The next day, sunshine was once again warm and bright, yet the academy's atmosphere had grown even more restless than usual.
Especially the students in the castle classrooms—hearts had long since flown far from lessons. Surprisingly, even the teachers, rarely indulgent, did nothing to restrain them, as many of their own minds were similarly consumed by the Spring Cup.
Particularly the first-years. As the competition with the academy's richest rewards, and one of the few activities freshmen could actually join, it was impossible not to be excited:
"Gwah! Begone, tedious classes! I can't hold myself back any longer—I'm going to win the Spring Cup, receive the headmaster's award, be summoned by Her Majesty the Empress, and ascend the peak of life, believe it!"
"What? You dare snatch victory from me? You've chosen death!"
Seeing these freshmen filled with such chuunibyou energy, as though they were protagonists straight out of novels, the upperclassmen appeared far calmer. Perhaps they'd once been there too—driven mad by desire, confidently joining the Spring Cup, only to be easily eliminated in the first few rounds, becoming mere stepping stones on the paths of the academy's true big shots.
Of course, if a clever freshman decided to be prudent and asked upperclassmen whether newcomers had any chance of winning, they'd always receive warm encouragement.
After all, who wouldn't love seeing someone else fall into the same pit they'd once stumbled through?
Elena and Hysteria arrived early at the registration hall, which was already jam-packed with students.
"Isn't this just ridiculous? I never knew our academy had this many people!" Hysteria complained after being squeezed out repeatedly due to her short stature.
"Let's line up slowly. This isn't an event just for freshmen or our own school—it's a festival for the entire academy," Elena soothed her with a gentle smile.
Still, no matter how you looked at it, there were simply too many people.
Even the Artificer's Exam, important as it was, attracted fewer than a third of this crowd.
Just then, snippets of conversation from two male students leaving nearby drifted into their ears:
"Hehe, every year we see newbies like these. Imagining these fresh-faced newcomers getting mercilessly ground down by those monsters from the senior classes just gets me so fired up!"
"Plus, I hear Headmaster Sorgana herself designed all the trials this year. She's a complete sadist, so I bet the rules will get even crazier."
"Exactly. Rumor has it, she declared this year's theme to be 'Randomness,' so even the selection round's difficulty became completely random."
These remarks immediately attracted attention from nearby students. To prevent weaker, non-Arcana students from entering the main competition and getting hurt by elites, the Spring Cup's first round was usually a preliminary screening test, examining magic control or mana capacity.
"What do you mean, 'random' selection?"
"They say you'll randomly draw a trial card and have to complete the mission on it to enter the main competition."
"That's basically just a dare game, isn't it? I fear nothing, bring it on!"
"Oh really? Someone already drew a card telling them to sneak a peek at the underwear color of the Star Court's head instructor."
"Excuse me, I'm suddenly withdrawing. I wouldn't win anyway."
"Yeah, let's not bother registering and just head back to the dorm."
"Alright, you go first."
"Hahaha, bro, you first."
"Wait, you heard that rumor too, didn't you? You want to sneak back behind my back, join the selection trial alone, and hog all the rewards yourself!"
"So what if I did? Weren't you thinking the same?"
"Geneva, you traitor!"
Just what rumor could have turned these sworn brothers into backstabbers in mere seconds? Elena exchanged a curious glance with Hysteria.
"Excuse me, sorry to bother you, senior..?"
Elena cautiously approached, softly calling out.
"Who—ah, didn't you see we... didn't you see I was about to throw out the trash? Allow me to be of immediate service to this adorable junior!"
Today Elena hadn't worn her school uniform. Instead, she was dressed in something easier to move around in—a white cheerleader-like top and short skirt strongly recommended by Hysteria. Her slender legs were wrapped in sheer black tights, making her appearance exceedingly attractive.
And most importantly, she'd even tied up her hair in a high ponytail!
Just one glance, and all fatigue accumulated over recent days seemed instantly healed by sheer enthusiasm.
"No need for that. Could you perhaps tell me what exactly this rumor about the selection trial is?" Elena asked gently.
"Ah, of course!" The male student nodded eagerly, a bit showily. "You must be a freshman, right? Well, you might not know, but although Headmaster Sorgana's known for being eccentric, she's also famously generous. Rumor has it this year she hid a prize that could easily have served as a final reward in previous years inside the selection trial. I bet many people who didn't originally plan to join are coming to test their luck now."
Ah, so that's how it is!
Elena finally understood, though she didn't hold out much hope—her luck had always been mediocre until entering the academy.
Hmm... meeting Linen and Hysteria was already incredibly lucky, wasn't it?
"Say, would you like to team up for the Spring Cup? With an experienced senior's help, your chances would go way up, you know!"
"S-sorry, I already have teammates!"
After politely declining, Elena turned away.
Watching the girl's retreating figure, the boy sighed with mild regret:
"Such a lovely girl… Too bad she's clearly already spoken for."
"You can even tell that much?" his companion asked, stunned.
"Hmph, don't underestimate me! After all, I've been rejected by countless girls. Didn't you notice how carefully she kept her distance while speaking with me, without ever making it feel unpleasant? She's probably rejected lots of guys before because of her boyfriend—she's gotten good at it."
"Isn't it possible she was just keeping her distance because she found you repulsive...?"
The boy stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning.
"Alright, alright, I'm just joking. Anyway, that freshman girl was cute, but still a step below the one I just ran into."
"For real? You actually got approached by a girl outside of a classroom where you were answering a teacher's question?"
"Don't casually mention impossible scenarios!"
After retorting, his friend still drifted into nostalgic recollection.
"This year's Spring Cup is overflowing with pretty freshmen. Apparently, even the royal family is sending a princess."
"That freshman who spoke earlier was definitely school beauty material, but compared to the girl I met earlier, she probably still falls short."
"It's hard to describe precisely—those who understand, understand; for those who don't, it's useless to explain. If I had to sum it up in one word, it'd simply be 'perfect.' You'll know once you see her."
"Was she a girl with golden hair, wearing a black-and-white dress, paired with flawless 8D white stockings and little black leather shoes?"
"Yes, exactly! How did you know?"
"Isn't she right over there?"
Following the direction of his companion's finger, their eyes landed on a certain spot, where a commotion seemed to be unfolding.
A male student furiously slapped his hand down on the registration table:
"Hey! What kind of damn trial is this? People drawing identical cards must duel each other, and only the winner advances? Who the hell made this garbage rule?!"
"Firstly, the Headmaster set this trial herself. If you have objections, go find her, not me. Secondly, raise your voice at a teacher again, and I'll report you to the Academic Office and cancel your graduation, Alus."
The young instructor managing the drawing was utterly indifferent. Seeing no room to argue, Alus grudgingly returned to his companions.
"What the hell kind of trial is this? Isn't this clearly targeting people teaming up for the Spring Cup?"
"Yeah, that senior named Alus is a top ten third-year student from Golden Court. Everyone with him looks impressive, too."
"My god, impressive barely cuts it! Vanya, second-ranked in Golden Court, joined Alus's team!"
"And isn't that freshman kid Faraoh, son of the Northern Duke? They actually teamed up—wait, why does Faraoh look more like their lackey…?"
"Heh, too bad—teammates turned into rivals instead. As expected of Headmaster Sorgana's trials, how interesting."
"Hey, Alus, stop embarrassing yourself. Rules are rules. Come back and finish it quickly."
A coldly elegant female student called her noisy companion back, then turned toward the supervising instructor:
"Sorry, teacher, we don't object to the trial itself, but we have an odd number of participants. Pairing off to duel seems unreasonable—someone shouldn't have to fight twice, right?"
"Who said you had an odd number?" The teacher impatiently pointed to the side. "Isn't that student's trial the same as yours?"
The girl named Vanya turned, her gaze landing on the girl standing quietly aside.
She was a girl you wouldn't forget after just one glance.
The colors on her were simple—just black and white, but her hair shimmered a brilliant gold, brightening half the room. On her face was an impeccable smile that could find fault with no one. Noticing Vanya's gaze, the girl tilted her head slightly, offering back a dazzlingly perfect smile—polite, elegant, and just distantly friendly enough.
Yet whether it was that slightly peculiar short skirt or the silky, translucent white stockings covering her slender legs, every detail proved that her outfit was unquestionably expensive.
A freshman, huh? A pretty noble brat, but meeting us is your misfortune.
Vanya sneered inwardly, then turned toward Alus.
"You go handle her."
Alus immediately displayed dissatisfaction:
"Vanya, even if you're the team leader, don't order me around to clean up the small fry! I know you hate nobles, but command authority shouldn't be abused like this."
"Enough chatter. Caution sails a thousand-year ship. Go quickly."
Alus grumbled, reluctantly obeying. He and the girl walked, one ahead and one behind, into the prepared enclosed duel room.
Some trials involved combat, and to avoid injury or premature leaks of students' abilities, the academy had prepared closed-off duel chambers. This was also why the normally spacious hall felt overcrowded.
"Hmhmhm~ What do you think, Teacher Gust? Aren't my arrangements perfect?"
In a room from which all registered students could be observed via magical mirrors, a self-satisfied voice echoed from the crystal ball beside Gust.
"As expected of you, Headmaster. Unfortunately, because the duel chambers occupy too much space, we couldn't set up more registration booths. Student wait times have probably increased by about thirty percent."
"Just…thirty percent?" The voice in the crystal ball immediately became sheepish. "Anyway, while I've been away, these Golden Court students have gotten more arrogant. High-ranked students openly teaming up—is their goal to monopolize all Spring Cup rewards? How outrageous!"
"Indeed," Gust replied calmly. "But rest assured, Headmaster. There's already one fewer competitor to split the rewards."
"You mean Farao? True, he's noticeably weaker than the rest—after all, he's still a freshman."
"Not him, Headmaster." Gust shook his head lightly. "Farao is my student. I've seen his improvement firsthand. He's slightly behind the Golden Court elites, but he's not weak. Unfortunately, it's Alus who's about to be eliminated."
"Are you serious? Alus is ninth-ranked in Golden Court—two and a half years to become a Two and a Half-Ring Water Arcana Mage. He could even reach the Third Ring by graduation. You must be joking, right?" scoffed the crystal ball, entirely unconvinced by Gust's statement. "Wait a second…speaking of which, whose class is that girl from? I don't recall ever seeing her before…"
At that moment, a sudden explosion of rushing water resounded from the duel chamber, and the trial board flipped automatically, showing the trial was already complete.
"Ohhh~ As expected of Alus from Golden Court's top ten! He finished off that freshman so quickly. Looks like even you make mistakes sometimes, Gust."
Gust only smiled wordlessly.
Simultaneously, the duel chamber's door automatically opened, and Alus's tall figure appeared in everyone's view.
"No way—such a delicate freshman was defeated already? That guy showed no mercy at all!"
"So this is the Golden Court's strength. Looks like this time we can only participate for the experience…"
Vanya also showed a satisfied smile.
She'd always hated those incompetent nobles who monopolized resources from birth, which was why she'd organized a team composed entirely of commoner Arcana Mages, aiming to seize all the Spring Cup's high-level rewards. She'd prove once and for all that, given equal resources, commoners could far surpass those worthless nobles.
It was just unfortunate that this unlucky noble freshman girl had become their first sacrifice.
"Good job, Alus. Hurry back."
Yet as Vanya called, Alus, built like an iron tower, suddenly collapsed heavily to the ground. Beside him, the girl—whose skirt didn't even bear a wrinkle—gracefully stepped over his arm, returned to the registration counter to complete her qualification check, and elegantly departed in the carriage already waiting outside.
"That freshman girl was seriously strong! And her skirt feels oddly familiar," murmured the two passersby, scratching their heads.
"It was a maid uniform."
"Yes! Exactly! A fellow connoisseur!"
The boy suddenly remembered something, turning around, only to find himself alone.
"What a strong opponent!"
Witnessing the scene, Hysteria narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Yeah, even you would have trouble handling that Alus, right, Hysteria?" Elena said, nodding beside her.
But Hysteria paused in slight confusion.
"Elena, you misunderstood. I didn't mean that—I meant that girl's status might even rival mine."
Elena: ?????
Brushing off Elena's confusion with a half-hearted explanation like "princesses attract each other," the two arrived at the registration counter after repeated urging from their instructor.
"How rude to make a teacher wait. Students these days are truly hopeless!"
"Who's Hysteria? Hurry up and take your card!"
The teacher grumbled while, taking advantage of nobody paying attention, secretly switching out the trial cards.
"No need to yell. I just hope it's an easy trial," Hysteria muttered softly, though she knew it wouldn't actually be easy.
Because every card issued by this teacher so far had been combat trials.
Stepping forward, just as she was about to take the card from the teacher's hand, another hand abruptly reached out ahead of her and snatched the card away.
"My trial is simple—just a few words will do. Take this one; I'll take yours instead."
"Linen! You really came after all?!" Elena's eyes lit up happily, recognizing the newcomer immediately as Linen, who'd claimed he wouldn't be participating.
But Linen merely smiled faintly:
"You're welcome. Helping fellow members of the same study group is something I ought to do anyway."
With that, he took the card meant for Hysteria and headed directly toward the trial chamber.
"Seriously? Why is that jerk suddenly being so nice?" Hysteria muttered suspiciously under her breath. Glancing down at the card Linen had quickly left her with, an ominous feeling crept into her heart:
[Please state the person of the opposite sex you care most about and explain why.]
Hysteria: ?????