episode_0125

There are just some days like that.

Days when nothing seems to go right.

Early in the morning, after getting everything ready and going outside, I happened to leave an important item behind.

Or, that day, so many people were crowding, that I was jostled by the throngs in a usually quiet street.

I almost tripped on a rock, or the tea was hotter than usual and I burned the roof of my mouth, or I cut my finger while turning a page of a book.

When those kinds of things pile up, even the simple act of drinking a glass of water feels incredibly cautious.

It feels like someone is watching, and all my nerves are on edge.

That’s why, perhaps.

That day, for some reason, a heavy scent was carried on the wind towards the academy.

A smell entirely different from usual, that strange, unfamiliar scent.

Like the smell of ash, or maybe the metallic tang of blood. I couldn’t quite explain it, only that the fine hairs on my arms stood on end.

Even trying to investigate the source of this unsettling feeling, today was a bad day. The timing was off.

“Welcome to the Nifrantz Academy! Ticket purchases for the finals are on the left.”

Unlike the preliminaries, the finals were open to the public if they had a ticket. Therefore, the academy was in full festival mode today.

With everything so different from usual, there was no way to know what the problem was.

From prospective students, to merchants selling goods, and even adventurers searching for talent to scout. Countless people of all ages and backgrounds crowded in, creating a bustling, market-like atmosphere.

Therefore, my heightened senses worked in reverse.

“Umbrellas for sale! On a day like today, just an umbrella will make you much more comfortable~” “Mom— Mom!” “You fool, if you’re aiming for the Knights’ Department, you should watch the match where the magic students are competing.” “Hey, don’t turn your head; eleven o’clock from my perspective. There’s a kid carrying four watermelons.”

Every sound from my surroundings pierced my eardrums.

The voices, footsteps, and breaths of the people. Even the slightest sounds of objects colliding and clothes brushing against each other were vividly audible.

The heat from the crowd felt hot enough to scorch my skin. Even a slight turn of my head made the surrounding scenery shift rapidly, blurring my vision.

Even the scent of food wafted lightly, causing me to feel nauseous.

“Unni… are you feeling unwell?” “No, it’s not that…”

No, it is that. I was completely drained.

An overwhelming amount of information kept pouring into my head. But I couldn’t block it out.

Because I didn’t know when or where they would appear.

And then, I felt it.

A strong magical presence, the signs of someone hiding their presence, a black hand…!

The moment that invisible hand was about to strike my back, I quickly grabbed it.

Even though it was a very short moment, it felt like time had stopped and I couldn’t breathe.

“Wh-what… what’s wrong…?” “Ugh— Ugh—!!”

A slender wrist. Soaked in cold sweat, trembling in my grip… was Nix, materialized in the form of an ordinary girl.

Judging from her simple, solid-colored one-piece dress and neatly tied hair, she seemed to have dressed plainly to avoid attention. That’s… why I felt such a strong, suppressed mana.

“Nari, are you alright…? You look pale…”

With a serious expression similar to Yuri’s, she pushed her face close to mine. She diligently wiped the sweat from my cheeks and felt my forehead, checking my condition.

Seeing their faces… my senses dulled slightly. My vision blurred, and all I could see was Yuri and Nix.

It felt like I was isolated from the world, as if only the two of them and I existed.

I unconsciously embraced them, who I could say were almost everything I had.

“Oof- bup-?!” “Umuuu—”

Warm, comforting, like when I met my mother in the world of the magic stones.

My racing heartbeat gradually subsided, and my breathing began to calm.

Then, I returned to the real world.

“Are you really okay…?” “Khuh-kh— Let’s just stay like this forever—”

Yuri and Nix were still in my arms, and the academy was brimming with all sorts of stimuli.

But, somehow, I felt a little better.

It felt like I had finally woken up from a deep sleep. My body was refreshed, and my spirit was invigorated.

“But Nix, I’m afraid that’s not going to work.”

I straightened my hunched back and fixed my gaze.

“Today, I… need to finish things properly.” “Ugh— You said you’d grant me a wish if I did my work properly—” “I never said that.”

Nix puffed her cheeks slightly, then gave a subtle smile. It seemed she was subtly mixing truth with falsehood to check if my mind had fully returned.

That’s Nix’s way. Even if she cannot fully understand people’s hearts, she constantly tries to understand the jewels submerged within the profound depths, in her own way.

“…Don’t overwork yourself. Just forget what I said yesterday.” “No. Your honesty is what gives me strength.”

And this is Yuri’s way. She always sees through people’s hearts and shapes her own to match theirs.

The words of a gentle girl who embodied consideration, compromise, and effort. How could they possibly cause me any distress?

A moment ago, my soul had been pouring out of my body, leaving it entirely empty. Now, it was full with their love.

“I only have one request.” “Un?”

I released Yuri and Nix from my embrace and clasped their hands together.

Mmm, mmm. Twice the cuteness, four times the adorableness.

“Today, you two absolutely can’t be separated.” “Yes! We won’t.” “Khihi- alright.”

If they’re together, if anything happens, I can find them quickly.

After scattering a bit of Aether around Nix’s clothing, I headed to the waiting room for the finalists.

. . .

What an incredibly unlucky day.

Surrounded by a sea of people, an unseen malice strikes at me.

But there’s no need to worry.

It’s not only they who prepared for today.

Original Aether Magic, [Oracle]. A magic that allows me to use my scattered traces like threads.

It’s similar to the detection-type [Mana Veil], but a more enhanced version.

I’ve already installed this [Oracle] in all the important spots. Yuri and Nix, Eve, Tier, as well as the places where the students and instructors gather, and moreover, throughout the competition venue and the entire academy building.

Processing all this information at once is no easy feat, but what can I do? I’ll just have to use my brain ten times—no, a hundred times more than usual.

And I’ve also deployed external forces that can immediately intervene should any problems arise from within.

「Everything alright?」 「Yes, Your Highness. With just a signal, soldiers will arrive at any point in the academy within one minute.」 「Don’t let your guard down.」

If I have the forces prepared in advance, they might not do anything because they anticipate the difference in power. Thus, it is better to keep the site empty and deploy forces only once something happens; this is the best way to eliminate the enemies at once.

And just in case… I also informed ‘that person’ in the magic tower. It’s probably best to assume they won’t come.

The preparations are complete. The bait is set… all that’s left is to wait patiently for the prey.

“You may enter now.” “Yes, thank you.”

Following the staff member at the door of the waiting room, I walked down the corridor towards the center of the venue.

I clearly love peace, I just love taking naps comfortably in a field with my wives.

Why is it that today’s commotion is making me so excited? My heart is pounding, I desperately want to crush my enemies immediately.

“…It must be a delusion.”

It’s just that I’m slightly excited because of everything that’s happened, and I’m mistaking the source of my excitement, that’s all.

For now, I’ll just do what I must.

“We’ve kept you waiting, everyone! The first official exam individual matches of the Nifrantz Academy, the opening act of the finals will feature two students!”

Waaaaah—

A massive roar that drowned out the MC’s voice amplified dozens of times by magic tools, echoing in my ears.

The vibrations from the sound shook my entire body from the ground up, the pulse in my heart growing faster.

“The combat girl who won every match in the preliminaries with just one strike, the destructive tank, the goddess of the battlefield and victory! A promising young talent who hasn’t fully shown the extent of their power. Magic Department Year 1, special student, Narias Philbrogue!”

Whoooooosh—!

As I emerged from the dark corridor, the intense sunlight stung my eyes.

The air was fully ripe with summer, its heat obscuring any feeling of the crowd’s energy. As beads of sweat began to form on my skin, a second wave of vibration hit me.

“Overwhelming talent? I don’t need that! The character of a strong warrior comes from experience! In this case, they showed signs of struggling in the preliminaries… but surely, they haven’t shown all of their power! The disciple of the Sword Saint, the rising star! Knight Department Year 4, Lenny Evergreen!”

My opponent shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand as he slowly walked up to the arena.

“I heard. You haven’t even properly unleashed your magic yet, right?” “Yes… well, that’s right.”

His sharp jawline was striking as he drew his sword, showing no hint of nervousness.

“It won’t be like the preliminaries.” “Of course, it shouldn’t be.”

This time, I wore the Muyeong Armor and gathered a large amount of mana at my fingertips.

“The referee’s countdown will begin shortly, the match will start after that!” “Both sides stand ready…”

The referee, with a shiny, hairless head, raised his right hand. He began to count down on his fingers.

“3… 2… 1…”

And the moment the final command was given.

“Begin—”

I launched myself, as if to shatter the arena floor, flying towards Lenny’s face.