Chapter 177: Preparations for the Grand Festival (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Preparations for the Grand Festival (1)
The sun rose early over Märchen Academy.
As the crimson orb peeked over the horizon to herald the dawn, I dragged my weary body out of bed and began my morning preparations.
I started the day with a morning run. Just as I once recited legal codes back in my law school days, I reviewed the material I’d studied the night before, running through the concepts in my head while I jogged.
After my run, I’d cross-reference the things I couldn’t quite recall with my textbooks. It was a highly effective memorization technique.
Since I had maximized my [Learning Efficiency], it felt strange how well I could study even when exhausted. If I’d had this body back in Korea, I probably would have breezed through the three major national examinations.
After finishing my shower, I stepped out into the room. The facilities in Elma Hall, a mid-to-high-tier dormitory, were of significantly better quality than my previous accommodations.
As I dried my damp, silver-blue hair with a towel, I stood before the full-length mirror to inspect my physique. I had definitely grown taller, and my proportions were much better than before.
Hilde, in her hatchling Frost Dragon form, was rolling around on my desk. It was her non-verbal signal for attention, so I rubbed her belly. She let out a cute "uhh" sound. She acted just like a dog—no, more like a puppy.
I changed into my school uniform. As I tightened my necktie, I felt a slight pressure against my throat.
It had been a while since I’d graduated from high school in my past life, but after over a year at the academy, I’d grown accustomed to the uniform again.
Leaving Elma Hall, I was greeted by Luce Eltania at the front gate. Her beauty and reputation naturally drew the gazes of passing students. On days when her training at the Magic Tower didn’t overlap with my schedule, we usually walked to class together.
I gave my usual response to Luce’s standard greeting—"How’s the weather today?"—and we headed toward the Magic Department building.
Once inside our respective classrooms, I began preparing for the day’s lessons.
I held a magic tool in my hand; it was essential to practice mana mastery whenever I had a spare moment. Simultaneously, I focused on increasing my magic proficiency by calculating various formulas in my head.
Calculating magic formulas was mentally taxing. In the beginning, it often led to headaches and exhaustion—symptoms of overusing my brain—but I was used to it now.
"Entering like a whirlwind, Professor Daisy."
Daisy, the professor for second-year Class B, swung the classroom door open and marched in. It was a boisterous entrance that didn't look like "the wind" to anyone. Several students jumped, clearly still not used to her dramatic flair.
I tucked my magic tool under my desk and turned my attention to her.
"Before we begin class, I have an announcement to make."
Professor Daisy slammed a textbook down on her lectern. She scanned the students with a grave expression, pausing as if to gauge their reactions.
At this time of year, everyone knew an event was supposed to be on the horizon. However, whether the plan would actually proceed was still up in the air, leaving the students skeptical. This was due to the sheer number of incidents that had occurred since last year. After all, demons had been appearing at every turn.
While everyone wanted to enjoy a major event, they were well aware that festivals were usually the first things to be canceled for safety. It was a constant source of disappointment for the student body.
The students watched Professor Daisy with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Tension filled the room as they swallowed nervously. Professor Daisy was really milking the moment.
And then...
Professor Daisy took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Rejoice! It has been officially decided! In three weeks, the 'Jeblem' Grand Festival will be held!"
Waaaaaah!!!
The classroom erupted in cheers at the long-awaited news. The male students kicked back their chairs and roared, while the female students let out high-pitched squeals and cheers. The room descended into a frenzy of excitement as everyone celebrated in their own way.
I didn't join in, as I already knew this was coming. I simply sat quietly and watched the chaos.
Professor Daisy nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the uproar.
The Grand Festival.
The event was called 'Jeblem,' and it took place once every three years. According to the scriptures of the Helize Church, the Grand Festival was created by humans who, having no other way to repay the grace of the Lord, Manhalla, intended to provide the deity with a magnificent spectacle.
In short, it was like the Olympics. The Jeblem was held on a massive scale across the Zelver Empire, a truly splendid festival. Since it was scaled down for Märchen Academy, it was more akin to a "sports festival."
The Principal and the faculty must have reached an agreement to proceed with the Jeblem recently.
‘To boost student morale.’
They must have pushed hard for it. Canceling every single event would only demoralize the students further. Märchen Academy, having developed a more robust defense system, decided to move forward with certain events to lift everyone's spirits.
And with Emperor Carlos backing them, finances weren't an issue despite the demon threats. There shouldn't be much difficulty in hosting the festival.
‘It was supposed to happen anyway.’
Chapter 8 of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, titled 「The Priestess of the Red Lotus」, took place during the Grand Festival.
Incidentally, Alice Carroll, the Student Council President, already knew the event would take place. The Clover Paladin was also using that information to concoct a scheme to target me.
With the Paladins involved, I had more formidable opponents to worry about. However, their appearance wasn't necessarily a bad thing. While I couldn't read Alice’s mind, I could read the minds of the Paladins who followed her orders. In other words, I could indirectly infer Alice’s plans through them. It was quite convenient.
"Everyone, quiet down."
The students turned back to Professor Daisy, grins still plastered on their faces. They settled down, but their delight was palpable.
"Although the decision was delayed, I believe three weeks is plenty of time to prepare. We will now begin recruiting participants for each event. Since every student must participate in at least one event, don't hesitate to sign up for whatever interests you."
She was referring to the athletic competitions. Professor Daisy began writing the details on the board. The chalk, imbued with magic, carved out letters in various colors. When she infused mana into specific sections, the text shimmered for emphasis.
Watching the scene, I thought about the Clover Paladin’s plan.
‘It’s so childish.’
He had seen my rage when White was attacked by the Priestess. The Clover Paladin was now using that as a foundation for his selfish scheme.
The list of participants for each event would be made public to the entire academy during the festival. As the Student Council President, Alice could check that information in advance. The Four Paladins would then be given that data in their quest to identify the "Black Monster."
With that, the Clover Paladin would confirm which event White was participating in and then engineer an "accident" for another student in that same event. He intended to take that student’s place. The reason he had spent so much time building a "good guy" image was specifically to exploit situations like this.
‘Since he’s injured, I’ll step in to fill the gap.’ Imagine a tall, athletic, handsome, and sociable alpha male making such a "selfless" gesture. The students, especially the girls, would be cheering for him with tears in their eyes.
And he fully intended to hurt White during the Grand Festival.
Since it was a sanctioned sporting event, I would be forced to watch in silence if White got hurt. That was exactly how the Clover Paladin planned to stoke my anger.
‘After all, the Grand Festival sports mainly involve direct physical clashes.’
Events like soccer, ice hockey, or rugby—or their magical equivalents. Physical confrontation was inevitable. In the end, on the final day of the festival, the Clover Paladin planned to secretly reveal to me that he had hurt White on purpose, aiming to provoke me into a real fight.
‘Idiot.’
Will I let his childish provocations succeed? Obviously not. I have no intention of letting White get hurt again.
I decided to turn this "opportunity" to my advantage.
*
Upon reaching the corner of the Butterfly Garden, I saw a goddess-like figure sitting leisurely against a zelkova tree in the sun. She tipped her witch’s hat and smiled brightly at me, her presence almost dazzling.
"Oh, President!"
"Senior!"
Dorothy jumped up to greet me. She was stunning. I hurried over to her.
"Have you had lunch yet? You’re here early."
"I just had a quick bite! President, which event did you pick for the Grand Festival?"
"The arc ball race."
"Me too! We’re totally in sync!"
Dorothy flashed her pearly white teeth and let out her signature laugh, "Nihihi!"
The 'arc ball race.'
It was a competition to chase and capture a glowing sphere called an 'arc ball.' Known as the "Flower of Jeblem," it was the most popular and large-scale event of the festival. While it was called a race, it was essentially a high-speed battle for possession.
Originally, I would have picked a low-profile event and waited for the shadow demon to appear, but because of the Clover Paladin, I deliberately chose the arc ball race.
The last time I spoke to White, she mentioned she would participate in the arc ball race if the festival went ahead. When I ran into her at Orphin Hall earlier, she confirmed she was signing up as planned.
Well, who would dare stop a princess from joining the arc ball race?
Of course, due to the limit on participants, we had to weed out the excess through a simple bet among the applicants. Thanks to my [Psychological Insight], I won easily. It was a bit of a dirty trick, but I was sure the other students would understand if they knew it was "to protect the Princess."
By the way, because Classes B and C had so many students, they were divided into groups. Tristan ended up in our group, and he was absolutely livid that he didn't get a chance to face me.
"Is that how much you wanted to play with me, President?" Dorothy asked playfully, tilting her head.
A joke deserved a joke in return.
"Speaking of which, aren't you a bit too fond of me, Senior? Even copying my event choice."
"Nihihi, what are you talking about? I’ve always been an independent soul."
"Well, I can’t imagine you without me. How would you survive in this harsh world alone?"
"I’d be just fine! As long as I have fried chicken, I’m good!"
"That’s reassuring."
I laughed it off and walked toward the center of the Butterfly Garden. I couldn't spend the whole day teasing Dorothy.
"...Hey, President."
Dorothy spoke up as if remembering something. I stopped and turned back to her.
"You know I’m kidding, right?"
"...?"
She still wore her naturally graceful smile, but there was a faint hint of seriousness in her usually cheerful voice.
‘I was just kidding...’
What was with that reaction?
Of course, I knew. To Dorothy, I was someone important in my own way. Perhaps that was why she didn't even want to joke about a world where I wasn't around.
"...Senior, you really did want to be with me, didn't you? That’s cute."
"Nihihi! You’re so cheeky, President!"
The mood lightened instantly. Dorothy and I looked at each other and shared a hearty laugh.
*
Orphin Hall. First-year Magic Department, Class A.
As the sun began to set, Priestess Miya sat alone in the empty classroom, staring quietly out the window. The academy grounds were still bustling with students finishing their after-school activities.
Miya toyed with her braided hair, trying to organize her thoughts.
In this academy, she wasn't at the top. That fact was eating away at her.
Luce Eltania. How could she win her over? The girl seemed utterly indifferent to wealth or status. She was nothing like the people Miya was used to dealing with.
And Isaac. How had she been bested by that bastard? He was a lowly commoner with zero credibility. Yet, he showed no fear, acting as if he didn't care in the slightest that Horan was targeting him.
"...Ugh."
Suddenly, Miya gripped her hair in frustration.
Isaac. Isaac. What the hell is wrong with that man?
Why did she have to come all the way here? Why was she letting a lowly commoner get under her skin like this? It was his fault. The root of her current turmoil was entirely because of him.
Anger flared in Miya’s eyes, a vein throbbing in her forehead. She wanted to punish Isaac brutally, to make him pay for infuriating her to this extent.
But she couldn't.
She couldn't just lash out whenever she wanted. If she were expelled, all the opportunities for influence, talent recruitment, and the "love" she craved would vanish. So, for now, Miya could only harbor secret fantasies of tearing Isaac apart.
It was then that a knock echoed through the room.
Startled, Miya snapped her head toward the door. The formal act of knocking on a classroom door as if it were a private office disrupted her train of thought.
She quickly realized the person knocking must have known she was alone.
Which cocky bastard is it now?
Miya tensed, her guard up.
The door opened slowly. Miya’s eyes widened the moment she saw the student entering.
The girl’s golden hair shimmered in the sunset streaming through the windows. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Miya swallowed hard, memories of the duel evaluation flashing through her mind.
"Hello?"
Alice Carroll greeted her with a gentle, enigmatic smile.