Aren's Rally: Veronica's Overwhelming Victory
Aren's shout in preparation for the inter-year competition left the Crown Prince and most students speechless. Even Lydia and Veronica. But there were students showing positive reactions—and they were the Martial Arts department.
"Hahaha! I agree with the chief!"
"I agree too!"
"Yeah! The team mascot should be a pretty, cute girl, right?"
"Exactly!"
…The students from the Martial Arts department.
The students from the Knight department, Swordsmanship department, Spirit department, and the rest stared at them like they were looking at something insane.
"…Are their heads made of muscle?"
"……"
A female representative? And not based on ability, but just because she's a woman. The Crown Prince bit his lip. Then he spat out his thoughts exactly as they were…
"Is Your Highness dismissing women?"
"…What?"
"?"
"…?"
"???"
The other students floated question marks over their heads at Aren's words. Ignoring them, Aren calmly continued.
"No, isn't that what it sounds like from what Your Highness is saying? It seems like you've got this ingrained idea that since you're a man and Veronica's a woman, you have to be the representative no matter what… Am I wrong?"
Of course. It was sophistry, but Aren had only cited Veronica's cuteness and beauty as one reason she should be representative. Men naturally get a huge efficiency boost with a pretty girl around! Plus, she'd be great at handling the other girls. And she wasn't lacking in ability at all.
"But Your Highness seems to be saying she can't because she's a woman… Hmm."
"Wh-what?!"
From that point, the female students' gazes toward the Crown Prince started turning strange.
…Of course, the weight of the name 'Crown Prince' kept them from speaking out openly.
"Women can do it if they want to, right?"
Eh? Don't you guys know? That trending phrase from a country called South Korea on Earth: 'Girls can do anything', right?
Of course, he didn't really think that. But right now, the important thing was swaying the female students' hearts. Even if they didn't support Veronica, as long as they didn't follow the Crown Prince, it was fine.
And sure enough, this feminist incitement(?) worked—the female students' gazes toward the Crown Prince grew sharper.
How's that.
The spicy flavor of Earth. This was the essence(?) of Earth politics that this uncivilized medieval world couldn't match.
"…Wh-what are you saying! That's not what I meant! I was saying the representative position needs not just performance, but strategy to lead the team!"
"Well said."
Aren pushed Veronica's waist from beside her. She stumbled forward into the center of everyone.
"Strategy is definitely important. Yes, very important."
"Y-yes. You get it. So I should be the representative—"
"But if it's strategy, Veronica doesn't fall short either."
Veronica was a duke's lady from the start. Her position in the family was ambiguous, but she'd received full education, and her mind was sharp. Compared to the Crown Prince, who was in the middle of breaking off a political engagement because he couldn't control his desires for another woman… wasn't she more reliable?
"…You…!"
"No offense. I was just curious if someone who can't control themselves can lead others."
Pure curiosity. Yeah. Probably?
"Kuh…!"
The Crown Prince's face flushed bright red. Yet no real rebuttal came out.
It was already famous knowledge that the Crown Prince had brought about the dissolution of his engagement due to his own lack of self-control.
As if that sparked it, the noble students started murmuring. Especially the girls.
"……Indeed………right?"
"…The Crown Prince………Lady Clement……"
"………Misjudged at a crucial moment………his fault……"
"……Worst………like this………Lady Adler……"
Success.
The mood had completely shifted. Thanks to Aren's silver tongue, the Crown Prince was framed as the incompetent commander who couldn't control his desires and broke a vital engagement, while Veronica got the frame of the pretty, cute model student with recently skyrocketing performance.
Now for the decisive blow.
One decisive blow and it was over…
"Th-then! What strategy do you and Lady Adler propose?!"
The opportunity walked right to him.
"——Overwhelming power."
Overwhelming power.
"Overwhelming… power?"
The Crown Prince's face twisted grotesquely, as if asking what kind of strategy that was.
Even Veronica looked at Aren in confusion.
But.
"A strong body means your brain doesn't have to work hard. And the same goes for this inter-year competition."
"…What?"
"This year's event is conquest battle—which means… a small-scale war."
Wars on Earth often devolved into quagmires tangled in countless strategies and tactics.
Of course, wars in this world weren't much different… except for one thing. One single variable.
The existence of superhumans with overwhelming force who could single-handedly turn the tide of battle.
No matter what strategies the enemy brings, throw in a grand mage or sword master, and the war snaps shut.
That was war in this world. Like strategic weapons such as nukes on Earth. The difference? Superhumans here were far more versatile and freely deployable than nukes.
"And luckily, we have students who are like strategic weapons."
Represented by Aren himself, who had long surpassed student level, and Veronica, whose performance had massively improved. He timed it and patted Veronica's back.
Show them that.
…That?
The multi-casting we trained. Right now.
Veronica's eyes widened for a moment.
But.
She nodded, and simultaneously began operating a massive amount of mana.
The mana surged through her mana circuits, intertwining organically to form spells, which extended into the air.
Splitting, splitting, splitting again and again—her spells.
Thus, over ten massive spells from Veronica filled the air.
The time it took for all to deploy: one second.
The students gaped at the sudden sight, staring up.
"………!!!!!!!!!!"
"Wha………!"
"Wh-what kind of multi-casting is that…!"
"……Whoa. What the hell?"
"……………Insane."
Astoundment. That's what filled their eyes.
Veronica was already famous in the Golden Generation for multi-casting… but not to this extent.
Hell, she looked more like the Magic Tower Lord's disciple than Ferris, the actual disciple.
Instinctively, they thought the title of next grand mage should go to her now.
It was that… overwhelming, beyond imagination.
And the Crown Prince couldn't miss this atmosphere.
"……Im-impossible."
"It is possible."
Aren placed a hand on Veronica's waist and met the Crown Prince's eyes—eyes filled with the same astoundment as the others, plus instinctive defeat from being outmatched.
And.
"What do you think?"
Of the overwhelming power that rendered strategy meaningless.
…
"…………"
The Crown Prince was speechless, mouth flapping.
…Thus, the election of Veronica—the all-rounded, peerless beauty, prospective grand mage—as first-year representative was confirmed.
After Veronica's election as representative, they decided to start joint training for the inter-year competition tomorrow and disbanded.
Thanks to that, news of Veronica's election and the events spread across the entire Academy in an instant.
It was that shocking, beyond everyone's expectations.
Veronica's overwhelming performance, the Crown Prince's disgrace.
And amid the whispers, Veronica—
"…Is this really okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"His Highness the Crown Prince. He was thoroughly humiliated."
—was worrying about the aftermath.
"He's still the heir to this vast Empire. If he holds a grudge—"
"What does it matter?"
"…Pardon?"
She looked at Aren with eyes at a loss for words.
What does it matter…?
"Veronica just needs to focus on family matters, right? Once we achieve this goal, the Crown Prince doesn't matter."
"…But."
"No buts."
Aren grabbed both her cheeks and stared into her eyes.
She clearly hadn't expected the sudden cheek-grab and looked flustered.
So soft and squishy.
He kneaded her addictive cheeks for a moment.
"Veronica will surpass everyone's expectations and brilliantly escape her family, right?"
"…Yes."
"Then what after? Live in the Empire?"
Her words caught for a moment.
She hadn't thought that far yet.
…But.
"After finally gaining your freedom, you plan to stay tied to the Empire?"
Aren felt sorry for her.
"Didn't I tell you? I can take responsibility for someone like you anytime."
"……That's."
He had said that.
Aren was nobility beyond even the Eastern great empire of Huayan, rivaling this Erzenia Empire.
Once more, he reminded her.
"I'll take responsibility for you. So, just follow your heart and do what you want."
She shouldn't worry about others' eyes anymore.
"Got it?"
"……Yes."
Her lowered head had slightly reddened ear tips.