Prologue: Why I, an Instructor, Got Involved with the Magic Tournament
At the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, in the headmaster’s office after school.
“—And so, that’s the deal. A salary advance or a little pocket money, pretty please!”
“《Get lost, you damn idiot!》—!”
Suddenly, swirling crimson flames and a shockwave erupted, a deafening explosion echoing through the room.
The explosive spell that Celica chanted mercilessly detonated on Glenn, who had been spouting nonsense.
The aftermath of the blast shattered the room’s windows, reduced lace curtains to ashes, scorched the walls, and carbonized the carpet. The elegant furnishings—vibrant paintings, an antique bookshelf, polished decorative armor, a sofa, and a shaded lamp—were tragically half-destroyed. The headmaster’s office interior was now a shadow of its former self.
“Cough!? Gah, hack, cough!? W-What the hell, are you trying to kill me!?”
Charred black and crawling on the floor, Glenn raised a resentful voice.
“Shut up! You said you had some critical matter concerning the survival of a species, so I braced myself, and this is what you come up with!?”
“What do you mean, this!? If I starve to death, I’ll go extinct, won’t I!? I’m the only one of my kind in the world! An endangered species! Treat me with care!”
“Quiet, just go extinct already! Better yet, I’ll personally wipe out such an inferior species!”
As Glenn and Celica began a pointless scuffle, the room’s owner, Headmaster Rick, who had been sitting calmly on the edge of his desk watching them, intervened.
“Now, now, both of you, settle down. That was an awfully roundabout way of putting it, but… in short, Glenn-kun needs money for living expenses, mainly food, right?”
“Exactly! As expected of you, Headmaster, you get it! Man, Celica’s been all like, ‘Pay for your own food from now on,’ out of nowhere!”
“Obviously! It’s one thing when you were jobless, but now you’re earning a proper income as a magic instructor at the academy!”
Celica, arms crossed and scowling irritably, glared at Glenn.
“Anyway, I’m in serious trouble this month, Headmaster! At this rate, I’ll be forced into an involuntary diet starting tomorrow…”
“But wasn’t payday just last week? What in the world did you spend all that money on?”
At that question, Glenn’s face took on a melancholic expression as he walked to the window, gazing out.
Beyond the window lay the academy’s garden, adorned with trees and colorful flowerbeds, and past the iron fence, the quaint, old-fashioned streets of Fejite. Far above, floating majestically in the sky, was the grand, illusory castle—the symbol of Fejite, Melgalius’s Sky Castle.
“You ask what I spent it on… Well, of course, I invested it for the future.”
“Invested it for the future?”
“Yes, for the infinite possibilities of tomorrow, and to seize even greater dreams—”
As Glenn spoke with a distant look, Celica muttered under her breath.
“In other words, you blew it all on gambling. You’re beyond saving. Just die already.”
“Hey, don’t ruin the moment when I’m trying to sound cool!”
Glenn pouted in protest at Celica’s blunt remark.
“It’s not my fault, okay!? It’s that stupid 3 of hearts that showed up! If it had been a 4 or higher, I would’ve—!”
Honestly, he was the textbook example of a hopeless human.
“—So, please, help me out, you two!”
“Well… rules are rules, so I can’t give you a salary advance.”
“Ugh, really…? I’m screwed. The loan sharks keep saying that they won’t lend to someone who just got a steady job, and Celica’s gone and put a magic lock on the pantry at the mansion…”
His hopes dashed, Glenn covered his face with his hands and sighed.
“Hey, Celica-kun. How about covering his food expenses until the next payday? Glenn-kun’s renting a room at your mansion and living with you, isn’t he?”
Feeling a bit sorry for Glenn, Rick made the suggestion to Celica.
“No way, Headmaster. Spoiling this guy will only lead to trouble. This is all his own doing—think of it as a bitter lesson. Well, good luck surviving until the next payday.”
But Celica’s response was cold and dismissive.
“If he pays for his share, I’ll cook for him, for old times’ sake. That’s the bare minimum. I’m already letting him slide on rent, you know.”
“See, Headmaster? This is what I’m dealing with… Celica’s always been such a selfish jerk. Man, what a pain.”
Glenn sighed dramatically, smirking and shrugging with a mocking chuckle—
“Why the hell are you making me out to be the bad guy!? You’re the one who’s messed up!”
“Ow, stop! My temples hurt! My head’s gonna crack! Help, Mommy—!”
Celica gripped Glenn’s skull with her hand, squeezing it like a vise.
As Glenn’s pathetic screams filled the air, Rick, with a wry smile, offered a suggestion.
“I can’t give you a salary advance, but there’s a chance for a special bonus, Glenn-kun.”
“A special bonus!?”
At those words, Glenn shook off Celica’s grip and rushed to Rick’s side.
“What’s that about!?”
“The ‘Magic Tournament’ being held at the academy next week.”
“What!? The Magic Tournament…? What’s that…?”
“Indeed. It’s a competition held three times a year at our Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, where students pit their magical skills against each other. Each class’s representatives from their respective year compete in various magical contests, and the instructor of the class with the best overall performance traditionally receives a special bonus.”
“No way, seriously!? There’s an event like that!?”
“The Magic Tournament next week happens to involve the second-year division, which includes the class you’re in charge of. Why not aim for that special bonus?”
“You bet I will! But man, a Magic Tournament… I had no idea! Damn, if only I’d known sooner!”
At Glenn’s blatantly opportunistic remark, Celica pressed her temple, muttering with a cold, exasperated look.
“Wait, you’re an alumnus of this academy. How do you not know about it? And the second-years have been buzzing about it, haven’t they? Especially since this time, Her Majesty the Queen will—”
“No time to waste! I’ve got things to do! Tch, I hope those kids are still around—see ya!”
Completely ignoring Celica’s jab, Glenn clenched his fist, spun on his heel, and hurriedly dashed out of the headmaster’s office.
Celica watched his retreating figure with a sigh.
“…So, Headmaster. Realistically, does Glenn’s class have a shot at winning?”
“…Honestly, it’ll be tough.”
Rick’s expression was uncertain as he answered Celica’s question.
“True, Glenn-kun’s class has Sistine-kun, a top-performing student, but the consensus is that Halley-kun’s Class 1 is the favorite to win, thanks to their overall strength.”
“Yeah, Halley’s class. They’ve got an unusually strong lineup…”
“Indeed. His class is stacked with high achievers, giving them depth. Even with Sistine-kun, relying on her for every event won’t be enough.”
“Relying on her for every event, huh…”
For some reason, Celica let out a weary sigh.
“Is this okay, Celica-kun? At this rate, your dear disciple might actually starve. Won’t you help him?”
“Nah, no need to worry, Headmaster.”
Celica replied breezily.
“That guy? He’ll survive by eating grass or gnawing on branches if he has to. I taught him how to get by back in the day. Besides, leaving him to fend for himself seems like it’ll make things more interesting.”
“…Oh?”
Intrigued by Celica’s words, the headmaster’s lips curled into a smile.
“His motives are a mess, but Glenn’s finally getting serious. I’ve been fed up with the recent trends surrounding the Magic Tournament, but… I wonder what he’ll do…”
Celica grinned, looking oddly amused.
