One hour ago.
“Wow!”
The scoff resembled a whale.
Large fins fluttered on either side, and a long tail adorned the stern. Unlike a whale, it lacked a tall mast typical of ships.
The difference was that a flat deck covered the upper part, making it convenient for people to move around.
On the wide deck, Academy officials, prospective students, and crew members moved about in confusion. Supplies and luggage were being passed through the hands of servants.
A girl with pink hair spun around in place, her gaze darting about in a daze as she surveyed the scoff.
“It’s so big!”
“It’s modeled after a Skywhale.”
“Ooh.”
Pastel dashed to the deck railing and looked down at the ground. A fantasy city faded away into the horizon, the sea sprawling below.
Her pink hair danced in the wind.
She waved her hand over the railing.
“What happens if I fall?”
“Magic? Thud?”
The enchanted sword replied firmly.
“You die.”
“Eh.”
Pastel looked down at the dizzying height.
“Isn’t there a safety device?”
“If strong winds blow, hold the railing tightly. That’s your only lifeline.”
“Wow.”
“With this height, you’d die upon hitting the surface; your insides would rupture.”
“Wow.”
Pastel distanced herself from the deck railing.
This is super dangerous.
Suddenly, she heard whispers. Noble children looked her way, whispering among themselves.
The crowd around the pink-haired girl had thinned out.
Pastel’s eyes widened.
Thinking for a moment, she raised her hand high.
“Hello, friends!”
The noble children flinched. They glanced at each other before scattering.
Hmm, nobody responded?
Pastel lowered her hand.
“Choose, Master Demon.”
1. A country bumpkin has come. Must be her first time on a scoff.
2. A winter dress with stitching marks? No attendant? Totally lacking dignity.
3. Who’s that? Definitely a noble? Anyone know her?
4. Pink? Wow, that’s an impoverished Craft.
“…Don’t pay attention. No one here properly knows you. You mustn’t judge people solely on first impressions.”
“I know! I know! Hahaha!”
Pastel burst out laughing.
“Finally, a place where people live!”
The monster mansion was such a troublesome environment.
It smells like people, which is nice.
She brushed her pink hair. The hair flew pleasantly in the wind.
“Prospective students, please enter! You must wait until summoned!”
“Yesss!”
Pastel entered her assigned guest room. Below the deck was vast space on every floor. It was like a cruise ship.
After resting for a while, she heard the call for prospective students and came back to the deck.
There were desks lined up on the deck.
The noble children came out, looking confused. There were only a few who seemed to have some knowledge of what was going on.
Once everyone gathered, a burly professor stepped forward. He had a rigid expression that wouldn’t let a needle pass through.
“Welcome to the Academy Skywhale. You will take an impromptu exam.”
Test papers and writing utensils were laid out on the desks.
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
“A written exam?!”
“Those who fail can go there.”
The professor pointed firmly beyond the railing with his finger.
A pale sky stretched out.
Wow.
Is this the death game of fantasy?
Do I have to risk my life to enter the academy?
A noble child screamed.
The professor paused and then looked at the direction he was pointing to. In the open sky, a new scoff arrived late.
His finger pointed back at the scoff.
“Those who fail, go back. To your home.”
Phew.
“There’s no resurrection for the defeated. Give up on enrollment and prepare for another life.”
Aaah…!
Pastel received the test paper.
—“Explain the impact of Demon Realm exploration on national economics, focusing on the geopolitical value of Sky Island.”
W-what? A descriptive question?
Flap flap.
All of them?!
She gasped for breath.
Is the difficulty of the questions strange?
Is the school I’m aiming for not a middle or high school? Is it a university? Could it be a graduate school?
G-g-g.
I barely managed to grasp the letters and language!
“Calm down. This is just an impromptu written exam that was scheduled.”
She glanced around.
Students were flourishing with their quills elegantly.
Aahh.
Am I the only one…!
“I’ll tell you, so write it down.”
“Aahhh.”
“To understand the geopolitical value of Sky Island, several theoretical frameworks should be reviewed.”
The quill moved frantically.
Aahhh.
“The burden of long-distance navigation has decreased and private sector exploration has become active. With the center of Demon Realm exploration shifting from the nation to the private sector….”
Aahhh.
Flap flap flap.
She finished writing on the last test paper.
Thud.
This is such a disaster.
If I had just one more year, I could have solved this easily.
Swish swish swish swish.
I totally bombed the exam.
Aren’t the questions too difficult?
“The results will be announced.”
Pastel Love Craft.
476 points.
Top of the written exam.
Aren’t the questions too difficult?
I mean for the others.
Hehe, life is easy.
#
Top student, Pastel Love Craft – 476 points.
Second place, Melissa Camerott – 327 points.
The girl with blonde hair and blue eyes stared blankly at the wall where the grades were posted.
She didn’t hear the murmurs of the crowd.
Second place?
I got second place?
Melissa Camerott.
The daughter of the Duke of Camerott.
A rising star in the magical realm, destined to become a great sorceress.
Mother, Father.
I couldn’t secure the top position.
I’m sorry for letting you down.
Perhaps my efforts were insufficient.
Melissa stared blankly at the poster.
Pastel Love Craft?
Who is she? I’ve never seen her at social gatherings.
Craft? Could it be that Craft?
“Craft, don’t even step on a shadow. Since they’ve fallen, they’re even more dangerous. Those who stab with daggers behind their innocent faces. You must not be deceived by appearances.”
Melissa looked around. She searched for the pink-haired girl she had only heard about.
She found her immediately.
“Hehe.”
The pink-haired girl’s mouth was agape as she looked at the poster. She had a striking presence.
An unrefined expression that lacked emotional refinement.
An unrefined outfit unbecoming of nobility.
A family that fell at the height of its glory.
Melissa tried to approach.
“What? I’m in the lower ranks?!”
A muscular male student slammed the wall. The longsword at his waist wobbled.
Surely… he’s Dustin Wylde from the Wylde family.
“This is meaningless! What’s the importance of written exams? It’ll be decided in practical tests anyway!”
His gaze aggressively scanned the surroundings.
Upon spotting Melissa, he flinched and searched elsewhere.
The roaming gaze finally landed on the pink-haired girl who was still gaping at the poster.
The male student scowled.
“Hey, you!”
He marched toward her.
The crowd of students parted.
The delicate girl, now understanding the situation, widened her eyes.
“Oh, hello, friend. Do you need something? A friend request? No, that can’t be it?”
The male student glared at the girl.
His gaze confirmed her pink hair and pink eyes. Then it touched her delicate arms and plain sword.
“You’re the top student, right?”
“Seems so.”
Hehe.
The male student flinched, shook his head, and grimaced again.
A handkerchief appeared from his pocket. The handkerchief flew, hitting the girl’s face.
“Let’s have a match.”
Melissa frowned.
A spar? How crude.
The girl’s eyes widened.
“Wha?! A duel? It’s my first time!”
Wow wow.
The male student was taken aback.
“Don’t tell me you don’t understand what I’m saying?”
“I do!”
The girl looked around.
The gathered crowd and the gazes.
“But are you okay?”
Concern pricked the male student.
“If you lose, that’d be embarrassing.”
“What?”
The male student’s face hardened.
Murmurs filled the air.
Melissa’s mouth dropped open in shock. She then covered her mouth with one hand and gasped again.
Mother, your advice was correct.
You mustn’t judge people by their appearances.
Truly.
#
Pastel hummed.
A duel, a duel!
“How do we have a duel? I threw a handkerchief, but it’s not a life-and-death match between students, right?”
Puff puff?
She surveyed the air with her enchanted sword. As she traced a line with her finger, a chill ran through her.
Isn’t that too dangerous?
“It’s important to stop your attack just before hitting. That’s why we use practice gear. It should be over there.”
She found a dueling sword to wield.
“The edge is only for show, right? Plus, it’s light and thin.”
She swung it around.
Is this how a rapier feels?
“It’s a feather sword. Feel the weight. The center of gravity will be close to the handle. This makes it much easier to stop your attack.”
“Oh wow, that’s true. But with a weapon like this, aren’t there some moves you can’t use?”
“Dueling and actual combat are distinctly different. You must attack honestly and receive honestly. That way, the risk of injury is lower.”
Hmm.
“Can I kick?”
“You can do that much.”
“What about punching?”
“That’s fine. You can inflict wounds; just avoid serious injuries.”
“What about throwing dirt?”
“…What are you wishing for?”
Pastel nodded.
“I’ll have a fair duel!”
Yahoo!
The delicate girl stood before her opponent.
The muscular male student relaxed his shoulders. His thick arms crackled.
Just how much strength training has he done?
The professor stood in the center with a disinterested expression.
The procedures for sparring etiquette followed and concluded.
“Let’s respect each other.”
“Yeah!”
The male student pointed his sword at her.
Pastel took her stance.
She let her energy flow.
Her feet widened.
135-degree open stance.
“Face me head-on. You’re not the weaker one here.”
She heard the voice from her waist.
Pastel hesitated before narrowing her stance.
45-degree closed stance.
A direct confrontation.
The professor flicked the coin.
The coin fell to the ground.
The male student stomped his foot. His sword rose overhead.
A vertical slash?
The sword tilted diagonally.
No, a diagonal slash.
Pastel moved in time with her opponent. As if reflecting in a mirror, she mirrored his action. The sword lifted, angled diagonally.
Her opponent’s eyes twitched.
The girl parried his sword.
Their swords clashed.
The shock reverberated.
The blades slid against each other. The edges ground down, and their cross guards locked.
In that moment where the blades were fixed.
Their gazes met. The male student glared at the girl with a look that questioned if she was trying to overpower him.
Pastel inhaled as if affirming it. The male student furrowed his brow and breathed in with her.
One, two, three!
The girl pushed her sword with all her strength.
The male student gritted his teeth and supplied strength with his whole body. His muscles swelled.
The power of their bodies clashed.
The blades made noise.
The ground beneath them scraped away.
Onlookers stood up.
The male student staggered.
“Huh?”
His eyes widened.
A gap.
The girl abruptly pushed aside the clasped cross guards. His sword was helplessly pushed outward, striking the air.
The sword swung toward his unprotected torso, aiming for his neck without resistance.
The blade came to a halt just before contact.
It lightly tapped the nape of his neck.
The opponent collapsed as if his strength had left him.
Pastel maintained her posture while exhaling.
Cheers erupted.
The girl tilted her head.
Hmm, how should I say this?
She opened and closed her fist repeatedly.
I exerted strength, but it doesn’t feel hard at all.
The male student looked up, his expression dazed.
Pastel looked down at him subtly.
“Why are you so weak?”
“W-what?”
The male student was baffled.
Ah.
“Sorry, my inner thoughts slipped out.”
His face turned bright red.
“You…!”
The male student charged at her.
A punch flew.
Pastel’s eyes widened.
Huh?
Our friend’s new greeting method?
Suddenly, out of the corner of her vision, a light flashed.
The light raced toward the male student.
It struck him with a blast. Electricity exploded, and screams erupted.
The male student fainted and collapsed.
Ooh?
She heard the sound of footsteps.
A girl in a wizard’s robe approached, holding a staff.
Her golden hair flowed in the wind.
Her blue eyes gazed at Pastel.
“Then shall I take over for you, top student?”
Her voice was smooth and gentle.
