Chapter 27
Episode 8: The Other Selen
I thought the magic exam would be fun, but then…
「Slaine! There you are! I’ve been looking for you!」
「Selen, is something wrong?」
The fact that she called Prince Slaine by name without any honorifics meant she must be someone really important—likely his fiancée.
And to top it off, it looks like her name is also Selen, just like mine.
This is going to get confusing (sweat).
「’Something wrong’ you ask! And who is this girl, by the way?」
The other Selen, glaring at me with sharp eyes, directed her question to Prince Slaine.
「Do you mean her? She’s the girl who defeated me in the martial arts exam yesterday.」
「W-what? You lost, Slaine? Why haven’t I heard about this? You! What family are you from? (angry)」
Prince Slaine answered with a laugh, but the other Selen snapped, her voice full of anger as she demanded answers from me.
「Uh, um… I’m a commoner. My name is Selen.」
「A c-commoner defeated Slaine? What kind of cowardly tricks did you use?」
Lady Selen, now absolutely furious, raised her hand to slap me, but Prince Slaine stopped her.
「Selen, I can’t allow you to raise your hand. I lost because she was stronger, plain and simple.」
「Why? Why are you protecting a commoner like her?」
「Because using violence without reason isn’t something a member of the royal family should do.」
Prince Slaine, calm as ever, reprimanded the raging Lady Selen.
Wait, did he just say royal family?
Does that mean Lady Selen is a princess? Are they twins?
Lady Selen seemed to calm down a little after Prince Slaine scolded her, but she kept glaring at me (sweat).
「You! Face me in a duel during the magic exam! I’ll show you the power of the nobility! Prepare yourself!」
As she declared her challenge, it seemed like her anger flared up again—her face was turning bright red…
「Um… Isn’t the magic exam not a duel? So I don’t think we can actually have a match.」
「That’s irrelevant! We’ll just have the examiners decide who’s superior!」
Oh no, it looks like nothing I say will change her mind.
When I glanced at Prince Slaine, he gave me a nod with a wry smile, so I decided to accept the challenge.
「Princess Selen, I accept your challenge.」
「Don’t say my name so casually! I’ll inform the examiners myself! Hmph!」
With that, Princess Selen stormed off, and I let out a big sigh.
Who would have thought this would be the beginning of my lifelong friendship… (sweat).
「Sigh…」
「I’m sorry. Since she’s a princess, I couldn’t intervene…」
「Selen was spoiled growing up, so I truly apologize for this.」
Cantera apologized sincerely, and so did Prince Slaine, but there was nothing they could do in this situation (sweat).
「No, it’s okay. Thanks for being considerate♪」
And so, despite it being a magic exam, I ended up having to duel Princess Selen…
–
Episode 9: Selen vs. Selen
After Princess Selen left, some time passed before the instructor in charge of the 【S Class】 arrived to explain the magic exam.
Here’s a summary of what it entails:
1. The first test is on magical control, where we have to manifest a magical orb and demonstrate our ability to manipulate it.
2. The second test is on magical power, where we use an offensive magic spell on a magical dummy.
So it’s a test of magical technique and power.
「Alright, we’ll start with the magical control test. The two names I call will come forward and demonstrate their magical control.」
The instructor called up the examinees one by one, and they each showcased their magical control. Princess Selen and I were the last ones to go…
Cantera manifested two magical orbs and spun them around skillfully. Most of the other examinees could only manage one orb, so I thought he was doing well. But then Prince Slaine came next, summoning four magical orbs and moving them in a circular pattern.
The surrounding students were all impressed, with some saying things like, 「As expected of Prince Slaine!」 Princess Selen turned to me, clearly proud, and spoke with a smug expression.
「As expected of Slaine! The smooth movement of those orbs is at a level befitting a true mage! This is the power of the royal family! (Hmph)」
She was practically beaming with pride.
「Next and last, Princess Selen and Selen, step forward!」
We both stepped forward and began manifesting our magical orbs to demonstrate our control.
Princess Selen summoned three orbs and made them move in a circular pattern, just like Prince Slaine.
The students around us cheered, and she must have thought it was for her.
But then she noticed they were actually reacting to my magical control and was shocked. Her flow of magic faltered, and she ended up losing control of her orbs…
I had summoned ten orbs on each side, making them cross paths in two intersecting circles.
Even the instructor was amazed. It wasn’t just the number of orbs; the technique of making them move in synchronized circles was a highly advanced skill, something not even the Imperial Guard Mage Corps could perform…
「Th-that’s enough. Both of you, return to your places. We’ll take a short break before moving on to the magical power test!」
During the break, Prince Slaine and Cantera bombarded me with questions about my magical control, so I barely got to rest at all.
Before I knew it, the break was over, and it was time for the magical power test.
From my perspective, the magical power test was a bit… embarrassing.
I didn’t realize the words used for magical incantations were so cringeworthy (sweat).
「Resonate with my magic and grant me the blessings of water〚Water Ball〛!」
「I am the child of the fire spirit and master of flames, unleash your power〚Fire Ball〛!」
Having to say something like that during a magical incantation was too embarrassing for me… There was no way I could say those words out loud…
Next up was Princess Selen’s turn.
「I am the Empress of the Skies, gather, O wind, and become my power〚Storm Lance〛!」
A spear of wind appeared, spinning violently as it struck the magical dummy with a thunderous roar, 『BOOM!』.
I had to admit, it was quite powerful. Princess Selen gave me a smug smile, clearly pleased with her magic.
Then it was my turn, so I stepped forward.
I skipped the embarrassing incantation and just went straight to casting the spell.
「Fire god, lend me your strength〚Flame Cannon〛!」
The blazing cannonball struck the magical dummy, and with a deafening explosion, 『BOOOOM!』, it completely obliterated it…
It seems I slightly overdid it with the power (oops).
As I finished the spell and started to return to my spot, I felt intense stares from all around.
The power of the magic was so overwhelming that every single examinee in the training ground was now staring at me…
Yep, I definitely overdid it this time (sweat).
–
Episode 10: End of the Entrance Exam
As the crowd buzzed with excitement over my〚Flame Cannon〛, the examiner announced the end of the magic test.
「This concludes the magic test. As for the results of the three-day entrance exam, you will be notified at a later date. With that, the entrance exam is officially over!」
「「Thank you for your hard work!」」
With the three-day entrance exam successfully completed, I was about to head back to the inn where Mom was waiting when Princess Selen called out to me.
「You there, wait a moment!」
「Ah, um… Princess Selen, is there something you need from me?」
I responded timidly, feeling the pressure from her presence.
But Princess Selen spoke to me with a refreshing tone.
「You defeated me in the magic duel, didn’t you? Hold your head high and be more confident!」
「Y-Yes…」
Seeing how completely intimidated I was, Prince Slaine stepped in to help.
「Selen, you need to speak more gently. You’ve acknowledged her strength, right?」
「Th-that’s right! I’m allowing you to call me “Selen” from now on, as a special privilege! And I’ll call you “Ren”! It’s confusing with both of us being called Selen, after all!」
「Yes… I understand, Princess Selen.」
「Drop the ‘Princess’! Got it?」
「Yes… Selen-sama.」
While Princess Selen spoke confidently, I could only manage to respond timidly.
And so, the long three-day entrance exam at the 【National Tiarad Academy】 came to an end. Though in reality, it was only the third day that felt long because of my interactions with Selen-sama (sweat).
At the end of the entrance exam, I felt confident that I had passed.
Although I have some concerns about Selen-sama being a bit of an unpredictable factor, I think I’ll be able to enjoy my time at Tiarad Academy starting next year.
➖➖➖Slaine’s Thoughts➖➖➖
Next year, life at Tiarad Academy will begin.
To be honest, I used to think that school would just be a ‘boring time’.
But meeting Selen changed everything. She completely overwhelmed me in the martial arts test, and during the magic test, I was not only astonished but also captivated by her…
I never believed in the concept of someone being both talented and beautiful, but perhaps that phrase was meant for Selen.
When I think about spending my school life with Selen, I feel warmth in my heart…
I can’t wait for time to pass quickly so that the entrance ceremony can come.
Thanks for the chapter