Chapter 229 : Chapter 229
Chapter 229. Claim the Magical Beast Ball (1)
Ultimately, Tunia's team took the victory in the Alchemy Three-Legged Race.
"Yes!"
As soon as Tunia passed the finish line, Inette, who was watching from the stands, jumped up.
Amidst the cheers of the students, Tunia's direct senior, overwhelmed with emotion, even burst into tears.
"Tunia, we did it!"
She won the victory even though she couldn't control her body due to being drunk on the potion.
It was thanks to Tunia who practically dragged her along.
She hugged the charm potion she had wanted so much and had tears welling up in her eyes.
Tunia also wore a faint smile.
Second place was a team consisting of a 4th-year senior and his 3rd-year direct junior.
They were also hugging the charm potion and wailing.
"Senior!"
"Yes! Finally, the charm potion."
"It was worth building up potion resistance!"
"Effort does not betray us!"
Inette, hearing their wailing, was dumbfounded.
"Those people, weren't they representing their dormitories?"
"It seems the charm potion was that necessary to them."
Gusto, who was watching the finish line with Inette, spoke up.
To most students participating in the match, the charm potion seemed more desperate than the dormitory's victory.
"By the way, where is Radel?"
"I see him over there."
As soon as Gusto's words fell, Radel's figure was seen.
"Radel, it's the finish line!"
"We're almost there, Senior."
Radel and Anesha took 3rd place.
Thanks to the two sharing the potion, the effect was halved, and Anesha was able to select potions well to shorten the time.
To achieve 3rd place in a situation where everyone was frantic to get their hands on the charm potion.
Radel recalled Professor Marianne's face and let out a sigh of relief.
Tunia, who came out as a representative of the Black Falcon Dormitory, took 1st place, and he took 3rd, so it was a decent result.
'Then what about Leon?'
However, Leon, another representative athlete of the Black Falcon Dormitory, did not make it into the rankings.
Radel, realizing that fact belatedly, looked around to find Leon.
Leon stood far away with a hardened face, an expression unable to accept the result.
The direct senior who ran with him seemed to have left, as he was alone.
'He must be disappointed that he didn't make the rankings.'
As Leon had strong pride, it seemed difficult for him to accept the result.
Seeing that, Radel shook his head.
'That won't do. No.'
They had only finished one match, and if he was already shaken like this, it would be troublesome.
Wasn't he the representative athlete of the Black Falcon Dormitory who had to run all events from now on?
It was not a good sign that his mind was shaken while the remaining matches were waiting.
Radel felt the necessity to solve this problem as the fixer of the Black Falcon Dormitory.
"Leon."
Leon, who was lost in thought for a moment, turned his gaze toward Radel calling his name carelessly.
Radel was approaching him while drinking a detoxification potion.
"Shall I give you a bottle too?"
"No need."
At Leon's sharp refusal, Radel grinned.
"Don't worry too much about the bad result. Instead of competition, you gained a true senior."
Hearing those words, Leon's face soured.
"Who are you calling a senior...?"
"That person who gave you really good words earlier."
Leon looked at Radel with an expression wondering if that guy was crazy.
"There are probably very few people who give you such correct words."
However, Radel only shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
Then he checked the time and waved his hand.
"Ah, then I have to go to the Cryptozoology match. You come without being late too. Don't be too disheartened!"
Disheartened?
To whom dare he say such words.
Leon felt annoyance surge at Radel who chattered as he pleased and disappeared.
He was already pissed off, and that guy was making his insides noisy before leaving.
"Prince."
As Radel left, Leon's followers appeared before he knew it and approached quietly.
They carefully opened their mouths while gauging Leon's mood.
"You worked hard, Prince."
"It was a match that would have ended at once if you used magic."
"That is correct. Please do not mind such a trivial race! It is not even real magic."
They were trying to package Leon's poor performance somehow.
Listening to the followers' words, Leon asked.
"What do you think I did wrong today?"
Then the followers jumped as if it was absurd.
"What do you mean by that?"
"We do not know what the Prince did wrong."
"That is correct. Wouldn't it be entirely the fault of the senior who held the Prince back?"
Leon's brow twitched.
They were words he usually listened to nonchalantly.
But was it because of that senior's words?
'You wouldn't know since you're always surrounded by followers. Anyway, since it's the same whether I say it after drinking that potion or say it now, I'm telling you, don't live like that.'
Or was it because of the words Radel left before leaving?
'There are probably very few people who give you such correct words.'
Leon felt bothered for no reason.
'Is he saying those were correct words.'
It was clearly absurd nonsense.
Today, something was bothering Leon.
* * *
The next match was the Cryptozoology event of the sports festival, Magical Beast Ball.
Magical Beast Ball was a game played with a ball by magical beasts, not humans.
Inside the stadium, large goals tailored to the size of magical beasts were placed.
It was a game where the team putting more goals into the goal than the opposing team won, and six people and six magical beasts formed a team to participate in the match.
Magical Beast Ball was also the match most eagerly awaited by Cryptozoology majors at every sports festival.
Because various magical beasts that could not be seen usually appeared.
The faces of the first-year Cryptozoology majors sitting in the stands were full of excitement even though it was before the match started.
"To think there is such a splendid match!"
"Crazy. It's fantastic."
"Can you believe all athletes are riding magical beasts?"
In the stadium, magical beasts to participate in the match and students who tamed them also appeared together.
Since only magical beasts, not humans, could kick the ball, victory or defeat was often decided depending on how excellent the taming skills of the athlete riding on the magical beast's back were.
This match was scheduled to be a face-off between first-years and second-years.
"Did you see the second-year representative athlete list?"
"Not yet. Is Senior Venus there?"
"Of course! They say his taming skills are even better than fourth-year seniors. I heard he was no joke last year too."
First-year Cryptozoology majors started chatting about the second-year seniors' magical beasts and taming skills.
They were already excited just by the fact that the large magical beasts they saw in the stable during major class were coming out all at once.
It was then.
"Kuhaha! Finally, the greenhorns get to see Magical Beast Ball!"
Professor Donton Murr, who took charge as the referee, appeared in the middle of the stadium.
Looking around the stadium with a booming voice, perhaps having cast amplification magic, he shouted.
"The name of the competition starting from now is Magical Beast Ball! An awesome match unfolding at the Academy Sports Festival!"
Professor Donton Murr's hand moved swiftly.
"Appear!"
Then a huge ball was created in the air and fell to the ground.
THUD!
Along with a heavy sound, the stadium floor caved in deeply.
"The weight of this ball is a whopping 100kg. A weight impossible for a human to kick. Only true magical beasts can handle this ball!"
Professor Donton Murr grinned and pointed to the ball.
"And only true athletes who handle those magical beasts are qualified to score with this ball! I am very much looking forward to this match. Just what kind of athletes will appear, indeed, kuhaha!"
Professor Donton Murr spread his arms toward the back with a gesture as if he couldn't bear the fun.
"Now, second-year athletes enter!"
Then the second-year athletes appeared with magical beasts.
The stadium was filled with murmuring.
"Look over there, it's a unicorn!"
"There's a bicorn too!"
"How did they tame them?"
As expected of second-year Cryptozoology representative athletes, the magical beasts they tamed with care had a different presence.
Their fur flowed glossily, scales sparkled, and even details like claws or hooves were neatly managed.
All were splendid, but what stood out especially among them was the magical beast Venus brought out.
Surprise settled on the faces of first-year Cryptozoology majors.
"That magical beast is...?"
"No way. Did Senior Venus bring 'that child' out?"
"I never imagined it would come out in Magical Beast Ball!"
CLOP CLOP.
The upper body an eagle, lower body a horse; it was the appearance of a hippogriff.
The hippogriff Venus was raising had already grown enough to participate in the match.
Venus was looking across while riding on the hippogriff's back with an unreadable expression.
"First-year athletes enter!"
When Professor Donton shouted, first-year athletes and magical beasts appeared.
Light lingered in Venus's eyes.
It was the eye when he saw something interesting.
There was Radel riding a griffin.
* * *
"I-it's a griffin!"
Someone shouted.
"A griffin! Is it really a griffin?"
"It's certain! The top is an eagle and the bottom is a lion!"
"It's real?"
The stands stirred.
Although they were Academy students handling various magical beasts, a griffin was a magical beast difficult even for them to see.
"It looks exactly like the picture in 'Monthly Magical Beast'!"
"It must be the griffin the Prince tamed."
"Seeing it in person, it's even cooler."
First-year Cryptozoology majors did their best to see the griffin in more detail by taking out magical tools and artifacts.
Because it was a high-ranking monster with few habitats, strong, and difficult to tame, there was no opportunity to observe it up close unless it was times like this.
"My goodness..."
Inette, who was watching all this sitting in the stands, muttered while slurping iced coffee.
"To forcibly make such a tremendous monster participate in these kids' ball game, it's the end of the world, truly."
In her eyes, it was just Magical Beast Ball, merely one event of the sports festival.
To think Radel would bring a griffin all the way from his territory for that.
"Well, he was busy whenever Radel patrolled in Raviedel too. Should I say it was a bit of a lowly job for a griffin to do."
Gusto retorted with a tone that he didn't understand Inette's words.
"Isn't it basic common sense for a griffin to patrol its territory?"
"That's because the griffin wanted to do it, and back then, Radel made him do it forcibly!"
"It sounds as if the Prince tormented the griffin. The griffin recognizes and follows the Prince."
"You really don't know Radel. I'm telling you he's not that kind of kid?"
Just before the war between Inette and Gusto broke out as usual.
MUNCH MUNCH.
Tunia, who went somewhere briefly, gave off a fragrant smell while eating butter-grilled squid.
Inette's eyes flashed open smelling that scent.
"Tunia, what is that?"
"...They were selling it together with iced coffee over there."
It was the explanation that it was a snack purchased from Armandy when Tunia came near the Magical Beast Ball stadium.
"Something new came out besides iced coffee?!"
Unable to endure, Inette jumped up.
She felt she had to quickly buy that delicious-smelling snack too before the main match started.
"I'll share."
"No! I'll be back quickly!"
Inette started running toward the stall.