Bluffing at Hotel Aquila
We arrived at Hotel Aquila, owned by the Alteer Foundation, and received our suitcases from the bus's luggage compartment. Aquila means "eagle" in Latin, so maybe Alteer comes from Altair in the Aquila constellation? Sure enough, a massive eagle emblem was etched into the revolving door's glass.
"Nami! NoNameNamiNami!"
The second-year elementary kids who'd left ahead of us were shouting my name from inside the hotel lobby.
"What, you guys didn't go up to your rooms yet?"
The bus with the elementary kids had departed ten minutes earlier.
"We waited for you, Nami! Hehe."
"Let's go up together!"
Yuna and Haru were waving their keycards in front of my face. It was nothing special, but these kids sure picked the weirdest moments to be sweet.
I lightly ruffled their hair, and we all walked down the quiet hallway together.
"I've never been to a hotel before. It's so cool! Whoa, what's that?"
Yuna was making a fuss and pointing at the ceiling. Following her finger, I saw an ornate chandelier hanging there.
"That's a chandeli—"
"Whoa! Look, Nami! The elevator door feels all fuzzy! Like dog fur!"
Yuna didn't seem all that curious anyway, so I just gave her a soft smile.
"Once the upperclassmen finish check-in, this place'll get crowded too. Let's hurry up, unpack, and settle in."
"Yeah!"
Ding-dong.
[Floor 7.]
"What room are you guys in? We're 711."
"Um... Me and Nami are 713! Haru and Ji-hye are 715? Guess we're neighbors."
Even though I was competing in the middle school division, my age meant I'd been roomed with my classmates.
"Looking forward to two weeks with you, roommate Seo Yu-na."
"You too!"
Unpacking wasn't much of a hassle. Thanks to the hotel laundry service, we didn't need to pack many clothes, and towels and toiletries were mostly provided.
"Nami, I brought this from home. Want some chocolate?"
"Yeah, just one. Thanks."
Meanwhile, Yuna had stuffed her suitcase to the brim with who-knows-what. Snacks, stuffed animals, novels—stuff kept spilling out endlessly.
While she finished sorting, I opened the window and took in the distant view of Alteer Academy. If Seferon Academy felt modern, Alteer had this elegant, old-world vibe, right down to that chandelier.
Student council president Shin Jin-ho's first proposed strategy: sow confusion in the opponent during the magic registration process for the tournament.
Mondays and Fridays. Twice in total, each grade submits the magics their students will use to the tournament committee. The committees from both sides then verify each other's lists, analyze strategies, and devise counters.
Our homeroom teacher, Jacqueline Carol, was probably on the committee right now too.
"Yuna. Decided what magic you'll use for the tournament?"
"Me? Still thinking. We don't have to submit till dinner tonight, right?"
"Yeah."
For second-year elementary, you bring three 1st Circle magics to the tournament. Submit up to five on Monday, then pick three approved ones by Friday. Unlike middle or high school, elementary kids were restricted because they were still unskilled with magic.
"Yuna. Since it's just registration anyway... How about I teach you one of my unique magics? Use that instead."
"Your unique magic? You mean Adella? I don't know how to use it at all!"
Elementary kids were definitely too young to pull off a bluff like this. As she said, Adella required serious mastery. Tough for her level, but if pulled off, its sheer power would make it impossible to ignore.
"It's fine. I'll just give you the basics on what it does."
"Hm... Okay, sure. It's not a total lie! Someday I'll learn it for real!"
"Yeah. I'll go mingle with the upperclassmen from third to sixth grade. Be good and wait here, got it?"
Time to lightly rally the elementary third through sixth graders. Wonder how Alteer would react if every Seferon student "knew" Adella.
I left the room with a much more relaxed stride. At the end of the hall, I noted the quietly spinning CCTV and moved silently.
Bluffing was all about the acting, but could our student council president pull off some method acting?
We, the participants, as proud students of Seferon Academy, which has led Korea's magic education, hereby swear as follows with pride and dignity.
One—
As Alteer's oath wrapped up and Seferon's began, the B2 operations committee room had already been locked in fruitless debate for two hours.
"Adella is too dangerous! Does it make sense to use something like that in an elementary tournament? Japan classifies it as A-rank for a reason!"
"NoName's unique magic got A-rank not for danger, but for its completeness and versatility. Endless applications despite being a simple 1st Circle spell—that's why Japan recognized it."
"Seferon must be gunning hard this year, but Alteer can't accept it. Not for our students' safety."
Alteer teachers' stubborn stance wasn't bending easily.
"Listen!"
Bam!
Unable to stand it, student council president Shin Jin-ho clenched his fist and slammed the table.
"Safety? The one preaching safety taught barrier magic to middle schoolers last year? Our kids suffered disorientation for weeks, and theirs ended up in the ER with mana exhaustion. Forgot that clean from your mind?"
"That was... middle school..."
"Japan's used Adella in the Emperor's Cup and countless duels—no injuries. Why? Predictable impacts. Refs can drop mana blockers and intervene easily."
Orena barriers or not, injuries were always a risk. But he argued Adella's built-in delay made it safer for intervention.
"Far riskier magics have passed before. Why so sensitive about Adella? Scared of it...?"
"What?! We just mean caution—it's only been out two months."
"That's Alteer's problem. A week till matches—plenty of prep time, right?"
"...!"
Shin Jin-ho flashed a sly grin, throwing back Alteer's words from last year verbatim.
"Stamped. Satisfied, Mr. Seferon Student Council President?"
The flushed grade director slammed his seal and waved the paper irritably. As Shin Jin-ho opened his mouth for more, a teacher tugged his sleeve.
"Good work, Jin-ho. Sit down now. Teacher Choi, lower your voice and calm down. It's just elementary—sun's not even set. Ugh, I'm starving. Break time, finish middle school review, then food."
Seferon high school grade director's intervention brought a lull.
Choi Byung-gun from Alteer, emptying a water bottle, spotted the young woman doodling in the corner: NoName's homeroom teacher.
"Hmm... You there, Jackie-chan? What was your name again?"
"Yes. Jacqueline Carol."
"Right, Jacqueline. When did you teach second-graders something like that? Needs coordinate transforms, matrix basics. Can those kids really use it?"
Regaining composure, Alteer teachers eyed Jacqueline suspiciously. Was the bluff busted already?
Jacqueline played it cool.
"Nami helped a lot. Not just tournament kids—all our class got her patient explanations. She's dead serious about magic."
"Is that so...?"
"You should've seen our class practicing every lunch."
"Not doubting Seferon talent. Just curious."
Still skeptical head-tilt.
Elementary review done, committees retreated to lounges for a breather.
"What do you think? They approved it... But it's pure bluff, right?"
"Even after two hours of that? What if they actually use it? Emperor's Cup Adella is unbeatable. Nothing counters it but another Adella."
"Exactly. Waste time analyzing counters if bluff... Let it slide, feels off..."
All NoName's fault. Developing a unique magic at that age was sheer luck, but Japan treating it as invincible? Headache.
"So. Any weird moves from Nami?"
"Wandering hotel halls pre-oath."
"Huh... Sounds legit then?"
"Minimal prep, Teacher Choi."
"Yeah. No magic's un-counterable. Kids won't perfect it."
Break over, teachers returned to the long-table room. Shin Jin-ho, softer now, greeted warmly.
"Sorry I lost my cool earlier, Teacher Choi. Deep apologies."
"It's fine. That's committee life."
"Middle school has far to go—full cooperation, please."
"Middle school's unlimited, but always basic stuff? Haha, fifteen minutes tops—"
"Not this year."
Shin Jin-ho handed out a mountain of papers from the floor. He couldn't hide his smug grin.
Thud!
The wooden thud shifted the mood.
"What's all this?"
"Middle school magic list for the tournament. Quick approval, Alteer."
A teacher skimmed, frowning.
"Joking, right? All of the—"
"Not all. Look closer."
Flipping back: "NoName?"
"Yes. Joined middle school division somehow."
"Oh ho. Middle school, huh? Confident."
Nami in middle school was great for Alteer. Unbeatable at her age—elementary win long forfeited—but a few grades up? Winnable.
But this insane stack?
"No way... She knows all these?"
Alteer teacher's eyes bulged frog-like. Seferon's student council came to sabotage the committee.
"Falsifying magic permits can bar tournament entry—you know that?"
Shin Jin-ho barely stifled a laugh.
"We tried stopping her. Review by morning, please."
"We're screwed..."
"How..."
"Knew it."
"Ha... Nami..."
Hotel Aquila's B1 had a modest arena. Not huge for running, not cramped—perfect size.
Post-oath downtime, we headed underground for fun. Watch spars, maybe try one myself.
"Ughhh..."
The sixth-grader flat on his back below me, eyes rolled back, was Seferon too. Thought he was Alteer.
"You okay, senpai? Must hurt. I'll heal you—get up now. Eyes on us, embarrassing."