I’m Sorry! (4)

Mari was born as the daughter of an ordinary farming family. Although a commoner, she spent happy days living with her loving parents and warm neighbors. The lord, while not exactly excellent, was competent enough, so laughter never ceased in the village where she lived.

With her natural beauty and bright personality, Mari was the most popular in the village. One day, she encountered a major turning point in her life.

[What is this?]

Something warm that she had been feeling for a while. Using it, she could make light appear from nowhere and warm herself when cold.

This was the little secret of Mari, still a young girl. But that secret was discovered one day by a magician who visited the village.

[This light, could it be!]

At the moment when she was secretly drawing out light, Mari learned from the suddenly appearing magician that she possessed light-attribute magical power.

The magician explained that he was a researcher from the magic tower. He politely asked if he could become her sponsor. He said that those who can use light-attribute magic could become great figures who would make their names in history, regardless of their background, so he was getting in early.

After obtaining approval from Mari’s family and Mari herself, the magician started teaching her and preparing to send her to Milano Academy. After all, it was the empire’s top educational institution and the only place where light-attribute magic could be learned to some extent.

But for Mari, all that didn’t matter much. She couldn’t hide her excitement at the news that she could go to Milano Academy, which she had only heard about in rumors.

Maybe she could shine there too. The “shining existence” she had admired since childhood. The heroes, princesses, and knights that appeared in stories she saw as a child all possessed a light that made the hearts of those who saw them flutter.

She wanted to become such a shining existence too. This was Mari’s wish that she had never revealed to anyone.

When it was decided that Mari would go to the Academy, her family spared no effort in supporting her. They made her stop helping with farm work, prepared a quiet place for her to concentrate on studying, and helped her with all their heart.

And thanks to that, Mari was able to confidently take the entrance exam for Milano Academy.

Her first visit to the imperial capital. Although surprised by the crowds of people, Mari’s goal was the entrance exam, so she managed not to get lost.

After various twists and turns, she arrived at the exam venue. Perhaps her studies hadn’t been in vain, as Mari quickly solved the problems in the written exam and immediately proceeded to the practical exam.

The magician who helped Mari said that since she had light-attribute magical power, he could make her pass without an exam if she wanted, but Mari refused. It would be too unfair to others striving to take the exam here if she just entered without taking it.

Arriving at the practical exam venue, Mari looked around nervously. The practical exam was to be taken by four people at a time, she was told. So Mari would have peers(?) taking it with her.

‘Why do I feel so nervous?’

The written exam was just a matter of solving the given test paper and leaving, so it didn’t feel like much, but the practical exam was different. It was about confidently showcasing the magic she had prepared in front of others. Moreover, the dummy presented by the examining instructor looked incredibly sturdy no matter how you looked at it.

At first glance, it looked like a dummy that would shatter if hit with a stick, but to Mari’s eyes, trained in magic, she could see the massive protective formulas guarding the dummy.

‘Can I break that?’

Of course, Mari had magic that she could confidently call her trump card. But whether it could break that… she couldn’t answer with certainty.

“Begin.”

While she was in a daze, the first applicant had already stepped forward and was attacking the dummy. He quickly created a huge fireball, which was the first magic Mari had seen besides what the magician had shown her.

“Wow!”

An exclamation of admiration burst out without her realizing. Somehow the boy’s shoulders seemed to rise a bit more, but… reality was cruel.

“Impossible! It’s completely fine?”

“Next.”

The shocked voice of the boy and the calm voice of the instructor drawing a line were in stark contrast.

The next boy who came out managed to break part of the dummy’s defense, seeming to do relatively well.

“Next.”

Now it’s the next turn. The next is her turn. Mari tried to calm her heart, which started pounding with nervousness, and looked at the person standing in front of her.

‘She’s beautiful…’

Silver hair giving an impression completely opposite to herself, an expressionless face showing no change. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful girl Mari had seen in her life so far.

“I will begin.”

Her voice was beautiful too. She was an existence that seemed to live in a completely different world from herself. And that thought became even stronger when she easily froze the test dummy.

“Well done.”

Seeing the examiner set aside the score sheet separately, Mari intuitively understood. This girl was special. She could be called a “shining existence” that Mari had been admiring.

‘She’s amazing…’

Watching her leave after giving a light bow, Mari couldn’t take her eyes off her.

“Next.”

Fortunately, Mari wasn’t completely out of it, so she was able to move in time when called.

Quickly stepping forward, Mari used her most powerful trump card that she could currently perform, and the result was successful.

Seeing the remains of the dummy shattered in a different way from what “she” had done just before, and the examiner placing her score sheet in the same place as “hers”, Mari felt something welling up inside her, even amidst the difficulty.

She did it. She, who was just a country girl, had achieved a successful result in the Academy’s entrance exam with her own power.

‘I’m really glad I came to the Academy…’

It felt like she could do it here. She could see the “shining existence” she should aim for, and she learned that she could achieve something.

Wouldn’t it be fair to say she had essentially passed? Could she start imagining a happy Academy life from now on?

That’s what she was thinking.

“How dare a lowly commoner…”

“She seems to think she’s something. How pitiful.”

“Light-attribute magic? Ha, how about doing night duty for our family?”

Contemptuous gazes converging from all directions. Mari couldn’t feel the reality of the sudden situation.

“Has she gone deaf now?”

The sound of mockery reaching her ears. The malice of others she was experiencing for the first time in her life. Mari unconsciously stepped back.

She didn’t know about this. In her hometown, she had always grown up in a bright and warm atmosphere, and the trials described in fairy tales were all depicted as simple and insignificant, so she was not used to experiencing someone’s negative emotions.

The sound of whispering and blatant stares. Most of them were nobles who hadn’t achieved good results in this exam. The rumor about Mari, who despite being a commoner, was born with light-attribute magic and achieved excellent results, had already spread among them.

“A worthless commoner…”

“If only she wasn’t here…”

Jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, mockery. Exposed to numerous malicious intentions, Mari desperately looked around. Maybe, anyone would do, was there anyone who could save her?

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet. The voices that seemed unchangeable no matter what anyone said disappeared in an instant.

Then, with gentle but definite footsteps, she felt someone approaching. Was it because of that person that the surroundings became quiet? As Mari slowly turned her head, she widened her eyes at the sight of an unexpected figure.

‘That person…’

The “shining existence” she thought she wanted to be like. She was approaching straight towards her.

“Ah, hello…?”

No matter how you looked at it, the other person was a daughter from a well-off family. Just at a glance, unlike herself, she exuded an innate dignity and nobility.

What if she ruined her first impression? Although this was their first meeting, if she received the same kind of looks she had been getting until just now from this object of admiration… she might not be able to endure it.

“You, what’s your name?”

“M-Mari. I don’t have a surname…”

“No surname? So you’re a commoner.”

“Y-Yes…”

At the word “commoner,” Mari’s voice grew smaller and smaller. Why? Until now, being called a commoner or whatever didn’t bother her at all. But thinking about hearing such words from her made her extremely nervous.

“As a commoner, to come this far… it must have been hard for you.”

“N-No, not at all…”

“Your parents must have had a hard time too. They must have worked day and night to send you here. I pay my respects to them.”

“Y-Yes…?”

Mari unknowingly raised her head. She saw the girl’s face, looking genuinely impressed and admiring.

“Do your best with all your might from now on. For the sake of your family who worked hard for you. Good job.”

‘Ah…’

Family. Yes. She has a family who worked hard for her. She has precious family members who spared no support when she said she wanted to go to the Academy. Others disparaged them as just commoners. They looked down on them as lowly born.

But this person is different. This person acknowledged and recognized the efforts they had made so far, and even encouraged her to do her best.

Without even having time to wipe the tears flowing down her cheeks, Mari endlessly gazed at the back of the girl gradually moving away.

“I should have asked for her name.”

She will never forget what happened today. It became a very precious memory where she met the “shining existence” she had been admiring and even received encouragement from her.