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Chapter 2: And So Begins a New School Life
“New students, please make your way to registration.”
An adult wearing an armband featuring the school’s crest was directing the large swathes of people gathered in front of the school gates. Lynokis and I were no doubt included.
“See you later, Nia. You’ll probably be busy with a lot of the entrance prep, so I’ll get going for now,” Neal said. Deciding to not intrude in all the unpacking and essential errands that I would need to do, Neal and Lynette headed off. We’ll be living on the same island now, anyway. I can see my brother as much as I wish.
After seeing Neal off, I headed towards the registration area that the various uniformed staff members were directing us to. I imagined Reliared was already there. Registration had been set up outside, perhaps because the weather was good. They had tables set up underneath some canopy tents to shade them from the sun.
All it took was signing my name and I was done. I received a little wooden tag to show that I had completed my registration.
Еṅ u mа̃. і d̆
“You’ll be staying in the aristocrat residence hall, so please head on over.”
Oh right, I’d heard that though aristocrats and commoners took classes together, we lived in entirely separate dorms.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Children of aristocratic families were allowed to have one servant accompany them, which was why I had Lynokis with me and why Neal had Lynette. Each child from a wealthy merchant or aristocrat family was given their own individual rooms and then a small neighboring room for their servant.
Altoire Academy’s campus was large, so large that the school building and dorms encompassed the middle and high schools as well as the elementary school. That said, there was enough of a distance between them that unless you went out of your way, it was unlikely you’d bump into students of a different age group. The indoor and outdoor gyms and other special facilities were shared, but the teachers specifically scheduled classes so they wouldn’t overlap.
We eventually made it to the elementary school’s aristocrat dorm for girls. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by a common room furnished with tables and chairs. There was apparently a separate cafeteria, so it wasn’t the sort of place you would have a meal. Essentially, it was like a hotel lobby.
There were already various girl aristocrats gathered around something.
W еb̄ n о́ v̆.ӗ.l̀ Е n̊ũm̄ä
If I recalled correctly, I would attend school for six years. I was six years old right now, meaning I would be graduating after I turned twelve.
These six years for a child are both long and deeply significant.
I was still but a small girl right now, but by the time I left, both my face and body would look dramatically older. There would no doubt be some children by that point who would even physically be at an adult size.
Though, just being tall wasn’t enough to become strong. It was an immovable truth that I was stronger than many who were simply big. I was both unrivaled and more intimidating. That was why something as trivial as an age difference meant close to nothing. A six-year difference? Why, that was simple child’s play.
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“Young Mistress, I believe that may be the manager of the dorm over there,” Lynokis said, pointing at the single adult seated among a circle of children.
It was a young woman, looking at something with the girl aristocrats, unaware of our presence.
Ĕn um а̀
“Excuse me, are you the manager of this dorm?” I asked, walking up to her. Now that I was closer, I could see what they were doing: they were watching magivision. More specifically, they were watching an episode of Nia Liston’s Occupation Observation that I had recorded last summer, where I learned how to catch bugs. This was a re-re-re-re-rebroadcast, I believed. It was unavoidable when we’d recorded so few episodes.
“What...? Huh?”
Both the children and manager were looking between me and the magivision in shock. It probably felt a little odd to them to be seeing me in two places at once. I was actually starting to get a little embarrassed seeing the shows that I was a part of.
“Miss...Nia Liston?”
“Yes. I look forward to staying here.”
“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”
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This shouldn’t come as a shock to either the children or the manager. I was a child of Altoire, after all, and education was compulsory at this age.
“Sh-She’s real! Sh-She’s really here!”
“Your hair really is white!”
“Oh my gosh, you’re so cute! You’re adorable!”
Right? Dear children, true cuteness has descended upon you. Though my brother was even more impressive when it came to good looks.
Seeing those reactions really made it sink in just how popular I was getting.
Еṅ ŭm̄а́
I gave the wooden tag to the manager—no, the head resident who managed the dorms, Carme, and was given a key in return.
“So you’re six now, Nia? Time sure flies by.”
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Apparently, Carme had been watching me since the first episode of Occupation Observation.Around a year and a half had gone by since my first appearance on magivision. So much time had passed before I knew it. I found myself sharing in the head resident’s nostalgia.
Not only were we in the capital of Altoire, which was literally on royalty’s doorstep, but this was an educational institute to teach the next generation of children. So, given the spread of magivision was in the interest of the kingdom, MagiPads had been swiftly introduced into the educational system. Thanks to this, there were many at the school who had witnessed my recovery. Over a year had passed since I had taken revenge on that devil of illness for poor Nia. It had been a desperate fight.
“I believe I will be recording episodes while attending school. I may end up causing much inconvenience, but I am in your care,” I said.
“Ah, yes, Her Highness Hildetaura has already informed me. Don’t be afraid to come ask if you need any help.”
Е n̆ um a
So Hildetaura had already put a good word in. Well, the words of royalty would have far more weight than my own.
“Wait,” Carme said, eyes widening in realization, “that would mean that girl who came earlier was Relia, right?”
Apparently, the head resident had not immediately recognized Reliared earlier. I had been appearing on magivision for over a year, while Reliared had only half a year under her belt. That differing time would likely mean that society’s recognition of us would also be different.
Still, this head resident is quite strong. I can tell that she’s trained her body well. She might be the strongest person I’ve seen so far. Perhaps it is so she can fulfill her role as the guardian of us children.
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Even then, though, I could beat her so easily that weeding the garden would take more effort. Just where oh where were the strong warriors?
My room in the dorm was neither big nor small.
Е̊ n u mă..ї ḋ
“Our life with just the two of us together begins today, Young Mistress.”
“Indeed it does.”
“You could also say that our cohabitation begins today.”
“Why change the wording?”
“How about we sleep in the same bed together?”
“This is entirely unnecessary. Please get the luggage unpacked.”
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I began sorting through all the luggage we had brought from the Liston estate with Lynokis while we chatted about topics that honestly brought me close to asking her what the hell she was on about.
Well, at least the space was big enough for me to practice my forms. Maybe a bit too narrow to do any sparring, though. I was quite happy that I had my own bath and toilet, at least—especially the bath. A manastone was required, but I could draw hot water at any time. That meant I could train whenever I wished.
When I told Lynokis she was welcome to use my bath, she thanked me. “I hadn’t realized that the aristocrats’ dorms had personal baths. I spent my time at school in the commoner dorms, so I had to use a shared bath. What would you like to do now? Sleep together?”
“Did I not say I wanted to shop for any essentials I needed? I need to procure my uniform, as well.”
I had brought plenty of changes of clothes with me, but any smaller bits and pieces, I decided to wait to buy until I was in the capital. My uniform was also currently waiting to be collected from the tailor. I believed I then had to go for a physical exam after noon. I could go for the exam any day before the new semester started, but I wanted to get that over with too.
I could relax once I had done everything I needed to do.
Е n̊ u m̌а̂._іd
“Daily necessities? If you don’t have specific brands you like, the school’s store should have pretty much everything you’d need.”
We took a short break after we’d finished unpacking, but as we went down to the first floor lobby to go shopping, we bumped into Carme. I took that opportunity to ask her where I could get any essentials for school and for the dorm.
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It may have been wrong to say that we bumped into her, given that she had to remain in an easily accessible location so that she could guide the new students as required.
“The school has its own store?” If the shop was under the school, then that would mean any stationery or supplies they carried would be approved by them. That would be more than perfect for me, then. I didn’t care about getting the most expensive kind nor did I care about the design, and I also wanted to avoid unnecessary expenditures. The school uniform was already extortionate, and I would have to have a new one tailored every year.
There wasn’t anything that explicitly said I had to get a new uniform every year, but apparently it was an aristocratic status symbol. Rich families did love to show off. I didn’t care all that much about acting like an aristocrat, but in the interest of not ruining my family’s reputation, I at least wanted to try and mimic what the other aristocrats were doing. I had nothing I was all that particular about, so it wasn’t much skin off my back.
“Then there is not much need to stray far from the school,” I said. In any case, if I could acquire all the bare necessities from the school’s store, then the only reason I would have to leave the campus would be to acquire my school uniform.
W e bn.ŏv̀ еl̀ Е n̈ um а
The tailor had requested that I go to their shop directly so I could try on the uniform and make sure it fit, so I had no choice but to go, however troublesome I found it. If they were willing to just send it as it was, I could have had Lynokis go fetch it or have a deliveryman drop it off.
Just as I was thinking over if there was any possibility I could avoid going, I bumped into her again.
“Hello, stranger.”
“Ah, Nia.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Given we were both new students and had arrived at roughly the same time, it was no surprise I ended up meeting Reliared Silver and her blazing red hair again. She looked a little unhappy to see me, but—perhaps because she had gotten the opportunity to get out what she wanted to say to me—her largely unnecessary hostility had decreased. That, or she had been warned about it by her attendant.
“Are you shopping, as well?” I asked.
Е n̆ ûm̈а. і d
“Yes. I need to go collect my uniform.”
That meant we were both after the same thing. Maybe our tailors were the same too. It wasn’t as if there were many stores that specialized in clothing in the capital.
“Our production crew came, as well.”
Her what?
“Your...production crew?”
“Yes. Apparently, they want to broadcast me in my new uniform.”
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A shoot focused on the first time wearing a school uniform, hm? I hadn’t even considered that. In fact, given I hadn’t been told to do something like this by my parents, Bendelio, or even any of the younger directors, I doubt any of them had considered it either.
We shouldn’t overlook big life events or festivals like this. We’ve already proved that even a small appearance on magivision can have a large effect.
“Young Mistress, I do not believe we can pass up this chance,” Lynokis whispered into my ear.
“Yes, I know.” She didn’t need to tell me twice.
This was almost certainly a great opportunity. If I appeared on magivision now, it would increase my reputation and would help appeal to students, new and current alike. Magivision was well-known among the nobles, but it was still an unknown for the commoners, and appearing on the Silver Channel could only bring positive attention.
“May I also make an appearance?”
Еǹům̀ å .ï d̀
“Huh? You? Why?”
Now that was one hell of an unhappy face if I’d ever seen one. She was so sulky for a child.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“We’re going to be working together to increase the spread of magivision, no? If we make an early show of what good friends we are, it’ll make things easier.”
“But we aren’t friends.”
She was right; we weren’t.
“We’ll be getting closer from here on, though, won’t we? It’ll be fine.”
Ẃĕbn̆ о v_е̃ ĺ Еǹ u m.а̊
“I really don’t think we will be! Wait, why are you grabbing my hand?! Let g— Why are you so strong?!”
“Let us be off. If we hold hands, we’ll seem closer. It’ll hurt if you try to resist.”
“OW OW OW OW OW OW! Okay, I get it, so stop twisting my wrist! My poor wrist!”
That was an agreement, yes? Then let us head out.
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The Liston Company’s production crew wasn’t in the capital right now, but if the Silver Company’s crew recorded it, it would ultimately end up getting broadcast in the Liston territories. So long as the viewers were willing to watch other channels, of course. The Liston Channel alone still ended up with a lot of rebroadcasts, so I was sure there would be many people who would see it eventually.
And so I somehow managed to turn picking up my new uniform into a whole event.
W̄ébnо̊ve ľ Е n̆u m_а̃
The head resident saw us off from the dorm, complimenting what good friends we were. Reliared made sure to shout back that we weren’t. What useless retaliation. We were walking down the street hand in hand; No one could say we weren’t friends. Not that I would care if they did.
Our destination was the tailor we had ordered our uniforms from. I could just ask Reliared on the way where the production crew was. If we happened to have different tailors, I would just force them to keep recording. I would not let this chance pass me by.
I refused to let go of Reliared’s hand, but I turned when her personal attendant, who had no choice but to trail behind us, spoke up. “Um, Lady Nia, may I have a word?”
“Yes?” I nearly added, “Is there a problem?” But there was no point in me getting unnecessarily aggressive. That said, even though she was supposed to be Reliared’s bodyguard, she was making absolutely no attempt to save her. Then again, maybe she understood that this wasn’t something worth making a fuss about.
“If you would like, have you considered asking your elder brother to come join you? It is a bit late to ask your parents to come all the way to the capital, but it makes a bigger impact when you have a relative with you for such a personal moment.”
Now this was a suggestion worth considering.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
It was true that the presence of my brother would likely make a big difference. If I had a relative present, I would be able to frame my entrance into the academy with pretty words—and receive my family’s blessing, while being watched over by my loved ones.
The issue was...it was Neal we were talking about.
“Y-Yeah, go call the young master. Aren’t you both—”
“What?”
“Ow ow ow ow! Let go of my hand for a second! I won’t run, I swear!”
“What was it you were about to say about my brother?”
Ӗ n̈um ā .і̂d̈
“Like I said, let go of me firs— Wait, you aren’t letting go?! You don’t intend to let go at all, do you?! Ngh, why are you so strong? Ugh, fine, whatever. Stop twisting my wrist, though. I don’t want to cry right before a recording...”
The pain was eventually enough to make Reliared quiet down. I did feel a little guilty about nearly making a child cry, but I still didn’t intend to let her go.
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Anyway, back to Neal.
“Aren’t you two on bad terms? Ever since you appeared on magivision to, you know...announce that you’d gotten better, he hasn’t appeared even once, right? Isn’t it because you hate each other so much you don’t want to perform together? Or...I guess not, since he was there to pick you up from the port.”
I personally didn’t think our relationship was that bad. The real reason we didn’t perform together was because my brother had acquired some rather extreme fans, so he had been distancing himself from magivision as much as he could. It was also the case that he had school to contend with, but it was very much Neal’s own desire to not appear on magivision again.
Incidentally, those problematic fan letters had decreased in frequency now that over a year had passed, down to a trickle of one or two letters at a time. At least, as far as I was aware.
Ŵ ë b̈ n̊ о́ v̇ е̇ l̈ Ѐ ň û m̊ а
“Neal would rather not appear on magivision. However...”
This time, I refused to listen to my brother’s wishes. This was all for the sake of magivision and the Liston family. Being the eldest son, it was Neal’s duty to work with me on this. He was the only relative I could easily call to the area, so I would need him to appear on the episode.
“Lynokis, I will go with Reliared to the tailor. You fetch Neal for us.”
“Understood.”
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“Absolutely bring him here, no matter what,” I whispered. “You understand what I’m trying to say, yes?”
“Of course. All for the sake of the young mistress. No, for the Liston family.”
Е̊ n̈u m a .і ď
Seeing the solidarity between master and servant, Reliared watched us with an indescribable look of disgruntlement. My treatment of Lynokis was as such only because she was not just my attendant but also my apprentice.
And so, the proof of the harmonious relationship between the Silvers and the Listons was successfully recorded and aired—a recording featuring Nia Liston cheerfully wearing her new uniform with Reliared Silver. Nia Liston’s brother and two of Reliared’s older sisters watched over them with full support. Viewers could see the daughters of their territory lords preparing to start school together as their families looked on fondly.
I couldn’t vouch for the Silver territories, but I later found out that it made waves in the Liston territories. According to Carme, it was received much better than expected because it felt like a progress update after I had been bedridden. My brother also began receiving an influx of fan letters again, which made him want to avoid magivision even more, but that was a story for later.
“Come have lunch with us.”
After we had finished trying on our uniforms and the recording had gone smoothly, Reliared was going to go have a meal with her sisters while they were here. She invited me to go along with them.
Though we pretended we were closer than we actually were during the recording, in reality we had only just met earlier that day. Given I had forced my way into her recording, I didn’t feel like I could refuse.
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“I’m gonna head back...” my brother sighed. He had also made sure to act cheerful during the shoot, but he’d actually been quite upset since we dragged him here, so the moment he didn’t have to keep up the facade, he immediately returned to being dejected.
Neal really wanted to avoid appearing on magivision again at all costs. His extreme fear of his fan letters seemed like it was going to flare up again. In fact, it almost certainly would. But there was nothing else for it; he was the eldest son of the family, after all. Even if he had no intentions of appearing on magivision now, the requirement would absolutely come in the future.
And so, my brother returned to the dorms, but I went with Reliared and her sisters for lunch.
The Silver sisters brought me to an upscale restaurant, but we didn’t receive an individual booth; we were just seated at a regular table. We let Lynokis and Reliared’s attendant have some time to themselves and told them to have lunch elsewhere. Lynokis seemed reluctant to leave, but I made her go. We really needed to spend more time apart.
I turned my attention to the Silver sisters seated around the table. You could tell from their striking red hair that the three of them were related. I was yet to meet the second daughter, but I would likely get that opportunity in the future.
“This is a little delayed, but it’s nice to see you again, Nia.”
Е ǹ ü m̀ӓ. і̂ d̂
“Yes, it is a pleasure to meet with you again.”
I had met the eldest daughter at the opening of the Silver Broadcasting Company. Her name was Raffinee, I believed—Raffinee Silver. She appeared to be in her midtwenties. As expected of a mature lady, she was skilled at makeup, her chest had grown well, and she was very stylish. She was the ideal image of an aristocrat, including the side of her that appeared very straightforward.
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This was my first time meeting the third daughter, though. While Raffinee had the air of an adult woman, what made her sister stand out was how slender she was. Seeing her alongside her sisters made it apparent that she also had very strong features, making her look a little like a young boy.
“My name is Ririmi Silver. I’ll be starting my third year at the middle school. It’s nice to meet you.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I’m Nia Liston.”
I observed Ririmi as I responded to her introduction. Hm, as I thought, this girl has developed her body for hand-to-hand combat. The balance of her muscle, fat, and core is very good.
Е̂_ṅ u̇ m̊ӑ
I could tell that she wasn’t overdoing it, but she hadn’t slacked in her training either. Knowing your limits was an essential part of training. Unfortunately, though, she was still fundamentally quite weak. Lynokis a year ago would still be stronger than her.
“Ririmi is really strong, you know,” Reliared boasted. “She was the runner-up in last year’s middle school division of the martial arts tournament.”
“Huh?!” Like this? At this strength? Were the tournament’s standards so low?!
“Surprised, aren’t you?” Reliared said, face smug. Technically I was surprised, just maybe not in the way she meant, so I wasn’t lying when I nodded. Reliared continued, “She’s a student of the Heavenstriker school, and I also started learning it last year.”
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Ah... That was a familiar name, indeed.
“Is this Heavenstriker style truly... No, never mind.”
Ẇ е b̄ǹ ӧv̂ ё l̀ Е̊n ů m̀ ā
Is this Heavenstriker style truly strong? was what I nearly said, but I couldn’t say something so rude right to her face. Practitioners of martial arts had their own pride in their art, but they also had proper etiquette. Even I couldn’t say something so impolite while in her company.
In my year of recording for magivision, I had sometimes heard about this Heavenstriker style. It was apparently famous as a weaponless style and had many students, and many of its practitioners were strong warriors. Quite frankly, I was ecstatic at the thought of challenging a student of the style. The more I heard about it, the more I wanted nothing more than to just jump right into a spar.
But.
No matter how many students of the school I met, not a single one of them was strong. Was it because they themselves were weak, or was it because the style was weak?
I had heard it got its name from how its “great founder’s” fists would rumble like thunder that could pierce the heavens. If the founder had reached the same precipice that I had, then there was no way they could be weak.
Though I felt like I had gotten even further than that, admittedly.
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These fists of the Heavenstriker were likely Chi Fist: Rumbling Thunder. But for as flashy as that skill was, its power wasn’t anything to write home about. It was one of those techniques that was nice as a party trick and not much else.
My interest in the Heavenstriker style had already dwindled. Even if it was deemed an important martial arts style, if it was weak then I had no interest.
“Why don’t you give it a try? You seem strong,” Reliared said.
“I am fine, thank you. I have no need to attend.”
Even if I met with more practitioners, I kept meeting weaklings, and it only added to my disappointment. It would be for the best if I didn’t hold any expectations.
“Ah, that reminds me,” Ririmi said. “The stand-in instructor should be participating in this year’s physical exams.”
Wẽbnòv̂_еl̀ Eǹ umа̀
Hm? Who’s that?
Ririmi continued, noticing my interest, “It’s because a lot of the students of the dojo will be there. There’s clubs from elementary through high school.”
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Clubs? Wait, that wasn’t what I was curious about.
“If they’re an instructor, are they strong?” I asked. There was no way an instructor could be weak.
“Of course. Even I couldn’t hope to stand up to hi— Ngh.”
Oh my.
Е́ṅ u m̈ а̀.і ḋ
“Excuse me.”
The café had been rowdy a moment ago, but it went quiet all at once. I may have been letting too much of my chi escape in my excitement and ended up putting unneeded pressure on her.
I see. So an instructor of this string of disappointments was within reach. Then perhaps it was a bit too soon to write off this style completely.
“Just what kind of person is Lady Nia?”
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The personal attendants were having their lunch at a café within view of the restaurant where their charges were eating. The pair were sitting at a window seat, remaining alert while they had their meal.
Nia Liston’s personal attendant, Lynokis, and Reliared Silver’s personal attendant—Esuella Blankett.
Еn̆ ů m̈ ӑ. і̄ď
She was a tall woman who had been assigned to be Reliared Silver’s attendant earlier this year. The Blanketts were an aristocratic family of the eighth class, but compared to those three girls, she was practically a commoner.
After graduating from the middle school of Altoire Academy, she had been ordered by her father to work for the Silvers, given their families were acquainted. That was five years ago. Back then, she had been the one who had taught the third daughter of the Silver family the Heavenstriker style after becoming infatuated with the style herself while at the academy. And now, she was teaching Reliared.
In other words, she was the master to both the third and youngest daughters of the family she served.
“May I ask what exactly you mean by that?”
Given they were both representatives of aristocratic households, a careless blunder could besmirch the name of the family they served. What appeared to be simple idle chatter could result in the leaking of valuable information. Though they had just happened to end up having a meal together, it was clear that neither could let their guard down. As such, they were both cautious of each other.
In the past, the Silver and Liston families had been closer, but the previous lord of the Liston territories had retired early, resulting in decreased communication between the two. Their relationship had dwindled to letters of seasonal greetings and not much more. Due to their recent interactions concerning their magivision broadcasting stations, however, their communication had once more increased. It was only thanks to that collaboration that Nia Liston had been able to impulsively participate in the recording of a show originally intended for the Silver Channel.
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Regardless of their intentions, had their families been on bad terms, the sudden inclusion would likely not have been approved. In the worst-case scenario, the Listons would have had to compensate the Silvers for interfering with their work.
“That girl is strong, is she not? And to a shocking degree.” Esuella suddenly brought up the topic after they had ordered and were waiting for the arrival of their meal. “Were you the one who trained her?”
Nia Liston was six years old. Naturally, Esuella did not think she was naturally so strong, however true that may have been. That was why she assumed that the situation was the same as it had been with the Silver girls, with Lynokis being Nia’s master. Nia was strong, but so was Lynokis. I’m sure this attendant could make for quite the battle, Esuella thought to herself. Of course she wouldn’t think that such a young child would be stronger than Lynokis, even though the reality was that Nia was Lynokis’s teacher right now.
“Well, I wouldn’t say you are so far from the truth.” Lynokis figured that giving an actual explanation would cause issues, and even if she told the truth, she doubted Esuella would believe her, so she did what she could to dance around the topic. “I’m rather curious about Lady Reliared myself. She appears to be viewing the young mistress as a rival.”
“Yes. After seeing Lady Nia on magivision, she appears to have become greatly fixated.”
“Fixated on Nia?”
E ǹ u ṁ á
“She would always say things like ‘I’m cuter’ and ‘I could do better than her.’”
“What?”
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“Those are her words, not mine. But...” Esuella’s face remained calm, even at Lynokis’s threatening tone. “I must say that I agree with her.”
Lynokis could not know with what purpose Esuella had said such a thing, but it absolutely whipped up a storm within her heart.
“Excuse me? The young mistress is a hundred times cuter than that impudent redhead.”
“I imagine to you, yes. To you. But what does society think?”
Е̌ nůmа
“Your idea of society is surely warped. Is a red-haired stray dog that bites at strangers ‘cute’?”
“Lady Nia is only six years old, and yet she is so uncannily composed. Is that not quite creepy? She comes across more like an old lady than a child. Is she really a young girl?”
Unaware that those sitting at the tables around them were beginning to back away, the two attendants continued staring at each other. They would absolutely not glare. They must remain calm. But they would not avert their gazes either.
They did have one thought in common: I will definitely one day prove to you that my young mistress is cuter.
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The attendants finished their meals after their conversation had abruptly halted, and then remained silent as they left the shop and returned to the restaurant where their respective young mistresses were waiting.
They returned just as the girls were eating dessert, and Raffinee had started her sales talk, telling Nia that she would love to have her wear her clothes. Nia was still unaware as she’d never watched the Silver Channel, but Reliared’s fashion sense was garnering much attention. She was cute, trendy, and someone whose style was worth copying.
En u mа̌.іd̈
No one would say to Nia directly, but every time Raffinee saw Nia on magivision, she would always mutter about how ugly she looked, that her clothes were atrocious, and that she could make her shine way more on the screen.
Nia quite frequently wore plain dresses that didn’t make her stand out too much, or she would wear whatever work clothes were prepared for her. It was the formal attire of the Liston family’s daughter. Rather than ugly, it was more that she was being dressed in the traditional and typical attire of an aristocrat’s daughter, so it would definitely look boring to anyone involved in the fashion scene.
“Young Mistress, if you have finished your meal...” Lynokis whispered into Nia’s ear. Though it was left unspoken, it was clear that she was prompting her to leave.
“I have been asked to accompany them shopping, so I will be unable to attend the physical examination today,” Nia replied.
“Is...that so?”
Though the relationship between the attendants may have been strained, there was no need for the young mistresses to also have a strained relationship. In fact, if they really did end up fighting, then the last thing the attendants would be doing was fighting among themselves.
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The young girls had only just met today, and though Reliared had appeared hostile at first, they were getting along rather well now. At this rate, unless something big happened, it appeared unlikely that they would end up fighting in the future.
This was fine.
This...was fine.
Lynokis glanced up, and her eyes met with Esuella’s. A meaningful silence extended between them, their gazes telling all they needed to say.
I will definitely one day beat into you that my young mistress is cuter and more wonderful.
The entrance ceremony was only a few days away—a signal that my school life would soon officially begin. But before that, there were various things I still had to do—namely, cleaning my school uniform, receiving my textbooks, and procuring other essential supplies and daily necessities.
Web́ n̊о̄ v̈еl Е̌ǹ ů m̊ à
Textbooks were precious items borrowed from the school itself. Apparently, they’d reprimand you for so much as handling them a bit too roughly. Naturally, losing them meant you had to pay for a replacement, and the school would later do whatever they could to find them again.
The books weren’t strictly secured or anything, but I imagined the school didn’t want the texts passing to other countries either, given they were whole collections of information.
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Children who didn’t live in the capital stayed in the dorms, and since Altoire Academy took in students from all over the kingdom, only a small handful of the students were actually local. Probably only about ten percent of the students commuted; there weren’t that many of them at all.
“Let’s go, Nia.”
“Yes, yes.”
That girl was as lively as ever. After I’d somehow managed to reconcile with Reliared Silver, we decided we would walk together today. Both of our attendants were still escorting us for now, given their presence was allowed on campus until the new semester started. Personally, I would’ve been fine by myself, but Lynokis would’ve been all huffy if I didn’t take her, so I had little choice.
E ǹ.ú m ä
Though the early spring air was still somewhat cool, both Reliared and I were wearing T-shirts and shorts—outfits that did very little to protect from the cold.
There was only one reason for our attire: we were going to take our physical examinations.
Reliared was wearing an outfit that had been custom-made for her, but I was just wearing simple gym clothes I had bought from the school store. We were at the stage of our lives where our bodies would grow in no time at all, so I was content with this given I would likely have to get new ones again next year.
The closer we got to the field, the more children I saw wearing the same clothes as me. We joined the steadily growing flow of people.
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There were three kinds of gazes aimed at us. First were the normal gazes of those who were simply looking at us as new classmates. Second were the curious gazes of those who recognized Nia Liston and Reliared Silver, the magivision stars. Third were the anxious gazes of those who saw our personal attendants and instantly knew we were aristocrats.
No matter how little significance the class system held nowadays, we were still a group that many did not want to get involved with or accidentally get into a fight with publicly. Regardless, it wasn’t something I paid much mind to. It wasn’t as if anyone was watching us with the intent to kill.
Е n̂ u ḿа
When we arrived at the field, the children were being split into groups for the examinations.
“After you write your name, do a circle of the track from the right side and return back here again, all right?”
We went to the registration that was nothing more than tables set up outside, received a form from the staff there, and wrote our names at the top. There were blank lines below for our results. Given how everything was split up, the spaces would likely get filled in as we went to each station.
After we received our forms, our attendants immediately took them from us—not wanting their young mistresses to have to carry even just a slip of paper was probably part of their creeds as personal attendants. Nonetheless, we all headed in the direction the staff member had pointed.
The first station took our height and weight measurements.
“I’m taller, but you’re heavier, Nia. But you’re not fat or anything. In fact, you’re thinner than me.”
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Now that, dear Reliared, is a difference in muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat, after all.
Next was a strength test to see how much weight we could hold.
“Young Mistress, you must not show your full strength here,” Lynokis quietly warned.
“I’m aware.” There was no need for her to remind me. If I were to give it my all, I could very easily pass the average threshold for an adult. I already stood out being on magivision; I would much rather not stand out for the wrong reasons on top of that.
Not that there was anything wrong with standing out, but there was a time and place for everything. Any scrutiny garnered outside of those times could end up as negative attention. I would only increase the risk of giving a bad impression.
Well, at the very least, I had a regular six-year-old girl in front of me whom I could use as reference. I just needed to mimic however strong Reliared was.
Е ṅum а̀
After the strength test were short-distance and long-distance running endurance tests.
“Haa, haa... Why are you always a teeny bit better than me in basically everything?”
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Because I refused to lose to even a child. I never walked into any of these tests thinking that I wanted to win; I would always think to myself I would let myself lose at the last second, and yet right at the end, that refusal to lose would just hit me.
At the end of the day, I’m still a martial artist at my roots. We’re naturally sore losers, so do forgive me.
The final test finally shed some light on something that I had been curious about.
“Last is the magic aptitude test, huh. All of us girls from the Silver family have been red.”
W̃е̌ḃ n̄ ӧvеľ E̊ n̈ um̀а
The last test would be to roughly measure the amount of mana within one’s body and its type. The red that Reliared mentioned was the identifying color that signaled someone had talent in fire magic.
All humans had mana within their bodies—and apparently, animals and monsters did too. In fact, magivision was a technology that had to be turned on and off with one’s mana. Despite that, though, one’s mana quality did not have as much importance placed on it. This wasn’t a period of war, after all. That said, those with high quantities of mana or mana of an uncommon color were the exceptions. That appeared to come in handy when it came to searching for a job. But that really was a very rare exception.
Everyone was born with mana, but not everyone could use magic. There were also things people were better or worse at depending on their mana capacity. But overall, the ways magic could be used were quite limited in this day and age. That was just the kind of era we were in now.
Altoire was so blithely peaceful that the kingdom was nicknamed “The Peace-Loving Kingdom” by other nations. There weren’t many in this country who wanted power for self-defense.
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After waiting in one of the many lines, Reliared, currently standing in front of me, was told by the young lady at the desk to touch a crystal.
“Okay, your mana color is red.”
Е̇ ňúm̆_а̊
She had gotten red, just as she had said she would.
It seemed that the method to test one’s aptitude was simply a case of touching the crystal on the table.
“So I’m red, after all. What about the amount?”
“Let’s see... You have a good bit more than average.”
Wow, so Reliared might be able to use magic.
“Next, please.”
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And then my turn came around.
“O-Oh my...”
I had been starting to get the feeling that it may have been the case, but now that I’d touched the crystal I was certain that...
“There’s no color at all.”
It was as I surmised. No matter how much I touched the crystal, even if I rubbed my hand all over it, the crystal refused to change color. Ordinarily, the center of the crystal should have reflected the color of my mana. But I had already assumed this would be the outcome.
“My hair has not regained its original color since I almost died over a year ago.” It was likely that my mana receptors had been destroyed in some way. When magicians used too much magic, their hair would turn white. Could that not have been what was happening to my—no, to Nia’s body? Desperately fighting against her disease, Nia had been using all the energy and mana she could muster to try and stay alive. Ever since I had begun noticing that my hair color was not returning to normal, that was the thought that had constantly permeated my mind.
Ѐn ú m̈à
During my first recording, the makeup artist had commented on my hair color, and my father had worried over what to do about it. There was no doubt this was the reason for it. I no longer had an identifying color like everyone else. In a sense, this was an aftereffect of having almost died.
But so what? I didn’t think I had even been able to use magic in my past life, so I didn’t find myself particularly caring whether or not I could use it in this one. What use was it learning to use magic this late in the game (of course, ignoring that I was technically still six years old)?
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Thankfully, I could still use enough mana to turn on the magivision. So long as I could do that, that was more than enough for me. I cared naught about my mana aptitude. Physically attacking enemies was much faster than using magic, anyway, so this was perfect for me.
Besides, this was the proof of how hard Nia Liston had fought to stay alive. They were scars, a mark of honor. So there was absolutely no reason at all for me to feel inferior for it.
“I’ve never heard of someone not having an identifying color before.”
After finishing the last test, all we had left to do was submit the form to registration.
Е̌n̆ùm̊а̂
“I’m completely clueless on magic. Is it really so rare?” Given I had no interest in magic, I only knew the basics. Reliared having the aptitude for it made it seem like she probably knew about more of the details—not that I really cared.
“Yes. Whether someone can use magic really depends on the person, but everyone has an identifying color. People often say that it represents who you are.”
“Hmm, really.”
“Why do you sound so disinterested?”
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“Anyway, shall we get going?”
“What do you mean ‘anyway’? You were the one who asked, so try listening to me! Wait, where are you going?”
Еn̈ u m̈ȧ
“To your sister. She’s waiting for us.”
“Oh right, she did arrange that with you, didn’t she?”
It was something I had honestly been really looking forward to since we decided on it. I felt like my hopes would be dashed if I kept my expectations too high, but I couldn’t help it. I was finally going to meet the instructor of the Heavenstriker style.
When I had lunch with the Silver sisters yesterday, I had spoken with Ririmi about going to check out her club. “I’ll be waiting for you,” she had said, so I assumed she would be there.
“We’re having a club fair over in the gym today, so go give it a look if you’re interested,” the person at the desk mentioned when we handed in our examination records. Though it felt like quite the coincidence, that was probably what they were told to say to everyone.
“Hey, Nia.” Since her sister would be there, Reliared decided to tag along. “Are you going to join the Heavenstriker club?”
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Nope.
It was very clear that my style and the Heavenstriker style were completely different, so I didn’t see any point in studying under them. There was nothing they could teach me. What was there even for me to learn from those weaker? I didn’t want to hear that rubbish that there was plenty to learn from those more inexperienced than you. I’d already learned from those weaker than me so I was beyond that by now. At least, I believed I had. Not that I had any memory of it.
Well, really, there was a completely different reason I wouldn’t be joining.
“It’s not because I don’t feel like it but more my position right now. I don’t think I have time to dedicate to a club.”
“Well, yeah, I guess so... I really want to join, though.”
Both Reliared and I had to carry on the work of magivision. Third Princess Hildetaura had already promised that she would boost the magivision market with us, so there was no way we could halt our own appearances just because school had started. And as another very real problem, I had the massive hurdle of the Liston family’s financial troubles to think about as well. I couldn’t back out now just because I was living in the dorms.
Ẇе bn о v êl̀ E n̄ u m̂ а
“Do you want to become strong, Relia?” I asked her.
“Of course! I want to become stronger than you.”
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“What? Stronger than me?”
“I’m confident that I beat you in looks and personality, but I definitely lose to you in strength. As a daughter of the Silver family, I don’t want to lose to you in anything.”
“Ha ha ha...”
“Why are you laughing?”
Ė n um̂ a. і̃d̆
“Hee hee hee hee. No, it’s nothing...pfft, snrk... You want to get stronger than me? Really?”
“No, seriously, why are you laughing?!”
It was because it made me happy, even knowing she couldn’t beat me right now. I wasn’t trying to make fun of her nor was I looking down on her. I truly wished that she would one day manage to surpass me.
“Why are you sneering like that?! I definitely won’t lose, y’hear?!”
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Please, I very much do not want you to lose.
Now that the era of war had ended and the invention of airships had made the world feel smaller, the value of combat was limited to fighting the monsters that were still the enemies of humanity and dangerous work such as island or dungeon exploration.
Е̊ñ u mа
Neal had been putting much time into his swordsmanship, and the academy even had classes for self-defense. Those who wanted to learn how to fight outside of class in a way that was much more focused and deeper in training would join a club. Naturally, there were still literary clubs and ones for more casual hobbies, but the ones gathered in the gym for this fair were the much more intense sports clubs.
And yet despite that, I’d heard that the younger generation didn’t really seek power in this kingdom of peace. I could really feel the changing of the times.
Inside the large wood-floor gym, there were plenty of new students as well as both adults and current students introducing their clubs and trying to recruit new members.
Upon seeing the number of students, I started to believe that the idea that the young generation was less interested in martial arts was actually a lie.
“Swordsmanship, magic, axe wielding, archery, spearmanship...hm?” Taking a quick survey of the fair, it appeared that each club had its own specialty weapon.
“Ah, I think that’s the Heavenstriker style over there,” Reliared said, pointing over to a booth where there were many adults wearing blue dogi, holding no weapons.
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“I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Wait, I’m coming too. Ririmi’s gonna be there.”
With feelings of anticipation rushing through my chest, we headed for their booth and were instantly spotted by Ririmi. “Ah, Nia!” She came over and didn’t hesitate to pull me into the ring of dogi-wearing martial artists.
Talk about forceful. You don’t need to rush so much; if you want to have a little spar, I’ll spar any time.
“This is the girl! The prospective member I talked about!”
Wait...
Ӗ n üm а́ .і d́
“Hm... I see.”
Something that Ririmi had said didn’t sound right, but before I could process it, a large man came and stood in front of me. There were many gathered here, both adult and child alike, but this man was particularly large in build and bulging with muscles. With his body built like a rock, he had to be the instructor.
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Given his beard, he must have been over thirty. There was no way he was a student of the academy. From what I could tell, he wasn’t weak, but he wasn’t all that strong either. He was the kind to take advantage of his natural build. Rather than working on his technique, his main strength was his muscles. His balance as a martial artist was bad. As he was, he was just an average person who relied on brute force.
Still, he wasn’t weak. He was blessed with a good build, and he definitely appeared to have talent in the martial arts. But I could still beat him easily while reading over my scripts. He amounted to nothing more than that.
If I could praise him for anything, it would be that even if I punched him with all my strength, he’d be able to withstand it. That body, those muscles, they weren’t for show. The hit would probably still injure him, though.
“Is this the strong one you spoke about?”
Ėnum̃а̊. îd
Around the instructor, there were also others in dogi looking at me with doubtful eyes. A lot of them looked like they had potential. Wonderful.
But that didn’t change that the instructor was weak. Even if these kids had potential, with him as their teacher, they wouldn’t go far.
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Nia Liston.”
For now, I would at least introduce myself. I wasn’t sure what would happen, but I at least wanted to be able to beat up a few of them. As revenge for how much they’ve disappointed me. The Heavenstriker school really is such a disappointment.
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I felt like Ririmi had perhaps misunderstood something. I had no idea what she had said to them, but the moment I was able to assess the instructor, I had done what I’d come here to do.
As I had thought, I had come here only to be disappointed. Good grief. If this was all I was going to get, I’d rather just leave and go get something nice to eat with Lynokis. My body could have probably handled a heavy steak at that point, but even something other than meat would have been nice. Though it wasn’t very classy, a commoner meal I could chow down on sounded great too.
W ё ḃ n̂ о v̇.е̄ l Ӗ nŭ m ȧ
And then, once we had had our meal, we could train intensely for the first time in a while. Neither myself nor Lynokis had had the time to train as much as we had hoped we could.
Given my approaching entrance ceremony, we had quickly knocked out the recording for a lot of the planned episodes, which left some days open specifically for preparing for my school life. Since I was already in the dorms, I couldn’t go all that far away, but the capital was huge. I was sure there were still plenty of interesting things I had yet to see.
Now, with that decided, let us be off.
Honestly, I did want to spar with some of them right here, right now, but even I was able to determine when such things were appropriate. As a martial artist, I knew how to show respect to another of my kind.
Even if they were weak, I didn’t want to do anything that would one-sidedly destroy their pride. Beat the master down in front of not just a crowd but also his students? Slap him silly until he was bawling? Mock him while dodging each of his strikes until his spirit broke? I would never deign to do something of the sort. I had already decided I wouldn’t do anything like that ever again.
I...did have a feeling I’d done something like that in my previous life, but I could at least refrain from doing it in this one.
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A master wanted to show off in front of their students. They would never wish to show their vulnerable side, even if it was something they allowed themselves to do in private. If this master were beaten up by a six-year-old, he’d have no leg to stand on anymore. There was no way I could go that far.
“Then I will take my leave here.” I made my introduction, but I would say no more than that. I never intended to join them after all.
“Hey now, at least wait a bit. There’s no need for you to rush, surely.”
I had even tried to leave amicably, and yet here was the instructor trying to stop me.
“How about it?” The towering rock’s voice floated down towards me. “Have any interest in the Heavenstriker style? We’d love for you to join.”
Right now, I was being solicited to join the club by a man several times my height while surrounded by several of his students. I knew it wasn’t his intention to intimidate me, but it absolutely appeared that way.
Ẽn u ma .і d́
I had been intending to show respect, but it was clear that this man would not show the same courtesy in turn. What a pain. Maybe I should just take him down. Who cares that he’s in front of his students? Just as I thought that to myself...
“Unfortunately, I am already teaching the young mistress. She cannot enter any other school.”
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At the most perfect time, in came Lynokis. Though it was likely to protect the instructor rather than me. I was glad she understood.
“Yes, that is exactly right. I already have a master.”
We had already agreed on this as our explanation long beforehand. I was being trained in martial arts by my personal attendant, so it was natural that I was strong. Though, in reality, it was the opposite, and I was the one training Lynokis.
“Oh, of course. Lynokis, have a match with him and show him your strength.”
Ēn̈ u m а̄ . і̊ d̄_
“What?”
All that would await was a pitiful and tragic end were I to spar with any of them, but Lynokis shouldn’t pose a problem. She wasn’t yet in her twenties, but she was still an adult.
I turned to the instructor. “If you prove yourself to be stronger than her, then I’ll reconsider. I only want to train under someone strong.”
“But, Young Mistress, that’s—”
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“I’m okay with it,” the instructor said. Though Lynokis clearly looked unhappy, the large man had a daring smile on his face, as if he agreed with my words. “As the young mistress says, only the strong can lead the students of martial arts.”
It was true that there was nothing more pointless than a weak martial artist. What he said was valid, but just being strong wasn’t enough. If you thought that all you needed to become a true martial artist was strength, you still had a long way to go.
Е̊n̈ u̇m а .i d̂
“Seriously...?” Lynokis muttered pitifully, clearly wondering if she truly had to do this. I gestured for her to lend me an ear. The attendant knelt down next to me. “Yes, Young Mistress?”
“I’ll be watching how you use your chi. Show me just how much you’ve polished your martial arts this past year. If you win, then as a reward, we can go eat whatever you’d like.”
“I-I see... What if I lose?”
“Strict training for a whole day. You love that, don’t you?”
“I absolutely do not. So losing means I get shoved back into that hell again...”
Wow, she loved it so much that she was trembling in anticipation at the thought! It was clear that as her master, I definitely needed to meet her expectations.
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Let’s do it again in the near future regardless of the result.
“It is the student’s job to take the vanguard. Now go.”
When he saw that we had finished our discussion, the instructor immediately began outlining the rules.
First was to create the arena. It was simply a case of having the students form a ring around the club’s allocated space at the fair, but as narrow as it was, it did mean we had a space secured that no one would accidentally walk into. The club members then notified attendees that there was about to be a match between two different martial arts schools and called those who were still on the fence about joining the Heavenstriker club to watch.
There was quite the number of students coming by to see. The club members must have garnered a fair bit of interest.
“Yo, see you’ve got something fun going on here.”
Еn ūm̄ ȧ .iď
“You bet. Just watch, the Heavenstriker school is going to take so many of the students this year.”
Some adults carrying swords and spears came over and began chatting with the instructor.
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I see what’s going on here now. The reason the instructor so desperately wanted me to join was because he wanted as many students as possible. I was a magivision star, so by recruiting me, the club could use my fame to boost their popularity.
“Wait, huh? Wh-What’s going on?!” Upon seeing the crowds of people flooding towards us, Reliared frantically made her way over to us. She had been outside the circle where we had challenged the instructor, so she may have missed the events that inspired the fight.
“My attendant and that instructor are going to fight over me.”
“What?! Over you?! Why is this like one of those stories where two guys duel over a girl?!”
W̃е b̄ n̈о̊vе̊ l E n ûm̄ ă
“Where two guys...what? I don’t know what you’re on about, but sorry for being popular.”
“H-Huh?! HUH?! I COULDN’T CARE A SINGLE BIT!”
Really? Good, because I didn’t care either.
“Want to go out to eat once they’re done here?” I decided to ask.
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“What? Uh, sure, but is your attendant really gonna be okay?” Reliared was looking over at Lynokis with a frown. The sight before her was a young woman of average build facing against a massive man built like a brick. With that alone, the natural response would be that, judging from their difference in build, the result was obvious.
“She’ll be fine. Lynokis is strong.”
Е́ n̂ū m̃ a
She was my student. If she couldn’t win against someone of this level by now, then I’d failed. As far as I was concerned, though, there was no way she would lose. I could predict the result without even seeing the conclusion. For the amateurs who were purely basing it on something as surface level as their size difference, though, this was no doubt a riveting sight.
A good number of onlookers, including Reliared and myself, surrounded the two to watch, including who had quite naturally flowed to the front of the circle.
“That girl is strong. Likely stronger than that man,” I heard Esuella say.
The absolute contrast in size appeared to have driven Reliared into severe worry. Worried enough to ask her own attendant what she thought about the matchup. However, the tall woman stated her opinion with such calmness it completely allayed any worries the little girl had. She had the same view as myself.
“R-Really? Well, if you say so, Esuella, then I’ll believe you.”
“See? What did I say?” I said.
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“Esuella’s still stronger, though!”
Hmm, Lynokis and Esuella could probably put up a good fight against each other, but I couldn’t be completely sure which of the two would win. Reliared’s attendant very likely knew what chi was. Or at the very least, she was trained enough in martial arts that she could manipulate it if taught how. That was how good she was.
And that was exactly why she did not doubt Lynokis’s victory.
The instructor’s body was trained in a way that did not even consider using the power of chi. If he were aware, there would be no reason for him to put so much emphasis on his muscle density. On the other hand though, were he to learn how to use chi, he might actually become quite the monster. That was fun to consider in its own way. It was a thought for a different time, though.
“Then let us pit them against each other sometime in the near future,” I proposed.
I may be rather short-tempered. It appeared that someone else finding fault with my student lit a different kind of anger inside of me. If regular anger went to my head, anger when it came to matters pertaining to my student or those around me went to my stomach.
Ŵ ë b̊.ñ ōv́ ӗĺ Е̄ núṁа
Why the hell would I sit down and just accept that? Why would I stand by and simply swallow such an insult?
“Huh? You wanna go? Esuella will win, you know?” Reliared’s face was so smug, and yet she wasn’t even trying to be malicious. She truly completely believed in the victory of her own attendant and Lynokis’s loss. Oh, how infuriating a face it was.
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“Really now? Then consider this a deal.”
You may wonder what point there was in me getting so serious with a child, but it was just different when it came to my own student. I could handle back talk about myself, but my student was different. She was like...a precious plant that I had grown by myself—a bonsai of sorts.
I had taken this bonsai under my care and put in so much work to carefully, so carefully, help it grow. How could I not get mad at those mocking it? Who cared that it was just a child saying such words? I would not let her get away with it.
Everyone around us was getting excited at the match between the girl and the large man in front of them, but as someone who knew the outcome, I was getting excited for a different reason.
Е̌ṅ ů m̈а
There was a simple explanation of the rules before the battle began.
They were not to make the match too extreme. Given there were children watching, the last thing they wanted to do was show them any shocking scenes like blood spurting everywhere, or limbs breaking at horrific angles, or adults crying and screaming, so they would play it on the safer side.
All that said, such guidelines were hard rules for the instructor, but only guidelines for Lynokis.
I could understand their reasoning at least. Seeing such a size difference, they probably felt it wouldn’t give such a good impression were they to carry out this fight as if they were at equal strength. The instructor could be labeled a merciless devil, a petty man using his all against a young woman. If that happened, then what was supposed to be an exhibition match to attract students would push them away instead.
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I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the instructor given I was aware of their actual difference in strength, but the man himself had decided those rules, so we couldn’t really do anything about it.
The dogi-wearing young boy who was to act as referee stood between the two and raised his hand.
E n ů.m̃ а
The children’s voices quieted down all at once.
The air grew thick with the tension of a match about to begin.
Lynokis took up her stance, as did the instructor.
And then...
“Begin!”
The boy lowered his hand with his call.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Slap!
And just like that, it ended.
A sound like two hands slapping together reverberated through the gym.
“Wonderful.”
That was great. Her speed was quite good. The foundations were still a bit shaky, but she used her chi well.
The instructor hadn’t moved an inch since he readied himself, but before he knew it, Lynokis was right in front of him. Lynokis relaxed her posture, bowed, and then, ignoring the overbearing silence that hung in the gym, returned to my side.
Е̃n u ṁ а̂ . í d́
“I have completed the task.”
“I can see that. You did well.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
There was no blood spurting everywhere, there were no limbs broken at horrific angles, and there were no adults crying or screaming. Something more dramatic would have appeased the crowds more, but with that rule set in place, this was more than fine. Go too far and the kids would never want to join.
There was no need to show to her next opponent what tricks she had up her sleeve, after all.
“Huh...? What...?”
“It was a low kick. She fired out her right leg just like a whip,” the tall attendant explained to the confused Reliared. Many in the audience were confused as well, but those who knew, knew.
É_n ũ mà
“It was an intense kick right into his thigh. Given the sound, his muscles were likely relaxed. It probably hurts quite a bit—enough that he can’t move.”
Looking back, the instructor had yet to move from his position, but his face was positively dripping with sweat. He may not have quite felt it at the moment the kick landed, but it was simply a delay in the pain.
“Then let us go have lunch as we planned. Relia, it is time we depart,” I said, turning away from the ring.
“Huh? Huh? Wha...?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“What would you like to eat, Lynokis?”
“I would like your handmade food, Young Mistress.”
Еñum а
“I see, so you’d like to eat at a restaurant, yes? Since we’re in the capital, we may as well go to the Chocolate Lily’s Aroma. I’d like to give my greetings to the chef.”
“Um, no, I said I’d like you—”
“Relia? I said it is time we depart.”
“Huh? Huh...?!”
And after that eventful club fair, the entrance ceremony arrived.
“Aaaaaand cut! That was great!”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
On the day of the ceremony, the capital’s broadcasting company was present. Or more precisely, Hildetaura had brought them. They were going to do a recording for a program in which the enormously popular third princess would welcome the new students to the academy.
It would be the first time Reliared, Hildetaura, and I would record together. Not the most relevant observation, but this was also the first time I had seen a woman as the director of a production crew. The Liston territories didn’t have any female directors. But honestly, it wasn’t really that important.
First, the three of us were recorded having an enjoyable chat in front of the school gates. Next, we relaxed with some tea in Reliared’s room, and then Hildetaura performed a tune with some sort of string instrument as celebration for our entry. Finally, Hildetaura dragged the two of us on a tour of the school building.
There were still many children who were unaware of magivision, so no doubt the point of this was also to introduce them to the culture.
The recording itself was absolute chaos. We would continue regardless of who was in the shot, and there were always regular students around us. Cocky show-offs would jump into frame, curious ones would follow us around, and those who wanted a chance to see the princess would gather and end up getting in the way of the camera. In any case, our recording certainly caused a commotion.
I was pretty sure there were incidents here and there that the production crew of the Liston territories would have stopped recording for, but for this, we continued, no matter what.
Ѐ nû.m̂а̌. і d̃
The next day, the recording was broadcast.
The start of the recording was fine, but the footage from the tour of the school was an absolute mess. Was it really okay to broadcast such scattered footage? It was all over the place, with absolutely no organization to it. It was quite literally chaos itself.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
But children who had just entered school being so irresponsibly carefree was a touching sight in its own way. Surely, this was fine.
And that was how my school life at Altoire Academy began.
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