Though there hadn't been any direct action in the contest for Karina's hand, the pressure was mounting. Letters, more like veiled threats, arrived almost daily, demanding that I break off the engagement.
If this situation were reversed, Karina might have crumbled under the strain. But a severed chicken head arriving in the mail didn't faze me much. I'd butchered poultry before—thanks to my time in a high school that had an agricultural department. Even though I was in the mechanics division, I had picked up a few useful skills during the practicals.
Honestly, I felt like sending them a note back: Next time, make it a fresh pig's head. At least that would be more useful.
The pressure to break the engagement increased with each passing day.
After all, a potion-maker capable of creating elixirs could rule the world. A cure-all that could heal any disease—that's beyond value.
I believe Karina made the right choice by not keeping it a secret. Even if she had tried, word would have leaked out, likely through the maids who witnessed it. She couldn't silence everyone.
At the academy, I spotted Karina, surrounded by a squad of royal knights. Her protection rivaled that of a visiting monarch. Given the influence of an elixir, it was understandable.
As for the mana stone I had infused with immense magical power, I'd named it Kokko, the Black Rainbow. I continued crafting them in small numbers and discreetly passing them to Karina through Phantom. It amazed me how Phantom hadn't been caught yet. He'd been invisible to detection even when I first met him. His Hide skill was impervious to most sensing magic, or so it seemed.
Of course, subtle currents in the flow of mana were still something Phantom couldn't completely avoid. He cleverly redirected those flows, but I could still detect the subtle shifts they caused. Detection spells often missed things like that when the flow was redirected. My own Mana Parry operated on a similar principle.
But I digress. That's just how things have been lately.
Ah, right—today marks the beginning of the Academy's Magic Festival. It's a competition where students showcase the beauty of magic. I don't really understand what qualifies as "beautiful magic," but I assume there's some standard.
Everyone uses the same spell for the competition: Fireball. The event lasts an entire week because every student participates, and there are a lot of us.
"Contestant number 24, begin."
I watched as other students took their turns. The order was determined by drawing lots.
"Fireball!"
A simple ball of flame flew toward the target, barely scorching it.
"One point."
"Two points."
"One point."
"Zero points."
"One point."
Five judges, each scoring out of ten. With a total of five points for a basic fireball, it was clear the judges were strict.
Most students treated the festival like a holiday. There were food stalls everywhere, and people wandered about, snacking while casually watching the displays of magic.
"Contestant number 25, begin."
"Fireball!"
This time, the fire took the form of a small fairy as it flew toward the target, singeing it slightly. The crowd cheered.
"Six points."
"Five points."
"Seven points."
"Eight points."
"Four points."
So, changing the shape of the fireball earned higher marks. I see. There was some rhyme and reason to the scoring, and it seemed that both form and power were being judged.
All right, I know what I'll do for my turn. My number was coming up on the third day, so I decided I'd seen enough for now.
As I walked away, I caught sight of Karina. Around her neck, the Kokko pendant I'd given her gleamed with its iridescent light.
Karina noticed me and waved. I raised a hand in return. Her smile was radiant, though her guards were a bit of an eyesore.
One day, I'll be strong enough to protect her myself. I'd have to come up with something for that eventually.
Rumor had it that Karina's skill in potion-making had advanced considerably. She could now craft A-rank potions, which were valuable enough that even without elixirs, the kingdom was eager to protect her. My guess was that she had been using Green Thumb to boost C-rank herbs, enhancing them to the point where she could make those A-rank potions.
Not long ago, she could barely manage F-rank potions. Karina was working hard. I needed to do the same.
Maybe I should start experimenting with magical tools. Or perhaps I should strive to master all forms of magic. No, those are just side pursuits. My true essence lies in mana manipulation.
I began experimenting with new forms of mana control. I'd already explored waves, but now I wanted to try colliding mana flows, or twisting linear flows into coils to create circulations.
When I tried colliding flows, they simply slowed down. But with the coil method, the straight flow accelerated.
This is perfect. It would allow me to enhance Infinity Death even further. Now, my Infinity Death technique resembled a railgun, its range extended even more.
By spinning mana into a bullet-like shape, then wrapping it in a coil of circulating mana, the projectile accelerated as it shot forward. I aimed for a bird, but the shot missed.
I realized that if I modeled the coil after a spring, I could control the trajectory more effectively. I'd need to ensure that the bullet of mana connected back to the main flow to allow for mid-flight course corrections.
The coil wasn't just a coil—it was a spring. I'd need to take two steps. First, stretch the coil like a spring. Then, launch the mana bullet. If the target was close enough, it would result in point-blank shooting. If the target was far away, the longer spring would ensure greater accuracy, even over long distances.
Once the spring was stretched, I could fire off as many rounds as I wanted. Adjusting the aim was simple.
Satisfied with my progress, I sat down to write another entry in my exchange diary with Karina.
What should I write about this time? Perhaps I'll muse on the nature of fire.
At the end, I penned the line: And just as the blue flame burns steadily, so too does my love for you, Karina.
"Phantom, I need a favor."
"You got it," he replied, as I handed him a few Kokko stones and the exchange diary.