The Pupil Tournament wasn’t an especially noteworthy event next to the Annual Magic Contest, since it only involved the disciples of the magicians who participated in the Annual Magic Contest. At best, it was a glorified playground for young magicians, so its award ceremony wasn’t well attended by high ranking magicians or nobles.
However, that common assumption was turned on its head by a single person—the King of Meltor, Kurt III.
“W-What? His Majesty himself?!”
“Doesn’t he usually stay at the palace?”
“I need my make-up! I can’t look like this in front of the king!”
“Attendant! Prepare my formal robes!”
“Where’s this Pentarium?”
The nobles of Meltor were in an uproar. Even though Kurt III had risen to the throne under the halo of the Magic Towers, he ran the kingdom’s military and administration with a firm hand. The kingdom’s officials didn’t dare oppose him, especially since the last batch of noblemen who tried to line their pockets were publicly beheaded.
I should keep my head down.
I don’t want to be beheaded!
It’s probably best to wait for the next generation.
The nobles figured that if they couldn’t live, they would at least survive for a chance in the future. So they gave up fighting against Kurt III and did their best to portray a clean image in front of him. Interestingly enough, their public declarations of loyalty only strengthened the king’s reputation.
However, Kurt III wasn’t misled by their flattery, and focused his policies on strengthening his kingdom. The various gifts he received were turned into coin for the treasury, while beautiful young women were politely sent back to their families after a cordial greeting. Kurt III was the example of a perfect, flawless ruler.
So why had the perfect ruler suddenly decided to personally hand out the prizes for the Pupil Tournament? Any noble with half a brain would realize that this awards ceremony was special, so they gathered in full regalia in Pentarium’s main hall. On the other hand, when the magicians caught wind of the rumor that the Blue Tower Master’s disciple was at the center of a controversy, they too decided to turn up in droves.
However, the young man being awarded the highest honors at the ceremony was more than a little disconcerted at the bizarre scale of attendance as he stood off stage.
“Professor… Why are there so many people in the audience?”
Vince looked up absentmindedly. “Hrmm… oh, it seems several department heads have arrived. If I’m not mistaken, the three most powerful families of the kingdom are making an appearance too. It’s turning into quite a spectacle, huh?”
Theo groaned, “Uhh, why…”
They had only just announced the king’s attendance, but the movers and shakers of Meltor had already gathered!
Theo had never even met an earl, so he couldn’t help feeling nervous. His skin was already prickling as he felt multiple gazes land on him, and he couldn’t imagine what it would be like if those high ranked nobles started scrutinizing him closely.
Theo suddenly sensed a familiar gaze, and looked to his right.
Sylvia was caught off guard, as she didn’t know what to do. She awkwardly waved at him. Theo hid a smile and nodded solemnly back at her. Her embarrassment vanished as she smiled brightly, seemingly more concerned about Theo’s reaction than the gazes of the crowd.
Right, there’s no need to be nervous until I actually go on stage.?
Theodore’s tension was broken by Sylvia’s nonchalance. He waited for the king with Vince, silently going over the etiquette in his head.
It didn’t take long for the king to emerge from behind the curtain.
“Presenting His Majesty!”
The majordomo’s deep voice cut through the crowd’s chatter, prompting them to bow in greeting. Nobles bowed from the waist, while commoners prostrated themselves, resting their heads on the ground. But magicians knelt on one knee, placing their right hand over their chest. The hand honored their Circles, the bowed knee honored the king, and the straight leg honored the magic that was their lifeblood. If this was the Andras Empire, this would have been an open insult to the throne, but Meltor governed with different rules. The cornerstone of Meltor was its magicians, and it had birthed an etiquette that was not seen anywhere else.
A man’s voice rang out in the silence, “Raise your heads, everyone.”
The voice of the king contained an unquestionable strength. In the past, magicians had been firmly convinced that there was power to be found in words. They believed that the shortness of the chant was directly related to the strength of the spell. It was an old theory, but when he heard the king’s voice, Theo could understand where they were coming from.
The crowd almost unconsciously got to their feet when they heard the king. Theo also raised his head and saw the king for the first time in his life.
The king’s golden hair and purple eyes glimmered in the light. It was obvious from his demeanor and appearance that he had the elegance of a king. He gave off such an intangible presence that Theo was convinced everyone would recognize the king even if he wore rags.
It’s the king, Kurt III!
As Theo felt an unfamiliar admiration, Kurt started to speak, “It’s been a while, Tower Master Blundell. Three months, perhaps?”
It was a very familiar tone for a king to use. But the tower masters of Meltor enjoyed a status that was only one step below the king since they represented more than 70% of the kingdom’s strength. So, it wasn’t unreasonable for the king to treat Blundell so casually.
“Hahaha! It feels like it was the day before yesterday for this old man, Your Majesty.”
The king’s eyes twinkled. “If you hadn’t missed our last meeting without any notice, it really would’ve been the day before yesterday.”
C-Cough! Blundell’s grin immediately turned awkward as he guiltily shuffled to the side. He looked no different than a scolded child.
Kurt III took pity on Blundell and changed the topic. “Did you take a vacation to look after your disciple? I decided to come here because I wanted to see her.”
Blundell’s face lit up. “Ah, right. I will definitely show her to you.”
The king’s riposte was swift. “So, you kept her a secret for ten years?”
Cough!
Blundell was shot down every time he opened his mouth. As he decided to keep silent from now on, Kurt looked down at the two competitors before him. One was the disciple of the Blue Tower Master, and the other was the one who had defeated her. These children would support Meltor’s future.
“Then I will proceed with the awards ceremony.”
Kurt hated pretentious things, so he started the awards ceremony without much pomp. The official in charge of the Pupil Tournament hastily stepped forward. He then proceeded to call out the names of the disciples, their mentors, and their share of the prize money, starting from the bottom of the tournament ranking. Finally, there were only two names on his list, and two children in the center of the stadium.
At this point, Kurt took over, and took out a handcrafted plaque.
“Sylvia, Blundell Adruncus’ disciple, come forward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Sylvia stepped forward and inclined her head. Though she had been instructed to rise, it was improper to look directly at the king.
Kurt accepted her bow and handed her the plaque. “As the runner up of the Pupil Tournament, I award Sylvia Jack Frost’s Staff and the title of a baroness.”
Sylvia bowed again. “Sylvia, disciple of the Magic Tower, thanks Your Majesty.”
Kurt smiled. “Yes, I look forward to your future growth.”
It was an exceptional reward, but no one objected to Kurt’s announcement. Now that she was beyond the wall of the 5th Circle, the title of baroness had no great significance to Sylvia. Moreover, she could easily obtain gold and artifacts from Blundell.
Then Kurt called out Theodore’s name, “Theodore Miller, Vince Haidel’s disciple, come forward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Theo barely managed to keep his voice even as he walked forward.
“As the winner of the Pupil Tournament, I award Theodore two hundred gold, the Protection Bangle, and the title of a baron.”
Theodore bowed. “Theodore, Bergen’s student, thanks Your Maje—”
Kurt interrupted smoothly, “Additionally…”
Theo shut his mouth hurriedly. He hadn’t expected more beyond two hundred gold, an artifact, and a title.
Kurt continued, “After he succeeds the title of Baron Miller, Theodore Miller will receive the title of a viscount.”
A promotion to viscount?!
Theo’s eyes dilated at the shocking declaration, but his mouth was a step ahead of his brain. ｂ𝚍𝚘𝚟ｌ.ｎｔ
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
As Theo bowed once again, the stands erupted in hushed discussion. A promotion was a rare reward, and only ever awarded if the recipient had accumulated many merits. Why was the king using it as a reward in a small contest? The unprecedented nature of the reward was simply too baffling, causing some nobles to frown.
Kurt ignored the murmurs and smiled warmly at Theodore and Sylvia as he brought the awards ceremony to a close.
“Our Meltor Kingdom is surrounded by the Harkan Mountain Ranges in the northeast and the Andras Empire in the northwest. In order to defend our homeland from those savage imperialists who crave war, we need to raise people like these two young magicians. The Magic Society should spread news of today’s events and continue to work hard… Understood?”
The people gathered in the stadium replied as one.
“Yes, Your Majesty! As you command!”
***
Finally, Kurt III left Pentarium. The nobles swarmed him like ants to honey as he made his way to the palace, and the most magnificent event in Theodore’s life came to a close.
Theo and Vince finally went to the restaurant they had postponed visiting. They returned to their accommodations shortly after sunset after stuffing themselves. Theo normally preferred to eat less, but the dishes had been far too delicious to resist.
Vince laughed at Theo’s sigh of contentment. “I don’t need to hear you speak to know that the meal was satisfactory.”
“… Exactly.”
The two magicians looked at each other and chuckled. There had been no better way to top off such an excellent day and victory. Vince even took out a few bottles of expensive wine, but they didn’t get drunk. They were both waiting for something, and it didn’t take long.
Sluuurp.
A red tongue slipped out of Theo’s palm. The ever ravenous grimoire, Gluttony, had woken up.
– Hungry.Give… food.
Gluttony had always held fast to the rule that it would answer its owner’s question after being fed a book. The two magicians had been waiting for this moment. It was finally time for Theo to fulfill his part of the contract he’d made with Vince back at Bergen Academy.