Chapter 20

Iberia carried her towel and water to her usual corner.  

The only difference from usual was that Young Master Nesferos was walking beside her. A few hours ago, she must have lost her mind. How could she ask such a favor from Young Master Nesferos, of all people?  

As regret faintly surfaced on Iberia’s face, the Young Master silently walked alongside her, observing her expression.  

“Young Master, I’ll make sure to control it well, but just in case… may I hold onto you?”  

“Sure.”  

Iberia stopped in her tracks and reached out as if to hold onto Young Master Nesferos’s arm. It was her way of saying she would cast a protective spell. As she hesitated and curled her fingertips slightly, he wordlessly overlapped his hand with hers.  

A faint gray light shimmered briefly before disappearing. Soon, a transparent barrier appeared around Young Master Nesferos. Since the magic Iberia was about to use didn’t have direct physical force, the barrier was designed to distinguish between reality and illusion. Or perhaps, it was more accurate to call it a boundary.  

Illusion magic was a type of mental magic. Of course, when using magic, the differences between schools of magic rarely made something possible or impossible.  

This was why Iberia could use illusion magic. Creating something out of nothing and showing it required precise calculations and delicate control above all else. It was a type of magic Iberia excelled at.  

To check if the barrier was sturdy enough, Iberia summoned a small illusion. Young Master Nesferos gently grabbed her arm and stopped her magic.  

“Do I need to keep what I see here a secret?”  

“…Yes.”  

When Iberia hesitated before answering, he released her arm.  

He was so quick-witted that it was sometimes downright annoying. But right now, she was more grateful than anything else. With her gaze slightly lowered, Iberia spread her hand. A small flame illusion appeared.  

Normally, illusions didn’t have physical properties, but this one softly collided with the barrier and disappeared. Iberia smiled faintly. It wasn’t bad for someone who hadn’t practiced in a while.  

Young Master Nesferos silently watched her with his usual smile.  

Iberia stepped back a few paces, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.  

A pitch-black light rose, enveloping her body. Soon, it began to take on different hues. Iberia’s mana sometimes appeared as a deep black light, and at other times, it glowed a fiery red like flames.  

What should I create first? 

Iberia hesitated for a moment before cupping her hands slightly. Mana began to gather in her hands, gradually forming a shape and color.  

It was a massive water-colored beast. The creature circled around Iberia a few times before resting its head on her palm. As the caster, Iberia couldn’t feel anything distinctly tangible, but she could sense a faint impression.  

Young Master Nesferos, with his usual smiling face, watched the scene unfold.  

Iberia glanced at him cautiously and asked softly, 

“Would you like to touch it?”  

Young Master Nesferos nodded and extended his hand beyond the barrier. Cold moisture wrapped around his palm. He withdrew his hand and looked at his palm. There was still a faint dampness, and even small droplets had formed, but they disappeared the moment his hand re-entered the barrier.  

Memories from the past surfaced involuntarily. His eyelashes fluttered slowly before his gaze turned unreadable.  

Iberia, with her calm expression, was conjuring various illusions. Despite her outward serenity, her mind was likely filled with countless formulas and calculations.  

Soon, he felt a splitting headache. ‘Have I seen this before?’ he wondered. No, he hadn’t. So why did it feel like it was triggering a memory?  

The sense of dissonance quickly faded. Young Master Nesferos forgot what he had just been thinking and allowed himself to be captivated by the beauty of Iberia’s creations.  

***

The day of the festival’s opening had arrived.  

At Lacanel Academy, the festival lasted for an entire week.  

The first two days were reserved for the preliminary rounds of the magic and swordsmanship competitions, giving the booths time to prepare.  

For the next four days, the booths were open, and the main rounds of the competitions took place. On the final day, the booth voting and the competition finals were held.  

There were three academies on the continent: Lacanel Academy, Horetin Academy, and the Mage Tower’s affiliated academy.  

As the continent’s specialized educational institutions, the three academies maintained close ties with one another.  

Thus, whenever a festival was held at any of the academies, students who wished to do so could visit as part of an observation group.  

Horetin Academy’s festival was held after the midterms of the first semester, the Mage Tower’s festival at the end of the first semester, and Lacanel Academy’s festival after the midterms of the second semester.  

In particular, Lacanel’s festival, especially its competitions, often attracted professors from other academies. Performing well could open doors to more specialized research opportunities after graduation.  

Cynthia couldn’t hide her excitement as she prepared for her booth.  

Watching her, Iberia felt her own nervousness rise, so she busied herself helping with the booth preparations.  

While moving a large table with Iberia, Cynthia spoke in an animated voice.  

“Did you know that Her Highness, the Imperial Princess, attends Horetin Academy?”  

“Wow, really?”  

“Yeah. They say we might even get to see her this time.”  

Feigning surprise, Iberia responded to Cynthia’s words.  

Iberia didn’t usually have much interest in famous figures, but she found herself a little curious about what kind of person the Imperial Princess might be.  

Suppressing the curiosity that had unconsciously surfaced, Iberia helped Cynthia organize the supplies for the booth.  

Time flew by as they ran around preparing.  

The preliminary round announcements and drawings were scheduled to start at 3 p.m., and it was already thirty minutes prior. Iberia finished moving a chair and straightened her back.  

Right on cue, the academy’s announcement bell rang.  

Iberia looked toward the source of the announcement. Cynthia, carrying something, approached Iberia.  

“Shortly, an announcement regarding the preliminary round of the magic department competition will be made. Students who have registered for the competition, please gather in the auditorium.”  

The announcement repeated several times. Iberia pushed the chair back into place one last time.  

“You need to go, right?”  

“Yeah.”  

At Cynthia’s confirmation, Iberia nodded solemnly. Cynthia handed her a small pack of candies.  

“Good luck. Got it? Don’t get hurt.”  

Iberia accepted the gift gratefully and smiled as she left the booth.  

The distance between the academy’s main building, where the booths were set up, and the auditorium was quite far.  

Iberia, who was always early, walked quickly, feeling an inexplicable anxiety.  

“Oh, Iberia.”  

As she was practically running, someone called out to her. Familiar silver hair and gently curved violet eyes—it was Young Master Nesferos.  

Iberia bowed her head slightly in greeting.  

“Hello.”  

“Here.”  

Young Master Nesferos handed her a purple ribbon.  

Blinking in confusion, Iberia looked at him. Her questioning gaze prompted him to choose his words carefully before speaking slowly.  

“For the swordsmanship competition, they usually give out ornaments or handkerchiefs that can be tied to the sword handle.”  

“Yes.”  

“This is a bracelet.”  

It was an explanation with many parts omitted. When Iberia furrowed her brows and looked at him, Young Master Nesferos smiled and said,  

“You look like you’re in a hurry. Give me your wrist. I’ll tie it for you.”  

“…Okay.”  

Iberia obediently extended her wrist. Young Master Nesferos carefully tied the bracelet around her wrist, making sure not to touch her skin.  

The bracelet emitted a faint magical energy. Iberia turned her wrist this way and that, examining it curiously.  

“How is it?”  

“It’s nice. Thank you.”  

Though she expressed her gratitude, Iberia couldn’t help but wonder why Young Master Nesferos was giving her such a thing. She had only glanced at it briefly, but it seemed like something very valuable, which made her even more uneasy.  

Young Master Nesferos met her eyes and said,  

“It’s enchanted with the same magic I cast on you before.”  

Iberia let out a small exclamation. She could already feel her body improving the moment she put it on.  

She hesitated, wondering if it was okay to accept such a gift. Sensing her hesitation, Young Master Nesferos added an explanation.  

“I checked the competition rules. Mana recovery items are prohibited, but things that improve physical condition are allowed.” 

“Oh… I see. Thank you.”  

Iberia, who was already familiar with the competition rules, nodded anyway.  

Young Master Nesferos surely understood her thoughts and feelings, so this was likely his way of telling her to simply accept it quietly.  

“Well, I’ll be going now. See you later, Young Master.”  

“Okay. Be careful.”  

Iberia hurried off. Left behind, he slowly lowered the hand he had been waving.  

***

That evening, Iberia had to take her preliminary round.  

Taking the preliminary round on the first day allowed her to recover her mana the next day. For someone like Iberia, whose mana reserves were limited, this was a blessing.  

According to the explanation, the magic department’s preliminary round was evaluated on an absolute scale. Professors assessed the students’ control and accuracy of magic and awarded scores accordingly.  

Most students who had prepared even a little passed without issue. It was the academy’s way of ensuring as many students as possible had the opportunity to showcase their abilities.  

“Iberia Del, have you considered joining Horetin’s research lab after graduation…?”  

“Wouldn’t it be better to stay at Lacanel rather than going to Horetin, Iberia Del?”  

Although there was a minor incident after her exam, Iberia passed the preliminary round without any problems. Upon hearing the news of her success, Cynthia was even more thrilled than Iberia herself.  

Cynthia stopped preparing the booth and jumped up and down.  

“Are you a genius or what?”  

“No. I’m not.”  

“Why are you so adamant?”  

Cynthia pretended to pout, furrowing her brows. But a fact was a fact.  

Iberia chuckled softly and placed the booth supplies Cynthia had prepared in their proper places.  

Even though it was just a preliminary round that most people passed, Iberia’s heart was still racing for no reason.