Turning back time a little, to the day of the final exams.
Chloe was quickly traversing the forest created by the 'Druid.'
[Chain Binding]
Clank!
And in a very forceful and violent manner.
'This is easier than I thought. The level of the monsters is low.'
'Of course it is. If it were a real basilisk horde, you'd be dead already.'
'…I can use Jade Seal Binding freely now, and you're saying that?'
'Don't underestimate monsters. To accurately compare strength, you practically have to raise their rank by one or half a level. It's not for nothing that the Holy Kingdom was destroyed by a single Mountain King.'
'You know a lot, annoyingly so. Did you go to the wasteland in the western part of the Empire in the future or something?'
'You know what I'm going to say, don't you?'
'I know. I know.'
It was no different from talking to herself since the current Chloe was asking the future Chloe.
Chloe, who knew very well that her future self wouldn't answer under the pretense of merging her future knowledge and spirit, grimaced in annoyance.
It was definitely her future self, but she was so annoying. Perhaps she was this irritated precisely because it was herself.
Chloe, quickly defeating the earthen basilisk horde, looked around.
'I'm… in first place, right? There's that returnee bitch in the Martial Arts Department, but at least in the Magic Department…'
'Who knows.'
'You.'
'Why are you looking away? You know it too, don't you?'
BOOM!!!!
An explosion rang out. Heat surged like a gust of wind. It was clearly the effect of high-ranking fire magic.
But that sound, that wind…
Was coming from ahead of Chloe.
"Oh my, sorry. I didn't realize you were this slow."
"…Amatriuss."
"When a person sees another person, they should call them by their proper name, shouldn't they? Chloe Piste."
Thud.
Someone was walking through the firestorm. That figure was clearly ahead of Chloe.
Despite using [Chain Binding] freely and traversing the forest at the fastest speed,
Someone, Amatriuss Delphia Beatrice, was ahead of Chloe.
"Princess, you don't look so good. Do you still have to be like that to overcome your chronic illness?"
"I'm not ashamed at all. It's a prescription given to me by a very competent person."
"…Competent?"
"Indeed. A very remarkable person. Someone I must make mine."
Beatrice, who had overtaken Chloe, didn't look well. Just like in their previous duel, Beatrice was borrowing mana from an artifact to use magic.
Bringing artifacts into the final exam was originally prohibited. However, she wasn't directly using the artifact for combat, it was just a daily-use artifact with a large mana capacity, and more importantly, without it, Beatrice wouldn't be able to use magic at all due to her chronic illness.
Therefore, after much deliberation, the Chief Examiner allowed her to bring the artifact. The essence of the academy was education, not competition or equality. If Beatrice could learn and grow in magic through this method, the academy would naturally allow it.
However, there were restrictions, such as using it only for mana supply and submitting a report on artifact utilization after the final exam… and this was the result.
Beatrice was in first place, and Chloe was in second.
Moreover…
'One month, no, two months? She caught up in that amount of time.'
'Shut up.'
'While suffering from her chronic illness, she could only learn theory, so she reached this level in just two months after properly using magic. Isn't that amazing?'
'Be quiet.'
'Didn't I tell you? That's what talent is. We're just ordinary in front of that princess.'
Beatrice, who had been suffering from her chronic illness, had never properly used magic before. She had only desperately studied the theory.
It was a talent acknowledged even by Chloe's master, the Archmage, which allowed her to cling to the theory. Otherwise, the Delphia Kingdom would have made her give up magic long ago.
Uncontrollable magic was no different from terrorism or summoning magic. That's why Chloe had some hope even after Beatrice overcame her chronic illness.
Actual combat and theory were different. It would take a long time for Beatrice, who only learned magic through theory and had to start by developing a sense for magic, to catch up to Chloe. In the meantime, Chloe would progress faster with the help of her future self.
But future Chloe scoffed at that thought.
And the result was right in front of her.
"More importantly, I'm getting used to this. Mana exhaustion isn't so bad."
"...…"
As Chloe mocked upon seeing her, Beatrice was exhausted. She was clearly in a state of exhaustion, breathing heavily and her limbs trembling.
But she was still standing properly. Her breathing was ragged but steady, and her limbs, though shaking, weren't unsteady.
She was clearly much more used to it than during their previous duel. In fact, she just looked like someone who was a bit tired.
All of that was a glimpse of her talent. A magical talent acknowledged by Chloe's own master.
──If only your talent was as good as hers…
The words of her beloved master came to mind. The words that the Tower Master of the Empire, the Rank 8 Archmage, had once muttered.
Chloe couldn't forget those words. That's why she had been keeping an eye on Beatrice at this academy, wary of her.
But what about now?
Just as future Chloe had scoffed, just as her master had said, Beatrice was displaying a talent that Chloe couldn't even dream of reaching.
…And yet, there was still something she didn't understand.
"But Princess, you're incredibly fast."
"Hmm?"
"I also enhanced my body with mana and ran… Did you perhaps run at full speed? It must be incredibly tiring in your exhausted state."
Indeed.
Chloe had literally given it her all. No matter how great Beatrice's talent was, it was still magic. It wasn't superior to Chloe, who had repeatedly trained her physical body.
And physical enhancement through mana was greatly influenced by one's basic physical specs. Therefore, the fact that Beatrice was ahead of her could only mean one thing to Chloe.
'She overdid it.'
'…Hmm.'
'She must have pushed herself too hard to surpass me after our last duel. If she used that much mana, I might be able to… overtake her.'
It wasn't a statement of certainty, but merely a possibility. Chloe couldn't bear that.
She had desperately put in effort, practiced, and trained. She couldn't accept that her decade of time and sweat was equal to two months of a genius.
She couldn't accept—
"Ah, it seems there's been a misunderstanding."
"Huh…?"
"I used teleportation magic to get ahead. You know how to use it too, right? Are you perhaps going easy on me?"
"What?"
Teleportation magic. A Rank 5 magic like [Chain Binding], and a magic that Rank 5 or higher mages strived to learn first.
It was only natural. Just by learning teleportation magic, you could be treated as a valuable contact by the royal family and receive enviable treatment from various noble families. It was much faster than most knights and economical since you could keep moving as long as you had mana.
However, it wasn't a magic that everyone could learn just because they wanted to. Teleportation magic was inherently very difficult.
And Chloe was learning teleportation magic. Over a month ago, when she was plagued by strange dreams, she used teleportation magic to climb onto the roof of a building and glare at the Headmistress.
However, that didn't mean she could use teleportation magic freely. In fact, it was a magic that Chloe was reluctant to use.
It consumed too much mana and was inefficient; no matter how hard she tried, she could only teleport short distances a few times. In this forest traversal, it was much more efficient to use mana for physical enhancement.
However…
"You… learned teleportation magic?"
"Want to see?"
[Teleportation]
Beatrice, with a tired look, drew mana from the artifact in her hand as if it were second nature, and disappeared.
In an instant, the teleported Beatrice was standing behind Chloe.
[Teleportation]
"See?"
"...…"
And then she teleported back to her original position.
It didn't take any time, and the magic itself flowed smoothly. It was clear evidence that she had mastered teleportation magic.
Even more so than Chloe.
'She learned teleportation magic? Already? In two months, no, in even less time?'
'...…'
'That's impossible. It took me months to learn it. And even now, I can't use it that smoothly.'
'Chloe.'
'It's a lie. It must be the artifact's ability. Anyway, anyway, that's it.'
'That's talent.'
'Shut up! That's it!!'
She wanted to say something. She wanted to shout that it was all a lie, just a trick.
But her mouth wouldn't open. Her anger only festered inside, and inferiority slowly built up. She could only clench her jaw.
In the end, she couldn't say anything because she had witnessed overwhelming talent firsthand.
And because Chloe herself couldn't deny it.
"You're speechless? Why, did your throat suddenly dry up? Was the fire magic from earlier too strong?"
"...…"
"Anyway, I'll be going now. I need to get first place in this final exam to receive the scholarship. It's a considerable amount, so… he'll be happy, right?"
"…What?"
"See you later."
Chloe could only stare at the spot where Beatrice, who had just used teleportation magic, had disappeared.
…Because she didn't have the confidence to chase after her with the same teleportation magic.
***
And time returned to the present.
The final exams were over. Although they were interrupted by the terrorist attack, Beatrice, along with Lisha Claudia and Kaern Deste from the Martial Arts Department, was one of the few students who managed to get through the forest before the interruption.
Of course, Chloe, as a fully developed Rank 5, also succeeded in getting through before the interruption, but… she was only in second place in the Magic Department.
Chloe, faced with the reality of being second and Beatrice's talent, was slowly walking down the street.
'Is this why you said that?'
'Yes.'
'That she's the real genius, and all we have is spite?'
To be honest, Chloe was also a genius. Although she was called talented, that was only in comparison to the talents gathered from the entire Empire, and the fact that she competed with them and ultimately won was proof of her own talent.
But whether she was talented or a genius, it was all meaningless.
Because all talent would pale in front of Beatrice.
'We agreed not to tell you about the future. But I can tell you this much.'
'…Tell me.'
'Amatriuss Delphia Beatrice will eventually reach Rank 8.'
'...…'
'She'll reach the same level as Master.'
It was an unbelievable statement, but at the same time, a part of her was convinced.
She was a talent who learned teleportation magic in just two months and became equal to Chloe, a Rank 5 mage. What if she trained with that talent for months, years?
She would become Rank 6 before even graduating. She might even graduate as a Rank 7.
And after graduation, if she received support from the Delphia Kingdom…
She could eventually reach Rank 8. For the weak Delphia Kingdom, every single Rank 8 was a crucial asymmetrical power. It was even more valuable if that person was a member of the royal family.
Chloe despaired at the words of her future self, but…
'But if you ask if I'm envious, not at all.'
'…What? You're not envious of a Rank 8?'
'I used to yearn to be a Rank 8. If I were a Rank 8, I could protect Adam more perfectly… but if she becomes that kind of Rank 8, I'll reject her.'
'Huh?'
'That's all I'll tell you. Don't try to know more.'
Chloe desperately tried to question her future self about those ominous words, but…
She immediately turned her head at the sudden voice.
There…
"Come see the new apples that just arrived! They're fresh!"
"Student? Can you deliver this? It's an order from the lady on 3rd Street."
"Yes! Understood!"
Wearing work clothes that she wouldn't normally wear in the classroom, unbefitting of her status, was Beatrice, smiling brightly and working at a fruit store.
Chloe had heard rumors of Beatrice working part-time, but with her focus on Adam and training lately, this was the first time she had properly encountered her like this.
Beatrice, with her sweat-drenched blonde hair swept back and wearing work clothes that seemed to accentuate her unnecessarily large breasts, emerged from the fruit store with a smile.
"Oh?"
"…Ah."
Just like that…
The two female students met.