Chapter 71

Good morning.

Today's weather is clear.

Today is the day of the magic tournament.

Even so, all I can do is watch.

After changing clothes and eating breakfast, I will go to the waiting room for the parents of high-ranking nobles.

This is to greet the parents who have come to watch.

In the waiting room, there will be the king, the prime minister, the general, the pope, the director of the Tailsmiya, and Ingrid.

Earlshein will pass me to the king while greeting.

Why does the king accept it as a matter of course?

It seems that I will be watching from the king's lap again today.

The queen and the princesses are not coming today.

It seems that the queen and princess from another country are here, so they are busy with their reception.

When Earlshein and the others leave the room to go to the main selection participants' waiting room, the people in this room will also move to the audience seats.

The VIP seats are spacious, with tables placed at each seat, and Duran is ready to serve tea at any time.

The isolated space has a special feel, but it is quite far from the stage, so it is a bit disappointing and lacks a sense of presence.

The rules are almost the same as the swordsmanship tournament: you lose if you fall off the stage or become unable to fight.

No weapons or martial arts are used; only magic is used to fight.

The first 20 people to fight will go up on the stage.

This time, 20 people in 5 groups, a total of 100, will participate in the main selection.

On the stage, they form a circle, bow outward, and then take their positions facing inward.

——Clang Clang Clang——

The sound of the bell signals the start of the battle.

There are no acquaintances in this first group, so I can watch leisurely.

Various types of magic fly around, but there are not many intermediate-level magic spears.

The director of the Tailsmiya looks a bit grim.

At graduation, if you can cast intermediate-level magic with a certain level of power, you should be recommended to the Magic Bureau, but it seems there is no one in this group who meets the director's standards.

Well, joining the Magic Bureau is apparently an elite path, so it would be a problem if too many people were recommended.

No one can activate a barrier and magic ball simultaneously, and many people lose when their opponents target them right after they cast a magic ball.

There is no one who stands out in their use of magic, and I am getting a bit bored, so I reach for the juice Duran has served, but I suddenly feel a gaze and look around.

Everyone is focused on the match in front, and no one is looking at me.

Still, I feel the gaze.

Looking further, I see a black blob outside the barrier I have set.

It's strange to feel a gaze from something that has no eyes.

The blob is slowly crawling toward me.

Duran notices that I am staring intently.

"Master Keita, is something wrong?"

"There's a black blob here."

I point it out, but it seems Duran cannot see it.

He tilts his head in confusion.

The king, who has been listening to our conversation, also looks in the direction I am pointing, but he also tilts his head.

The blob is almost touching the barrier.

The moment it touches the barrier, there is a "snap" sound, and it seems everyone can now see the blob.

"I've seen this before."

"It's a curse."

"Was it coming from Earlshain's body?"

"Looks like it."

"Can you tell who it's aimed at?"

"Who? Is it someone here?"

"……Tailsmiya Director."

"Ah, here…… Indeed, it bears a striking resemblance to the curse I saw when Prince Earlshain was around. Master Keita, this barrier seems to have repelled the curse. Can it protect against curses?"

"Yes, it can. If attacked, it will return the attack doubled."

"That's very reassuring! I will track the curse that was returned."

"Sure, go ahead."

The king patted me.

Duran offered me the juice with a smile, and I thanked him and drank it.

Since there was no damage, we did not make a fuss, and the Tailsmiya Director went to chase the curse that had been deflected by the barrier.

When I realize it, the second group's match is over, and Earlshain and Jus are still in the running and are about to leave the stage.

In the third group, Eliza is participating. She couldn't activate a barrier simultaneously, but she cast intermediate-level water spears and blew her opponents away to win.

I was a bit scared, but I kept it to myself.

The prime minister and Ingrid stood up and cheered.

The fourth group ended with Digray's dominance.

Among us, Jus is a good match for him, but compared to the others, his level is clearly higher.

The final fifth group was, of course, Yegram's stage.

Even the former student council president, who boasted of his magic, and Cabendish, who tried to match him, were instantly defeated.

The pope stood up and applauded, and Yegram, who noticed, waved his hand expressionlessly.

The morning matches are over, and we return to the waiting room for lunch.

On the way back, the Tailsmiya Director, who had joined us, reported that he had successfully captured the assassin.

The curse that was returned caused symptoms similar to a disease, gradually paralyzing the body and eventually leading to death.

Since the curse was intended for such a purpose, its effect was doubled by my barrier and rendered the assassin immobile on the spot.

The assassin reportedly shouted, "This wasn't supposed to happen!" The Tailsmiya Director reported this to the king.

The interrogation and removal of the curse will be done after returning to the castle.

The accompanying knight had already taken the assassin to the castle.

When asked about the king's guard, the Tailsmiya Director smiled and said that as long as there was a barrier that could return curses, there was no need to worry about any assassins.

In the waiting room, the meal was already prepared, and several maids were ready to serve the dishes.

A child-sized chair for me was set next to the king's seat.

After the king sat down, we waited for the students who had won the first round of the main selection to arrive.

Led by Earlshain, the usual group and Eliza, along with five other students who had won, arrived.

Two male students were extremely nervous, while the three young ladies were somewhat nervous but not overly so.

From their friendly conversation, I learned that they were Eliza's friends from high-ranking noble families.

Eliza also sat down, but since the prime minister was already sitting next to her and her friend was on the other side, Ingrid, who couldn't sit next to Eliza, looked a bit sulky, which was amusing.

When the king and I secretly laughed, the prime minister looked at us with a dark smile.

Meanwhile, Shelle was secretly laughing in a corner of the room.

After a brief greeting, the meal began.

Since the pope and the Tailsmiya Director, who were not present at the swordsmanship tournament, were also there, the conversation about magic was lively.

I was too busy eating to participate.

Elegantly eating very spicy meat while talking is, I think, too difficult for me.

The young ladies were also eating the very spicy meat normally, and I wondered where they hid such chewing power in their slender jaws. Is it magic? I've never heard of or seen body-strengthening magic, but maybe they are all experts at it? I'll ask the Tailsmiya Director next time.

While I was in a death match with the meat, everyone else had finished eating, and I put down my fork, feeling defeated.

I lost again this time.

But just wait, meat! I will use the techniques passed down from my grandparents to make you tender and delicious!

When the students, including Earlshain, left the room to participate in the afternoon session, a knight who had taken the assassin to the castle came back in a hurry and whispered something to the general.

The general, with a serious face, asked the knight questions, but the knight, who did not know the details, shook his head vigorously.

The general stood up and came to the king, speaking in a low voice.

"We have just received a report that the former queen, Kushria, has disappeared from the prison. We are searching for her, but the guard was cursed and is unconscious, so we do not know when she disappeared. The curse was so strong that even the resident priests could not handle it, but it is not immediately life-threatening. However, it will take time to get a statement."

"Understood. I will return to the castle immediately."

"No, that is not necessary. I will take over the search, so please return to the castle after the tournament ends. If possible, I would appreciate it if the pope could accompany you."

"Understood, I will do so. I will also ask the pope to accompany me."

"Thank you. I will leave it to you, Master Keita. Please take care of the king."

"Sure, I'll do my best! Ah, wait a moment……… Well, this might remove the curse?"

What I made was a holy magic-infused drink in a barrier container that dissolves upon contact with saliva, designed to fill the body with holy magic when ingested.

Curses are said to disappear when they encounter strong holy magic, so I tried making it.

If someone else's magic were used, it would cause a magical backlash, but for some reason, my magic is fine, so I developed a spell to heal many people at once over the past three months.

Dissolving holy magic in water and making it rain like rain was the most effective, so it should work on curses too.

After explaining this to the general and giving it to him, I was patted so hard I thought my head would fall off.

The king and the prime minister look serious, but there is nothing we can do here, so we leave the waiting room and head to the venue.

The general has gone to the castle.