76. Preliminary Showdown for the Magical War (3)

“Wh-What are you saying, Yulian!”

Rosette was startled. It was a natural reaction, considering I suddenly told her to take off her clothes. But I said shamelessly,

“Oh, I misspoke. I’m not trying to flirt with you, but to have you try on this outfit.”

I took out an outfit from a box I had placed in a corner of the atelier.

“Outfit? What is this?”

“It’s nothing much. Since the student representatives from each school have to have a preliminary match because of the Mana Contest. As the event coordinator, I’ve decided on the method of the match.”

I continued to explain to Rosette. The method I had in mind was a 1:1 match between Rosette and Chloe. Of course, it wasn’t a battle or sparring match.

“You’re saying we should take magic photographs and have people vote on who’s prettier?”

“How about it? It’s a very peaceful method, isn’t it? Except for the Alchemy and Magic schools, of course.”

Naturally, each school would cast all their votes for their own student representative. If we excluded those two and had the students from the remaining schools vote, it would be quite fair.

“Still, it doesn’t make sense. That… Chloe always wears flashy clothes and her figure is… you know.”

Rosette seemed to be jealous of Chloe’s figure. Rosette was on the shorter side.

But I knew that Rosette was only short in height. Her figure wasn’t bad at all.

A small and cute face that fit perfectly in a witch’s hat. And with her long legs, her body proportions were very good.

As you could tell from her usual attire, she had a figure that made clothes look good on her.

‘Her chest isn’t as small as I thought either.’

I had already seen Rosette’s naked body in my wet dreams. The sensation of her breasts fitting in my palm was definitely not small.

She looked good in any outfit.

‘It’s a different feeling from Chloe, who only sticks to classic aristocratic attire.’

Rather, in the trend-sensitive Imperial Capital, Rosette’s fashion sense, which was closer to modern sensibilities, could work well.

I emphasized that point to Rosette.

“R-Really?”

“That’s right. And it’s also important how well you wear the clothes and create a good magic photograph. Or are you not confident in beating Chloe?”

“That’s absolutely not true!”

Rosette had a strong sense of rivalry with Chloe. By subtly stimulating that, she quickly fell for my persuasion.

“So, that’s why you told me to take off my clothes. What about that outfit?”

“I know some good tailors. They’re very famous even in Essenmund, so you won’t be dissatisfied.”

At my words, Rosette glanced at the outfit.

“… Pretty…”

Of course, it was. The outfit I had prepared for Rosette was made by the Otto father and son, who were in charge of not only the parade uniform but also the outfit I was wearing now.

‘Especially the son’s sense is good.’

So, I requested the father and son to design a bright look that resembled what young women, especially college freshmen, would wear in modern Earth.

‘If we’re going to have a vote, it’s better to make a big impression with this new fashion.’

And it was important for Rosette to win this preliminary match. In a siege-style Mana Contest, the defending side was naturally at an advantage.

If Rosette lost in the preliminary match, she would become the attacker. In the Demon King’s Game, the Magic School would cause a big incident on the attacker’s side.

Since there were already members of the Witch’s Cross hidden in the Magic School, they would attempt to attack the Pantheon under the guise of a siege.

‘So, I have to make the Magic School choose the defending side no matter what.’

After that, if I could find the Witch’s Cross members who had secretly infiltrated, I could minimize the damage from the predicted attack.

I said to Rosette,

“Anyway, will you try on this outfit? Take off that witch’s hat and robe.”

“Still… I’m embarrassed to wear clothes and… take a magic photograph…”

As expected, even a true-blooded witch like Rosette was shy. But I had already anticipated that reaction.

“Is that so? Then there’s nothing I can do. I’ll have to provide this newly prepared outfit to Chloe…”

“That’s not allowed!”

Rosette immediately denied it. As expected, she absolutely didn’t want to lose to Chloe.

“Then it’s decided. Let’s try it on for now.”

Rosette carefully picked up the outfit.

“O-Okay. I’ll go change over there.”

Rosette quickly entered the bedroom of the atelier. She changed her clothes there and came out.

‘As expected, it suits her well.’

She was very shy because she had taken off her witch’s hat and robe. But the tennis skirt and pure white blouse, like a fresh college freshman look, suited her very well.

“Then when is the magic photograph… now?”

“No. It’s not something that will be over quickly. And Chloe will hire a very expensive magic photographer, so we need some preparation.”

I promised Rosette to meet again at the atelier in the evening.

---

In the afternoon, I participated in the Combat School’s training.

As expected, the atmosphere of the Combat School had also changed from before.

“All the third-year students have been deployed to the outskirts of the Imperial Capital?”

“It seems they’re thinking of them as part of the Royal Guard’s forces, not just the reserves. They say there’s a severe shortage of personnel.”

I could hear the students whispering. As they said, the only place safe from the Chaotic Gates in Isrand was the central region, and the Imperial Capital.

But now, the seal on those gates was on the verge of collapsing. The demonic energy leaking from it was continuously creating dungeons not far from the Old Imperial Capital, even in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.

‘Until now, even third-year students were just reserves. But now they’re being deployed to the front lines?’

And at the current rate, even the second-year reserves might be deployed to the front lines as soon as summer vacation ends. Especially the Combat School, they were sensitive to that atmosphere.

‘Well, in the worst-case scenario, instead of preparing for monsters, we’ll be plunged into chaos due to civil war.’

Rumors that the South’s movements were unusual were already spreading among the nobles.

Caceres in the South, ruled by the Orhain family, was already like an independent kingdom. The Empire’s control didn’t reach there.

‘On top of that, there’s a possibility of a commoner rebellion in the Imperial Capital?’

I unconsciously swung the Lionheart Sword fiercely towards Lucia. A sonic boom that tore through the air. Followed by an intense strike.

But as expected, Lucia easily avoided the strike and instead launched a counterattack at me.

“Your movements are good.”

I narrowly stepped back to avoid the attack. Of course, it was a very natural action for me.

I saw the gazes of the other students who were sparring all turn towards me and Lucia for a moment.

“Did you… see that movement?”

“No. I could barely hear the sound with my eyes.”

“No way. How can there be such a difference in skill between the same students?”

“Even if we consider Count Reinhard’s lineage, how can Lucia become so strong? No way.”

And Sylph carried their whispers.

‘Well, both of them are already beyond the student level.’

With pure Mana Heart alone, I was already in the 5th Circle. Whether you’re a swordsman, mage, or alchemist, a new realm opens up once you reach the 5th Circle.

Swordsmen use Aura. Mages and alchemists use specially refined Mana called Ascended Mana.

Of course, there were still many students who hadn’t reached the 4th Circle, let alone the 5th Circle. And amidst those gazes of envy, I found Leaf.

‘Leaf. He must be the most anxious right now.’

He was the student representative of the Combat School in his first year. But due to me and Lucia, that title had become meaningless for the swordsman.

‘He also lost overwhelmingly to me in the midterm exams.’

In fact, there were more than a few students who felt inferior to me and the heroines. But I had to be careful of Leaf.

‘He might turn into a villain.’

He was only pushed back by me and Lucia. He was also talented enough to reach the 5th Circle with pure talent.

He didn’t have special bloodlines like my Reinhard or Lucia’s Orhain. But he was a commoner talent who had reached a high level with just his will.

Moreover, he had leadership skills to receive the support of commoner students.

So, the Witch’s Cross, which was dreaming of a commoner rebellion, would be very interested in him.

‘The Witch’s Cross knows about the Voice. So, they already have the method to create Demonic Imprints in their hands.’

The very Demonic Imprint I saw in the primeval forest a while ago.

Of course, the Witch’s Cross was a separate group from the Orhain family.

So, those witches had a plan to win over not only witches like Rosette but also talented commoners like Leaf and turn them into Demonic Imprints.

‘According to the Demon King’s Game, that is.’

And I had confirmed those movements to some extent through Carmen.

Soon, I felt Leaf’s shoulders drooping. The despair he felt in the face of my overwhelming talent. That despair was the most coveted food for demonic energy.

‘Well. I’ve already thought of a way to make Leaf my ally.’

But I wasn’t worried. Fabian, who was in the same Combat School. He was a noble from the South, but other than being a playboy, he was a decent guy without any aristocratic sense of entitlement.

‘And I’m planning to invite Leaf to the decadent party that Fabian mentioned.’

That very decadent party would make Leaf forget the despair he was feeling.

And I looked at Lucia in front of me. Another player. And the heroine of a tragic love story whose ruin was confirmed in the Demon King’s Game.

But Lucia, who was looking at me with innocent eyes in front of me, had already deviated from that fate quite a bit.

‘Originally, she should have been entangled with the Bairea Mercenary Corps and the Assassination Squad, leading to a complicated fate.’

Cardinal Grius’s banquet. If I hadn’t participated in it, there was a route in the Demon King’s Game where she would have joined the Assassination Squad.

‘Or it would have been the Witch’s Cross.’

Now, all those ruin routes had disappeared. Since she already had a Yin Mark through me, Lucia couldn’t escape from my will.

No, in the first place, the Yin Mark itself was evidence that the heroines’ desires were fully satisfied.

So, the current Lucia was in a stable state that couldn’t be compared to the Demon King’s Game.

In fact, those pink eyes were round and followed only me in front of her.

“C-Count! How was my counterattack just now!”

“It was very good, Lucia.”

And the expression on her face, which was very happy at my praise, was far from ruin in many ways.

I finished the training at the Combat School like that. And headed back to the atelier again.

---

The area beyond the window of the atelier had become dark.

Originally, it was time for all the Pantheon students to go home.

But since the Mana Contest was only two weeks away, there were many students who stayed at the Pantheon until late at night.

‘The Mana Contest is a festival not only for the two schools but also for the other schools.’

Just as I was in charge of the Mana Contest’s progress, students from other schools could also participate in the Mana Contest in their respective roles.

So, the atmosphere of the Pantheon was quite excited. Unfortunately, the third-year students couldn’t participate because of their reserve squad duties.

I, who knew the future through the Demon King’s Game, knew very well that this excited atmosphere was a peaceful moment that the students had little left.

‘So, I have to make it the best Mana Contest.’

And the last quest left for me in the first semester. I was the top student selected by integrating all the schools. That quest was as important as the revival of Siertia.

I was determined to be in that student’s position.

It was a gift I gave them as a prospective top student.

As I was briefly immersed in those emotions. Rosette came in through the open window.

I mentally organized what I had to do tonight once again. Tonight, I was going to create a Yin Mark for Rosette.