“Haah…”
“Why do you keep sighing like that?”
Luna asked Hestia, who had been sighing constantly over the past few days.
Ever since they returned from a trip to a rural village with the volunteer club members, Luna had sensed that something was weighing on Hestia’s mind. At some point, she began sighing regularly, clearly unable to shake her worries.
“Wasn’t it since you received that letter the other day? What was in it that has you so troubled?”
“Well…”
After a brief hesitation, Hestia finally confided in Luna.
“Actually, the Church secretly sent me a letter. They said they’ll be attending the No Entrance Exam Festival and would like to at least greet me.”
“Oh, please. After everything, how dare they…”
Of course, a major purge had taken place after that incident, and the current remaining officials were said to have been thoroughly vetted for ideology and integrity.
They weren’t the ones who had committed the previous wrongdoings, but even so, after everything that happened, it wasn’t easy for the Saintess to warmly welcome new members of the Church.
Perhaps aware of her lingering fear of men, they made a point of stating that most of those coming were women. They also insisted they only wished to greet her and share information about the newly reorganized Church. Still, there was no avoiding the discomfort.
“Honestly, saying I feel comfortable would be a lie… but I can’t keep avoiding them forever, can I? Especially when I think of the courage of those who fought for me. I need to become stronger too.”
“Well, if that’s how you feel, I suppose I can’t stop you…”
“Hehe… Even if I return to my official duties as the Saintess, I’m not going to let you go so easily, Luna~”
“That’s not really what I was worried about…”
“Come to think of it, will you be participating in the No Entrance Exam Festival?”
“Yes. Well, not as a competitor exactly. More like at the opening ceremony? The Headmaster asked me to briefly bless the stage with divine power to commemorate the start of the festival.”
“…Is that allowed? For a Saintess?”
“Why not? If that’s one way I can be of help to him, I’m happy to do it.”
In reality, the Headmaster of Amor Academy had been under a great deal of stress, whether openly or subtly, for quite some time.
Not only had a flood of political heavyweights enrolled in the academy, but an Aura Lord had also emerged, triggering a barrage of inquiries directed at the school. And because that Aura Lord was always at the center of some incident, the Headmaster was drowning in administrative headaches and utterly worn out.
Even the Saintess, seeing more and more of his hair disappearing by the day, couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. So when the Headmaster expressed his strong desire to showcase overwhelming strength at the upcoming No Entrance Exam Festival, she couldn’t bring herself to turn him down.
Baldness, after all, remained an incurable condition across time and worlds. It was even beyond the healing powers of divine power, which certainly didn’t help his case.
“Still, just in case, let’s go together. I’ll inform Mars ahead of time, too.”
“M-Mars, as well…? Yes, understood.”
Luna noticed the faint tremble in the Saintess’s voice when Mars’s name was mentioned, but she quickly reminded herself that she was the official partner and lifted her narrowing gaze with effort.
That bastard.
And of course, she couldn’t help but silently curse Mars for recklessly charming women left and right.
***
Meanwhile, at Bellum Academy—
While Bellum Academy wasn’t as old as Amor Academy, its reputation was every bit as formidable.
Perhaps because of that, the two academies were locked in a fierce rivalry, standing as the most competitive institutions on the continent.
From the perspective of Bellum that was always labeled with the unfortunate title of “eternal runner-up”, it was a bitter pill to be constantly compared to Amor.
Then came the news of Amor Academy’s No Entrance Exam Festival.
To the students and staff of Bellum Academy, who had long been sharpening their blades for a chance like this, the event seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“This time… no matter what, we’re going to make those Amor bastards cry blood!!”
Headmaster Drake of Bellum Academy roared at everyone during the faculty meeting with a thunderous voice.
The professors, well aware of the burdens their Headmaster carried, simply lifted their teacups from the trembling desks and sipped quietly.
“To be honest, that’s what we want too… but is it really possible? The students from that academy are no joke.”
“That’s right. The genius from a prestigious magic family, the imperial princess who also serves as student council president, the saintess admired by all. And on top of that…”
“There’s… the Aura Lord.”
At first, they too dismissed the rumors about the youngest-ever Aura Lord as mere exaggeration, not giving them much thought.
After all, “Aura Lord” wasn’t the kind of title that just anyone could earn….let alone someone so young. But as reports continued to pile up and several professors returned from Amor Academy with firsthand accounts to confirm it, Drake sank even deeper into despair.
Ah! Is Bellum truly doomed never to catch up with Amor?
And then this opportunity fell into his hands. There was no way he would waste it.
“It’s true that they have an Aura Lord… but I’ve heard he won’t be participating, due to fairness concerns. It’s frustrating, sure…but honestly, it would’ve been impossible to balance the playing field with him anyway, so it might be for the best.”
As long as the Aura Lord wasn’t involved, the other students’ abilities seemed manageable.
With that in mind, Drake sought out the one student he cherished and trusted the most.
“So then… where is Miss Frezia right now?”
***
The office of Count Helios.
Alfredo, the head butler of the Helios family, had come to deliver documents for the Count’s approval, only to find Count Helios smiling which was something he rarely did.
“Oh? How unexpected. To see you smiling like that, my lord.”
“Hmm, is that so? I didn’t think I came off as such a cold-hearted man.”
In truth, Count Helios had a surprisingly warm and affectionate nature.
It was just that his usual expressionless and stern-looking face made him seem unapproachable. Still, the head butler decided not to bring that up.
“Anyway, is there some good news? Seeing you so delighted, my lord, I can’t help but be curious.”
At his words, the Count’s eyes curved like a bow as he looked at the butler.
“The Academy contacted me. Apparently, due to an accident, this year’s martial arts festival will be held at Amor Academy. They asked if I could attend to honor the event with my presence.”
“Huh? But my lord, you don’t usually care for such large-scale gatherings, do you?”
Knowing the true nature of the master he served all too well, the butler found it hard to grasp the meaning behind the smile on the Count’s face.
“Kuku Well, if it were an ordinary invitation, I wouldn’t have been too interested. I figured I’d just take a short trip since that fellow Pollo is there… but then, they made an even more intriguing proposal.”
Swish—
The butler quietly accepted the document the Count handed him and calmly reviewed its contents.
The letter rambled on with no clear order, but the main request was unmistakable.
“A duel between Lords… Is this for real?”
“Ha! Looks like that Headmaster fellow had a lot bottled up. They haven’t had anyone worth calling a true talent in years, so I suppose he wants to show off the Academy a bit while he has the chance. His intentions couldn’t be more obvious.”
Despite his words, Count Helios’s voice, as he gazed out the window, was full of mischief.
“Haa… Even if I tried to stop you, it’s not like you’d actually stay. At the very least, please finish your paperwork before you go.”
“All right, all right. Still, isn’t it exciting? That Mars fellow will be sparring with me without the slightest idea of what’s coming!”
“You don’t mean… you’re planning to go through with the duel without even informing him?”
“Of course! It’s obvious he’s gotten complacent lately, what with all this ‘Lord’ business. If I don’t tighten things up now, when else will I get the chance?”
Here we go again…
Count Helios’s fighting spirit always flared up whenever he saw a skilled swordsman.
Mars, for his part, didn’t feel much affection toward the Count beyond basic respect. And understandably so, as the Count had relentlessly pushed him to his limits. But Helios truly cherished Mars.
It was precisely because of that affection that the Count, eager to hone Mars’s skills further, subjected him to grueling training, leaving him little more than traumatized.
“I suppose I should make it absolutely clear that this must be kept a strict secret from Mars. And tell them to reinforce the dueling ground’s barrier. Make it very, very sturdy.”
“Please try not to blow up the building in your excitement. I’d prefer not to see another chunk of our taxes go to repair costs.”
“That… I’ll keep in mind.”
Count Helios averted his gaze and gave a quiet promise. He recalled both the buildings he’d destroyed and the butler’s furious expression each time.
Let’s see how my dear student’s doing these days.
With just one week left until the martial arts festival, hearty laughter echoed through the halls of the count’s mansion.
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