of pity.

Don’t feel bad, Your Majesty. It was honestly a pretty fun and fulfilling childhood. I should probably change the subject, though.

“I don’t think there was anything else I did... Oh, wait! Yes, I had an amulet of growth with me.”

“You didn’t carry an amulet of protection?!”

Amulets were a type of equipable item with various effects. The amulet of growth was an item that doubled your experience points. In the game, it was only available for purchase after defeating the Demon Lord, but in this world, it was just another item at the shops.

The amulet of protection could block one fatal strike. It wasn’t used much in the game, but it was probably very useful as a real-world item. Its price in the shops reflected that as well, as it was the only expensive item by a large margin. The only drawback was that amulets seemed to cancel each other out because carrying more than one negated their effects.

“I-I also used a monster-summoning flute... I would play it as loud as I could in the forest and dungeon.”

The monster-summoning flute was an item that would force an encounter with monsters. It was an extremely helpful item since I couldn’t just spawn enemies by walking around like in the game.

“Adolphe, would you be able to do the same?”

“I could not part with my amulet of protection, nor could I do something as frightening as playing a monster-summoning flute while alone,” he answered seriously.

The king and Commander Adolphe stared at me as if I were deranged.

All I did was try to level grind efficiently. This feels like an overreaction. I did have some near-death experiences, though...

The king cleared his throat and spoke in a rigid manner.

“Yumiella Dolkness, I hope you will employ your strength as this kingdom’s sword.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, nodding. “As one of your vassals, I intend to be the Kingdom of Valschein’s shield,” I continued, having swapped the phrase “kingdom’s sword” for “kingdom’s shield” nonchalantly.

“Very well, you shall utilize your strength in the event of a national emergency.”

I was relieved to see that my intentions were understood and agreed to by the king. However, my relief was short-lived as my audience with the king didn’t seem to be over. His Majesty seemed to be sizing me up, his gaze still piercing.

“Well then, I would like to reward you for your unprecedented achievements. Feel free to speak honestly about your desires. We can arrange for you to have a title, a domain, or even a national treasure. Welcoming you into the royal family wouldn’t be out of the question either.”

The audience chamber buzzed with shock at the king’s generous words.

Ah, this must be a test. The king wants to know whether I’m seeking wealth, honor, or even the prince’s hand in marriage. Unfortunately, Your Highness, I don’t want any of those things.

“I am very fortunate and grateful for this unexpected gift. As for my desires, I wish to lead a peaceful life. If there is peace in the kingdom and my surroundings, and enough food, clothing, and shelter for all, there would be nothing else I could want for.”

“I see... Then I shall vow to strive for your peace. I must say, you are quite nonacquisitive. If you ever desire anything else, let me know, and I shall arrange what I can.” The king spoke as if he was satisfied with my answer, but there was also a hint of displeasure. I figured he was bothered by the fact that he couldn’t prepare chains to shackle me to this kingdom.

You’re right to be worried. If I ever get sick of this place, I’m outta here.

Thus ended my time with His Majesty, and I exited the audience chamber.

Glad that’s over. It was quite nerve-racking.

I was glad to find that the king was someone who could be reasoned with. I had even anticipated being unfairly assigned to the military and forced to participate in war. If it had come to that, I would have done everything I could to escape.

I followed the knight who had guided me here, excited to finally return to my dorm.

Wait... This isn’t the way we came.

The knight continued to guide me farther into the depths of the palace.

“Um, we seem to be going in a different direction than the exit...”

“Yes, you have been invited to have tea with Her Majesty, Lady Yumiella.”

Darn. Looks like my time at the palace isn’t over yet.

I was brought to the royal family’s personal quarters deep in the palace, and taken into a room where the queen most likely awaited me.

The room had a relaxed feeling to its design, and inside awaited the queen and a maid, with tea already prepared.

“Thank you for coming, Lady Yumiella. I would have loved for His Majesty to join us, but he is a very busy man.”

The queen had a calm and mature-like quality to her, yet she maintained an air of youthfulness.

“My name is Yumiella Dolkness. Thank you very much for inviting me, Your Majesty.”

“This is unofficial business. There’s no need to be so polite,” the queen said with a soft smile before glancing over at the maid. The maid finished making my tea and left the room.

“I want you to know that our conversation here won’t leave this room, especially since I have some sensitive matters to discuss.”

What? This is starting to smell like trouble... I just want to go home already.

“Heh heh, there’s no need to be so guarded, sweetie. The king and I both are actually quite fond of you. Your answers during your audience were brilliant. It’s a relief to know that someone like you was the one to obtain such a strong power.”

“Th-Thank you...?” I was surprised at the unexpected glowing review.

“Lady Yumiella, you consider having power to be a hassle, don’t you? Furthermore, you seem to be sharp-witted. If you had been either an ambitious or empty-headed person... The thought gives me chills.”

“Um...why do you trust me so much?”

“Well, there are many aristocrats who pretend to be nonacquisitive to get close to the royal family. Eventually, I started to be able to tell the difference. You don’t want to get involved with the royal family, do you? Unfortunately, the only people I can trust are those who feel that way.”

There was no way I was going to admit to her face that I didn’t want to get involved with the royal family, so I stayed silent.

“Let’s move on to the main topic,” the queen continued. “Keep in mind, this is information that only the royal family and very few aristocrats are privy to. In two years, the Demon Lord will be resurrected.”

I was shocked to hear the queen state it so plainly. And although I wasn’t surprised about the Demon Lord’s resurrection, I was surprised at how they had so accurately predicted it. In the game, without any warning, the Demon Lord resurrected as soon as the main character began her third year, which would be two years from now.

The royal family must have information on the Demon Lord that wasn’t revealed in the game.

“The Demon Lord...?”

“Yes, I would like your cooperation in taking down the Demon Lord. The military will have their hands full with holding off the army of monsters, so we need a team of a select few to defeat the Demon Lord.”

“Understood. I will, of course, help the kingdom during this crisis.”

I had already been planning to take down the Demon Lord myself, if necessary, so I accepted immediately.

“Thank you, Yumiella. There’s just one thing... I feel terrible saying this when you would be risking your life, but it wouldn’t be good for the kingdom if you were to take down the Demon Lord.”

It would be inconvenient for the kingdom if I defeated the Demon Lord?

I pondered what the queen meant by her statement, and only one answer came to mind. “Is that because it would bring to question the King’s legitimacy?”

The Kingdom of Valschein was founded by the hero and saintess who sealed the Demon Lord, and the royal family were their descendants—this fact was the reason the king ruled this kingdom. If someone unrelated to the royal family were to defeat the Demon Lord, this reasoning would falter.

“I’m impressed. That is correct,” she said, eyebrows raised.

I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I cheated a little. I only knew that because the prince participated in taking down the Demon Lord in the game. 

“Being the descendant of the hero is merely the official reason, but having a justification itself is important to a king,” the queen continued. “We plan to send Edwin to defeat the Demon Lord. It would be wonderful if you could join the battle as a saintess.”

If I were to be worshiped as a saintess who helped defeat the Demon Lord, I would have to marry Prince Edwin.

No, thank you. Marrying into the royal family sounds exhausting.

“There is a new student in my same incoming class who uses light magic. I believe she is much more suited to be the saintess, rather than a dark magic user like myself. She already seems to be getting along with Prince Edwin at the Academy.”

Miss Heroine, I sacrifice thee.

“How unfortunate. Though, I did expect you to turn me down. It’s all right that you don’t want to. You can be honest with me. Oh, and if you don’t like Edwin, would you consider marrying Maurice?” the queen asked, referring to the first prince.

“No,” I declined without hesitation.

I mean, she was the one who said to be honest.

“Ha ha ha! There’s no need to be so opposed; I won’t force you. The last thing we want is to drive you out of the kingdom. However, I do wonder how my sons would react to hearing how clearly opposed you were to the idea of marrying them,” the queen laughed. The fact that I so flatly rejected the princes must have amused her.

Once her laughter had calmed down, Her Majesty regained her composure and began to speak on a new topic.

“We can discuss the Demon King in more detail at a later date. The more immediate problem you will face will be the aristocrats trying to persuade you to join their political factions. Unfortunately, the news about you being level 99 has already spread. I believe their maneuvers to draw you in will begin tomorrow.”

“Wouldn’t joining Your Majesty’s faction solve the problem?”

“The king and I are members of the dominant faction, who are also known as moderates or royalists. The problem is that the faction isn’t a monolith, so members of the dominant faction would fight over you. Though, we aren’t also known as moderates for nothing. There wouldn’t be as many issues, and you would probably be able to handle it yourself.”

The queen’s lecture on the political factions of aristocrats, a topic I lacked knowledge about, continued. “You must look out for the radicals led by the Duke of Hillrose. They have proposed wars of aggression on other kingdoms—try to keep your distance from them. You should also be wary of being contacted by agents from other countries. If you are ever given an enticing offer, let me or the king know. I promise you we will arrange something beyond their offers.”

The thorough and complete support from this kingdom made me fully aware of how I had become a living strategic weapon. I then realized that I had no idea what faction the Dolkness family was a part of, so I decided to ask the queen.

Her Majesty looked hesitant but answered, “The Dolkness family, or should I say, aristocrats that are called pseudo-centralists, are radicals. The duke wishes to grow the radical faction as much as he can, and they want to be a part of the centralists’ factions. It is a result of their agendas aligning.”

To think that we were radicals... My family is probably wrapped around the Duke of Hillrose’s thumb.

“What should I do if my family were to demand I be adopted by or marry into the Hillrose family?”

“I will issue a royal decree prohibiting you from being transferred from your family registry. Without the ability to be added to another family’s registry, it will be impossible for you to be adopted or married against your will. However, there will be people who oppose this, so I’m afraid I can only keep the decree active until you graduate.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, that is plenty sufficient.”

I’ll have to do something about my relationship with my family before I graduate.

“Yumiella... I was wondering, what do you think of your parents?” the queen asked as if reading my thoughts.

“I have never met them, so I couldn’t say. It seems that they aren’t very good people, so if possible, I would like to cut ties with them.”

The queen must not have expected me to say I’d never met my parents—she gasped, her face now filled with sadness.

“I see... If you would like, you could become my—” She cut herself off. “No, you would probably refuse. In any case, you can think of me as your own mother. If you are ever in need of some attention, please feel free to stop by.” The offer was sweet, but as someone whose mental age was over thirty, it was a bit of an awkward situation to be in.

“Thank you. I appreciate the offer, but your kind words are more than enough.”

Afterward, we discussed my life in Dolkness County. As the story of my life progressed, the queen’s expression became increasingly sorrowful. By the time we reached the dungeon arc of my fun level-grinding times, tears were streaming down her face.

“We will be sending one of the king’s men to the Academy. If you are ever in trouble, please let him know.”

For some reason, the queen seemed to feel the need to protect me. As mothers often did for their visiting children, I was sent home with an abundance of treats.