The Deadly Sins Sorcerer of Magic Academy
Mahou Gakuen no Taizai Majutsushi
Arc 2 Martial Arts Festival
As a Saintess
Julis and the others had three major objectives upon arriving in the Kingdom of Zagar.
The first was the rehearsal for the opening ceremony.
The Martial Arts Festival would be an event drawing attention from the citizens and dignitaries of various nations. Since it couldn’t be done entirely on the spot, even if the rehearsal opportunities were limited, they had to familiarize themselves with the process so that everything could proceed smoothly.
The second was individual warm-ups.
Since the tournament would begin immediately after the opening ceremony, everyone had to complete their warm-ups beforehand. Each participant needed time in their assigned training grounds to prepare themselves to perform at their best.
And the third.
This was the social gathering held the day before the Martial Arts Festival.
Although the students would be rivals during the event, they were still peers striving to grow stronger together. To foster camaraderie, a grand party was held on the eve of the festival.
Currently, Julis and the others had completed the rehearsal and most of their warm-ups, and time had passed as they now attended the social gathering.
They had gathered in one of the rooms of the Zagar royal castle. The room, which could easily accommodate over a hundred people, was decorated with a luxurious red carpet and tables covered with all kinds of dishes. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting light on the well-dressed students and attendees.
"Hey, Master?"
"What is it, my dear disciple?"
Musée, who had switched from a gothic black dress to a pure white silk one, stood out. Her light pink hair blended into the white fabric, yet her crimson eyes emphasized her presence.
Without a doubt, she was beautiful and stood out quite uniquely among the crowd.
Despite her youthful appearance, she held a wine glass in one hand, creating a rather striking contrast.
"Mind if I ask something?"
"No need to hold back. Ask away."
Wearing a tuxedo perfectly tailored to him, Julis spoke with a wine glass in hand.
"Whoaa! Julis, you look so cool! It really suits you!"
"…Why is Cecilia here?"
A blonde girl bounced with excitement as she admired Julis’s rare formal look.
Unlike Musée, she wore a modest amber-colored dress. Her blonde hair was partly veiled, giving her a gentle, refined air.
She was supposed to have a calm impression────but right now, the bouncing and cheerful Cecilia came off as nothing but an adorably excitable girl.
"If we didn’t bring the Saintess who’s staying in our country, other nations might nitpick us for it."
"…Well, that’s true."
Julis listened to Musée while gently patting the excited Cecilia’s head.
While Julis and the others had been busy with rehearsals and preparations, the students attending the festival had already arrived in the Kingdom of Zagar.
Anastasia, Ricardo, Mirabelle—and of course, Cecilia.
So, it wasn’t particularly strange for Cecilia to be here.
Even if this event was meant only for festival participants and related personnel, Cecilia, being a Saintess, certainly had a place here.
“You look great too, Cecilia. Since you’re usually in a nun’s robe or school uniform, this feels especially fresh. You look even cuter.”
Julis’s heart raced upon seeing Cecilia, but he didn’t let it show.
"A-am I...... Th-Thank you very mush─!”
""...""
Cecilia, blushing and looking down, thanked him──slurring her words slightly. Julis and Musée pretended not to notice that she bit her tongue.
"Master, Cecilia, don’t you need to mingle a bit? There’s greetings, introductions, all that stuff, right?"
Julis pointed to the center of the room, where Emilia was surrounded by a group of students and associates.
The point of the gathering was to deepen bonds. That could mean getting your face known, networking among nobles, or other forms of social positioning.
No matter the reason, it never hurt to get along with everyone in the room.
That’s why so many people were actively approaching others they wanted to connect with──just like those currently flocking around Emilia.
"I have no need to flatter others. Wealth and status are trifles to me."
“I do have a few people I need to greet… but I’ll go once things have settled down a bit."
"Hmm…"
In the corner of the room, Musée and Cecilia quietly waited for time to pass.
Under normal circumstances, there shouldn’t be a single person who would ignore someone like Musée, known as a Brave, or Cecilia, one of only three Saintesses.
Being seen and known by them would be nothing but beneficial.
And yet, no one approached them. Why?
(Master, you're casually using perception-blocking magic again, huh...)
Vampires can blend themselves into the darkness. To do so, their presence must go unnoticed by others.
That’s why one of the vampire’s signature magic was a spell to block perception────making their presence unnoticeable. Most likely, Musée had been casting it from the beginning.
"Well, I’ll go make the rounds. I am still a noble, after all."
With that, Julis walked off with his glass in hand, leaving Cecilia and Musée behind.
Cecilia looked slightly lonely as the hand patting her head was withdrawn, but she still waved, seeing him off with a smile.
♦♦♦
After Julis left.
Left behind were Musée, who still had no intention of moving, and Cecilia, who looked a little awkward.
Even though they had briefly met before, this was practically their first proper meeting, and Cecilia was a bit nervous around Musée.
(S-Should I say something? B-But! I don’t know what I should talk about!)
Cecilia was panicking slightly inside.
(Uuu...! Help me, Julis...!)
And just like that, her thoughts immediately turned to The person most dear to her, hoping he would come to her rescue.
Cecilia often gave off a friendly impression, but in truth, she was surprisingly shy.
"Hey, Saintess-sama?"
"Y-yesh!?"
"No need to be so nervous, alright?"
Musée gave a small laugh at Cecilia’s startled, odd little yelp.
Seeing that, Cecilia took a deep breath, calmed herself, and turned to face Musée again.
"Umm... did you want to talk about something?"
"Not really... I just had something I wanted to ask you, Saintess-sama..."
Musée took a sip of her wine.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, a faint blush colored her cheeks as she posed her question to Cecilia.
"...From what I’ve heard, you don’t seem to like conflict. That’s something I’ve even heard from him."
"..."
"And yet, you’ve said nothing about him being here... Why is that? I mean, I know this event isn’t about killing or anything, but you must dislike this sort of thing, right?"
Cecilia fell silent at Musée's words.
...Indeed, out of all the Saintesses, Cecilia was the purest of heart. She disliked conflict and didn’t believe in violence. Of course, she understood there were times when it was necessary—but even so, she always hoped people could live peacefully and freely. She was kind like that.
Cecilia herself understood that competitions like these, focused on martial skills, were necessary in the long run.
However, whether she liked them or not was a different story entirely. And truth be told, deep down, Cecilia didn’t particularly like this Martial Festival.
But────
"More than I hate conflict... I hate it when people make fun of Julis."
Cecilia spoke clearly, her gaze locked firmly on Musée's.
"I know how Julis struggled. I know how hard he worked, even though he couldn’t use magic. I know how much pain he went through, again and again."
"..."
"That’s why... if this event can change how people see Julis—even a little—there’s nothing that could make me happier. If it’ll make Julis happy, if it’ll stop people from mocking him—then I’ll smile and welcome that. Even if it means he gains recognition by hurting others."
There was a gentle smile on her face.
Thinking of Julis, imagining how happy he might be, Cecilia couldn’t help but smile.
"Saying things like this might make me unfit to be a Saintess. Even when I try to be upright, I still end up thinking about everything through the lens of Julis..."
But even so, her expression quickly turned into one of self-deprecation.
To acknowledge conflict, to center her feelings on one person—that must surely be wrong for a Saintess, she thought.
Seeing that look, Musée gently spoke.
"You are a saintess who serves the goddess, revered by all... But even so, you’re still just a person."
And then, just like Julis had done to Cecilia, Musée rose on tiptoe and reached up to gently pat her head.
"There’s nothing wrong with having a feeling like that. At least to me, that’s the best answer you could’ve given."
"I see... That really makes me happy."
Cecilia smiled warmly.
"Hehe... Being praised by an old-timer like me shouldn’t make you that happy."
"No... It’s because the words are from someone important to Julis."
She’d heard from Julis that Musée was someone important to him.
Back when he had no power, she taught him how to fight—not with magic, but with something else.
That made her his mentor. His benefactor.
One of the few, irreplaceable people in Julis’s life.
And for Cecilia, hearing such kind words from someone who cared deeply for Julis made her happy.
It almost felt like she was being acknowledged by someone Julis had acknowledged himself.
(So warm...)
The warmth of Musée's hand somehow reminded her of Julis', Cecilia thought.
And so, for a little while, the two of them shared some light, idle conversation—completely unnoticed by anyone around.
[To be Continued]
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