Chapter 15: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn

Su Na nodded in understanding: “A very practical enchantment.”

For heavy infantry, the greatest challenge is heat dissipation after intense exertion; most non-combat attrition in heavy infantry stems from dehydration and heatstroke caused by high temperatures.

She had thought about this problem before. If she were to use magic to enhance items, she would likely focus on eliminating weaknesses rather than magnifying strengths. Unless it was an absolute trump card that decided the outcome of a battle in a single stroke, taking a “sideways” approach to design was usually better.

Once they officially entered the capital, Su Na lowered the carriage window. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to continue observing what the kingdom’s capital looked like, but the eyes of the bystanders were becoming far too intrusive.

Although the Great Baron Fafnir was a high-ranking noble, her caravan’s scale was somewhat exaggerated. It wasn’t about the sheer number of people—caravans with over a thousand attendants weren’t unheard of—but the ostentatious display of a full knightly order providing escort.

One had to remember that Baron Kaibuli only had a few dozen knights under his command. While they were manorial lords with higher-level equipment and their armor was generally enchanted, they were still few in number.

The equipment of Lady Adelaide’s knightly order, while perhaps not reaching the level of full, heavy-plate plate-mail like that of ancient aristocratic houses, was still uniformly equipped with full sets of armor; the gap between them was shrinking.

Before this, Su Na hadn’t realized what was wrong, but it only hit her later just how much Adelaide doted on and valued her.

However, this raised a hint of suspicion in Su Na’s mind. Lady Adelaide’s family background was so robust that she hardly seemed like a minor character; she was practically on par with Baron Kaibuli. How could the original plot have glossed over her so easily?

Thinking of this, Su Na asked aloud: “Wei Wei, do you know what the situation is with my mother’s family?”

A strange flicker passed through Levi’s eyes; she lowered her head slightly and whispered: “Your subordinate does not know, Miss. I only know that Lady Adelaide was once a Knight Commander.”

Su Na patted Dahuang’s head: “Heh, a mysterious beauty.”

Levi: “…”

“Miss, we have arrived.”

The Knight Commander’s voice rang out from outside the carriage. Levi pushed the door open and hopped out first to scan the surroundings before extending a hand to Su Na, holding her small hand to steady her as she stepped down.

Every time she had to wear the formal attire of this era, Su Na felt an endless urge to complain. She finally understood what it meant to be a mere accessory or a beautiful vase; her manners and clothing were all ordered to cater to others’ preferences, while whether she felt comfortable or willing didn’t matter in the slightest.

Now that she thought about it, her family was truly wonderful. When Su Na was at home, she never wore those layered, nesting-doll-like formal outfits; she would just wear a loose undergarment and throw a robe over it before running wild. She had never seen Kaibuli or Adelaide give her a sour look for it.

Otherwise, if she were sandwiched between layers of lining like a sandwich every day—forced to stand and sit with such rigid etiquette that she couldn’t even take a thirty-seven-centimeter step—she would never have the heart to tinker with this or that.

Do you know what a mousetrap feels like?

At this moment, a large crowd had gathered at the entrance of the Royal Magic Academy—a mix of successful freshmen and curious upperclassmen. Everyone was casting focused gazes at Su Na, the noble lady who had descended from such a magnificent caravan.

Although many were whispering, the voices were too low to reach Su Na’s ears. Those capable of entering the Royal Academy were no weaklings; they were either gifted geniuses or well-off scions of powerful families who wouldn’t be foolish enough to lose face by speaking carelessly in public.

Though, not everyone was so sensible~

“Su Na!”

A strange voice called out from the crowd. Su Na instinctively turned her head to see Charlie squeezed into the throng, his face twisted in a look of disapproval as he saw her looking.

“Nutcase.”

Su Na muttered, turned back, and ignored him. With Levi and the Knight Commander—who had dismounted to accompany her—she approached the freshman advisor to begin the enrollment procedure.

Su Na’s magical talent assessment during her childhood had been graded very highly, and her theoretical grades were excellent; this was one of the few things the original owner could boast about.

Or rather, her talent was indeed exceptionally strong, allowing her to stand out even while “fishing for three days and drying nets for two” during her period of love-addled brain rot.

Talent was simply unreasonable sometimes; some people could grasp what others spent their whole lives memorizing in a single flash.

As Su Na’s party entered the campus, the whispering of the crowd at the gate grew louder.

“Which family is that young lady from?”

“Didn’t you see the Red Dragon flag? It’s the Fafnir family!”

“Oh, right, now that you mention it, I remember. Tsk, what a display; it’s no different from a Count’s.”