Friendly Match

A few days later.

30 minutes before the match began.

“It’s huge…”

“Haha, it is quite spacious, isn’t it?”

…This goes beyond “quite”.

I clicked my tongue as I took in the scenery before me.

I knew the stadium was large in theory, but seeing it with my own eyes made it feel incomparably vast.

A small forest with a stream cutting through its center.

Beyond the forest lay endless grasslands and hills that were neither particularly large nor small.

When playing the game, I’d dismissed it as artistic license…

But seeing it in person was completely different.

…Did humans really create this artificially? Seriously?

“This is incredible. To think this is man-made scenery.”

“I still get surprised sometimes when I see it too. …Well, since we’ve built it, we might as well use it for various purposes.”

“R-right…”

The image of our Principal casually handing me cash for my salary since I didn’t have a bank account flashed through my mind.

Typical Principal.

Never hesitates to spend money when necessary.

Calling them “wealthy” might not even begin to describe their financial power…

While Teacher Ian and I were discussing the stadium, another teacher scolded us.

“Stop chatting and get ready, Teacher Ian. The match is about to start.”

“Haha, my apologies. …Then I’ll take my leave now, Teacher Ophelia.”

“Ah, yes…”

With those words, Teacher Ian headed toward the student waiting area with several other teachers.

Most were instructors specializing in combat-related subjects.

From what I’d heard in the previous meeting, they were stationed around to prevent accidents during student battles.

Since students were still inexperienced, they might not properly control their powers.

Teachers would be positioned throughout the area for such contingencies.

That detail wasn’t in the game though.

“Teacher Ophelia, any students you’re particularly interested in?”

“Interested…?”

“It gets boring just monitoring normally. We usually guess who’ll rank high among ourselves.”

“Hmm…”

Well, no need to overthink it.

Just pick the students who stand out more than others.

While teachers needed to observe all students to know, I was different.

I just needed to choose the playable characters.

“These five students here.”

“My, you didn’t even hesitate?”

“Ahaha… Well, aren’t these three already famous?”

“That’s… true. The other two also have good evaluations from their professors.”

The Church’s Watcher, Anastasia.

The Second Princess, Stella.

The Demon Possessor, Orca.

These three weren’t just famous – everyone in the academy knew them.

The first two were practically household names beyond the academy anyway.

As for Orca, being a Demon Possessor was notoriously infamous, and she herself was quite well-known within the academy.

The remaining two, Leo and Eileen, weren’t particularly famous yet…

But they’d make names for themselves soon enough.

Given that some teachers already spoke highly of them, it wouldn’t take long.

“Then among those five? Who do you think will last the longest?”

“The Princess.”

“Aren’t you being too decisive? This is the academy, you don’t need to mind the Princess’s status that much…”

“No, it’s not that… This fight heavily favors the Princess.”

“…?”

I simply smiled at the teacher’s confused expression. They wouldn’t understand even if I explained now.

***

“…Finally starting.”

Stella glanced around her surroundings.

The dense forest spreading around her and the faint presences of students hiding everywhere.

It seemed Older Brother had been telling the truth this time.

She’d intended not to believe him since he always lied, but for some reason he’d chosen to be honest now.

That meant teachers were stationed around observing them.

Despite her royal education, she couldn’t detect any teacher’s presence – a testament to the academy’s high standards.

…At least regarding the teachers.

Stella sighed and raised her voice.

“Stop skulking around. You may approach.”

After making this declaration, she casually sat on a convenient rock to rest. Some students immediately began approaching.

Seeing she didn’t react negatively, the hesitant ones also rushed out.

“P-Princess-nim…! I-I’m honored to meet you…!”

“Spare me the formalities. We’re not on such terms.”

“…!”

Tch.

Irritation surged as the student before her widened their eyes in apparent gratitude.

This student must have talent to enter the academy, but…

To Stella, they seemed utterly incompetent.

Did this fool really not realize she was being sarcastic?

…I should ask Father about adding etiquette tests to academy admissions.

She sighed as the following students showed similar reactions.

“…Fine. I won’t stop you if you insist on staying nearby.”

“H-how did you…?”

“I’ve no interest in explaining that.”

These weren’t the first flies attracted to her royal status.

No matter how rudely she treated them or ignored them, they kept swarming around – drawn by the crumbs of favor surrounding a princess.

She’d hoped academy students would be different, but…

No change whatsoever.

They seemed oblivious that their desperate attempts to impress actually repelled her.

But just because she couldn’t drive them away didn’t mean she couldn’t use them.

Since they insisted, she’d let them serve their purpose.

It wasn’t her problem if they received no attention afterward.

She never asked for their help anyway.

They were just voluntarily removing obstacles around her.

“I may grant you some favor. Receive it.”

“…?! M-my body feels…!”

“You’ll manage yourselves from now on. Don’t expect my attention.”

“Th-thank you! Princess-nim!”

After carelessly casting her specialty Enhancement Magic on them, she received their gratitude.

What exactly were they thanking her for?

These fools didn’t even realize they were being used.

Stella watched contemptuously as they scattered with delighted expressions.

“…Haa.”

Attempts to scavenge crumbs around Stella always ended the same way.

The users would realize they’d become the used.

How long would these fools last?

The dumber they were, the slower the realization came.

Being academy students, she hoped they’d figure it out quickly.

Otherwise, she’d have to seriously question the academy’s standards.

***

“This is…”

“Teacher Ophelia… did you know this would happen…?”

The monitoring teachers stared dumbfounded at their screens.

Unlike the relaxing Stella, her followers were eliminating other students in droves.

This was unprecedented at the academy.

New students’ abilities usually didn’t differ so drastically.

But those enhanced by Stella’s magic were effortlessly defeating others.

“No, it was just a guess. That this might happen.”

“But you sounded so certain when you said it…”

“Did I? I don’t think so.”

“Huh? But… Ah, right. My memory must be failing me.”

Whew, close call.

I’d nearly slipped up there.

Making eye contact with the teacher, I implanted hypnotic suggestion that I hadn’t spoken with certainty.

That could’ve been troublesome without hypnosis.

Sometimes forgetting this world is real causes problems.

“I happened to hear about Her Highness’s specialty.”

Stella’s specialty was Enhancement Magic.

Fitting for a princess character.

Combined with students flocking to her status, when controlled by AI, Princess Stella had a 98% win rate in matches.

While others fought battle royale-style, she instantly created a team of dozens.

Her enhanced followers’ stats gave AI opponents no chance.

…Of course, player intervention drastically reduced that win rate.

But this wasn’t the game world – it was reality.

Her advantage remained overwhelming regardless.