Maydare Volume 3 Chapter 4 - Everyday Magic Tool Contest (Part 1)

 Some surprising news about Professor Ulysses!

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Master Eska’s training. Unsurprisingly, it was spartan.

In the early mornings before class began, and in the evenings after school, the demon fire will-o’-th-wisp that was left to me by Bishop Eska informed me of the time for my training.

As I was sleeping peacefully, I heard the deafening sound of my alarm clock early this morning.

“Gyaa gyaa, ugaaa, gii-gii-gii!”

The demon fire was inside its lantern, banging its head against the side of the glass.

“Aaaaaah, shut up. I know, I know. You’re going to wake Lapis up, shhh, what should I do, there, there.”

I hurriedly got up and tried to soothe the screaming demon fire. Out of nowhere, my two ham-chans appeared, sitting on the table.

“We really should tie it up just once, dechi…”

“It deserves to die ten thousand deaths for disturbing milady’s sleep, poyo…”

“Educational guidance is needed, dechi…”

“We’ll make it into a well-behaved demon fire, poyo…”

They were muttering horrifying things in their adorable voices.

Rather than me lecturing them, Donsuke and Popotarou were more obedient when I glared at them. I wonder why. They were trembling.

I ended up being summoned to the chapel on the school island that day, where I spent the morning going through a regimen of muscle training and for some reason being taught the rudimentary use of firearms and knives.

This was what I have been doing every day for the past few days, and so far I haven’t learned a single thing related to the〈Scarlet Witch’s〉magic. 

What was this?

At this rate, I was going to become a muscly and glistening magic soldier.

What did I come to the capital for?

Guardian? What’s that, is it tasty?

Where is this place? Who am I…

“Makia, Makia.”

“...Hah!”

Lapis shook me awake just as my consciousness became hazy. I looked up.

I was already in the middle of a class at magic school.

“Miss Makia O’Drielle. You have some nerve to fall asleep in my class.”

“Eh, um, you see…”

In an instant, I woke up, trembling.

Mary Erlich, the Magical World History professor, was looking down at me with a scary look on her face.

“Miss Makia, you have been quite absent-minded lately, haven’t you? You made a careless mistake on the quiz the other day, which is unusual for you.”

“Uh…”

So for the quiz results, I was beaten by my teammate Nero and my rival Beatrice.

“I have high expectations for you. The final exams are coming up soon, so focus your mind and take class seriously.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

My face turned red and I shrank down in my chair. I could hear people giggling around me for getting scolded in class.

Damn it, don’t look at me.

It’s not a show!

“It’s rare for Leader to get scolded. It was pretty funny.”

After Magical World History, Frey came over to tease me.

“What are you smirking about, Frey? I’m sure you’re used to getting scolded.”

As for me, I was in a bit of a bad mood.

“You’ve been pretty tired lately, Makia. The dark circles under your eyes are awful. What are you doing?”

Nero was peering into my face, staring at me. I quickly averted my gaze from him. I was acting really suspicious.

I still haven’t told my teammates that I was a Guardian.

In the first place, how was I supposed to tell them something ridiculous like, “I’m getting combat training from a Vabelist bishop…”

“Makia, you’ve been training early in the morning lately. After school too…”

My roommate, Lapis, who had never made any comment about my inexplicable behavior until now, was wondering why I was doing this.

“I-I’m just doing some jogging and strength training! I’ve been getting into that lately. Come to think of it, Lapis, you came back to our room late yesterday. Is it that part-time job?”

“Huh? Ah…yes.”

As I blatantly changed the topic, Lapis also gave a vague reply.

We didn’t interfere in each other’s affairs that much since secrets were said to be the etiquette of magicians, but I was still a little curious about some things.

Lapis was teaching something to someone. It seemed to be a part-time job, like being a magic tutor, but I didn’t know the details.

Lately, I feel like she had been going out more than ever before because of that.

Meanwhile, the boys…

“Nero, you were up all night yesterday. You can’t say anything about other people’s lack of sleep.”

“You were also out all night. When you came back in the morning, the strong smell of perfume was unpleasant.”

“Hmm. Nero’s still a little kid.”

Looking like they didn’t care about the etiquette of magicians at all, they said whatever they wanted to each other.

Nero, please go to sleep. Frey, you should study hard so you won’t repeat a year again…

All right then. When we walked into the cafeteria, we found it strangely noisy.

The cafeteria was always noisy, but this felt different. The chatter of the students felt giddy, or rather, excited.

“Oh, Makia!”

Sasha, the leader of Garnet Team 8, came running up to me, holding a newspaper.

She was a talkative and gossipy girl who sat next to me at team leader meetings.

“Look, look! Breaking news! The first prince, Lord Dee, is engaged!”

“...Really? Lord Dee?”

The first prince of the Kingdom of Ruschia, Edmund Dee Rui Ruschia.

By the way, our country had a first prince. The people affectionately called him Lord Dee or Prince Dee.

From my point of view, he was a prince I had nothing to do with, but that was just as well.

The first prince was currently staying in the Frezier Empire, serving as a bridge between the Kingdom of Ruschia and the Frezier Empire.

Our country’s first prince and Frezier’s second princess, Lady Nora, were engaged to be married. Since she was the second princess, did that make her Queen Shatoma’s younger sister?

This was nothing more than a political marriage to further display the strong ties between the Kingdom of Ruschia and the Frezier Empire.

By the way, there were many crown princess candidates for the first prince within the country.

My childhood friend, the duke’s daughter Sumilda, was also one of the crown princess candidates, but I guess she lost the competition. Duke Bigreitz took in Thor as an adopted son and sent him to the palace as a Guardian, which was a powerful move to make Sumilda the crown princess, but…

Don’t beat yourself up over it, Sumilda. Was she disheartened? I was a little worried. 

But it seemed that that wasn’t the only topic that had the female students in a frenzy.

“Look here! Apparently Professor Ulysses got engaged too!”

“Huh!?”

Even I received a great shock at that, like I was struck by lightning.

I reflexively grabbed the newspaper from Sasha and devoured it with my eyes.

I wasn’t that interested in the marriage of the first prince, but I couldn’t ignore it when it came to Professor Ulysses.

I had no small amount of adoration for the kind and beautiful Professor Ulysses, and I was shocked as the other female students. My fad-following heart was tickled, and I was curious about his partner.

“W-What kind of noble lady is she!?”

“He’s engaged to Vabel’s〈Green Priestess〉. Apparently, this has been decided for a long time.”

“...The〈Green Priestess〉?”

I blinked at that unexpected name.

——The〈Green Priestess〉.

She was the highest authority in Vabelism, and the special existence who could hear the voice of the World Tree Vabliophos.

In the legend of the Savior, the Savior and Guardians were supposed to receive a prophecy from〈Green Priestess〉.

 As I recall, the 〈Green Priestess〉had always been a hereditary title, passing on her special abilities to her daughter and granddaughter, who in turn give birth to the next Priestess. Therefore, the selection of the groom was very important, and I heard they choose one with as much magic power as possible.

It made sense that Professor Ulysses was chosen.

Furthermore, the Kingdom of Ruschia was able to ensure its connection to the Vabel State.

The princes of this country were aware that they were political pawns.

“...Haa. It ain’t nice to be a prince, not being able to fall in love freely.”

The fifth prince Frey of Garnet Team 9 muttered in the seat behind me.

I didn’t miss that and turned back to see him being sullen, his chin resting in his hands.

“What’s wrong? Did you have marriage talks too?”

“Yeah. Well, there’s been a lot of stuff lately. Gilbert’s been a pain in the ass.”

“...Okay?”

He did say something about a noble lady who approached him with a marriage proposal before.

But I thought that since it was Frey, he would be able to skillfully get away from it.

Or did Prince Gilbert, with who he was on terrible terms, say something to him?

While the students at school were thrilled and excited by the engagement stories of these esteemed princes, I couldn’t help but think seriously about the significance of the princes being placed in different countries.

A war that would engulf the world was beginning.

I think they were convinced of that, and that they were doing everything they could for defense preparations.

However, the Kingdom of Ruschia had been peaceful for many years and had been far away from the threat of the Heavenly Empire and demons, so the people had little sense of impending crisis. Even wars were thought of as stories of distant countries.

If transference magic became more developed, they wouldn’t be able to think such things.

Because without a doubt, the clutches of evil would reach this country.

In Spirit Magic Studies Class that day, everyone was fidgeting just from Professor Ulysses stepping up to the podium. His eyes blinked, as though he sensed that atmosphere.

“Oh? Is something the matter, everyone? Your magic is a little restless.”

“...Congratulations on your engagement, Professor.”

Sasha, the leader of Team 8 who was seated in front of me, whispered words of congratulations. This was followed by a round of applause in the classroom.

Professor Ulysses finally learned the meaning of the warm atmosphere in the classroom.

“Haaa, I see. So you all know. How embarrassing.”

The professor smiled wryly and scratched his cheek. Phantrome, the owl spirit perched on his shoulder, also said,

“Is His Highness finally becoming fodder for newspapers and gossip magazines? Hoo.”

“It’s nothing like gossip. It’s true that the engagement has been decided a long time ago.”

Professor Ulysses cleared his throat.

“Thank you, everyone. I cannot give you any details, but that’s the way it is. But for now, let us focus on class…”

“Professor, does being the groom of the Vabel State’s Priestess means that you’re leaving Lune Ruschia?”

“Who will teach us Spirit Magic Studies if you’re gone?”

“No—! I came to Lune Ruschia because Professor Ulysses was here!”

The students threw questions at Professor Ulysses from all over the place. In any case, they were restless.

There were also a mountain of things I wanted to ask, but Professor Ulysses said,

“Please be quiet.”

Everyone in the classroom stopped talking as he put his finger to his mouth and recited.

He didn’t raise his voice, but his tone was compelling.

“I will make an announcement about myself shortly, but until then, I am simply a teacher at Lune Ruschia, and I shall guide you responsibly.”

Then, after a beat, the professor told us something very important.

“I would like to present the final group assignment for your first year today.”

Murmurs…

A sudden announcement was perfect for completely changing the atmosphere of a classroom.

Here it comes. I thought it was about time for the unveiling of the final group assignment for this school year.

“Hey, hey, Lapis. I think they’re going to have us do one-on-one death matches.”

I whispered my predictions to Lapis next to me.

“My, we would have a problem if that was the case. You and I will be fine, but Mr. Nero and Mr. Frey could die…”

“In our team, it’s the girls who are strong at battling.”

“I can hear you,” Frey, sitting behind us, said.

At that moment, Professor Ulysses thrusted his staff at the floor.

“Yuri yuno sys. ——Water, become a mirror.”

He usually didn’t say incantations, but on this occasion, he unusually chanted a spell and created a huge water mirror beside him.

As we were paying attention to it, wondering what was going on, a goat’s head appeared out of the water mirror.

A few students here and there let out small screams.

What emerged from the mirror was the headmaster of Lune Ruschia Magic School. 

“Hello and good day to you, first-years. I am Pan Faunus, the headmaster of Lune Ruschia.”

Everyone already knew that.

The question on everyone’s mind was, Why is the headmaster here?

Headmaster Pan’s face emerged out of the water mirror, his marble-like eyes glancing around at the students.

“The end of your first year is finally upon you. Everyone seems to be worried about the final group assignment.”

Headmaster Pan grinned, showing his teeth. I’m scared.

“As the one in charge of this final assignment, I will set the theme and assess you. The participating departments are Spirit Magic Studies, Elements Magic Studies, Magical Engineering, Alchemy, Contemporary Magic Studies*...”

(TN: Contemporary here means “cutting-edge.”)

Even I thought “What?” when I heard the lineup of departments.

That was because Magical Engineering, Alchemy, and Contemporary Magic Studies, which were only touched on in the first year, were participating in the evaluation.

“The theme is ‘Everyday Magic Tool Contest.’”

The students let out exclamations of surprise.

Waiting for Headmaster Pan’s words, Professor Ulysses used levitation magic to place printouts on each desk.

I read the printout, reviewed the outline, and widened my eyes and mouth at the unexpected assignment.

“Everyday Magic Tool Contest, huh. That’s a surprise, Lapis.”

“Yes, it’s rare for your predictions to be off the mark.”

“...Who was the one who said death match?”

“You did, Makia.”

From reading the printout, it seemed that the assignment, as the name implied, was for each team to create a magical tool that would be useful in everyday life.

It might seem like a straightforward assignment, but let us consider the intention behind this being the final team assignment given directly by the headmaster.

Recently, with the development of contemporary magic, “magic tools” were becoming increasingly important.

Maybe this final assignment for us first-year students was to make us aware of this fact and to determine our aptitude for the ability to conceive and create something.

Perhaps there was an urgent need to train magicians to create new magic tools.

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