The Open Tournament was a far cry from the first-year tournament.
Not only were the majority of the participants from the Royal or Orbis Classes, but there were no participants with skills that could be ignored even if they were from the general classes.
First of all, all the participants who advanced to the finals had awakened their Magic Body Strengthening.
It’s a fact that many couldn’t awaken their Magic Body Strengthening until they graduated, but it also meant that there are those who have awakened it.
This is the tournament that determines the strongest in Temple, so it’s only natural to have Magic Body Strengthening as a basic requirement.
There may have been some planning done to ensure that the strong candidates for the championship do not end up in the same brackets and get knocked out in the preliminaries.
Watching the group A match, I could see the strange senior girl who spoke to me in front of the dormitory earlier.
“Here comes Lydia Schmidt, a 6th-year from the Royal class!”
She was also a tournament participant.
She seemed to have been a strong candidate for the championship before Olivia’s entry into the tournament was confirmed.
Was it because she was conscious of her competitors? Without Olivia’s participation, her victory was almost certain, so did she harbor resentment about the fact that her chances of winning had become slimmer with Olivia’s sudden participation?
Olivia was a year behind, so she should originally be in the 6th year.
That means Olivia and Lydia Schmidt must have spent a long time at Temple together.
But even though Olivia had been doing strange things lately, I don’t think Olivia would have a bad relationship with anyone.
Royal Class 6th year, B-2, Lydia Schmidt.
Whatever that person was thinking, what was important was that her skills were incredible.
I felt it when we shook hands, but it was even more apparent when I saw it with my own eyes.
“…It’s incredible.”
“That’s right.”
Ellen and I couldn’t help but say that after watching Lydia Schmidt’s final set.
Paladin, a monster who uses both divine power and Magic Body Strengthening at the same time.
Seeing how she won her match so effortlessly and left the arena, the next competitors to step onto the field could only have been contenders with exceptional skill, regardless of whether they emerged victorious or defeated.
I didn’t think I got carried away just because I won the championship of the first year tournament. But seeing the skills of the seniors made it clear that I didn’t have anything to show. In the end, even though I managed to get first place in the grade level tournament, I realized that I had a long way to go.
I don’t know about Ellen, but I’m still far away.
The audience was also excited to see the students hitting each other wildly with Magic Body Strengthening.
Charlotte seemed uninterested in such things, but she was listening attentively to Saviolin Turner’s commentary next to her.
Listening to it while next to her was quite helpful.
It was quite helpful to hear her commentary, like who’s going to win this set, or why they’re acting the way they are in this situation, or whether it’s already a foregone conclusion. Most of what Saviolin Turner said was correct.
Of course, there were those who had absolutely no interest in the matches.
“Adelia, wake me up when it’s Harriet’s turn.”
“Huh? Oh… yeah.”
Liana who was sitting next to Adelia and laid down on her lap.
Me-Ellen-Liana-Adelia
Since we were sitting in this order, when she rested her head on Adelia’s lap, she put her legs over Ellen’s thigh.
Ellen just ignored it as if it didn’t matter, but I couldn’t sit still.
“You’re wearing a skirt. Don’t mess around.”
“I’m wearing shorts, so it doesn’t matter.”
Liana laid down without a care, and tried to reach for her skirt hem.
W, what the hell!
-Smack!
“Ow!”
“….”
But when she tried to do that, Ellen, who had been sitting quietly, smacked Liana’s thigh with a sharp sound.
“Hold still.”
“Uh, yeah…”
Ellen stared at Liana, and Liana nodded, lying still with a dazed expression on her face.
Ellen held onto the hem of Liana’s skirt as if she was afraid that Liana was going to do something stupid.
-Clang! Crack!
Even as they spoke, two students using Magic Body Strengthening were violently trading blows.
It wasn’t difficult to follow with the eyes, but it seemed like a fight between monsters where I wasn’t sure I could win if I was the one facing them.
Now, Harriet had to face those guys.
How the hell was she supposed to take on a bunch of kids not even I was confident in beating?
Ugh….
You can do it, right?
I feel like I’m going crazy because I’m so anxious!
If you lose, you’re going to mentally break down and suffer, aren’t you?
-Tap tap tap tap
“Stop shaking your leg.”
Ellen finally said to me.
But I still don’t know what to do about my anxiety.
-Haah….
From somewhere came a sound of a person sighing deeply, much like I just did.
It wasn’t the sigh that made me suddenly focus.
While the sigh was similar to mine, the voice that said it was….
It felt familiar.
-Honey, stop it.
-You’re not even anxious?
-I’m sure our baby will figure it out.
The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Saint-Owan were sitting next to each other.
Come to think of it, it’s not that unusual for the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Saint-Owan to come to Temple during the festival. Heck, Harriet was even competing in the Open Tournament, so it was only natural that they’d come to watch.
We weren’t seated very close, so I don’t think the Grand Duke recognized me.
But it was clear that he and I were both thinking the same thing.
Since I was acting the same as him, I guess I deserved to be criticized by those around me for being a bit too crazy.
This… But….
Should I go and say hello?
Although the misunderstanding from last time seems to have been resolved.
My friend’s parents came all the way here and it’s not like I didn’t see them, so wouldn’t it be strange, if I didn’t come up and greeted them?
But was it really necessary to go and say hello?
What should I do?
Let’s think about it after this is over.
Anyway, it’s somewhat comforting to have a comrade who shared the same anxiety.
The third match of Group C of the main round of the Open Tournament.
That was Harriet’s first match.
-The only competitor from the first years, and at the same time, the only magic major competitor in this tournament! Royal Class First Year A-4, Harriet de Saint-Owan!
Harriet, who was wearing long-sleeved clothes that looked comfortable for strenuous work rather than a school uniform, stood still.
A first-year student, and a magic major at that.
Even people who weren’t knowledgeable knew that Harriet was at a disadvantage.
Of course, the Royal Class 1st Year students, including Liana, were now sitting up and looking down at the stadium.
The opponent was Aissa Shelkin, a 4th-year student from the Eleanor Class.
I don’t know who she was, but like all the other Open Tournament participants, she should be able to use Magic Body Strengthening.
Although she was introduced as a general class student, there was a possibility that she transferred from the Orbis class.
Her weapon of choice is a sword.
Harriet, being a magic major, was unarmed.
The Open Tournament used a best-of-five format for the first sixteen rounds.
Harriet’s expression was tense. It would be her first time fighting someone in front of so many people.
I hope she doesn’t miscast.
After a brief introduction by the host, the first set began.
What kind of appearance will Harriet show? I enhanced both my eyesight and my hearing to get a better understanding of the situation.
Aissa Shelkin silently stared at Harriet.
-I don’t know how a magic major, even a first year, made it to the finals, but….
The fourth-year silently stared at Harriet with a drawn sword.
-If you were just lucky, that’s over now, junior.
Harriet didn’t say anything in response.
In the end, the key to subduing a magic major student was to act quickly.
Don’t give them a chance to cast. Aissa Shelkin’s body was surrounded by a faint blue light.
Magic Body Strengthening.
-Thud!
At the same time, an instantaneous charge. Aissa Shelkin’s body moved toward Harriet like the wind.
Harriet stretched out her hand as she watched the charge.
-Crack!
Aissa Shelkin’s charge was blocked by a blue barrier that spread from Harriet’s hand.
It seems to be a protection-type magic. So far, so good. Did she pre-cast it?
But protective magic could not be maintained indefinitely.
Aissa Shelkin seems to know this as she started a series of blows directed at the protective magic that Harriet had put up.
-Thud! Crack! Clang!
A sharp blow imbued with magic Body Strengthening. Defense alone won’t cut it.
The power of the protection magic seemed to have reached its limit, and the blue light was gradually fading.
We all watched in silence as the scene unfolded. Saviolin Turner seemed to be watching the situation, indicating that she wouldn’t make any hasty judgments.
-Crack!
With a strike from Aissa Shelkin, the protection disappears, and she takes advantage of the opening to stab her sword once again.
Was the next protection not ready yet?
At that moment I was wondering if Harriet had allowed it..
-Shing!
Harriet’s body disappeared.
-Woah!
In that instant, Aissa Shelkin swung into thin air, completely missing her target..
She couldn’t see Harriet, but the audience could.
On the other side of the arena, Harriet appeared.
Short-range teleportation magic, Blink.
“It’s the first magic spell that a battle mage must master.”
Saviolin Turner’s words were short, as Aissa Shelkin turned her gaze toward Harriet, and then closed the distance in an instant.
-Flash!
The blue light from Harriet’s right hand struck Aissa Shelkin’s body.
-Gasp!
But,
Whether it was due to the protective power of her Magic Body Strengthening, or her ample magic resistance training, Aissa Shelkin flinched but didn’t fall down.
However, one cannot easily recover from the shock of being struck by lightning.
For that brief moment.
-Krrrk!
A searing ball of flame appeared above Harriet’s right shoulder. The fireball shot toward Aissa Shelkin almost as terrifyingly fast as it was cast.
-Boom!
Before the explosions of the fireball subsided, I witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Just before the fireball would hit its target, another fireball had already been cast and fired from Harriet’s left side.
-Boom!
Another fireball was shot towards Aissa Shelkin, who was once again caught in the crossfire of explosions.
Strange.
Saviolin Turner narrowed her eyes at the sight.
“Her casting speed… is very fast.”
The people could tell that Harriet’s casting speed was very fast.
Without giving Aissa Shelkin a chance to escape, Harriet fired three fireballs in a row at her.
It was enough.
The third fireball struck, and with the glow of the recall artifact, Aissa Shelkin was summoned back.
-First set! First-year Harriet de Saint-Owan wins!
What the hell happened?
What did she do?
Harriet found me among the countless spectators, as if she already knew where I was, and gazed at me.
I could imagine her voice from the look she sent me.
‘Did you see?’
I don’t know what the hell she’s been doing all this time.
I could only tell that the person with extraordinary talent had started to do ridiculous things.
-Wow!
And the audience, enthralled by the destructive power and splendor of magic itself, roared.
I’m not sure what she did, but I’m definitely no match for her now.
I smiled at Harriet.
The mouse was worried about the cat.
But, well, I didn’t feel too bad.
-What did I tell you? I thought I told you she’d be fine?
-Yes, of course I knew it would end like this.
-….
The Grand Duke of Saint-Owan had changed his tune.
Please report to us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!