The Adored Daughter of the Disliked Duke's House: My Magic Power Increases Every Time I'm Praised, So I've Been Perfecting Cuteness Since Infancy! - Episode 21

(This is it?)

That was my honest thought.

I am the only son of Baron Elden, the lord of the Glendore region in the Stelvia territory.

…To put it simply, I’m the eldest son of a fairly wealthy baronial family in the countryside, expected to inherit my father’s vast lands and live a comfortable life.

Half a year ago, I received an admission letter from Arkanaris Elementary Magic School.

Arkanaris is a school that teaches the basics of magic to children aged five to ten.

There are magic schools in the provinces too, but Arkanaris is special.

Every year, only one hundred geniuses are chosen to enroll.

No one knows exactly how the selection process works, but it gathers the most talented children from across the country.

And I was one of them!

Well, of course.

Since I could walk, I had been using magic instead of playing with toys. By the time I was three, I could already light candles with magic and perform basic transformation spells.

In other words, I was a genius.

So, when the admission letter arrived, I was the only one who wasn’t surprised.

Ignoring my mother’s worries about dormitory life, I calmly prepared myself for this day.

I would surely be the top student at the school.

After all, I am a genius.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

The existence of a prodigy girl—Lilietta Rosenford.

Two years ago, during a series of monster attacks in the capital, she was said to have defeated a high-ranking monster at just three years old.

Well, I could defeat a high-ranking monster too.

Not that I’ve ever actually fought one.

But if she could do it, then I surely could as well.

She and I were the same age, entering the school in the same year.

What if she overshadowed me?

That was my only concern.

(The first impression is everything.)

Once I entered the school, I would make sure she understood.

I would show her that I was superior.

That I was the true genius!

She would know her place!

“Fight me in a duel!”

I called out to her right after the entrance ceremony, as we were heading to our classrooms.

She and I were in the same class, walking in the same line.

As we crossed the courtyard, the professor guiding us pointed to an area and said, “That is the dueling ground.”

It was the perfect opportunity.

Every magic school has a dueling ground.

While they are mainly used for practice battles, at middle and high schools, students engage in serious duels to establish their rankings.

And the dueling ground was right on our way.

(Perfect.)

Of course, I had to challenge her!

When I called out to her, she blinked in surprise.

Then, she gave me a bright, cheerful smile.

“Okay!”

I hadn’t expected such an eager response.

Not just me—everyone around us looked just as shocked.

As for the professor accompanying us, she simply nodded without changing her expression.

“The duel is agreed upon. Both of you, to the dueling ground!”

With that, the whole class followed the professor to the dueling ground.

Lilietta and I stood in the center while our classmates took seats as spectators.

Apparently, students from other classes had also heard about it, because by the time the duel began, all one hundred new students had gathered.

Even other professors were watching.

This was my chance.

I could show everyone just how incredible my magic was!

“The rules are simple!”

The professor continued.

“The duel ends when one of you is unable to fight! I, Irene Forselis, will be the judge!”

Professor Irene, our homeroom teacher, had short red hair and sharp black eyes. She looked like a passionate, intense instructor.

“We’ve already informed Professor Feyden of Magic Healing. Unless the injuries are extreme, you won’t die! Fight to your heart’s content!”

If Arkanaris’ healing magic professor was overseeing this, then we were in safe hands.

Not that I planned to get injured.

I was more worried about my opponent.

Lilietta Rosenford looked like an ordinary, cute girl.

Her blue uniform dress and navy robe suited her well.

Her golden hair was adorned with a deep blue gemstone hairpin, and a pink-gold brooch shaped like a rose was pinned to her chest.

She looked like a perfect noble lady.

She kept smiling pleasantly, but unlike the adult mages I had met before, she didn’t give off any kind of intimidating aura.

(This so-called prodigy girl doesn’t seem like much.)

That’s what I thought.

“Take your positions!”

At the professor’s signal, I placed both hands on the ground.

My specialty was earth magic.

Meanwhile, Lilietta held her hands together in front of her, forming a small bowl shape.

(Water magic?)

Even if she was a water mage, she was no match for me.

“Begin!”

We both gathered our magic at once.

(Slow!)

I cast my magic first.

I envisioned sharp steel swords, channeling my earth magic through my hands into the ground.

Instantly, a dozen swords sprouted from the earth.

They floated into the air and aimed directly at Lilietta.

“Amazing!”

I heard someone in the audience gasp.

Of course.

Summoning these many swords at five years old was no small feat.

Not only that, I had full control over them.

Among the new students, no one else could use magic like this.

I could have struck her down then and there, but that wouldn’t be fun.

I gave her a confident smile.

“Well? Do you surrender?”

She tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“Surrender? Why would I?”

She seemed genuinely confused.

Even with a dozen swords pointing at her, she remained unfazed.

(Did she really defeat a high-ranking monster…?)

I started to doubt it.

Could someone this oblivious really have done such a thing?

Just as I was questioning it—

Lilietta smiled.

It was the sweetest, most radiant smile I had ever seen.

“But you’ve already lost.”

I didn’t even have time to react.

My body suddenly floated into the air—

And at the same time, the ground split open beneath me.

I’m not exaggerating.

The dueling ground, quite literally, cracked in half.

“Uwaaaaaaaa!”

I floated helplessly above the massive fissure, staring down into the deep chasm.

A hot wind blew up from below—

And I saw it.

A glowing, molten red.

—Magma.

The lava bubbled and churned, sending waves of heat into the air.

“Uh, ah… w-what…?”

She must have used direct magic to lift me into the air.

(If she lets go, I’ll fall…)

Straight into the lava.

I would burn, evaporate—gone in an instant.

—A chill ran down my spine.

She had gathered her magic in an instant.

In that moment, she had manipulated the earth itself and split the ground.

(This kind of magic…!)

I had never seen or heard of anything like it!

“Ah… aaaa… hiii…!”

I flailed, trying to escape her hold.

Lilietta simply smiled at me.

“Do you surrender?”

Of course, I nodded immediately.