It's Overwhelmingly Convenient That the Female Lead Has Darkened - Chapter 16

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The darkened heroine is overwhelmingly convenient.
#16
And at last, the maniac was defeated.
By the maniac herself.
“Enough.”
“Of course you must be terribly busy sitting still, but if you could spare just the tiniest sliver of time to share even a fingernail’s worth of advice, I would regard it as a kindness for all my days…….”
“Fine, fine. I’ll teach you.”
The professor, who barely managed to cut off Daisy’s words—which sounded like praise on the surface but were nothing but nonsense when you listened closely—spoke at last.
“But once I’ve explained, you’ll keep your mouth shut. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
The professor glared at Daisy, who answered with lightning speed, then drew another deep sigh before continuing.
“Mana is power. Everyone knows that much.”
“Yes!”
“Then you should know what’s most important when wielding power?”
……
……
“Ten points deducted from everyone.”
The first-year students, already accustomed to the professor’s mercilessness, accepted the penalty with grace.
“Idiots. It’s will.”
“Will……?”
“No matter how strong your power is, if you lack the will to wield it, that power is useless.”
……
“In other words, with enough will, you can command even the faintest power you never knew you possessed.”
……
“The will to move mana—once you learn to feel that, distinguishing mana comes naturally afterward.”
Janet Hoar swept her gaze across the room and shrugged.
“Well, this much should suffice for now. Unless you’d like a hundred-point penalty, get started.”
It was far too elementary for a Grand Magister’s wisdom.
The first-years couldn’t hide their disappointment.
Will, of all things.
How were you supposed to cast magic with will?
……
But Daisy was not disappointed.
‘Will……’
Instead, something began to boil within her.
Anger.
Because those words sounded like an accusation—that Daisy had lacked will, endured that agony, and died for it.
Power.
That was all Daisy Seablehart had ever needed.
Snap.
In that moment, a tiny spark flickered lightly between the fingers of Daisy’s clenched fist.
So small that no one else—not even Daisy herself—saw it.
* * *
The lesson was drawing to a close.
It was, of course, Lydia Fenmarch who lit the candle first.
‘It—it’s lit!’
‘Wow, that’s incredible!’
‘Of course it’s Lydia Fenmarch!’
‘Royal magician blood doesn’t lie!’
The Raven Hall first-years around her erupted in applause and cheers, while students from other dormitories exhaled sighs of resignation and acceptance.
……
The professor, too, lifted her head at the commotion.
She gazed at the flickering flame for a moment, then turned her gaze away with an unmoved expression.
It was a shame that no word of praise came, but Lydia was not discouraged.
Because eventually, he would recognize her.
And as if to prove it, even now with only ten minutes left, no one besides herself had lit their candle.
‘I’m glad I studied ahead.’
She had never imagined the Grand Magister’s lesson would be this unhelpful.
Will, indeed.
Was there anyone here without will?
It’s just a lack of ability—there’s nothing more to it.
Lydia swallowed back a scoff and turned to encourage those struggling around her, offering them kind words of reassurance that they could do it.
It was just as those words kindled some useless spark of determination in them.
The professor glanced at his watch, then opened his mouth in a voice that sounded oddly pleased.
“Ah, one minute left! Thank heavens, finally!”
……
……
That’s what we should be saying, isn’t it, Professor……?
Those who couldn’t bring themselves to speak that aloud continued groaning as they stared at their candles.
And then,
Dong—bong!
The solemn toll of the bell marking the end of class sounded faintly from beyond the classroom door.
Without hesitation, Janet Hower turned and let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“All of you are pathetic. I’ll announce who’s last next time—”
But he didn’t finish his sentence.
Whoosh!
A single candle flared to life with a rough crackling of flame.
“Wow!”
It was a student from Tiger Tower, marked with a red badge, whose candle had ignited.
“I—I did it!”
“Whoa, that’s crazy!”
“You might have real talent for magic!”
“But that’s strange. I’ve looked everywhere in my family, and there’s not a single mage among us……”
That was when it happened.
Crackle!
“Oh!”
A student from Bee Garden, marked with a yellow badge, sitting a little distance away, let out a gasp of surprise and looked down at the candle before her.
A bright, clear flame was burning steadily.
“Goodness, you lit that?”
“Me? I lit it?”
“How should I know if you’re the one asking?”
“No, I… how did I even light it?”
And remarkably, that wasn’t the end of it.
“Wow!”
“I lit mine!”
“Me too!”
Bright, substantial flames began flickering to life one after another in scattered succession.
The first-year students’ faces glowed with excitement, bathed in golden light.
Moments later, one of the first-years cried out in astonishment.
“Look! They’re all lit!”
Startled, the other first-years glanced around.
Every single candle in Spellcraft Hall Six was burning.
It was unbelievable.
The foundational course that first-years attended was mandatory even for those without a shred of talent, so it was impossible for everyone to succeed.
“Could we possibly be……”
Geniuses.
At someone’s soft murmur, a few nodded with flushed faces, while others scratched their heads in confusion.
And Lydia……
……
clamped down hard on her glossy lips.
‘This can’t be real.’
The candles lit around the room burned so bright and large that her own flame seemed pathetic by comparison.
The people who, moments before, had been looking at her with admiration were now too busy gazing at the flames before themselves.
All of them succeeded?
The very candle she’d spent nearly thirty minutes struggling to light?
Lydia turned her head slightly.
And despite herself, she nearly let slip a vulgar curse.
Daisy Seibleheart.
Even Daisy—stupid, foolish Daisy, who couldn’t do anything—sat before a bright, blazing candle.
And it looked twice as large as her own.
‘Me… I, Lydia, lost to Daisy Sablehearts?’
A grinding sound.
When Lydia clenched her fists, her teeth bared in a savage grimace.
“Then… who’s last?”
Someone asked.
At that question, every freshman’s gaze snapped toward a single point.
Where Janet Hoer stood.
Lydia too looked up at the professor, clutching at a fragile thread of hope.
She recalled that listless expression from when I had lit the candle.
Now Lydia found herself hoping that Janet Hoer, the legendary archmage, would brush off something as trivial as lighting a candle with a scoff.
And Janet Hoer, who should have immediately announced which house would lose a hundred points…….
“…….”
Appeared strangely speechless.
The cold, austere composure had vanished; her golden eyes wavered without composure.
Janet Hoer gazed toward some corner of Magical Classroom Six, her thin lips opening and closing in silent repetition, before finally pressing them shut.
Without another word, she pivoted sharply and walked quickly out of the classroom.
So rapidly that the black cloak draped over her shoulders billowed open in her wake.
“…….”
“W-what?”
“It’s over?”
“So which house gets the point deduction…….”
“Nobody, I guess!”
“Woo!”
“We’re geniuses!”
The freshmen, who had been holding their breath in fear of never lighting the candle and receiving a hundred-point penalty, threw their hands up and cheered.
“Yeah, excellent.”
And among them was Daisy.
Of course, she wasn’t cheering because she thought herself a genius like the others.
‘Phew, didn’t come in last!’
After consuming countless fantasy novels, Daisy could assess her own abilities with objective clarity.
She occupied that precise, utterly ordinary and unremarkable space—adequate, yet unremarkable.
That was right.
She had finally accomplished it.
The first step toward her goal of ‘living quietly and ordinarily, drawing no attention’.
With the flickering candle before her, Daisy clenched her fist in victory.
In that moment, the mana she had felt while lighting the candle rippled through her like a tide.
“Just keep it this way from now on.”
Muttering softly to herself like a vow, Daisy brought her fist down lightly on the desk, then left the room.
* * *
Inside Magical Classroom Six, now empty.
Thunk.
The desk Daisy had struck trembled belatedly, then began to vibrate softly.
Thrum-thrum-thrum…….
Or perhaps, loudly.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————