Vol 1 Chapter 12 – Entrance Exam

“…No matter how you slice it, I think greeting me with ‘Fire Phoenix’ the instant we meet is a bit much.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, the one who casually snuffed it out. You should have just let yourself be quietly burned… For once, try dying to entertain me.”

The one looking blatantly displeased was Lidia Linstar, eldest daughter of the Linstar Ducal Family which governs the southern territories, and my long-standing, pain-in-the-neck companion.

She usually prefers clothes that are easy to move in, but today, she was uncharacteristically dressed up. Looking at her properly made my heart give an embarrassing thump.

The crimson dress, matching her beautiful red hair, suited her so well it was dazzling to the eyes.

If she just kept her mouth shut, she’d be an overwhelming beauty with a great figure, and countless victims have been deceived by that… A beautiful rose hides exceedingly sharp thorns.

“My bad.”

“…And what exactly are you sorry for? Use your words.”

“For going to the Howard estate. And for accepting that without consulting you.”

“…Anything else?”

“For not writing many letters. For not coming to see you until today. And—for not telling you why I failed the Royal Court Mage exam.”

“…………Nn.”

She held out both hands.

…I hesitate, but I guess it can’t be helped. I was in the wrong this time.

I lightly embraced Lidia.

She was as slender as ever. To think that this girl is one of the foremost swordsmen and mages in the kingdom—hey, don’t hug me so hard, that actually hurts.

“…I was lonely, you know.”

“Sorry.”

“…Don’t ever go off somewhere again without telling me. If you go, take me with you.”

“I’ll do my best—Ow! I said that hurts! Don’t dig your nails in!”

“…This is the part where you’re supposed to say, ‘Yes, I’ll never do it again. My deepest apologies, Masterrr,’ you knooow!”

“Who’s whose master? But… I’m sorry.”

“…Idiot. Tell me everything later. I want to hear all of it.”

—The amount of time it took for the cute Ojou-sama to release me after that is a secret.

Seeing that she had calmed down, a familiar maid brought us tea.

…What’s with that rather tepid, knowing look?

Please don’t go out of your way to mouth teases at me.

That Recording Orb (you definitely have one, since you’re the type whose life revolves around ‘My adorable Ojou-sama, you’re magnificent!’) will be confiscated.

The person herself, who had been the epitome of displeasure until just moments ago, was now in high spirits beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, looking quite pleased.

“So, how did it go?”

“How did what go?”

“The entrance exam, obviously.”

That’s right—today was the day of the Royal Academy’s entrance examination.

In the few days since I’d arrived in the Royal Capital, I’d been conducting final exam preparations for Tina and Ellie, so I hadn’t had the leeway to visit Lidia.

…Of course, I had informed her. And still, she hits me with ‘Fire Phoenix’ right off the bat. I really wish she’d get it through her head that a normal person would die from that by now.

Well, I know she’s just messing around, though.

“—Tina will probably be top of the class. Ellie will no doubt be in the upper ranks too.”

“Oh…? It’s rare for you to declare something so confidently. My little sister is taking it too, you know? Don’t you think being top of the class will be difficult for her?”

“Normally, Liene would be the top student, but—”

“But?”

“Her opponent is just too much. Tina is, without a doubt, a genius. To my regret, I only know two people who could master advanced magic the day after they first became able to use magic.”

“Hmm… Well, I guess it can’t be helped then.”

“That’s unusual. Normally, you wouldn’t accept that.”

Lidia truly dotes on her younger sister, and they usually get along very well.

…Normally, she’d pick a fight over this.

“Because the handicap is just too great. That girl had someone with her for three months, and Liene didn’t. It’s only natural she’d lose. Right?!”

“…From the sound of it, Liene’s pretty angry too?”

“You can ask her yourself later.”

“? What do you—Huh?!”

I tried to make a bolt for it, but she grabbed my right arm in a vice grip.

…Wh-what incredible strength. Where in those slender arms does such power come from?

From all around, maids came running with smiles on their faces. Ah, I have a bad feeling about this.

“The exams should be ending soon. What kind of older brother would greet his returning sister looking so scruffy?”

“Wh-Who’s an older bro—O-Ow! It’s gonna break! My bones are creaking!!”

“My little sister. Therefore, your little sister too… That’s just common sense, isn’t it?”

“Wh-What kind of twisted logic… F-Fine! I get it, I get it!! Just don’t try to unleash ‘Fire Phoenix’ at this range!…Just do whatever you want with me.”

“You should have just quietly said that from the start. Anna.”

“Yes! Preparations are complete, everything is in order.”

The maid who brought the tea earlier—Lidia’s head maid, Anna-san—replied with a beaming smile. Since when was she here?

“Allen-sama, are you prepared?”

“…Do as you please.”

“Splendid. That’s the spirit, indeed. After receiving word of your visit, Ojou-sama was simply ecstatic. And choosing today’s dress, well—”

“Anna?”

“…My apologies. Well then.”

—After this, having had my hairstyle, clothes, and accessories perfectly arranged by the Linstar household’s maids, the moment I met Liene, who had returned from finishing her entrance exam, I was glomped (Lidia got one as soon as I was ‘ready’), and then, for some reason, Tina and Ellie, who had come with her, also glomped me.

And then, seeing that, Liene unleashed magic at Tina and Ellie, and the two of them responded in kind.

Yep—all three of them definitely passed.

Normal kids don’t go around canceling out advanced magic against each other at age thirteen, let alone use ultimate-tier magic just for roughhousing.

…I wonder if the Headmaster was okay.

—One week later, the names of this year’s new entrants to the Royal Academy were announced.