Episode 198. Day 2 of the Festival (3)
The town was still full of heat.
It was 10 p.m. It was almost time to go to bed, but people weren’t falling asleep easily.
Because I want to experience this exciting atmosphere for the rest of my life. However, if I fall asleep early, a day of the festival will be wasted.
This was the same for the nobles as for the commoners. It was a shame that the time that was supposed to be held every five years was wasted while they were sleeping.
Everyone shared a similar sentiment. However, the nobles were able to enjoy the festival even in places where the heat had cooled down, unlike others.
Imperial residence of the Alighieri Academy.
Princess Mirona stood on the balcony railing as the cold wind blew, looking out over the town.
As I looked up at the sky, the stars were shining brightly.
Seeing those two things at the same time made my heart swell.
‘It feels like a place I’ve known for a long time.’
Actually, I’ve had that kind of feeling of awkwardness ever since I entered school.
At the time, I just let it go, but in this atmosphere, it has been brought to the forefront.
It felt as if I had been taught by someone here for a long time.
And that too in this lively festival atmosphere.
-Please calm down. I know the people who got into trouble because of it.
That’s what Lyman Vegilius always said to himself.
It didn’t fit with my pursuit of purity, but… strangely, I couldn’t just listen to it with one ear and let it go.
It was a truly strange place.
Lyman, this academy, and…
“Oh my, I couldn’t see you, but you were in a place like this?”
Mirona flinched at the voice coming from behind her.
It was an instinctive rejection that made all my nerves tense without me knowing it.
That was because it was the voice of my stepsister whom I didn’t want to meet.
“It’s been a while, Mirona.”
“Sister Meloin….”
Meloin Freed Divine. The first princess, the daughter of the Emperor’s first wife. The older sister who had been pressuring her since childhood was standing in front of the balcony.
A dress that is more extravagant than the one worn by the youngest member of the royal family. Blue hair that seems to emphasize the complete contrast with her own.
And wearing earrings made of diamonds or having jewels embedded throughout the outfit gave the impression of a personality that defined elegance through luxury.
“Are you trying to avoid me by any chance by coming here?”
Meloin said with a very arrogant expression.
It felt like an aura like a poisonous snake looking down at a frog.
“Don’t be under the illusion that everything will be okay if you just stay still. Who would think you’re an innocent child if you just stay still in a place like this?”
“….”
Although he was smiling on the outside, his words were filled with venom.
Mirona noticed the intentional malice, but she couldn’t open her mouth.
“By the way, didn’t you participate in the tactics banquet? If you participated, winning would be a piece of cake and you wouldn’t be able to get recognition from your father, right?”
Finally, Meloin continued speaking with a smile on her face.
“If it’s the same skill that hurt my arm when I was little.”
“…!”
Mirona’s face hardened as guilt struck her.
It is a clear fact that Meloin’s arm was paralyzed that day.
Even though I wanted to make excuses, I was too filled with self-reproach, so all I could do was clench my fists and tremble.
However, Meloin smiled again at the sight of her half-brother.
Because I enjoyed admiring such sights since I was young.
“It’s a shame, because if you had just broken down badly there, my anger would have subsided a little.”
Meloin knew what Mirona’s weakness was.
It’s responsibility.
No matter how wrong something is, Mirona cannot move when faced with guilt.
It was a moment when he repeated to himself that he was more worthy of the throne than a girl like this.
“You’re not trying to vent your anger, you’re just enjoying seeing your little brother suffer, right? Isn’t that right?”
The two were startled when someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
A saint with impressive green hair like swaying leaves was standing on the balcony.
Saint Nevia Cromag of Melody. Meloin quickly greeted her in front of her amazing appearance.
“First Princess Meloine Fried Divine. I greet you, Saint.”
“Stop saying hello. Your voice only tells me you’re planning to eat people.”
Nebia shook her head back and accepted the princess’s greeting coldly.
Meloin was greatly taken aback by that unexpected attitude.
“Why are you suddenly like this? Don’t you remember when we met in the zodiac?”
Not long after being chosen as saints, Angela and Nevia visited the zodiac.
At that time, Nebia, who was evil inside, had become friendly with Meloin, who was of the same tribe as her.
It seemed strange that he acted as if he had forgotten that friendship.
“Yes, I remember. I remember thinking I was going to die because I had to endure that ugly voice of jealousy towards my younger half-sister who had nothing.”
“Why…”
Meloin stuck out her tongue at the flood of criticism that poured out like a torrent of water.
And Nebia put her hand on Mirona’s shoulder and said.
“It makes me even more uncomfortable to hear the expression ‘our princess Mirona will fall apart’.”
“Saint Nevia…?”
“Why? Is it so strange that I, as the student council secretary, take the side of the student council president?”
“Student council?”
From the moment I first saw her, I could tell that Nebia was not the type of person to be subordinate to anyone else.
Because he showed an enormous desire for dominance at the time.
But there was no sign of what had happened in the meantime.
Even joining the student council meant… joining under Mirona, who was one of the objects of jealousy.
“That’s nonsense…!”
Meloin is greatly embarrassed and Naevia covers her.
Mirona was impressed by Nebia’s appearance.
“Even though he may look like an idiot, he is my student body president. How can I just sit still when he dares to take down the president in front of me?”
“But did you call me an idiot?”
Mirona’s feelings, which had been deeply impressed, suddenly came crashing down.
Is this a compliment or an insult?
“And as you know, Your Highness, I can tell what people are thinking just by looking at their voices. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but now I see that they have such disgustingly dirty thoughts.”
“Are you trying to do it with `us` now?”
By “we” he meant the entire royal family. This would obviously be seen as nothing more than a provocation to the royal family.
But considering that Nevia also had the authority of a saint, it was a close fight.
If the two collide, there is a high possibility that both sides will collapse.
Knowing that very well, Nebia smiled with a hint of venom.
“Hehehe. I’m just worried about Princess Meloin.”
“What is that…”
Nebia slowly approached Meloin.
He grabbed Meloin’s shoulder as she took a step back, swallowing her breath, and whispered in her ear.
“The more dirty your heart is… the more likely you are to fall for lies.”
“Eek!”
“At this rate, I won’t be able to see through even the tricks of a swindler, Your Highness.”
“Hey, get out of here!”
Princess Meloin is startled and screams as if she heard a noise.
Nebia spoke, infusing the magic of melody into her ears.
Nebia’s words that entered through the ears took root in the brain.
“ah…”
Meloin’s hands lost their strength as if something had happened.
Mirona had a vague idea, but did not stop the saint.
Because our goals are already the same.
“Get out of here immediately. Don’t come near us until I give you the order.”
“yes…”
Meloin, who had such a fiery temper, moved her mouth weakly.
Then, with a face that had lost all will to fight, he went out onto the balcony.
Naevia shrugged as she watched Meloin disappear.
“Are you okay, Chairman?”
“Thank you so much.”
I could tell just by listening to Mirona’s voice.
How long has she suffered under Meloin Unnie? She doesn’t complain even though she was kicked out in such a violent way.
“You don’t have to be attached to that kind of person anymore. He’s your enemy now.”
“yes…”
Now, even my father, the emperor, may become my enemy.
Since becoming the student council president, he has become aware of the imperial family’s suspicious nature, triggered by the Instructor Jason incident.
Having grown up under gaslighting since birth, I couldn’t tell if the royal family was good or evil.
But I was able to get a kick out of it due to a recent development.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff when your only mother is in danger.”
“….”
Miriam Kirien Divine, the mother who gave birth to Mirona.
In fact, he was Mirona’s only family.
Not only was she constantly persecuted because she was accused of being a concubine, but now she was imprisoned somewhere.
There was no one who could lead such a thing but the emperor.
“Saint Nevia is so kind.”
“What did you say?”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Nebia began to hesitate at the sudden words that came to her mind.
I was blinded by the brilliance emanating from Mirona’s detailed face.
“Don’t worry. I just don’t want my perfectly healthy family to disappear. So please don’t misunderstand and say I’m kind or anything.”
Nebia lost all the family she had in her memories.
Although her mother was still alive, she tended to view herself more as a tool than as a daughter.
Her father and brother were murdered, and as a result, her mother lost her humanity.
If she had not become a saint, Nebia would have taken her life long ago.
“My goal is only revenge.”
The culprit who ruined his own family.
Her green eyes were filled with resentment toward the royal family that had murdered her father and older brother.
* * * * *
The second match of the tactical banquet.
A team match was underway to determine the survivor of Group B.
Just like in Group A, this time too, a fierce battle for survival was active.
Among them, this fight was full of all kinds of magic from all directions.
Kwaaaaang!!-
Choaaaah!-
Wide-ranging burst magic and lightning magic sweep away competitors like fallen autumn leaves.
There, even though there was a strong unmanned team from Group A, they were eliminated the moment they were swallowed.
But there was one contestant who withstood the storm of the elements.
[New Sign Language]
One participant’s body was given nine fox ears and tails.
She withstood each elemental magic with her tenacious vitality.
“A monster, a monster…?”
The wizard who had created the elemental storm had a distorted expression.
The girl fired dozens of arrows in an instant, eliminating the other contestants, and even took down the wizard with a single blow from her double-edged sword.
A girl from the Yoho tribe who has burn marks all over her body, but quickly recovers.
Ruska Mad-Eye took the victory with ease.
[Group B Winner – Ruska Mad-Eye]
Ruska’s victory is met with cheers and applause from the crowd.
Jenny, who was watching her fight from the audience, said.
“You’ve gotten stronger than before. What do you think, Radon?”
This time, the question came to me. My thoughts were not much different.
“Before she even entered school, Ruska had already been on the battlefield. She should have at least more combat experience than you.”
And that’s not all.
In Alighieri, there is no cadet with better physical ability than Ruska, except for Lyman.
When I subtly cautioned her like that, Jenny raised the corners of her mouth.
“So, rather, are you looking forward to it?”
And Ray, who was sitting next to me, was also impressed.
“My prediction was right. It was that girl who advanced to the finals!”
Ray had felt something unusual about Ruska from the moment he first saw her.
And I couldn’t close my mouth the whole time I was watching her fight.
Because it was the first time I saw someone raise their hand and become a winner even after being baptized in magic multiple times.
“But we can win with our sister’s ice. We can handle it more accurately now.”
“Of course. Has this sister ever disappointed you?”
Jenny shrugged her shoulders at her sister’s expectations.
Then Ray spoke with an even brighter expression.
“Then you have to win too. Just like Mom.”
Suddenly, Jenny’s expression hardened. At the same time, her once sturdy shoulders slumped.
“Huh? What’s wrong with your face, unnie?”
“Huh? It’s nothing.”
Jenny, who had been vaguely confused, immediately turned her head to me.
Jenny, whose expression had suddenly become dark, whispered in my ear.
“I have a favor to ask. Radon.”
“….”
“When the final match of the tactical banquet approaches… take Ray and leave the village.”
I accepted the girl’s earnest request without hesitation.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
