The Unwanted Representative
“Jeanie, your dreams are so small.”
“Small? Being rich is the best! There’s nothing money can’t solve!”
Mia didn’t seem to understand the usefulness of money, probably because she was born into a wealthy family.
“With money, you can play and eat all you want!”
“But you can’t buy spirits with money.”
“You can buy a Spirit Master, though.”
“……Well, maybe. But you can’t buy love with money!”
“Maybe not. But I don’t need love anyway.”
We were enjoying a leisurely afternoon, chatting about trivial things, when Mia suddenly pointed behind me and shouted.
“Jeanie! Look over there, it’s Rai! Rai!”
She waved her hand enthusiastically, clearly delighted.
I turned my head and spotted Rai emerging from the bushes.
I had tied a large pink ribbon around his neck that morning, but it was nowhere to be seen. He must have deliberately ditched it somewhere, claiming he lost it.
“Ah, he’s leaving. Call him, Jeanie!”
“Leave him alone.”
“What if he comes over?”
“I see him every day. I’m sick of it. We’re like family.”
“But……”
Mia was fascinated by Rai and desperate to touch him, but Rai despised her. Even now, despite being a snake, he was skillfully backing away.
At the academy, Rai was registered as the snake I was raising. Some students had made a fuss, claiming his triangular head meant he was venomous, but after months with no incidents, they had mostly stopped caring.
Above all, the King had personally approved it.
‘Of course, they probably never expected the pet I was raising would turn out to be a snake.’
Rai mentioned that some people had tried to catch him, but they all returned with broken weapons.
Traps disappeared because he ate them, and swords became useless because they weren’t harder than him.
Rai maintained a constant weight, but his strength grew terrifyingly with each passing day.
It was only natural, considering he spent all day roaming around and picking up whatever he could eat.
Still, raiding an entire warehouse had been excessive.
No matter how many times I told him he could eat anything lying on the ground. Ah, but at least he kept one rule.
“It’s fine to wander freely and enjoy yourself, but you must follow this one rule. Don’t eat anything that belongs to people.”
Since he would devour any metal he could find, I had to set boundaries, or who knew what kind of trouble he would cause.
I suddenly wondered if the warehouse incident should count as an accident too.
Well, I didn’t order it. So it’s not my problem, right?
I lay down comfortably on the grass. It was truly a peaceful day.
Using self-training as an excuse, I had almost no classes, which was incredibly satisfying.
I hoped today and tomorrow would pass without any incidents. I absolutely hated troublesome things.
-Everyone, please settle down.
The headmaster’s voice, amplified by sound magic, echoed through the auditorium.
As usual during assemblies, the students were busy chattering.
Today was a rare occasion where the entire student body had gathered, making the atmosphere even more chaotic and noisy than usual.
There had been full-school assemblies before, but since I had skipped most of them, this was my first time attending one.
I had tried to escape again, but Iel had caught me. He had learned exactly when and where I would run off, which was annoying.
“Haah.”
Among the students divided by grade and department, I stood alone as the sole member of the Spirit Department.
I yawned while standing near the Alchemy class and glanced around.
In the distance, I saw many tall students. They were probably from the Adolescent Division.
The Royal Drike Academy was split into the Children’s Division and the Adolescent Division, divided at age thirteen, with the Adolescent Division extending up to age eighteen.
Most students graduated at nineteen and were assigned positions within the kingdom based on their specialties.
If they wished to work somewhere specific, they could apply with approval from above, but that was a distant story for someone like me still in the Children’s Division. I wasn’t interested anyway.
There was no way I wanted to get a job or anything like that.
While it all seemed dull to me as a student, outsiders viewed the Royal Drike Academy as an elite path because graduates were immediately employed by the royal palace.
Especially for commoners, it was considered a dream academy—getting accepted meant your life was already set.
My surroundings were filled with Alchemy and Magic Department students, where tuition made it difficult for those without money, so commoners were rare. However, the Swordsmanship Department seemed to have quite a few commoner students.
-Now, we will begin the special assembly.
What should I do? I’m already sleepy right from the start. Is there no magic that lets you sleep while standing?
-In one month, the Winkan Festival will be held. As you all know, this festival is a meaningful gathering where the five allied nations—the Elan Empire leading the way, our Dmitry Kingdom, the Vailan Kingdom to the west, the Koran Kingdom to the east, and the Heidricke Kingdom to the north—come together to strengthen their bonds.
Ah, that. It’s probably just a ranking event to prove “We are the Empire’s vassals” rather than a festival of unity.
-The festival is held every five years at Wintid Academy in Elan. Each kingdom’s royal academy selects its most outstanding students to showcase their abilities…….
I started listening half-heartedly, picking at my ear.
The festival was just a predictable event where students competed, were ranked, and winners received prizes.
And as usual, the top ranks were dominated by the Empire’s academy students.
No matter how grand it sounded, it was ultimately just a festival to boost the Empire’s prestige.
What meaning was there in gathering the best students from each kingdom to determine whose talents were superior? In the end, everything would go according to the Empire’s will.
‘They call themselves allies, but they’re basically vassal states, aren’t they? The hierarchy is too clear.’
Dmitry was among the stronger nations, but it couldn’t compare to the Empire. And the Elan Empire was particularly wary of Dmitry.
Having many strong knights in Dmitry was more than just an eyesore to the Empire.
-Now, I will announce the list of twenty students representing the Royal Drike Academy at the Winkan Festival. While most of you won’t be selected, please don’t be discouraged and continue to dedicate yourselves to your studies.
Those selected must strive hard for the honor of the kingdom!
Did the headmaster just make eye contact with me for a second? It must have been my imagination.
“Jeanie, Jeanie?”
“Yeah?”
Mia tapped my shoulder and gestured for me to lean in. Then she whispered affectionately.
“I got selected. I’m going to the Winkan Festival!”
“Heh.”
“What kind of reaction is that? Do you know how amazing this is?”
“How amazing is it?”
I really didn’t know. I could tell Mia was excited, though.
Even the Swordsmanship Department students were cheering as if they had won the world when their names were called.
“The Winkan Festival tournament is a golden opportunity to make a name for yourself across the continent. Gaining fame is the greatest honor.”
“Honor, huh…… But isn’t that tournament just a martial arts competition where people beat each other up? And you’re saying you’re going there, Mia?”
“Geez, you really have no interest, do you? Students like me from the Knowledge Division compete in quiz competitions. Fighting is for the Magic and Swordsmanship Departments!”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Go win.”
“The continent’s greatest geniuses will all be there! Do you know Robenin Pedri? I heard he’s participating too.”
I didn’t know who that was, but okay.
As usual when I didn’t understand the conversation, I just nodded along.
I was still half-asleep from lack of a nap today.
“That’s why the Swordsmanship Department students were fighting tooth and nail to get on the representative team.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a golden chance to compete against Robenin Pedri! Duke Pedri’s son is famous as the Empire’s swordsmanship genius. If you beat him, you’ll be recognized as the continent’s greatest swordsmanship prodigy.”
“There sure are a lot of geniuses.”
Unlike my complete lack of interest, Mia seemed quite excited.
The Winkan Festival was definitely a rare event. Held only once every five years and hosted by the Empire, it must be enormous. Maybe it was something the entire continent looked forward to.
-From the Magic Division: Bright Keniyan, Koga Isterao, Yurpi Sanierrun, Peter.
Ah, Peter.
Just from the name, he sounded like a commoner. So there were commoners in the Magic Division after all. Out of the twenty representatives, only four from the Magic Division, and he was one of them—so he must have real talent.
-Lastly, from the Spirit Division: Jeanie Crowell.
Oh, there must be another student with the same name as me. What a coincidence that we’re even in the same department.
-Selected students, please come to the stage.
Jeanie is a pretty common name, huh?
Hahaha! I tried to pretend I hadn’t heard and laughed it off, but before I knew it, the hands around me were pushing me toward the stage.
The headmaster’s words about “bringing honor to Drike” and so on sounded like complete nonsense.
“Wait a minute!”
“Let’s go, Jeanie.”
Before I realized it, Mia had grabbed my hand and was pulling me along.
I tried to plant my feet and resist, but Mia’s grip was surprisingly strong.
“W-why me?”
“Because you were selected for the team.”
“Something’s wrong here! Am I really going?”
“Yes!”
This can’t be happening!
Fight with spirit magic? Against swordsmen? Mages? Martial artists? That doesn’t make sense!
This is wrong! Our cute Undine isn’t meant for combat!
Just as I was about to scream, my eyes met Iel’s, who was standing near the stage.
“Teacher! I think something’s wrong here!”
I ran at top speed—rare for me—and clung to Iel.
I was desperately trying to hold onto a thread of hope, but it was a futile effort.
“I got it! I’m going to the quiz competition, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Not a chance.”
“No way!”
“You’re participating in the combat tournament, Jeanie.”
Damn it! Has he even seen Undine? What kind of fight am I supposed to have with that gentle spirit! I struggled violently, but it was useless.
“Wait, just a……!”
I was dragged up onto the stage.