My lady is going to fail.
The next day, at the academy's training grounds, a joint practical magic test was taking place, involving both the knight and magic departments.
In this magic academy, when students reached their second year, they had to choose between the knight or mage department to specialize in. This choice would determine whether they would become knights or magicians after graduation. However, in this country, the distinction between knights and magicians wasn't significant. It mainly depended on whether one excelled in enhancement-type magic to become a knight or in projection-type magic to become a magician. Therefore, it wasn't unusual for both departments to have joint classes like this.
In the Kingdom of Farland, nobles had a duty to protect the country during times of crisis.
Originally, there was a significant power gap between nobles who could use magic and commoners, with a few exceptions. Even if hundreds of commoners gathered, they couldn't match the strength of nobles. Naturally, nobles, like knights and magicians, played the decisive roles in conflicts, while common soldiers were often used as decoys or cannon fodder in this world's war logic.
In this context, the Kingdom of Farland, known as a magical powerhouse with a high number of magic users and advanced magical research, considered it more efficient to train nobles themselves rather than sending a large number of commoners to their deaths.
Therefore, this academy primarily focused on teaching magic-based combat as part of its curriculum, and this exam was a part of that focus.
"....."
In the well-maintained training area enhanced with earth magic, Milady Isabella, wearing a pristine white robe over her uniform, stood at the center.
With a determined expression, she focused on a training dummy several meters away and raised her gleaming silver staff high.
"Proceed! 'Wind Blast'!"
As Milady raised her staff, the radiant emerald gem at its tip activated a magical formation that enveloped her. Once the formation was complete, a spherical wind surged towards the wooden dummy. Upon impact, the turbulent winds contained within the sphere were released, reducing the dummy to fragments.
"Kyaaa!"
"Whoaah!"
The impact reached even the onlookers who were observing from a distance, and the less skilled students were blown away in a rather ungraceful manner.
"Protect..."
Given the circumstances, there was no way for me, who lacked magical power, could endure this. So, in a moment's notice, I took out a magical tool from my pocket and deployed a barrier of magical energy. It was a precious magical tool worth a hundred gold coins, but by the time the shock had subsided, it had been partly shattered, likely pushed to its limits. The aftermath alone was already this intense; it truly showed the power of a noble like Milady.
"I see. Your magic's power, precision, and deployment speed are all more than sufficient. Truly befitting of a young lady from the Valiaz Ducal family," the teacher praised.
"Thank you, Teacher. This is just a natural outcome" Milady responded as she lightly lifted her skirt with one hand in a gesture of gratitude.
Despite enduring such a violent storm at close range, there was not a single sign of disorder in her immaculate golden curls.
"Well then, I shall take my leave."
With her hair still perfectly in place, Milady gracefully walked toward me, leaving behind the devastated training ground, marked by the impact of her magic.
"Excellent performance, milady."
"Oh, Crow. This is nothing remarkable" Milady replied as she took a sip from the water bottle I offered, gracefully smiling.
Her good mood seemed to be more about what would happen next than the success of the exam.
"Next up, Maria Norton!"
"Yes!"
With a somewhat nervous response, the teacher who had just finished repairing the heavily damaged training ground with magic called out the next student. Lady Maria appeared from among the students and slowly advanced toward the center of the training ground.
"*Giggle*... Oh dear, what's that?"
"Come on, Maria, you could have worn something better..."
When Lady Maria appeared, her appearance drew laughter from those around her.
Unlike the noble ladies from the magic department, Lady Maria, a knight department student, was wearing armor over her uniform. However, her armor consisted of shabby leather chest and waistplates. The sword hanging from her belt looked like a mass-produced cheap one, and the staff she held was a small practice tool with a tiny magic gem at the tip.
Perhaps even mercenaries had better equipment. It was far from what one would consider suitable for a noble.
"Hehe... Shall we go over the answers from yesterday? Pay close attention, Crow, it's going to be fun."
"I'm ready!"
As Milady stared at him with a mischievous grin, Lady Maria raised her staff.
Magic power overflowed from Lady Maria's body, flowing into the magic gem set at the tip of her staff, gradually transforming into a magical formation.
If she completed the formation, the magic should activate, but suddenly, the nearly finished ball of light began to waver.
"Is that...."
Upon closer inspection, Crow noticed a crack in the magical gem held by Maria.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the crack began to spread throughout the entire gem.
According to Milady, magic consisted of three steps.
First, you drew out the magic power residing within you. Then, you transformed it into a form that was easier to use as a magical pattern. Finally, you activated the completed magical pattern.
Magical gems were primarily used as catalysts to aid in the second step, the conversion of magic power into a magical pattern.
So, what would happen if you attempted to use magic without a magical gem? The answer to that question was unfolding right before Crow's eyes.
"Eh, w, what? Why is this happening...!"
The crack had silently spread throughout the entire magical gem, causing the magical energy to flicker intensely.
Maria seemed to be struggling to stabilize the magic power, unable to address the issue with the gem.
And finally, the time has come.
Crack!
"Waah.....aaahh!"
With a cool and delicate sound, the magical gem shattered, causing the spell formation to collapse. The massive amount of magical energy she had poured into it began to run rampant.
Magical energy, by itself, was just raw power and would only scatter force haphazardly when released. That's why it needed to be given a form and controlled as magic. However, controlling it without the assistance of a magical gem was extremely difficult, requiring immense concentration and time.
Handling a small amount of magic might still be manageable, but attempting to control the vast amount of magic that Lady Maria had just released without the aid of a magical gem was nearly impossible.
"Maria! Stop the magic now!"
"I can't... I can't control it..."
Prince Albert, in a state of panic, tried to rush towards Lady Maria, but he couldn't get close due to the aftermath of the magical outburst.
In fact, it would probably be wiser at this point to direct the magic somewhere safer rather than trying to control it. It seemed obvious, but in their panic, the Prince and his companions were frantically trying to figure out how to regain control of the magic.
"Ah... Ahahaha! How delightful! Just look at that little girl's panicked face. It's a masterpiece! Ahahaha..."
While everyone was left stunned by the sudden turn of events, Milady wore a wide grin as she watched Lady Maria desperately trying to stop the run amok magic.
As for me, I found more satisfaction in seeing Milady thoroughly enjoying herself than in Lady Maria's predicament.
However, suddenly... I had a bad feeling, a premonition of sorts.
There was no concrete evidence to support it, just a gut feeling that I couldn't ignore. It was the same sensation I had experienced many times back when I lived in the slums.
And, in moments like these, my gut feelings had never been wrong.
(What is it...?)
I scanned my surroundings.
What could be the source of this premonition?
The mocking students, the flustered teachers.
In the center, the incompetent princes who were all noise and no solutions.
And then...
"...Huh!"
In the center of the training ground—
Lady Maria, who should have been occupied with handling the runaway magic, was looking in our direction.
Was it a coincidence?
No, she was definitely looking at us.
More precisely, Maria wasn't looking at me but—
"—Milady!"
I leaped in front of Milady, and the out-of-control magic came rushing toward us almost simultaneously.
"Huh...?"
Milady, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, couldn't even muster the reaction to activate her protective barrier. She had a bewildered look on her face. In an instant, I shielded Milady with my body, but right after, I was hit by an immense shock that sent both of us flying.
"Guah!"
"Kyaaaah!"
My body, flung through the air, bounced repeatedly off the ground, making my vision spin.
But this person in my arms—she must be protected at all costs.
"Guah!"
"Kyann!"
How many times had we been tossed around? Finally, after crashing into the outer wall of the training grounds, the spinning stopped.
"Ouch... what on earth just happened?"
After a while, Milady squirmed her way out of my arms, holding her head and sitting down on the ground.
"Mi..lady... Are you unharmed?"
"What part of this looks unharmed to you?! I'm covered in scrapes all over!"
"I'm so... sorry..."
Apologizing while my lady expressed her anger in her usual way, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness... She seems surprisingly well.
Even though magic users are sturdier than regular people, taking a direct hit from that rampaging magic would have been no small matter.
I'm glad we made it through somehow.
"Seriously! Ugh, my hair's a mess, and something's slimy... and..."
My lady tried to wipe her hands on her clothes after landing on the ground, but her words abruptly stopped.
The expression on her face was a mix of astonishment and... anger, perhaps?
"Hey... what is this?"
"Why... is that?"
"Aren't you an idiot?! Why are you so calm when you're hurt this badly!"
I see... As I placed my hand on my stomach, I could feel a large hole, a distinct void.
It seemed that the strange sensation I'd been experiencing was not a figment of my imagination. Given the direct impact of that immense surge of magic, it was only natural. In fact, one could say it was a miracle that I hadn't instantly perished.
Blood poured profusely from the hole in my abdomen, and unbeknownst to me, it had already formed a sizable pool around me.
"I apologize for showing you such an unsightly sight."
"Quiet! We need to get you treated immediately. What are you all standing around for? Go fetch a doctor right away!"
Saying this, Milady stood up and efficiently gave orders to the surrounding students.
As I watched her back, a feeling of relief washed over me.
"I'm glad... I could protect you Milady..."
◇◆◇◆
"N-No... I didn't mean for it to...!"
Amidst the chaos in the training grounds, Maria crumbled to her knees. She didn't seem to care as her staff, now devoid of the magic gem, fell from her hand. Her gaze was fixed on the young butler lying in the pool of blood.
Dealing with these underhanded pranks orchestrated by that woman over and over for the sake of her capture target was getting tiresome. That's why she had thought of using the outburst of magic as a way to surprise them a little.
To think it would turn out like this...
"No, it's not my fault... Because that woman..."
Maria had memories from her previous life. It was a different world from this one, where she led a dull life, simply commuting between her workplace and home every day. She had grown distant from her friends, and her relationship with her boyfriend had faded away amidst the busy days after they both started working at the same company.
Her life was just a monotonous routine, and that life ended abruptly when she was waiting at a traffic light, and a speeding car crashed into her car, bringing her mundane existence to an unexpected end.
The next thing she knew, she was in a child's body in a dingy orphanage.
She immediately realized she had been reincarnated.
Moreover, she had been reborn into the world of the otome game "Jewel Prince," a game she had been obsessed with in her previous life.
Her one and only hobby had been playing romance simulation games aimed at women, the so-called otome games. The interactions with handsome men in a dazzlingly different world from reality had been the only source of solace in her rough life. Among these games, the one she had played the most was called "Jewel Prince."
It was a somewhat cliché yet immensely popular game set in a world where magic using gemstones was common. The protagonist, a young girl, interacted with various types of handsome men at the magic academy, growing and ultimately finding her own happiness.
Upon realizing she was now the protagonist herself, she had prepared for the upcoming day of her enrollment at the academy.
Despite her efforts and smooth progress in the academy, a setback occurred:
"Maria! Are you okay?"
"His highness...Albert.... I-I didn't mean to..."
"I know. It was an accident. Maria, you don't need to blame yourself."
"Waaaah!"
Albert continued to gently stroke Maria's back as she clung to his chest, sobbing, until she began to calm down.
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