Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Entrance Exam (4)
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Veronica was utterly flustered.
A wildcard named Aren, who had demonstrated overwhelming power in the first exam. No one could have imagined such a variable, and it turned out to be the very man standing before her.
Everyone had been focused solely on established Golden Generation figures like the Crown Prince, the Sword Saint's disciple, or the Magic Tower Lord's disciple. Yet, this wildcard had emerged from a completely unexpected place.
That was why Veronica, too, had taken a somewhat— no, quite positive interest in him. She wasn't the type to look down on commoners just because of rumors, unlike what some might think.
But...
"...You're serious?"
"Yes."
Her head spun once more as she watched Aren nod firmly.
Have a child?
"You want me to... have your child?"
"Yes. I'd like you to become my partner and bear my child."
...Her ears weren't playing tricks on her after all.
Gasp after gasp rose from the crowd around them.
A commoner from who-knows-where had just proposed—not confessed, but straight-up proposed—to the duke's daughter of the empire. Depending on the circumstances, this could lead to severe punishment.
A fine at minimum, execution at worst.
"I'm not joking. I've always had a type, and it's women like you."
"...!"
Whoosh—!
Her face flushed red.
Aren meant every word. With his goal of having a child, and having grown up idolizing women like his master, his tastes were fixed in that direction.
Beautiful faces, seemingly aloof but with a compassionate side that would look after you, large breasts, and great figures.
Veronica fit the bill perfectly.
Of course, he hadn't confirmed her personality yet... but Aren had a strong hunch.
A woman like Veronica would turn devoted and genuine the moment she fell in love.
Meanwhile, she bit her lip hard.
'...Get a grip.'
She barely managed to pull her dazed mind together.
'This won't do.'
Whether his confession was sincere or not, she was letting herself get too swept up. It was probably because this was an unprecedented situation for her.
Honestly, that fervent gaze desiring her specifically? It flattered her a tiny bit... but this wasn't the time for casual chit-chat.
'I have to fight.'
This was a duel, after all.
Soon, she decided to fire back a mental attack(?) of her own.
"...If you're serious, then from now on, you'd have to devote yourself to me alone and live solely for me. Is that okay with you?"
It had zero effect, of course.
"Well... that gives me pause. Since I was born a man, shouldn't I at least have three wives and four concubines?"
"...!"
Her eyebrow twitched.
Why did that offhand remark sting more than the near-insult of a public confession?
Veronica's eyes turned icy.
"...Hah. Fine. Let's just get this duel started."
She let out a small sigh, and the instructor, who had been watching their exchange, quietly signaled the start of the duel.
The long-awaited duel finally began.
Veronica struck first.
True to her lineage from the Adel Adler ducal family—renowned for magic—her specialty was spellcasting.
Among those, fire-element magic was her forte.
Suddenly, intense heat surged from beneath Aren's feet, and in an instant, a massive pillar of fire erupted. The whole process took about one second.
An ordinary person wouldn't even have time to react before burning to death, and it was a speed even most of the spectators watching the duel couldn't counter.
It was the expected caliber from a Golden Generation member—impressive, but not surprising.
However...
"...!"
To Aren, it wasn't impressive at all.
He emerged from the pillar of flame completely unscathed, without so much as a singe. For someone whose standard of "strong" was calibrated to his master, this was nothing.
Of course, he wasn't ignorant of general standards, so he knew Veronica's spell was top-tier...
"Feel free to go all out, Veronica."
"Don't call me by my name so casually...!"
Gritting her teeth, she unleashed Multi-Casting in a flash.
Five or more magic circles inscribed in midair.
Considering most mages couldn't even perform Multi-Casting, her talent was undeniably monstrous—
"How...!"
But Aren nullified the spells squeezing in from all directions as if it were trivial.
"This much is simple."
"Ugh...!"
It bruised her pride.
She'd known he was stronger ever since he'd shattered the mithril measuring device, but...!
'Again, my spells are vanishing...!'
All her Multi-Cast spells dispersed into nothingness.
Yes.
Not deflected or defended against—they were erased from existence.
Dispel might be the closest comparison... but the problem was there was no precursor whatsoever from Aren.
Dispel at least involved a reversal process, but in Aren's presence, fully cast or mid-cast spells simply vanished without warning or trace.
It bordered on the miraculous.
"Wh-what...?"
"The magic just vanished...?"
"Dispel?"
"...No, not Dispel."
"...Then how...?"
"What the hell is that guy...?"
"..."
"Freakin' insane."
She clenched her teeth at the spectators' murmurs reaching her ears.
Normally, her curiosity as a mage—and her strong pride—would have made her demand an explanation right then.
But this was a duel in progress.
How could Aren possibly know her inner turmoil?
Grinning, he tossed her a line that some might interpret as provocation.
"Won't you show me more of your magic, Veronica?"
Oddly, his voice rang out crystal clear.
The more it did, the more she pushed Multi-Casting to the brink, overloading her brain.
Flames erupted from his feet, fiery spears formed in the air, the ground melted to trap his legs, and crimson rings constricted around him.
This was far beyond what a prospective Academy mage should be capable of...
Snap—!
Aren flicked his fingers, and every spell vanished in unison.
"...! Ugh...!"
Clutching her head, she desperately began casting again. Building the ritual, channeling mana—a simple yet intricate process.
But.
"Your magic burns with such passion, Veronica."
He simply strode toward her nonchalantly.
With every step he took, the strain on her brain intensified.
Any ordinary mage would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago, but Veronica clung on tenaciously.
Even so, her limit approached swiftly.
"Veronica."
"Don't talk to—"
"Look at me, Veronica."
The moment their eyes met, she was overwhelmed by Aren.
Red eyes shaped like overlapping circles. Gazing into those unprecedented irises, her mind briefly detached from reality.
It was merely an instant—
"...Ah."
In that fleeting moment, Aren stood before her, hand aimed at her throat, smiling.
"Will you surrender?"
Veronica declared her surrender.
"...Yes."
…
The crowd fell silent. They couldn't quite process what they'd just witnessed.
Veronica had showcased Multi-Casting beyond five layers with her superior skills—high-tier spells, no less—and this Aren had nullified them effortlessly?
Without any precursor or trace of dispersal?
Did that mean it was some original magic?
And afterward, Aren hadn't even attacked once, yet he'd claimed victory over her.
Not that it diminished Veronica's performance... which had been stellar.
"..."
"..."
"...Wow."
"...Is this for real?"
"Shit..."
"He's insane..."
They figured the duels after Aren and Veronica wouldn't hold their attention.
The two—no, Aren alone—had been that shocking.
Even the remaining undefeated Golden Generation members probably couldn't top it.
Not even the Academy professors evaluating the duels or the imperial officials.
And so, amid everyone's shock, the duel ended. Just before stepping down from the arena, Aren whispered softly into her ear.
Her body trembled with a start.
"Oh, and for the record, everything I said before the duel? That wasn't a joke—it was all serious. So don't misunderstand."
"...You mean what you said earlier...? Ah."
She stared blankly at Aren descending from the arena, hand pressed to her chest.
Thump—
Thump—
Thump—
For some reason, her heart was racing.
"..."
Whether it was adrenaline from the match or something entirely different...
...For now, she had no way of knowing the true nature of that pounding.