Chapter 146.1: Part 1

After my name was called, I stepped onto the stage.

Whispers rippled through the stands where the other students sat.

I thought I'd proven myself sufficiently, but not all doubt had been erased.

Perhaps it was because my previous match had ended so pathetically.

My opponent had fainted in an instant.

"I wonder if I can manage it this time."

I scratched the back of my neck.

I had a feeling this match wouldn't be so easy.

My opponent was the student Baltan had mentioned before, the one who used Magic.

[Adel, be careful.]

Even Samuel had gone so far as to warn me.

For Samuel, who was clueless about Magic, to say that, meant this opponent was no pushover.

And that opponent was now standing before me.

I had finally arrived on stage.

My opponent was already in position, focusing.

I raised my gaze to look at the student I would be facing.

A female student with long, pale yellow hair stared back at me, clutching a wooden staff.

As we stood facing each other, Idea's voice rang out, heightening the tension.

"Thank you for waiting! In this match, we have a clash between the strongest mage of the third year, Charelei, and the suspiciously strong half-Demon student, Adel!"

The crowd erupted in cheers at the mention of Charelei's name.

The reaction was incredibly enthusiastic.

Charelei was not only considered the strongest in the third year but was also beautiful.

It was no wonder the reaction was so intense.

As if reveling in the roar of the crowd, Charelei began waving her hand, which only ignited the students further.

"D-Did Lady Charelei just look at me...?"

"Hey, snap out of it! She wasn't looking at you."

"Then who was she looking at?! She was definitely looking at me!"

"Listen, Lady Charelei was looking at me, not you!"

Some students even started throwing punches at each other because of Charelei.

"She's not even that pretty..."

Well, Charelei was indeed beautiful.

How should I describe her?

She was just too flashy.

Her flowing, light yellow hair had an aristocratic air about it, and her tall, well-proportioned figure made her stand out.

But I still couldn't understand why the reaction was so extreme.

She wasn't my type at all.

Idea, watching the reactions to Charelei with amusement, spoke up.

"As expected, Charelei's popularity is incredible! As the representative of the third years, could you share your thoughts on this match?"

A sudden interview request.

Charelei, seemingly flustered, cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Hello, everyone. I am Charelei, the class president of Class B, third year, of Sytan."

Her ears were slightly red as she spoke shyly.

...That was kind of cute.

Or maybe not.

The cheers from the stands only grew louder.

Some female students even fainted, overwhelmed by the moment.

"...Just who is she?"

Unable to contain my bewilderment, I ended up asking Samuel.

So many things had happened that I hadn't had the time to catch up on Sytan's internal affairs.

I had no interest in the graduating third-year students, to be honest.

That's why I was trying to find out through Samuel.

[Well, you could say she's a celebrity in Sytan. I hear she possesses magical abilities that surpass even the instructors, and she's quite popular due to her bright personality. Well, we're not exactly close, but...]

"I don't think anyone would believe you if you said you didn't have friends, Mr. Samuel."

[...This brat.]

"Haha, just kidding."

I quickly changed the subject, sensing Samuel's genuine annoyance.

To be fair, it was a bit of a stretch to say Samuel didn't have any friends.

...He definitely had more than I did.

Anyway.

"Still, I don't think that's enough to explain her popularity."

I, too, felt the need to gain the students' support, so I wanted to know what made Charelei so popular.

I couldn't understand it.

No matter how talented she was in Magic, how attractive she was, or how good her personality was...

"On second thought, I guess it makes sense."

[Right?]

I immediately nodded in agreement.

Even in the human world, people made a living just from being attractive.

Add to that her other perfect qualities, and it was no wonder ordinary students couldn't help but adore her.

Still, seeing her like this made something inside me boil.

...I've worked so hard, and I've never received this much support.

As I was making a disgruntled face,

"Well, I want to show everyone the strength of the third years in this match! And I'm also eager to see the skills of my juniors who will be protecting the Demon Realm with me in the future. But rest assured, I will be taking this match very seriously."

Charelei gave Idea a textbook answer.

Some male students in the stands began to shed tears of passion.

...I really couldn't understand.

As I was staring blankly back and forth between Charelei and Idea,

"Go, Charelei!"

"Show those first years what you're made of!"

"Death to the half-Demon...!"

I thought I heard something strange at the end there.

I turned my head to look for the source of the voice.

...You, four-eyes.

You're dead meat if I ever see you again.

As I was grinding my teeth in hatred, Idea announced the start of the match.

"Let the match begin!"

With that, Idea descended from the stage and headed for the judges' table.

"..."

"..."

Charelei and I faced each other.

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