National University League (2)

Colosseo Academy, Varangian Boot Camp, Magic Tower, and Themiscyra Women's University.

There are only a few days left before the National University League, hosted by four prestigious academies.

Before then, the students of Colosseo Academy embarked on a journey to Magic Tower, the venue of the tournament.

"Ugh! It's been so long since I went out~ I'm finally going out of the imperial capital! I thought I would die of frustration because I thought I had to wait until vacation! Although I can't see the wide lake of Usher, I have to be satisfied with this as it is a shame. Of course, a great archer must have a broad insight before a broad vision...!"

Bianca was humming as she dragged a large suitcase, dressed in a colorful floral shirt, shorts, sunglasses, a straw hat, and cool-looking sandals.

Judging by her moody courtly demeanor, she's quite excited.

Tudor spotted her and spoke up.

"If anyone saw you, they'd think you were going on a vacation somewhere, and then you'd fail your grades and lose the tournament."

"If you're saying that, are you wearing a swimsuit under your skirt?"

"Moo, what are you talking about, are you crazy, how do you know if I'm wearing a swimsuit or not!"

"Because I saw your skirt flapping in the wind earlier?"

"Hey you pervert, why are you looking at that!"

"Well, if you look at it that way, you're more of a pervert for wearing a skirt."

"Pfft, in our Don Quixote family, men traditionally wear skirts too!"

"Okay, anyway, I didn't want to see it, but you forced me to see it while you were walking ahead. And it's not even panties, but a swimsuit is meant to be exposed anyway."

"I'm going to sue you!"

"What are you going to eat, there's nothing to sue for."

"I'm going to sue you for insult, asshole!"

"Then I'll sue you for injury, too. As if I didn't already lose my eyesight from seeing you in your swimsuit."

Tudor and Bianca are still bickering today.

Sancho, Piggy, and Sinclair giggle at their usual behavior.

"You're both in high spirits again today."

"I'm going to hate you if you do that."

"I think I've heard it all before, you two are childhood friends."

The University League, the Olympiad Survival Tournament, is usually hosted by four universities in a rotating order, and this time it was the turn of Magic Tower, a city in the eastern part of the continent.

Magic Tower is located in the 'Dortmund Smile' region in the southeastern part of the continent, which is known for its mild climate and abundant tourist attractions such as deserts, forests, caves, valleys, and the sea.

To get to this warm and cozy place, you have to follow a long train track through the Imperial Capital, which is why the students of Colosseo Academy are here at the train station today.

The Magical Train. This is an enormous train that travels around the entire continent.

It is a type of gigantic magical tool that uses mana stones placed in furnaces in the front and back carriages to generate firepower.

This massive artifact, capable of transporting countless people from one end of the continent to the other, was created by the combined efforts of the Empire's mages and is considered the pinnacle of magecraft.

The students of the Colosseo Academy are boarding this train today to travel from the Capital to the southeastern part of the continent.

Capital Station. Platform 9 and 3/4

The train pulls into the platform.

[Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding~ The continental circulation train, the continental circulation train, is coming in now. This is Imperial Capital, Imperial Capital Station. The exit door is on the right. Please be careful when exiting the train as there is a large distance between the platforms at this station. Thank you for traveling with us today. Goodbye]

Through the cloudy vapor emitted by the burning mana stones, the giant steel serpent approaches the platform and stops.

Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and Sinclair each say a few words.

"Wow, this is awesome. I've never been on a Magic train before."

"Woo-hoo. Tudor, you have a bit of a hillbilly side to you. I rode it once when I came to enroll."

"Actually, it's my first time too, though I've used the teleportation scroll once before."

"Don't be such an idiot when you get on the train. There are students from Varangian and Themiscyra inside who have traveled from all over."

"We're all rivals, so we'll have to buckle up and not look down on each other."

The students of the Colosseo Academy stiffened their faces to hide their excitement as they boarded the train.

The outside of the train, which had traveled a long distance, was hot and hard. The soles of their feet felt warm as they climbed the stairs.

But once inside, there was no heat at all.

A space that is always at a comfortable temperature thanks to magic.

Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and Sinclair were a little nervous as soon as they stepped onto the train, expecting to see the enemies they would face in the tournament, but... unfortunately or fortunately, the train was empty.

"Ah, they've even divided up the platform so that only the students of the Colosseo Academy can ride, this compartment is reserved for us!"

Everyone nodded at Tudor's words. I was glad that an argument hadn't broken out, but also a little disappointed.

Then.

"Huh? There they are!"

Bianca, who had the eyesight of an archer, reached for the window.

While the train was stopped, some people had stepped off the platform to buy something or just to look outside.

They were divided into two groups, one of which was the students, impressive in their thick, solid heavy armor and the chainmail they wore underneath.

Ninety-nine percent of them were well-built men, each carrying a shield, axe, greatsword, or crossbow on their backs.

They are the students of the Varangian Boot Camp.

"It's like a bunch of sanchos. What are you doing not wearing that?"

"Haha, you're right. It's a familiar outfit in the north."

Tudor looked over at Sancho next to him and smiled, and Sancho laughed in return.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room were a group of schoolgirls, wearing white school uniforms and capes with Rose of Sharon on them.

Ninety-nine percent of them were sturdy women, each carrying a shield, axe, greatsword, crossbow, magic wand, or spellbook on their backs.

They are the students of the Themiscyra Women's University.

"...Does it look scary?"

"I hear the sisters over there are really good at fighting."

Bianca and Sinclair swallowed hard.

These are the warriors of Varangian and Themiscyra who will compete in this tournament.

It was clear that it was going to be an uphill battle for them to look so powerful, male, female, and all.

And then.

POOH!

The train set off with the miraculous sound of the mana stones in the furnace burning.

The giant mass of iron pulsed and stirred with the power of mana.

The train raced toward the distant magic tower.

* * *

Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and Sinclair moved to the seats listed on their tickets, and soon found themselves in a chamber-like space, sitting in a circle.

A round table was placed in the center of the room, and the train was divided into individual writing spaces.

The students of the Colosseo Academy would now sit or lie down on plush sofas for the long journey ahead.

Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and Sinclair looked out the window and marveled at the rapidly passing landscape of the Imperial Capital.

"Wow, that was fast. I guess we don't have to use those expensive teleportation scrolls."

"I'll go to the canteen and get us some eggs and cider. That's what you're supposed to eat on a train trip."

"Dang, I already packed them!"

"Oh, Piggy knows what he's doing."

"Wow, it's like we're going on a school trip!"

And suddenly. The friends remembered one other friend who wasn't here.

Vikir.

It would have been nice to have him with them, but he wasn't there, and it was a bit of a drag.

Tudor was the first to speak.

"Vikir, you traitorous bastard, you've abandoned us again, and this time I'm really sorry!"

"It's a pact, and while it's a shame we couldn't be in the same group, it's nice to see you take your promise seriously. I'm sure Vikir would take our promise just as seriously."

"Where is Vikir's seat, anyway?"

"He's probably in a compartment pretty far away from us, right next to the one the Themiscyra kids are in."

"Hmph, you don't think something's going to happen to him?"

Vikir's current seat was in a train compartment a long way back from here.

And in the compartment directly behind him were the contestants from Themiscyra Women's University.

"Don't you think he'll get into a fight with them?"

"Maybe it's not a fight, maybe it's a ride."

"Yes, Vikir is very handsome, and he was already famous outside the Capital."

"I heard that ...Themiscyra is a women's university, and they have a very strong desire for handsome men."

"It's more like Varangian is an ultra-macho university, so the desire for pretty girls is very strong."

Vikir's friends, who had been listening to the story, quickly became concerned.

"By the way. I'm worried about Vikir in a lot of ways."

"That's right. It's his own people who can make things harder for him than the Themiscyra on the outside."

"I agree, except for Grenouille… ...."

"I can't believe he's in the same group as Highbro, Midbro, and Lowbro, the so-called 'Mad Dogs of the Cold Class'."

"They must be trying to pick on my brother, they did it during midterms!"

Vikir's group was now being referred to as 'Hell's Group'.

Highbro Les Baskerville.

Midbro Les Baskerville.

Lowbro Les Baskervilles.

Grenouille Des Leviathans.

Vikir.

These five are the same group.

Grenouille, who is known for his arrogance, and the triplets of the Baskerville family, who are known for their cold-heartedness.

His friends are worried that Vikir, a commoner, may be suffering humiliation and disgrace alone.

... but.

In the back of the train, a very different scene was unfolding from the worries of his friends.