Chapter 57: Opening Ceremony

Leave a Comment / Level 999 / By IX

And then, a month had already passed.

During this month, the students dedicated themselves to practicing for the Starry blossom Festival, and the academy was filled with energy.

Everyone was determined to make a name for themselves in the world of magicians through this opportunity.

Naturally, I also have a mission to fulfill, which is to free Mulbury-san from the Forest of sinners, and now I also want to achieve results in the Starry blossom Festival to help my classmate, Maron-san.

And today, finally, is the long-awaited day of the Royal Harvest Magic Academy’s competition festival—the day of the Starry blossom Festival.

“Good morning, everyone. Today is the long-awaited day of the Starry blossom Festival.”

The opening ceremony is currently taking place in the schoolyard.

The schoolyard has been specially prepared for the Starry blossom Festival, surrounded by two-story spectator stands.

It used to be just a vast, bleak sandground, but they transformed it into a splendid arena in a short period of time using magic to make it easier to watch the competitions.

To think that they could shape a magnificent stadium in such a short time, the power of magic is truly awe-inspiring.

“Fortunately, we have been blessed with good weather, and we have been able to prepare without any significant troubles or delays until today. I would like to express my gratitude once again to all the spectators who have gathered here despite their busy schedules.”

And on the platform set up in front of the arena, the Student Council President is currently giving the opening speech through a amplification magic.

Crossgry Travaier, the most outstanding student in the school, belonging to Class 3-D.

She is an elegant lady with short bobbed black hair, and her slightly husky voice and slender black eyes add to her coolness.

Rumors have it that Crossgry, the Student Council President, is an extraordinary talent with a magical power level of “260,” and her greatest strength lies in her magical skills.

It is said that she is a prodigy who can use magic without chanting.

‘How can I use magic without chanting, Mulbury-san?’

“You have to clear your mind and communicate with the mana only in your heart. If you have even a little bit of distracting thoughts, you won’t be able to convey the correct incantation. So, if you’re only thinking about tonight’s dinner, it might be a bit difficult.”

Non-verbal magic.

It is an advanced technique that allows the activation of spells without uttering commands to the mana, but by reciting them in one’s mind.

Even Mulbury-san, who constantly communicates with mana as a mage, can only activate it occasionally. It is considered the most difficult technique to master.

However, it seems that the Student Council President can use it flawlessly.

Since she doesn’t move her lips and only forms the incantation in her mind, the rotation rate of her magic is abnormally high.

By stacking powerful spells and shooting them rapidly, she has defeated numerous magical beasts and currently has the highest success rate in completing academy missions.

She holds the highest scores in both extermination points and academic points, and her excellence has earned her the position of Student Council President.

Also, she’s attractive and has a great figure. Rumor has it that there’s even a fan club for her within the academy.

“…She’s a formidable opponent in many ways.”

If I aim to win the Starry blossom Festival, she will undoubtedly become a major obstacle.

Strictly speaking, it would be the entire Class 3-D to which she belongs.

But needless to say, the current third-year students have already passed the academy’s advancement exams twice and are all talented individuals.

Just being in the third year should be enough reason to be cautious.

As I unconsciously harbored a sense of rivalry and gazed at the Student Council President from the line, she continued her greeting with a dignified voice.

After giving her closing remarks, the Student Council President was followed by a blonde old lady, who appeared in her official attire as I had seen on the day of the entrance ceremony. Now, it was time for the Principal’s speech, and while listening to it, I whispered to Mil, who was standing beside me.

“Hey, Mil?”

“Yes?”

“If I remember correctly, if there’s a rampage, the Principal can teleport them away, right? Does that mean we don’t have to do patrols or anything?”

Just to make sure, I wanted to confirm it. We had been entrusted by the Principal to handle any incidents of magical outbursts during the Starry blossom Festival. So far, there were no abnormalities during the opening ceremony, and I couldn’t observe any significant changes among the surrounding spectators.

In such a situation where we didn’t know when or where a rampage might occur, it seemed that the Principal could quickly sense any abnormalities and teleport us there.

“Yes, that’s what she said. So it seems there’s no need for patrols within the school.”

“Then that means we can fully concentrate on the competitions.”

That would be a great relief. However, it would be troublesome if we were called away during the competitions, so I hoped to be spared from that. It was said that one could refuse teleportation magic if they wished, so I mentioned that in case it became inconvenient.

“By the way, there are quite a number of students, aren’t there? I wonder how many there are in total?”

As I looked around again and muttered, Mil, who was in front of me, glanced at me from the corner of her eye and informed me.

“There are classes A to J for first-year students, with approximately thirty students per class. So, at the time of enrollment, there were a little over three hundred first-year students. I’ve also heard that about thirty percent of the students leave the academy after the exams each year. So, the current total number of students would be… around six to seven hundred, I suppose?”

“Hmm, hearing that, I can’t quite tell if it’s many or few.”

Well, having nearly six hundred students who are the next generation of national magicians is still impressive, isn’t it? We have to fight with those students in the form of competitions, although it’s not just about winning by ourselves, but combining the competition scores of the whole class.

Naturally, everyone was filled with a sense of tension.

“Ugh, can we really win…? If we end up with disappointing results, it will be troublesome for Maron-san…”

As Mil showed a similar anxious expression, I hugged her tightly from behind.

“Don’t worry about that. Mil, you have the highest magical power among the current students, and you’ve been practicing hard until today. Besides, we have Maron-san as our representative.”

Just as I finished speaking, I remembered something and furrowed my brow.

“Oh, but there are some competitions that Maron-san can’t participate in simultaneously, right? Can you participate together in the competitions that she’s in, Mil?”

“Yes. Maron-san, myself, and another person, Celri Blanchir, will participate as a team of three.”

“I see. I wanted to participate in the competitions together with Maron-san, but it turns out that she will be in a different competition at the same time as mine.”

The competitions are not limited to just this First Ground. They will also take place in the training grounds where I had a mock battle with Kaien Chiffonade.

In cases where competitions are held simultaneously, the representative can only participate in one, so there are competitions in which even Maron-san cannot participate.

One such competition is the “Superhuman Sprint Spirit Sprint” that I will be participating in today.

“With your abilities, Sach-san, I’m sure you’ll be fine on your own…”

“Well, of course, I don’t plan on losing, but more than that, I wanted to participate in the competitions with Maron-san and create memories together.”

If I can’t change Maron-san’s mother’s mind, this Starry blossom Festival might be our last chance to make memories together. That’s why I wanted to create memories with Maron-san… Sigh, what is my luck stat doing?

This event might mark the end of our class life with Maron-san. I wanted to share as many memories as possible.

As I secretly felt disappointed, Mil looked up at the clear sky and muttered.

“In a way, this might be the result of your luck stat at work…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Certainly, not being able to create memories is a significant misfortune. However, due to the separation of your and Maron-san’s competitions, there is now a possibility to achieve high scores in both competitions, right?”

“…”

Hmm, I guess there’s that perspective too.

Although I can’t participate in the competitions with Maron-san, unintentionally, our strengths have been divided.

Maron-san, one of the top students in the academy, and Sachi-chan, the ultimate lucky girl with incredible magical abilities.

With the separation of these two, the possibility of achieving high scores in both competitions emerged.

If this is the result of my luck stat of 999, then I can certainly understand and accept it.

But still…

“…Mil, are you becoming more positive than me?”

“Well, faces are always oriented forward.”

Quoting the words I said, Mil flashed a mischievous smile and burst into laughter.

It seems she has grown in many ways as well.

Just at that moment, the Principal’s speech on the platform was nearing its end.

“I hope to convey the gallant figures of the students who constantly strive and compete with each other through this Starry blossom Festival. Once again, I ask for your support and cheers for the students.”

Immediately, cheers and applause erupted from the surroundings.

The venue gradually filled with excitement, and the students, affected by it, became more motivated.

Trembling with excitement, I quietly ignited my fighting spirit.

I would showcase my abilities here and make my presence known in the world of magicians.

To rescue Mulbury-san from the Forest of sinners and to help my friend Maron-san.

I absolutely cannot afford to lose this battle.

“…With my luck stat of 999, how far can I shine?”

Now, finally, the long-awaited Starry blossom Festival begins.