Ultimatum

With the referee’s whistle, the first group match officially began. At the same time, I opened Orlando’s Ancestral Travelogue, which rested on my lap.

I had to admit, Ella was truly thoughtful. She had even placed the bookmark precisely where I’d left off last time, specifically on a research paper concerning the correlation between ancient goblin underground drainage systems and magic-fermented biogas pools.

Though it sounded incredibly dull, this was precisely the kind of meticulous lore I, a dedicated lore enthusiast, adored. I lifted my black tea, gently blowing on its surface, ready to immerse myself in the ocean of knowledge.

However, reality always seemed to be filled with bothersome noise.

“…Don’t get too arrogant, you villainous young lady!”

Across from us, the Great Axe Squad, comprised of three burly men, unleashed a deafening roar. They were clearly incensed by my picnic-like demeanor.

The leading brute’s muscles bulged, his earthy yellow Battle Aura enveloping his entire body like a formidable armor. Wielding a great axe taller than himself, he charged towards us like an out-of-control rhinoceros, kicking up a furious gale.

“Even if you’re a woman, I won’t hold back! Get out of the arena!”

“Rumble…!”

His heavy footsteps made the very ground tremble. My gaze, fixed on my book, wavered slightly.

Not only that, but his overly aggressive charge stirred up dust from the ground, creating a miniature sandstorm that hurtled directly towards me. Involuntarily, I frowned.

‘…Tsk.’

I clicked my tongue in displeasure, though only in my mind.

Dust.

If it fell into my black tea, this cup of Ella’s specially prepared honey tea would be ruined. Furthermore, this book was a unique copy; any stain would be difficult to remove.

I extended one hand, loosely shielding the rim of my teacup, and leaned back slightly, a clear expression of disdain gracing my features.

It was merely a subtle gesture.

Not even the faint sound of my ‘tsk’ had escaped my lips. Yet, to my two guardians, who had been meticulously observing me from the corners of their eyes, this gesture was an undeniable…

Divine oracle.

Beatrix Eisen moved.

In that instant, only one thought consumed her mind:

‘…That filthy man had created noise and dust.’

‘…He had caused Lady Lilliana to frown.’

‘This was…’

‘A capital offense!’

There was no roar, no explosive burst of Battle Aura. Even the leading brute hadn’t fully registered what was happening.

He merely perceived a flash of silver before his eyes. The silver-armored female knight, who should have been outside his attack range, vanished like a phantom, only to instantly reappear within his…

Embrace.

It was too swift.

Faster than the eye could follow, surpassing even visual afterimages. This was the profound secret of ancient sword techniques Beatrix had mastered after studying the manuscript and undergoing a night of training that bordered on self-mutilation…

The Silent Step.

“…Silence.”

Beatrix’s indifferent voice whispered in his ear. There was no sword swing, no lethal slash. She hadn’t drawn the sword from her back.

Instead, she simply clenched her iron-gloved right hand into a fist, applying the force generation technique described in the manuscript to its absolute limit, and then…

She struck, fiercely and precisely, at the brute’s abdominal solar plexus.

“Pffft…!”

The brute didn’t even have time to scream. Excruciating pain instantly severed his neural signals; even the reflex to vomit was disrupted by that single punch.

His massive body, stiffening for a moment in mid-air like a kite with a severed string, then…

Crashed heavily to the ground.

Utterly silent.

Not even a single speck of dust was stirred. For the moment he fell, Beatrix had already lightly tapped her toe, dissipating all the impact.

One strike.

Instant kill.

Tens of thousands of spectators, even the referee, gaped in stunned silence, unable to utter a sound.

But this wasn’t the end.

Before the remaining two opponents could even process what had occurred, a dazzling white light erupted before their eyes.

It was Ella.

She stood beside my table, the tip of her staff coalescing a sphere of light, no larger than a ping-pong ball, yet so intensely bright it was impossible to look at directly.

Her face still bore that sweet, harmless smile, but her eyes held a terrifying, glacial chill.

“…To dare blow dust towards Lady Lilliana.”

Ella murmured softly.

“In that case… a small cleansing punishment is only appropriate, wouldn’t you agree?”

[Divine Purification: Flash Burst]

It wasn’t an offensive spell. It was originally a support spell, designed to disperse low-level undead over a wide area.

However, in Ella’s hands now, it had been compressed to an extreme degree, transforming into a…

Blinding grenade.

“Buzz…!”

There was no violent explosion, only a blinding white light that instantly engulfed the two men. “Aaaah! My eyes!”

“I can’t see!”

The two men screamed, clutching their eyes. The sudden loss of sight plunged them into panic, causing them to flail their weapons wildly in place, almost striking each other.

“Too noisy.”

Beatrix’s figure reappeared. Like a sanitation worker tidying up refuse, she walked expressionlessly behind the two flailing men.

Her hand rose, then fell.

Two clean, precise hand chops struck their carotid arteries.

“Thump, thump!”

The world fell silent.

From the start of the match until all three opponents lay prone. The total time elapsed was…

Less than ten seconds.

Throughout this entire process, I had only just finished the first paragraph on ‘Goblin Biogas Pool Explosion Prevention Measures’ and was about to turn the page.

“…”

I lifted my head, glancing at the situation in the arena through the shade of my hood, which functioned like sunglasses. It was already…

Over?

How had those three hulking figures suddenly ended up sleeping on the ground? And when had Beatrix even gotten over there?

Though I was somewhat bewildered, I maintained my aloof persona. I unhurriedly raised my teacup, finding, as expected, no dust had fallen in, and the temperature was just right.

“…Well done.”

I murmured softly, then took a sip of tea. This entire scene unfolded clearly before the eyes of every spectator, projected onto the enormous magical display screen.

“…”

Deathly silence.

A profound stillness enveloped the entire arena. It was only when Chloe’s trembling, utterly ecstatic cry erupted from the commentary booth that this silence was finally shattered.

“Heavens, oh heavens…!!!”

“Did you see that, esteemed audience?! Did you truly witness it! No incantation required! No sword drawn! In fact… the young lady seated upon her throne didn’t even lift an eyelid!”

“Merely because she frowned… merely because she disdained a speck of dust! Her knight and her maid transformed into merciless reapers, ending the match in under ten seconds!”

“What unparalleled dominance! What absolute arrogance! This is… the Silent Black Court! To protect their queen’s reading time, they will purge all noise!”

Boom…!

The stands erupted.

Cheers…

Screams…

Roars of disbelief converged into an ocean of sound.

“They’re too strong! Who was that knight? Could a student possibly possess such footwork? That light mage is even more terrifying! Was that light attribute magic? It was practically a flashbang!”

“The most terrifying one is that villainous young lady! She truly… was reading a book the entire time! What book was she reading? It must be some profound magic tome, right? Perhaps she was remotely controlling them through that book!”

‘No…’

‘I was reading a goblin biogas pool instruction manual.’

Listening to the roaring, tsunami-like waves of sound around me, I closed my book with a slight headache. “…So noisy.”

This time, however, Beatrix and Ella did not attack the spectators. They swiftly returned to my side.

Beatrix knelt on one knee. Although the rapid succession of movements had left her breathing slightly quickened, her eyes shone with an alarming intensity.

“Lady Lilliana… I trust we didn’t disturb you?”

She watched me cautiously, as if awaiting judgment. “It was acceptable.”

I nodded. “Faster than I expected.”

Ella, meanwhile, immediately drew closer, producing a fan and diligently fanning me, as if attempting to dispel even the slightest, non-existent trace of dust.

“Lady Lilliana, has your tea grown cold? Shall I prepare a fresh cup?”

Gazing at these two young women, who had transformed into veritable demons for my sake, I suddenly felt…

That Philosopher’s Stone no longer seemed quite so unattainable.

However…

I cast my gaze towards the other side of the stands. There, in the resting area for the Church’s Envoys, Gabriel, who moments ago had worn an arrogant expression, was now staring fixedly in our direction, his face ashen, clutching a crucifix tightly in his hand, as if praying, yet also as if trying to conceal a profound tremor.

I subtly raised my teacup in that direction. It was both a salute and a final ultimatum.

Since it had already begun, then…

We would simply keep winning.

For my book, and also for…

These two foolish, earnest girls, who fought so fiercely just so I could read.