012 Did I... Did I Just Mess Up Again?

"Lady Cynthia, do you honestly believe you are refining the essence of your mana at such a mediocre level?"

"…No… I can still… go further!"

I hope you’re following the situation.

Right now, Cynthia was receiving personal magic instruction from Teacher Milk.

Dear Father,

Several weeks have passed since my engagement was finalized. Truly, Father, thank you so very much for making my life so incredibly complicated. The moment you return from your diplomatic trip, I have a mountain of complaints I fully intend to voice.

But for now, Lady Cynthia is giving it her all. To ensure we pass the entrance exams together, she has been coming to the mansion every single day for special training.

I can’t exactly tell her—not even if it killed me—that she’s guaranteed to pass even if she does absolutely nothing. So, I’ve given up. The scenario might be falling apart at the seams, but I’ve decided to take an optimistic view. I’m sure it’ll all work out somehow.

"Weiss, it’s fine to be enchanted by her, but don’t let your mind wander."

"Y-Yes, ma’am!"

"Oh… enchanted, he said…"

With her cheeks flushing a deep crimson, Cynthia began condensing a terrifying amount of mana between her hands.

Is it really okay for a person who’s already a top-tier candidate to put in even more effort? Won't that break the game balance even further?

"Lilith, drop your mana density a bit more. Keep it even and well-balanced. That is the secret to increasing your precision."

"Understood!"

And there, standing beside her, was Lilith.

It had turned into an unexpected triple-training session. Of course, there was a reason for this. I had originally planned to bring Lilith along as my attendant once I passed. However, that would mean the time we could spend together would be limited.

Consequently, she had decided to take the entrance exam just like the rest of us.

I had assumed there was no way a "frail" girl like her could manage such a feat, but she had been quite insistent. To my absolute shock, it turned out Lilith was… incredibly strong. Her swordsmanship and martial arts were so refined that even Teacher Milk acknowledged her skill. Her magic was still a work in progress, but her growth rate was nothing short of staggering.

Not wanting to be left behind, I found myself putting more heart into my own practice as well.

"Lady Cynthia, Lilith, have the two of you ever sparred?"

"Of course I have."

"I have as well."

Wait, Lilith, you have?! How? When? You aren't just counting the times you played with the village children as 'sparring,' are you?

"There isn't much time left until the test. We’ll wrap up the basic drills here and move on to practical combat. We have just the right number of people, after all."

"…Teacher, there are only three of us…"

"I am here, am I not?"

I saw that coming. Teacher Milk was counting herself as a combatant.

I don’t want to fight her. I really don’t want to fight her. But then again, I feel just as bad about fighting Lilith or Cynthia.

"Now then, Weiss. It’s about time you show me that secret training of yours in a real fight."

"…You knew about that?"

"Obviously. There’s no point in practicing if you don’t deploy it when it matters."

Just as Teacher said, I had been secretly experimenting with combining Light and Dark Magic into [Composite Magic]. I had learned a lot more than I’d originally intended, but I was struggling to find the right moment to show it off.

"First, Weiss, you will fight Cynthia. I’ll tell you one thing: do not hold back."

"We aren't… drawing lots or anything?"

I shot a reluctant glance at Cynthia, but she just gave me a soft "fufufu" kind of smile. I couldn't tell if she was genuinely looking forward to the fight or if she was just too head-over-heels for me. My "easy heroine" was in top form today.

"Take your distance and face each other. You should know when to start without me having to say it."

I moved back to create space between myself and Lady Cynthia. She was wearing training clothes that seemed almost scandalous for a noblewoman, but her beauty wasn't the sort of thing that diminished just because of her outfit.

Cynthia was born with a rare, specialized talent for [Ice Magic]. It was an excellent affinity, versatile in both offense and defense.

The moment I was certain we were both ready, Cynthia vanished from my sight. She had likely surged mana into her legs to perform a high-speed slide across the ground.

Whoa!

I surged mana into my eyes, successfully capturing the afterimage of her mana flow. I could see her clearly now. She was trying to circle around and strike me from behind. I dodged with a light hop, and as she passed, I tapped her on the head with my wooden sword.

Or rather, I tried to tap her, but it ended up being a fairly vigorous "thwack."

"Ow… owie… that hurts…"

"Ah! S-Sorry!"

Cynthia crouched down, her face looking like she was on the verge of tears. I see; because she had been moving at such high speeds, even a light swing on my part had turned into a devastating counter-hit.

"…How were you able to see me?"

"Eh? I just saw you normally…"

"T-That’s impossible… I’ve sparred at home many times, but no one has ever evaded me that easily."

Cynthia looked stunned, but to me, it really had just looked normal. While I was standing there feeling awkward, Lilith’s eyes went wide, and Teacher Milk crossed her arms with an impressed nod.

"I… I was desperate just to track her with my eyes," Lilith admitted. "Even then, I could barely see a thing."

"Weiss, Cynthia’s high-speed movement is much faster than you seem to realize."

Judging by their reactions, it seemed surging mana into my eyes had been a very good—if slightly too effective—idea. Without realizing it, I had mastered the spell [Dark Eye], a composite of Dark and Light magic.

Feeling terrible, I reached out a hand to Cynthia. She stood up, looking more frustrated than usual, and I noticed a massive lump forming on her head.

Is she going to be okay?

"That was incredible, Lord Weiss!"

"Ah, uh… sorry about that, okay?"

The bump was swelling so much it was actually poking out through her hair. This was bad. Was there even a precedent for a nobleman giving his own fiancée a cartoonish bump on the head like this?

"Allow me," Lilith said, stepping forward gallantly.

She began to cast [Recovery Magic]. Before my eyes, the protruding bump began to shrink and vanish.

"Thank you, Lilith-san."

"It was nothing. Lord Weiss’s blow was simply heavy with his… feelings for you, after all."

I’m pretty sure she just made a pun about the weight of the blow and the weight of my "love," but I decided to let it slide.

I was looking forward to seeing Teacher Milk and Lilith go at it next, but for some reason, I was nominated for the next round as well. Knowing there was no point in complaining, I took my stance again. Thinking I should practice making the first move this time, I touched the ground before Lilith could shift her weight.

This was a composite spell I had devised myself. Lilith was strong, so I figured I could afford to put a little power into it.

[Blessing of Healing and Impulse of Destruction]

In an instant, a massive magic circle erupted, covering the entire garden.

Lilith’s movement was blindingly fast. I knew she had been training, but this was the movement of a seasoned veteran.

"Haaaah!"

She swung her wooden sword down toward the crown of my head with everything she had.

Good. No holding back.

However, her attack never reached me.

The wooden sword was violently repelled by my [Inviolable Domain (Barrier)], which was now permanently active within the field. The recoil sent Lilith flying back several meters until she collapsed onto her knees.

"What’s wrong, Lilith? Is that all? …Match over! Weiss, deactivate that magic immediately!"

"Eh? Ah, yes ma'am!"

Teacher Milk rushed to Lilith’s side with an expression of panic I had never seen on her face before. I hurried to cancel the spell. To my surprise, Teacher Milk pulled a High-Potion out of her pocket.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lilith!"

"…Haa… haa…"

She hurriedly forced the potion down Lilith’s throat, and the color slowly began to return to the maid’s face.

"Weiss, what on earth was that magic?"

"Um, well…"

When an enemy is inside that magic circle, they are hit with every debuff imaginable: Physical Weakening, Stamina Depletion, Willpower Reduction, Mana Drain, Magic Defense Down, Physical Defense Down, Attack Speed Slow, and Movement Speed Slow.

Meanwhile, I receive the exact opposite—a massive buff to every stat. Furthermore, I can stack the attributes I've drained from the opponents on top of my own, meaning the more enemies I face, the stronger I get.

Since it also incorporates [Presence Detection], I won't accidentally drain the wrong people, and if I recognize someone as an ally, the field grants them buffs instead.

I explained all of this as best I could, but by the end, all three of them seemed to have lost the ability to speak. Even Teacher Milk didn't say a single word.

…Wait. Did I… did I just mess up again?