The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 31

The next day, Fars and I went to the faculty office to submit our application forms for the martial arts tournament. Our homeroom teacher, Mr. Gyallo, seemed delighted, but the other teachers cast cold glances at me.

Being born without magical powers seems to invite contempt wherever I go.

In the days leading up to the tournament, I buried myself in exam preparations and training. Occasionally, Senior Arnold would join me for sparring practice, checking the condition of my sword and testing me with magical attacks.

Finally, the long-awaited tournament day arrived.

Most of the knight course students were participating, but it seemed His Highness would not be joining. According to Fars’ report, my father and mother had been informed about today’s tournament. Whether they’d actually come to watch, though, was uncertain.

The tournament had become something of a famous event in the capital, and the venue was overflowing with people.
I had also sent invitations to Mr. Levine and Reco, though I wasn’t sure if they would actually show up.

In the S-Class waiting room, Fars and I anxiously awaited our turn. As Senior Arnold had mentioned, a large odds board was displayed at the entrance of the venue, and we were listed as “The Knight Without Magic and Her Servant.” It seemed Fars and I had the lowest popularity rankings.

When I asked my classmates why, the answer was unsurprising: it was because I’m a woman and lack magical power.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.

I wasn’t entirely sure where my skills stood, and not being in the spotlight suited me just fine. This was an excellent opportunity to test my strength. Unfortunately, Fars seemed to have been dragged down by my poor reputation.

Eleanor and Hannon even stopped by the waiting room to cheer us on, saying, “We’re rooting for you!”

With that encouragement, Fars and I prepared ourselves and waited for our turn.

“All right, it’s my turn. I’ll be back soon,” Fars said.
“Be careful out there, Fars.”

I saw him off from the waiting room.

His first match was against a commoner aspiring to be a knight.
Fars easily won without even using magic. He must have been holding back quite a bit. With a confident expression, he twirled his sword before sliding it back into its sheath.
Some young ladies in the audience squealed with delight at the sight.

Fars, clearly enjoying the attention, waved at them with a grin—only to suddenly get hit on the forehead by a small stone thrown from the stands.

He turned angrily to see who the culprit was, and there they were: Mr. Levine and Reco, glaring at him with furrowed brows.
Apparently, Mr. Levine was the one who threw the stone.
“Marloa, wasn’t that cruel? Mr. Levine almost got me there!” Fars complained.

“Pfft. But you won, didn’t you? And they came all the way here to watch, didn’t they?”

“Well, yeah. Marloa, you’re up next, aren’t you? Good luck!”
“…I will. But seriously, why does my match-up seem so much tougher?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? They don’t want a girl like you to win. Just crush them.”

“Fair enough. I’m heading out.”

My opponent was a senior from the knight course, someone already set to join the Order of Knights. I walked steadily to the center of the arena.

When my upperclassman opponent stepped out, the crowd’s cheers grew louder. He seemed to be quite popular.
“Heh, so you’re the magicless girl from the knight course? Quit while you’re ahead—you’ll just get hurt.”
“You won’t be laughing for long.”

We both drew our swords and took our stances.
“Begin!”
At the referee’s signal, he took an overhead stance. His guard was wide open. Honestly, mocking me was one thing, but this was just sloppy.

As he swung his heavy greatsword down, I sidestepped and aimed my blade at his throat.

“Match over! Winner: Marloa Efsee!”
At the referee’s announcement, the crowd erupted in boos. When I glanced toward the direction Fars had pointed out earlier, Mr. Levine and Reco were waving at me.

“Mr. Levine!”

I dashed to the stands and jumped into Mr. Levine’s arms.
“Hey, hey, everyone’s watching.”

“It’s been so long, Mr. Levine! Did you see the match?”
“Of course. Both you and Fars are doing great. I’ll be watching till the very end, so keep it up.”

“Promise? And Reco, make sure you’re watching, too!”
“Of course, my lady. I’ve bet this month’s entire paycheck on you.”

“Oh, Reco, really!”
“All right, back to the waiting room now. The next match is starting.”

“Okay!”

With their encouragement, my motivation soared. Fars and I advanced smoothly through the second and third rounds.

Fars seemed to be matched against other first-years, so his stamina wasn’t being drained too much. He did grumble about Mr. Levine throwing stones whenever he left openings, though.

As for me, my opponents seemed determined to give it their all. It was frustratingly unfair compared to Fars’ matches, but I managed to fight my way to the semifinals. For a first-year, reaching this point was quite an accomplishment.
“Begin!”

My upperclassman opponent cast an earth spell, likely trying to immobilize me. I nullified the magic with my sword and dodged the attack. Then, with a quick sweep of his legs, I knocked him down and pointed my blade at him.

“Winner: Marloa Efsee!”

Honestly, my opponents all seemed so careless, probably because they underestimated me. None of them fought me seriously.
Each time I won, the arena was filled with a storm of boos, and objects were even thrown into the ring. I suppose my victories were quite the upset.
Next was the final match.

“Hey, Fars. The final’s up next. After this, we’re going out to eat with Mr. Levine, right?”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve fought together. This’ll be fun.”
“All right, it’s time. Let’s go.”

Fars and I headed to the center of the arena, swords at the ready.
“Begin!”

We exchanged blows, my movements swift and nimble, while Fars relied on sheer strength to overpower me. Having sparred countless times before, we were well-acquainted with each other’s weaknesses.

As usual, I deftly dodged Fars’ attacks time and time again.
For some reason, this always seemed to frustrate him. Predictably, in the middle of his attacks, he began to chant a spell, just like he always did.
“Got you!”

The moment he started chanting, I shifted my grip on my sword and struck him in the stomach with the hilt. As he staggered with a grunt, I quickly adjusted my sword and pointed its tip at his neck.

“Match over! Winner: Marloa Efsee!!”
I offered my hand to Fars, who took it as he sighed in defeat.
“Ah, man. Lost again.”

“Fars, you always lose in the same way. It’s become a habit of yours.”

We exchanged smiles as we acknowledged each other’s efforts. With this, my victory in the tournament was secured.

I was awarded the champion’s trophy by His Majesty himself.
Wait—His Majesty was here?

Apparently, a special royal viewing area had been set up near Mr. Levine, and His Majesty had been watching the entire time.
Looking back, I felt a bit bad. While I’d noticed Mr. Levine and Reco, I’d completely overlooked His Majesty’s presence.
“Champion Marloa, a reward shall be bestowed upon you. What do you desire?”

Hmm… Money would be nice, but it wouldn’t do for a noble lady to shamelessly ask for money in front of everyone here.
“In that case, I would like to request the right to abstain from attending tea parties and balls.”

For nobles, tea parties and balls were unavoidable. Anticipating my upcoming debutante season, I took this opportunity to make the request.

Although no one in my S-Class, where His Highness was present, dared to mock me openly for my lack of magical power, students from other classes often treated me poorly.

While I tried to ignore it, the harassment sometimes had tangible consequences, making it impossible to turn a blind eye completely.

“Very well. I grant you the right to abstain from tea parties and balls.”

“I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty.”

I bowed respectfully as the arena erupted into a mixture of cheers, boos, and applause. The martial arts tournament concluded with great fanfare.

As for those who had bet on the tournament, my victory must have been a massive upset. Judging by the tickets scattered across the venue, many gamblers were in tears over the unexpected outcome.