Volume 2
Prologue: Why I, a Lecturer, Got Roped into the Magic Games Festival
At the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, in the headmaster’s office after school hours.
“…And that’s the deal. So, how about a little advance on my salary? Or maybe some pocket money, pretty please?”
“《Get lost • you moron!》—!”
A sudden maelstrom of crimson flames and shockwaves erupted, the deafening blast echoing through the room.
The explosive spell Celica had chanted detonated mercilessly upon Glenn, who’d Rosy had spouted nothing but nonsense.
The aftermath of the blast shattered the room’s windows, reduced the lace curtains to ashes, scorched the walls, and charred the carpet. Elegant furnishings—ornate paintings, antique bookshelves, polished decorative armor, sofas, and shaded lamps—lay in pitiful ruins. The headmaster’s office was now a shadow of its former glory.
“*Cough!* *Hack, wheeze, cough!* W-What the hell!? You trying to kill me!?”
Glenn, charred black and sprawled on the floor, croaked out a resentful protest.
“Shut it! You said you had some critical matter concerning the survival of the species, so I braced myself—and *this* is it!?”
“What do you mean, *this*!? If I starve, I’ll go extinct! I’m the only one of my kind in the world, you know! An endangered species! Treat me with care!”
“Quiet, just go extinct already! Better yet, I’ll personally wipe out that inferior breed!”
As Glenn and Celica launched into a pointless scuffle, the room’s master, Headmaster Rick, sat calmly atop his desk, observing the chaos unfazed. He interjected.
“Now, now, both of you, settle down. That was an awfully roundabout way of putting it, but… Glenn-kun, are you saying you need money for living expenses? Mainly food, I presume?”
“Exactly! As expected of the headmaster, you get it! See, Celica’s been all, ‘Pay for your own food!’ out of nowhere lately.”
“And that’s only natural! You’re not unemployed anymore—you’re a magic instructor with a proper income!”
Celica, arms crossed and scowling irritably, shot Glenn a glare.
“Anyway, I’m in deep trouble this month, Headmaster! At this rate, I’ll be forced into involuntary fasting starting tomorrow…”
“But wasn’t payday just last week? What in the world did you spend all that money on?”
At that, Glenn adopted a melancholic expression and sauntered to the window, gazing out.
The view beyond revealed the academy’s garden, adorned with trees and vibrant flowerbeds, separated by an iron fence from Fejite’s quaint, old-fashioned townscape. Far above, the majestic phantom castle—Fejite’s symbol, Melgalius’ Sky Castle—floated in grandeur.
“You ask what I spent it on… Well, naturally, I invested in the future.”
“The future?”
“Yes, for the infinite possibilities of tomorrow, to seize ever greater hopes—”
Celica cut in with a mutter.
“All gone—because you couldn’t stop gambling. I don’t even know if there’s anything left of you to save."
“Don’t ruin my moment! I was making it sound cool!”
Glenn pouted, protesting Celica’s bluntness.
“It’s not even my fault! It’s that damn three of hearts! If it’d been a four or higher, I would’ve—!”
Truly, he was the epitome of a deadbeat.
“…So, please, you two, help me out!”
“Rules are rules, I’m afraid. I can’t advance your salary,” Rick said.
“Ugh, seriously…? I’m screwed. The loan sharks won’t lend to someone who just started a steady job, and Celica’s gone and put a magic lock on the mansion’s pantry…”
Glenn, his hopes dashed, covered his face with his hands and sighed.
“Come now, Celica-kun,” Rick said, taking pity. “How about covering his food costs until the next payday? You two live together at your mansion, don’t you? He’s just renting a room.”
“No way, Headmaster. Spoiling him won’t do any good. This is all his own doing—consider it tough love. He’ll just have to survive until the next paycheck.”
Celica’s response was ice-cold.
“If he chips in for food, I’ll cook for him, for old times’ sake. That’s the bare minimum. I’m already letting him slide on rent, you know.”
“You hear that, Headmaster? That’s how she is. Always been selfish like that… Geez, what a pain,” Glenn said, feigning exasperation with a smirk and a shrug.
“Why am I the bad guy here!? You’re the problem, idiot!”
“Ow, stop! My temples! My skull’s gonna crack! Help, Mommy—!”
Celica clamped Glenn’s head in her grip, squeezing like a vise. As Glenn’s pathetic screams rang out, Rick, chuckling wryly, made a suggestion.
“I can’t advance your salary, but there’s a chance for a special bonus, Glenn-kun.”
“A special bonus!?”
At those words, Glenn shook off Celica’s grasp and scrambled to Rick’s side.
“What’s that!?”
“The ‘Magic Games Festival,’ held at the academy next week.”
“The… Magic Games Festival? What’s that?”
“It’s a triannual event at our Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, where students compete in magical contests. Each class, divided by year, pits their best against others in various magical events. The instructor of the class with the highest overall score traditionally receives a special bonus.”
“No way, for real!? There’s such an awesome event!?”
“The festival next week happens to feature the second-year division, which includes your class, Glenn-kun. Why not aim for that bonus?”
“You bet I will! Man, the Magic Games Festival… Who knew!? If only I’d heard about this sooner!”
At Glenn’s blatantly opportunistic remark, Celica pressed her temple, muttering with a frigid, exasperated look.
“You’re an alumnus of this academy. How do you not know? The second-years have been buzzing about it—especially since Her Majesty the Queen is—”
But Glenn wasn’t listening to a word of Celica’s jab. Clenching his fist and spinning on his heel, he bolted out of the headmaster’s office in a frenzy.
“I’ve got work to do! Gotta check if those kids are still around—later!”
Celica sighed as she watched Glenn’s retreating figure.
“So, Headmaster, real talk: can Glenn’s class actually win?”
“…Honestly, it’ll be tough,” Rick replied, his expression guarded.
“Sure, Glenn-kun’s class has Sistine-kun, a top-tier student, but word is Harley-kun’s Class 1 is the favorite to win, thanks to their overall strength.”
“Yeah, Harley’s class is stacked with talent. They’re a deep roster.”
“Indeed. They’ve got a wealth of high achievers. Even with Sistine-kun, relying on her for every event won’t be enough.”
“Every event, huh…” Celica let out a weary breath for some reason.
“Are you sure about this, Celica-kun? Your dear disciple might actually starve without help.”
“No worries, Headmaster,” Celica said breezily.
“That guy? He’ll survive eating grass or gnawing on twigs if he has to. I taught him that trick way back. Besides, leaving him be might make things… interesting.”
“Oh?” Rick’s lips curled, intrigued by her tone.
“His motives are garbage, but Glenn’s finally ‘in the mood.’ I’ve been fed up with the festival’s recent trends, but… let’s see what he does.”
Celica grinned, as a sense of enjoyment sparkling in her eyes.
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