“Uugh…… I’m dizzy.”Yulina clutched the back of her neck and groaned, as if overuse of mana had made it ache.Thanks to Human Ice Maker Yulina, the Alchemy Club booth’s ice boxes were now filled to the brim with ice.Trishi bowed to the groaning Yulina in thanks.“Thank you, Chief Administrative Officer Yulina! That was a huge help!”“Ah…… yes, please use the ice well. And don’t call me next time.”“Huh? I heard you were joining our club?”“…….”Yulina shot me a glare for a moment, then told Trishi,“I’m not joining.”“What? If you join our club, you can tour the Dayaron Magic Tower—are you sure?”“M-magic tower tour?”Yulina’s eyes flew wide as if to say what was that about. I spoke evenly.“I forgot to explain. The Alchemy Club has a tour pass to the Magic Tower that covers five people. If you join, I could make an exception and include you.”“……Y-you should have told me that in advance.”A Magic Tower tour is every magic student’s dream opportunity.Even if Yulina plans to work as an administrator later and assist Beatrice rather than become a great mage, this is not something to miss.Even setting aside everything else, the value of adding a line to her portfolio is more than enough.“In any case, take your time deciding about the club. The door’s open.”I handed Yulina a Mana Replenishment Stone, since she was complaining of dizziness from excessive spellcasting.“Hold it and crush it.”“Ah, thanks.”Yulina closed her hand around the Mana Replenishment Stone and crushed it.Crackle,A refreshing sound, and a blue haze rose around her.With her mana restored, she finally straightened up as if the dizziness had eased.“Let’s go.”I took her along and started walking again.“……Where to this time?”“The Newspaper & Broadcasting Club. It’s just up ahead.”I pointed past the thronging street.Beyond the activity booths we’d passed earlier and the food booths where the Alchemy Club was stationed came the academic club booths.Since it was early in the term and research results were thin, almost no academic clubs participated, but a few had set up for this Sports Festival.The Newspaper & Broadcasting Club, which had recently increased its circulation, was one of them.“W-welcome!”When I arrived at the booth, Chloe—who’d been zoning out while manning it—sprang up with sparkling eyes.“So, are the new issues selling well?”I lowered my gaze and took in the items on the stand.The Newspaper & Broadcasting Club was selling magazines that compiled various issues by category.They were also selling columns and photo spreads that collected articles on campus celebrities.There were magazines featuring the Student Council Presidents of the Four Academies, of course, and upperclass stars like Leonhardt, Gawain, and Agnes.On one side, they were also selling a book that compiled the Mystery section Chloe had investigated.“Y-yes, but more than that—remember the dungeon raid distribution you gave me last time, that… is that really…….”Chloe started to bring up the gold bars she’d received, then flinched when she saw Yulina trailing slowly behind me.“……!”Her face went pale in an instant, and she looked around for a place to hide like a mouse before a cat.But before Chloe could tuck herself anywhere, Yulina spotted her first.“Oh, what the—so you were here?”“Y-yeah.”Chloe scratched the back of her head, avoiding Yulina’s eyes.Back during the practical exam incident, Yulina had borne a grudge over Chloe’s article and sent several letters of protest.I had covered for her and put a stop to Yulina’s civil-complaint barrage, but from Chloe’s perspective, she still looked scared.I decided to properly mediate the two of them while I was at it.“Good timing. Since it’s in the past, how about making peace now.”“Peace comes after I get an apology for writing an article without my permission.”When Yulina glared at her with folded arms, Chloe spoke in a shrinking voice.“W-well… the press exists to guarantee the citizens’ right to know…….”“I acknowledge the role of the press. Then you’re prepared to receive the rightful anger of a party to the incident, yes? Since you are a ‘reporter,’ a guardian of the press.”“T-that is……”Chloe hesitated for a moment, then bowed ninety degrees in apology.“I’m sorry, Ms. Yulina! I caused you a lot of trouble!”Thunk–She knocked her forehead against the stand as she apologized again and again.“…….”Yulina stared for a moment at Chloe’s crown as she bowed deep, then sighed and nodded.“Fine, as long as you get it. But next time, get my permission first. And I apologize for sending you threatening letters.”“Thank youuu.”Sniffling, Chloe lifted her head and added in a small voice to Yulina,“But you know what? That article back then—Loen told me to write it.”“……Is that true?”“Yes! He insisted it was certain that he saved you, and said if you were still suspicious, you should ask him directly. I believed that and wrote the article.”“…….”Yulina snapped her head around and shot me a daggered glare.I looked away for no reason and shrugged.“First I’m hearing of it.”***After getting the two of them to stop growling and make peace, I finished my sweep of the Sports Festival booth area.There weren’t any booths likely to cause problems, and the hygiene of the foods on sale looked fine.It did seem like the Comics Club Garfield belonged to had some seditious material in their zines, but I pretended not to notice.I’m not completely heartless, you know.Having finished the inspection, I returned to the main stadium.On the field inside, an Ishtal vs. Saintea “Superball” match was in full swing.Superball is a ball sport like a mix of American football and soccer—using a magically treated ball, you can use both hands and feet to get it into the opponent’s end zone by any means necessary.It’s a popular event in the Cassandra Empire, and the famous matches between knightly orders are a spectacle that sets the Empire’s citizens aflame.It’s even implemented as one of the mini-games in the Mir Elin Saga proper, and it’s quite fun to play as a team.Even now, tens of thousands of spectators packed into the stadium were roaring with excitement as they watched.Of course, I wasn’t here to watch that—I came to watch the Sandwich-Eating Contest being held near the field.I was peckish and figured I’d score a sandwich, and I also recognized a face among the entrants.As I approached the venue, the play-by-play boomed through a loudspeaker.“Ah~ Garfield! He’s surging into the lead with seven!”“Bell’s not far behind! Downing a cup of milk as she clears her sixth! She grabs the next sandwich!”“From the eighth, the sandwich types change~ Some even include pickled herring, which has a reputation for being tough to eat quickly! Can they clear it? Let’s watch together!”Garfield, who’d been dieting, declared it a cheat day and entered the Sandwich-Eating Contest.Bell, a born big eater, also entered; I’d heard she was aiming for the high-ranking prize—one hundred meal tickets.I went to the organizers and asked for one of the sandwiches prepared for the crowd.“Can I get one?”“O-of course.”For a second I wanted to say I didn’t need it, but I was hungry, so I accepted it without protest.“Aren’t you eating?”“I’ll finish this first.”Crunching the apple candy in her hand, Yulina spoke.Munch, munch—Chomp, chomp—I chewed the ham-and-egg sandwich I’d gotten from the staff and watched their duel.Garfield and Bell were inhaling the sandwiches without really chewing.The other contestants were all big-bodied too, but none could match these two, making their battle stand out.Garfield folded multiple sandwiches at once and crammed them into his mouth, while Bell shredded through hers in a blur, like a rabbit gnawing a carrot.I knew both were big eaters, but seeing it live was downright awe-inspiring.“……They’re eating a lot. Won’t they get stomachaches?”Yulina sounded worried about the fierce showdown, but there was no need.“No worries. Bell’s aiming for second prize anyway. Right now she’s just eating because it tastes good. Once she’s properly full, she’ll stop.”“Ah, I see.”Time passed, contestants began dropping out one by one, and as soon as one of the final three bowed out, Bell rang the bell to secure second place.The moment Bell rang and Garfield’s first place was sealed—“Yes! The winner of the Sandwich-Eating Contest is…… Garfield Moti! Congratulations!”As the MC declared the winner in a lively voice, Garfield leapt to his feet and let out a victorious roar.“Uwooo!”“For Garfield Moti, who cleared a total of seventeen sandwiches, we award a priority reservation at a Union-selected three-star restaurant! Congratulations!”First prize at the Sandwich-Eating Contest was a priority reservation at a famous upscale restaurant in the Union.For a wealthy gourmand like Garfield, there was nothing better, but for Bell—whose finances made pricey meals a stretch—it didn’t mean much.That’s why she’d aimed for second.Clap, clap, clap—While the crowd showered applause, Garfield spotted me among them and shot me a big thumbs up.It might not be a grand tournament, but a victory is a victory—one of those star-bright moments for Garfield.I returned his joy with genuine applause.Then it happened.“Um, could I maybe pack the leftovers to go?”Bell asked the MC if she could take the remaining sandwiches.“Ah, as far as I know, that’s against the rules.”“I-is that so? Got it.”Told she couldn’t take any, Bell sat back down and started putting the remaining sandwiches in her mouth.Apparently her stomach still had plenty of room—she kept eating at pretty much the same pace as before.'What, does she have a blast furnace in there.'“…….”Garfield watched Bell for a moment, then, as if he couldn’t lose, sat down and grabbed another sandwich.The MC hesitated, watching the two of them unilaterally start a second half.“Uh, contestants? The match has already been decided……”“……”No.The Sandwich-Eating Contest might have ended, but someone’s match wasn’t over yet.***Eredor Seoprigwan.Top floor of the girls’ dormitory. Beatrice’s room.While the entire Union was abuzz with the Sports Festival, she had returned to the dorms straight after {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} the opening ceremony, citing health reasons.It wasn’t entirely an excuse.Her condition hadn’t been good since the mana seizure.Even now her whole body ached like she had the flu, and crushing fatigue wrapped her from head to toe.“Huu.”Beatrice shed the school uniform that felt like it was strangling her.She wanted to throw herself onto the bed right away, but she couldn’t stand the messiness, not with her personality.In the end, she washed thoroughly, changed into pajamas, and only then settled comfortably onto the soft bed.After catching her breath for a moment, she chose to look over the report Wayne had sent instead of resting.It was the investigation report on the recent practical exam incident.Flip–She turned the pages and examined the contents carefully.The report listed, per her request, the people who had had their uniforms repaired or newly purchased in the days after the exam.In addition, it included the roster of students assigned to Practical Exam Group C.Lastly, it detailed the positional logs of the automated golems guarding that test site.“…….”Beatrice slowly skimmed the report and cross-checked the three.But there were no individuals who overlapped in common.So she removed one variable.'……Most people keep spare uniforms, after all.'In the Union, it was hard to find a “one-suit” who owned only a single academy uniform.At least two; some students who changed daily had more than seven.So, set that aside and compare Group C students whose paths overlapped with the golems’ signal-loss logs.If her suspicion about an ambush was correct, the automated golems would have been a conspicuous obstacle.Beatrice cross-referenced the two sets of information and slowly recited familiar names.'Freya, Yulina, and…… Loen.'When she picked out those whose routes overlapped with the golems’ signal losses, it included Yulina and Loen, who had been carrying out the mission she’d assigned, as well as Freya.Also, according to the testimony of Caron, who was in the same Group C, Freya had cut down a golem, and their campsite was near where fragments of Teaching Assistant Demer’s and the Union uniform were found.The academy had already closed the case, but digging deeper made it look highly suspicious.'After that incident, Freya spent several days in the infirmary.'Beatrice narrowed her eyes as she read.Elena had concluded that this incident was caused by mana amplification due to a ley-line anomaly.But if a knight as powerful as Freya had fainted, other students should have been in life-threatening danger.For a mere ley-line anomaly, there were too many questions.'The Twelve Venerables.'Beatrice wrote the words over the papers, then scratched lines through them.She was already considering the possibility that the source of the barrier had not been a simple ley-line issue but Gilean—one of the Demon God’s Twelve Venerables.It might be that Demer’s disappearance and this abnormal phenomenon were closely related.'If their renewed activity is confirmed, the Union itself is the most likely target.'To seize the continent, the ideal first step was to destroy its future—its talent and education.In such times, a leader must always prepare for the worst.'It would be best to expand the security detail.'Without reaching a firm conclusion, Beatrice decided to lay out the measures she could take.They had significantly increased the security budget in the post-incident countermeasures meeting, but it was still lacking.Even through a supplementary budget, they would have to further secure student safety.Currently, Union security is handled in rotation by seven knightly orders seconded from nations and houses and their seven subordinate infantry brigades, as well as combat mages from the seven magic towers.Simply increasing headcount was meaningless; it would be best to increase the deployment of high-ranking knights and mages.Just as Beatrice reached a decision and closed the report—Flap–“……”Something skimmed past the darkness outside the window.It looked like the shape of a bird. Or perhaps a bat.Beatrice looked out the window, then shook her head with a sigh.“It must be…… my imagination.”If this were Voltimir, maybe, but there shouldn’t be any bats within Eredor’s domain.Ssshhh–Beatrice quietly watched the fireworks embroidering the night sky, then drew the curtains.

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