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Chapter 56

Two years passed.

Ber, now sixteen.

"Now, young lady, please raise your right arm."

Moving as Anna instructed, Ber looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She'd grown quite a bit taller than two years ago. Sleeves and dress lengths no longer fit properly, so she'd been calling the tailor frequently for alterations. Her plump cheeks had slimmed down slightly.

"You have a determined look in your eyes, young lady. Nervous about the Academy entrance ceremony?"

"Yeah, a little."

Ber admitted honestly, nodding.

She'd trained hard for two years. Thanks to that, she'd gained a fair degree of control over spring's power. Alongside training, she'd studied—with Heinz's help, she'd filled in the gaps in her knowledge about this world.

But still, stepping outside the castle required courage.

Einja is also sixteen this year. The original story's plot is about to begin.

There was so much to do. Things she didn't want to fail, and things she'd been avoiding that she now had to face.

Her first time experiencing sixteen.

When would she get another chance at life like this? Yes. Let's do this. I can do it!

"Don't worry, young lady."

"Hm?"

At the voice breaking through her thoughts, Ber turned to Anna in bewilderment.

"You'll do well. You've worked so hard all this time. This Anna guarantees it!"

"...Thank you, Anna."

Holding Anna's hand and stroking her fingers, Ber smiled. In the past, she would have hugged her—but the young lady had grown much more mature.

Dressed neatly, she walked down the corridor with Anna. Someone approached from the opposite direction.

"Lady Ber."

"Heinz!"

Ber waved happily at Heinz. Heinz, however, wore a somewhat wistful expression.

"So even you are going to the Academy. It will be lonely."

"Oh, come on. You used to complain about teaching me every day."

"Complain? I enjoyed it. Every moment was a joy."

Ber forgot what to say. Why is he like this, this old man? His character had completely changed from when they first met.

Quickly wiping her eyes, Ber extended her hand to Heinz.

"We can meet again anytime, so Heinz—when you make it big later, don't forget us, okay?"

"Make it big? An old man like me, at this point?"

"No, Heinz. You will make it big. Definitely."

You'll become the Knight Commander overseeing the Imperial Knights, Grandfather.

"How can you be so sure, young lady?"

Seeing Heinz chuckle, Ber felt her certainty might have been too forward, so she added:

"I just think so. Because Heinz is a good person. And I think good people succeed."

"Success because you're a good person... What a fantastical world."

Chuckling again, Heinz took Ber's hand.

To depart for the capital, Ber stood before the carriage.

Traveling with her were Theodor, Alexei, and Sled Dog Knight Captain Nuke.

This year, at sixteen, Alexei had finally passed the exam and become a full knight of the Sled Dog Knights.

Alexei mounted his horse with ease. In the past two years, he'd grown even taller. To mount so lightly without a mounting block—

Sensing Ber's gaze from below, Alexei looked down.

"Young lady? Did you have something to say?"

"...No, nothing."

Ber quietly shook her head.

His deep voice made him sound like a fully grown adult.

Ferdinand, Louis, and Alexei—bears and dogs grew at a completely different rate.

I've grown too, but compared to them, I'm still a kid.

Perhaps because she'd been trapped in a rabbit's body as a child. Gender differences were also inevitable, but Ber admired tall stature and long limbs.

Well, at least as an Arctic hare, her limbs were quite long!

Cheering herself up, Ber approached the carriage. With Theodor's help, she climbed aboard.

Turning to bid everyone farewell—Ber froze.

A crowd had formed before the carriage.

Not just retainers, but servants and even the Sled Dog Knights seemed to have gathered.

Whether they knew Ber's surprise or not, Anna, standing at the front, raised her hand—and everyone began to shout in unison:

"Lady Ber, congratulations on your admission to the Imperial Academy! Have a safe journey!"

The booming voices nearly made her cover her ears, but she held back. She'd never imagined such a warm send-off.

Just as Ber was about to say thank you—

"Before you leave, we'd like to see your rabbit form!"

A fierce-looking knight raised his hand and shouted.

That was the knight who'd shown up most often during spring power training.

In the silence, Ber averted her gaze from the knight and said, head bowed:

"Everyone... don't you like my human form?"

At Ber's deflated voice, Olsen let out a shriek and lunged at the knight. You idiot, how dare you say such nonsense to the young lady! Amid the shouting and screaming, Ber smirked and raised her head.

"If that's what you want, I suppose I have no choice."

At her words, the commotion fell silent instantly. Under everyone's gaze, Ber declared:

"I'll show you!"

A bright light emanated from Ber's body. Her form dissolved, and her dress fell to the carriage floor with a soft thud.

One side of the fallen dress puffed up slightly. The mound-like bulge squirmed, and soon a white face popped out from beneath the dress.

After scanning the crowd, the rabbit suddenly leaped from inside the dress.

Chak! Landing lightly on the dress, the rabbit proudly extended one front paw.

"...Cute."

At someone's whisper, the knight who'd raised his hand let out a shriek and began cheering fervently.

His fierce face flushed red with enthusiasm was a little frightening, but Ber felt oddly pleased.

Chak! Chak! Chak!

She extended the other paw, then both paws, jumped, lay down—striking various poses.

Each movement drew cheers. Ber's movements grew faster.

Bears and dogs cheering for a rabbit—as expected, the Grizzly family was strange.

Still... it's warm.

Perhaps spurred on by the cheers, she began to run out of breath. With a final proud pose—paws on her hips, chest puffed out—Ber waved both front paws to everyone.

At that final fan service, Rib burst out laughing. The rare sight of the Countess laughing aloud made everyone bid the rabbit farewell with warm eyes.

Leaving the cheers behind, the carriage departed. Ber, sitting next to Theodor, had her nose proudly in the air.

"Ber."

Was it her imagination? Theodor's voice sounded much colder than usual.

Perking her ears, she turned to Theodor—but he looked out the window as he spoke:

"From now on, you must not show that form to others so freely."

At his stern tone, Ber nodded meekly.

I guess I overdid it.

She'd been swept up in the first enthusiastic attention she'd ever received—feeling like an idol.

I need to be careful. I'll be living at the Academy now.

Reminding herself, Ber clenched her small rabbit fist.

Meanwhile, Theodor glanced at her and bit his lower lip.

She's never shown such active animalization in front of me.

---

Long before the entrance ceremony began, quite a few students had gathered at the Academy's main gate.

Their purpose in observing each carriage as it stopped and its occupants descended was one thing: to distinguish rivals from allies—in other words, to prepare for networking.

Just from the number of horses pulling the carriage and the escorts, they could gauge the power of the arriving student's family.

Children of powerful houses from across the Empire, coming to receive the best education.

These students, whose lives and family fortunes could change with just a bit of acquaintance, kept arriving.

Another carriage stopped at the main gate.

Two horses. Two escorts. But the carriage looked somewhat shabby—mid-tier in terms of power.

The two escorts dismounted. Judging by their young faces, one seemed newly knighted. The other, from his scarred cheek and weathered skin, appeared to be a veteran.

As expected, one student observing them murmured:

"Isn't that the Captain of the Sled Dog Knights...?"

"What?"

The students' eyes widened.

If it was the Sled Dog Knights, then inside the carriage—

As they'd guessed, the one who alighted was the head of the Grizzly family, Theodor Grizzly.

"Something's off."

"Right. I heard the Grizzly family only had two sons."

And they were already enrolled.

Was there another child left to enter?

The students' gazes focused on the carriage.

Soon, standing at the carriage door was a white-haired girl in a light blue dress.

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