The Seven Nations Magical Friendship Tournament.
　The annual witchcraft convention is a popular event for both wizards and non-wizards.
　It is held in Iberis, the largest city in the east, which was chosen as the venue for the Games because it is the largest and most popular tourist destination built by the seven countries. The stadium, which can accommodate up to 50,000 people, is located on a large, vacant plain, and is dotted with commercial areas and hotels in the vicinity.
　During the Games, the entire building is rented out to contestants and officials. In some cases, the hotels are reserved for this purpose only, so they are not open to the general public during the tournament.
　Alpha contestants are scheduled to arrive one day before the event each year. That's why the players had gathered early in the morning in front of the Academy's main gate.
　There were quite a few people crammed in for that, though. They even prepared something like a banner to show their support.
　There are no students to accompany them, because classes are normal until today, even though it's after a holiday. At the head of the farewell, there was also the chancellor's figure.

　It is after the send-off that Ars and Loki appeared after the send-off was over.
　There were two large magic vehicles to move around, and the players were already on board.

''Too late!''

　Tesfia opened the window and threw up an early morning taut voice from inside the magic car.
　Ars responded to it with a lack of movement. Of course it's indefensible.
　If there is no misunderstanding, we are on time for the meeting time - albeit just in time.

'I should have gone to wake you up after all.

　Alice, who was probably sitting next to me, peeked out from the back.

'Just get in, both of you, quickly.

　The chancellor hurries the child in a chiding tone.
　No, I can't tell him that he should have just gone ahead because it's faster to run.　
　I have very little luggage, though, as the larger packages are forwarded and sent in advance.
　Is it because of the enthusiasm that some of the players are carrying AWR?
　Well, as long as you are a magician, it's not unnatural to have it on you at all times. As expected, the naginata that Alice borrows from the academy is large.
　But even Ars can't speak for others.

''Oh, what's that?''

　Just before getting into the magic car, Sisti dropped the question. The gathered students showed similar interest.
　Felinella, the leader of the delegation, was also waiting outside to wait for Ars, and the smiling expression on her face also told her that she was curious.
　His gaze is focused on a single point at the end of a long stick. This question is also due to the white cloth wrapped around it.

'It's a secret. It's slowed me down because of this. You'll find out soon enough.'

　Even though the chancellor will remain at the academy, he will still be watching the competition live.
　Many of the students of the academy would also be taking a break to come and watch. However, the students of the academy alone would not be the only people involved, so they would have to enter as the public.

　After getting into the large magic car, Ars looked at the end of the aisle and saw Tesfia and Alice sitting in the seats for five people, bashfully tapping their chairs. If you look around, it's not a full house, so no one would complain about the two of them sitting together in a five-seater. I don't want to think that the pecking order has anything to do with this, though.
　Tesfia has a patronizing look on her face, as if to say, "I saved you a seat.
　Ars and Loki headed off, though they didn't want to exaggerate. Of course, I don't dislike the back.
　At the back of the aisle, from the window, Ars, Loki, Alice, and the opposite window Tesfia. Ciel seemed to get motion sickness and looked uneasy in the front seat, next to Felinella.

'What's that?'

　I'm not being rude. But the best way to facilitate the conversation would be to answer.

'It's Alice's AWR,'
...

　Loki knew beforehand, so he's not astonished - although he's not amused by the expression on his face - but he's not amused.

'What!　Eh, no, but....

　With her hands flailing, Alice couldn't be more than happy to receive it. As mentioned before, AWR is an expensive thing. The reason why Alice still does not have her own AWR is also because of financial problems. Many of these are also naturally borrowed from the institute.

''If you don't want it, that's fine, but only you can use this one.
I don't have that kind of money.
I don't need the money. It's an experiment.

　Even so, it's even harder to receive it if you look at Ars's financial sense. The total cost of this AWR is an astonishing figure of 34 million delds.
　Ars wondered what to do about it.
　To be honest, it was also a hassle.

'Apologies for sometime?　
Yeah, I'm overdue for June.
It's not a problem if it's past.

　Ars cobbled together a cooing reason.

'But it's really only good for Alice, so if you don't accept it, it's useless.
Are you sure about this?
Well, consider it an investment in the future.

　Not only Alice, but also Tesfia who was listening next to her, twitched her face after remembering.

　Yes, this was to make things easier for Ars in the future.

''Thank you, Al.''

　Alice received a stick-shaped object wrapped in a cloth that was handed to her with a pop. Compositionally, it was on her lap from Loki to the Tesfia at the end.

'If you want to thank him, you can tell Grandpa Budna.
Yeah!

　One joyful, grateful smile flew off and poured straight to Ars.

'Well, I'm glad we made it to the convention. There's an explanation, so leave it open for now.

　Ars pointed further back at the tail end. There was a little space there where he could place things. Tesfia's sword and Alice's cleaver had already been placed there. Naturally, the blades of the naginata were housed in a sheath-like cover.

　Ars was tempted to give in to the sleep induced by the dark circles around his eyes. It's the fatigue of someone who has completed a task.
　Loki had been keeping up with him for a few minutes too, and the sleepiness was overwhelming.

'It's a bit flashy,'
A little?

　At Loki's opinion, Ars opened one of his closed eyes and asked back.

'It's divine, isn't it?'
Oh, well...

　Ars gave an out-of-towner's phase and leaned against the window. The trip in the magic car would take about four hours, and he would go through the transition gate on the way and then switch back to the magic car. It would be enough to sleep.
　There is almost no shaking, so there is no need to worry about not being able to sleep.
　Nevertheless, the hindrance was artificial.

''My birthday is in October.......right?

　The sound of a weak voice, like the sound of the wind, interrupts Ars's sleep.
　From the distance of the voice - or rather, the voice can determine who it is.

'Who would urge you?'
'Hey!　Excuse me, I'm not going to prompt you. I told you in advance so you wouldn't get in trouble!
That's why you're pushing me.　Then I'll give you an instructional book. I'm sure you'll be very happy, I can see you crying and studying.
'Heh?　Well, yes, I'll try to please you if you send me something from your heart.
Effort...

　Even though she is strong, her voice is thick with disappointment.
　Still, it's the white eyes mixed with a wry smile that are directed from Alice.

　Next to her, Loki was making a fist in his lap. Naturally, even with the instructional book, he knew he would be impressed.
　But I can't help but compare the two.
　Conflicting thoughts were always swirling around in Loki's mind. I shouldn't expect it, it's too extravagant. He could understand Tesfia's feelings a little better, even though he thought that he had already had more than enough happiness.


'When was the last time you saw Loki?'
Wow, it's me... well I'm October, too, but...
'What!　When?
It's the 20th.
Loki, you're close to Fia, aren't you?
I'm on the 16th.

　But there is no joy on Loki's face when he asks, "What do you think? It's a sentiment that could even be heard as a tongue-lashing.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. It's a good idea to have a bad premonition because it's from Tesfaye, but in the end, he listened to the answer with a shallow but full-blown interest.

'When is Al's birthday?'
Are you giving me something?
'That's about it. And celebrating the day I was born isn't great in terms of being grateful for this encounter and realizing that I was born.
"...someone's telling you that?
I'm going to be mad.

　After being watered down, Tesfia only increased her anger indifferently with a smile on her face.

　It's a good idea to have a chance to express your appreciation for your daily life at least for one day. Or rather, she is the one who can only say it in such occasions.
　I like these events. There were birthday parties among the nobles, but they were moderately boring. It's a good idea to have a small but celebratory birthday party with Alice, even if it's just the two of them, because it frees you from the burden of being an aristocrat and allows you to celebrate from the heart. Of course, it's also because it's Alice.

　But Ars spins his mouth and hesitates.
　He doesn't have to tell her, but there's not much reason not to either. Even though he can't take the time to do research, he has celebrated it, even when he was in the military, though it was selfish. So for Ars, a birthday is not a matter of taking or not taking time. It's very much a matter of having to devote it as such. In other words, it's a necessary thing.

　It's a rare thing to sense the air. Loki must be dimly aware of it, but his expression is blazingly impatient.
　Ars himself didn't mind, but he knew it was the sort of thing that would make the other party care.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of this article.

　Gulping down a gulp of raw saliva, Loki must have made a note to write directly into his brain.

　Tesfia says, "Yeah, I get it. 'Let's have a big bite,' he replies with an innocent smile.

'Well, it'll be next year, but let's all celebrate together, shall we?

　The women were unanimous in their approval of Tesfia's words, such as an after-the-fact approval of Tesfia's words.

　It could happen. As for Ars, he thought it was only to the extent that the annual event had ceased when he entered the academy, but it seemed to have made a natural resurgence.
　Even if this meant that he had to give the girls a gift, he didn't feel like he was too lazy to do so.
　That's why.

'I'll give it some thought.'

　With that, Ars closed his eyelids completely. He never knew what the girls looked like until they heard the results.
　Loki's expression is florid, and even though he knows it's no good, he can't stop his cheeks from loosening up with heat. Even if it's still a long way off, the anticipation is still building.
　The addition of a peony-cake event from the shelf, such as being able to celebrate Ars's birthday more than his own, causes Loki to look at the Tesfia a little more closely.

　The other red-haired girl is similar, but this one has a cheery smile on her face as she bites down on the word 'think'. The fact that she chooses to think about herself without regard to amount or practicality or anything else makes her strangely happy.
　That's why Tesfia is also somewhat heartened by the meaning of investigating what Ars wants from now on.

　Coincidentally, Ars has touched a part of a woman's heart, although of course it's not something she's aware of.



　It's impossible that such a conversation couldn't have been heard by the people around them, and the female student in the front seat, who is probably a second year student, was confused.
(Presenting AWR as a gift........eh!
　The latter half of the story, the birthday thing, is a complete no-brainer.
　I was hesitant to ask him about it because one of the women behind him was a nobleman. If they were on good terms with each other, they might have been able to ask a few questions, but that's just not what they wanted.
　It's not just the nobles, but also the three digit wizards, even more so when they are there.
　I'm not sure what kind of AWR you got, but I'm curious about what it is.

　If this is a used one or something like that, it's just barely acceptable. There are cheap ones, and if it's not new or new, it's possible.
　Still, unless you're a nobleman or wealthy, it's not a story that's going to be there early.
　The female student peers around with the desire to share her current story with someone else. It was like a rescue signal for someone to give me an answer.
　She meets eyes with a male student sitting on the opposite side of the room. It was as if he was concerned about his back, and the same AWR was written on his face that he was concerned about the AWR.

　I knew him because we were only in the same class, but he didn't seem to have the answers.
　AWR is always the center of attention, after all. Even if it's someone else's, even if it's just that they purchased it, it's still a hot topic of conversation. It is a milestone for upperclassmen to buy their own AWR, so they have the latest AWR catalog in the classroom. When it's custom made, the price jumps up and becomes so expensive that you have to earn more than a double-digit wizard to finally get it. That's why the average student buys a distributed commercial product.
　It's still fresh in my mind that AWRs of famous swords, like Tesfia's, were highly controversial.

　It's not just because it's a grade level that I'm aware of purchasing, but also because of my nature as a mage that I'm intrigued, even if I don't say it's for reference.
　He waved his face to the man across from him.
　Even so, it's unseemly and uncouth for an upperclassman to be disappointed with an underclassman's AWR.
　The schoolgirl sits back deeply in her chair with a resignation that she would show me if she had the chance, and moves to a shallow position, sliding all the way down without a handkerchief over her face.

(Shall I go to bed?)

　I wasn't sleepy, but I forced myself to meditate to reset my thoughts.



　About two hours had probably passed.
　Alice was in the traveling magic car, getting into a bit of a whispered conversation with Tesfia.
　She was in good physical condition, she was worried that she might be too nervous to sleep last night, but it was needlessly worrying.
　They were so exhausted from training day after day that they couldn't even remember when they had fallen asleep. Although they resolved to go to bed early today, it seemed to be difficult for Alice to do so in her current state of mind.

　The two of them are talking in a whisper because the two sitting next to her are sleeping soundly.
　Als was asleep with his arms crossed so that he could fit into the corner of the seat and window at a slight angle. From the side, it is a position that might make your body ache.
　And the silver-haired girl next to her is sleeping so that she can recline on such an Ars. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The two of them reminded her of the night. Loki's silver hair, fantastic as moonlight in Ars's black hair, looked like a reflection of Loki's silver hair.
　And the reason for this aesthetic view was because the conversation with Tesfia was interrupted.
　It's not that there's nothing to talk about. It's simply that I can't help but be curious about what I've put behind me.

''I'm a little curious.''

　Alice herself is aware that Tesfia isn't the only one with a not-so-subtle interest. Is it exactly like the feeling of being in love?

''Yes.''

　The two of them are like children who have been left in charge. And since it's in such an accessible place, it's no wonder that I want to take a glance at it.

''Hey, why don't we take a look at it for a minute?''
'Well, maybe a little...'

　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about," he said, whispering even more, and looked at Ars with guilt.
　Even their mindless movements are cautious. Tesfia and Alice, who reversed on their knees on the chair so as not to make a sound, look at the stick wrapped around the cloth and clear their throats unconsciously.
　It was Tesfia who started it, but since Alice got it, she took the initiative to reach for it.

'Okay?　I'll open it.

　Is it also out of a bit of guilt that he asks solemnly how to prepare himself? Or is it out of a sense of complicity?
　The red-haired girl nodded one nod.
　After confirming this, Alice inserted her finger into the gap where the cloth overlapped and opened it as if to shift it.

''----!

　Quickly, Alice brings her open hand back and closes it. It's a reflection of her surprise.
　This time it opens slowly and carefully.
　I knew immediately that it was a spear just by looking at it. The place where it opened is the center. The heavy light peeking out from the gap in the cloth, a shine reminiscent of gold - dazzling.
　The handle and body are carved in a mesh shape so that it is easy to grip. You can't help but squint.
　As Loki said, this is the moment I learned the meaning of the word "conspicuous". As expected, I couldn't open it any more, so I let out a breath and put it back.
　It wasn't until they sat back in their seats that they exchanged a few words.

'Ta, sounds expensive, doesn't it?'
Yeah, that's true.

　The joy is there, but the reluctance to receive it is still in Alice's mind.

'I don't think it's possible, but maybe that's the ingot I bought in the Fallen.

　Alice remembered the price at that moment and her cheeks twitched.

''No way.........''

　He denied it in a joking tone, but it was getting terribly weak. He said that was not gold, but a metal that could be used for AWR.


Maybe.

　It would be stupidly expensive at that point. I was going to be crushed by a lot of things if I thought about it any more.
　It would be easier if you still said you'd lend it to me, but there is certainly an inherent feeling of elation. It's just an experiment, an experiment, so it's inevitable," Alice said to herself, trying not to think about the amount of money.

　Next to her anxiety, Tesfia is looking forward to her impending birthday. No, he knows it's not a good thing, but once he sees that, it's not to say it's expensive, but unlike a birthday party among the nobility, he won't be sending out any kind of jewelry. It's a good idea to have a good time with them, but I don't know where they are putting their hearts into celebrating.
　Dressing up is not the only attraction for women. So every time I get a gift, I do it out of affectionate laughter (and if it's expensive, I'll be happy?). How I always thought of it. A make-work ... it's just a hush-hush job to get into the Fevers.


　Then we pass near the border and enter the Clevidito. Since the road is not paved and not well maintained from the middle of the road, driving with the magic car will be a big detour. Therefore, we went through several transition gates. From Iberis, we headed out again with the magic car.
　And so we arrived at the hotel in the evening, well after noon.
　There are several magic cars parked in the hotel's parking lot. It's easy to guess that they are related to the general public since they are not supposed to be accepting visitors at this time of year.
　There are seven six-story hotels around the stadium, so that each country does not have to share a hotel. These hotels are not only designed to accommodate students for the duration of the Games, but the top floors are designed to accommodate the heavyweights of each country.
　The reason for not staying in the same hotel is to avoid conflicts among the athletes and to prevent espionage.
　This is probably because it is a combination of games where there is a need to make a strategy. As I said before, there is no consideration of lineage, which means that the organizers of the tournament have no control over it.
　For that reason, it is a given that they look into the leading mages of other countries as a measure for the tournament. In that regard, this time, Felinella should have moved on.

　Ars headed to the assigned room. Loki followed firmly behind him.

'Loki's room isn't supposed to be with me.
'What!'

　Loki froze with a look of "no way".
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you want to do with it. It's a good idea to keep up appearances as an educational institution.

See, Loki-chan is in the same room as us, so he's on the third floor.

　Alice forced Loki's hand, which he didn't turn around, with a big smile on his face.

'It looks like there's a big bathroom, so come with me.

　Loki, who was dragged along with Alice, followed by Tesfia as she was dragged along, was set on both sides.

''Ars-sama~''

　He gives me a cry for help and a look like an abandoned puppy.

'Good opportunity. Go have fun.

　I don't think so, but I guess I'm right where I should be. This is a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better. There is no need to get along with each other in particular, but it is not good for mental health for Loki to get angry at every single thing.

　It's a good idea to go into a room that matches the number on the card key. It's a room for one person, if you've been paying attention. The other students have a basic three-person room, Tesfia and Alice are in the same room as well as the dorms, plus Loki.
　The room is about 20 square meters, with a single bed and a set of small tables and chairs. In the corner of the room with a modern taste, the luggage I had sent earlier had been placed.
　An attache case dyed black, Ars also naturally brought an AWR with him. Any other single mage would probably have to lower his rank.
　However, in Ars's case, the power output was exceeded and he couldn't activate his magic correctly, so it was inevitable that he would have to use his own AWR, even if he had to go easy on it.
　As I sat on the bed, I remembered my plans for the rest of the day.
　As I recall, we had free time until dinner time. After dinner, it was supposed to be a strategy meeting, but since Felinella, the leader of the group, was taking care of the countermeasures, it would only be to hear the policy.