“I’m Miya. Nice to meet you.”
“Y-yes. I’m Ian.”
“…….”
At last, their three-person Trelas team was complete.
Jaes was still glaring at Miya with an uncomfortable expression, but Miya appeared entirely unbothered as she cheerfully inserted herself between Jaes and Ian.
“What is wrong, Jaes? You finally found the third teammate you wanted. Is there a problem?”
“……No. It is nothing.”
“Trelas, huh? I have heard of it before. This will be my first time participating in a competition like that, so I am both nervous and excited.”
“Miya, you said physical combat was your specialty, right?”
“Yes. To be honest, my magic is completely average, but I am fairly confident when it comes to fighting in close combat.”
“……I am sure you are. You used those skills to try to kill me.”
“Hmm? What did you just say, Jaes?”
“……Nothing.”
“Good grief. A man still sulking over something that is already in the past.”
“What was that?!”
“Hmm? I was only talking to myself.”
Miya gave him a sly smile when Jaes glared at her.
“U-um. Excuse me. Just to be sure, were you two already acquainted before…….”
“No.”
“Hmm. So he says.”
“……I-I see.”
‘We already submitted the registration, so we cannot withdraw or change the team now…… W-what is this atmosphere?!’
Even Ian, who was usually rather oblivious to such things, sensed the strange tension flowing between Jaes and Miya and began sweating inwardly.
“Hoo. Fine. Since things have already turned out this way, we should use our time to prepare for the future instead of wasting it unnecessarily.”
“Right. If a team of first-years like us wants to win and advance, we will have to prepare an incredible amount, will we not? I am ready to do anything you ask, so just tell me what to do.”
“Y-yes. I will work hard too.”
An uncomfortable atmosphere still lingered, but Ian released a sigh of relief when Jaes finally seemed to return to his usual self.
“Then, Ian. Now that our new teammate is here, explain this year’s Trelas competition to us in detail one more time.”
“All right. The Trelas competition held here at Ielhas Magic Academy consists primarily of three-on-three matches in randomly selected arenas. The first team to destroy the opposing team’s Crystal Orb wins. Although it is called a magic competition, the arenas are usually quite large, and the matches are conducted in a format resembling actual combat. Simply being better at magic does not guarantee victory. The strategic use of magic and the competitors’ movements are far more important.”
“I see. In other words, we will not simply stand still and boringly trade spells. The two teams begin in separate locations, and searching for the opposing team is part of the match.”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Then this seems manageable. Even if someone’s magical ability is lacking, they could still subdue an opponent through an ambush or close combat if they possessed a physical advantage.”
“Yes. The same applies in actual combat. I heard that is why Trelas is conducted in that manner.”
“I understand. That is why you were searching for someone more accustomed to physical combat, like me. Neither you nor Jaes looks particularly suited to that kind of role.”
“That is right.”
“……Ian and I are not only capable of standing in one place and casting spells. Students here are taught combat-oriented magic from their first year, so we undergo basic physical training in addition to learning magic.”
“Even so, it would be advantageous to have someone who could move ahead to seek out the enemy or confuse an opponent with quick movements during a direct confrontation. Is that not the role you expect me to perform?”
“……Yes. That is right.”
“Hehe. Then leave it to me. I am confident when it comes to that sort of thing.”
Miya continued to look at him with the same shamelessly cheerful smile.
Jaes met her gaze without looking away, struggling to calm himself and maintain his rationality.
‘……I still feel uneasy, but Miya is certainly better than most students. I have experienced that firsthand with this very body.’
Even Raiden had remarked that Miya’s movements were remarkably agile for someone her age.
It would be difficult to find anyone more suitable to serve as the team’s vanguard.
‘Right. Raiden, Sharan, and Miya are all acting as though none of this is strange. This must be a world where even people who once tried to kill each other can become allies in an instant as long as their interests align. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I have no choice but to adapt.’
Sharan might have been an exceptional mage who had removed whatever Suggestion had been placed on Miya, but Jaes still found it nearly impossible to adjust to calmly conversing with the first person who had ever tried to kill him.
However, no matter how long he scowled at her, Miya merely smiled as casually as she had when they used to talk at the estate. The hostility he had been harboring seemed to lose all of its strength.
‘Haah. I do not know anymore. If something goes wrong, Raiden or Sharan will have to take responsibility.’
After finally organizing his thoughts, Jaes’s eyes became sharp once again as he began checking the detailed schedule with Ian.
“You said we have approximately a month before the actual matches begin, correct?”
Y-yes.”
“Good. Then we will make certain that we are properly prepared before then. Now that things have come this far, I have no intention of doing this halfheartedly.”
“Hmm-hmm. Of course.”
“Y-yes. But what exactly should we do? ……I am worried that even if we begin working harder now, we will not be able to close the gap between us and the upperclassmen, who have more than a year of experience over us.”
Ian could not conceal his anxiety, true to his usually timid personality.
Jaes confidently declared that there was no need to worry.
“Do not worry. I already have something in mind. First, Ian, I am going to teach you something. It may feel unfamiliar at first because it is somewhat different from the methods you have learned until now, but if you trust me and master it, it will certainly help.”
“Do you mean…… whatever you used when you blocked Teacher Grayker’s magic?”
“Hmm? Something like that. Did you sense something at the time too, Ian?”
“Yes. I cannot explain it properly in words…… but the Shield spell you used then clearly felt different from an ordinary one.”
“Hmm. As I thought. You appear to have a talent for this sort of thing, Ian. As long as you work hard, one month should be enough for you to master it to a useful degree.”
“……All right!”
“Heh. I thought there was something unusual about you. Jaes, have you already had some sort of ‘realization’?”
“Be quiet. As for you, Miya, I need you to help me practice.”
“Practice?”
“Yes. I lack experience in actual combat. If someone approaches and targets me during a match, I may panic and lose my composure. To prevent that, I want you to serve as my one-on-one sparring partner for the time being. You will also be able to practice keeping a mage in check, so we will be killing two birds with one stone.”
“I see. That makes sense. However, would that not only be useful if our abilities were somewhat comparable?”
Miya covered her mouth and giggled, making Jaes’s eyebrow twitch.
“……Oh? Are you saying my skills are far too inadequate for me to serve as your sparring partner?”
“Well, considering what happened before.”
“Unfortunately for you, I am no longer the same person who had only just begun learning magic.”
“It has only been about two months. How much could you possibly have changed?”
“There is no need for me to explain it in words. You will naturally discover the answer while facing me.”
“Ahaha! Fine. I certainly have no reason to refuse.”
“P-please do not fight. More importantly, you two really did know each other before, did you not?”
“We did not?!”
“Hmm-hmm. So he says.”
“…….”
Unlike his usually calm and collected self, Jaes appeared strangely discomposed whenever he was in front of Miya.
At first, Ian had been slightly concerned by the sight.
‘……Pfft.’
Before long, however, Jaes began to seem more approachable and human. He was usually so composed and flawless that he had felt more like a rigid upperclassman than a friend of the same age.
“Now that we have come this far, I will stop complaining and give it my best. Let us all work hard together.”
“Of course.”
“Hehe. Of course.”
Although they had gotten off to a slightly rocky start,
Jaes’s team, composed entirely of first-years whom no one was paying any attention to, carefully sprang into motion.
And then, “Hmm-hmm. Ah, youth. Such youth♡”
As always, Sharan had been secretly observing Jaes from a distance. She wore an expression of barely contained delight.
“Then shall I take a look at the field and analyze the competition in this year’s Trelas tournament?”
She soon disappeared without a trace.
* * *
“Lady Sharan! It has been so long!!”
“Yes. It has been a long time, Your Highness, Princess Floa.”
“Oh, come now. Why are you speaking so formally with me again? I told you last time that you may address me casually, at least while we are here at the academy.”
“Hehe. Very well, then.”
“I heard a rumor that you suddenly took over as the instructor overseeing the first-years’ Basic Magic Aptitude assessment after the position became vacant. Is it not a terrible waste for someone like you to teach first-years? Please teach a class for us second-years instead.”
“SNIFF. I would like that too, but even I am in a position where I must obey the Mage Tower’s orders. The position was vacant, someone had to fill it, and everyone else refused. What choice did I have? I had no choice but to sacrifice myself.”
After disappearing from the place where she had been observing Jaes, Sharan had gone to visit a certain girl with softly gleaming silver hair and an air of nobility.
Sharan put on a pitiful performance that would have made Raiden or Jaes foam at the mouth if they had witnessed it. Unlike her usual self, she continued her conversation with the silver-haired girl while maintaining a pure and innocent demeanor.
“As expected. You truly are admirable, Lady Sharan.”
“It is nothing. More importantly, have you been well, Floa?”
“Hehe. I have been the same as always. Still, I have been studying diligently so that I do not disgrace the name of the royal family.”
“Do not be so modest. The members of the Leman Royal Family are all famous for their exceptional talent in magic. I heard that you are no exception, Floa.”
“That is not true. I am still nowhere near the level of my older brothers.”
“Hmm. His Highness Prince Lecephim, the Third Prince, is currently a third-year student, correct?”
“That is right. Trelas will be held soon, so he is probably training diligently. My brother Lecephim is exceptionally earnest.”
“Ah. Now I remember. He narrowly finished as the runner-up last year, did he not?”
“Yes. However, that was because of mistakes made by his teammates. Of course, reaching second place while he was only a second-year was already an extraordinary achievement, but my brother is both a royal and an incredibly diligent person. It seems he could not be satisfied with that result. I heard that he is preparing thoroughly this year so that not even the slightest mishap can occur.”
“Hmm-hmm. Then Prince Lecephim will naturally be the champion this year.”
“Most likely.”
“Hehe. But I take it you are entering too, Floa?”
“Hehe. I am a second-year now, after all. To be honest, after watching my brother’s matches last year, I began wanting to enter the tournament myself.”
“Hmm-hmm. You seem remarkably confident, considering that you just said Prince Lecephim would naturally win.”
“Hehe. I would not go that far. However, I certainly have no intention of losing easily.”
“Hmm.”
“Furthermore, I heard that a scion of the ducal House Duschfeldt will be participating this year. I am curious to see how a house famous for swordsmanship will perform in the Trelas tournament. He cannot possibly be unaware of the customs here, yet he boldly registered to participate despite being a first-year. I am rather looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
“Hehe. What is this? It seems you are taking this year’s Trelas tournament quite seriously too, Floa.”
Princess Floa responded to Sharan’s words with a shy smile.
“Even so, my brother Lecephim will be the champion. No one will be able to defeat a genius who also works hard.”
“I see.”
“Hmm. But you came to visit after such a long absence, and we have spoken of nothing but Trelas. Are you planning to watch the tournament in person this year, Lady Sharan?”
“Yes. That is my intention. Since I am already here, I will leave you with a little advice. If you keep looking only above you, someone below may catch you by the ankle.”
“Hehe. Since that advice comes from you, now that you are teaching the first-years, perhaps the child from House Duschfeldt is more capable than I expected? That is good. If I happen to encounter him during the tournament, I will personally teach him just how high the wall between an upperclassman and the blood of the Leman Royal Family truly is.”
‘Hmm-hmm. That is a good attitude. Floa may act demure and proper on the outside, but as expected of a princess of the Leman Kingdom, she absolutely despises losing. This should be enough to make the Trelas tournament thoroughly entertaining♡’
Sharan appeared fully satisfied with her conversation with Floa.
From an entirely neutral(?) position, she decided to eagerly await the Trelas tournament that would be held one month later.