End of the Weekly Test Battles

What a yuri-esque atmosphere.

I withdrew my gaze from Liliana.

If I remembered correctly, her match with Alden here had left a good first impression on Liliana. Because he acted very gentlemanly, and later on, Alden would even bail her out when she was working part-time... But reality wasn't an otome game, and I couldn't read minds to know what she was thinking right now.

At the same time, this was also where the part-time job subplot went off track, making Alden think he actually had a chance. That was also why I couldn't stay at the academy this weekend and had to go out.

There was nothing much to say about the subsequent matches.

The blue sky and white clouds drifted past quickly, and the sun climbed from the east to the center of the sky.

First round, second round.

I made my way into the semi-finals without much effort.

It wasn't that my strength completely crushed the entire class—well, maybe it actually did—but the main reason was that most opponents grew timid the moment they saw it was me.

A few even shrank back subconsciously the moment I raised my hand, their voices trembling as they chanted, as if they were facing some man-eating magical beast instead of a classmate.

Thinking about it this way, Klaus was already quite impressive.

Thus, the semi-finalists were quickly decided.

Loris von Aldheim. Liliana. Clara Wendell.

And that sickly girl, Isabel.

It was no surprise she could advance. After all, her talent was second only to Liliana and me. I hadn't interacted with her at all since school started; after all, she would later become the heroine Liliana's best friend.

They would share a very deep bond.

In any case, the semi-final bracket was projected into the air using the teacher's mana. It was no longer a matchup of student numbers; pale blue words floated in the air, and everyone looked up to watch.

My opponent was Clara.

Liliana against Isabel.

First match.

“Ugh...”

Clara stood opposite me. She pursed her lips, and Cotton, sitting on top of her head, shook its puffball-like body.

“Don't want to fight,” she whispered to Cotton, as if she already sensed how it would end, or perhaps the previous battles had taken too much effort, leaving her out of state and unable to muster any enthusiasm.

“Gugu-gaga!” Cotton's head bounced.

A few seconds later, Clara said in a slightly louder voice, “Don't want to fight.”

“Then do you forfeit?” I raised an eyebrow.

“...Okay.”

Having said that, she actually turned and walked away.

The entire class fell silent for a moment, followed by a succession of sharp gasps. Everyone had witnessed Clara's previous battles and knew this listless young girl was actually very strong.

Yet now, she had surrendered without even putting up a fight.

I thought to myself as I watched the reactions below.

Fiona even leaned in nearby, shouting from behind her, “Clara, at least take it seriously!”

Ms. Elena rubbed her temples, made a mark in her record book with her mana chalk, and then looked up. After a couple of seconds of silence, she finally let out a sigh and wrote something else next to Clara's name.

“Next match.”

And just like that, I advanced to the finals... The finals?

Meanwhile, the other semi-final match lasted much longer.

Liliana and Isabel's match lasted a full three to four minutes. Ms. Elena even made an exception and allowed them to go an extra round of offense and defense—because both sides had blocked each other's attacks, resulting in a stalemate.

Isabel's fighting style was very stable. Though she looked delicate and frail, her defense was stable to the point of stubbornness.

She followed the textbook standards perfectly, with no wasted movements and zero mistakes.

Her Mana Bullets weren't particularly strong, but they flew at tricky angles, always curving in from unexpected directions.

Unfortunately, her opponent was Liliana.

Having a mana capacity of ten, combined with her natural talent and hard work, Liliana would slide to the side at the exact moment she fired her Mana Bullets, making it extremely difficult for her opponent to predict where her next strike would come from. This style of fighting had already transcended the textbook level—Ms. Elena watched her movements and made several notes in her book.

Finally, Isabel's defensive magic cracked under Liliana's third attack.

Liliana didn't follow up. She simply withdrew her hand and bowed slightly.

“Thank you for the guidance,” she said with a smile.

Isabel was taken aback for a moment, then also smiled and bowed in return, graceful and polite.

This was the kind of sparring atmosphere people actually wanted to see.

Below the stage, Fiona was already cheering for Liliana's advancement to the finals. Sarah was also quite excited, and even a few students from the neighboring Swordsmanship Department were drawn by the commotion, leaning against the entrance of the training ground to peek inside.

For instance, Waldenburg, who had once run into Liliana in the library.

“An interesting woman,” he muttered, cradling a wooden practice sword in his arms.

And then, finally—

The final match of the weekly test, the championship round!

Ms. Elena closed her record book and looked up, her gaze cutting across the center of the field and landing squarely on Liliana and me.

“Loris von Aldheim versus Liliana.”

The vast training ground instantly stirred with a faint, restless energy.

Most of the students from Class A of the first-year Magic Department let their gazes drift restlessly.

Sunlight spilled diagonally through the gaps in the domed ceiling, refracting a thin, golden halo over the translucent material. It was almost noon.

I was already walking toward the center of the field, my steps brisk and confident.

Liliana also stepped forward, looking slightly constrained.

“First round.”

Ms. Elena looked at me out of the corner of her eye, then at Liliana. As the homeroom teacher of Class A, she was actually aware of some of the rumors circulating among the students, but at this moment, her voice remained steady without a single ripple of emotion.

“Loris attacks, Liliana defends.”

I raised my eyes, meeting hers directly.

Liliana took a deep breath and raised her right hand, her palm facing my direction. Her fingertips were trembling slightly, but her gaze was resolute.

“P-Please guide me, Lady Loris,” she said.

I looked into her eyes.

In her light brown pupils, I could clearly see my own reflection—Loris von Aldheim, the notorious Tyrant Daughter and the eldest daughter of a ducal house with a mana capacity of ten.

Standing right across from her at this moment.

And destined to stand on the opposite side in the future.

According to the plot of the original game, I was supposed to deliberately increase my mana output here, attacking her with magic that exceeded the course requirements to form a grudge through foul play.

And even if I did that, I would still end up losing.

She would win.

The academy's student council would notice her, and everything would proceed along the established trajectory. Several male leads would revolve around her—a magic genius, a gentle prince, and a taciturn handsome guy. Such a path was highly suitable for her.

But I didn't know if this would lead to a future where one wrong step leads to another, so I didn't plan to follow the script.

Winning was out of the question.

—“Gathering mana...”

But I couldn't lose either.

I silently chanted under my breath as mana began to gather in my palm. A pale white light welled up from my fingertips, resembling water held by an invisible hand.

It gathered and compressed layer by layer, eventually condensing into a light orb about twenty centimeters in size.

The classmates below had already witnessed me using a shortened incantation against Klaus, so they weren't too surprised now. However, I noticed Ms. Elena's eyebrows twitch slightly—she had likely realized that my mana condensation speed was even faster than in the previous match.

“Fire!”

The Mana Bullet shot from my hand in a straight trajectory, its speed not intentionally slowed down. My target was her torso—the standard textbook point of attack.

Liliana's reaction was swift.

“Mana Barrier!”

A silver-white screen of light unfolded in front of her, nearly twice as thick as an ordinary student's defensive shield.

A thin silver ripple washed over the surface of the light screen, like the first wave stirred on water by the wind.

The moment my Mana Bullet collided with it—the entire light screen trembled slightly. Pale blue light bloomed against the silver barrier, shattering into countless tiny sparks that scattered in all directions.

It didn't pierce through.

“A very beautiful attack,” Ms. Elena's voice drifted from the sidelines, though her speaking speed slowed down a beat, indicating she was taking careful notes. “Next, swap offense and defense.”

As for the classmates below...

If the previous matches were just minor skirmishes that could at best be considered "games," then the battle between the two of them now actually carried the awe-inspiring aura of true mages.

Gulp. Klaus swallowed hard.

The others also focused entirely, whispering in hushed tones.

On the field, Liliana closed her eyes and took a deep breath for the swap.

“Swap offense and defense.”

When she opened them again, her gaze had changed.

She was no longer the cautious commoner girl who was terrified of saying the wrong thing, but a mage standing on the training ground, prepared to launch a serious attack.

This was her character, the innate charm of the heroine.

She raised her right hand, spreading her five fingers as a ball of silver-white light ignited in her palm.

The orb of light condensed rapidly in her palm, its edges shifting from pale white to pure silver-white, then tinged with an extremely thin halo of pale gold.

Terrifying.

Just what kind of talent did she possess?

Once a Mana Bullet compressed to this level of precision hit, even if it only grazed the very edge of a defensive shield, its power would certainly not be minor.

Her incantation time was incredibly short.

The Mana Bullet shot forward.

The silver-white orb of light drew an arc through the air.

Yet, the moment my mana shield blocked that orb, the silver-white projectile suddenly shattered—exploding from a single intact light source into dozens of tiny sparks, expanding its coverage area to nearly ten times its original size.

Every single tiny spark felted my mana shield evenly, the continuous impact leaving my arm slightly numb.

Every single collision carried a tremendous amount of force.

I furrowed my brows.

But in the end, I still blocked it.

Though from a purely visual standpoint, she looked incredibly strong.

“Not bad,” I said.

The classmates below erupted into a low commotion, whispering and murmuring as if trying their best to restrain themselves but failing anyway.

Liliana withdrew her hand and stood in place, her breathing a beat faster than before, her cheeks slightly pale.

Was that her full-strength strike?

It was probably because she hadn't fully grown yet. I shuddered to think what kind of grand mage she would become in a few years.

“Good,” Ms. Elena's voice rang out again. “Second round: Loris attacks, Liliana defends.”

Then came the second exchange, fierce and rapid.

And then the third, like flashes of lightning and sparks.

A few minutes later.

In this round, my attack cracked her defensive shield, while one of her counter-attacking Mana Bullets grazed my sleeve.

Neither of us called for a stop, both of our faces wearing extremely subtle expressions. Liliana pursed her lips repeatedly but never made a sound.

“There is no point in continuing.”

Finally, Ms. Elena spoke up. Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. She slowly wrote a few more marks in the record book, the tip of her pen rustling against the paper.

She was grading us.

When she looked up, her expression was unexpectedly calm, even appearing a bit gentle.

“You both did very well,” she said. “A tie for first place. Let's call it a draw between you two. After all, your talents are equal. You too, Loris—even though you don't pay much attention in class, your casting and chanting show that you have put in effort.”

Ms. Elena's evaluation was a bit too positive for me, and Liliana also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

She didn't want to lose, so this outcome seemed the best—at least it was a draw.

As for me? I was also very satisfied with this result.

We couldn't actually end up fighting with real anger.

But the necessary procedures still had to be followed. I stepped forward, and Liliana did the same, shaking hands to make peace.

Seeing this scene, the training ground fell into a brief, dead silence, as if no one had reacted yet.

Then, as if someone had suddenly opened a floodgate, the discussions erupted with a bang, the voices surging from all directions noisy and excited.

“Lady Loris actually tied?!”

“No, she must have been holding back, right? Even though Liliana looked strong, it felt like she still had plenty of strength to spare toward the end.”

“Both of them are monsters with a mana capacity of ten.”

“No, no, no, only the one from the Aldheim family can be called a monster. Haven't you talked to Liliana?”

“I'm not interested in commoners. Even with a capacity of ten, she's still a commoner.”

The noisy chatter continued without end.

Ms. Elena had probably heard it too—or rather, it would have been hard not to. The outcome was indeed a bit astonishing. She had no choice but to clear her throat, and the others quickly realized the issue and quieted down, leaving only complex gazes drifting back and forth between Liliana and me.

I ignored them.

I only looked at her.

Liliana stood ten paces away, her light pink hair slightly messy from the battle, a few stray strands slipping from the side of her ears and sticking to her slightly flushed cheeks.

Her energy always seemed so boundless, and a hint of a smile she couldn't suppress still hung at the corner of her lips.

The way she looked at me now was no longer as constrained and cautious as before, but held something indefinable.

First, she bowed to me.

“That was a very fun match!”

“I just didn't use my full strength, so don't get ahead of yourself.”

I didn't want to talk anymore. The familiar tightening sensation in my throat explained everything. I turned and walked back. After all, with my persona, this trash-talking segment required me to degrade her to the absolute limit.

But after taking a few steps, I suddenly stopped.

Ms. Elena said calmly, “You haven't shaken hands yet, Student Loris.”

As for etiquette and grace...

I had no choice but to walk back in resignation, extending my hand while maintaining that resentful expression. Liliana, with a slight, self-deprecating smile, reached out her hand and shook mine.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

...

Ugh...

“Lady Loris... that hurts a bit,” Liliana whispered with her eyes slightly squinted, looking a bit embarrassed. Her hand was being squeezed tightly by the other girl. Considering the teacher was right next to them, she didn't want to make Loris look bad.

“This is a lesson for you. Don't get so full of yourself.”

Loris merely let out a cold snort and turned to leave. Liliana could only smile wryly, looking down at the web of her thumb, which was slightly red, as she stepped down.

Loris seemed to have squeezed hard, but her strength wasn't actually that great. It just stung a little, and her hand was actually a bit smaller than Liliana's.

Had she somehow made her unhappy again?

Liliana didn't quite understand.

...

As Liliana and I parted ways and left the field,

Ms. Elena took the lead in lightly clapping her hands with a smile, as if for this battle, or perhaps for everyone. Immediately after, sparse applause rang out across the entire training ground.

“Alright, then this week's practical magic exam is now over.”

“Class dismissed.”

Everyone in Class A of the first-year Magic Department stood up to assemble, bowing to Ms. Elena. After that, the atmosphere finally livened up, and they left in groups of twos and threes.

“Whew, it's finally over.”

“My butt's starting to hurt from all that sitting.”

“I wonder how many credits this weekly test is worth.”

“Haha, forget about that. Since tomorrow's a holiday, you might as well think about where to go have fun. Want to go to the opera house? I heard Miss Snalin is performing.”

...

By the time we returned to the classroom, it was exactly noon.

The sun had climbed to the absolute center of the sky, and light poured through the tall, narrow windows, illuminating the entire classroom. The tiered desks were arranged neatly, and the small wooden nameplates embedded in each desktop gleamed with a warm luster in the sunlight.

Ms. Elena stood behind the podium.

She still held the record book with the dark blue cover in her hand, but she had closed it.

Not the entire class was present; only those who had performed well in the weekly test had followed her here, as she had privately instructed them to.

Those present were as follows:

On top of Clara's head, Cotton had curled into a ball and was dozing off;

Klaus sat in a window seat, his arms crossed with a complex expression. Although he had been eliminated in the first round, it wasn't because he was too weak, but simply because his opponent had been too strong;

Alden leaned next to him, whispering something, only to be quietly kicked by him;

Fiona and Sarah squeezed in behind Liliana's row, the two of them surreptitiously making faces at each other.

I was still sitting in the third row by the window, with Liliana in the seat next to me. The sunlight fell upon the desk, illuminating the open pages of our books with a warm, soft glow.

“The results of the weekly test were quite good, letting me know that you've all been working hard.” She flipped open the record book and then closed it. “Especially Student Liliana, though of course, the others performed well too.”

“According to our agreement regarding rewards, please come forward when your name is called.”

“Klaus...”

“Isabel...”

“Fiona...”

Soon, those who had received their rewards bowed and left the classroom.

Leaving only Liliana and me.

At this moment, Ms. Elena picked up two small boxes tied with light blue ribbons from the podium, each with a small envelope tucked into it.

Her steps were neither fast nor slow, her dark teacher's robe swaying gently between the desks.

She came before the two of us.

“Student Loris, Student Liliana.”

She stood between our two desks, looking at us with a gentle gaze, a very faint smile in her light gray eyes.

“Actually, the mysterious gift I originally prepared wasn't this.”

“But.”

“Because your scores tied for first place, both of you are undoubtedly outstanding—and your performance today has shown me something a bit different.”

“I thought I should prepare something more suitable.”

She placed the two boxes on our respective desks.

“Although I've heard some rumors this week, for instance, regarding your issues, Loris, based on my own observations, I hope the two of you can continue to maintain a friendly atmosphere.”

—“So, Ms. Elena, what is the mysterious surprise?” I couldn't help but pinch the bridge of my nose and interrupt her.

I was afraid she would keep trying to make Liliana and me become friends. I could see her matchmaking intentions, but to me, being active and being passive were two completely different concepts. This kind of action would only cause Providence to put pressure on me.

Ms. Elena didn't answer, merely smiling as she took half a step back, gesturing for us to open them ourselves.

Liliana was the first to open her box.

Inside was a small silver brooch.

The design wasn't one of the shield or gryphon crests commonly seen in the academy, but a pair of overlapping small wings—one with feathers spread upward, and the other half-closed and drooping.

I opened mine too.

Damn, the exact same thing was in my box.

Oh great, it felt like the teacher was shipping us as a couple.

“A brooch,” Ms. Elena said, her voice very soft, seemingly meant only for our ears. “It was a gift from my mentor when I was young. Everyone who studied under her would receive one. The wings are related to the royal family. Wearing it will grant you many discounts when purchasing magic materials in the future. However, it is not just an emblem to declare status; it is a sign to fly toward each other.”

What a profound speech.

It gave me goosebumps.

She paused, then added, “I am gifting them to both of you.”

“A mage's path is very long and lonely, but if you have a trustworthy companion, this path becomes much easier to walk.”

Her gaze was somewhat warm, as if some ancient light were falling upon a young shadow, filled with both nostalgia and gentleness.

I hoped it wasn't what I was thinking.

Fortunately, after this was done, the two of us were no longer kept behind and were free to leave.

It was already noon; it was truly time to eat.

After exiting the classroom.

Her two good friends were waiting for her outside the door.

“—That took forever!—”

“—Sorry to keep you waiting!—”

As for classmates waiting to crowd around me, there were obviously none. Fortunately, Shirune had arrived at some point; since it was lunchtime and not class hours, she was allowed to enter and exit the academic building freely as an attendant.

The two of us still had no interaction, even after receiving what could be considered commemorative awards.

We left in opposite directions.

The brooch rattled in my pocket. This seemingly unremarkable weekly test reward item would play a very, very major role in the upcoming story.

Meanwhile, after lunch, Liliana returned to her dormitory. She took out the brooch Ms. Elena had given her, which, to her, was a luxurious accessory.

Placing the silver wing brooch in her palm, she turned it over and over, examining it for a long time.

Her roommate Fiona was still doing extra practice at the training ground, and Sarah had gone to the library to look up information, leaving her all alone in the dormitory.

The maple trees outside the window rustled in the afternoon breeze, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting spots of shattered gold onto her desk.

Lying on the desk, she raised the brooch to eye level. The silver wings gleamed with a very faint, warm luster in the sunlight.

Suddenly,

she heard a cute grumble that sounded incredibly similar to Lady Loris, yet completely clashed with her appearance and wicked personality.

‘I want to sleep so badly...’

Eh? What was that voice?

Liliana looked left and right, certain there was no one else in the room. At the same time, that wicked young lady would absolutely never utter such a sigh.

Yet the voice sounded exactly like Lady Aldheim.

Am I hallucinating?

Liliana spent a long time fiddling with the brooch during the afternoon, but gained nothing from it, leaving her with a truly puzzling mystery.