214. Contest (2)
jerk. jerk.
Everyone bowed their heads and held their breath while the Emperor moved.
jerk. jerk. widely.
The footsteps stopped in front of Cain.
Soon the king’s voice was heard.
“Long time no see.”
“Yes. Have you been at peace so far? your majesty.”
Cain answered without raising his head.
While everyone’s nerves were focused, the conversation between the two continued.
“I have a lot of work to do, so I haven’t been able to call you.”
“It is an honor to have you remember me.”
“I was surprised to see the list of contestants. Julia’s name is on the list, can I see it as a report on the teaching achievements?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“It is true that I was expecting you. But I didn’t expect the results to come so quickly.”
sag.
The sound of the hem of his robe came from the side of the emperor’s face.
He turned his head to see that he was looking at Julia.
“Yulia. Use your magic.”
Julia shrugged her shoulders.
His body stiffened with tension, but he soon regained his composure when he heard Cain’s voice.
Hwareuk.
“Oh.”
Seeing the white flames blooming on Julia’s palm, the emperor burst out in admiration.
Afterwards, she gave some instructions, such as moving and resizing the flame, and Julia performed all of them without difficulty.
The flame went out, and the emperor looked at Cain again.
“I will raise my head.”
Breathing sounds were heard from all over the place.
All those present had extensive experience in entering and exiting the Imperial Palace, so no one did not understand the meaning of the words.
The emperor was the absolute absolute of the empire, and no one was allowed to raise his head in front of him.
But he himself.
That too allowed people other than the imperial family to raise their heads.
‘I knew that Johan Kirif had been visiting the Imperial Palace frequently recently, but I didn’t think he would be favored by His Majesty to this extent.’
shock and astonishment.
At that moment, everyone in the hall felt the same.
The shock was even greater because the target of the favourite was from outside the wall.
Cain deliberately hesitated for humility, and the emperor saw it and added.
“I will raise my head. I will allow you to make eye contact with me for a moment.”
Cain then raised his head.
He looked directly at the emperor’s white eyes, which seemed to have no pupils at a glance.
“What method did you use? There were not many teachers who taught Julia during that time. But they all have a history of failure.”
“… … .”
“I don’t think simply saying ‘I taught you well’ is not enough.”
Everyone concentrated and waited for Cain’s next words.
It was a public fact that the 2nd Princess Julia had no talent for magic.
So when they heard the rumor that she was having a contest with Serena, people laughed.
「The 2nd Princess will participate in the contest? Aw, that’s absurd.”
However, since the person assigned as a teacher was Johann Kirif, he had no choice but to be dubious.
One of the main reasons for attending the event was to verify the truth of the rumors.
And now.
It turned out that the princess had learned magic.
I couldn’t see it in person because I was bowing my head, but the emperor’s words proved that fact.
Now it was time to hear how the man named John performed a ‘miracle’.
There is silence in the hall.
Then Cain opened his mouth.
“I helped the princess to relieve her fear.”
“Are you afraid?”
“Yes. Counseling was conducted during the first training session. I judged that the princess’s magical knowledge itself was sufficient. You’ve already built a circuit, and your ability to operate elements isn’t lacking either.”
“Let’s go on.”
“But he had a fear of failure. I think the pressure to always show excellence as an imperial family acted as a psychological barrier.”
The emperor gave a thoughtful expression on his face, and Cain continued speaking.
“I combined psychotherapy with magic lessons. Fortunately, it worked, and after the princess put down the burden of her heart, she regained the talent she should have enjoyed.”
“Yulia. Is this true?”
Julia nodded her head slightly.
The emperor let out a dismayed laugh.
“I have been looking for the wrong way for a long time. What I needed was therapy, not teaching.”
His gaze turned to Cain again.
“But now, is Julia’s skill level enough to participate in the contest?”
“The Princess has one of the best talents among the students I have taught.”
“The teaching period would be short.”
The content of the words was a tug of doubt about Cain, but the corners of the emperor’s lips were slightly raised, revealing anticipation.
“It is true that the duration of teaching is important, but I think the depth of teaching is no less important.”
“Look.”
The emperor turned and disappeared in the direction of the high nobles.
The music rang again, the people slowly raised their heads, and the banquet resumed.
“… … .”
Julia also relaxed and raised her head.
His whole body was drenched with sweat, and his head was a little dizzy.
When I stood in front of the emperor, I became nervous without knowing it.
Even though he is a ‘child’ that he can be proud of as he is in a much closer position than the others who have definitely inherited blood.
‘… You go without saying anything.’
The emperor disappeared and the tension was relieved.
The next emotion that filled it was a great disappointment.
The biggest reason he wanted to learn magic was to have the power to protect himself outside the imperial palace.
But behind the scenes, there was a desire to get the emperor’s attention.
‘I thought you would give me a compliment.’
As I was making a gloomy expression on my face without realizing it, I heard a voice next to me.
“You suffered.”
When he turned his head, it was John.
Julia stared at his blue eyes and asked, pretending not to know.
“What?”
“The process of learning magic and getting to this point. It must have been very difficult.”
For a moment I had that thought.
After all, this man seems to be able to read people’s minds very well.
***
The contest was held in a peaceful atmosphere.
Participants climbed on top of the dungeon and competed one-on-one.
“I will admit defeat.”
“It was a battle that allowed me to gain a good understanding.”
There were no violent movements.
Standing in their respective seats, they used magic ‘elegantly’, and the moment they ran out of mana while fighting for dominance over the element with ‘Pafe’, the match was decided.
In some cases, magic hit the opponent directly, but thanks to the thick protection, no one was hurt.
“How is it? What do you think of those who teach students?”
“There is no fuss in element management. The overall feel of the participants is neat and well-groomed.”
Cain answered the emperor’s question while glanced at the dagger.
To put it bluntly, it can be said that it is like a part of a symphony that flows gently.
But honestly, it was a boring and flat battle.
‘… It’s for ornamental purposes. In order to look good in the eyes of others, especially the emperor.’
If they fought outside the wall like this, they would be overpowered and killed.
I wouldn’t use an inefficient way to wait for the opponent’s mana to run out.
Since they were accompanied by an escort in the first place, the possibility of a one-on-one battle between wizards itself was low.
Even so, using blinking and attack magic, aiming at the opponent’s life more directly was a common combat method.
“Marquis Viper. What do you think? Your daughter also participated in this contest. Do you have anyone who looks like a formidable person?”
Having received the emperor’s gaze, the Viper Marquis stopped the knife he was slicing and thought for a moment.
The draw has already been released.
It is a fact known to everyone that the 2nd Princess and her daughter Serena are competing.
‘Your Majesty is someone who doesn’t give special favors to children.’
As in the previous year, even if Serena’s victory was predicted, the emperor would not feel displeasure.
Rather, it was the emperor who valued honesty and confidence in himself.
‘And in the case of Johan Kirif.’
The Marquis Viper glanced at John who was sitting across the table.
Johann Kirif.
A person who is the main character of public attention, and the person the emperor has shown unprecedented interest in recently.
“You are a promising friend. There will be a chance to talk at this contest.”
After the verification is complete, he said that he plans to recruit him as a member of the project.
He is also said to be a person with endless abilities and knowledge in various fields.
As a result of our conversations, it was indeed the case.
There was no blockage in continuing the story in any field, and in particular, he showed an extensive knowledge of magic engineering.
To the extent that he was not pushed at all by himself, the second person in Latium and the general manager of the ark design.
Thanks to that, I forgot the purpose of getting to know the other person and talked with excitement.
‘… It must be proof that I was thirsty for conversations about my field of expertise.’
It was not that the knowledge of Latium researchers, including Latino, was lacking.
It just wasn’t up to his level.
For this reason, the first impression of the Marquis Viper on Johann was not bad, rather, he was feeling favorably.
Because I thought I wanted to invite him to the mansion for a drink and talk about the future of hextech all night long.
‘I must have left a bottle of 87-year-old Vallottier in the storage room… Hmm, I’ll have to think about the contest first.’
Serena’s magic lessons were taught by a separate teacher, but there were times when she taught herself.
Therefore, it could be said that the confrontation between the 2nd princess and Serena was extended to the battle between Johann and herself.
In fact, it doesn’t really matter who wins, but from an objective point of view, Serena was more likely to win.
‘The difference between the length of time you’ve learned magic is a law that cannot be ignored.’
The Marquis Viper moved the knife again.
“Compared to the previous year, the overall performance of the participants seems to have improved. But there doesn’t seem to be anyone who seems to be Serena’s opponent.”
The emperor laughed once and then asked Cain.
“What do you think? Do you agree with Marquis Viper?”
Julia and Serena.
It was a question of which of the two would win.
─Next, there will be a contest between the 2nd Princess Julia Fnaham and the eldest daughter of the Lotte family, Serena Lotte!
Then the host announced the start of the next contest, and Cain spoke in a polite voice.
“My answer is fixed. However, I think it would be better to postpone the answer for the sake of His Majesty’s entertainment. There is no more boring game than knowing the answer and watching it.”
At first glance, he seemed humble, but in fact, it was a statement of full self-confidence.
The emperor, who understood the meaning of the words, smiled once more and nodded his head.
“I am amazed at your care. Don’t do that. It’s because the fun doesn’t go away when you watch a game without knowing the outcome.”
Following the instructions of the host, Julia and Serena climbed up the dungeon.
Even those who had never been interested in the contest began to sit at the tables around the dungeon.
“You still didn’t run away, did you? queen? I will buy you courage. You don’t seem to be able to tell the difference between courage and arrogance.”
Serena said from a certain distance.
Comfortable work clothes and colorful dresses.
The two men’s attire was in stark contrast.
“Selena. Our loser decided to follow one of the winners’ instructions. What instructions do you think I will give you?”
“That’s not the princess, it’s the one who wins—”
“Ah, it’s not an instruction, it’s a consideration. I’m going to shave Serena’s hair. Have you ever complained that your hair is long and difficult to manage? We will make it maintenance free.”
Serena’s luscious brown hair was rumored among the aristocrats.
Usually, she was bragging about disguising her complaints, so there were a lot of people who frowned.
Serena frowned, while instinctively clasping her hair as if to protect it.
“… You will regret that. Even if I win, I didn’t want to give unreasonable instructions, but I changed my mind.”
“yes. Yes. I hope I regret it too.”
Serena gritted her teeth.
I accepted the staff from the secretary who followed me.
Then, after doing nothing, I found Julia, who was staring at me blankly, and said.
“What are you doing? Are you going to fight with your bare hands?”
“I am not the type to rely on such equipment.”
“… … .”
Serena glared at Julia and took a pose.
He raised the element and was ready to release it as soon as the contest started.
‘Where dare you cross magic. I’ll have to make him crawle into the mansion with a broken nose.’
Beep-!
Several ice picks appeared on Serena’s hand with the sound of a whistle.
‘what. I don’t even pepe. If you make it so easy to use magic… .’
The next moment, Serena’s eyes lit up with astonishment.
Yulia was leaving her seat and narrowing the distance towards this side at a tremendous speed.