Chapter 166: Fury (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: Fury (1)
“Shera, put that trash in the bin properly.”
“Sniff.”
“Right now.”
“Ugh, you total stiff…”
The Spade Paladin, walking through the grounds of Märchen Academy, scolded the Heart Paladin, Shera Hectolica, who was trailing beside him.
To a man who lived by the rules, Shera’s habit of littering on the street was utterly unacceptable.
“This place is going to be destroyed anyway. What does it matter if a piece of trash or two ends up on the ground?”
“Shera. We are still students…”
“Okay, okay~. Seriously, you’re never going to get a girlfriend acting like that.”
“Hey, what is that supposed to mean?”
With a look of pure disgust, Shera picked up the crumpled paper she had tossed and shoved it into a trash can.
She then pulled a mana pudding bar from her pocket, tore open the wrapper, and took a bite, her expression still sour.
“Hey, Mr. Model Citizen. Do you think ‘that guy’ will actually show up during the duel evaluations? Like Her Majesty mentioned.”
“…You mean the ‘Shadow Demon’?”
“Yeah, that.”
According to the information shared by Alice, that demon was lying low, biding its time.
Life had been a series of boring, repetitive days since the joint practical evaluation, and Shera was secretly hoping the Shadow Demon would appear soon to provide some much-needed excitement.
However, the Spade Paladin’s response immediately dampened her spirits.
“It won’t happen.”
The Spade Paladin adjusted his glasses with a gloved hand. It was a calculated movement intended to exude an air of intelligence.
“It doesn’t seem like the Priestess will go berserk anytime soon.”
“So booooring…” Shera grumbled, pouting.
*
—“My goal is Luce, after all.”
Isaac’s words continued to echo in her mind.
Inside Orphin Hall of the Magic Department.
The darkness of the evening sky hung heavy over the empty Class D classroom.
Sitting alone in the middle of the room, Snow White, the pure white princess, had been staring intently at a duel request ticket for a long time.
White recalled Isaac’s expression. Even after receiving a duel request from Miya—the first-year top seat and the Priestess herself—he hadn't shown a flicker of fear.
Instead, he had shown nothing but cold determination, stating that his true goal was Luce Eltania, an opponent even more formidable than Miya.
‘Senior Isaac is so cool.’
If she were the one facing Priestess Miya, her first instinct would have been overwhelming fear.
‘Could I ever be like him…?’
To become someone who could stand on equal footing with Priestess Miya and Saintess Bianca Anturaze. To become their friend and ultimately contribute to the peace of the Zelver Empire.
That was White’s purpose for being at Märchen Academy.
She looked down at the remaining request ticket. How should she use it in the upcoming evaluation?
“…”
It was time to stop overthinking.
White stood up from her seat.
*
“Hooooo… haaaa…”
“Princess White, are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m… I’m full of determination!”
The next day. The day before the duel evaluation.
Snow White, drenched in a cold sweat, tried to steady her breathing.
She looked so incredibly tense that just watching her was enough to make anyone else break into a sweat.
In front of the academic building, White and Merlin Astrea were hiding behind a row of trees.
The first-year top seat of the Magic Department, Priestess Miya, was walking toward them, her black, jade-like hair flowing behind her. White pressed a hand to her chest, took one last deep breath, and nodded to Merlin.
Her face was set with resolve.
White stepped out and blocked the path of the approaching Priestess.
“…?”
Miya stopped in her tracks, surprised by the sudden appearance.
The warm sunshine spilled down over the two beautiful students.
White’s face was a mask of tension, while Miya’s was clouded with confusion. They stood there like a study in contrasts—black and white.
Like a teenager about to confess their love, White began to tremble. Miya waited patiently for her to speak.
“H… H-H-He… Hey…!”
White managed to force the words out, but her voice cracked and quivered.
Hidden behind the tree, Merlin was silently cheering: ‘You can do it!’
Gathering every ounce of her courage, White reached into her clothes and pulled something out.
Her hands shook as if an earthquake were rattling her bones.
Miya’s eyes fell upon White’s deathly serious face, the beads of cold sweat, and finally, the duel request ticket held in her trembling grasp.
Miya tilted her head, seemingly unable to process the situation.
“Miya, I challenge you to a duel…!”
Nearby students gasped. Seeing the princess pull a duel request ticket on the Priestess was a shock to the system.
Even setting aside their royal and religious titles, the sight of the lowest-ranked student in the grade challenging the top seat was unprecedented.
“…Pfft.”
Miya let out a sharp scoff.
“What’s your angle?”
“A-Angle? No, it’s not like that. It’s just…!”
White looked Miya straight in the eye and shouted, “You are my goal…!”
Only one day remained before the duel evaluation.
Yesterday, Isaac had achieved a dramatic breakthrough by fully mastering two 6-star spells. He was someone who constantly pushed himself to the limit, achieving exponential growth through sheer will.
As his mentee, she couldn't afford to just stand still. She would never become like her senior if she continued to act like a coward.
Snow White’s goal was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Saintess Bianca Anturaze and Priestess Miya.
Therefore, she had decided to challenge herself by dueling the strongest student in the first year—her ultimate benchmark.
To become stronger…! I mustn't hesitate to fight powerful opponents, just like Isaac.
And if she was lucky, this might even be the bridge that allowed her to become closer to Miya. That thought gave White the final push she needed.
The two girls stared at each other in silence.
After a moment of contemplation, a thin smile played on Miya’s lips.
“Fine. I accept.”
“…!”
A spark of hope lit up White’s eyes.
Despite the absurdity of the rank difference, White couldn't hide her joy that Miya had actually accepted.
Miya leaned in and whispered into White’s ear, “I look forward to it, Snow White,” before walking away.
With her face flushed and a radiant smile, White clenched her fists and gave a quiet cheer. She was simply happy that Miya had acknowledged her request.
*
In the sub-event “Blazing Petals” from ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱…
Ian Fairytale was scripted to receive a duel request from Priestess Miya. It was a sub-event the player couldn't avoid—essentially a part of the main scenario.
Naturally, the original protagonist, Ian, was no match for Miya. The gap in their raw stats and the power of their familiars was simply too vast.
However, Ian won that sub-event. The reason was simple.
‘Because Miya let her guard down.’
Miya, trying to gauge Ian’s skills, held back too much and was caught off guard. It was Ian’s monstrous physical ability and an explosive strike that ultimately secured his victory.
It was the classic cliché: the strong opponent underestimates the protagonist and pays the price.
Of course, that victory cost Ian severe burns and two days in the infirmary, but a win was a win. He was healed with magic the moment the duel ended anyway. Plus, Ian’s light-element constitution granted him absurd regenerative powers.
But of course, I am not Ian.
Which meant it was uncertain whether Miya would underestimate me and hold back the way she did in “Blazing Petals.”
‘She’ll… probably hold back, right?’
Given how she had looked down on me during the entrance exam, it was a safe bet.
As I was weighing my options for the upcoming duel with Miya, something unexpected happened.
“She accepted the duel?”
“Yes!”
Evening, in a secluded corner of the Hydrangea Garden.
White, who had been practicing her wind magic, spoke with an excited, high-pitched voice.
Since the evaluation was tomorrow, I hadn't given her any strenuous training. We were just lightly reviewing the basics I had taught her.
I clicked my tongue as I listened to her story. She had challenged Miya earlier today, and Miya had actually said yes.
Was there ever a duel between Miya and White in the original ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱…?
‘No.’
Absolutely not. That never happened.
The skill gap was too wide for the game to even consider it. It would be like me, back in the first semester, trying to fight a version of Luce Eltania who could already use the full power of the Thunderbird.
“Why did you challenge her?”
“It’s nothing special, really…”
White stopped her magic and hesitated. She seemed to be debating whether or not to tell me her true feelings.
Finally, she looked me in the eye, having made up her mind.
“You said you were going to beat Senior Luce. Just like you, I wanted to challenge the Priestess.”
“…”
“That’s why I’ve been agonizing over it until today. Wondering if someone like me even had the right to do that.”
White gave a small, awkward smile.
“You’re… like a mentor to me. Being around you makes me want to be like you. Maybe it’s just inevitable? When you see someone amazing, you can’t help but want to follow in their footsteps… to aspire to be like them.”
I was about to tell her it was a reckless move, but I swallowed the words.
It was clear that White had found her own resolve. As for what I thought of her decision…
I didn't want to be the one to crush that spirit.
And…
“…Is that so?”
“Ehehe.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed by her earnestness, I adjusted my glasses and looked away. White giggled playfully at my reaction.
Unlike other nobles of the Empire, this princess didn't have a single authoritarian bone in her body.
She was pure, kind, and a bit of a klutz. It made her easy to be around—impossible not to like, really. Knowing her words were sincere made me feel a strange sense of pride.
But what worried me was…
‘The Priestess is the problem.’
My expression hardened as I thought.
The current Miya was a sociopath. A dangerous one, unlike Luce, who simply hyper-focused on me and ignored the rest of the world.
Miya committed cruel acts without a hint of guilt. She treated people like garbage, trampling over them based on their social class or their innate mana capacity. She was a villain through and through, obsessed with proving the superiority of herself and her nation, Horan.
Since she was the top seat, she had absolutely nothing to gain from dueling White, who was at the bottom of the rankings.
In other words, there was likely a reason other than the duel evaluation for why she accepted.
‘Like what happened to "that kid" in the original story…’
A sense of foreboding crept up my spine.
“Whi—”
“Senior Isaac!”
White held out her palm toward me.
“Let’s both do our best tomorrow! I’m going to give it everything I’ve got!”
She was resolute. Seeing that unwavering, pure smile, I closed my mouth.
…It’s not my place to interfere.
The decision to duel Miya was White’s choice alone.
This is the story White is writing for herself.
All I can do is watch.
“Just make sure you use everything I taught you.”
“Of course!”
I smiled and gave her a high-five.
The sound of our palms meeting echoed crisply through the evening air.
*
The next day.
The duel evaluations began.