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As the time for the Academy entrance exam drew near, the attention of the entire continent focused on it.

And this year, interest in the Academy was especially heightened.

Rumors circulated that renowned talents, already famous even before entering the Academy, would be enrolling in droves.

Among them, the Golden Generation with titles such as the Frost Bloom of the North, the Blazing Flame of the South, the Thorned Blood Princess of the East, and the Shining Star of the Magic Tower particularly caught the eye.

(Although Stella despised these corny nicknames.)

Right before my eyes, two of them were emitting tremendous pressure against each other.

“It’s you again? Isn’t it about time I got bored of this?”

“What are you talking about? It’s only 4 wins and 8 losses. I have no intentions of giving up this match until I come out on top.”

[Status Window]

Name: Scarlet Ragenpender (Lv.19)

Power: B+

Speed: B-

Endurance: A-

Magic Power: A

Intelligence: B

Sure enough, as a member of the Three Great Clans, her stats were quite impressive.

‘The only thing I surpass her in is speed, huh?’

Flames swirled in her hand, and the shape of a spear manifested—just like the famous Ragenpender family known for their spear techniques, her stance was flawless.

“Draw your sword, Gruwein.”

Siel reluctantly took out her rapier and pointed it at Scarlet.

“I’m not in the mood to play your games at the Academy. Let’s end this here and now.”

Siel Gruwein (Lv.24)

Power: A-

Speed: B+

Endurance: C+

Magic Power: A+

Intelligence: S

Her stats were also quite remarkable—she surpassed me in everything except endurance.

Indeed, she was worthy of the title of the strongest among the Three Great Clans.

While Scarlet was enveloped in flames, Siel merely aimed her rapier without unleashing her abilities.

“Are you underestimating me?”

Possibly angered by this fact, veins bulged on Scarlet’s forehead.

“It’s not like you’re a child, I don’t need to use my abilities on you.”

“You’re still as annoying as ever. Don’t regret it later.”

As Scarlet twirled her spear, her red hair whipped dramatically in the wind.

Flames began to dance in sync with the trajectory of her spear.

In the next moment, Scarlet closed the distance in an instant, her strike was anything but a simple joke aimed for her opponent’s neck.

Clang!

Yet, Siel remained unfazed as she deflected the Flame Spear with her thin rapier and swiftly launched five, no, seven piercing strikes against Scarlet’s body without mercy.

Thud thud thud!

“Ugh!”

To break the flow of the attack, Scarlet swung her spear with great force.

Whoosh!

Siel leaped into the air to evade her attack.

“Yeah, I figured you’d respond that way.”

Numerous small fireballs began to form behind Scarlet.

“Pyroblast!”

Foooom!

Nine fiery orbs surged toward Siel.

A Tier 3 spell, Pyroblast was an evolved form of the Tier 2 Fire Ball—a technique that truly launched nine fireballs in all directions.

With no way to dodge, Scarlet seemed assured of victory.

Magic Shield!

However, the projectiles were effortlessly blocked by Siel’s shield.

“What?!”

In the next moment, Siel used the created shield as a springboard to leap towards Scarlet.

Swish!

The rapier sliced through the air menacingly.

Scarlet hastily took a defensive stance with her spear.

Clang!!

The descending rapier carried an immense power, driving down despite its lightness.

Swish!

The spear couldn’t withstand the weight of the rapier and fell, resulting in a thin cut on Scarlet’s shoulder.

“That should be enough… It’s my victory.”

Siel sheathed her sword and turned away.

Scarlet, as if in a trance, stared blankly and softly muttered.

“…Not yet…”

In that instant, a surge of crimson energy erupted from Scarlet’s body, a different level of flames than before.

Kiiiiiing!

As her eyes transformed into scarlet orbs, the flame spear blazed even stronger.

“…Are you out of your mind? You’d use your unique ability here?”

Siel, who had maintained an emotionless facade, expressed surprise for the first time.

“This is getting dangerous.”

Copyable Target

1. Wind Cutter (Original: Stella)

…

12. Icicle Road (Original: Amelia) > Use

With a whoosh, a thick ice wall, about three meters tall, rose between Siel and Scarlet.

“?”

Both were taken aback by the sudden turn of events.

“Isn’t it time to call it quits? The Academy entrance ceremony is about to begin.”

Scarlet replied, clearly frustrated.

“What’s your deal? Do you know who I am to interrupt here? How dare you act so high and mighty!”

“If you think this is too strange, should I inform the faculty? Duel with real swords in a place that’s not the sparring hall is against the rules, you know?”

“…”

“…Tch.”

Scarlet sheathed her spear, clearly dismayed.

Siel kept a poker face but didn’t avert her gaze from me.

“State your name.”

“Me? Nova.”

“…I’ll remember this matter, Nova.”

With that, Scarlet left the scene.

“…No need to thank me too much; I’ve got to go now.”

“The spell you just used…”

Feigning to depart, Siel called out to me.

“Was that Icicle Road?”

“Yeah.”

The Tier 4 spell, Icicle Road, combined with water and wind magic, is a highly advanced spell that can typically be used starting from Tier 3 magic.

Given the Gruwein clan’s expertise in ice magic, they couldn’t possibly overlook such a spell.

Gain Siel’s interest (Clear: Check rewards yes/no).

To think I could use such a cheat spell, it’s fortunate that I met the exam supervisor.

Given its powerful nature, that one strike consumed all my magic power.

I really need to boost my true magic specs.

At this rate, it’s almost like…

“What’s your origin?”

“I’m from Haren Village.”

“Haren Village… That’s definitely the adventurer city near our territory.”

Given that Stella and I are from the North, you could say she’s like the daughter of our region’s village head.

“Would you like to be my knight?”

Accepting here would mark the beginning of Siel’s route.

But of course, I had no intention of accepting at all.

“No, it’s an honor, but I’ll decline. Uh, I refuse?”

“…Respectful language, now?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Forget it; I don’t like stiff formalities anyway. Regardless, thanks for helping me out. I’ll definitely repay this debt, including the bread you bought earlier.”

“It’s really not necessary.”

Having achieved my objective, as I was about to leave, Siel spoke to me again.

“Where are you going? That way isn’t toward the entrance ceremony, you know?”

Indeed, it was almost time for the entrance ceremony to begin.

However, right now, something more important than that awaited.

“Oh, just going to take care of something.”

It was time to visit our princess, after all.

*

Originally, the full-fledged beginning of Eternal Fantasy would start at the Academy entrance ceremony.

A cliché of clichés, the entrance ceremony would unexpectedly be interrupted by a monster attack right after the principal’s speech.

The monsters that appeared wouldn’t be a couple, so I could easily handle them without needing to step in.

The more important point was that the monsters attacking during the ceremony were a ruse— the true threat would emerge outside.

A legion of monsters would begin to invade through the southern, western, and eastern gates of the Academy.

However, these monstrous swarms would never be encountered in the game’s original storyline.

Because before things could escalate, Stella would take care of everything.

In the original, Stella did not appear as an Academy student but rather as an instructor, which made her infrequent appearances in the game but she would always do her utmost to eliminate threats from the shadows.

“I know it won’t be dangerous, but I can’t just leave her alone.”

Most people would likely be oblivious to the monster attack due to the magic circle set up during the entrance ceremony.

I hurriedly dashed toward the Academy gates.

*

Amidst the gathering crowd at the Academy entrance ceremony, I thought surely I’d find her, but no matter how much I searched, she was nowhere to be seen.

“Where the heck are you… Nova…”

After the tedious principal’s speech concluded, the announcement for the top entrance student began.

“Now, I’ll announce this year’s top student: Stella.”

“…Oh, okay!”

“Is she that Stella? She’s small, but she has an attractive figure.”

“That one, the youngest sixth-tier mage, right?”

“Wow… She’s really pretty.”

“Get real! Our worlds are different.”

I wasn’t particularly fond of the attention drawn to me, but I should have played it safe during the entrance exam.

I felt bad for no reason about having inflicted a trauma on the supervisor by using my top scores as a way to express my anger…

“During the exam, this student achieved outstanding results…”

Suddenly, a strange tremor reverberated from beneath the ground just as the award certificate was about to be presented.

Kukuku…

“Uh, what’s that? An earthquake?”

Then came an enormous roar as a massive centipede erupted from the ground below.

“AAAH!”

“What the hell?! What is that?!”

In an instant, the entrance ceremony turned into chaos.

As the centipede charged toward the frightened students, it met a sudden end with a silvery beam from my direction.

“…”

All eyes turned toward the entrance stage where the beam had come from.

‘…Nova, where the heck are you?!’

 

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