Last One in the Menu: Magic Exam (2)

My turn came very quickly and just in time after I finished immersing in my thoughts.

"Next up!"

I stepped forward and stood at the designated spot.

Okay, I have finished coming up with a strategy, so I just have to go with it and everything will be okay.

I think I will be able to set the same record, more or less. Yes, that should be my standard.

After all… remember, Lyra, the Head of Royal Magicians trained you directly! You can't disappoint her teaching~!

"Ready?"

I nodded at Miss Norma.

"Then, go!"

I quickly implemented my strategy.

[Gicela snîðung] (Ice shards)

First, to destroy the inanimate targets, I summoned ice shards and controlled them to hit straight to the targets and destroying them all at once.

Mission accomplished. That should display my power and control over my own magic as excellent.

Just as my ice shards hit the inanimate targets, I have already started on my next strategy to destroy the animate targets.

Obviously, it was still hard for me to control the ice shards to fly around to chase the lively animate targets as time could be up first when my ice shards were still chasing after them, so I needed to freeze them.

So I did. I froze the animate targets—induced a frostbite, more precisely.

[Forst ofslîtan] (frostbite)

My ice quickly trapped the animate targets and after it completely enveloped them, the ice quickly started to be shattered, alongside with the content (which means, the targets inside).

Yup, I really missed just one animate target, so I set the same record.

When I thought that Miss Norma would stop me after this, I noticed that everyone was quiet—uhm…? Miss Norma seems a bit dazed…?

…How rude, daydreaming right now? (; ･`д･´)

Hello to Miss Norma? I'm taking an exam here, you know!! Pay attention to me!! No mind wandering to somewhere else!

I caught a glimpse of something's movement from the corner of my eyes, so I turned at that something.

There, the last animate target moved so smoothly, gliding and turning over in the air in front of me when its friends all have been killed.

Ah----its movement!! I feel like it's taunting me, saying things like, "Hey hey little girl, come and get me if you can! Ahahaha, you can't, loseeeeerrr!!"

…well, since my expectation of being stopped at this point was betrayed by how dazed Miss Norma is, and since I love to set the new high score in a game, so why should I stop?

Life is a game to conquer, right?

My former self's main objective to conquer wasn't the slightest bit entertaining, it was boring, even.

But this time, I'm free to set my own objectives to conquer in this life.

Let's start with setting a new high score in this stage.

If the liveliest target was hard to freeze, then I had to resort to another strategy, so I quickly dashed forward at the target, jumped, and—

During that time, Miss Norma decided to snap out of her daze and was about to shout, "Ah, stop—"

But Miss, you're too late! (✖╭╮✖)

I can't stop here at a moment's notice!!

I have already jumped and aimed my fist at the target—yup, I enveloped my fist in the ice and induced another ice magic to blow the target during when my icy fist hit it. And so, with that blow, this Lyra managed to land a new high score!!

I turned over to look at Miss Norma when I noticed that her jaws already dropped.

…Did I overdo it, when I just planned on being a little bit above average?

And it was my perfectionism acting out when I saw a chance!!

It's not like I displayed my full skill, right?

I only used ice and used the incantation properly. And it wasn't quite a high-level ice magic spells like creating an avalanche or hail…

Okay, so perhaps she was astonished that I won't stop at her late notice.

"Sorry, Miss, you stopped me a bit too late, I couldn't stop at this point…"

Miss Norma blinked and shook her head lightly.

"No, no… that's not it… Ah well… Okay, thanks for the spectacular performance and for cleaning up the field! May I know your full name, number 21?"

"Uhm… I'm Alrescha Lyra Hartmann… and you're welcome…"

"…!! Ah, Ophelia-sama's daughter!! No wonder!!"

Just like Meredea, Miss Norma's eyes now sparkled.

"You know my mom…?"

--I reflexively asked a rhetorical question.

"Of course!! Ophelia-sama is my idol!! I believe all magicians in the world—no, in the whole Riviera at the very least—would know and idolize her!!"

…thank… you?

I opened my mouth, but before we could exchange another word, the assistant teacher quickly interrupted us so the exams could continue.

"Ah, please deliver my greetings to Ophelia-sama, little one!!"

Miss Norma's frantic voice could be heard and I turned over to smile and wave my hand to gesture her that I understood.

And that marks the end of my entrance exams!

To be honest, I am quite confident that I would enter the special class. If I didn't, then I would start doubting the meaning behind my 13 years life as Reinst.

-

After that, I reunited with Mom and we quickly returned home (I properly conveyed Miss Norma's greetings!)

When night fell, I shared my experience with my family—something quite novel for the old Reinst inside of me. I never really bothered to share my day with my family members other than a report on my achievement or what I did. This experience sharing as Lyra was more of me telling my family on what impressed me, what incident happened, how I felt, and how I thought I may have made a new friend even before I enrolled.

-

"Yes, her name is Iris and she's so adorable. I hope we can enroll to the same class, and…"

I noticed my childish attitude when I shared my experience in my excitement and stopped. How embarrassing, I even moved my hands reflexively as I told the whole experience. I didn't convey it calmly like how I reported something as Reinst.

When I stopped, my family thought that I simply was confused on what to talk about—or that I forgot my words midway, and they only smiled.

Dad patted me, "Good! You must make lots of female friends, Lyra!"

"Iris is cute but you thought of a ghost when you first saw her trembling?" Altaire asked.

"Oh, Cyan, how preposterous. You prefer Lyra making friends with girls than boys, to obvious cause. Lyra, let me rephrase that. Make lots of friends, both boys and girls," Mom reacted to the hidden meaning behind Dad's words that was also quite obvious to me.

I smiled as I felt the surge of warm feeling inside of my chest and continued to tell my story, albeit I must admit that I felt slightly embarrassed by my childishness back then and this time, I tried to act calmer. It felt weird doing this, and I felt slightly awkward as it was not something I'm accustomed to, but I feel like I want to tell this to my family.

It was an awkward change, but since it was also pleasant at the same time, I didn't mind the awkwardness.

-

After that, I also shared my experience with Luca and Kiri when we met again, and they also told me their experiences. When I told a bit of it to Clavis-nii, he seemed to suddenly recall something, but…

"Iris? Hmmmm, I wonder why did I feel like her name was familiar… Hey, Alt?"

"Hmmm? I can't really remember but it's not like Iris is a strange and rare name."

"But, I think there's some kind of significance of that name—Iris…"

"Really? I can't recall anything. Maybe it's just your feeling," Alt-nii just shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah, whatever it is, you definitely can't tease Iris, okay? She's quite shy and while her trembling figure might seem cute, but you can't!! She's my friend!!"

I have to set this straight to them before it's too late! I don't want my brother and his friend to destroy my friendship with my first female friend!!

As the youngest and the only girl among the three of us, on top of my overly friendly face, Alt-nii and Clavis-nii didn't feel intimidated at all and laughed at my attempt in warning them off. I suffered from a messy hair and cheek pinch after that.

-

After the hype of my entrance exams calmed down, I spent my days as usual.

All I need to do is to wait for the result, then~ the good result, obviously!

-

※And so, Lyra was completely oblivious that she didn't chant anything when she dealt her finishing blow to the last remaining target as she was too caught up in the heat of the moment—and that she was the only one to display two forms of offensive magic at the entrance exams, one ranged magic and the other was close-ranged magic. All with great power and control.※