“I will attack with this magic, so if you could slice through it…”
I said that with expectation, but The king looked up at the statue, which was about ten meters tall, with a dumbfounded face and froze. Looking around, the audience members who had gathered had similar faces.
I had thought they would be happy to be able to see the sword’s sharpness, but I get the illusion that the atmosphere has instead become somber.
While tilting my head and looking around, The king pointed at the sword with a twitching smile.
“O-oh. As expected of Aoi-dono. That is amazing magic… however, unfortunately, there is no top-tier swordsman who can draw out the power of this sword today. C-could you perhaps make it another time?”
As he gave such an explanation somewhat fearfully, The king let out a dry laugh.
“Is that so… that is a pity.”
Dwarven weapons. I’ve heard rumors many times, but I’ve never seen them in person. I intended to be particular about materials for magic tools, but I had no choice but to create my own manufacturing methods. I feel that if a Dwarven blacksmith were to cooperate, it might have a good influence on the effects of magic tools.
As I was helplessly looking at the weapons and shields held by the other dwarves, The king cleared his throat and tucked the sword back into its scabbard. T
hen, with a theatrical attitude, he spread his hands and gave a smile.
“…No, that was truly a magnificent piece of magic. The rumor that you are a top-tier mage who even surpasses Academy Head Glen must not be a lie. It is impossible to possess such magical knowledge and skill at a young age through effort alone. I believe you are a possessor of a talent of which there have been only a few in history.”
When The king announced that, voices of admiration arose in the square. After glancing at that, The king put one hand on his own chest and pointed the other toward me as he spoke.
“In respect of that wonderful talent and power, I, the King of Grandsans, have a request… will you hear it?”
“What is it?”
I don’t really understand, but apparently, he has some kind of request. For now, I’ll hear the content and think about it, so I ask back.
Then, The king lowered his waist on the spot, took a knee, and looked up at me.
I don’t know what it means, but the dwarves on the stage are letting out voices of surprise, such as “Oh…” and “No way…!”
In response to that, The king deepened his nihilistic smile and narrowed his eyes.
“…This is sudden, Aoi-dono. Won’t you strike iron with me?”
The moment The king said that, the dwarves made a huge fuss, saying things like “Impossible!?” and “To think, with a human…!”
“Iron?”
On the other hand, I didn’t understand the meaning of The king’s request and could only tilt my head.
Seeing the dwarves making a fuss about it being unexpected to request a human, it’s likely a type of blacksmithing with temperatures or tasks that only a dwarf can endure.
However, I have never done blacksmithing, and my knowledge is uncertain.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can meet your expectations.”
I shall politely decline. I said that with that thought, but the atmosphere of the place froze.
Perhaps because I had declined the King’s request, the dwarves’ eyes and mouths became as round as plates and they froze like stone statues.
Furthermore, The king himself now had an expression that made his earlier smile seem like a lie. He looked up at me with a stunned face and his eyebrows slanted in a ‘V’ shape, but did he seriously want to do blacksmithing together?
More importantly than that, the time for the students’ presentation is drawing near, isn’t it? Since The king and the others have stopped moving, I have no choice but to leave them be.
“…N-no, Aoi-dono? Um, the King is…”
One of the dwarves who was nearby started to say something, but when I looked that way, he shut his mouth with a “whimper.” He might have something he wants to say, but time is running short. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to deal with him.
“The king. I have to go back now, so please excuse me, okay?”
I tried calling out just in case, but he only looked up at me with eyes like a puppy wet in the rain. Apparently, he has no further business.
“…Ah, well then, I’ll just make an announcement before I go.”
It should be fine now. With that thought, I turned toward the people gathered at the venue.
“Everyone, from now on, a presentation by students will be held at the central square. The content is an unveiling of new magic that has never existed before. It is a wonderful piece of work that you wouldn’t believe is a student presentation, so please do come to the venue.”
After advertising the students’ presentation, I gave a deep bow.
Then, I immediately used flight magic and soared into the sky.
“S-he flew!”
“Come to think of it, earlier, it was like she came down from the sky…”
Giving an acknowledging nod to the ground, which had become noisy and bustling, I headed to the venue a step ahead.
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Is it because everyone is looking up at the sky in unison? I felt like no one noticed me on the way there, but on the way back, I heard screams and cries of surprise several times.
Wondering why, I looked around and realized the Vajra I had summoned earlier was silently following a short distance behind me. It is a type of earth magic, but to an uninformed observer, they would undoubtedly suspect it to be some new species of magical beast.
“I forgot about it.”
Muttering that, I dispelled the Vajra and immediately descended toward the ground. Even if people say the Academy grounds are vast, it is ultimately just one facility within the city. With flight magic, one can reach from one end to the other in no time.
“Now, if the people from earlier come in a hurry, I think they might arrive before we start…”
As I landed on the ground while muttering to myself, I noticed the scenery had changed. In stark contrast to before, the place was bustling with people. And it wasn’t just a gathering of students’ parents bringing along guards; it was a truly diverse crowd of people.
“…What is the meaning of this? In just a few minutes, what on earth…?”
As I looked around in confusion, Karila walked up with a fearless smirk.
“Amazing, isn’t it? After all, a rumor isn’t worth much unless it’s exaggerated. With this, the presentation will be a grand success, right?”
Being told that so proudly, I was honestly impressed and admired her.
She predicted how people would react and how they would act, and then she put it into practice.
To think Karila had such a skill…
“Thank you very much. Karila, please make sure to come and watch the presentation too.”
As I said that with a sigh of relief, Karila blinked in surprise and nodded vaguely.
“A-Ah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Tilting my head at the sight of the inexplicably bewildered Karila, I immediately headed toward the plaza where the venue was located.
Just at that timing, the students also came out into the plaza.
“Uwah, so many people!”
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
Aile cried out in admiration, and Belle agreed. Liz, unusually, had her face stiffened as if she were frozen solid.
“…I-I’m so nervous…”
“M-Me too…”
As Liz pressed her trembling hands together in a panic, Shenley also showed a similarly anxious face. However, Shenley’s degree of nervousness seemed smaller.
On the other hand, Rocks and Court, who were still showing their competitive spirits, were calmly observing the situation of the venue while keeping an eye on each other. As expected of upperclassmen, I suppose.
Most of the other children could be broadly categorized into those states.
And finally, there was Dean Stone. Surprisingly, Dean was already concentrating on his inner self, seemingly not distracted by the students or the spectators.
Perhaps this boy has the temperament of an athlete who can concentrate deeply during big moments. I have the impression that such individuals are strong in competition and can often produce results in critical situations.
“…There was no need to worry at all, was there?”
Muttering that one sentence, I turned my eyes toward the venue.
In the venue, Rocks’s parents, the father of Court and Aile, and Shenley’s father were already present. And there was also the figure of Tis, looking nervous.
“Now then, let us give them plenty to be surprised about. At the sight of the students’ growth.”
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