章節 9: 9| Back to College
Celestia had hurried through her morning routine, knowing she needed to leave in twenty minutes if she had any hope of arriving at the academy on time. She took a quick bath without her maids' assistance. Thankfully, the academy uniform was far easier to put on than the elaborate dresses she was used to.
The uniform consisted of a white, full-sleeved shirt paired with a navy-blue suit vest, beautifully embroidered with silver threads, and matching formal trousers. The outfit made her look rather dashing.
Most girls opted for knee-length skirts, but Celestia preferred trousers since she was part of the swordsmanship department. While she had recently changed her major, the decision had been a last-minute one just a couple of days ago. Her uniform, ordered a month earlier, had already been delivered.
Out of habit, she reached for her sword belt before pausing, realizing she no longer needed it. Her new courses didn't include swordsmanship. Still, she decided to wear it anyway– better safe than sorry. She secured the belt around her waist, attaching her most treasured sword to it. Even she couldn't deny the weapon's magnificence, with its blade housed in a sleek black leather scabbard. It was a cherished gift from her father.
Finally, she retrieved a silver pocket watch from her drawer, another treasured keepsake, this one from her mother. After fastening it to her belt, she took a quick glance in the full-length mirror before rushing downstairs, out of the mansion, and straight into the waiting carriage.
The moment she sat down, Celestia slouched in the plush seat. The cushions were so comfortable she was tempted to sleep, but her mind refused to quiet down, keeping her wide awake.
She was twenty-two when she had died in her previous life– two years older than her current self, and only two months away from graduating.
'Damn it. If only I'd held on a little longer, I could've gotten the degree I worked so hard for'
She wasn't really smart, more of a creative thinker than a technical one. If it hadn't been for her family's compulsion, she would have pursued a degree in fine arts or multimedia design.
But her parents had been footing the tuition bill, so she had no choice but to give up on her dreams. Even now, she would have loved to study art in this world, but none of the academies offered education for artists.
The ongoing war between the demon realm and the mortal realm influenced the focus of institutions, which prioritized developing skills to protect the people and contribute to victory.
Understanding this reality, Celestia had chosen to study magic engineering, a field to which she had some affinity. She had no grand delusions of becoming the empire's hero. Her goals were more practical: she wanted to develop weapons and tools to protect herself while selling her creations to the military. Of course, she'd keep the most powerful ones for her own use.
While she didn't want to be a complete scumbag, she couldn't ignore the cold truth: war was profitable. Merchants and weapons dealers always profited most during times of conflict, she had learnt that in her past life. In this world, there was a rare third category she found even more appealing– weapon developers.
In the novel, a renowned magic engineer had created a groundbreaking device capable of holding a corrosive potion in its liquid state and releasing it in gaseous form when triggered, corroding everything in its vicinity. Essentially, it was the equivalent of a modern gas bomb. The prototype had a precise range of five hundred meters, but with further research, it was developed into an even deadlier weapon.
That inventor had the audacity to auction the model in the underground market, making it an important plot point. The male lead showed off his immense wealth by purchasing it for the empire, outbidding demon worshippers.
The final price? A whopping two hundred million gold.
Celestia, however, had no intention of auctioning off her creations. She planned to deal directly with the imperial military. With her father as the Minister of Defense, she was confident he would offer her a fair price. He was infamously strict and impartial when it came to his duties. Besides, profit wasn't her primary goal– she simply wanted to make enough money to safeguard herself until the war was over.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the carriage door swung open. She flipped open the pocket watch hanging from her waist. Exactly twenty minutes had passed since they left her home. If not for the magically accelerated carriage, the journey would have taken two hours.
Once again, she was reminded of the sheer convenience that came with wealth.
Celestia stepped down from the carriage quickly and strode toward the academy gates at a brisk pace.
'Ahhh, I really don't want to be late for orientation.'
Celestia barely made it to the main auditorium in time, after running like a madwoman for a solid five minutes.
As she entered, she straightened her vest and pulled down her sleeves further. It was cold because the temperature had been regulated with artifacts. The auditorium buzzed with scattered groups of students catching up, but her arrival sparked a wave of whispers.
"Isn't that Princess Aster? The one who's chasing after Lord Zachary?" a boy muttered, drawing more attention to her.
"She still chose swordsmanship as her major?" a girl sneered, looking at the sword on her waist. "She's not even a sword expert yet, and both her brothers became swordmasters when they were younger than her."
"Some people just don't know when to give up," another boy snickered.
Celestia caught their mockery, but she wasn't fazed.
Sure, she wasn't a swordmaster like her brothers and father, but her swordsmanship still exceeded that of the average imperial knight. In the past, such comparisons would have made her feel insecure, but not anymore. Her family was exceptional, even by imperial standards– practically overpowered. She had worked harder than all of these students combined and had nothing to be ashamed of.
Without a word, she ignored them and made her way to the back row. It was the perfect spot; no one would disturb her if she decided to nap. Orientations typically lasted two hours, and she had no hope in staying awake through it.
In the past, these kinds of comments would have made her angry, prompting her to throw sharp insults back at them. But she had endured far worse in her past life and saw no reason to waste her energy on these lowlives.
Unfortunately, ignoring them didn't silence the whispers; they only grew louder.
Tuning them out, Celestia focused on her schedule for the day. After orientation, there was a campus tour for senior students who had transferred from other academies or were homeschooled. That meant the rest of her day was free.
'Should I go back home or visit the magic engineering department to see how things are over there?'
She was seriously weighing her options when the auditorium suddenly fell silent. Curious, Celestia glanced up to see what had caused the abrupt change.
And then she saw him.
The male lead had arrived.
創作者的想法 
melonapped
melonapped The original male lead has made his appearance! Don't forget to add to library, comment, gift, like and review to motivat meee. I am especially in need of reviews guys pleaseee.
See ya in the next chap
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