“Alright, next group of participants, please make your way to the arena~”
At the gentle voice, the students around began to move one by one.
At the center of the crowd, Amy took a calm breath.
‘These nerves aren’t as bad as I thought they’d be.’
Even though it was her first competition ever, her heart beat steadily and peacefully.
The only thing on her mind was a casual comment Allen had made in passing.
“Effort never betrays you.”
And the promise that the champion would have one wish granted.
“They said any wish is possible, right?”
Thinking of Allen’s smile made her feel at ease. No matter what happened, she didn’t feel afraid anymore.
Is this what they call love?
‘No way.’
Amy chuckled softly, rejecting the thought. She’d gone through merciless hell training with Allen over the past few weeks – bones breaking, mana reversing until she coughed up blood, pain so intense she couldn’t sleep…
Just thinking about it absurdly while stepping onto the stage caused an uproar from the audience.
Waahaaa-!
Come to think of it, this was Minerva Academy’s opening match, wasn’t it? The thought of being the vanguard brought Allen’s face to mind again. He always took the front lines in battle too. Though the stage was different, it felt meaningful to follow in his footsteps.
“Huff…”
She took another deep breath as tension rose once more. The host’s explanation of the rules fell on deaf ears – she already knew them anyway.
What did concern her was the environment. This was her first time showcasing magic in front of such a large crowd. Looking around at the sea of people, she spotted a familiar face above.
“…Dad?”
He said he’d be busy, but of course, trusting that man was foolish. When their eyes met, Amy winced at his enthusiastic cheering. Even if she couldn’t hear him, she could guess what he was saying – probably shouting something about “my daughter” like some overzealous parent. So embarrassing.
Shaking her head, she shifted her gaze and found someone completely unexpected nearby.
“…Why is Professor here…?”
Their eyes met – Allen’s. And he smiled. It was the exact same smile she’d been thinking about moments ago.
The host’s loud announcements faded away. The cheering crowd disappeared from view. Right now, all her focus was… on Allen.
“Go for it!”
Though there was no way his voice should have reached her, it echoed clearly in her mind. Was it telepathy? In response to his simple encouragement, Amy gave a faint smile.
At that moment, time started moving again.
“I’ll do it!!!”
“The Helios brat first!”
“If only she weren’t here, we’d stand a chance!”
“Don’t chicken out! She’s just another student!”
As soon as the host finished speaking, simultaneous attacks began. Students wielding swords, spears, axes charged forward while others cast spells from a distance. Amidst the chaos, Amy remained calm, quietly muttering.
“So insignificant.”
[Bloodline Release: Helios Fire Eyes]
The ancient blessing of the Sun God, once bestowed upon humans who followed her line, revealed its magnificent form here today, passed down through her bloodline.
“What… what is that…?”
“My breath…”
“It’s… hot!”
Overwhelmed by the immense mana, the students couldn’t approach her. It was like a desert heatwave pushing them back.
“I’ve got a long way to go. Time for the extras to leave.”
Above Amy’s elegant hand floated a condensed orb of tremendous mana, resembling a miniature sun.
[Fire Magic: Sunspot Explosion]
!
The sun exploded. A blinding white flash swept across the arena.
“Protection…! …Activate…!”
“You… can’t… hold…!”
Amy’s magic, with destructive power rivaling transcendental magic, caught the royal court mages off guard. They had set up protective barriers suitable for student-level combat, but now had to desperately pour their mana into maintaining them, as important dignitaries were among the audience.
“Interesting child.”
Erias, floating unseen above, watching the preliminaries, smirked. They had come at the Helios Patriarch’s insistence, never expecting such an entertaining spectacle.
“That’s the Helios Fire Eye?”
If she could control that massive mana, she’d undoubtedly become a worthy candidate for the next Archmage, even surpassing those from the mage tower.
Watching the frantic royal mages below, Erias smiled contentedly. Though they could resolve the situation with a single finger, they chose to observe since the mage tower’s support had been rejected initially.
“Hopefully this will humble their overly proud attitudes.”
Should have brought some snacks. Erias idly touched their lips before returning to the mage tower.
***
When the giant pillar of fire subsided and the black smoke cleared, the situation finally settled. Thankfully, no audience members were injured by Amy’s magic thanks to the royal mages’ efforts.
“Hahaha! Who would’ve thought she’d master the family secret technique? Such a cute girl.”
I rolled my eyes at Balkan’s laughter.
“Are you really laughing? The students almost died!”
After the match, Amy was the only one still standing. The other students lay scattered like meteor craters. Those who had fled in time seemed uninjured, but those who had charged at Amy…
Even with the protective magic cast beforehand by the royal mages, they suffered serious injuries. Without it, this might have been the first Olympiad with fatalities.
“The disciples will handle the aftermath. It’s the royal court’s fault for underestimating a student competition, isn’t it?”
“…I’ll refrain from commenting.”
How dare he state facts so casually. Only someone of duke status could get away with that. As a regular citizen – heck, as a public servant – I couldn’t agree with that. Though officially, I haven’t said anything.
“Amy merely did her best to win. If there’s such a disparity in skill levels, perhaps exempting certain students from preliminaries would be appropriate.”
“Hmm… I’ll consider formally suggesting that. Do you know who’s responsible for the Olympiad?”
“Eh, probably some thoughtless noble. I’ll handle it. You just stay out of it.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Wha-, son-in-law…”
“Let’s drop the ‘son-in-law’ part.”
“Tch, such a picky person.”
Balkan clicked his tongue and turned away – truly an unreliable individual.
“Since the preliminaries will take quite some time to finish, I’ll take my leave. Feel free to use this place as you wish.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“I’ll see her match in the finals. Other professors, please enjoy the show.”
With a polite bow, Balkan left, leaving the other teachers flustered and bowing deeply. Of course, our Black Wolf stood proudly – but still, was he really just here to see Amy? What a remarkable cheerleader.
“Phew, I nearly lost my composure. How do you manage to converse so naturally with him?”
“Just think of him as an ordinary parent.”
“Can you really do that?”
“Can you?”
At my question, Seneca and Doris shouted in unison, then began enthusiastically recounting Balkan’s accomplishments.
“Duke Balkan Helios revolutionized the entire magical community…”
“He completely overturned the traditional flame magic system focused solely on destruction…”
Hmm, can’t understand any of that. Thinking of it as social interaction, I nodded along when Angelica approached cautiously. Ah yes, she’s a fan.
“Professor Angelica, did you have something to say?”
“M-may I…”
She hesitated, not about to mention Balkan’s achievements. After a moment’s deliberation, she spoke determinedly.
“Could I get Duke’s autograph?”
“…Yes, certainly.”
“Me too!”
“And me!”
At their enthusiastic cries, I could only nod. Fans of that mountain bandit uncle, huh? Are all magicians like this…?
