Chapter 236
After meeting Dran for the first time in months, Lenia’s emotional turmoil was threatening to break through the bulwark of reason, even utterly shattering it.
Oddly enough, Lenia’s rather childish and innocent desire to look presentable to Dran and respectable to her juniors and peers formed the chains holding back her innate desire to be pampered by her father.
The observed civility, composed face, and elegant demeanor that Lenia was putting on barely outweighed her desperate yearning to absorb Dran’s presence with all her senses. Just like that, Lenia succeeded in hiding her rather embarrassing and clumsy behavior before Dran from Kushli and Aznar—for just this moment.
「Lenia, you’re very ladylike. That’s quite a surprise. If this were a battlefield, you’d be mortally wounded.」
Christina commented right before Lenia who was giving a curtsy. These were words that could possibly sound rude, but they were Christina’s true thoughts. Selina and Dramina no doubt shared the same opinion.
With that, Christina proceeded to welcome the junior students of the academy with a smile, one that kept the bare minimum of dignity and propriety befitting the baroness of Bern.
「Let me thank you again for making the long trip here. Welcome, my juniors from Galois Magic Academy. I now bear the prestigious title of the baroness of Bern, but I was once a student of the academy. Moreover, I’m honored to have been one of the representatives at last year’s Magic Tournament, where I wielded my humble magic skills. Hence, I think I can empathize with the nervousness and anxiety some of you might be feeling. I promise to help you as much as I can during your four days in Bern. This may sound stressful, but I do expect my juniors to excel.」
As a graduate of the magic academy, Christina failed to keep herself from speaking in such a manner. Though, there was probably not much real pressure or demand in her words.
「First of all, let me show you your accommodations in the mansion. It’s a small house compared to the historic school buildings and dormitories of the magic academy, but I’m proud to call it my home. For the next four days, I want you to relax and take it easy.」
At Christina’s words, Lynette, Kyrlinne, and Gundeus, dressed as maids, received the luggage that Lenia and the others had retrieved from the shadow storage space.
Sierra took Fatima’s luggage, but even so, it was a considerable amount of things for the small party. Kushli and Aznar were adamant about carrying their own luggage since they were commoners and not used to being treated like guests. However, once they saw Lynette and the other two lift the luggage without even showing any signs of effort, Kushli and Aznar gave up being stubborn.
Lynette, Kyrlinne, and Gundeus were of Deva heritage, and they had physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.
With Lynette and the other two dexterously carrying bags full of clothes and other items, Christina led the way, guiding Lenia and her companions into the mansion. All the while, Lenia looked fidgety and restless. She would have liked to talk to Dran without hesitation, but she was in no mood to lose her dignity before her juniors and peers. Nelneshia and Fatima would not be surprised, but Lenia seemed rather opposed to having her true nature of yearning for Dran’s affection exposed before Manos, Kushli, and the rest.
Lenia and her friends were led to a secluded corner on the second floor of the mansion. This room was meant for guests from other territories who did not use the accommodations in the village.
Considering the unexpected wealth of the barony of Bern, it would certainly be astonishing for guests to witness the highest quality of imported furniture and household items, leaving them startled by the riches possessed by such a new aristocrat from the countryside.
However, there were opinions that trying to elicit such a response would be vulgar. Hence, it was agreed that it would be better to have guests enjoy the rarity of interior decorations typical of the barony of Bern instead.
Lenia and her companions were led to a room with a glass vase filled with flowers found in Ente forest, a small raden box made with the shell of a giant clam found in a lake in Mores mountains where the Uara people lived, and small statues of heroic warriors and magnificent angels made by Dran.
The clock was made of various kinds of spirit stones, magic crystal stones, crystals, and glass. There were also finely crafted, seamless statues of figures and sword stands. The exquisite craftsmanship of everything within the room was beyond the imaginations of Kushli and the rest.
「The few of you can have this room. Fatima and Sierra wanted to share a room, right? After you put your luggage down, I’ll show you the dining room and bathrooms. Dran, Dramina, and I… No, Dramina has work, so she won’t always be available for training. Diadora, Selina, and Lynette will be your training partners.」
Just before Lenia and her companions split up to put their luggage in their rooms, Lenia straightened her face which was as pretty as a fairy’s and spoke to Kushli.
「After the tour around the place, we’ll start training immediately. We can rest later. Change your clothes once you put your luggage down. Dran, where’s the location?」
「Don’t worry. The mansion has been reinforced like the mock battlefield at Galois Magic Academy. The strength of the place has been carefully checked, so you can go as wild as you like.」
「Thank you for your consideration. Now, I can train them to my heart’s content.」
Lenia beamed as beautifully as the moonlight to her beloved father’s satisfying answer, but there was a trace of coldness in her smile. Her mind was no doubt on the thought of beating up Kushli, Aznar, Manos, and Nelneshia to the point of exhaustion. This very thought was making sadistic glee blossom in her heart.
Cold sweat was starting to form for Kushli and Aznar, as though they were aware of their impending doom due to Lenia’s threatening aura. On the other hand. Nelneshia’s fighting spirit seemed to have been ignited, while Manos was so engrossed in the preservation, hardening, and lightening magic infused within the entire mansion. The latter has stopped paying attention to Lenia’s comments ever since she had entered the place.
In the eyes of these two juniors with ordinary sensibilities, Lenia and Nelneshia were certainly dependable and extraordinary seniors.
After showing the party around the dining room and the bathroom that allowed for a hot bath at any time, Christina, Dramina, Selina, and Diadora returned to their respective work tasks. Dran and the three maids took over the job of showing Lenia and her companions around.
From Lenia’s point of view, the reduced number of people other than Dran was a blessing in disguise.
There was no way that Lenia would feel upset about having fewer people to train with. For her, Dran was enough for training. She was completely driven by her personal feelings, and she had long left behind any form of courtesy. This was a thinking process that was very typical of Lenia.
The mock battlefield offered to Lenia and her friends was built on the mansion grounds, just as Christina had mentioned. It was at the back entrance of the mansion, a few steps into the surrounding woods.
The large hemispherical building was similar to the one where Dran had trained with Lenia at Galois Magic Academy and made of huge gray boulders. Even without magical reinforcements, it was hard to imagine the amount of work and manpower it would take to tear down this mock battlefield.
In front of the double wooden doors, Dran, who was leading the way, looked back at Lenia and the rest before speaking.
「The mock battlefield is also equipped with a simple bathroom, so you can wash off the sweat from your training here. For a proper bath, you can probably use the bathrooms in the mansion. Fortunately, we aren’t expecting any visitors from other territories, so you won’t run into any strangers. Inside, there is a stage for mock battles in the center, separated by a wall that also serves as a warding barrier. The strength of the wards is considerable to or even stronger than those of the magic academy. Even if you launch a hail of advanced magic, they won’t shatter easily. We have also prepared medical supplies such as magic potions and judgment rings, but if the need arises, you can head to the temple immediately and ask for a healing miracle.」
「It’s perfect. I can’t thank you enough, Dran.」
As Lenia bowed her head in awe, Dran let out a sheepish laugh. Kushli and Aznar simply stared at each other in disbelief. Ever since the decision to visit Bern had been made, these two had been struck by bolts of surprise ever so frequently.
「I’// be glad if you could thank Chris. She was the one who decided to let you stay here. By the way, Lenia, could I ask you several questions?」
「Of course. I will answer any questions from you to the best of my abilities and knowledge. 」
「As usual, you’re so eager when it comes to me. I thought the contestants for the tournament wouldn’t be decided yet at this time of the year. Even if the top four strongest have been decided from their combat achievements, the fifth contestant should be the winner of the preliminary contest, just like the one we participated in last year. Though, Lenia, you seem to be treating Kushli, Aznar, and Manos as if they’ve already been chosen to compete in the tournament. Are two of these three going to be the new top four?」
Dran’s question was a fair one. Nelneshia and Lenia were already two of the four strongest fighters at present in Galois Magic Academy this year. Hence, it was only natural that Dran would be curious about the selection criteria of the three remaining male students.
In response to this question, Lenia furrowed her eyebrows and had an expression that indicated her annoyance at something. Dran could guess from the change in his daughter’s face that the cause of the problem seemed to be that pretty girl with a wicked and evil heart.
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