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“Why… why has it come to this…?”

Rebecca muttered as she turned her back to the chilling gaze that pierced through her bones.

Rebecca.

Rebecca Rose.

Recently, her name had been frequently mentioned among the Academy students. She loved attention, but this was not a situation that warranted such admiration. The reasons her name was being spoken of were rather unfortunate.

As the name suggests, she was the daughter of the House of Rose.

House of Rose.

If you were to name the most influential houses in the Empire after the Imperial Family, you would mention the Cromel, Edelweiss, and Ertuven houses along with the Kraus family from the south, but that only applied when considering the Empire as a whole.

The power of the major families that protect each region is comparable to that of a king, but in terms of sheer influence, one can’t ignore the central nobility that reigns in Ruden, the head of the Empire.

Being a central hub of imperial power, political circles there were akin to a place where everyone constantly schemed against each other, yet amidst this chaos, some remained steadfast and grounded like the walls of a castle.

The House of Rose was one such family.

Having established their position without succumbing to the turbulent central politics over the years, their power was enormous compared to other noble families. The current leader of the central nobility was the head of the House of Rose; thus, the House of Rose was indeed one of the pillars supporting the Empire.

And the cherished youngest daughter of the head of the House of Rose, Elijah Rose, was none other than Rebecca.

While being the third daughter put her in a precarious position, the fact that she was from a prestigious noble family remained unchanged. Under normal circumstances, one would avoid speaking of scandals in fear of retribution, but students were unafraid because her direct rival was none other than Elena Edelweiss.

“I don’t want to…”

In her anxiety, she bit her fingernails, but that wouldn’t make her worries disappear.

Rebecca was dissatisfied with the situation she found herself in.

She didn’t want to face the piercing gaze of Elena, sharp like a dagger, or the eyes of others that would usually admire her.

Rebecca had never experienced such scrutiny in her life. It was indeed her own doing, but the fact didn’t matter to her.

Being the late-born youngest daughter of a household that had only two sons, her entire family spoiled her. Growing up under the love of such a family, Rebecca became a child who knew nothing of lack.

Perhaps because of this.

Due to her environment, Rebecca had grown to be somewhat arrogant and self-centered. Everything had gone the way she wanted, and everyone tolerated her actions; thus, there was no one to correct her. Even if someone did speak up, there was no way Rebecca would keep someone who opposed her close.

It is common for children from noble families to consider their family’s authority as their own, but Rebecca’s family openly favored her, creating the perfect environment for her to develop into such a child.

The confession she once made to Damian was rooted in this very personality.

While her target was Elena’s fiancé, Elena was essentially quiet within the Department, and to Rebecca, she seemed like a beautiful statue. She thought that Damian would eventually grow tired of Elena.

With Damian’s face and abilities matching her preference, she had confessed without a care for the outcome, but still, Rebecca never considered the possibility of being rejected.

She thought she lacked no family status or appearance; after all, even though she received her family’s love, she was still a third daughter who would eventually be sold off in an arranged marriage for the goodwill between families. She didn’t mind entering into a relationship as the lover of the head of the Kraus family to monopolize his love, even pushing the main wife aside.

And this is the consequence of her complacent and arrogant actions.

“Then, we will now begin the combat training of the Department of Magic. No matter what type of magic you use, it will not affect your evaluation, so do your best to utilize any means at your disposal to achieve victory.”

The professor’s opening declaration felt to Rebecca like a death sentence.

Normally, she might have boldly claimed she would win against everyone, but not today. A vastly superior opponent was aiming for her neck, and right now, what she needed to be worried about was life and death.

“Ah, you need not worry about injuries. I have cast protective magic beforehand, so if any significant damage is inflicted, you will all be transported outside the stage. We also have priests present, so please fight to your heart’s content.”

Oh, sure.

The professor confidently claimed it was safe, but her instincts screamed that it was a life-threatening situation. When Rebecca locked eyes with Elena that day in the garden, she understood the saying that a mere gaze could kill. That lavender-eyed stare had continued to haunt her ever since.

Though she appeared slightly more relaxed, there was still an undercurrent of fear.

Rebecca desperately wished for this moment to pass without facing her. Since everyone had to take turns sparring, it was inevitable that they would meet eventually, but not now.

“Combat! It’s time to finally showcase my skills!”

“Hahaha… This is my first time, so I’m a bit nervous!”

If anything provided her solace, it was that this generation’s genius wasn’t just her; there were others as well. The renowned Cardinal of the ruthless heretic, and the winning prince of Orcus, who had triumphantly battled against him, alongside Richard Ertuven, the rising star of Spatial Studies. Both had participated in this practical training.

Along with Elena, they typically displayed overwhelming talent compared to other students, so perhaps they could incapacitate her.

No matter how much protective magic and priests were prepared, if individual stamina was drained, they would eventually have to withdraw from the practical training. The only hope for Rebecca’s survival was for either Richard or Orcus to battle Elena, causing her to retire.

*

As if fulfilling Rebecca’s wishes, Orcus and Richard dominated the other students with their overwhelming abilities.

The flames conjured by Orcus were like a brief sun that momentarily descended to the earth, and the might of the spirits summoned by Richard was magnificent. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the majority of the chaotic training ground belonged to those two.

Elena also had a magnificent record, but there was nothing particularly impactful about her performance compared to theirs. Efficient, perhaps; she won by dealing just enough damage to force her opponents to retire with the minimal combination of spells. Compared to the sights that Richard and Orcus had showcased, her prowess paled.

Thus, once again, hope bloomed within Rebecca, but when the battle between Orcus and Elena commenced, her expectations did not last long.

“Oh! The next opponent is Elena! I couldn’t witness it back then, but I’ve heard she made a great contribution with her magic during the southern conflict. Even if she lost in archery, she doesn’t plan on losing as a magician, so let’s give it our best…”

“Ssssss…”

“…Elena?”

“Hooouuu…”

“Um, Elena? Your eyes… well, they look very scary.”

“Let’s begin.”

“Ah, sure.”

As Orcus stood opposite Elena, the once tranquil demeanor of Elena transformed completely. Everyone present could feel the tension thickening in the air like a volcano poised to erupt, created by her dense magical aura.

They said that her fiancé, Damian, was very close to Prince Orcus, so perhaps there were personal feelings involved. Rebecca could feel that the emotions in Elena’s eyes when she looked at Orcus were not that different from when she looked at herself.

“I’ll go first, then.”

Perhaps steeled by Elena’s presence, there was no hint of playfulness in Orcus’s voice as before. Following his previous declaration, he initiated the first move.

With a mere flick of his hand, he manipulated mana to conjure a storm of flames that filled the training ground. Even from a distance, the heat radiating from the flickering flames was intense.

Though everyone was captivated by the fire, Orcus’s expression was not one of triumph. Since Elena hadn’t been sent flying out of the training area, it was proof that she was still standing firm. It didn’t take long for this fact to become apparent to everyone.

Thud—

A light sound echoed throughout the training area. Despite the surrounding chaos, the sound was clearly heard by all, as if imbued with mana.

As that sound rang out, an immense wave of magical energy surged forth from the center of the storm. The fiery whirlpool was quickly overpowered and diminished before everyone’s eyes. The only evidence that such magic had occurred was the faint embers flickering on the training ground floor.

In the center of the storm stood Elena, proudly and elegantly alone.

Without casting any elaborate spell, Elena quickly adopted a stance one might expect of a knight. As everyone wondered what she was planning, her refined form suddenly vanished. Even with enhanced vision from her magic, they all missed her movement, and Elena appeared before Orcus in an instant.

Orcus, however, remained unflustered and instantly unleashed the spell he had prepared in his hands.

He had previously conjured arrows of fire hovering above his head long before Elena dispersed the storm. Just as she appeared right before him, he released a laser intensified by high-temperature energy from his hands.

The area where the laser struck began to melt, displaying its powerful potency, but as long as it didn’t connect, that was all that mattered.

Elena swiftly deflected Orcus’s hand with her agile martial arts, redirecting the path of light. Not content with just that, the arrows of flame rained down on her, but she was also a magician.

“「Reflect」”

Space warped only within the confines where Elena and Orcus stood. The flames couldn’t penetrate the distortion and instead crashed harmlessly to the ground. All that Orcus had prepared was nullified. At this moment, he instinctively sensed his defeat.

Even if he tried to do something else, he wouldn’t be able to prepare any attacks before Elena’s onslaught would hit him. So as he began to raise his hands in surrender, eluding her strikes…

“I lost…”

“「Strength」, 「Acceleration」”

“Huh? Wait, did I just say I lost… AHHH!!!”

Elena’s fist, now enhanced by magical fortification, struck Orcus down.

The sound of the punch echoed across the training ground. His surrender went unheard amidst the overwhelming noise. It was only when Orcus fainted and was transported out that Elena’s punches finally ceased. Having thrown herself into the fray, she appeared relieved, yet given the situation, there was no one around to admire her expression.

Rebecca resigned herself to her fate with a dull acceptance.

*

“Elena, you’re amazing! Why did you ever become a magician?!”

“Even if she reinforced herself with magic, that agility is no joke. Does the Kraus family have a tradition of training their fiancés?”

“I don’t know. Don’t ask…”

 

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