Expectation

I ended my sudden secret meeting with Estelle and left the bathroom, letting out a sigh.

The variable of the suddenly appearing cult leader was highly likely to become an obstacle in my plans.

Therefore, cooperation with Estelle was also a problem I needed to deeply consider. Estelle’s words that there would be no harm even if I rejected the offer were probably not a lie.

For now, I pushed the worries out of my head, thinking I should focus on the duel.

There was nothing I could solve right away by worrying about it now.

Checking the time, it was probably after the end of the morning first-year matches. If so, there was no need to go back to the stadium.

Outside the window, it was full of people enjoying the festival. Since most of the stores in the capital were closed and doing business at the academy just for today, there would be several people who entered the academy even just for a meal.

I yawned slightly.

Perhaps because the tension was relieved, fatigue rushed in all at once, and the back of my neck was stiff.

Since it was almost lunchtime, I packed some decent food as I had promised the club members in advance and headed to the clubroom.

Perhaps the matches ended earlier than I expected, they were all putting food on the table and waiting for me.

Today, Lacar’s fiancee also joined the meal. I heard that Elena also got good grades on the exam and participated in the duel.

Judging by her bright expression, it didn’t seem like she was eliminated in the round of 16 at least.

,Ross! Why are you so late! Where the hell have you been? I couldn’t even eat and was wandering around looking for you!!!”

Perhaps she was angry that her playtime was reduced because of me. Aria, who rarely showed anger, narrowed her brows and got angry, so I immediately bowed my head and apologized.

,Sorry, I suddenly had a stomachache. I was in the bathroom for a long time.

Sitting next to Luna in the empty seat, Luna looked at me and gave me a pretty smile.

,Ross, I watched your match. Congratulations on advancing to the quarterfinals.

Luna’s compliment made a sense of satisfaction raise its head in one corner of my heart.

I even had the strange thought that I might ask her to pat my head like a puppy later.

I really liked the compliments that Luna often gave me.

If I delved deeply into the reason, I could find the answer, but I didn’t bother to do so.

Sometimes it’s good to leave things as vague emotions rather than words. This feeling was one of those kinds.

,Okay, let’s share what we each bought!

Aria, who was very interested in food, seemed happy to be able to taste the various things that each of us had bought, and her mouth was practically at her ears.

Using the small plates in the clubroom, we each took some food and ate a variety of things. Since they were foods we couldn’t normally eat, everyone was able to enjoy the meal.

For students who didn’t participate in the duels, this weekend was no different from a fun event, so cheerful laughter never ceased anywhere in the academy.

After finishing the meal and drinking a cool drink with ice, Aria, who was stroking her full belly as if showing it off, opened her mouth with a worried voice.

,Haa, what should I do about the afternoon match.

I felt puzzled by Aria’s unusually unconfident appearance. If we were to pick the most positive and bright person among us, everyone would choose Aria without hesitation.

For Aria, who is like that, to show a worried appearance even before the match started. It was a reaction that was hard to understand unless the opponent was Roel or Headmaster Nelson.

,Why? Who’s your opponent?

,Ellie. The top student of the magic department this year.

Aria’s answer immediately resolved my question. If it’s Ellie, that reaction is understandable.

So Ellie became the top student of the magic department as planned.

The talent of a future Archmage doesn’t go anywhere, I guess. Well, she was called a ‘genius magician’ even before entering the academy, so being the top student of the magic department would be obvious.

,If it’s Ellie…. Isn’t she Ross’s dance partner?

It was Kane who showed off his memory unnecessarily in this kind of situation. I let out a faint sigh at the sight of him looking at me with eyes full of interest, as if his usual lazy appearance had disappeared.

I glanced sideways at Luna sitting next to me, and my heart felt heavy for no reason at the sight of her looking down and fiddling with her glass.

Luna was the one I spent the dance with, but the fact that Ellie was my partner didn’t change.

,She’s just a childhood friend from the neighborhood.

Before any unnecessary words could come out, I drew a line in advance, and Aria asked me.

,But Ellie is really amazing. I can’t believe she’s in the same grade as me? I didn’t know her that well because we’re in different classes, but I never expected her to be that skilled.

I let out a hollow laugh at Aria’s appearance, praising Ellie with shining eyes, as if she had never been worried.

,How good is she that you’re praising your match opponent so much?

Lacar asked with a smile, as if he was curious.

Aria closed her eyes as if recalling her memories, and began to brag as if it were her own business.

,I saw it at the magic department’s survival test. As if the kids had planned it in advance, as soon as the test started. They all attacked Ellie together right away? But she single-handedly eliminated them all with magic! I saw it from afar, and everyone was in chaos, running away from a huge pillar of fire.

While listening to Aria’s explanation, who was raising both hands and even making the sound effect Kuwawaang-!, I was thinking that it was indeed Ellie, when Luna, who was next to me, accidentally knocked over her glass.

At the sight of Luna’s very flustered expression, I immediately took out a towel from the space warehouse and handed it to Luna.

,Are you okay?

,U, ung…. Sorry, I made a mistake.

Fortunately, there was little drink in the glass, so her clothes didn’t get too wet. While Luna was wiping herself, I wiped up the drink that had spilled on the table and sat back down.

,Ross seems to be very kind.

Elena said with a smile, watching my actions.

,That’s right, Ross is very kind. Thank you, Ross.

At Luna’s words with a pretty smile, I unknowingly raised the corners of my lips slightly, and then met Elena’s gaze.

I avoided her gaze, feeling embarrassed for no reason at Elena’s appearance, observing with a face that seemed to say she knew everything and looked interested.

Kane, who was drinking a drink, asked Aria, who was even eating a strawberry cake for dessert.

,Aria. Your first match is in the afternoon, right?

,Yes. That’s right.

,Okay, I have to watch Aria’s match without fail.

At Kane’s words, Aria smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if acting cute.

,Why~? Do you really want to cheer me on?

,No, I can’t miss you getting your ass kicked in front of a lot of people-

I turned my gaze away, pretending not to notice Aria throwing herself over the table towards Kane and Kane screaming as his hair was grabbed.

Whether there are customers or not, they’re always the same.

,If you win in the afternoon match, you know we’ll be meeting in the semi-finals tomorrow, right?

At Elena’s words, I nodded and made a joke.

,I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’re my friend’s fiancee.

,I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’re my fiance’s friend either.

After giving a smile to Elena, who was looking at me with playful eyes. When I shifted my gaze to Luna, she had a serious expression as if she had some worries.

Reaching under the table and grabbing Luna’s hand, Luna, startled by the sudden contact, flinched and turned her head with a bewildered face, looked at our clasped hands, and then smiled at me.

It’s so amazing. Just being together can make my heart feel so comfortable.

Just smiling silently warms a corner of my heart, it might really be magic. And that’s the kind of magic that only Luna can cast on me.

It was an addictive magic that made her face pop into my head even while walking or eating. The funny thing is that I don’t dislike that feeling.

I suddenly became curious. Is this feeling that I’m feeling my own feeling? Or is it a feeling that other people feel the same way?

Even if it’s the same as others, its value doesn’t decrease. I was just curious.

,You’ll cheer me on in the afternoon match too, right?

,Yes! Of course. I bet all my allowance on Ross in the last match and made money too. I’ll buy you something delicious for dinner later!

At Luna’s cute appearance, who answered my question right away, I almost forgot that the club members were there and kissed her on the cheek.

With a feeling of regret, my gaze turned to Luna’s lips. Should we have dinner alone tomorrow?

,Then what’s my payout rate?

Kane butted in, asking a question to try and come to my senses.

,Ross, your payout rate is surprisingly low?

,Ung…? Mine?

I was thinking about why my payout rate would be low. Kane solved my question for me instead.

,The combat department kids bet a lot of money on you?

,…?

It was a completely unexpected reason. As I stared at Kane with a dumbfounded face, Lacar, who was listening to the conversation, laughed.

,Ross, everyone’s expectations for you have increased because of the skills you showed in the survival test. Because you’re the representative of the combat department.

,Is that so?

Well, the combat department, which has a strong image of fighting back-to-back, was famous for its strong sense of belonging.

That’s why Roel was worried about the cowardly method of targeting the back with space magic.

Now that I’ve become the head of the combat department, maybe they’re trying to give me faith. Whatever the reason, I was grateful that they believed in me.

,You’re amazing, Ross.

Looking at me with a proud gaze, as if she was thinking of giving me a massage. Luna, moving her small hands diligently, pressed her palms hard, so I brought my face closer to her and whispered softly so that others couldn’t hear.

,If I do well in today’s match, will my kind and pretty girlfriend give me a separate reward?

As I whispered playfully in a sly voice, Luna’s face turned bright red, and she suddenly dropped the hand she was holding and turned her body away from me.

,Ro, Ross. Pervert….

,…?

Luna’s reaction was so unpredictable that I was flustered.

That’s why it was more fun to talk to her.

This is also one of Luna’s many charms.

I suddenly wondered how Luna would think of me. She was just calling me a pervert as a joke, right…?

When our eyes met, she pursed her lips and turned her head away as if she was embarrassed, and I felt a little uneasy.

She doesn’t really think I’m a pervert…. Strangely, I wasn’t sure about that thought.

,Ah, but your brother is amazing.

Kane said as if he was impressed.

,I guess so. He’s the top student of the year.

Even without watching Roel’s match, I could picture how he won in my head.

He must have received a surrender with overwhelming force.

Because he’s the protagonist of the hero party.

,That’s right. Even with a light swing, the opponent couldn’t keep their balance and staggered!

Lacar nodded as if agreeing with Aria’s words.

,It was definitely an overwhelming match. It didn’t even take a minute to get the surrender.

,His payout rate is only 1.3. It seems like he’s confirmed to be the top student of the year again? If we’re lucky, we might see a brother and sister being the top students of the year. I shook my head and denied Kane’s fuss.

That’s going to be difficult. Ellie is in the first year.

In the novel, Ellie wins the final victory in the duel and becomes the top student of the first year, using her wish ticket to become Nelson’s official disciple.

Of course, she became a disciple because of her outstanding talent, and the wish ticket wasn’t so coercive that anyone could become the disciple of an Archmage.

A wish ticket is a request to the academy within common sense. They don’t grant all requests, and it’s decided at the discretion of the headmaster.

Not the top student of the year, but the runner-up.

That was my goal from the beginning.

Ellie becomes the top student of the year as in the original story and walks the path of an Archmage. And I become the runner-up as I had aimed for.

That was the best flow in my opinion.

Of course, I have no intention of losing to Ellie on purpose. Even if I don’t tell anyone, I had a strange anxiety in my heart that Luna would notice.

If Luna finds out that I lost on purpose, she will be disappointed in me. I don’t want to let Luna down.

,I’ll do my best.

Luna turned her head at my resolution.

,Yes, I always believe in you.

Luna added in a playful voice, whispering with a lovely smile.

,Because I love you.

Really.

I don’t want to let her down.