Prologue: Two Weeks After the Incident in the Forest (Sienna)

“Sienna, shall we go?”

“Yes.”

As soon as we arrived at school, the homeroom instructors of each individual class—my first-year Class A included—herded their students into the Academy’s grand hall.

I followed the young noblewoman, the daughter of a count, who had called to me. By the time we arrived at the grand hall, most of the student body had already assembled.

Amid the crowd, I spotted Mihail’s golden hair and violet eyes.

Mihail Robur, the very picture of a hero plucked straight from whatever swashbuckling romance happened to be in vogue down at the harbor at the moment. He hadn’t really spoken to me in nearly two weeks, but he was still my dear older brother, and I was quite proud of him.

I saw that the rest of the student council officers had been gathered with him. Among them stood Heinz Asche, with his red hair and sky blue eyes. He had been absent from school for quite some time. I also noticed that my dear foster sister, Laviange Robur, was still absent. No doubt she was playing hooky again. I knew everything. Even though I had gone through all that trouble, using a few convenient lackeys, to send her to that horrible Poison Box Garden, the incompetent wretch had somehow managed to come back from the forest unscathed.

The hall was buzzing with whispered speculation. I could hear a few students talking nearby.

“Hey, did you hear?”

“Yeah. The reason we’ve all been called in today...”

“Think it’s to explain the accident?”

“It’s been two weeks already. The explanation’s well overdue.”

The buzz died down when the doors swung shut, after the arrival of the last trickle of students. It was silent by the time the elderly headmaster stepped onto the raised platform in front of us.

“Students, thank you for assembling this morning. I shall get straight to the point. Many of you are likely already aware that two weeks ago, during the joint training exercise betwee