Chapter 110 : Chapter 110
Chapter 110. The Debate with Hellington
“I thought I was going to die, professor.”
“They completely played us!”
The Hellington first-years were grinding their teeth in anger.
They recounted to their supervising professor, Obsidian, what they had experienced.
The story of how they went to an Alchemy class only to pull weeds all day wearing a straw hat, and how they went to a Cryptozoology class only to have to wander the mountains without warning.
And on top of that, the story of having to buy the Beginner Alchemy Set that the 8th Prince was selling.
It was a story that was dumbfounding even for Obsidian, a devil worshipper.
He recalled the benevolent face of Radel, who had first proposed that it would be good to gain experience since they had come for the exchange meeting.
‘They say he’s a saint, but isn’t he a devil-like fellow?’
Obsidian, who was having a thought that would sound like a compliment among devil worshippers, gathered his senses.
It would be a bad idea to protest based solely on the students' words and make the matter bigger.
The best thing to do here was to soothe them with good words.
“Is that really so? It could be a real academy class, you know.”
At Obsidian’s words, the eyes of the Hellington first-years wavered.
“Th-that’s ridiculous!”
“That’s right. This must be a ploy to drain our strength before the friendly competition tomorrow!”
“Who would take a class like that?”
The Hellington first-years burst out in anger, saying there was no way such a class existed, but their voices were gradually losing their strength.
And for good reason, because Radel and the other academy students had looked so used to it.
Even when pulling weeds, they all acted as if it were a daily routine, and no one got tired when climbing the mountain.
There was no way that familiar appearance was all an act.
“It probably wasn’t with bad intentions. I think the academy students genuinely wanted to take the class with you.”
Indeed, looking back at Obsidian's words, it seemed that the academy students had only been diligently attending the class and had not particularly ignored or bullied the Hellington students.
Rather, didn't they try to help when they seemed not to know?
They even kindly taught them how to pull weeds.
“It doesn’t matter! We felt humiliated today, and we will pay them back.”
“That’s right. Our Hellington will definitely win this friendly competition.”
The Hellington first-years steeled their weakening resolve.
That was that, and the friendly competition was the friendly competition.
Although they had come for the purpose of exchange, they had not the slightest intention of losing in the friendly competition, which was a place to prove each school's skills.
The Hellington first-years firmly resolved to win.
* * *
That night, Obsidian secretly slipped out of his lodgings.
It was to enter the dungeon in the academy.
His subordinates, who had infiltrated Hellington as students, followed behind him.
“Are you going straight to the dungeon?”
“Of course. Be careful of the flying golems on the way.”
“Are you not going to cooperate with the other brothers?”
“There is no time for that.”
There was not enough time to make contact with the other Black Order members who had infiltrated the academy.
The time given to them was only three days while the exchange meeting was in progress. As they had to get all the keys within that time, Obsidian's heart was in a hurry.
Obsidian entered the dungeon where the black key was hidden and cleared his way to the boss room without hesitation.
The number of keys in his hand increased from three to five.
“Good, it's going smoothly.”
A smile hung on Obsidian’s lips.
However, that smile did not last long.
“Who is your master!”
It was when he had courageously shouted at the boss monster.
The boss monster, which he had expected to naturally say the master’s name, clattered its teeth and sneered at Obsidian.
- Keke-kek! You're late! Too late!
“What is the meaning of that?”
Obsidian frowned.
This was not the reaction he had expected.
The boss monster, a lich, opened its mouth as if to pierce the ceiling and burst out laughing.
It was the very same boss monster from the dungeon Radel had cleared.
- To think you had your wish taken away by a mere brat! How vexing, how vexing!
The lich left those words and disappeared.
The key should have been in this hand.
Obsidian clenched his empty hand tightly.
“Is there someone who took the key before me?”
Otherwise, the current situation could not be explained.
He had to find them, even if he had to search the entire academy, even if he had to search the entire Empire.
Obsidian’s eyes shone ominously.
* * *
The highlight of the exchange meeting, the friendly competition.
And of all things, it was the day the debate was held.
The academy first-years were scheduled to have a debate with the Hellington first-years in the auditorium in the afternoon.
News came that the academy team had won the debate of the third-year seniors held in the morning.
It was said that Senior Pasion's brilliant eloquence was the number one contributor to leading the team to victory.
“He prepared in advance, so as expected of Senior Pasion.”
It seemed Senior Pasion would have won even if he hadn’t prepared, but in any case, it was good news.
Just then, Professor Marianne approached Radel.
“Are you ready for the debate?”
“Yes, I have put together the best team.”
“Right, I understand.”
Professor Marianne nodded.
She naturally had faith that Radel would have done well on his own.
Now it was the first-years' turn.
When it was time for the debate to begin, all the first-years of both schools gathered in the auditorium.
And the topic of this debate was announced on the stage.
‘Is a short and simple spell better, or is a long and detailed spell better.’
Both had their pros and cons.
Because a short spell was good when you needed to cast magic quickly, but a long and detailed spell was better when casting precise or complex magic.
In other words, since it was a topic with no answer, it was a battle of which team could persuade the other with more sophisticated logic.
“I think it would be good for our team to choose the short spell.”
Gusto said, looking at the academy first-year debate representative team that had gone up on the stage.
Since the mainstream opinion in the current magic world was to accurately contain the image in a short spell, the short spell had more grounds to present than the long spell.
“I agree. But to do that, they'll have to do well in the draw.”
It was a part Radel also agreed with.
It was clear that both teams would want to choose the short spell side.
Inette, who was watching the Hellington representative team put their hand in the draw box, asked.
“Can that guy do well in the debate?”
At Inette’s question, Radel answered without hesitation.
“Of course. He'll definitely do well.”
He had confidence in the first-year debate representative team.
Radel recalled the events of a few days ago.
* * *
After assigning cleaning areas to all the first-years in the common room of the Black Falcon Dormitory, Radel announced the team members who would participate in the friendly competition.
“First, I'll announce the dungeon clear members.”
The dungeon clear referred to a match where students from both schools entered an academy dungeon to compete on which team could clear it faster.
The team consisted of a total of three members, and since they had to clear the dungeon quickly, he had to choose members who were familiar with combat.
“First of all, I will be entering the dungeon. I have decided on Gusto and Inette as the team members to go with me.”
As Radel finished speaking, Leon's expression, which had been fine when the cleaning areas were being decided, crumpled.
“What is the standard for that?”
Leon asked Radel in a cold voice.
It was absurd for him, who was good at combat, to be left out of the dungeon clear.
He could stand other things, but he couldn't stand being pushed behind in terms of skill.
“I know you're good at magic.”
“I know that too. So I'm asking why I'm being left out.”
Leon slowly said and took out his staff.
Gusto, who felt the killing intent, also placed his hand on his sword.
“If you can’t convince me, I will kill you on this spot.”
However, even with Leon's murderous spirit, Radel was nonchalant.
“Because there's a separate place for you to go.”
* * *
At the same time as the Hellington representative team drew a lot, the academy representative team also drew a lot.
“Your Highness, you can do it!”
“You will do well!”
The academy students cheered for the person drawing the lot, making a fuss.
The person drawing the lot was none other than Leon.
It was a rule that dual participation in the friendly competition was not allowed.
So Radel had no choice but to exclude Leon from the dungeon clear team.
Because Leon absolutely had to participate in the debate.
Radel looked towards the Hellington students.
From the moment Leon went up on the debate stage, a strange heat was being felt from the Hellington representative team side.
‘According to Edward's information, Hellington has more magic supremacists than the academy.’
It was a story that no matter who Hellington sent out for the debate, there was a high probability that there would be a magic supremacist mixed in the team.
‘A debate is by no means won by logic alone.’
Just as momentum is important in battle, momentum is also important in a debate.
Who leads the atmosphere determines the victory or defeat on the stage.
Radel had put Leon on that stage as the main character.
“……This is.”
Leon’s eyebrows twitched as he unfolded the note.
On it was written the phrase ‘a long and detailed spell is better’.
As Leon, who enjoyed using short and simple spells when using magic, it was a topic he wanted to avoid.
However, he was not a person who would back down without a fight.
On the other hand, the Hellington side, which had drawn ‘a short and simple spell is better’, was already in a festive mood.
“Shouldn't we consider this our win?”
“Of course! How can you win with a long and detailed spell?”
But something was strange.
The Hellington first-year representative team, which had been selected with a focus on good students for the debate, didn't seem very happy.
“What's wrong? Could it be that they think the long spell side is better?”
“Why are they so nervous?”
Sure enough, the Hellington first-year debate representative team was in a serious discussion among themselves, looking very nervous.
“Prince Leon is in the same debate as us?”
“I’m nervous because it’s my first time seeing him up close. Is this real?”
Unfortunately, all the members of the Hellington debate representative team were magic supremacists.
Since a person who was good at their studies in a magic school was a person who was good at magic, in a way, it was a natural thing.
It was just as Radel had expected.
As the full-fledged debate began, Leon frowned and opened his mouth first.
“It is…… natural that a long and detailed spell is better. Because unless you are a person of my level of skill, you could make a fatal mistake when casting a short spell.”
Inette, who heard Leon's argument, had a dumbfounded expression.
“Is that ridiculous logic even okay?”
Wasn't he saying that it was okay for him, who was good at magic, to use a short spell, but it was better for those who were not good at magic to use a long spell?
This couldn't even be called logic.
However, Radel smiled.
Because he had seen the look in the eyes of the Hellington representative team, whose fighting spirit had been broken as soon as they saw Leon.
After Leon's turn, a Hellington student opened his mouth.
“Th-that…… I think Your Highness is right.”
It was an answer that would have shocked not only the Hellington student side but also Inette.
“Weren’t they just in a debate? What's wrong with them?”
It seemed they were not in their right mind, to be agreeing with the opposing side's argument as soon as the debate started.
Even after that, Leon's extraordinary arguments continued.
There are far more people in the world who are not good at magic than those who are.
So if you want to use magic well, supplement it with a long spell.
If you insist on a short spell, then be good at magic.
They were such dumbfounding statements, but the Hellington representative team nodded their heads repeatedly.
Because to them, it all sounded like the right thing to say.
Only the Hellington students who were watching were getting frustrated.
“What are you doing!”
“Are you crazy to want to lose to the academy?!”
However, the reason of the Hellington representative team, who were in front of their idol, Leon, had no intention of returning until the debate was over…….