Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 17 - Chapter 96

Ninety-Sixth Chapter: A Cold Spark

The first day at the Fable mansion had been unexpectedly busy, but Alus made sure to get a good rest. Naturally, he’d looked into the Tenbram, but he knew from his experience on the battlefield that it was best not to push it too far.

As he didn’t like being in places that mentally drained him, and since he liked to do things at his own pace, he had declined dinner. But he did eat breakfast the next day, at which he sat next to Loki, and they were brought quite a luxurious menu.

“Even the breakfast is delicious! The bread is fluffy and the juice and eggs were all made today, and the salad makes the most of the flavors of the ingredients,” said Loki.

“Hmm? Well, I’m fine with whatever,” said Alus.

Loki glanced at Alus, who had no real comparison to speak of for the food, and grabbed another slice of baguette.

“It doesn’t taste bad, right?” she asked.

“I guess not...”

Unlike Alus, who acted like he was indifferent to everything, Loki happily spread colorful jam on the bread and took a bite.

“Mm, everything is perfect, starting with the ingredients. I should ask the Fable family’s chef about the recipe,” Loki muttered to herself after finishing her bread. With a satisfied smile, she appeased her thirst with tea. “Phew, even the tea is first-class. What an amazing reception. The Fable family is not to be underestimated.”

“Hmm, yeah, it certainly makes you forget that it’s a weekday,” said Alus.

“Sir Alus, I will just pretend that you didn’t make it sound like you live with a regular daily routine.”

“You can’t pretend you didn’t hear it if you’re saying so?”

After their breakfast and casual conversation, they had returned to their room to train when Tesfia came over in place of a maid.

She was wearing an easy-to-move-in outfit similar to what the Institute had. However, as expected from the Fable family, it was clearly luxurious. The material was high quality, and while simple, the design was elegant and stylish. It was a highly functional training outfit made for Magicmasters.

Yet despite the luxurious outfit, Tesfia looked worn out. She had spent the night memorizing the rules. “Good morning Al, Loki,” she said. “Were you able to sleep yesterday? The training starts right away today... Not everyone’s here, but those who are have gathered already.”

She anxiously glanced at Alus out of concern for his misanthropic side.

It’s a bit late for that, he thought.

Alus wasn’t in high spirits, but he had no intention of turning back nor to particularly complain. Loki was quietly watching with a meek expression, and she probably also had some thoughts on the matter.

She also seemed to be paying attention to the strength of the Fable branch families’ children yesterday, thought Alus.

While not to Alus’s degree, Loki was rather passionate about strong magic.

This might even be something to look forward to. But most of all, this will be the first training for the Tenbram with the latest magic technology. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a good grasp of the rules, and I’ve got an image of how it will play out.

How would his simulation differ from reality? And even excluding that, Alus did find it rather interesting. Just how would this contest, which used the latest in magic technology regardless of expense, turn out?

Tesfia led Alus and Loki to the Fable mansion’s backyard, which was beyond imagination.

“How big are the Fable family grounds? I can’t even see the borders,” said Alus.

Tesfia nodded in a direction. “I don’t know, but if you go to the edge, there should be small boundary towers. But it’ll be a pain to come back if you go that far. Honestly, I’m not sure what we can do with all this space.”

I couldn’t tell from the front, but this is probably as large as the Institute. A part of the area is basically just a forest... thought Alus.

Not only did it have a sports ground and a full-fledged training grounds, it also had a storage facility for training equipment. It even had an athletics course with obstacles based on the Outer World. It had everything a noble might need to train.

“If they filled all of it with wheat fields they could feed a whole city. Ah, that must be our destination,” said Loki as she pointed to a certain location.

There was a group of people gathered at the far end of the sports ground. Maids were serving drinks to nobles, some in formal wear and some in the same training outfit as Tesfia.

It appeared that they were all waiting for Alus and the others. Frose had arrived ahead of them, and the nobles were taking turns chatting with her.

I guess she’s greeting them in place of their parents. Good work out there, thought Alus.

As Tesfia arrived with Alus and Loki in tow, the looks from the branch families were blatant. They were clearly appraising the two people that the next head of the family had brought with her.

Half of them look like they’re wondering why people outside of the family are here. I’d expected as much but they really don’t look welcoming.

Alus sighed and shrugged.

Frose clapped her hands and as attention gathered on her, she indicated Alus with a smile. “Now that we’re all gathered it is time for introductions. This is Mr. Alus, who will be cooperating with us for the Tenbram. He is the Fable family’s guest of honor and my daughter’s classmate. In other words, he is still a student, but I can guarantee his ability. And this is Ms. Loki...”

A recommendation from the head of the family herself was rather effective. The way they looked at Alus and Loki clearly changed after Frose’s introduction. Instead of suspicion they now offered favorable, welcoming looks.

Tesfia whispered into Alus’s ear, “See, my mother introduced you right away, Al. And she even shared that she invited you herself. In places like this, the order of introduction shows the head of the family’s goodwill.”

That helped Alus understand, but he did manage to hold back any sarcastic remarks. He didn’t have any particular complaints, but it was a blatant flip-flop, very much in the manner of politically astute nobles.

After a brief “nice to meet you” everyone reached out to shake hands. Among them were some who were quite well-informed, referring to Alus setting the record for the fastest victory in the Friendship Magical Tournament.

Top secret information on ranking seems to be getting sold cheaply as of late, considering even escaped criminals tried to assassinate me, but it seems they don’t know that much, thought Alus.

Fortunately, the branch family men seemed more aware of Loki’s records than his. But that was only natural since Loki had taken over for Alus, who’d retired partway through and displayed amazing prowess for a first-year student in the Friendship Magical Tournament.

Regardless, the atmosphere changed considerably thanks to Frose’s introduction.

Alus and Loki were able to feel quite a bit more comfortable.

Frose then went on to explain today’s training for the Orb Struggle in a dignified manner.

I figured that it would just be to get a good grasp of the flow, but it seems that we’re going to get much deeper into it. That must explain these numbers.

The headcount was the same as what there would be in the real match. However, the gathered members appeared somewhat unreliable.

Among them was one as old as Berwick. Living the comfortable life of nobility, he had thin hair and a protruding belly that made it seem like he wouldn’t be able to move with any high degree of agility.

Fortunately, most were in their twenties or thirties.

As if reading Alus’s thoughts, Frose smiled. “Naturally, not everyone here will be participating. We will judge your aptitude now and choose the members for the Tenbram.”

Ah, so this old man is just a candidate. But then...

Alus was relieved, but at the same time a different doubt entered his mind.

Are they picking participants based on more than just stamina and magic ability...? So the game has a different strategy.

Alus’s prediction was wise. Among those gathered were those who had retired from the military and even some that hadn’t been in the Outer World.

But Tenbram wasn’t a fight against Fiends. Since it was against people, as well as tactics between groups, not even Frose would be able to immediately discern who would be best suited for the Tenbram. Alus was naturally a sure pick, but there was more leeway for choosing the other members.

So her first instructions were simple. “First you will be fighting in groups. You will split into two teams and clash. From Fable’s side, Tesfia and Mr. Alus will be one group. And from the branch families, Theresia Verdale and Roderich Hanbroden...”

Those who were called lined up and were introduced. Theresia Verdale was the girl that Alus and Loki had seen yesterday who looked a lot like Tesfia. She was slightly taller than Tesfia, her eyes slightly more slanted with bangs split down the middle. And hanging down from her ears sticking out of her hair were earrings with tassels that drew one’s attention.

Next was the Hanbroden family’s eldest, Roderich. He had reddish-brown hair that reached down to his shoulders, and he was slim and tall. He was eighteen years old, but he wasn’t naive like a student nor was he as stern as a soldier. But considering that he could use two attributes, he had extraordinary talent.

More participants were introduced, but the last one would simply observe instead of participating. Alus and Loki recognized him as well; it was the child from the group they’d seen yesterday. He was a twelve-year-old boy, but because of his androgynous features, Alus wasn’t able to tell if he was a boy or a girl until Tesfia told him.

But as expected of a noble, he had elegant posture and politely bowed at his introduction.

“That boy is Lucille Cleraban. He is a pretty distant relative. Looking at their lineage, it’s rough for them to continue to be considered a branch family,” Tesfia said sympathetically and cast a downward glance.

For a branch family to maintain its noble status, there were some restrictions. Either they had to produce strong Magicmasters or somebody in the family needed an important post in the military. There was a limit to how much the Fable family could use their connections and support.

Seemingly unfazed by Tesfia’s attitude, the innocent boy ran up to her. “Hello Big Sister. It’s been a while.”

“Have you been doing well, Lucille?” asked Tesfia.

“Big Sister?!” Alus and Loki said in surprise, and Tesfia glared at them.

Considering how Alice and the maids were taking care of her on a daily basis, it was hard to imagine, but she was technically the daughter of a noble family, so it wasn’t strange for relatives to call her that.

As the two were astonished, having momentarily forgotten that, Lucille just looked up at Tesfia with an innocent smile. That was when new figures approached.

“Pardon my late greeting, Lady Tesfia.” The tall Roderich held his hand against his chest and bowed.

Theresia next to him was just as courteous. “Unworthy as I might be, I have come to assist the main family in its moment of need,” she said.

At first glance, she seemed to be polite and loyal, but the moment her face was lowered, she bit down on her lip.

“Yes, thank you. It’s a pleasure.” Whether she noticed that or not, Tesfia gave them both a bright smile. Theresia smiled in return and then looked to Alus and Loki.

“The head of the family introduced us earlier, but since we’re here, why not do it again...” said Theresia.

“Indeed. Why not have Lady Tesfia introduce these two?” asked Roderich.

“Right, this is Alus and Loki from the same year in the Institute,” said Tesfia.

Since it was the second time, Tesfia kept the introduction brief. Theresia gave a somewhat scornful look, but Roderich kept an elegant smile on his face and held his hand out.

“Alus, is it? I heard rumors that you and Loki over there had a spectacular showing at the Friendship Magical Tournament. I may be older than you, but feel free to talk to me without reservation.”

It was hard to imagine that he had underlying motives. Contrary to expectations, he was quite friendly, but it seemed like he didn’t know about Alus’s rank. Alus was just glad that his secret was still safe. If not, he wouldn’t have the time to casually participate in a Tenbram.

That aside, while he didn’t particularly want to get close to him, he noticed that Roderich was nicer than he’d expected. Since it’d be strange for him to be rude on their first meeting, Alus shook his hand.

Next, Lucille tried to walk up to Alus with a charming smile. “Learn your place, Lucille! You are from the lowest branch family,” she said, harshly shutting him down.

It seemed she wanted to talk to Alus after Roderich. Lucille’s shoulders trembled and he looked between Alus and Theresia and was unable to move.

Alus furrowed his brow and was just about to open his mouth, but Tesfia pulled at his sleeve as she gently reproached Lucille. “Lucille, you shouldn’t disrespect your superiors. If you act thoughtlessly, you would hurt not just the Fable name but also the Cleraban family.”

Tesfia acted so much like a noble lady that she even impressed Alus and Loki. They wanted to say “look who’s talking,” but this wasn’t the place for that.

“Excuse me, Big Sister. I’m sorry, Sister Theresia,” Lucille apologized to Tesfia and Theresia.

After telling him “As long as you understand.” Theresia stood before Alus. “I am Theresia Verdale. It is a pleasure to meet you. Now then, the two of you appear to be Lady Tesfia’s friends and rather skilled. But this advice is for your own benefit. You should pull out of this before you embarrass yourselves in front of Womruina. This is the Fable family’s problem.”

There was clear hostility and disdain in her voice that she had no more intention of hiding.

For a moment, the atmosphere froze. Tesfia was aghast, but before she could mediate, Alus fearlessly faced the new girl.

“Sorry, but I have my own circumstances. That’s not going to happen. I may be stuck with Fia, but I do look after her. Besides, I can’t refuse a request from the head of the family.”

Theresia looked a little surprised. At best, she’d figured that they were just a group of friends at the Institute. And she’d certainly not expected that Frose would have asked him to come.

Revealing that he was rank 1 would have removed all of her (or anyone else’s) doubts, but then he’d have even more to explain. And he certainly couldn’t reveal that his affiliation depended on the outcome. That was confidential.

“I see. So Lady Frose requested you herself? Then I could understand that you are useful. But if you’re going to participate in Tenbram, some average abilities would just get in the way. So like I said, this is for your own good, but you really should just leave this to us,” Theresia rudely said.

Even Alus couldn’t conceal his displeasure and he made a bit of a face. She might have been ignorant, but to think a Single like him would be treated as a hindrance.

Tesfia started panicking, and Loki stepped forward in her place. She stared Theresia down with a sharp glare and firmly declared, “That’s none of your business. That display at the Friendship Magical Tournament was just a fragment of Sir Alus’s...I mean Al’s and my strength. Ms. Theresia, was it? From what I can tell, you are merely dabbling in the ice attribute. So let me say this for your own benefit.” Loki gave her a wicked grin. “You should hold off on participating, before you hold Al back.”

This time, Theresia’s face twisted.

“Wh-What are you...?! You’re a mere guest! But if you’re going to talk big, you better back it up with ability. I will talk with the head of the family, so you should join the training too. I’ll wait on your formal apology until then.”

“You won’t be hearing it regardless,” said Loki.

“Hmph. You’re trampling on my kindness; you’d better be prepared to apologize later.”

With that, Theresia gave Loki one final spiteful glare and left.

At that point, Roderich came over to Alus and Loki with a wry smile. “I’m sorry. Theresia was rude to you. But branch families have their own pride and impatience...although it’s all because of the adults pressuring us for their own convenience. Then if you excuse me, Lady Tesfia. It seems that Lady Frose will be giving command soon.”

After a polite bow, Roderich left to follow Theresia. But for some reason Lucille remained and stared at their backs.

“Are you sure you shouldn’t go too Lucille?” Tesfia gently asked the boy, relieved that things hadn’t gone worse.

“I won’t be participating so it doesn’t matter where I am, right?”

It seemed Lucille wanted to be at Tesfia’s side.

“Yes, but you can’t get in the way,” said Tesfia.

“Okay. I will be watching from afar, so do your best!” the boy said.

“Of course.”

His innocent words helped release the tension in Tesfia’s shoulders and she smiled back at him.

After that, the bracelets were handed out to the participants, and they were split into groups. The first group battle wasn’t simply just splitting them up between main family and branch families, but rather they were mixed to try out combinations.

Tesfia and Theresia ended up on the same team. On the other side was Roderich, as well as Loki, who Theresia had managed to get permission for.

Meanwhile, Alus was on Tesfia and Theresia’s side, but he was intending to just watch. While Tesfia’s participation was set in stone as the general, Alus was set to participate according to Frose’s wishes.

Moreover, he couldn’t use his full powers due to his position, and since Orb Struggle was a new type of competition, he still didn’t have a full grasp of the flow and essence of the game.

It was necessary to gather information on both sides, and if necessary give his opinion on the selection of participants.

And so the training began in the more wooded section of the Fable mansion backyard. Frose watched from a hastily made hill, but Selva was facilitating things.

He had both teams enter their own areas, and once the two orbs were set in their respective places, he began the match.

It was a blind start without any plan in place. Even the damage transfer system had been hurriedly powered up by Alus and forcibly linked to the bracelets. It wasn’t as large-scale as what the Institute had, but with the mana batteries the Fable family had, it should be able to operate for a day.

Ascertaining the situation and taking charge was Tesfia, but...

“So, what do we do?” she asked.

Alus called out to calm down the flustered girl, “Start by using the orb’s summoning magic. Who should do it first?”

The summoning used in Orb Struggle wasn’t the typical combat summons but an artificial one. By having a member pour mana into the orb, they could use the system within to bring forth a special avatar, a Guardian.

The key to the match was deciding who would be the first to pour mana into the orb and choose an available Guardian. As participants couldn’t directly touch the orb, it would be the orb’s protector and carrier.

They could summon a mobile Guardian to avoid attackers or a sturdy one meant to take their attacks and slow down the enemy. Their strategy would greatly change depending on the Guardian’s characteristics.

Incidentally, stocking up a Guardian required the process of someone loading the magic formula. As they were restricted to advanced-level spells, anyone could do it in practice. However, in the Tenbram, the caster needed a minimum level of affinity. With that in mind, the orb was stocked with a Guardian that specialized in mobility and a Guardian that specialized in defense beforehand for the sake of convenience.

Since Alus could use a varied amount of summoning spells, there was nobody more suited to setting the five Guardians. Naturally, that was Alus’s role this time too. In fact, reading the magic formula for the Guardians was no trouble at all.

However, even Alus rarely had a chance to use summoning spells outside of single magic formulas.

“How about you, Al?” Tesfia asked.

“I could do it too, but it would be better to have other members do it now. There’s a maximum time for how long the Guardian can be summoned, but if they run out of mana before that, that’s a bigger problem,” said Alus.

Tesfia nodded, found someone she was close to among the gathered members, and called out to them. “Lord Bronche, please summon a Guardian. And once the summon expires, please have the defenders summon it in order once the cooldown is over.”

It wasn’t like attackers weren’t able to summon a Guardian, but once the caster was a set distance away from the orb, the summon was automatically undone. Because of that, it was more convenient to have defenders or the general be responsible for summoning.

Minasha’s father, Bronche, nodded with a tense expression and held his trembling hand on top of the orb, pouring mana into it. It faltered early on, but it seemed their opponent wasn’t much different.

“Young lady, I have confirmed the opposing side has summoned their Guardian,” Theresia, who was on the same team, reported.

Far in the distance, they could see a bird-type avatar... If it was an inferior copy of proper summoning magic, it was probably made up of the wind attribute. It looked to have been created through a rough process, as its outline was unstable and would likely only last a few minutes.

Meanwhile, over here, Bronche was exhausted after having summoned a Guardian in the form of a lizard wrapped in fire. It had a resistance to attacks from the fire attribute, but its awkward movements were awful. It was far slower than the enemy’s bird, and if swift attackers focused on it, they would make quick work of it.

In the meantime, the bird took the orb inside of it and flew to the back of the field.

They’re shaping up better than we are. Using a wind attribute-based Guardian to take to the skies is the most efficient means of transport. They’ve chosen to accept the risk of being spotted in order to move their orb away, Alus pondered.

“They’re so enthusiastic about the first battle,” he muttered while quickly moving to the sides.

That was when he caught sight of fluttering silver hair. Loki was part of the enemy team, and she was using Force to launch a quick attack.

So they’re going straight for the biggest threat... It’s an orthodox strategy, but if you’re going after me, bring it on.

Because of the damage-transfer system and the rules, strikes needed to be covered in mana to count as damage. Alus easily dodged Loki’s kick covered in mana and drew Nightmist to deflect the follow-up lightning shot.

The repelled lightning grazed her silver hair, and then Loki disappeared.

“—Protect the orb!”

A stunned Tesfia gave her order, and the defenders gathered to protect the fire lizard that had merged with the orb.

No, Loki uses lightning. Clumping up like that is...!

Alus narrowed his eyes and saw Loki appear in the air, wielding her knife AWR with a smile.

“‹‹Lightning Ray››”

A massive lightning bolt struck down where the members had gathered, and unable to evade, several of them were sent flying. The barrier around them, generated by their bracelets, starting blinking in a vivid red.

Oh, so that removes their HP, and the damage transfer system is functioning without a problem. Alus realized.

The ones sent flying shook their heads or rubbed their temples. They soon returned to their senses and fought back, but Loki used her high speed to disappear like she had before.

Loki is going all out just to win a training battle. But at least I’ve figured something out... Alus thought to himself.

Lightning Ray was a powerful spell, but it was clearly weaker than normal. The damage it had done might have been converted into a number, but it was far weaker than it would have been in reality.

That wasn’t a problem with the damage-transfer system but the bracelet adjusting the power.

The ones who were hit have had their HP reduced, and while they look like it hurt, it wouldn’t have been strange for that one attack to knock them out. Yet, not only do they still have HP left, they were even able to counterattack, which is strange. But if the bracelet adjusted the damage so that this was all it did... Hmm, I’m starting to get it.

Alus nodded to himself and turned towards Tesfia. “That aside, do you know who it was that summoned that bird Guardian? At the very least, it probably wasn’t Loki since she uses the lightning attribute.”

While they had lost the initiative, Tesfia was relieved that it hadn’t been fatal. Having calmed down, she answered thoughtfully. “Yes, I wonder who. But I do think that Roderich is their general...”

So Loki’s preemptive strike is made in order to create chaos that they can use to move their orb away. It’s impossible to determine where it is now. So it’s more advantageous if the participants with affinities are spread out and can use several? Roderich can already use two, not to mention that their general has shown versatility in strategy already. Compared to that, we’re...

Alus aside, their next best, Tesfia and Theresia, could only use the ice attribute. Incidentally, Theresia, who’d been next to the orb, had swiftly read Loki’s intentions while she was in the air and gotten out of range. She was now keeping things under control.

It looks like she has great intuition, thought Alus. At the very least she won’t be holding us back. She might be more suited to be an attacker instead of a defender. Meanwhile, Loki is suited to use her speed to scout out the enemy.

In the next moment Alus shouted, “Fia, it’s about time to call out the next Guardian. Change the summoner!”

And when she looked over in surprise, Alus laid into her. “Don’t you get it? Loki’s moves were meant for scouting. They already know where our orb is.”

The bracelets that everyone wore had a communications function on them. So if the enemy found the orb’s location, they could share it with all of their allies.

“R-Right! We need to always be moving the orb! Lord Bronche—ah.”

When she looked, she found that the summoning spell had already ended and the orb was completely exposed, rolling on the ground.

“I’m sorry, young lady...” said Bronche. “I used magic on reflex to defend against the attack, so the Guardian disappeared.”

Lord Bronche looked apologetic as beads of sweat ran down his forehead. If the enemy attacked now, they could easily get their hands on the Orb.

“I-I see...then hurry and pick up the orb—oh, you can’t, then, uhm...”

Remembering the rule that they couldn’t directly move the Orb, Tesfia was in a panic. Theresia stepped in and ordered a nearby member to hold their hand over the orb. Before long, an earth-attribute hare Guardian appeared, and it rushed into the woods at a high speed.

Seeing that, Tesfia got flustered and was about to give everyone the order to follow the orb, but Theresia intervened once more.

“Young lady, we will be at a disadvantage if we lose the initiative! We should decide on attackers and send them out. They can stop the enemy’s aggression!”

She was clearly exceeding her authority, but at least she was bringing up a suggestion.

“For starters, moving forward should be the top priority,” Alus said. “Let’s have those who are fast go out and prioritize scouting over combat. The enemy’s orb has disappeared deep into the back of the enemy’s side, but they’ll need to change Guardian soon too. If not, one of their members will be running out of mana already, and it would be best to leave the rest to heavily defend the orb.”

Tesfia looked at Alus with a hesitant expression for a moment, but she nodded at his words. However, Theresia furrowed her brow, unhappy that Tesfia had listened to Alus’s advice instead of hers.

“Young lady, you should deploy attackers to either side! The team’s morale will collapse if we stay on the back foot! We should prioritize results...!” she said.

“H-Hmm, uhm...” Tesfia’s confusion reached its peak.

So Alus calmly intervened and firmly declared, “Sorry, Theresia, but I don’t believe you’re seeing the whole picture. Attacking the enemy participants is not seen as a key element of the strategy in this Orb Struggle.”

Alus talked about his view of things after the fight with Loki.

“As proof of that, the damage done to the enemy has been deliberately reduced. While you can eliminate the obstructions, the proper way is to attack the Guardian and steal the orb once it has been neutralized. If you get it, then shut up. Reckless ideas can be useful at times, but it’s pointless to disturb the general’s thoughts.”

“Wha...?!”

Alus ignored the dumbfounded Theresia and raised his voice a little so that the surrounding members could hear.

“Listen up, the point of this practice is to gather information, and winning comes after that. The real battle will be in a league of its own, with special rules. So let’s grasp the general flow of this competition and figure out what’s possible and impossible. You can think about more detailed strategies after that. Got that?!”

“Y-Yeah. Th-That’s right. Then, you, you, and you! Rush into the enemy and gather information! Ah, I almost forgot to call the Guardian back here! We’ll need to change it again soon!”

Alus couldn’t help but want to cradle his head over Tesfia’s impulsive and haphazard command.

Phew, at this rate, she’ll be asking me to do something unreasonable too. But for now, I want to learn the details on this bracelet.

Alus secretly gathered mana in his right hand and used the advanced-level spell Blaze to create a giant fireball. That was within allowed limits and before long a burning ball of fire appeared. However, Alus poured more mana into it and complicated the magical structure.

He tried to push its power to that of an expert-level spell, but...

With a snap, the fireball disappeared.

“I see.”

As Alus nodded to himself, Tesfia looked questioningly at him.

“This bracelet doesn’t put restrictions on the rank of spell but rather on the formula,” he said. “It’s checking the size of the foundation for magic formulas. Going past that will make the bracelet erase that foundation.”

“Okay, okay...and?”

“Don’t you get it? It means this bracelet’s checks are more inflexible than the pigheaded teachers at the Institute. Trying to customize a spell a little will push even an allowed spell past the approved restrictions.”

“R-Right. But won’t some people’s habits when casting spells get in the way? Won’t that make the structure’s complexity go past the limit...?”

“That’s where mana control comes in. You’ll have to push the spell into what’s allowed. However, it’s lucky for those who can’t yet adjust or customize a magic formula in detail. They can just follow the textbook examples. It’s a much more difficult challenge for those who are more talented. Just putting in more mana than necessary can make the spell fail to manifest.”

Next, Alus snapped his fingers.

The hare Guardian returned and disappeared, and Alus put his hand over the orb and skillfully summoned a new Guardian.

Alus had brought forth a water-attribute Daraime Deer. More accurately, it was an inferior copy, an avatar. Water swirled around the Orb before taking on the shape of a giant blue deer with the orb at the base of its neck.

Alus looked in with interest as bubbles rose up from the base of the neck like glasswork channels all the way up to the tip of its three horns and burst open as they touched the air.

“With this much mana, its appearance is very accurately represented. But it seems like even then it’s lost all of its attack capabilities because of the Tenbram. There’s one more thing I want to try...”

While maintaining the Daraime Deer, Alus attempted to construct the Blaze from before.

But this time, problems occurred early on in the process.

Despite paying utmost attention, he couldn’t endure the multitasking. The Blaze disappeared, and at the same time, the Daraime Deer burst into a puddle of water.

The same phenomenon that had happened with Lord Bronche had happened again.

Once a Guardian was summoned, its caster couldn’t use other spells.

“The receiving end of the formula must have rejected it.”

It felt like an uncooperative AWR. Alus stared at the palm of his hand in surprise.

“How long was the cooldown until another Guardian can be summoned after it runs out of mana or disappears due to attacks again?” Alus asked and Tesfia answered.

“Uhm, if it’s simply the link being cut or it runs out of mana, I think it’s around ten seconds. Apparently, it’s instant if the summoner agrees to change it. Although, it can’t be recalled right away if it’s damaged, in order to prevent the Tenbram from going on forever.”

“Good, you remember. But it looks like the summoner will need to stay within ten meters of the orb. Despite that, they can’t attack or even use defensive spells. The summoner will have to constantly attend to it.”

“It sounds like it; hopefully it’s a cute Guardian,” said Tesfia.

“Now’s not the time to say carefree stuff. It’s about time for the attackers you sent out to bring us some results. How does it look?” asked Alus.

“Ah, uhm...aahhh?!” Tesfia was left speechless when she checked her bracelet. “They’re being completely stalled by the enemy with no chance of searching for their orb. They’re surrounded and getting worn down.”

“So you can’t even call them back, huh? Combat might not be a priority, but it’s bad news if they can’t even run away. That’s enough. Let’s just stay on defense and get experience before surrendering and going at it again since it’s practice anyways. We can save scenarios like having the orb stolen or stealing their orb for later, after getting more experience.”

And so the first match ended with Tesfia’s team losing.

After that, Alus stayed as an observer, not really participating as either a scout or in combat.

That said, Loki on the other side had been remarkable. While she wasn’t quite a one-woman army, she was constantly attacking or ambushing, and even when she was scouting she was like a phantom.

She was practically always the first to discover the enemy’s orb. She even rushed back to base in order to defend at times. It truly was a shame that she wouldn’t be able to take part in the main competition. Their abilities might be limited, but Loki was definitely doing the work of multiple people.

Perhaps that was why after the third match of the day, Loki was removed from the practice in the afternoon.

“What a letdown.” Loki pouted in front of Alus.

“Well, you did go too far,” Alus replied in exasperation. “What are the others going to do with the experience gained from abnormal strategies that only you can do? Why do you think I’m not doing much in the matches? I imagine it was a bitter decision for Ms. Frose too. Anyways, with someone like you around it won’t be possible to raise everyone’s abilities.”

“That was shortsighted of me.”

Alus would have loved to console Loki when he saw her shoulders drop, but he had a heap of problems on his plate already. It would have been best if Loki could officially participate, but since that wasn’t an option, he had a lot to think about.

Everyone participating in the Orb Struggle would need to move in a coordinated fashion like soldiers as well as be able to assess the situation on their own. Naturally, in order for that to be useful, they needed to be able to share information and Tesfia had to be able to give quick orders. After every match, there were meetings that got quite heated.

Theresia was typically the spark for these arguments, and since Alus harshly reprimanded her once, she had objected to Tesfia’s poor command multiple times.

“I told you several times, did I not?! Don’t tell me you are trying to lose on purpose. You should have called back the summoner at that moment and brought out a Guardian that can fly!” she was now arguing.

She’s rather skilled, but she’ll be a difficult pawn to use, Alus thought and smiled wryly.

“There’s the chemistry between the members to consider and the composition will be a headache. Was there anyone that would be usable on your end, Loki?”

Alus casually threw a question to Loki, but she shook her head.

“Unfortunately...most of them are no good. They are hopeless,” Loki ruthlessly declared, knowing the Outer World.

“They lack mana, they construct spells too slowly, and they have no variation in spells. Their overall decision-making can’t possibly be trained up to be useful before the Tenbram in two weeks. Even though this was the third match, most people couldn’t control the summoning magic, let alone move properly.”

Loki gave her team a scathing review.

“What about Roderich from the branch family?” asked Alus.

According to Loki, he was leading his team rather well as their general, unlike the flustered Tesfia. That said, he didn’t measure up to Loki’s expectations.

“Ah, him. Unfortunately, he is only all right. Though I only saw him use attack or defensive spells twice,” said Loki.

“I see. But from what I’ve seen, he’s still useful,” said Alus.

There were some things Alus was able to analyze better because he was on the other team. From what he could tell, Roderich wasn’t pushing himself. Alus felt that since Loki had been rushing around on her own, Roderich was letting the other members get experience by trying out various strategies.

“You’re looking at it too much from a military point of view. Fighting Fiends is typically until they die, but that’s not the point with this contest. The key is how to steal the other team’s orb. The Fiends in the Outer World don’t have the concept of protecting a treasure,” said Alus.

“Th-That’s true.” Loki appeared surprised.

Meanwhile, Alus was deep in thought. Roderich would make a good adjutant. I wanted someone who could lead a detached force to make up for Tesfia’s unreliability. Compared with him, Theresia was harder to handle.

Tesfia was emotional, whereas Theresia was rational, so they tended to clash. And while Tesfia could sometimes give out incomprehensible orders, from what Alus had seen, there were times when she’d been correct. She seemed to excel in using her intuition or some form of sixth sense, and that was something Theresia didn’t have.

Simply put, they were a terrible match. Eliminating Theresia was the fix that came to mind. It was a matter of morale because the worst outcome would be if the team split into two, with supporters for both Tesfia and Theresia.

When it came to the Tenbram, there was also the possibility of leaving the broad strokes of the strategy to Frose and Selva.

Tesfia could rely on that while commanding on the field, while Alus could use Loki to observe the teams as a sort of coordinator on the ground. In fact, Alus pretty much had the authority to make the final picks for the team.

“Are you thinking about Ms. Theresia? She could be a problem,” Loki said, as if she had read Alus’s mind.

“Yeah. I do think the best thing would be to ask Mr. Selva and Mrs. Frose.”

As Alus was saying that, the sound of arguing rose up in the distance. They were at it again, and based on the voices, there was a serious emotional outburst.

Alus stood up to go over there, and Loki followed him.

“Are you sure you are even fit to be a general if you don’t even know this?” Theresia’s harsh voice echoed as the other members surrounded them. “Excuse me, but if you are going to be the next head of the family, you need more than just superficial knowledge. You should just leave the rest to me, young lady.”

Tesfia also seemed to be at her limit. With cheeks red with anger, she boldly declared, “I will listen to your opinion as part of the branch family, but I will make the final decision.”

Theresia’s lips rose sarcastically. “Yes, I’m sure you’re right. But are you saying that you still have that right? Although it seems that Lady Frose is standing up to the challenge, there are many branch families that believe that we should be reverent towards the Womruinas. Under these circumstances, please consider that the branch families have to question your ability as the next head of the family. Young lady.”

Tesfia fought back with fierce words.

“What’s with that snide tone! Why not stop calling me young lady? You don’t want to acknowledge me no matter what anyways, right? I might not have the qualities to become the secret heir yet, but I’m working hard every day! I also got some good results at the Friendship Magical Tournament! And what were you doing during all that time? Practicing magic at a dojo while pretending that you’re king of the hill?”

With that, Theresia’s thinly veiled smile finally disappeared.

“This is stupid... We branch family children aren’t attending the Institute because of the Fable family code! If not for that, I would already be attending and producing results far above yours. Just because we aren’t direct descendants, we get a continued cold reception. But I’m not going to complain about that now. However, if a direct descendant and the next head of the family is going to be this mediocre, what will happen to our position?! Wouldn’t you say that it’s a breach of faith against the branch families that have supported and sworn their loyalty to the main family all this time?!”

Theresia’s voice, devoid of any politeness, was accompanied by grief that was like a cry of her soul. Her eyes trembled with anger.

She had no intention of forgiving Tesfia’s sloppiness and laxness, but it came across like she was questioning Tesfia’s resolve and awareness, like she was telling Tesfia to go get married to Aile and be a good little wife, and like that would be for the best for the sake of the family.

The scathing remark left Tesfia unable to do anything but open and close her mouth for a moment.

“You might have achieved something in your play area as a student, but I have deemed that the young lady’s abilities are among the lowest in the history of the Fable family,” said Theresia. “Naturally, that’s even compared with me or Roderich...! And this time Lady Frose has promised that we may learn inherited spells depending on our work.”

“I-I know that! So what?!” exclaimed Tesfia, getting heated.

At that moment, a hand pulled back on her shoulder.

“That’s enough, you two. If you’re going to be this noisy it’ll reach the Womruina family’s ears eventually,” Alus said.

Tesfia looked over in surprise, but when she saw Alus’s cold stare, which seemed to ask her if she got it, she held her tongue. Theresia also stopped arguing and gave Alus a suspicious glance.

Alus gave the two a meaningful grin.

“If you’re going to question Fia’s abilities that much, then you should just see them for yourself.”

“How exactly?” Theresia asked.

Alus gave her an immediate answer. “A fight, one-on-one. Right now, right here.”

“Are you insane? A member of the branch family would never be allowed to harm a member of the main family!” said Theresia.

“Ha, as if. You’ve already done that with that sharp tongue of yours. What are you going to do next, get adopted into the main family and take it over?”

Alus narrowed his eyes and provoked Theresia, who lightly shook her head.

“Ha, you have no basis for that...” she said. “Anyways, I am not doing it. You are not a noble, so I doubt you would understand, but the only thing allowed to me is to follow tradition and give advice.”

“At least your lip service is fully fledged. But what you’re doing has the opposite effect of any meaningful advice. You are tearing the team apart before the Tenbram, which the Fable family’s future rests on.”

Alus then looked pointedly at Theresia.

“...Are you going to run away? Sure, Fia can be a little unreliable, but she’s much better than you. As someone I’ve trained, she has talent.”

“Wha—?! I have the greatest talent in the history of the branch families!”

Theresia put her hand against her chest and spoke fervently.

Alus gave her a cold stare.

“Don’t you sound confident? Others are supposed to call you a genius. Calling yourself that is so cliché. Like I said before, you are not seeing anything, Theresia. So let me repeat myself: Fia is better than you. She wouldn’t do something stupid like causing morale to plummet before an important fight.”

“Urgh...!” Theresia let out.

“Not to mention you’ve already said so much. Don’t you think this is the perfect chance to use your power to straighten out the idiotic next head of the family? Don’t worry. After all my training, she can take a hit or two. Her injuries from the escaped criminals have pretty much healed too, so just disciplining her a little won’t be a problem.”

Tesfia started to ask what he was thinking, but Alus blocked her mouth and continued.

“What a weak attitude to take after boasting so much. It’s just a bout, isn’t it? Just think of it as letting a weaker person train with you. Besides, if you’re a genius there’s no way you’d lose.”

“V-Very well! If you are going to say that much...let us have a bout, young lady.” Theresia’s voice trembled with anger as she spoke.

Alus whispered to Tesfia while gloating, “This is necessary to solidify your foundation as well as to ensure that the future training goes smoothly.”

“I-I get that...but Theresia is...”

“Yeah, I heard from Mrs. Frose. She apparently learned Icicle Sword two years before you did.”

“I-If you know that, then—?” began Tesfia.

“So what? As long as you know how to sculpt, you can complete it at a glance. You were able to use it a long time ago too, right?”

“But this is still absurd! Not everyone can be like you, Al.”

“Shut her up...and go at it like you’re trying to kill her. In the worst case, I’ll step in and make sure nobody gets seriously hurt. Regardless, this is the perfect chance to get rid of some future problems. Besides, Theresia might be excellent, but you have an ace up your sleeve too.”

Tesfia stared at him.

“Hurry up. Mrs. Frose and Mr. Selva are analyzing data at the moment. So wrap it up before someone reports it.”

“F-Fine!” Tesfia finally made up her mind and nodded while sighing.

A circle formed around the training grounds meant for one-on-one battles. Tesfia and Theresia stood within the circle facing each other. Aside from details like hairstyle and the look in their eyes, they were so similar they could be mistaken for sisters. They even both used katana-style AWRs.

A chilling atmosphere surrounded them. Between them stood Alus, who had ended up as the judge.

“We’re not on the training field for the Tenbram, so there’s no need for the bracelet or barrier. It’ll be a mock battle without protection, but as long as I’m here, I’ll prevent the worst from happening... You got that?”

Tesfia and Loki were the only ones present that knew Alus’s rank, but his tone was strangely convincing. Even if he concealed it, the aura of a Single leaked through. The older branch members, Roderich among them, silently observed the situation.

Tesfia still looked down, and contrary to her, Theresia was smiling, full of confidence. The katana she was wielding was on the same level as the Fable family heirloom Kikuri. Its silvery white blade was engraved with a magic formula, and it was about fifteen centimeters longer than Kikuri.

“Sorry, but I will be winning this for Fable’s sake. Try not to get too hurt, or I’ll be blamed,” said Theresia.

“Yes, yes, why don’t you show me how incredible the branch family’s genius is,” Tesfia responded with a strained smile.

This would be their first time fighting directly, but Tesfia had heard about Theresia’s talents. She didn’t like her attitude, but it was possible that she really would be the weak one training with someone stronger.

That was when she noticed Theresia looking at Kikuri.

“Young lady, since we are fighting with real swords, why not make a bet?”

Tesfia let out a bewildered sound by reflex. “Kikuri is a Fable family heirloom. You can’t have it.”

“Of course. I know. Just wanting it would be an affront. That’s why... Why not let me borrow it for a while?”

“What do you want to borrow it for?!”

“Oh nothing at all, I just wanted to try using it a little,” Theresia said calmly, but it was clear she had an underlying motive.

Kikuri was an AWR passed down to the next in line in order to learn the inherited spell, so unlike normal AWRs, built with the idea that only a single person would be using it, a person’s mana didn’t accumulate inside it.

In other words, it didn’t customize itself with the user’s mana to become easier to use. Instead, it accumulated the mana information of those of the Fable lineage.

The only thing on Theresia’s mind was to borrow Kikuri from Tesfia and use it at will. And depending on the response, she wanted to try her own disposition. With a good enough response, she would feel for herself that she was worthy of attempting to learn the inherited spells.

Theresia’s abilities were simply too excellent for her to accept that the branch families would always be below the main family. And things would change even more if the main family’s heir was slacking off and unable to fulfill her duty.

She wanted to show her own qualifications and receive a fair judgment. If she managed to save the venerable Fable family, she wouldn’t hesitate to turn on the main family.

“So...what will you put at stake?” asked Tesfia.

“If I lose, I will give up on being a Magicmaster. The Verdale’s private education is blessed with amazing teachers, but I am prepared to give it up,” said Theresia.

“What an exaggeration. But that doesn’t benefit me. But if that’s what it takes to satisfy you, then let’s go with that,” Tesfia said with a sigh. “Let’s get this started.”

Pouring mana into Kikuri, Tesfia took a deep breath.

I’m not as nervous as I thought I’d be, she thought.

Perhaps the mock battles against Alus, who stood at the top of all Magicmasters, was the reason for that.

Meanwhile, Theresia was also ready to fight. The mana rolling off of her body had a cold tinge to it. They had just gone through training, but both of them had plenty of mana to spare.

“Yes, let us begin, young lady!”

As Theresia finished speaking, she constructed the mana around her into a spell. A single ice needle appeared above her, and in an instant, it transformed into a giant block of ice. Next, the block of ice was sculpted into a sharp sword of ice, and it even featured an elaborate design on the surface.

“‹‹Icicle Sword!››”

Her first move was the traditional Fable family spell, and the speed of its construction caused Tesfia’s reaction to be delayed.

However, Tesfia had gone through training, so she swiftly controlled her mana and created an Icicle Sword to oppose Theresia. Cold air filled her surroundings, and a refined ice sword was created above Tesfia.

Their Icicle Swords shot out at the same time and, with an ear piercing sound, clashed right in the middle of the two. The air cooled, creating white smoke and scattering shards of ice on the ground before they returned to mana particles.

The spectators took a few steps back in awe, but Alus didn’t pay it any mind and remained an indifferent judge.

As abnormally cold air crawled across the ground, the first to cut through the white smoke in the air was Theresia, her katana at the ready. She used the mist created by the clash of Icicle Swords as a smoke screen and closed in on Tesfia.

With the tip of the blade almost touching the ground, she swung it upward at Tesfia, but instead of opposing the power behind it, Kikuri easily changed its trajectory instead.

Having the attack she was so confident in brushed aside made Theresia open her eyes wide. Seeing that, Tesfia was convinced that Alus had been right. Theresia might have been the branch families’ genius, but she wasn’t out of her depth.

On the contrary, Theresia’s response let Tesfia know she could go a little further and pushed her into her combat mode.

Sparks flew as the blades scraped against each other. Tesfia snapped her wrist and twisted her hips to cleave her katana sideways.

The counterattack made Theresia leap backward. Her face showed clear unrest. Theresia might have dodged at the last second, but during their exchange, her understanding of Tesfia had changed.

When she glanced at her AWR, she saw shards of ice stuck to its blade.

It was a common strategy to use the spell Ice Blade to cover the weapon in very cold air and strengthen its characteristics. Theresia had been the first to use it, yet her own blade had been frozen and dulled... So despite activating it later, Tesfia’s ice had surpassed hers. There was nothing that could show the difference in ability of ice attribute users more clearly than this.

While Theresia stared in astonishment, she could see the ground freeze from the corner of her eyes. Her body moved before she could process what was coming.

Cold air covered the ground, and in the next moment, it froze. With Tesfia at the center, the ground froze instantly. Before that ice could reach her toes, Theresia jumped back and slashed at the ground as if to draw a line. She shook off the shards of ice.

A cold light burst out from the straight line in the ground and flowers of blue ice bloomed in it.

“‹‹Icicle Garden››”

Ice flowers bloomed around Theresia and stopped Tesfia’s Freeze from advancing.

Indeed, Tesfia was only using the novice-level spell Freeze. However, Theresia had no knowledge of one that could cover such a wide area. It had the power of an intermediate-level spell.

First I need to recover!

Suddenly, as if there had been a gap in time, Theresia was shocked as a blade, with neither hostility nor killing intent behind it, sneaked through a gap in her consciousness and came flying towards her.

Ugh...

Bending her body, Theresia barely managed to dodge it. In the next moment, she saw red hair flowing sideways, Tesfia on her side in the air. Then she felt the heavy impact from the swung sword that shook her.

A second and third strike followed. She managed to block with her blade, but her opponent’s cold air wrapped around it, making her katana heavier.

“Ugh...don’t get full of yourself!” Theresia said, stomping. High-pressure water sprayed out from under her foot like a geyser.

This was an intermediate-level water spell. Unlike Roderich, she had hidden that she had secretly learned to use a second attribute.

It was rare for someone young to be able to use two attributes, especially on the level of being usable in battle... This was completely unexpected.

With the water spraying upward, Tesfia would be unable to avoid it. Finally getting some leeway, Theresia showed a smile of relief... However...

“Wha...?! What is that...?”

Theresia’s eyes were wide open. Reflected in them was Tesfia bent over with her hands thrust up above the water. The large amount of water had frozen instantly, as if the geyser had hardened into a strange ice sculpture.

It had happened so fast Theresia hadn’t even realized it.

Was it because water magic was a bad match for ice magic? No.

Rather than being frozen, it was more accurate to say that the water had been replaced with ice.

“D-Don’t tell me that’s...Niflheim?!” The spell name left Theresia’s trembling lips in a shrill exclamation. The phenomenon chilled her to her heart.

Indeed, Tesfia had cast the expert-level spell Niflheim. It was a rather limited manifestation, but having witnessed it for herself, Theresia was unable to keep her cool. Only renowned Magicmasters would be able to use such high-level magic.

Not only was it beyond the realm of a student’s mock battle, it was impossible to do without overwhelming talent. The surprise was as shocking as when she had faced her father and easily been forced to take a knee.

Theresia was unmoving, and Tesfia jumped down from her ice sculpture and swung her katana down.

“S-So what?” Theresia shouted, with a cold sweat on her forehead while she glared at Tesfia.

She had to admit that she’d underestimated Tesfia.

But it wasn’t just Theresia, all of the branch families would have to rethink their understanding of her. That much was clear.

However, she also knew that didn’t mean Tesfia had won. In reality, Tesfia’s Niflheim had been activated over a very restricted area. In fact, the sculpture was already falling apart.

The katanas clashed once more. Their mana clashed in a contest of physical strength.

Theresia looked desperate, but Tesfia’s eyes were perfectly composed.

Noticing that, Theresia furrowed her brows and in a fluster she thought to herself, She’s neither acting triumphant nor looking down on me. Why is she so calm? This is more than just being composed. It’s like her heart is sharp and cold.

As she thought that, Theresia gasped.

Mana was influenced by the user’s mental state and emotions, and spells showed a similar tendency, and it was said that each attribute had a specific mental state that masters would enter.

In the past, Theresia had heard from her father that mastering the ice attribute meant having a heart of ice and steel. It was said that the fourth head of the family, Canaria Fable, had frozen her heart to reach that state.

She and her brother were symbolic figures for the Fable family and the greatest ice attribute Magicmasters. Even in modern times, when the branch families spoke of the glory of the past they typically referred to them.

For some reason, the appearance of Canaria, whom Theresia had only seen paintings of, overlapped with the redheaded girl before her.

She’d only been the head of the family for a brief period, but Theresia’s father told her that she had been a unique and heroic Magicmaster. And right now, Theresia felt like she could see the semblance of her within Tesfia.

Theresia bit down to reject the illusion, convincing herself it was surely no more than a trick of the mind. She poured more mana into her katana.

The breathtaking duel continued, and the compressed cold air exploded, causing the white smoke to rush past as a gust of wind.

“Hah, hah, hah...” Theresia gulped. Her arm felt dull, but she felt relieved.

She’d managed to blow away Tesfia, and though the recoil had hit her, she managed to land with nimble movements. At the very least, she hadn’t disgraced herself in front of everyone.

Holding her katana, she used her upper arm to rub her chin. But she herself couldn’t even tell if that had actually wiped away the dripping sweat.

Waiting for her heart to slow down, she let out a deep exhale.

“You’ve become quite—no, very strong. I am honestly surprised,” said Theresia.

Tesfia’s fighting style wasn’t something one would learn during conventional student life. Her movements were impossible for those not used to fighting people. Such harsh training was found only in the branch families’ special education. It was the kind of thing cultivated in their private education, under the strict teachings of invited teachers.

Theresia herself had received training from her father, and when not from him, she was instructed by high-ranking Magicmasters. As the children of the branch families couldn’t easily enroll in the Institute, their education naturally turned more towards actual combat. The official stance and purpose of branch families was that they would support the main family if the nation fell into chaos and to continue the bloodline if something were to happen to the main family.

Theresia, answering her father’s expectations, had trained from her childhood to this very day, all in order to become the sword of the head of the main family—or a spare.

However, at some point that duty had turned into a heavy responsibility, and she put herself through even more harsh training in preparation in case the day came when she would learn inherited spells. Theresia had taken a rough path, beating the foundations into her body and disciplining herself to get to where she was.

Since the Verdale family’s blood was the purest of the branch families, it was her obligation. Yet there was someone whose very existence rejected her efforts. Right now that person, who would tear down her reason for existing, stood before her.

“Haaaaah!”

As if to spit out the feelings swirling inside of her, Theresia howled. She took a big breath to help bend the truth she didn’t want to accept to her will.

As her breath gathered, so did her mana and she incanted the spell name in her mind.

“‹‹Frill Throat››”

The cold air she exhaled explosively increased, and a thick mist veiled the area in the blink of an eye.

This will work even against the same attribute!

Theresia’s determined gaze alerted Tesfia that something was wrong, and she readied her katana.

Frill Throat was a disruptive type of spell. Small particles stuck to mana and rapidly froze them to weaken it. Snow-like particles were already starting to pile up on Tesfia’s body. It also began to dull the flow of mana within her body.

Its ability to alter was weak, but Tesfia recognized that it was similar to Alus’s original spell Mistlotein. But unlike Mistlotein, it didn’t freeze everything in an instant, not because of a lack of mana but because the details of the construct were too different. If she had been up against Alus, using the real Mistlotein, it would have been all over now.

Tesfia held her breath, unfazed by the change in her body, and closed her eyes. Frost settled on her long eyelashes, but she smiled as if there was nothing to fear.

In the next moment, she ran through the mist. If the purpose of the spell was to disrupt her, then all she had to do was make a beeline for Theresia before falling snow slowed her down. Perhaps because they both used the ice attribute or perhaps it was because of the Fable blood, Tesfia felt strangely comfortable.

But she still needed to settle things. She would show Theresia her strength. She needed to crush that hubris that would prevent her from truly growing. And that included the branch family members looking on.

Perhaps this kind of thinking was a sign of her becoming fully conscious that she was to be the next head of the family. With those deep emotions in her chest, Tesfia faced the challenge before her.

As she ran into the thick mist, she found precisely what she’d expected. Theresia stood there as if she’d been waiting for this, dignified like a knight before the final decisive battle.

Surrounded by cold air, Theresia spoke. “This! Is my worth! Agents of my loyalty, answer my plea with action, ‹‹Eisen Legans››.”

Tesfia’s eyes burned with a passion far from what others might expect from her, and the cold air surrounded Theresia. In the next moment, a massive figure manifested behind her.

It was a heroic knight’s upper body, a phantom made of blue ice.

The knight was over three meters tall and in its hand was an equally gigantic sword of ice.

It wasn’t the Fable family’s Icicle Sword but a unique sword Theresia had used all of her mana to create.

As Tesfia charged in, the knight swung the sword down. However, as she ran, Tesfia created a huge sword of ice to block it.

Aside from its overwhelming form, the vivid azure color harmonized with the white of the ice, pointing to the perfection of the spell.

As ice users, it was a display of the difference in talents between the two. Theresia gazed at the sword as if entranced. Just looking at it was enough to purify her heart of idle thoughts... And its beautiful form wouldn’t allow her to even blink.

Those of the Fable family, especially with an affinity for ice, had an inseparable connection to their magical sculpting sense being proof of their abilities and dignity. That was why Theresia had polished her sculpting techniques and she’d been allowed to devote herself to it but only to the level that her father and teacher had set for her so that she would fit into the accepted mold.

There was no freedom in changing, nor had she ever questioned it. Moreover, focusing on the sculpting too much would directly lead to increasing the difficulty of the spell.

However, the sword of ice that Tesfia had created had naturally fused the sculpting and strength of the spell. By implementing a delicate sculpting, it had enhanced the degree of perfection of the spell. And that was why any ice-attribute Magicmaster could instinctively understand that this form was the reason for its presence.

Tesfia’s determined voice snapped Theresia back to reality.

“In that case, I will acknowledge my own worth.”

Tesfia was using an applied version of Icicle Sword called Zepel, which moved the ice sword in conjunction with her body. This was Tesfia’s answer to Theresia’s greatest work, Eisen Legans.

A sudden chill dominated the air, and Tesfia’s ice sword was raised overhead. Zepel moved as Tesfia’s arms did and took the knight’s ice sword head-on.

The sound of the clash was too baffling and strange to be air vibrations. The impact created a quiet but overwhelming wave of cold air, which froze the trees around them. Only the bark facing them froze, with the other side still fresh, a sign of their accurate mana control.

Lastly, an ear-hurting, high-pitched breaking sound could be heard. Afterwards, Tesfia remained, holding her katana while the ice knight faced her. The sword in its hand had snapped off in the middle.

“...I lost.”

Theresia didn’t even glance at the collapsing phantom knight as she slumped to the ground. Her loss was determined, and in front of such a large crowd. The branch families that had surrounded them fell silent. Roderich was stiff and twitching.

Worried, Loki had tried to leap in at the decisive moment but had been stopped by Alus. Now she looked on in surprise.

Meanwhile, Alus wore a slight smile. He walked to the center of the circle and declared, “That settles it, then. The winner is Fia. Are there any objections?”

As Frose and Selva weren’t present, someone would probably hurry to report this. And Alus shouldn’t need to get any more involved in this matter, but at the very least, their training in the future should proceed smoothly.

Tesfia reached a hand out towards the exhausted Theresia.

“So what do you think? I’m pretty good too, right?”

Perhaps disarmed by Tesfia’s bright smile, Theresia returned with a dry smile of her own, but she rejected her opponent’s hand.

“No... As the loser, I do not deserve such favor. Please forgive my rudeness, Lady Tesfia.”

Theresia fell to her knees and hung her head low.

Alus smiled wryly at her overly meek appearance. “What are you going to do? These kinds of things need to be disciplined military-style even after things are settled, or there’ll be more problems later.”

“Hmm? That’s way too savage. Don’t lump me in with you, Al. Besides, the problem with the branch families is something that will need to be dealt with eventually,” said Tesfia.

“How gentle,” said Alus.

“This is the caliber expected of the next head of the family!” She puffed up her cheeks but still had the leeway to wink as well.

As Theresia stood dumbfounded, Tesfia turned back to her.

“Forget about the promise before the match, okay? You have wonderful talents. It would be such a waste to give up on being a Magicmaster. If anything, I want you to support me with that amazing spell.”

“B-But...”

Having lost her position, Theresia let her head hang low, but Tesfia casually held out Kikuri to her.

“Here, you wanted to try it, right? That’s nothing special, so here.”

As if to say that it was a boring promise, Tesfia took Theresia’s hand and forcibly made her hold the katana as if to say that she wasn’t going to let her refuse.

Alus looked like he wanted to make an unnecessary remark, so Loki pulled on his sleeve to stop him.

“A-Are you sure?” asked Theresia. Kikuri was a Fable family heirloom. Theresia reverently held it in both hands.

Seeing Tesfia nod, she nervously put her hand on the handle. If she drew this, poured mana into it and could construct Fable’s magic...

All of the sweat and blood she’d shed would finally be answered. Her talents, which she’d prided herself on as being no less than that of the main family and her efforts in order to learn inherited magic, would be proved.

Theresia hesitated a little more, but when she saw Tesfia’s cheerful smile that hesitation was easily wiped away.

She already knew that she had never had the qualifications to wield it. Others—her father, her mother, her relatives, and those of Verdale—had wanted that, not her. She simply wanted to give back to the family.

I...I just...wanted to decide for myself.

She wanted to do something of her own will. That was all.

With a refreshing smile, free of hesitation, Theresia let go of the handle and returned Kikuri.

“That’s all I need. Thank you very much.”

“What? Are you sure?!” asked Tesfia. “You just touched it. You didn’t even draw it.”

“No, I don’t need any more. This is the katana of the next head of the family,” Theresia replied.

“Ah, uhm, okay. As long as you understand,” said Tesfia, unsure how to react because of Theresia’s unexpected behavior.

She had called Tesfia the next head of the family. This hadn’t just been a measure of strength; she’d clearly admitted it.

Something had clearly changed within Theresia, which mystified Tesfia.

It was also eerie. This was generally how people grew, but Tesfia was still inexperienced in the subtleties of human emotion and struggled with how to gauge it.

She timidly took back Kikuri and decided to press the point, looking unconvinced. “Are you sure you’re fine? You’re not plotting something, are you?”

“No, I no longer harbor any ill feelings. But if I were to say, there is one thing...”

“Wh-What?! Just so you know, I won’t fight you again!”

“As a daughter of the Verdale family, I won’t go back on a promise I have made. So I will graciously...” Theresia started.

“Whaaat?! I said that you can’t! I won’t let you give up on being a Magicmaster,” exclaimed Tesfia.

“But I won’t be able to be satisfied with that. At the very least, I will no longer receive any education from Verdale private school. And if any teachers were to come, I would turn them down.”

“Wait, why do you have to do that? Then I will talk to my mother. I don’t know what the traditions are about, but it’s not like there’s a law. You can attend wherever you want, even the Institute. I will allow it,” Tesfia spat out in a hurry.

That made Theresia stop to think.

“I see. That is a brilliant idea. A path where I can continue my education while being able to help the young lady if something happens...” said Theresia. “And it won’t contradict my family’s intentions. Then if the main family will permit it, I will officially accompany the young lady as her attendant at the Second Magical Institute.”

“Huh?!”

Tesfia looked shocked from the remark, and even Alus looked bitter. He wasn’t very welcoming of more trouble. Looking over, Loki looked sullen as well.

However, with her one-track mind, Theresia didn’t notice any of this and continued to speak with a look of satisfaction.

“That is the way it has been passed down since times immemorial. By having me, the daughter of the Verdale family, by your side as a functional hostage, it will prove the Verdale family’s loyalty. I believe you will need our family’s support to solidify your position.”

“Y-You don’t have to go that far. You know, I understand your circumstances, so as long as you’re neutral that’s enough,” said Tesfia.

“However, like I said before, it is a matter of a family’s honor. Then I will bring this home to my family, and then convey my intentions to the head of the family,” explained Theresia.

“Ah, yes, yes. That’s fine. I’m tired, so let’s take a break. Let’s get a fresh start.”

“Understood, young lady.”

The way she bowed out of loyalty made her look like a beast with its fangs pulled out, transformed into an obedient pet.

While making their way to the rest area, she remained serious and polite but bombarded Tesfia with questions. She did keep the volume low out of consideration for her surroundings, but she was exceedingly thorough.

She bore a close resemblance to Tesfia pestering Alus about Mistlotein.

Of course, Tesfia couldn’t logically answer everything. She’d tried to cover things up at first, but in the end it fell into Alus’s lap. The topic was mostly around inherited spells.

“That last spell you used was an inherited spell wasn’t it?” Theresia asked. “Our Verdale family has had a great interest and respect for the Fable family’s inherited spell and created an original spell based off of Icicle Sword. That is Eisen Legans.”

Alus had been bothered at first, but he couldn’t keep quiet when others spoke about new spells. So he intently listened in about Verdale’s spell.

Hmm, so that spell really was based on Icicle Sword. However, the approach is naturally different from my own, seeing as I confirmed the magic formula engraved on Kikuri myself and have seen Fia’s Icicle Sword several times.

Creating a new spell wasn’t something just anyone could do. On top of that, the obstruction spell that Theresia had used, Frill Throat, was similar to Alus’s original spell Mistlotein.

No, thinking about it, I feel like that’s closer to Garb Sheep. That is yet another of the Fable family’s inherited spells. Still Theresia’s Eisen Legans was pretty impressive.

While he didn’t say it out loud, he could understand why the branch families had praised Theresia as a genius. Having been trained by high-ranking Magicmasters, her use of mana and her accuracy in constructing spells were superb. Most of all, it was clear that she had a deep understanding of magic.

Eisen Legans was two sculptures, a knight and a sword, and it was truly worthy of being called a double cast. Advancing two processes at the same time to create a single result wasn’t something one could achieve only with regular training.

Like Tesfia had said, letting her talents slip by would be a waste. Alus even felt like she was the culmination of what a noble’s special education was supposed to be.

“I see. Eisen Legans is a name not even I have heard,” said Alus. “So that’s why.”

“Yeah, it was pretty amazing! Maybe I should learn something like that too!” said Tesfia.

Having Tesfia praise her put a smug and proud expression on Theresia’s face. “Not at all. I am still no match for the young lady. But if you were to learn Eisen Legans and Frill Throat, you would have a much wider array of options...”

“You think so? This girl is a simple idiot, so I would suggest a more straightforward tactic,” Alus said, unable to help himself from interjecting.

Theresia gave him a cold stare before saying, “Young lady, I believe you should reconsider your personal relationships. You shouldn’t keep someone this rude by your side.”

That sent Tesfia into a fluster, and the atmosphere turned tense.

“...Huh?”

“That is a good joke for a noble. Allow me to praise you,” said Loki while Alus raised an eyebrow.

Tesfia became very anxious. “Uhm, Ms. Theresia? Al is a classmate, but he has very deep ties with the military and... Right, my mother also trusts Al a lot. And he is a biiig help!”

Tesfia desperately tried to cover for Alus, but Theresia’s reaction was truly unexpected.

“Oh, is that so? I thought you would follow the straight path of a Magicmaster, unlike Lady Frose. But if you are going to have a family, choosing a spouse from classmates is important. However, he doesn’t look very sociable nor does he look like he would be very reliable if you had children...”

This time, the group stopped in their tracks and silence fell over them.

“Wh-Wh-What did you just say?” Tesfia fearfully asked, having just barely managed to maintain a calm facade.

But Theresia gave her a confused look. “Well, having children is an important duty of nobles. And the more children the head of the family has the better. But as for whether this person is suitable as your spouse...”

“Wh-Why would you bring that up?!”

Tesfia’s face was beet red, but Theresia continued making her rash assumptions.

“I see, so that’s what it is. Polygamy and polyandry are allowed for nobility. But if you were to ask me, I couldn’t recommend the latter. Men tend to want to be the head of the pack, and if someone suspicious is brought in, there’s a danger of treachery or a takeover before any children are born.”

Theresia turned back to Alus.

“That is why some person of doubtful origin like yourself would be suitable as the second husband. And a high-ranking noble would be more desirable as the first husband. You understand that, right, young lady?”

At the very least Theresia was more well-versed in noble society than Tesfia, or perhaps one could say that she’d already been poisoned. Here she stood, boldly declaring the supremacy of a pure lineage before Alus.

“Stop lining up rubbish. Do you think I’d join the likes of Fable? Don’t look down on me,” he said.

“H-How rude!” exclaimed Theresia.

“Hmm, still...I might lend an ear to your nonsense if you can do something about this,” said Alus.

Fortunately, they were taking a break and the bracelets were removed. Alus raised a finger and created a small fireball over it. It swelled until it was like a small sun draped in flames. It was one of Alus’s specialties, the fire spell Astral Sun.

It was more massive than normal, and it radiated heat from above, rapidly raising the temperature.

And when Alus flicked his finger, the small sun moved. It looked less like a spell and more like a natural disaster. The Astral Sun dyed the ground red as it approached... And Theresia looked up at it with astonishment.

“Ahhh, no way?!”

Unable to stand the blistering heat, Theresia covered her head with her arms.

And that was when Alus snapped his fingers. Just like that, the heat from Astral Sun disappeared like it had never been there in the first place. But the remains of the flame remained in the sky a little longer like a red illusion.

“Hmph, is that your reaction to an expert-level spell? Perhaps you’d like to try an ultimate-level spell on for size...” said Alus.

Theresia shook her head with tears in her eyes.

Alus shrugged in satisfaction. “That was a nice change of pace. Once the break is over we’ll get right back to training. So make sure you rest up.”

Tesfia was likewise dumbfounded, and while she called him childish in her mind, she agreed and nodded. But at the same time, she gave Alus a profound look.

“Regardless... While we can put the marriage talks aside...” Tesfia gestured like she was moving an invisible box and continued, “Don’t you think there was a better way to turn it down? Even if you don’t have any intention of joining the Fable family, I think that it was rude to reject it so firmly...”

While the last part was said in a muffled whisper, Alus gave her a dubious look.

“Huh? What are you talking about? You have more pressing concerns than your future right now. Plus if you lose the Tenbram you’ll be engaged to Aile.”

“Ah, well, that’s true, but...” Tesfia struggled for words, and unexpectedly, Loki gave her a helping hand.

She interjected with a blatant cough.

“Ahem. Sir Alus, the problem right before us was just resolved, so we should be happy about that... Things like these need a delicate touch. Any girl would be hurt if you are that harsh.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Anyways, I’ll pass on any more unnecessary mental exhaustion,” Alus firmly declared.

But this wasn’t just someone else’s problem, so Loki refused to back down. This was a good chance to teach Alus about how to handle a delicate maiden’s heart. With women being half of the population, it was a proper bit of worldly wisdom, but with no male friends and him turning down girls, Alus was increasingly isolated in the world.

A wicked thought flashed through her mind for a moment.

Hmm? But in that case...won’t I be the last at his side...?

But Loki’s conscience put a stop to that line of thought and got back to the main point.

“No, that won’t do! Ms. Tesfia doesn’t matter, but you should be more considerate to the girls around you. It’s important for harmonious relationships.”

“I’m repeating myself here, but I don’t need friendly relationships,” Alus answered.

“But surely that will not work this time,” said Loki.

“Hmm... Well, I suppose. You mean to avoid unnecessary clashes.”

A united team was necessary in the Orb Struggle. As good as Alus was, a terrible atmosphere around the team would make victory questionable. That was partially why he had set the stage for Tesfia and Theresia’s battle.

“You are aware that a foreign element entering a squad could lead to a drastic drop in coordination, aren’t you? And if there were many women, what do you think would happen if the captain wasn’t considerate?” Loki asked, using common sense of the military to corner him.

“...I-I’ll be more careful,” he said.

“Yes, I believe that would be for the best,” Loki said with a satisfied nod.

But Tesfia looked somewhat displeased. A girl’s heart truly was complicated and mysterious.

After the break, everyone checked a recording of movement as a whole in the Tenbram, then tried all kinds of divisions of roles and positioning through trial and error. Training continued until the artificial sun had fully set.

But even if they trained until the Tenbram began, there was a limit. They were still just an impromptu team; they lacked detailed cooperation or the experience to convey their intentions to each other through only eye contact.

Meanwhile, Frose and Selva, who’d learned of the incident between Theresia and Tesfia, were very grateful to Alus. They’d needed to resolve the friction with the branch families anyways, so it was like a godsend to them.

I started it, so I can’t say that I was used, but...

A foreign element by the name of Alus had been thrown into a smoldering ember to serve as a spark. But surely the head of the family couldn’t have predicted the results of an unexpected chemical reaction...

As the head of the family, clearly in a great mood, shared the finest of wine and the elderly butler served extraordinary food in a brisk manner, Alus couldn’t help but feel misgivings. But nothing would come from being suspicious. So for now, he quietly savored the food together with Loki.

And on the night of the fourth day, after the usual dinner, Alus, Loki, and Selva gathered in Frose’s study and examined the results of that day’s training.

“Hmm, with our current skill, this would be the limit of our strategies.” Selva groaned, his expression complicated as he looked over a strategic map on the table.

The map was over a gigantic site that the Womruina family owned where the Tenbram would be held. It had rough geographic features drawn into it as well, but it was difficult to get a perfect grasp of the elevation.

“Since we can’t get a good grasp of the terrain, adaptability will be very important. We will have to compensate with individual ability,” Alus answered, but the difference in ability was just a presumption.

With a rule restricting the strongest in the Tenbram, they would need to raise the overall potential of their team. But anything with people involved would inevitably show a difference in individuals.

With the blunders Tesfia had performed, it was all but certain that Aile’s command was above hers. By his side were Cicila and Orneus, both no doubt very strong. And the rest would no doubt be elites raised since childhood.

Meanwhile, on Fable’s side neither Loki nor Selva would participate. Theresia and Roderich would make up the core, but both were young and unreliable. So ultimately, Alus would have to fully make up for the difference in skill.

Tesfia looked nervous from start to end, but Alus was perfectly calm.

I’ll just have to do something about that, Alus thought to himself with the confidence of the current rank 1.

Even with the bracelet restricting magic and the damage transfer system, there still had to be limits and loopholes in the rules. So the Tenbram’s difference in fighting power wasn’t absolute. There would be fluctuations.

For example, in the Outer World, it was common for an advantage or disadvantage to be overturned by changes on the battlefield.

Although that’s true for them too, Alus thought.

It was possible for even Alus to get held back by something unexpected. And that was why he was pretending to be a staff officer and coming up with strategies—in order to prepare for the unexpected.

While Alus and the others were meeting every night to discuss strategy, the branch families were eagerly training.

Moreover, Lucille was unable to join the training due to his age and ability, but he wanted to be of help in some way, and after his desperate pleas, he was given the position of training manager. He briskly handed out drinks and towels in high spirits, running back and forth between the field and was secretly gathering popularity.

Lucille idolized Tesfia in particular and would wear a bright, innocent smile whenever he was in front of her.

Well, Fia really doesn’t look like a noble lady. That was why she got along so well with Alice and why there’s no need to be so careful around her. I can see why she’d be popular with children, thought Alus.

That was no doubt one of Tesfia’s virtues. If not, Alus wouldn’t have been training her nor staying at the Fable mansion. When he became aware of that, Alus felt awkward, but he changed gears, pushing that thought to a corner of his mind.

Preparations were proceeding smoothly, and Tesfia had overcome the difficulties with the branch families and become a little stronger.

All that’s left is deciding who to leave the decisive blow to.

Alus plotted who would be best to use in order to display his malice for the coming Tenbram and quietly smiled.

A little more than a week remained until the Tenbram.