Chapter 20: Game Start

“Everyone, have you checked the match table? Then, please move to the place written on the table.”

Bianca sensei clapped her hands, and everyone got up and started to move to the places marked on the chart.

I also stood up and headed for the seat at the far end of the corridor.

Emilia-sama was already there, and I caught a look at her dignified profile.

“Emilia-sama, I look forward to working with you.”

When I approached her with that, she said, “Yeah, it’s my pleasure.” and nodded.

Her expression was as firm as ever, but there was no hint of hostility. 

Despite this, her gaze is a bit sharp.

I think Emilia sama is trying to assess me, just like Bianca sensei. 

She seems to be troubled because my positioning is too vague.

If Emilia sama’s approval is gotten, my position will be stable, so I have to win this no matter what.

While being pushed by such a sense of duty, I face her across the desk.

Then, Bianca sama, who was watching this situation, opened her mouth.

“As for the role of the first race, the one with the earlier attendance number is the attacker, and the one with the later attendance number is the defender. In the second race, the role will be changed, so please keep that in mind. I will hand out chess pieces now ──── << Wind Mentor >> “

Perhaps because of the speech magic class, Bianca-sensei, who cast magic by chanting, used the wind to float the chess pieces in the air.

The pieces wrapped and accompanied by a soft breeze, hovered over the students’ heads, and eventually landed on the desk.

As you would expect from a teacher at Frügel Academy, the control of the magic was very precise.

“The time limit is 10 minutes from now. Then ──── Please start.”

With the declaration of the start of the game. We, C-class students, held our hands over the pieces and chanted all at once.

It was the same for me and Emilia sama… We were the first to activate our magic.

“<<Barrier>>.”

“<<Fireball>>.”

We chanted at the same time, but the magic itself was a little faster for me … I wrapped the entire desk in a translucent wall.

A ball of flame that appeared a little later hit there. 

However, it wasn’t powerful enough to break my barrier, and it spreads a little on the surface and disappears.

It might have been a little dangerous if the barrier had been delayed… it would have been destroyed. 

This is the ability of the top grader…

“I might have looked a little naive,” I sighed in my mind as I glanced around.

At the beginning of this game, some of the pieces had already been destroyed because the magic activation speed was so important.

I glance at the classmate, who drops her shoulder, and opens her mouth again.

“<<Barrier>>.”

“<<Wind Cutter>>.”

If I made another barrier outside the barrier that I had just developed, I could stop the high-power wind blade.

Since it’s a beginner’s magic, it doesn’t have much power, but its effectiveness differs slightly depending on the amount of magic power that one puts in.

Using that law, she probably increased the power of the wind attack.

This is a little … no, I was pretty surprised. No way, she could crack the barrier? I’m glad I had another one just in case.

With me relieved, the girl with a ponytail standing in front of me, opened her eyes wide.

“That’s not possible… I couldn’t destroy the barrier even though I increased the power of my attack …”

Emilia shakes her head as if to say, “I can’t believe it,” and looks at the cracked outer barrier as if to devour it.

Stunned, she muttered, “It’s scary to think of this strength as a beginner magic …”

Then, she strokes the surface of the barrier a little and smiles bitterly. Emilia, who had a look of both dismay and admiration, and shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “There’s nothing I can do.”

“I lose. I can’t break this barrier.”

Emilia, who admitted to losing without waiting for the time to run out, gives up.

Since I don’t think she is aiming for a sneak attack due to her seriousness, I accepted the surrender.

I shook my hand sideways to release both barriers around the desk.

“Excuse me, but is this Emilia ‘losing’ the first round? Or is it…”

“I mean to admit to losing the game itself. If the strength of that barrier is due to your magic power, your attack magic will also be quite powerful. When we change offense and defense and start again, I have no chance of winning.”

Our classmates were buzzing as she declared that she would give up the fight itself.

Many of them looked at me, wondering how I was good enough to make Emilia sama give up.

The fact that I had an object of comparison made my abilities more obvious, and most of my classmates honestly praised me as “amazing”.

But … not everyone seemed to recognize my ability, and some people cried out in uproar.

“That’s a lie! Emilia sama can’t lose!”

“Yeah! You must have used some underhanded means!”

“Emilia sama can’t lose to a viscountess! Admit your guilt now!”

The girls who categorize my power as bogus, are the ladies who are always by Emilia sama … they were the people around me, so to speak.

I laugh bitterly at the allegations that have no basis or evidence, thinking there are quite a few people who think so.

It’s impossible to cheat with chanting-based magic, but I’m willing to accept their taunts.

I didn’t deny or affirm, I just listened … but ──── Emilia sama didn’t allow the taunt to continue.

“Shut up! You guys!”

The pony-tailed girl, who silenced the girls with an ear-splitting loud voice proceeded to lift her eyes.

I was surprised and couldn’t even make a sound because I had never seen Emilia-sama shout before.

While the students of Class C were taken aback, she continued.

“Don’t accuse Miss Charlotte if you don’t have any evidence! You know that you can’t cheat with speech magic! And she’s one of the few talents I recognize as being capable. I won’t allow you to ridicule her!”

Emilia, who dismissed their false claims, folded her arms and sighed deeply with a “Hah …”

Her emerald eyes are bleeding with melancholy, and her emotion raging but it wasn’t directed at me.

Emilia apologizes by bowing her head a little toward me.

“I’m sorry, Miss Charlotte. …… I apologize on behalf of those girls. Please don’t be offended. I’m sure they were doing it out of love for me. ……”

“No, no … don’t worry. I’m really okay.”

I shake my head, I’m not worth having Emilia-sama, the daughter of the Duke, bow her head, and she raises her head obediently.

I smiled at the girl with a ponytail, who had had a caring gaze on her face.

To be honest, I used Emilia-sama to prove my ability, so if you think of it as retribution, it’s a small price to pay. 

Rather, it’s… enough to owe her some change, so she really doesn’t have to worry about it! On the contrary, my conscience is sore!

“I’m glad Miss Charlotte was generous. I’m sure this apology will go somewhere, so feel free to tell me anything.”

“Yes … Thank you.”

 I managed to smile fondly at Emilia-sama, who softened her expression as if relieved.

I’m glad for her conscientiousness and concern, but at the same time, I feel guilty.

And my evaluation with Emilia’s endorsement goes up steadily.──── this is how I took the first big step towards an enjoyable school life.

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