Ch.209Side Story: Summer Festival – 2

Time flew by swiftly, and before we knew it, the day before the summer festival had arrived. Thanks to this, the atmosphere at Bellium Academy was indescribably festive.

Starting three days ago, all liberal arts classes and even the morning theoretical lectures that had been conducted as a formality were canceled. Professors were busy moving around, evaluating the entries in advance.

Our club’s artificial dungeon was no exception.

Professor Jeina, who visited first, clicked her tongue in amazement at how we came up with such an idea before leaving. As rumors spread, other professors came one after another to experience it for themselves.

And they all had the same reaction as Professor Jeina. The theme was probably even more fascinating because it was completely unfamiliar to people of this world.

“It’s all done!”

Of course, we didn’t build the dungeon ourselves. The tower masters who had volunteered to be our slaves did it, begging to be worked like dogs. We only provided the ideas and blueprints.

The structure and content of the dungeon greatly stimulated the curiosity of the mages, and when I promised to give them magic lessons after the work was completed, they burned with enthusiasm to a degree that even I found surprising.

“Oh, ohhhhh! This is…!”

After learning intermediate status ailment dispel magic, they went around casting status ailment spells on their perfectly healthy colleagues to test their magic. I wondered what kind of people they were.

“This is my first time seeing students from other academies.”

After all that, with less than 24 hours remaining until the festival began, Laura, Priscilla, and I were standing at the academy’s main gate, waiting for the guests who would soon arrive.

“I’ve never seen them either.”

“I would expect as much. I only established their settings but never actually introduced them. I, however, saw plenty of them when I could move my body freely.”

The two gave completely opposite answers. While patting Priscilla’s head, I turned to Laura with a question.

“I heard that Laila Academy and Rosemary Academy were selected as exchange partners this time. Do you know what kind of places they are? I’m sure they’re quite different from here.”

I had received information about the incoming students from Erestica, but those were individual profiles, so I couldn’t tell what the academies themselves were like.

“Both are academies where only nobles are permitted to enroll. They’re fundamentally different from Bellium Academy, which prioritizes ability. Laila Academy even has a child from one of the empire’s three ducal families. I heard they’ve been quite boastful about it. Understandable, since they’re rivals.”

Rivals—a word that brought back unpleasant memories.

As I tried to erase the memory of the inter-school competition I participated in as a first-year at Nobel University, two carriages appeared in the distance.

“Here they come.”

As if to emphasize their rivalry, the carriages were approaching side by side. They seemed to be picking up speed.

The carriages stopped precisely at the academy’s main gate, and their doors opened simultaneously. Students wearing distinctively different uniforms stepped out. They were the top students of each year, just like the three of us.

“I’ll go first. No objections, I presume?”

A woman with long, ash-gray hair who was the last to exit from the Laila Academy carriage stepped forward boldly. Judging by how the three from Rosemary Academy remained silent, she must be the ducal daughter.

The woman knelt on one knee before Laura and bowed deeply.

“Aihenhart Renitus, heir to the Renitus Duchy and firstborn of the current Duke Renitus, greets the honorable Crown Prince. I am visiting Bellium Academy as the top third-year student of Laila Academy.”

“I welcome your visit, Aihenhart. Please raise your head.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The woman raised her head. She had an overall slender figure with a strangely vicious aura about her. In other words, she had the typical appearance of what people would call a villainous noble lady.

If one were to embody the stereotype of a villainous noble lady, she would look exactly like this.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, Your Highness. All thanks to Your Highness’s great virtue.”

“You flatter me too much.”

“I—”

Laura sharply cut off Aihenhart as she tried to continue the conversation. A brief silence fell, and the two ducal daughters faced each other.

“It’s been a while, Miss Priscilla Agnes. Have you been well?”

“Yeah.”

Priscilla stuck close to my side and barely acknowledged the greeting. Since there were onlookers, she didn’t cling to my arm or push her chest against me as she usually would, but even at this distance, she was attracting plenty of attention.

Aihenhart, who had been looking at Priscilla clinging to me with great curiosity, turned her gaze toward me.

“You must be the first-year top student. Mira Crate, the youngest son of the Crate Trading Company. Am I correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There are quite a lot of rumors about you even at our Laila Academy. Despite attending Bellium Academy, the rumors circulating are so incredible that it’s hard to believe you’re just an academy student… But since you’re the top first-year, I’ll believe they’re not just baseless rumors.”

Why is she speaking so formally to me? With her appearance, it wouldn’t be strange at all if she spoke casually to Laura. Perhaps her personality is similar to Aria from the original work, despite her appearance.

“Yes. You can believe them.”

I responded confidently. There was nothing to be intimidated about.

In fact, the rumors tended to understate rather than exaggerate, so whatever she expected from me, it was already certain that I would exceed those expectations. People who heard the rumors all thought they were exaggerations, but the reality was the opposite.

Aihenhart, who was momentarily surprised by my attitude, smiled.

“What a good attitude. I’ll look forward to it.”

“…”

Beside me, Priscilla puffed her cheeks slightly and poked my side. Laura was also looking at me with a somewhat disgruntled expression. Why? I just exchanged greetings with a smile.

Aihenhart finished her greeting and stepped back. Only then did the other nobles come forward to pay their respects. The others merely nodded at me. Seeing this, Laura’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I trust you all understand why you’ve gathered a day early.”

We headed straight to the Colosseum after finishing our greetings. Yes, the same magic-imbued Colosseum where we had our practical combat lectures.

“Yes, Your Highness. It’s to determine the order of the free duels between the years.”

Aihenhart was the first to answer.

“I don’t particularly care how it’s arranged, but it would be unseemly to be knocked out too early. This is, after all, a duel where the pride of the academies is at stake.”

The reason the top students from each academy had gathered here was for another main event following the boss monster raid.

The free duels between the top students of each year, added a week before the festival began. Whether it was team battles, tournaments, or free-for-all, it didn’t matter. We were to decide the format and order ourselves.

This was what they called “adult circumstances.” Erestica knew our abilities, so she didn’t care how it turned out, but the directors from the other academies seemed to feel differently.

“Well, I’d be in trouble if you think of me as I was before, Your Highness.”

“A sparrow, no matter how much it grows, remains a sparrow.”

There was a slight exchange of hostilities.

More precisely, it was Aihenhart who was unilaterally showing hostility toward Laura. Laura didn’t even seem to care.

Priscilla was burning with hostility for a different reason. The way the others were looking at me was concerning. I could occasionally hear them muttering things like “How dare he…”

That’s probably because Priscilla was sticking so close to me.

“Your Highness, isn’t one action worth more than a hundred words? Rather than wasting time with talk, wouldn’t it be better to directly measure our strength?”

“I welcome it. What do you say, shall we start with the first-years?”

“That sounds good. Helfen?”

“Yes!”

“What do you say, Mira?”

“I understand.”

We nodded at each other. The male student called Helfen went up to the dueling arena first. As I was about to follow, Laura brushed past me and whispered:

“Show them what you’re made of.”

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

If Laura was specifically telling me this, it meant I shouldn’t end it too easily. I wondered if there was some background information we didn’t know.

As the magic in the Colosseum was activated, I felt the fatal wound protection magic envelop my entire body before disappearing. With that, the preparations were complete.

“Then we shall begin.”

Laura, with her characteristically imperious smile, began the countdown. Beside her, Priscilla was waving her hand casually, without a trace of tension on her face.

“Get ready.”

I faced the first-year called Helfen. The long sword in his hand was pointed at me. I nominally pointed Eternal at him as well.

“Begin—”

“…Huh?”

Aihenhart blinked.

As soon as the Crown Prince said “Begin,” Helfen was slammed into a corner of the arena with a warning sound indicating he had received a fatal wound. His limbs were still twitching from the impact.

‘What just… happened?’

Did anyone see it? No. Not only was the attack not visible, but no one even saw him move. The match had been decided at a speed too fast for Aihenhart to even perceive. Everyone else also had shocked expressions on their faces.

Except for the Crown Prince and Priscilla. Those two looked as if they had expected this from the beginning.

‘Impossible.’

Aihenhart anxiously chewed her fingernails. It was an action her mother would have slapped her hand for, calling it unseemly, but she had no time for such thoughts.

‘I need to show a good performance…’

She glanced at Laura. Though she had become somewhat more feminine than before, she still had a remarkably handsome face. Aihenhart, almost losing herself for a moment, shook her head vigorously.

Behind Aihenhart, who was trying to shake off her distracting thoughts, murmurs spread. It was because of the overwhelming presence of Bellium Academy’s first-year top student, who stood there nonchalantly as if nothing unusual had happened.

‘I need to step up.’

She gathered her resolve after sensing the atmosphere. At this rate, she would be nothing but a laughingstock to the Crown Prince, rather than making a good impression. She couldn’t let that happen, not after becoming an exchange partner with such determination.

“Impressive, Mira Crate.”

Aihenhart strode forward. Originally, she had planned to cross swords with the Crown Prince under the pretext of year-by-year duels. But now was the time to change plans.

“It seems the rumors weren’t exaggerated. If you don’t mind, would you be willing to face me? I’ll take you on with all my strength.”

As respectfully as possible, making sure not to offend the Crown Prince’s sensibilities, she humbled herself.

The Crown Prince had frowned earlier just because Mira had smiled at her. It must be because she had marked Mira Crate as her closest confidant for when she became Emperor.

‘Don’t worry. My heart is unwavering.’

“I accept.”

Upon his acceptance, Aihenhart inwardly rejoiced as she registered herself as the next opponent and stepped onto the dueling arena. She drew her rapier and faced Mira Crate.

If she tried to react after seeing his move, it would be too late. Here, she had to rely on instinct. It was time to show the power of Aihenhart Renitus, hailed as the genius of the century at Laila Academy.

Mana surged throughout her body, greatly enhancing her physical abilities.

“Come at me if you dare!”

“…?”

When she opened her eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.

“What’s going on—agh?!”

As Aihenhart tried to rise in confusion, a sharp pain shot through the top of her head. She couldn’t help but wince.

“You’re awake?! How are you feeling?!”

The second-year top student, who had been sitting in a makeshift chair beside the bed, hurriedly supported her body.

Carefully raising her upper body, Aihenhart looked around. White beds and white curtains. It was a space that strongly resembled an infirmary.

“…What happened? Why am I here? What about the duel?”

Her head was foggy. She couldn’t figure out what had happened.

Why was she lying in such a place? She clearly remembered Mira Crate accepting the duel, them facing each other, and her using physical enhancement, but after that…

“Well… I didn’t see it myself…”

The second-year top student hesitated. She twirled her long hair that reached down to her waist, looked around nervously, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke.

“They say you were knocked out after getting a flick on the forehead… The Crown Prince was laughing as she said it…”

Aihenhart froze.

A flick? Who?

Me?

“WHAT?!???!!?”

Her thunderous voice echoed throughout the infirmary.