A line from the Prophecy Book Carne had given her flashed through her mind: “Ruben will win the second-year Battle Festa.” She also knew the book mentioned Ian winning the previous winter tournament—but unless there was actual danger involved, Raze had never cared about match outcomes.
(For someone to specifically predict something happening inside the academy… this ‘Seeress of Foresight’ is almost certainly another transmigrator who knows about the otome game…)
Normally, she wouldn’t have cared who won as long as the students gave it their all. But now? Facing His Highness with some reverse-harem or hundred-chapter-long plot twist? Frankly, she wasn’t thrilled—but she wasn’t planning to cheat either. She’d simply show her true strength.
With a troubled expression, Raze set the documents down.
“Are you sure it’s alright… for someone like me to win?”
“Wellrain has already approved it. Yes, it’ll draw attention—but that attention will fall on ‘Raze Granoli.’ Your cover identity is solid; even if investigated, there’ll be no issues. Don’t worry about that.”
Harrens gave a wry smile.
“Truthfully, I’d prefer you all ignore prophecies like this and just give your absolute best—that includes you, of course. …Though I do realize winning might land you in some trouble.”
“That’s not a problem for me. It’s my job.”
“…I see.”
Raze had meant it as a perfectly ordinary statement—but Harrens’s expression darkened. He’d always thought this girl was a true workaholic at heart.
When Raze first enrolled, Harrens had worried that a girl of her age possessing exceptional power would quickly reveal glimpses of her true strength, raising suspicion about her identity. Over the years, other talented students had entered the academy and eventually showcased their abilities—but his prediction had been wrong. Even after a full year, “Raze Shess Orphan,” the scholarship student, remained unnoticed by the academy beyond her academic excellence.
“We’ve increased security starting tomorrow. You just focus on your matches.”
“Understood.”
Before him sat Raze—a seemingly ordinary girl nodding obediently. Harrens still couldn’t quite reconcile her with the battlefield veteran known as the “Head-Severing Phantom,” the soldier who’d slain enemy commanders.
The next day.
Amidst the watchful eyes of parents and visiting scouts, the summer tournament—open to all grades—officially began. The Battle Festa had commenced.
“So it’s Raze-san versus Luca, huh? Should be fun!”
“Since she’s a scholarship student, she’ll probably lose right away like always, right?”
“No way. I just saw Granoli a bit ago—her aura was totally different from usual. We might be in for an amazing match!”
Claude, Addis, and Ian looked down from the stands as Raze and Luca stepped onto the field.
Beside them, Ruben and Carne watched together with Folia.
“Ever since the last tournament, Ian’s been treating the scholarship student with real respect, huh?”
“Granoli taught me about spears! She’s incredible—I even had a sword match with her once, and wow, she’s seriously trained!”
“Now that you mention it, she handled those monsters at the Emerald Palace effortlessly too. Has she been an adventurer for long?”
Hearing Claude’s speculation, Addis sighed.
“I thought the same and checked the guild records a bit—but found nothing public. Unlike most people who rest during long breaks, she works so hard she barely has time to sleep. What on earth is she even doing…?”
At Addis’s muttered words, both Claude and Ian’s eyes widened.
“What? We thought you disliked Granoli, Addis—but you’re actually into her enough to investigate her like this!?”
To Ian, dislike’s opposite was like—a simple, guileless comment.
“Huh?!”
Caught completely off guard, Addis visibly flustered—an uncharacteristically rattled reaction that made Claude raise an eyebrow in surprise.
“I just got curious, that’s all! It’s not like I care about the scholarship student or anything like that—”
“—Ah! It’s starting! You two, do your best~!”
Thankfully, Folia’s cheerful shout cut off the conversation, and Addis fell silent.
Only Claude noticed the faint blush coloring Addis’s ears.
Victory at the Battle Festa.
On a grand stage where she’d always avoided winning, Raze now faced a mission she couldn’t refuse.
Amidst the roaring cheers from the audience—so loud they reached even the waiting room—she could clearly hear the live commentary.
—Yeah. I’m in top form. Better than ever.
This sensation—where information from her surroundings flowed effortlessly into her mind without distraction.
Magic activation was driven by thought. Any stray focus would affect her spells.
She’d always been preoccupied with how to slip through unnoticed—so this was the first time she’d ever fought with such unwavering clarity.
She’d already decided how to win. Now, all she had to do was unleash her full strength.
Unlike the winter tournament, where she’d merely watched from the sidelines, feigning illness—
This time, she could finally compete alongside them, stakes and all.
In the end, it was laughable—she wasn’t in any position to call her subordinates “brainless muscleheads” when she herself clearly enjoyed fighting like this.
When merely observing, she hadn’t cared about wins or losses. But now that she stood on this stage herself—and had been granted permission to win—everything changed.
—I can’t wait to begin.
Though her fighting spirit burned fiercely in her chest, her mind remained ice-cold.
Like a predator waiting silently before the kill, she simply waited for the right moment to strike.
At Folia’s cheer, Addis, Carne, and the others looked down just as Raze and Luca bowed to each other.
“Oh? Raze isn’t carrying a weapon.”
“Really! She always has her practice sword—does she plan to fight barehanded? Or is she hiding it until the last second…? I’ve never even seen Raze-chan grapple before!”
Carne’s observation left Folia brimming with curiosity.
“Now that you mention it, Granoli deflected Luca’s magic activation earlier.”
“…This match… might just turn out to be something extraordinary.”
Carne replied to Ruben.
Everyone knew Luca’s strength—most spectators here expected him to win.
Luca Fen Strange’s matches were infamous for their ruthless, one-sided mid-to-long-range assaults.
His opponents always lost without ever laying a finger on him—either knocked unconscious or forced to forfeit. No matter what magic his opponent specialized in, Luca would counter with perfectly matched elemental spells.
To have any chance of winning, one had to somehow evade his barrage of attacks and close the distance.
Even then, Luca would surely have traps prepared—forcing his opponent to dodge and strike in one clean motion. Overpowering him might work, but Raze Granoli—his first-round opponent—was known as a mobility-type fighter, and her small frame didn’t look like it could break through his magic.
But this Raze Granoli was different.
With one loud gong— The chaotic match began.
“““Huh!?”””
—It was over in an instant. The very moment the gong finished ringing.
“Th-there! Match over! Winner: Raze Granoli!”
The match ended faster than anyone could blink.
The result of the impossibly swift battle was evident from the two figures now at opposite ends of the stage.
Luca lay sprawled on the ground, caught gently in Raze’s lap—his neck pinned by what looked like a single-arm lariat. Staring blankly at the sky, he couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
The moment the match started, he’d tried to activate his magic—but a shockwave hit his body, and before he knew it, he was flat on his back.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t afford to lose this time.”
At Raze’s quiet murmur, Luca was helped to sit up—and finally understood he’d lost.
Near-instantaneous magic activation. A masterful feat.
He’d suspected it before—but she truly wasn’t ordinary. She’d been hiding her strength this whole time.
“I really do hate you.”
“…………”
Stung by Luca’s sharp words, Raze could only offer an awkward, apologetic smile.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“W-what was that just now!?”
“Does anyone here actually know what happened!?”
“Who even is that girl!? A massive upset right from the start!”
The crowd erupted in chaos over Luca’s defeat. Luca Fen Strange—the prodigy famed for his flawless magic activation—had lost! Parents in the stands were just as shocked as the students.
“What on earth was that!?”
“Surely she didn’t cheat!?”
Those who hadn’t seen what Raze did immediately suspected foul play.
In truth, she’d simply moved quickly and landed a lariat.
And even that wasn’t her full speed—just a casual level of magic activation for her.
Had she gone all out, his neck would’ve snapped.
“Well, I did expect this outcome. She’s my ace, after all—she’d better deliver at least this much.”
From the VIP section, Wellrain watched the commotion below with a delighted smile, sipping his tea leisurely. On the special guest platform reserved for high-profile, guarded VIPs, elegant tea cakes from a famous hotel were laid out. Wellrain set down his cup, dressed in a perfectly balanced summer outfit—shirt and vest, neither too formal nor too relaxed.
Beside him, Headmaster Harrens—dressed in a suit for official hospitality duties—watched his friend’s cheerful expression and chuckled wryly.
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
