They Say the Chair Professors Are Going Head-to-Head?!
"So much fun. You're all way too much fun these days."
The Holy Emperor Mulan Setanta returned to Wind Hall, trailing that frail body of hers that looked as though a mere breeze could knock it over.
In her hand she held a small recording crystal. On it was captured, in unflinching detail, the entire war of words that had just taken place between Wicker and Phelia.
"Young people and their overflowing blood — it's wonderful, really. The Principal, the slave merchant, even the little brat, all so passionate. Hee hee, how adorable."
Passing by, the Fist Tiger Ruel Hopkins spotted Mulan and greeted her. Fiddling with the crystal out of idle curiosity, he grew interested.
"Oh, is that Professor Phedia and Professor Alencia? Looks like they went at it again."
"Ah, Ruel. You know Professor Phedia well?"
"Yes, sir. I'm in his Dungeon Studies class. ...Wait, they're settling it in a lecture showdown tomorrow?! Whoa! Big event alert! Can I copy this?!"
"Pfft. Of course. Take as many copies as you like."
Ruel pulled an empty crystal from his pocket, duplicated the footage in a flash, and sprinted off toward the dormitory lounge where the other students were gathered.
"Hey hey hey, a BIG EVENT just dropped for tomorrow! Anyone want in on a bet?!"
Watching him go, Mulan let out a weary, withered laugh.
"Must be nice, having so much to enjoy. You young ones."
"Hee hee, hm hm hm~"
Tia stepped out of Earth House humming a little tune. Her preparations today were more flawless than usual. The fact that she'd loosened the knots of her outfit just a touch more daringly than normal was her little secret.
Master said he was meeting with the Principal early this morning. Should be wrapping up about now, right?
The walk to meet Wicker made her footsteps feel light as air. Every strand of her smoothly flowing golden hair scattered on the spring breeze.
The academy grounds looked a little different than usual. Ordinary civilians — not students or staff — were strolling the campus.
Some came as small families, others as entire noble households, but there were plenty of couples in twos as well. Seeing them, Tia kept superimposing herself and Wicker onto the scene, and a silly smile kept sneaking onto her face.
N-no, stop. This is no time to let my guard down.
She had Wicker all to herself today, but Yuri had claimed tomorrow, and Luca the day after — both had already locked in their dates.
It had been a long time since her thoughts got this tangled.
Part of her wanted to be Wicker's first. But the time the four of them spent together was also precious beyond measure.
Her request for a Silver-Blue Festival date with Wicker was, you could say, the result of all that conflicted feeling.
She simply didn't want to be left behind by Yuri, who was charging ahead on her own.
Luca, evidently spurred on by Yuri as well, had booked Wicker for day three — so Tia figured there was no need to read the room anymore.
She wanted to be chosen, of course. But wouldn't it be fine, for a while at least, if Wicker didn't choose anyone at all?
Tia was thinking this without even realizing it. That was how much the four of them being together these days pleased her.
Still, Yuri and Luca are going to pull out all the stops to charm Master tomorrow and the day after...
For now, it was her turn to enjoy herself.
After all — this was their first date, no matter how you sliced it!
Buoyed by her soaring mood, Tia hurried along toward her meeting with Wicker.
It happened as she passed in front of Wind Hall.
"Oh, there she is!"
"Testia!"
"Lady Testia!"
A cluster of Wind Hall students swarmed toward her. They were students she'd partied with in Dungeon Studies lectures before.
"Ah, good morning, everyone!"
Tia greeted them warmly, and the students fired off their questions in an excited barrage.
"Is it true you might transfer to Water Hall?!"
"Professor Alencia looked absolutely furious! Was this all planned out in advance?"
"Professor Phedia was SO cool!"
"Huh? What are you all talking about?"
"What, you haven't heard yet? The lecture showdown!"
Tia floundered at this entirely novel piece of news. One of the students pulled up the recording on their crystal for her.
The moment she'd confirmed the contents, Tia clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.
"Professor Phedia says he can win? Against the Sage?! ...Huh? Testia!"
Tia could spare no more words for them. She broke into a run. Her clothes were a disheveled mess, but she had no time to care. She threw her full speed into reaching the place she'd promised to meet Wicker.
Beneath a single silver-blue diamond tree, Wicker stood waiting for her, calm and unbothered, as if nothing in the world had happened.
"There you are."
At the sight of his kind face, something in her chest came boiling up. Without even a moment to wipe the sweat that the run had left on her face, she bowed her head.
"I'm so sorry, this is all because of me—!"
Wicker stepped close and gently raised her shoulders. Looking up at his face, her ragged breathing showed no sign of settling.
He drew out a handkerchief and dabbed the sweat from her face, tenderly, pat by pat.
"None of this is your fault. Don't apologize."
"But I used magic without thinking—"
To anyone watching, Tia bore not a shred of responsibility for the current situation. If anything, she was the one who'd been dragged into a nuisance — about to be forced into a magic lecture she never asked for.
And yet Tia felt responsible all the same, simply for having provided the spark that got in Wicker's way.
"Haha, is being brilliant a crime now? I've been meaning to deal with Phelia for a while anyway. Works out nicely — there's something I intend to collect when I win."
The way he said it so gently made Tia feel as though the chill that had settled over her chest was melting straight into warmth. The words he'd spoken in the recording she'd just watched kept echoing in her head.
—You should never have laid a hand on our Tia.
...Heh.
She felt pathetic — forgetting everything the instant she heard that, like a fool, and turning happy just like that.
But so what.
She was happy beyond all restraint.
Tia threw her arms around Wicker's and clung with all her strength.
"Mmhm. If it's you, Wicker, that kind of person doesn't stand a chance. Hee hee — come on, let's go watch the festival! Shall we start with Minsk's exclusive exhibition?"
No more gloomy talk.
Master did all this for my sake — how could I possibly not smile?
"Right. Don't you worry."
"I'm not worried at all! In exchange, once I've checked out all of Earth House's presentations, will you let me help you prepare your lecture for tomorrow?"
"Hm. As it happens, I do have something to ask of you."
"Really? What subject are you lecturing on?"
"Phelia's obviously going to lecture on magic."
"She is the Sage, after all. She might unveil a new high-tier incantation or magical theory."
"Which is exactly why I'll be lecturing on magic too."
"Oh."
Tia's eyes went round.
—Next up, the second match of the jousting semifinals! On the left lane, from Fire Hall, the Lancer Cecily! On the right lane, from Earth House, the Swordsman Marque!
The presiding acolyte bellowed loud enough to reach every corner of the Second Stadium. The packed stands roared with cheers.
Waiting in the ready room, I turned to look back at Marque, seated on his horse with lance in hand.
"Ready, Marque? Win this, and you're in the finals."
"The finals, then. Let's give it our best shot."
I gave his lance and saddle a final inspection, then clanked his visor down.
"Whew!"
Marque exhaled and pulled the reins. His beloved steed swept its mane in splendid fashion and clattered out onto the field.
Jousting.
It was a showcase event for students whose main weapon was the lance — knights, lancers, cavalry, and the like.
Three first-years from Earth House had entered: Rihum, Bob, and Marque — and Marque had fought his way to the semifinals. For a first-year, it was a staggering result.
"Watching it in person, the tension is incredible."
Beside me, Tia was thoroughly enjoying every match as well.
"The rules send you charging straight at each other, eyes locked, and the entire match is decided in a single clash. It carries a tension all its own — different from real combat."
"It really does. Go get 'em, Marque!"
At the starting signal, Marque surged forward. The thunder of hooves mingled with his opponent's, and dust bloomed up from the earth.
The distance closed. Marque focused. Clang! Lances met and glanced off — neither rider landed a hit.
"So close!"
The two competitors readied for the second pass. I sent Marque a signal: his opponent gripped his lance short, so rather than driving in long, Marque should put his weight behind it.
Marque gave a slight nod.
Clip-clop, clip-clop!
The two horses charged at one another once more. The distance shrank again. Marque instinctively dipped his low back, then twisted thirty degrees to the left.
CRACK!
Marque's lance slid down his opponent's shaft and drove its point squarely into the man's shoulder. The double-layered jousting armor shattered into fragments and burst apart. His opponent tumbled from the saddle and rolled across the dirt.
— The winner! From Earth House, the Swordsman Marque!
Marque wrenched the reins around and thrust his lance triumphantly toward the sky. Thunderous cheering and applause erupted from the stands.
"Marque, nice one!!"
Tia celebrated as if it were her own victory. I clapped with satisfaction too.
Then something unexpected — instead of returning to the ready room, Marque suddenly leapt down from his horse. He ran straight toward his opponent, who still lay sprawled and unmoving from the fall.
Marque reached out to help the Lancer Cecily to her feet.
Cecily, apparently coming to her senses at last, shoved him hard in the chest. She ripped off her helm, hurled it aside, and shouted something fierce at him.
"What's with her? If you lose, just take it and walk it off."
Midway through, Cecily must have been truly stung by the loss, because she burst into tears.
The next scene caught everyone off guard. Marque pulled her into his arms without a moment's hesitation. And Cecily, for her part, surrendered to his embrace without the slightest resistance.
"Hmph."
Marque cried something bold and defiant to Cecily. Something about vowing to dedicate his championship to her, and so on.
The stands erupted into the loudest cheers of the day. I glanced over at Tia to find her sticking out the tip of her tongue, both hands pressed to her cheeks.
"What the — they were already dating? You could've told me sooner."
"Tell me about it. Marque got one over on me."
You were supposed to dedicate that win to Earth House, you rascal.
And when exactly did he find the time to meet a Fire Hall student?
Every now and then I forgot that my students had lives outside my lectures.
...Maybe I'll trim the homework load a bit.
Except for Marque.
"Still, it was lovely to watch, wasn't it? They're practically an official couple at this point."
"Going to be rough if they ever break up."
"Why does your mind jump straight to breaking up? They might even get married someday, just like that."
"Haha. I suppose they might."
Hearing my answer, Tia pulled a distinctly unconvinced face.
"Wicker?"
"Mm?"
"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"
At Tia's adorable question, I gave a careless shrug.
"Nope. Never."
"That's a lie."
Tia's brows knitted together in what looked like genuine, deep distress — as though she'd taken a massive shock.
The truth was, plenty of women had approached me, but my trading work kept dragging me from place to place, and nothing had ever lasted long enough to become anything serious.
Still, Tia's expression was so entertaining that I somehow couldn't bring myself to say it outright. It almost felt like confessing, By the way, children — you have a hidden mother somewhere.
"What is it, then? What is it?! If you don't answer, you're getting punished!"
She crept toward me, inch by inch, so I stalled for time — then bolted. It bought me all of a few seconds before she caught me, and I spilled the truth as it was.
Marque, having clawed his way to the finals, then proceeded to lose in a single pass — a fluke if there ever was one — and settled for runner-up.
Which is to say: he should have dedicated that championship to Earth House.
Red evening light poured down between the peaks, staining the fluttering blue diamonds a wistful shade of violet.
As if to say don't worry — save it for tomorrow, the silver-blue petals still crowding the branches drifted and swayed on the breeze, brushing softly against the deepest reaches of the heart.
Having checked off every Earth House presentation for day one, I made my way back to the dormitory with Tia.
"P-Pr-Professor! Are you all right?!"
Sersi came bolting out, breathless, her arms buried under an avalanche of documents.
"Why would I not be? What's all this?"
"You're holding a lecture showdown with Professor Alencia tomorrow! I-I've gathered together some materials that might help, first off—!"
"Haha, no need. I was planning to build the materials from scratch. And I've got a dependable assistant right here."
I laid a hand on Tia's shoulder.
"Assistant Professor, I'm counting on you!"
"Wh-what?! The showdown's tomorrow morning! Th-then let's get started right away!"
Sersi scurried back to the office in a fluster. Tia and I set up for the work as well.
"Wicker, you've already got your lecture topic figured out, right? What materials do you need?"
"W-Wicker?"
Hearing what Tia called me, Sersi froze in panic. Worse still, Tia had taken the seat right beside me, her body pressed close to mine. It was a picture perfectly designed to invite misunderstanding from Sersi.
"Call me Professor."
"Oh my, surely the Assistant Professor wouldn't go spreading rumors, would she? Right, Assistant Professor?"
"Ah... eh? P-Professor?"
Tia beamed with obvious delight at Sersi's flustered state.
"Don't get any strange ideas, Sersi. And you rein it in too, Testia."
"Nope."
"'Nope' is speaking down to me."
"So what? Luca talks down to you too."
"She's... hmm."
"Hee hee. A flustered Wicker is adorable too. Okay, okay — I'll be serious from now on, Professor. Would you like a candy?"
At some point Tia had set a candy gently into my open palm. It was a different kind from the ones I carried.
Yuzu flavor, huh.
"I heard nothing, I saw nothing, I know nothing, I heard nothing, I saw nothing..."
Sersi muttered this like a mantra as she took the seat across from us. I picked up my quill.
[Shorthand Lv.9 activated]
The information in my head poured onto the parchment in an instant. Even jotting down mere keywords, the sentences connected and completed themselves automatically. Remarkably convenient.
Tia, reading along beside me, raised an objection.
"You said you'd be lecturing on magic, didn't you?"
"M-magic?! You're going up against Professor Alencia with magic?"
"That's the plan. Lecture on any other subject and I lose out on buzz — no chance of a top evaluation. If I want a direct, head-to-head comparison that flattens her, magic is the only field."
"But what you're writing right now is merchant's craft... would you even call it that?"
"Monetary theory. The merchants' logic. And—"
I flipped to the second page and kept writing.
"—the root of all things follows one and the same principle."
"Mana is gold coin, and the hierarchy of magic is... whoa. I've never once thought of it that way."
Tia's eyes sparkled as she read down the lines. I turned to her with a request.
"I'll need a demonstration partway through this section."
"Ah, I see, that's the plan. I'll have it ready for you."
Sersi, who had been staring blankly back and forth between the two of us, slowly raised her hand.
"Could you... explain it to me as well...?"
With a thump, the freshly-written pile of parchment landed in front of Sersi.
"Proofread it, would you?"
"Materials duty, on it!"