Through some indirect probing, they’d learned what happened.

In short, Wensidia—Imperial Princess and Student Council President of Rockefeller Academy—had vanished without explanation.

This was grave news. The Princess’s safety shaped the Empire’s future. The Academy Chancellor had summoned the school’s elite students, assigning them an S-rank mission: retrieve the missing Princess.

These elites were the Academy’s pillars—top scorers, battle-hardened veterans, crisis specialists.

That explained the unfamiliar faces camped nearby at dawn: all secretly dispatched by the Chancellor for this classified S-rank task.

Moyu Manatsu understood why the Princess’s disappearance couldn’t be publicized.

“If only this were a simple disappearance,” Saria said, unusually solemn. “But I doubt it’s that straightforward.”

Her reasoning held weight. The Princess wouldn’t vanish randomly—she knew her status. Disappearing within the Academy pointed to one possibility: abduction.

“Logically,” Saria continued, “Her Highness was kidnapped.”

“She’s exceptionally strong. Few students here could match her. No student would dare target her—and she’d never vanish without cause. Someone must have infiltrated the Academy to take her.”

Moyu Manatsu was slightly surprised by Saria’s rare seriousness.

Morning sun pierced the forest canopy, yet the woods remained shrouded in gloom.

Around her, the elite students packed gear, preparing to enter the forest.

“But if it’s a kidnapping,” Caina interjected, “why no ransom demand? Doesn’t that seem odd?”

Saria faltered, unable to answer.

As the group readied to move, Theos stepped between the girls, startling them.

“Theos...” Moyu Manatsu murmured.

“No ransom means money isn’t their goal. Simple. And whoever breached the Academy’s defenses to take the Princess? They’re no ordinary criminal. Ransom would be beneath them.”

Theos rarely interrupted conversations. His sudden involvement surprised everyone.

“Are you certain?”

“Seventy percent probability. It’s the most logical conclusion.”

“I see...”

“Let’s go. Time’s wasting.”

With that, the boy strode toward the forest.

The Death Forest.

Adventurers who entered rarely returned. Savage beasts roamed its depths; only armed mercenary bands or skilled mages dared traverse it.

This mission required ten elite students—all high-tier combatants.

The Chancellor possessed Mana Perception—a power to track individuals by their Mana signature. She’d recorded Princess Wensidia’s signature before her disappearance. But within the Death Forest, that signature vanished. With no other options, she’d sent students to search.

“Never expected this...”

A chill crept up Moyu Manatsu’s spine as she entered the shadowy woods. She dreaded going but had no choice. *At least tomorrow, Lunorette will handle this,* she thought grimly, forcing herself forward.

“Luno, you seem... off,” Caina said. The girl broke into a cold sweat.

“You’re too calm.”

Lunorette always led when danger loomed. Now, she marched silently ahead, steps slow and deliberate, eyes fixed forward. Caina—her longtime roommate—noticed the subtle shift.

If pressed, Caina would say Lunorette radiated fear. She hoped she was wrong.

“You’ve been strange lately. Something’s happened, hasn’t it?”

*Sharp. She sees through my act,* Moyu Manatsu thought. *I must stay in character. For Lunorette.*

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not. I’m no Saria—I notice things. You’re hiding something.”

“Caina, you’re overthinking—”

“I can’t miss it. Your confidence... your strength. It’s gone. Before, no matter what happened, your belief in your power never wavered. But now...”

“...”

“Your confidence is missing.”

Moyu Manatsu stayed silent.

She wasn’t Lunorette. She couldn’t truly replace her.

Trapped in this other world, powerless Moyu Manatsu was terrified—but she couldn’t show it. *I am Lunorette now.*

“Caina.”

The girl’s voice steadied.

“I don’t know what’s troubling you, but if you’re uneasy, tell me. I’m stronger than you think. I’ll complete this mission.”

She mimicked Lunorette perfectly, hiding her panic—except for the sweat beading on her forehead.

“...Understood.”

Caina still sensed something wrong. This Lunorette seemed... off.

Before she could speak, a shout erupted ahead.

“Watch where you’re stepping! I thought it was a monster—you nearly gave me a heart attack!”

A girl’s angry voice echoed through the trees. Moyu Manatsu looked over.

“I accidentally stepped on your foot. I apologize if I startled you...”

One student had trodden on another’s foot, triggering a near-sword-draw reaction.

“You *should* apologize! Who do you think you are? I’m Erika Seizer! I wouldn’t be caught dead with lowborns like you if not for this mission!”

The offended girl spat insults laced with class hatred.

“...What did you say?”

The accused girl’s fists clenched, face darkening with rage.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear. Lowborns like you have no right to touch my boots. If not for your student status, I’d have your head.”

Erika Seizer sneered coldly.

Moyu Manatsu watched, stunned.

She knew nobles looked down on commoners here—but this visceral contempt shocked her. The stepped-on student was clearly commonborn, instinctively cowed. No one intervened.

“Why that look? Angry? Hah! How dare a gutter rat like you resent a noble?”

“Erika, I stay silent out of respect for our shared academy. But don’t push me!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Noble or not—you forget I’m an elite student too. In a fight, I might just win.”

“Interesting. Challenge me? Fine. I’ll beat you until you regret crossing Erika Seizer!”

Tension crackled between them. Noble and commoner stood poised to clash.

Moyu Manatsu remained still, observing.

This was her first real glimpse of this world’s rules—so different from hers. Noble prejudice ran deep, generations old. Commoners couldn’t fight back... unless they had the power to.

The enraged commoner no longer cared about the crime of attacking nobility. She only wanted to reclaim her dignity.

“Luno, don’t go near them.”

Caina grabbed her sleeve, fearing she’d intervene.

Moyu Manatsu was surprised—she hadn’t planned to step in. *But Caina expects Lunorette to act. She always defends the powerless.*

“Stand down.”

Theos stepped between the girls, halting their Mana buildup.

“Is this the time for infighting? Our mission is to find the Princess—not waste time here!”

His authority forced them to lower their guard.

“Erika Seizer, you overreacted. Hilary Conrad is your classmate, regardless of status. And Hilary—this is a mission. Know your priorities. Fight later, at the Academy. But not now. Not here.”

Moyu Manatsu stared, impressed by Theos’s unexpected firmness.

The girls scoffed, turning away in silence.

Seeing these two cease the flow of Mana, Theos finally regained his cold expression...