Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Monica's Victory
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Manaks were magical beasts as large as they were slow in flight, so we could quickly catch up to the one that had passed right over our heads.
Fairy-like specks of light sprinkled down from the wings of the Manak as it hung from the tip of a tree branch, taking a brief rest.
"How do we catch the one up there?"
"With flying magical beasts, you have to disable their wings first. In my case, I just burn them off, but for you..."
"I make water first and then freeze it?"
When I'd awakened my Divine Grace while catching the Giant Leviath, I'd instinctively created water without realizing it.
After that, I'd only practiced using water from the lake.
How did I make the water again?
Florian reached out to me, seeing how clumsily I was fumbling with my still-unfamiliar Divine Grace.
I accidentally placed my hand over his, and he gripped it firmly.
"I'll teach you."
Florian's blazing Divine Grace brushed lightly against my palm.
It was hot, but ever since awakening my own Divine Grace, it no longer felt unbearably scorching like before.
"Follow my Divine Grace slowly. Imagine the amount of water you want to create."
Florian's heat grasped the frayed end of my Divine Grace, which felt like a tightly tangled ball of thread.
He began to unravel it gently.
Naturally following his heat, I drew out my Divine Grace, and a fist-sized orb of water formed above my palm.
Learning from someone skilled with their Divine Grace makes all the difference.
I recalled the sensation Florian had taught me, dispersed the water orb hovering over my palm, and looked up at the Manak.
If I make water like before and freeze it...
A thin layer of water formed along the surface of the Manak's wings and froze solid in an instant.
The Manak twisted its body, flapping its now frost-covered wings a few times, before plummeting straight to the ground.
I channeled a bit more Divine Grace into it, fully freezing the wings and rendering the Manak completely immobile.
"Florian, look! I froze it!"
"Good job, baby. We'll need to go a little deeper into the forest to catch the next one. Let's go."
Florian picked up the fallen Manak and headed deeper into the woods.
I watched his back for a moment before hurriedly catching up.
He really does seem like a reliable big brother in moments like this.
Florian and I roamed the forest, hunting down seventeen Manaks in total.
Armin had caught about three, and Monica around five, making twenty-five altogether.
This should be more than enough to take first place.
I considered catching a few more, but the horses were already weighed down, and the hunting festival's time limit was running out.
"Looks like those two are still chatting away."
Monica and Armin were sitting by the lake, lost in conversation.
They seemed to have completely forgotten about the hunting festival.
They were discussing some historical novel I didn't know, both of their eyes sparkling like stars.
Good. As long as the engagement with the western side goes smoothly, Uncle won't be able to bully Monica anymore.
Without Uncle's tacit approval, neither Aunt nor Mark would dare touch her.
"This seems like a good spot to unload and head back."
"Yeah!"
I helped Florian unload the Manak carcasses from the weary horses' backs and piled them up in a spot where Monica and Armin would easily see them.
Then I undid my hair ribbon and tied it around the leg of the topmost Manak.
Monica would realize these were my gift to her when she saw it, right?
Returning to the starting point with Florian, who now shared one more secret with me, I waited with bated breath for Monica and Armin to return.
"Baby Ella, check this out!"
Dietrich, who had been waiting at the starting point, dragged over a massive Manak trapped inside a giant water orb.
Seeing the creature—far larger than me—still wriggling alive sent chills down my spine, so I slipped quietly behind Florian.
"Look at the Manak I caught! Huge, right? Bet it's the biggest one here. What do you think, Florian? I win, don't I?"
"Yeah. Congratulations."
"Where's yours? No way you got anything bigger than mine."
Dietrich strutted around us in a circle.
Having given all our Manaks to Monica, Florian and I were empty-handed.
Dietrich alternated glances between us—who looked like we hadn't caught a single Manak in three hours—then furrowed his brow.
"Weird. I won, but why do I feel so crappy...?"
Florian and I exchanged secret glances and stifled our laughter.
Just as Dietrich, wearing a dissatisfied scowl, tried to squeeze between us, the long trumpet blast signaling the end of the hunting festival filled the grounds.
Bwooo—!
Soon after, the children began emerging from the forest one by one.
Most had caught only three or four, with Mark taking eleven—the most of any individual.
Monica and Armin were among the last to exit the woods.
"Whoa, look at that!"
Someone pointed, and everyone turned to stare at the heap of Manaks the two were dragging.
"Those two must be the winners this time."
"Between Duke Kalenberg's granddaughter and Duke Repenshtein's son, who takes the prize?"
Uncle was overseeing the judging.
He listened quietly to the murmurs from the crowd before slowly rising to his feet.
Stepping forward, he looked down at Monica and Armin, who had brought twenty-five Manaks, and asked,
"Today's event is an individual competition. There can only be one winner. Who caught these Manaks?"
"Th-that's..."
"Lady Kalenberg caught them. I just helped carry them."
Monica turned to Armin with a flustered expression.
Armin, yielding the victory, simply shrugged lightly.
Then he naturally walked over and sat with the western group, including his older sister.
First impressions weren't great, but he seems like a decent guy after all.
Uncle's lips twitched in satisfaction as his daughter claimed victory.
He even glanced smugly over at where Dietrich and I sat.
Now that I look at him, Mark's obnoxiousness is a dead ringer for his.
"The winner of today's hunting festival is Monica Kalenberg."
Monica's face flushed bright red at Uncle's declaration.
Flustered, she glanced at Armin, then over at where Florian and I sat.
I beamed a bright smile back at her.
As the winner was announced, the young western duke rose and approached Monica.
Huh? But his posture...
Why was he walking with his body tilted like that?
One shoulder hunched asymmetrically upward, twisting his entire stance—it almost looked like...
"As promised in advance, I have a gift for today's winner."
"Cardinal Josephine truly keeps her word without fail!"
Josephine gestured lightly, and one of the nearby attendants stepped forward carrying a pristine white box.
The beautiful box, white with gold leaf accents, sparkled under the sunlight.
Josephine accepted it and opened the lid.
Everyone craned their necks to peer inside.
Of course, I was one of them.
"This is..."
"A necklace blessed by His Holiness the Holy King of generations past. It bears the blessing of Phasa."
"Phasa's blessing... You mean the highest blessing that repels all evil and falsehood?"
"Indeed. It can only be used once, but its power is absolute. May the grace of the gods dwell upon Lady Kalenberg."
Josephine placed the box in Monica's arms before quietly stepping back.
If it's blessed and all that, it must be incredibly valuable, right?
Monica looked on the verge of tears.
I joined the crowd in applauding heartily to congratulate today's winner.