Chapter 209:

Chapter 209:

Chapter 209: Flan, He Fell Asleep Leaning Against the Bookshelf.

“We’re leaving immediately.”

It was a late hour when most people would be seeking sleep. Despite the moon hanging proudly in the sky, I felt quite refreshed.

“This is almost the first time.”

Sleeping was an act I hadn’t engaged in since coming to this world.

I had been forced to endure the resentment of a knight’s family, and even attended the academy in that state.

Of course, now I had an environment where I could afford to doze off for a bit. The Magic Department had regained its stability, and the mages had become more motivated than before, so it was certainly true....

...Still, the act of dozing off itself wasn’t very welcome. Having a bit more leeway, I resolved to push myself into rigorous training.

My strength directly contributed to the strength of the magical world. There wasn’t a single moment I had forgotten this premise.

I had ample time. I had thrown an abundance of old books to the representatives who were starving for knowledge.

I quietly nodded while taking a sip of tea.

“For now, I will focus on personal training....”

Knock, knock─

At that moment, someone cautiously knocked on the door.

Sensing no hostility from beyond the door, I slowly opened it with telekinesis.

“Oh, Flan.”

The person revealed was a woman with dark blue hair cascading down to her waist. Her golden eyes floated above her black pupils. It had been a long time since I last saw the second princess, none other than Aurora.

“...”

But I could only tilt my head at Aurora’s greeting. Though her face was the same, her appearance had changed quite a bit since the last time.

She wore a broad, pure white robe. She looked more like a clergyman than a princess.

Aurora slowly stepped into the dormitory. After confirming my gaze lingering on her attire, she gave an awkward smile.

She spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

“I’m no longer a princess. Since leaving my sickbed, I naturally stopped wearing royal attire.”

It wasn’t just her clothes that had changed. The arrogance had completely disappeared from her expression, making her seem like a different person despite having the same face.

I responded briefly.

“You look better now.”

“Better... Thank you. I’m glad to hear that from you.”

Aurora held a faint smile. It was a face I couldn’t have imagined seeing from her before. She slowly nodded and continued.

“I wanted to say thank you if we ever met again. It’s thanks to you, Flan, that I considered what truly suits me and sought out small happinesses.”

“That’s good.”

I didn’t add any unnecessary words.

A lot had happened since catching the Dawn Butterfly. Her face was filled with expressions that showed she had already experienced a lot, so there wasn’t much need for words in such a moment.

Aurora looked at me with sentimental eyes for a while. That moment lingered, and then she eventually spoke again.

“Flan, did you hear about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“About the royal family’s plan to select a hero.”

“I did.”

Aurora nodded.

“A hero, you see, must be extraordinary in every aspect to truly deserve that title.”

“I agree.”

“Therefore, the competition to select a hero doesn’t proceed normally. The participants directly agree on three detailed conditions.”

“Three conditions....”

“I will explain them to you now.”

Aurora’s throat seemed quite parched from her lengthy explanation. I handed her a teacup that was on my desk.

It was originally for Maiev, but she had gone to the ancient library for joint study with the representatives.

“Oh, thank you.”

Aurora took a sip of the tea.

Her actions were still quite graceful, a remnant of her habits from her time in the royal palace.

“The first condition allows you to choose the location of the duel. It can be anywhere you desire, whether it’s a place of personal significance or a terrain advantageous for combat.”

“And the second?”

“You can set the time of the duel. And lastly....”

Aurora paused for a moment.

“You can decide what weapon to use in the duel.”

Location, time, and weapon. These were the three conditions that would be decided in advance. While I quickly understood the first two, the third one was harder to accept.

“Each knight uses different swords, but weapons?”

“To reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, practicing with just one sword is not enough.... That’s the idea.”

“...”

I rubbed my chin, pondering for a moment.

“That’s quite presumptuous. It feels that way.”

“In what sense? Ah... because they didn’t invite you?”

“I mean the third condition.”

“The third condition?”

I nodded.

Knights were greatly affected by their swords, but mages didn’t rely on weapons like wands or staves.

Magic was about harnessing and refining mana, and that’s all there was to it. Weapons weren’t necessary for that.

Of course, there were instances where mages depended heavily on their weapons, but those cases were usually with dark mages.

“Mages don’t rely on weapons, so we have a significant advantage with the third condition.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“The fact that such an absurd condition has been maintained....”

Aurora nodded in understanding.

“I see. It means they didn’t consider mages at all.”

I immediately started walking toward the door.

Aurora blinked in surprise.

“...Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving right away.”

There was no reason to hesitate, and I shouldn’t hesitate either.