Kemah latihan empat hari berlangsung dengan serangan tak terduga Lenia pada Raja Iblis di balik layar. Serbuannya tidak pernah diumumkan ke publik, dan latihan berakhir lancar tanpa kecelakaan. Satu-satunya insiden yang patut diperhatikan adalah pandangan mati di mata Kushli dan Aznar sesekali saat mereka menjalani latihan.
Meski Christina dan Dran tak bisa menemani para pemuda dan menghadiri latihan karena kewajiban kerja, Selina, Diadora, Lynette beserta saudara-saudaranya, dan naga-naga dari Pegunungan Mores berlatih bersama Lenia dan siswa-siswa Akademi Sihir Galois lainnya. Hasilnya, kualitas latihan tempur tetap sangat tinggi.
Keempat akademi sihir lain mungkin mendorong perwakilan mereka keras siang malam untuk Turnamen Sihir tahun ini, tapi bisa dipastikan tak satupun dari mereka yang mampu menyamai tingkat latihan Akademi Sihir Galois.
Bagi Dran dan kawan-kawannya, kerja keras Kushli dan Aznar begitu mengesankan hingga membasahi mata. Saat yang sama, mereka harus menahan keinginan untuk bertepuk tangan dan memuji Lenia atas kemampuannya mempertahankan daya api menakjubkan—dan efisiensi energi yang buruk—yang melampaui naga-naga untuk waktu singkat di akhir.
Lenia tetap gadis tiran yang sulit dikendalikan dan acuh perasaan orang lain. Meski begitu, dia berhasil menahan kesabarannya empat hari tanpa ambruk. Bagi yang mengenal Lenia, mustahil untuk tidak terpesona oleh prestasi besar ini.
Selina dan Dramina mengira sudah waktunya mengakui pertumbuhan mental Lenia dan berhenti kagum atas setiap hal kecil yang dilakukannya. Di sisi lain, Dran tetap ayah yang buta cinta, terharu atas setiap hal kecil yang dilakukan Lenia. Dia mungkin akan bereaksi berlebihan terhadap perilaku Lenia untuk sementara lagi.
Sekarang jadwal hari keempat telah berakhir, waktunya siswa-siswa kembali ke Akademi Sihir Galois dengan transport ekspres setelah sarapan bersama Christina dan yang lain.
Bundel kain dan tas-tas penuh oleh-oleh dari Dran dan kawan-kawan beristirahat di kaki para siswa. Lenia, Nelneshia, Fatima, dan yang lain mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada Dran dan teman-temannya di halaman mansion Christina.
Dran dan kawan-kawan ingin mengantar siswa-siswa ke stasiun kereta, tapi mereka tahu kehadiran baroness dan pengawal-nya di stasiun yang ramai kemungkinan besar akan menimbulkan keributan tak perlu. Dengan pertimbangan itu, mereka memutuskan mengucapkan selamat tinggal di mansion.
Langit biru cerah seolah menyatakan bahwa semua kesedihan perpisahan ini tak perlu. Sinar matahari yang cemerlang menyinari rombongan itu seindah kotak perhiasan yang terbalik.
Lenia, yang menantikan kunjungan ke Desa Bern, jelas kecewa harus pergi. Namun frustrasi tertahannya sepertinya hilang saat bertemu Dran setelah lama. Dia berseri-seri di hadapan Dran dan kawan-kawan.
Kushli dan Aznar sudah terbiasa melihat senyum Lenia saat latihan, pemandangan langka di Akademi Sihir Galois. Kini mereka tak lagi terkejut.
Lenia memulai pidato perpisahan atas nama siswa-siswa Galois.
"Kami sangat berterima kasih atas bantuan Anda empat hari ini. Terima kasih telah meluangkan waktu di tengah kesibukan dan menerima permintaan pihak kami yang masih pemula. Kedermawanan Anda memungkinkan kami berkembang dengan stabil. Saat Turnamen Sihir dimulai dengan lancar, kami berjanji akan menunjukkan hasil yang setara dengan prestasi Dran dan timnya tahun lalu."
Pilihan kata Lenia soal "dimulai dengan lancar" menunjukkan dia memahami situasi mengkhawatirkan yang melanda Kerajaan Arkrest saat ini.
Dalam berbulan-bulan menuju Turnamen Sihir, Kekaisaran Romal di barat, Todorokuni dan Korato di timur, serta tanah kegelapan di utara semuanya bom waktu yang bisa meledak kapan saja.
Saat bom-bom itu meledak, sulit memastikan apakah dampaknya akan menjangkau Kerajaan Arkrest. Di sisi lain, ada kemungkinan kekacauan pecah di dalam kerajaan sendiri. Kemungkinan besar Turnamen Sihir akan dibatalkan dalam situasi seperti itu.
Mudah dibayangkan Lenia akan marah jika kehilangan kesempatan menunjukkan kemampuannya pada Dran. Dia kemudian akan menumpuk gunung mayat di medan perang, berpikir dia bisa berperang lebih baik.
"Senang bisa membantu kalian. Kehormatan besar bagi kami sebagai senior untuk membimbing dan mendorong junior ke puncak yang lebih tinggi. Empat hari ini juga membuahkan bagi kami karena berinteraksi dengan naga-naga Pegunungan Mores."
"Kalau begitu, aku bisa mengangkat kepala dengan bangga. Kushli, Blue Cat, kalian juga harus mengucapkan terima kasih. Kalian berhak menikmati kedermawanan para pendahulu kami yang agung dan bijaksana!"
Kushli dan Aznar menyeringai Lenia, yang tidak menunjukkan tanda-tanda pulih dari kesombongannya. Mereka belajar empat hari ini bahwa tiranik kecil ini juga gadis yang sangat peduli. Hasilnya, ketakutan dan gemetar mereka berkurang jauh dibanding senyum pahit.
"Aku tak butuh kau suruh. Baroness dan semua orang di Bern memperlakukanku begitu baik hingga aku merasa bersalah. Kalau aku tak menunjukkan hasil setelah semua ini, aku akan membenci diriku sendiri karena terlalu patetik."
"Benar sekali. Kedermawanan yang kami terima di sini tak terbayangkan, apalagi latihan dengan naga-naga. Aku tidak pikir akademi sihir lain akan mendapat kerjasama pihak luar selevel ini. Meski aku tidak merasa tertekan khusus, tapi badanku bergetar. Kalau aku bisa mempertahankan ini sampai Turnamen Sihir, aku pasti akan mencapai hasil. Mungkin aku cuma merasa puas diri saja."
Christina tersenyum dan memberi kata-kata semangat pada keduanya yang sudah lebih percaya diri dibanding sebelum latihan. Meski dia tak punya banyak waktu mengenal mereka, tak diragukan lagi dia menantikan pertumbuhan mereka.
"Menurutku kalian jadi jauh lebih bisa diandalkan. Sebagai baroness, aku bersyukur kualitas akademi sihir kerajaan ini begitu luar biasa. Dari sudut pandang lulusan Akademi Sihir Galois, akademi sihir lain juga penuh siswa berbakat. Aku harap kalian tidak terintimidasi oleh kehebatannya, tapi terinspirasi untuk menunjukkan kemampuan kalian di turnamen."
Meski Gelang Agrilia membuat Christina jelek, dia tetap wanita dengan keindahan tak tertandingi. Senyum tunggal darinya cukup memcerahkan suasana hati Kushli dan Aznar. Meski begitu, hampir semua orang hadir tahu Aznar akan lebih bergairah atas harapan Lenia padanya dibanding pujian Christina.
Dran dan yang lain menyimpulkan hal serupa: Aznar harus mulai berusaha agar Lenia menghentikan julukan "Blue Cat" dan memanggilnya dengan nama depannya.
Satu hal bagi Lenia, yang biasanya dekat dengan Dran dan Irina, memanggil Aznar dengan namanya dan mengakui dia sebagai junior kompeten. Di sisi lain, sangat sulit menebak apakah hubungan mereka akan berkembang ke arah yang diinginkan Aznar.
Sementara mayoritas rombongan berempati pada perjalanan berat Aznar di depan, Nelneshia menambahkan warna sedikit berbeda pada ekspresi kosongnya biasa. Dia mendekati Christina diam-diam dan berbisik pelan agar hanya Dran dan kawan-kawan yang mendengar.
Jika siswa-siswa Akademi Sihir yang mengenal Christina menyaksikan adegan ini, mereka pasti akan terkejut seolah melihat neraka di bumi atau surga.
"Kegaduhan di Romal dan Korato semakin parah. Aku tidak pikir Bern akan terdampak dalam waktu dekat, tapi harap simpan ini di hati."
"Mengerti. Kita tidak akan menerima permintaan mobilisasi pasukan, tapi aliran orang dan barang pasti terdampak. Kita berusaha membangun ekonomi dari pariwisata, jadi itu jadi masalah. Lagipula, mendengar kabar kematian tidak akan menyenangkan."
"Begitu besarnya citra bangsa terikat erat dengan keinginan individu, tak terhindarkan nyawa orang akan terdampak skala nasional. Christina, tanggung jawabmu hanya pada rakyat Bern. Kamu tak perlu merasa bertanggung jawab pada warga negeri lain."
"Fufu, terima kasih. Kamu benar-benar baik, Nelneshia. Aku akan pastikan memahami batas kemampuanku, dan berhati-hati tidak melakukan hal di luar kemampuanku."
"Ya, itu bagus. Mengambil terlalu banyak tanggung jawab atau menutupi mata pada tanggung jawab yang seharusnya diambil, keduanya sama-sama buruk. Kamu juga dikelilingi orang-orang kompeten dan bisa diandalkan, termasuk Dran. Itu sebabnya kamu tak perlu malu mengandalkan orang di sekitarmu."
"Itu yang selalu dikatakan Dran dan yang lain padaku. Mereka suruh aku berkonsultasi saat ragu, dan ingin aku bergantung pada mereka. Astaga, aku sendiri tidak percaya aku orang yang mampu mengelola wilayah sendiri."
"Ya, selama kamu bersamanya, aku yakin semua masalah akan terselesaikan dengan baik."
Nelneshia batinnya seorang pejuang, tapi dia tetap putra keluarga bangsawan besar. Dengan senyum memikat, dia menyampaikan pikirannya jelas ke Christina. Komentar Nelneshia menenangkan hati Christina. Sambil merasa menerima kata-kata emas, Christina membalas dengan senyum yang sama indahnya.
Begitu, kemah latihan empat hari di Bern untuk peserta Akademi Sihir Galois berakhir, dan rahasia kontak Lenia dengan pasukan Raja Iblis tetap tersimpan di kegelapan.
The four-day training camp was held with Lenia’s unprecedented attack on the Demon Lord in the shadows. Her ambush was never made public, and the training came to a smooth end without accident. The only considerable incident was the occasional dead looks in the eyes of Kushli and Aznar as they went through with their training.
Although Christina and Dran were unable to stay by the youngsters and attend the training due to their work commitments, Selina, Diadora, Lynette and her sisters, and the dragons from Mores mountains trained with Lenia and the other students of Galois Magic Academy. As a result, the combat training remained to be of excellent quality.
The other four magic academies might be pushing their representatives hard all day and night for this year’s Magic Tournament, but it was safe to say that none of them could meet the level of training of Galois Magic Academy.
For Dran and his companions, the hard work of Kushli and Aznar was so impressive that it brought tears to their eyes. At the same time, they had to hold back their desire to applaud and praise Lenia for her ability to maintain her astounding firepower—and poor energy efficiency—that surpassed that of the dragons for a very brief amount of time toward the very end.
Lenia still remained the tyrannical girl who was hard to control and had little regard for the feelings of others. Despite this fact, she managed to maintain her patience for four days without breaking down. It was impossible for those who knew Lenia to avoid marveling at this great feat.
Selina and Dramina reckoned that it was time to acknowledge Lenia’s mental growth and stop the astonishment with every little thing she did. On the other hand, Dran was still the hopelessly loving father, moved by every little thing Lenia did. He would probably overreact to Lenia’s behavior for a while longer
Now that the fourth day’s schedule had come to an end, it was time for the students to return to Galois Magic Academy on the express transport once they finished their breakfast with Christina and the rest.
The numerous cloth bundles and bags filled with souvenirs by Dran and his companions rested at the students’ feet. Lenia, Nelneshia, Fatima, and the rest were exchanging farewells with Dran and his friends at the entrance of Christina’s mansion.
Dran and his friends would have liked to see the students off at the carriage station, but they knew that the presence of the baroness and her vassals at the crowded station was likely to cause an unnecessary commotion. With this consideration in mind, they decided to say goodbye at the mansion instead.
The clear blue sky seemed to declare that all sadness that came with this parting was unnecessary. The brilliant sunlight shining down on the party was as dazzling as an overturned jewelry box.
Lenia, who had been looking forward to visiting Bern village, was clearly disappointed to be leaving. However, her pent-up frustration seemed to have dissipated upon meeting Dran in a long time. She was beaming in front of Dran and his friends.
Kushli and Aznar had become accustomed to seeing Lenia’s smile during their training, a sight that was rare at Galois Magic Academy. By now, they were no longer surprised by it.
Lenia started her farewell speech on behalf of the Galois students.
「We’re very grateful for your help over the past four days. Thank you for making time in your busy schedules and accepting the request of an inexperienced party like us. Your generosity has enabled us to steadily improve. When the Magic Tournament comes to a successful start, we promise to deliver results that will live up to the achievements of Dran and his team last year.」
Lenia’s choice of words regarding the successful start of the tournament indicated that she understood the unsettling situation plaguing Arkrest Kindgom right now.
In the months leading up to the Magic Tournament, the Romal Empire in the west, Todorokuni and Korato in the east, and the dark wilderness in the north were all ticking time bombs that could explode at any time.
When these bombs finally exploded, it was hard to tell whether the aftermath would reach Arkrest Kingdom. On the other hand, there was a chance that mayhem would break out in the kingdom itself. There was a high likelihood that the Magic Tournament would be canceled in such a situation.
It was easy to imagine that Lenia would be furious if she lost the opportunity to demonstrate her skills to Dran. She would then build a mountain of corpses on the battlefield, thinking that she could do better at war.
「I’m glad I could be of help to you. It’s a great honor as your seniors to mentor and push our juniors to greater heights. It was a fruitful four days for us as well since we got to interact with the dragons of Mores mountains.」
「In that case, I can hold my head high in pride. Kushli, Blue Cat, you guys have to express your gratitude as well. You’ve had the privilege of enjoying the generosity of our great and benevolent predecessors!」
Kushli and Aznar grinned at Lenia, who showed no signs of recovering from her arrogance. They had learned over the past four days that this little tyrant was also a very caring girl. As a result, their fear and trembling had decreased greatly compared to bitter smiles.
「I don’t need you to tell me that. The baroness and everyone in Bern have treated me so well that I’m feeling bad about it. If I don’t deliver results after everything here, I’ll despise myself for being so pathetic.」
「You’re absolutely right. The generosity that we’ve received here is unthinkable, especially with the training with the dragons. I don’t think any other magic academy would have this level of cooperation from external parties. Even though I’m not feeling particularly pressured, but my body is tingling. If I can keep this up until the Magic Tournament, I’ll definitely achieve results. Though, maybe I’m just being complacent.」
Christina smiled and offered words of encouragement to the two who were already more confident than they were before their training. Although she did not have much time to get acquainted with them, there was no doubt that she was looking forward to their growth.
「I think you’ve become much more dependable. As the baroness, I’m thankful that the quality of the kingdom’s magic academies are this wonderful. From the point of view as a graduate of Galois Magic Academy, the other magic academies are also filled with talented students. I hope that you won’t be intimidated by the impressiveness of the other academies, but inspired to show your skills during the tournament.」
Despite the Agrilia’s Bracelet that made Christina ugly, she was still a lady with unparalleled beauty. A single smile from her was enough to brighten the moods of Kushli and Aznar. That being said, almost everyone present understood that Aznar would have been more thrilled by Lenia’s expectations of him than Christina’s
Dran and the rest came to a similar conclusion that Aznar had to start with working on getting Lenia to ditch the nickname of “Blue Cat” and call him by his first name.
It was one thing for Lenia, who was usually very close with Dran and Irina, to address Aznar by his name and recognize him as a competent junior. On the other hand, it was extremely difficult to tell whether their relationship would develop in the direction that Aznar desired.
While a large majority of the party sympathized with Aznar’s arduous journey ahead, Nelneshia added a slightly different color to her usual blank expression. She discreetly leaned close to Christina and whispered silently so that only Dran and his friends could hear her.
If the Magic Academy students who knew Christina had witnessed this scene, they would have exclaimed on the spot as if they had seen hell on earth or paradise.
「The turmoil in Romal and Korato are worsening. I don’t think Bern will be affected anytime soon, but please keep this in mind.」
「Got it. We won’t receive a request to mobilize troops, but the flow of people and goods will definitely be affected. We’re trying to build our economy on tourism, so that’ll be a problem. Besides, it won’t be pleasant to hear about deaths.」
「When the prestige of a nation is so strongly intertwined with individual desire, it’s inevitable that the lives of people will be affected on a national scale. Christina, your responsibility only lies with the people of Bern. You don’t have to feel responsible for the folks of other lands.」
「Fufu, thanks. You’re really kind, Nelneshia. I’ll make sure I understand what’s within my capabilities, and I’ll be careful not to do anything that’s beyond my ability to handle.」
「Yeah, that’s good. It won’t do to take on too much responsibility or to turn a blind eye to the responsibilities that should be taken on. You’re also surrounded by competent and dependable people, including Dran. That’s why you don’t have to feel embarrassed about relying on those around you.」
「That’s what Dran and the others always say to me. They tell me to consult them when I have doubts, and they want me to depend on them. Goodness, I don’t believe that I’m a person capable of managing a territory on my own anyway.」
「Yeah, as long as you’re with everyone, I’m sure that all troubles will be resolved well.」
Nelneshia was a warrior at heart, but she was still the daughter of a great noble family. With a charming smile, she conveyed her thoughts clearly to Christina. Nelneshia’s comments put Christina at ease. Even as Christina thought that she had received words of gold, she returned an equally beautiful smile.
With that, the four-day training camp in Bern for the contestants of Galois Magic Academy came to an end, and the secret of Lenia’s contact with the Demon Lord’s army remained in the dark.
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