Chapter 33: An Unexpected Invitation and the Puppet Show Promise

“You’re promising me this, right?”

“We even made a pinky promise.”

Elin finally calmed down, her earlier rage quelled, only after receiving a promise to be allowed to stay overnight.

Although it was hard to understand how this was any different from sneaking in every other night.

As Elin settled down, the promising candidates, who had been hiding, cautiously approached again.

“Then is it my turn next?”

Among them, Felice strode forward confidently.

“With a chance to receive a gift from you and having just witnessed those amazing spells, I can’t afford to slack off! I’ll stake the honor of the Rochefort family on this!”

Felice declared boldly, clasping his hands together.

“In that case, I’ll showcase the highest-level magic I can possibly use…”

“Wait, wait, wait!”

Before Felice’s enthusiasm could ignite into action, Ranian interrupted him.

“Young one, you’re not planning to drop a fire pit here, are you?”

“To properly demonstrate my abilities, that’s exactly what I should do!”

“How is that any different from declaring war on the Berteins?!”

Frankly, Elin messing up the garden didn’t matter much.

Despite the contempt the name Berteins sometimes carried, it still held enough prestige that performances demonstrating its strength could be excused.

However, this logic did not apply to Felice Rochefort.

“Do you think the elders of your family would be pleased if you dropped a 5-circle spell in someone else’s garden, all in the name of family honor?”

“That… would be problematic.”

Felice, as if he had a sudden realization, placed his hand on his chin.

“Hmm… In that case, what kind of destructive spectacle should I…”

“It doesn’t have to be destructive at all,” I interjected.

It seemed Felice had been misled by Elin and Nia.

This gathering wasn’t some event for breaking and smashing things.

In truth, the norm for these exchanges was to flaunt knowledge, like Fabiana had done.

“Instead of needlessly causing trouble and antagonizing the Berteins, why don’t you show something like multi-casting?”

“Oh, that’s an option too!”

Felice’s face lit up as he began drawing a magic circle in midair.

A second, then a third, then a fourth layer…

What started as a simple design evolved into something more complex and intricate.

“He’s not even drawing on parchment but directly in the air.”

“Hmm, well, our young one may have a fixed mana attribute, but he’s still a genius who doesn’t fall short of anyone else.”

“I can’t help but agree.”

If you overlooked the significant drawback of only being able to use fire magic, Felice was undoubtedly the most accomplished in magic among the promising candidates.

“Whew… This is the extent of what I can handle all at once!”

Flames erupted from beneath Felice’s hands and feet.

Rings of fire circled around him, and his entire body was enveloped in fiery armor.

Suspended midair, Felice had transformed into a literal incarnation of fire.

“A 3-circle spell cast with fourfold multi-casting… Truly impressive.”

While Nia and Fabiana were undoubtedly talented, at this rate, Felice would dominate as the academy’s top student for all four years.

“Looks like Rochefort’s reign continues,” someone commented.

“It’s a traditional custom of our family—though you did break it once,” Ranian replied.

In truth, both the upper and lower years of the academy were dominated by Rochefort students, with Luke being an exceptional anomaly.

“You can come down now.”

“Whew!”

Ending his fiery flight, Felice landed gracefully.

“I doubt you’ll ever need to contact me with Senior Ranian around, but I’ll leave this with you anyway.”

“No, no! I’ll accept it gratefully!”

Felice handed over a remote communication parchment and stepped back.

“Teacher, can I do that too?”

Elin, who had firmly taken her place beside me, pointed at Felice.

“Are you referring to flying?”

“Yeah.”

It seemed the sight of soaring through the air while spewing fire had left an impression on her.

Well, flying was a dream most kids harbored at some point.

“We fold dimensions when we travel. What’s there to envy about flying?”

“…Oh.”

If she wanted, flying through the air or even walking on it was easily achievable.

The only reason we didn’t bother was that teleportation was far more efficient.

“As expected, Teacher’s magic is the best.”

Her ahoge quivered triumphantly, as if her pride had been filled to the brim.

I casually patted Elin’s head as I turned my gaze forward.

“Now, for the final turn.”

“Hiccup!”

Receiving my gaze, Bena hiccupped in nervousness.

“Should I be looking forward to this, Lady Bena?”

“I-I-I’ll do my best!”

I could understand the level of the other promising candidates.

After all, they were nurtured in the three great magic families, where the odds of discovering exceptional talent were naturally higher.

But.

“M-My magic is nowhere near as impressive as everyone else’s…”

Bena Nisen.

A promising candidate hailed not from a prestigious magic family or even a magic lineage, yet her name reached the empire as a rising star.

It was impossible not to have high expectations.

“That can’t be true. You were invited as a ‘promising talent’ by the Berteins themselves. Are you implying they made a mistake in their judgment?”

“Eek?! N-No, I didn’t mean that…”

“Then don’t be so timid. Modesty is one thing, but you’re coming across as lacking confidence.”

“U-Understood!”

Perhaps it was due to my earlier remarks, but Bena straightened her posture and stepped forward.

Usually hunched over, she was actually the tallest among the promising candidates.

“The magic I use is summoning magic…”

“How unique.”

While not as rare as spatial magic, summoning magic was certainly a niche field.

“But, um… the type I use relies on the surrounding terrain…”

It seemed she was worried about damaging the Berteins’ garden.

“That’s fine. If you damage anything, I’ll restore it. Feel free to demonstrate your full abilities.”

“Y-Yes… Then…”

Crouching down, Bena placed her hands on the ground.

“She’s probably going to summon a golem, right?”

“Most likely. Have you ever heard about what kind of magic Bena uses, Senior?”

“Sigh, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to keep up with the promising candidates these days. It took quite an effort to even make it here…”

While Ranian and I exchanged idle chatter, the ground began to tremble.

“Wait, don’t tell me—”

A rumble echoed as mana radiated from Bena’s palms, accompanied by a deep, resonant sound.

“Hngh…!”

With an unexpectedly cute sound, Bena unleashed her magic.

Rumble—

A massive mountain, comparable to a fortress wall—or perhaps even larger—emerged in the garden.

From its peak, a faint light glimmered.

“Gwoarrr—”

No, it wasn’t a mountain.

“A colossal golem?”

Tilting my head back, I could barely make out the full form of the gigantic rock golem.

Standing atop the enormous construct, Bena timidly poked her head out.

“T-This is the largest I can summon…”

While everyone was left speechless at the unexpected display of power, Ranian, the eccentric genius, let out a ragged breath.

“Huff… Huff… I’ll handle it somehow…”

Two things were clear:

First, Bena would never have to worry about affording academy tuition.

Second…

“We’re in trouble.”

It would take quite some time to restore the garden.

“I-I’m so sorry!”

Bena bent so low in apology that it seemed her head might touch the ground.

“It’s fine. Didn’t I tell you to use your abilities freely?”

Thankfully, the garden was restored quicker than expected.

Unlike Elin’s chaotic destruction, dismantling the golem simply caused it to crumble neatly back into the garden.

“You’re truly incredible. I now completely understand why you’re called a prodigy.”

The hand handing over the remote communication sheet trembled slightly.

It seemed the mana used to restore the garden had taken a toll.

“Thank… Sorry… No, thank you…”

Bena, who politely received the sheet with both hands, bowed repeatedly.

It seemed she couldn’t decide whether to express her gratitude or apologize first, causing her words to get tangled.

But it was fine; her feelings were understood.

“Lady Bena.”

Ranian firmly grabbed Bena’s trembling hand.

“Y-Yes?!”

Bena finally raised her head, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Do you have any plans to attend the academy?”

“Um… Well, not really…”

It wasn’t surprising that she hadn’t thought about it yet.

There were still three years before she would be eligible to attend the academy.

And, of course, it would cost a lot of money.

“Don’t hesitate. You must attend.”

“Um…?”

“I’ll take care of all the financial aspects. Lodging, meals, living expenses, tuition—everything.”

“What?!”

“You’re a talent I cannot let slip away. So, if I contact you via remote communication sheets, please make sure to reply.”

Ranian’s words poured out in a rapid stream.

Bena could only nod along, overwhelmed, muttering “U-Understood.”

“Let’s discuss this in more detail later.”

“Ah, yes…!”

With Ranian’s promise of full support, Bena found herself swept up in a whirlwind.

Now that she’d been discovered by a talent scout, it looked like she might even end up pursuing graduate studies alongside Fabiana.

As she closed her eyes in resignation, silently mourning her fate—

“Excuse me, I think you dropped this.”

Tap tap.

Elin approached from behind Bena and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

“Eek…?! W-What did I drop? My common sense?!”

Elin, startled by Bena’s extreme reaction, blinked in confusion.

“This,” Elin replied, holding out a small rabbit doll.

“Oh? How did…”

“It must have been summoned along with the golem.”

“Ah… Thank you so much…”

Bena’s face turned as red as a tomato, as if someone had discovered a deeply embarrassing secret.

She quickly stuffed the doll into her pocket.

Injecting mana into it, she whispered a command.

Whirrr.

The doll disassembled into smaller parts and vanished neatly into her pocket.

It seemed she’d broken it down to the smallest components for easier storage.

In a way, it was like a downgraded version of an inventory system.

“…”

Elin, still holding the doll, looked at Bena with a lingering, wistful expression.

“Um… Is there something you wanted to say to me?”

Elin shook her head.

“Then why…”

“It’s just… That doll reminds me of one I used to have.”

“I-I’ll give it to you!”

Bena immediately summoned the rabbit doll again and thrust it toward Elin.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t asking for it.”

“Still… P-Please accept it. It’s a gift from me.”

“Hmm…”

Elin glanced at Luke, seeking advice with her eyes.

It didn’t seem like she actually wanted the doll.

“Is it because it’s not the same doll you lost?”

Elin nodded silently.

“It’s only been a short while since I lost it. Replacing it with a similar rabbit doll feels… wrong.”

“I see. I think I understand how you feel.”

Elin wasn’t ready to fill the void left by the doll she’d lost.

“It’s not to your liking, is it? If so, I have other dolls…”

“There are more?”

Elin’s interest visibly piqued.

“Yes! I have so many dolls…”

Though Bena seemed to misunderstand Elin’s intent.

“Can they move?”

That was what Elin was really curious about.

“How did you know…?”

“Well, since you summoned it with magic, I figured you might also control it.”

“…You’re right.”

Then, was there a particular reason for summoning the doll via magic?

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Luke spoke up.

“Do you perform puppet shows with them?”

“…”

Bena’s face flushed bright red, as if steam would come out of her ears.

It seemed he had guessed correctly.

“I-Is it childish to play with dolls at this age? I… don’t have any friends, so I…”

“No, no. That’s not what I meant.”

Luke stopped her rambling mid-sentence.

Whatever she might think of herself—

“I think it’s amazing.”

Here was someone who didn’t find it childish at all.

Though Elin’s expression didn’t change, the way her cowlick wagged like an excited puppy’s tail betrayed her delight.

“Could you show us?”

“Here? Uh… Um…”

Bena hesitated, perhaps feeling embarrassed with so many other promising students around.

This was the perfect moment to step in.

“Is it because you don’t have enough dolls here?”

“Huh? No, it’s not really that…”

“In that case, why not prepare a proper setting for it next time?”

“…A proper setting?”

This was an excellent opportunity to help Elin make a friend her age.

“You’ve been invited to Bertein, so next time, how about we host you at the Nissen family?”

“Host…?”

“To properly enjoy a puppet show, of course.”

“If… If that’s what the lady desires…”

Bena looked overwhelmed, her head spinning.

“At that time, I’ll invite you to the Bucklin family as well.”

Suddenly, Nia inserted herself into the conversation.

All three of them turned their gazes to her.

“Out of nowhere?”

“I want to get closer to Lady Bena and the young lady too. Besides…”

Nia hesitated, her lips pressing together.

Knowing her personality, she wouldn’t butt in randomly. There had to be another reason.

“It’s okay. You can say it.”

Encouraged, Nia cleared her throat and then spoke in a low, theatrical tone.

“You said you’d visit after graduating from the academy, yet there’s been no news.”

A chill ran down Luke’s spine at the words, as though they reminded him of someone.

“…In other words, someone told me to bring you back home while they’re still being nice about it.”

“Is that it?”

Nia nodded.

Luke closed his eyes, letting out a sigh.

It was bound to happen eventually.

“Would it be alright if both of you were invited to the Bucklin family next time?”

“O-Of course! It would be an honor!”

Bena looked as if she had been offered the opportunity of a lifetime.

“And the puppet show?”

Elin frowned slightly, her focus unbroken.

“Just lend me your ear for a moment, young lady. Lady Bena can bring the dolls, and if you come to Bucklin, I’ll show you some old photos of my brother…”

“I’m in.”

Elin’s resolve crumbled instantly at Nia’s whisper.

Luke had secretly hoped she would refuse.

But now, it was inevitable.

“Ha… I guess we’ll see each other next time at the Bucklin family estate.”

And so, what had momentarily felt like an awkward gathering ended successfully—with an unexpected promise for the future.