episode_0075
by fnovelpiaDaniel glanced over the messy training ground.
The training ground is reminiscent of a battlefield, with deep holes in the floor and traces of blackened ash leaving painful wounds here and there.
“Whew… . This is fucking hard. Damn it… .”
Daniel wiped the sweat from his forehead and suddenly narrowed his eyebrows.
The back of my hand, where I wiped the sweat. What was on there wasn’t just sweat.
The more he wiped his forehead, the more red, pungent blood began to drip down the back of his hand. It was not a very pleasant sight.
And only then did Daniel realize that his forehead, where he had been hit earlier, was very sore. Had he let his guard down because he had trusted the wooden doll too much?
Daniel stopped wiping his forehead, where the bleeding had already stopped, and raised his head, vowing to himself that he would definitely review this match.
Daniel’s sharp gaze is still focused on a certain spot in the dusty training ground. Daniel has finished preparing to perform a spell to prepare for any eventuality.
Despite all that preparation, where the dust had cleared, a student was lying there, looking unsightly. The tension in Daniel’s body instantly disappeared.
“Still, somehow I won… .”
It was a tough fight. Whenever I meet a student from the same class as me, a headache and a burdensome fight always happens.
This time, the opponent was using firearms, making the duel even more difficult for Daniel, who used sorcery. He had been a combat student who used long-range weapons before.
The opposing student, who had been lying face down on one side of the training ground and squirming for a while, soon fell to the ground. At the same time, the gun he had been holding in his hand until the end fell to the ground.
– The winner has been decided! The winner of this nail-biting duel is Daniel, a student from Class 2-A, Jujutsu Department. Aaaah!
Hearing Professor Andres’s scream, whose voice had begun to crack, Daniel’s mouth burst into unstoppable laughter. Sure enough, his shiny bald head must have turned red as if it was going to burst. Even without seeing it in person, he could imagine it.
– With this, the second-year finalists for the class-by-class duels have been decided! Vivienne de Balueger from the combat department of Class 2-A, and Daniel from the magic department of Class 2-A!
As soon as he heard those words, Daniel unconsciously shut his eyes tightly.
“Are we going to face Vivian again this year… .”
He had also faced Vivian in the finals of the grade-level sparring competition last year. At that time, Daniel tasted the glory of the winner after many twists and turns, but this time it was hard to guess what the outcome would be.
The merciless swordsmanship of the Balueger family, used by Vivian. It was impossible to tell how much more it had grown. Vivian had shown herself to be saving her strength against the students she had met so far.
Perhaps, in the finals, she will show her true self that she has hidden until now. The extreme swordsmanship that Vivian has honed over the past year.
Daniel shivered. It was natural, since he was not even given the time to enjoy the joy of victory, and the path of suffering was right before his eyes.
“… I guess I should prepare.”
With that muttering, Daniel left the training ground with a limping gait.
It seemed like it would be a tough day for him in many ways.
* * * * *
Chloe licked her lips, which were dry from tension.
– Ah…! Student Elin! In the end, you end up raising the white flag! Up until now, you’ve managed to hold out somehow with spirit magic, but it seems like you can’t handle Adelheid’s magic!
Despite Chloe’s earnest gaze, Chloe’s best friend Elin ended up giving up on herself. Her opponent, Laura, was truly far stronger.
– With this, Laura von Adelheid, a student from Class 1-A, the Faculty of Magic, has advanced to the finals! Her opponent, unfortunately, is Chloe, a student from Class 1-A, the Faculty of Magic! A magical battle is about to unfold! I can’t wait to see how spectacular it will be!
‘I guess it’s something to look forward to… I’m absolutely dying…!’
Although she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud, Chloe felt like asking Professor Andres about it. It was amazing that she had made it to the semifinals, but it was also a result that Chloe herself could not have imagined, beating a fellow Class A student.
Chloe looked at the entrance to the training ground with an anxious expression. The door would soon open, and Elin and Laura, who had finished their training, would come out through there.
And, Chloe’s predictions were never wrong. As soon as she had that thought, the door to the training ground opened, and Elin came out of the training ground with feeble steps. Chloe hurriedly approached her.
“Elin! Are you okay?!”
“Ah, Chloe… .”
Chloe felt herself start to cry as she looked at Elin, who was smiling weakly. There were bright blue bruises all over her body. Probably from being hit by the flying ice shards.
“Thank you for your hard work. Really… .”
As Chloe spoke with tears in her eyes, Ellen snickered and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Ouch! Why are you hitting me all of a sudden!”
Elin opened her mouth softly to Chloe, who was rubbing her forehead and looking even more upset.
“… Just, cheer up.”
“Uh, uh… ?”
“Young Adelheid, you’re the next one to face off against.”
“Yeah… . Right… .”
“It’s really incredibly strong, right? So, brace yourself and prepare.”
“… … .”
It was heartfelt advice. After hearing Elin’s words, Chloe stared blankly at Elin’s face for a while.
At that stupid, blank expression, Elin gave Chloe another slap on the forehead.
“Ah! Stop hitting me!”
“That’s because you were so dead. It would have been better if you had just cried.”
With those words, Elin walked away towards the infirmary. Chloe stared blankly at Elin’s back as she walked away for a moment.
‘…Cheer up.’
Chloe and Laura’s duel. If you ask me, I’d bet Laura would win, and it’s obvious that everyone would expect Chloe to lose.
‘You trust me.’
Chloe felt her heart grow warm. Only after Elin’s figure disappeared into the infirmary was she able to look away.
“Eek… ?!”
And the person who appeared before her eyes was.
A dignified and majestic appearance, like a queen ruling this arena. The slightly raised chin may seem arrogant, but it does not diminish the dignity.
Laura von Adelheid was facing Chloe with a gaze that overlooked everything. Chloe swallowed dryly as she looked at Laura who had stopped walking in front of her.
Soon, Laura’s lips, which had been tightly closed like ripe cherries, opened.
“You.”
“Yes, no!”
At that high-handed tone, Chloe answered loudly without realizing it. Laura looked at Chloe with strange eyes for a moment, then sighed deeply and continued.
“Before the sparring started, you were talking to Professor Antonelli, right?”
“Uh, um… . Yes.”
“… Could you tell me what they were talking about?”
After hearing Laura’s words, Chloe stared at Laura’s face for a moment. Her previous frightened attitude had completely disappeared.
“I’m sorry.”
“… I see, is that so?”
Laura, who heard Chloe’s answer, had an unreadable expression on her face for a moment. Laura couldn’t read the hidden meaning in her expression.
The standoff between the two, which lasted for about a minute, ended with Laura passing by Chloe.
“Yes. If you are a proper lady, you should be careful about your conduct.”
“… Yes?”
“That’s all the advice I can give you. Let’s have a match where we won’t have any regrets in the finals. Well, that’s it.”
Laura walked out of the training ground without looking back. Chloe stared blankly at her for a while.
‘What on earth did you mean by that just now…?’
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly shook off her worries. Just thinking about how to deal with Laura was enough to make her suffer.
‘Can I win…?’
However, the hopeful observations did not come out. After talking directly with Laura, Chloe felt even more discouraged.
Against Laura von Adelheid, Chloe’s chances of victory were infinitely close to zero. Chloe herself knew this fact best. But… .
‘…If you do your best, you will definitely get good results.’
– If I don’t even believe in myself, then the person who believes in me the most in this world will disappear.
When she went for an evening walk along the beach with Professor Antonelli, the advice he had given her. Chloe braced herself as she recalled that advice.
As much as Professor Antonelli had helped her, she had to repay him. Chloe thought so.
Chloe walked out of the training ground. Unlike before, her steps were filled with strength.
“… By the way, where did Professor Antonelli go?”
* * * * *
The annual duels at Chaldea Imperial Academy have reached a point where only the finals remain.
To be honest, I felt nothing but frustration. It was truly something to be happy about when the students showed off their skills that they had been honing and became the winners of the grade-level competition.
But, if Laura were to experience the joy of victory. And if Duke Adelheid were to watch her and be happy too…
Can I congratulate Laura on her victory? Can I be purely happy about Laura’s victory?
Probably not. That was what was unbearably frustrating and painful.
Even though Laura von Adelheid was Maximilian von Adelheid’s daughter, she was still my student.
If so, then it is right for me not to have any personal feelings towards Laura. Yes, I certainly would.
Sure, that’s right.
I chewed on my poor cigarette. I put it out nervously and headed to the infirmary, thinking of Deacon Sophia, who must be caring for the injured students alone.
It’s not that Chloe has no chance of winning yet, but from an objective standpoint, Laura has an overwhelming chance of winning.
Based on these objective facts, Laura wins an overwhelming victory over Chloe, and Duke Adelheid looks on in delight.
When that time comes, how should I react?
“… Damn it.”
No matter how I think about it, I was a poor educator.
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