Overwhelming Victory
Rowen Magic Academy.
The midterm evaluation for Mana Circulation Theory, Second Tier, was underway.
The test papers had been handed out.
The scratch of quills filled the lecture hall.
This is easy. It’s everything we studied yesterday.
Ellen took the exam with complete composure.
The material she and Hans had studied together all through the night before unspooled in her mind like a panorama.
While the other students groaned over ten lines of complicated formulas, she filled her answers with just two neat, elegant lines.
Thanks to the magical pen cap Hans had made for her, her hand didn’t tire at all.
Perfect.
She set down her pen first.
At two in the afternoon came the long-awaited practical assessment, following the theory test.
The task was a Fire Whirlwind.
It was a high-difficulty spell that fused fire and wind, two entirely different attributes, while keeping the shape intact.
Most students either struggled to keep the flame tethered to the tip of their spell or had it snuffed out by the wind, failing miserably.
“Next, Sophia Bergen.”
At the call of her name, Sophia stepped forward.
She shot Ellen a sideways glare, then raised her staff high.
“Open your eyes and watch closely, Ellen. I’ll show you what real magic looks like.”
[Blaze]
From the end of her staff, a massive sheet of flame surged upward.
Whoooosh—!
A roaring pillar of fire erupted into the air.
It was spectacular, and it was powerful.
But the flames scattered in every direction, and the axis of rotation wavered violently, unstable.
It was obvious she was forcing it into submission by brute strength alone.
“Ghh...!”
Still, Sophia grit her teeth and poured in her mana, holding the spell together for ten seconds.
“All right, that’s enough.”
The professor nodded.
“Excellent power. But the mana consumption is far too high. Use it like that in a real battle, and you’ll run dry before long. Still, maintaining the form alone is impressive. Your score is B+.”
The students applauded.
It was rare for a Second Tier student to produce that level of power.
Sophia wiped the sweat from her brow and returned with a triumphant air.
Then, as she passed Ellen, she whispered, “Hmph. See? That’s the difference talent makes. I wonder if you can even manage a spark.”
Ellen didn’t answer.
She would answer with magic.
“Next, Ellen Valderk.”
Her heart thudded hard in her chest.
Still, when she clutched the pen cap in her pocket, it was almost as though Hans’s voice reached her.
Young lady, magic is needlework.
Ellen took her staff lightly in hand and circulated her mana.
Hisss—
She didn’t pour it out in a flood like Sophia.
Instead, she drew forth only a thin, sharp thread of red mana.
Don’t be greedy. It doesn’t have to be big. Just perfect.
It felt like moving an invisible needle through the air.
She wrapped the opening that wanted to become a flame in wind, twisted it, and tied it off with a knot.
“Bloom.”
[Blaze!]
The incantation was short.
And in that instant—
Woom—
A clear resonance rang from the tip of her staff.
Not a giant, thunderous pillar like Sophia’s, but something about half that size.
Fwoosh!
It spun in a flawless spiral and flew straight toward the target.
Flarararak—!
It struck the straw dummy square in the chest.
Fssssss.
If Sophia’s spell had only charred the surface, Ellen’s had burned all the way through.
Silence.
“......”
The professor’s glasses slid down to the tip of his nose.
“Th-this is...”
He looked at Ellen in amazement.
“A perfect structure. Not only the power, but the mana efficiency and stability are on an entirely different level.”
At the professor’s extravagant praise, the classroom erupted into a stir.
Sophia’s face turned white.
Her own spell, so wasteful despite its size, looked shabby and crude beside Ellen’s.
“Ellen Valderk. I salute your achievement. Your score is A+. If you keep this up, it won’t be long before you reach the Second Tier mastery rank.”
Ellen smiled with feigned shyness and bowed her head.
“You flatter me, Professor.”
She glanced at Sophia.
Her rival was trembling with frustration.
It was delicious.
Hans, thank you.
It was all thanks to him.
Her secret private tutor.
A smile slowly bloomed at the corners of her mouth.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After school, in the reception room of the Bergen estate.
Crash!
“A+? That stupid Ellen? Impossible!”
Sophia swept every perfume bottle on the dressing table to the floor.
She was trembling with rage.
She couldn’t accept the fact that she had been completely defeated—both in theory and in practicals.
“Baron! Who on earth taught Ellen? Did Count Valderk secretly summon an elder from the Magic Tower or something? How could she have mastered such incredible mana control in so short a time?”
Baron Gayle lowered his head in distress.
“Young lady, the Valderk family’s intelligence network is thorough. Even I can’t say.”
“Find out immediately. Who is that mage?”
“Please, don’t be too discouraged. Perhaps you simply had bad luck this time. I’m sure you’ll surpass Lady Ellen next time.”
Gayle tried to comfort her, but the words never reached Sophia’s ears.
As she flung herself onto the bed and vented her fury, Felix, who had been watching from a corner and chewing his nails, came forward with a glint in his eyes.
“Sis, whoever Ellen’s teacher is, there’s nothing we can do about that. Picking a fight with some mage Count Valderk’s hiding is dangerous.”
“So you want me to just swallow it?”
“No. There’s someone else we can take it out on.”
A thin, nasty smile curved Felix’s lips.
In his mind, he saw Hans’s indifferent face as he’d passed by him at the exchange, looking almost amused.
The wretched position he was in now—his entire fortune lost in stocks, debt collectors hounding him—felt like it all came from that ominous commoner bastard.
“That tailor who just came to the Valderk annex. How about we teach that vulgar little nobody a lesson?”
“You expect a common tailor like that to make a good target for my anger?”
“Why not? We’re wrecking something Ellen cherishes. You’re furious because you couldn’t get at Ellen’s teacher, and I can’t stand that bastard’s obnoxious face. It works out perfectly.”
Felix turned his gaze to Gayle.
“You know that fixer you know, don’t you? Jacob, was it?”
Gayle’s expression changed.
Jacob was an assassin who handled dirty work in the back alleys.
“Young Master Felix, Jacob is a dangerous man. To summon him just to intimidate a commoner—”
“Since he’s only a commoner, we can deal with him cleanly and without repercussions. You know I’m being hounded by loan sharks right now. I need to show Father some kind of result. If we drag that man in and make him talk—about who Ellen is learning magic from, or maybe the Valderk family’s secrets—Father will be pleased too.”
Felix caught Gayle by the sleeve and whispered low, “That Hans bastard worked as a library assistant for the commoners, so he’s bound to have overheard plenty. Send Jacob to bring him here quietly tonight.”
Gayle let out a sigh.
He hated being dragged into such childish revenge, but he couldn’t refuse the desperate request of the young master.
“...Very well. I’ll contact Jacob and have him bring the boy out to a quiet place.”
Only then did Felix smile, satisfied, his expression almost deranged.
Hans... it’s because of you that I’ve ended up like this. Tonight, your pathetic little luck runs out too. I’ll make sure I see you grovel for your life in front of me.
Night had fallen thick over Rowen.
Like a shadow, the assassin Jacob began moving toward the Valderk family’s annex.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Valderk Count’s Estate, main reception room.
“Ha ha ha! Our daughter truly is splendid! She’s flattened that arrogant Bergen family’s nose right into the ground!”
Count Valderk laughed heartily and slapped his knee.
Before him stood Ellen, holding her report card and looking shyly pleased.
Beside her, the countess was smiling with obvious delight as well.
“I still can’t believe Ellen came first.”
“Neither can I, my lady. Especially since Count Bergen has been strutting around boasting that his daughter would place first and all that nonsense—it was getting tiresome. I feel thoroughly satisfied. Top marks in both theory and practical work!”
The count seemed even happier that he had landed a blow against his rival, Count Bergen.
“Well now, Ellen. What on earth was the secret? I heard from your professor that you demonstrated a high-level technique usually used only by mages of Second Tier mastery rank.”
At her father’s question, Ellen’s heart lurched.
She wanted to tell the truth.
That Hans, over in the annex, had taught her magic.
I can’t say that.
Ellen closed her lips.
Her parents were typical nobles.
If they heard that a commoner—a tailor, of all things—had taught a noble lady magic?
They certainly wouldn’t be grateful. They’d be offended that he’d dared overstep his place.
He might even end up in danger if I’m not careful.
Ellen shook her head and smiled brightly.
“No, Father. I didn’t want to lose to Sophia, so I holed up in the library and studied on my own. I suppose I just happened to figure out the trick.”
“Ho ho, you reached that level through self-study? As expected of my daughter! Blood tells.”
The count stroked his daughter’s hair without the slightest suspicion.
“Yes, you’ve done something wonderful. I’ll grant you whatever you want. A new dress? Or perhaps jewelry?”
This was her chance.
Ellen swallowed.
“Um... Father. I don’t need jewelry or dresses.”
“Oh? Then what?”
“Could you get me some medium-grade Magic Stones? About ten of them.”
“Medium-grade Magic Stones?”
The count’s eyes widened.
If a low-grade Magic Stone cost one gold piece each, then a medium-grade one was a luxury item costing more than ten gold apiece.
Ten of them would come to a full hundred gold.
“You’re still Second Tier, so why would you need medium-grade Magic Stones? Aren’t those for Third Tier mages?”
“I wanted to study with them in advance. If I’m going to train stronger magic, I need better materials.”
Ellen lied without even blinking.
In truth, she wanted to give them to Hans as a gift.
She was curious what sort of miracle he would produce if he got his hands on medium-grade stones, after the power he could already wield with low-grade ones.
The count looked at his daughter for a moment, then laughed boisterously.
“Ha ha ha! Ambition suits you. Of course, what kind of father would refuse even that much to a daughter determined to train in magic? I’ll contact the merchant guild first thing tomorrow and have them procure some.”
“Really? Thank you, Father!”
Ellen beamed and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
The count was so delighted he practically glowed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Ten o’clock at night. Ellen’s room.
Normally, on the day an exam ended, Ellen would spend the night partying with her friends or sleeping in late.
But today, she changed out of her formal party dress and into simple indoor clothes instead.
I should hurry to Hans.
Her steps were as light as feathers.
What expression would Hans make when she showed him her A+ report card?
He must be waiting for me by now.
She pushed the bookshelf in the study aside and slipped into the secret passage.
All the way down the dark stairs, she found herself humming under her breath.
And then—
When she emerged into the cavern beyond the underground passage, a foul, metallic stench slammed into her nose.
......?
Is that the smell of iron?
No, it was blood.
Thick blood.
Ellen’s heart dropped through the floor.
“Hans...?”
The blue glow of the magical lamps revealed the underground cavern.
“......ah.”
Ellen’s report card slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.
Her mouth fell open, but no scream came out.
Hans was standing in the middle of the sealed chamber.
He was wearing his usual neat work clothes.
But his face and his clothes were drenched in blood.
His eyes were terrifyingly cold, the chill in them frozen deep.
And at his feet—
A man in a black mask lay collapsed on the floor.
No, to be precise, only the man’s torso lay there.
His head was gone.
The severed head had rolled into the corner of the worktable.
Its hideously twisted face was staring straight at Ellen.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇