Chapter 101. The Academy Spring Festival (3)

Radel left Anesha’s booth and headed to Venus’s booth located behind it.

Unlike the other bustling second-year booths, there were few people around this one.

Magical Beast Experience Center.

The name of the booth, written in a crude script, caught his eye.

‘Do they let you ride a magical beast? Like a Prairie Wolf?’

If so, people would find it fun, so why is it so quiet? Radel wondered as he entered the booth, and he saw a desolate interior.

The magical beasts he had expected were nowhere to be found, and only lumps of stone displayed by the seniors on a table were noticeable.

“If you guess what magical beast this is from, you’ll get a prize!”

At the mention of a prize, the few people inside the booth approached the table.

A look of question arose on the faces of the people who saw the various shapes of stones.

It was the curiosity of why there were lumps of stone here.

“You can touch it. It’s hard to guess just by looking.”

At the words of a senior who seemed to be a Cryptozoology major, a person who had picked up a stone and was examining it asked.

“What is this?”

When someone asked, the seniors’ eyes lit up.

“It’s the droppings of a magical beast. Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Ugh!”

The people who heard those words freaked out and threw the stones they were holding.

And they left the booth without looking back.

The seniors just looked at each other with expressions that said they didn't know what was going on.

“It happened again. What’s the problem?”

“I know, right. I took the trouble to bring something that’s hard to get.”

“Right. We even got this by lying in ambush near a wild salamander for a week.”

The seniors comforted each other.

“Soon, people will realize how amazing this is.”

“I hope so.”

In Radel's eyes, it seemed like a day like that would never come…….

‘Only those who can love even a single hair of a magical beast should come to Cryptozoology, khahaha!’

For some reason, Radel was reminded of Professor Donton Murr’s words.

The Cryptozoology majors, including Venus, seemed to love everything about magical beasts, just as Professor Donton had said.

This time, Radel approached the next table.

On the table, there were several round orbs.

“What is this?”

Radel asked, concerned that the same situation as before might occur.

At Radel’s question, a senior’s eyes sparkled as he answered.

“They’re the eyeballs of a magical beast. If you guess which magical beast they’re from, you can get a wonderful prize!”

Come to think of it, they had said the same thing in front of the magical beast droppings earlier.

Radel, who became curious about what the prize was, asked.

“What kind of prize do you give?”

“It’s none other than a wyvern’s shed skin, donated by Professor Donton!”

A wyvern’s…… shed skin?

Although Radel felt the senior’s sincerity towards magical beasts, he thought this was definitely not a prize people would like.

“Wyverns molt twice a year, and Professor Donton’s wyvern is big, so its shed skin is quite large. And he donated it this time. When a wyvern molts, the symptoms it shows are……”

The senior excitedly and kindly explained to Radel things like the molting period of reptile-type magical beasts including wyverns, and that it was difficult to obtain an intact skin because of their habit of eating the shed skin after molting.

Radel also listened attentively to the senior’s explanation and became convinced that if a wyvern’s shed skin was that rare, it would also be valuable as an alchemy ingredient.

‘I should get it while I can.’

As it happened, the eyeballs on the table were from a magical beast Radel knew.

They were the eyeballs of a red-headed fire centipede.

They must be the eyeballs that Venus had taken at the Imperial Hunting Competition last time.

“Aren’t those the eyes of a red-headed fire centipede?”

“Huh, how did you know?!”

The senior, surprised that Radel had guessed the identity of the magical beast at once, called his friends around him.

“Everyone, come here! This junior seems to be interested in Cryptozoology!”

“What?!”

In an instant, the gazes of the seniors inside the booth were fixed on Radel.

“A prospective Cryptozoology major?”

“Do you have a favorite magical beast?”

A barrage of questions from the seniors surrounding Radel was about to begin.

Venus quietly approached and pushed his friends away.

“……Go away. He’s my guest.”

“Senior!”

Radel, who was inwardly burdened by the excessive interest of the Cryptozoology major seniors, was glad to see Venus.

Venus, who had come close to Radel, was holding something wrapped in a swaddling cloth.

“Senior, is that……?”

“This? The hippogriff egg I got with the wish ticket back then. It was lucky because the reproduction of hippogriffs is rare, so it's hard to get an egg.”

Venus, saying that he wouldn't have been able to get his hands on it if it weren't for the wish ticket, emotionlessly stroked the egg.

Although his expression was like that, hearing Venus say that he would carry it around until it hatched, he could feel how much he cherished the egg.

‘He’s really sincere about magical beasts.’

Radel left Venus’s booth with the wyvern’s shed skin he had received as a prize.

* * *

Radel’s steps, after looking around the second-year booths, now headed toward the third-year booths.

Radel was planning to stop by Senior Pasion’s booth.

According to what he heard at the Grade Representative Meeting, Senior Pasion was double-majoring in Summoning Magic and Transmutation Magic.

It seemed he had opened a major booth utilizing Transmutation Magic this time.

“Is it over there?”

Just then, a long line of people caught Radel’s eye.

Checking the map, it was indeed the third-year Transmutation Magic booth.

Radel also got in line with the people.

“What color are you going to do?”

“Pink! You?”

“Should I just ask for blue?”

Eavesdropping on the conversation of those in front, it seemed they were doing something related to color at the Transmutation Magic booth.

When Radel entered the booth, he saw that it was set up like a hair salon with several mirrors and chairs.

Pasion, who was talking with a customer sitting in a chair, spotted Radel and greeted him.

“Our admirable junior has come!”

“I was just passing by, senior.”

Radel greeted politely and approached Pasion.

“Since you’re here, do you want to change your hair color and go? It’ll go back to normal tomorrow, but it’s good for a temporary mood change.”

No wonder the booth was decorated like a hair salon.

It seemed they were changing people’s hair color through Transmutation Magic.

As Pasion waved his staff, the hair of the customer sitting in front of him changed from brown to red.

So you can use Transmutation Magic on the human body too.

Radel said with pure admiration.

“So you can do something like this with Transmutation Magic.”

“That's right. Transmutation Magic is very useful. I heard you received a major offer from Professor Thomas, too?”

As soon as Pasion said that, the other seniors showed interest in Radel.

“So you’re the junior that Professor Thomas personally asked?”

“Ah, the first-year representative junior?”

It seemed most of the third-years knew the rumors about Radel.

It was a small topic of conversation among the Transmutation Magic majors that Professor Thomas, who was famous for being indifferent to students among the professors, had offered a major to a first-year first.

“Professor Thomas isn’t someone who recommends a major to just anyone.”

“No, no, instead of that, why don't you try Transmutation Magic here?”

The seniors were curious about how skilled Radel was for the professor to even make an offer.

In the blink of an eye, Radel was led by the seniors’ hands and stood in front of a chair.

One of the seniors sat in the chair and said to Radel.

“Try it on me. Don’t feel burdened.”

“What color would you like?”

“Anything is fine. It’s just for fun.”

Radel, under the expectant gazes of the seniors, took out his staff.

It seemed he could apply the magic he used when he changed the color of the handkerchief.

Isn't it just like dyeing hair?

And he said any color was fine.

Radel waved his staff nonchalantly.

“Wow, what is this?”

When Radel waved his staff, the seniors were surprised and opened their mouths.

The first-year junior had put various colors in the hair with Transmutation Magic.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“It’s pretty!”

It was a sunset-like color, orange at the top and becoming redder towards the bottom.

The seniors couldn't hold back their admiration for the new color.

“Wow, that’s cool. As expected of you, junior.”

Pasion patted Radel’s shoulder.

‘It’s just a simple gradation, but they like it so much.’

In his previous life, he had dyed his game characters in various ways, so it wasn't a big deal.

It was a moment where only Radel felt awkward while everyone else was amazed.

* * *

Radel barely managed to escape from Pasion’s booth.

If he stayed any longer, they seemed to be in a mood to make him sign the Transmutation Magic major application form, so he was able to escape by saying he had to go to a fourth-year senior’s booth.

In fact, he was planning to stop by Shartea’s booth anyway.

“Is it here?”

Radel found a booth with ‘Challengers Wanted’ written outside.

According to the Spring Festival map, this was supposed to be Senior Shartea’s booth, but…….

‘Isn't the phrase a bit grim for a festival booth?’

As Radel entered, wondering, he saw Shartea standing in the middle of the booth with a wooden sword.

In an instant, seniors who seemed to be Shartea’s followers appeared, blocked Radel, and asked.

“Are you a challenger?”

Listening to the story of the senior who blocked his way, it seemed that in this booth, they gave a prize to the one who won a duel against Shartea.

The problem was that there was not a single person who would genuinely challenge the 3rd Princess, Shartea.

Shartea, who was standing still with a wooden sword, looked as blunt as usual, but the signs of disappointment were clear.

The followers surrounding her were in the middle of comforting her.

“Your Highness, a challenger will appear soon.”

“Of course! It’s because they are all weaklings. They are cowards who are afraid of a challenge!”

“It’s not even worth crossing swords with such cowards!”

The followers here are also having a hard time.

Radel quickly grasped the situation and picked up a wooden sword.

“Senior, may I challenge you?”

Shartea’s complexion brightened upon discovering Radel holding a wooden sword.

And a few minutes later.

Clang!

Radel had to watch helplessly as the wooden sword he was holding was sent flying and rolled on the floor.

He had been completely defeated by Shartea in just three exchanges.

‘I raised my Basic Swordsmanship to B, but I’m no match for you, senior.’

It was a swift sword so fast that its path could not be read.

Shartea, putting away her wooden sword, said quietly.

“Your sword is almost perfect in its basics. But to advance from here, you will need to learn a more advanced swordsmanship.”

“Thank you for the advice. It was a good duel.”

When Radel answered politely, Shartea extended her hand.

She was asking for a handshake.

For her too, it was a decent experience to cross swords with a challenger who was not afraid of learning.

“It was a good duel for me too.”

It was at that moment when the two were shaking hands.

A clear notification sound was heard in Radel’s ear.

[Target’s affinity exceeds 5.]

[Target’s affinity has become 15.]

And another sound was with it.

Thud!

It was the sound of someone dropping the things they were holding.

The 2nd Prince, who was entering the booth with a gift for Shartea, had witnessed the scene of Radel and Shartea shaking hands.

The 2nd Prince’s expression, who had encountered that shocking sight, was colored with astonishment.

“Wh-what are you doing right now……?”