Dilan United Magic Academy.
As the first magic academy of the Nightingale Kingdom and at the same time the highest seat of learning for the neighbouring Falling Blossom and Platinum Kingdoms, this academy was not only formidably staffed, it covered an astonishing amount of ground.
Magic tower peaks piercing the clouds, splendid palaces arranged in tiers, a vast and peaceful central plaza...
Looking from the front through to the back, it could move any number of first-time visitors to exclaim:
"This is practically a city!"
At this moment, however.
Casper, standing not far from the gates of Dilan United Magic Academy, had no attention at all to spare for the grandeur of the place.
The black-haired boy was a little ill at ease, and scratched his cheek with a gaze that was distinctly hot.
"...Wh-why are you dressed like that?"
Komachi Yua, stepping down out of the carriage cabin, had already changed into the pale-pink maid outfit Philia had meant to wear herself.
The pure white, demure maid's headband covered over what remained of the witch about Komachi Yua completely, and several coloured clips fastened in her hair set off that gentle little face and its touch of softness as more harmless still.
The maid dress was designed in inner and outer layers, pink outside and white within: the pink outer part gathered into flower-pinned short sleeves and a fitted dress, while the inner part was a soft, milk-white fabric wrapping her enormous ripe fruits, slit a little at the top to show a small stretch of snow-white and a deep cleft.
Below, the skirt was short and wide and held out high, displaying to the full a pair of fleshy legs sheathed in suspendered white stockings, and on her feet a pair of awkward high heels that looked in no way suited to a maid's housework.
"Whew, at least the witch's memories include no shortage of outfits with heels — she wasn't tall, after all, so plenty of occasions called for lavish clothes to project authority..."
Komachi Yua muttered smugly to herself.
Without that memory and experience, she would have turned an ankle inside a single step.
As it was, Komachi Yua could pace gracefully forward a few steps, draw close to Casper, lift the lace-pleated white hem on either side, and curtsey.
"Master dearest~ don't you like me in this?"
Of course he loves it~
Her mouth might be asking the question, but Komachi Yua could already feel that the look in Casper's eyes as he watched her was burning!
It seemed the plan to stick to the protagonist had already taken a perfect first step~
Compared with playing coy and acting cute, things that mortified Komachi Yua to the very core.
Showing a little skin felt a great deal more acceptable to her.
With the soul of a boy, Komachi Yua reckoned that dressing however casually you liked was perfectly normal, and felt no real resistance to it.
"V-very, very lovely."
Casper spoke slowly. "It suits you."
At his side, Philia's cheeks puffed out completely, her hands lowered and balled into fists, her body very nearly rising straight up onto her toes. She was clearly unhappy.
"Nnngh—!"
That was, that was, that was supposed to be hers to wear!
She was the one who was supposed to be looked at by Casper with that hot, love-laden gaze!
It seemed she would have to design another maid outfit for herself!
Mm, no more pink this time — a blue set would do, better suited to her hair colour... and the cut would have to be more enticing too. Her figure was no worse than Komachi Yua's, and Casper liked the young-and-generous type...
Still, Philia found that the maid outfit she had designed for herself suited Komachi Yua unexpectedly well.
Mm. With that outfit on top of that face and that figure, she just about scraped in as qualified to become one of Casper's~
As a native of this Central-European-flavoured otherworld, Philia had essentially no objection to a man keeping a harem — it was close to assumed.
Her one great objection was that she had to be the principal wife, the one Casper doted on most and paid the most attention to!
Waaaaah, and here she was, not even having started on expressing how she felt...
Thankfully, there was nobody at Casper's side expressing anything to him either... apart from this witch who had been captured and turned into a personal maid...
Connie, both feet planted on her floating circle, drifted up behind Casper and tugged at the hair at the back of his head, displeased.
"Enough, enough. How much longer are you all going to stand about here looking blank? It's time to go in!"
Bickering all the way, the four of them approached the gates of Dilan United Magic Academy.
The magnificent ten-meter magical gates of platinum swung slowly open from the centre.
Being a magic academy so vast it resembled a city, Dilan United Magic Academy had a full nine gates for its students to come and go by.
And this one, the main gate, opened and received a visitor only in the face of someone owed that courtesy, as a mark of respect!
A bird with a pale-brown back and a pure white underside came to rest in mid-air and bowed slightly to the four of them in the manner of a human being.
This was the symbol of the Nightingale Kingdom — a nightingale!
The nightingale produced a very human smile and spoke in human speech.
"Welcome, all of you, to Dilan United Magic Academy!"
***
The vast, open central plaza, and the long path of flowers and birds.
Philia walked at the front, exchanging smiles and words with the nightingale, the principal's magically wrought messenger familiar. Casper walked behind her, his left hand on the hilt at his waist, making certain he could move at any moment to guard the crown princess's safety.
Behind Casper came Komachi Yua in her maid outfit, palms folded and resting against her stomach, the very picture of quiet obedience and perfect meekness — while Connie sat at her ease on Komachi Yua's left shoulder, expression relaxed, both feet swinging.
Along both sides of the long path were a great many Dilan students, some strolling and talking, some studying magic.
They all turned to look now, and the talk did not stop.
They had heard an important person would be arriving today. They had not expected a person this important!
"Th-that's the crown princess of the Nightingale, Lady Philia Soren?! I've seen her in magical portraits often enough... this is the first time I've seen her in the flesh."
"She's so beautiful. Even cuter in person than in the portraits, and there's a scent of nightbloom about her. And, and that area really is outrageously large — the rumours weren't wrong!"
"That fellow behind her is the dual-class swordsman who's got so famous lately, isn't he? Hmph, so Grand Duke Soren did hire him as a guard after all... isn't he afraid he's sending his daughter into the tiger's mouth?"
They did not, however, dare discuss the fact that Philia had brought a guard; Dilan required personal ability, but as a crown princess it was perfectly normal for her safety to be guaranteed.
And as for the loli on the shoulder of the maid behind Casper — of her they dared not breathe a single word.
Connie Holno.
The living fossil of the arcane world!
Perverse of temper, mysterious and haughty, liable to cast a spell over a single wrong word — they would have to be sick of living to dare discuss her!
The pink-haired maid she was riding, or perhaps sitting on, however, was fair game, and worth a few words besides.
"Whose maid is she? She's very alluring... Lady Philia is already at the level of a beauty of the realm, and even so this one can stand a comparison with her!"
"I just heard — Lady Philia didn't bring a single maid or attendant. And, er, the one on this maid's shoulder has always kept to herself, too."
"Which means she's that dual-class swordsman's maid?"
Once that conclusion was out, the talk broke out in every direction.
The dual-class swordsman was no ordinary figure, granted.
But every student able to study at Dilan Magic Academy was a person of outstanding gifts in his own right!
"Damn, he's eating a bit too good."
"Heh. He's only just made a name for himself, and he's already buying a maid of that grade. What extravagance."
"So lecherous. Looks like Lady Philia won't care for that type..."
"Hahaha, surely you don't think you have a shot at courting the crown princess~"
Behind Philia.
Casper took in all of this ever livelier gossip and pulled a small face.
Had this lot been driven mad by their studies? What a pack of gossips.
Komachi Yua wasn't a maid he'd bought, she was his prisoner!
"Mm, though I did assign her that identity, granted...
I'm starting to feel I really could treat her as a personal maid, and try it out a little..."