Chapter 31: Eileen Starlight

“Phew… So this crazy old man has finally tracked me down.”

After the second round of the competition, on the way to meet Justia and Elda.

I gazed at the white-haired old man who was quietly floating, hiding an ocean-like amount of mana.

The Imperial Tower Lord, Bahamut Wizardros.

The undisputed greatest force of the Second Prince and one of the top three strongest mages in the empire.

I inwardly marveled at his ease in using the levitation spell as naturally as breathing.

‘He must have an overflowing amount of mana. He probably sucked up a lot of mana from young children.’

I engaged in a staring contest with the expressionless Tower Lord.

Thinking about it, it was obvious that someone would come looking for me.

I had made quite a spectacle during the competition.

So, I had expected Gawain to come and uncover my identity, but of all people, the Tower Lord had to show up.

It was certain that he had figured out my identity.

There are only a few people in the empire who could detect the faint mana I had just used.

Considering all the conditions, he would undoubtedly conclude it was me.

‘What should I do…’

No matter how much my skills had improved, taking down a century-old grand mage in an instant wasn’t easy.

Moreover, our current location was close to Justia and Elda.

If a battle were to break out here, there was a risk of them getting involved.

Deep in thought, the Tower Lord, Bahamut, slowly opened his mouth.

“How is it that Your Grace is here?”

“…Your Grace? What are you talking about? And who are you to follow people around so rudely?”

“Hoho. Please drop the act. I know everything about Your Grace participating in the Sword Demon Festival under the ridiculous name of Licht. You noticed the faint mana I released earlier, didn’t you? None of the other participants could have detected that.”

“No, I am not Your Grace. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“….”

The Tower Lord was momentarily at a loss for words.

This kind of acting was something Behirit would never normally do, so he looked somewhat doubtful.

“Very strange. The strength you showed in the competition and your ability to detect mana earlier clearly indicate that you are His Grace.”

“I am quite strong, but accusing me of being someone else is a bit startling. Anyway, may I leave now?”

Discarding the dignity of a duke, I put on a bewildered act in front of the Tower Lord.

While the Tower Lord hesitated at my performance, I subtly turned to leave.

‘Just let me pass, old man.’

Justia and Elda are waiting for me in the room right now.

Just as I was about to move, the Tower Lord reached out his hand and said,

“Wait, if you truly are not His Grace, then remove your mask.”

“…”

“Damn it, this persistent old man.”

At this point, there’s no use pretending anymore.

I faced the Tower Lord boldly and spoke.

“You’ve caught me.”

“Hoh.”

The Tower Lord’s wrinkled face showed a surprised expression.

He then stroked his long beard and nodded.

“So, it is true that Your Grace has personally participated.”

“Yes. So, are we done here?”

“Wait a moment. I heard that you have joined hands with Her Highness the Princess. Seeing that you went as far as participating in the Sword Demon Festival to protect her, it seems your relationship is quite special.”

The Tower Lord rambled on, having heard something from Albiero.

Fortunately, he only thought that I had entered to protect Justia and didn’t seem to know about the tasks I had assigned to my subordinates.

In that case, it would be best to give him a plausible explanation.

I deliberately sharpened my tone and said,

“Listen, Tower Lord. If you dare to touch Her Highness Justia, I won’t let it slide. You’d better make wise decisions. If you don’t want to die for fulfilling your disciple’s request, that is.”

“Hoho, truly the boldness of His Grace. However, you seem to be underestimating this old man. Even though Your Grace reached the Sword Master level three years ago, it won’t be easy for you to kill me.”

“Well, we’ll see about that.”

To prevent him from suspecting that I was hiding something, I provocatively released a level of energy corresponding to before I had awakened my special traits.

Whoosh!

A dense concentration of mana filled the passage in an instant.

Soon after, a blood-red aura began to seep from my entire body.

“If you want, we can settle this right here.”

“Hoho, calm down. Her Highness the Princess’s room is nearby, and I doubt you want her to get involved.”

The Tower Lord chuckled in front of me.

Seeing his relaxed demeanor, it seemed he hadn’t fully grasped my current level due to my suppressed energy.

I clicked my tongue as if his point was valid.

“Tsk. Fine.”

“I didn’t come here to engage in a duel with Your Grace. I merely wanted to uncover the identity of the swordsman named Licht.”

“So, are you satisfied? Let me make this clear. Things won’t go as you wish.”

“We’ll see about that. Anyway, I’ve achieved my goal, so I’ll take my leave now.”

The Tower Lord sneered with a creepy smile.

He then turned his back.

As the noise from the arena began to reach us again, his figure disappeared.

My ears felt muffled, and after swallowing once, they returned to normal.

“….”

Damn old man.

He had used a spatial barrier spell.

No wonder the space felt strange.

‘Phew. Thankfully, I managed to keep my plans hidden.’

Despite the sudden visit from the Tower Lord, I managed to navigate the situation.

I would have liked to eliminate Albiero’s greatest asset, but having seen what happens when that old man goes berserk in the original story, I couldn’t risk it.

“Bahamut Wizardros…”

The mage who floated in the air, showcasing a vast world of mana.

I stood in the passage where people had started walking again and muttered the Tower Lord’s name to myself.

He remained composed throughout.

Well, laugh all you want.

When the time comes for you to pay for your sins, you won’t be laughing anymore.

“Right, this isn’t the time. I need to hurry if I want to watch Luke’s match.”

Soon, it would be time for the Star Boy to have his next match.

He would surely win without trouble, but I should still cheer for him.

If he wins this match, we’ll meet in the semifinals.

He’s probably looking forward to that, right?

Anticipating the beautiful display of stars on the arena stage, I drew a faint smile on my lips.

***

Somewhere in the arena, in a participant’s room.

A boy with light brown hair and starry eyes polished his sword.

“It’s almost time for the match…”

The Star Boy, Luke Starlight.

His face showed a deep desire to win as he prepared for the second round of the Sword Demon Festival.

After briefly looking at his reflection on the blade, Luke sheathed his sword and stood up.

‘If I win this match, I’ll face him in the semifinals. I must win.’

He had never been careless to begin with.

Except for himself and Her Highness the Princess, the other academy representatives had been eliminated in the second round.

He was determined to win and show his growth by crossing swords with him in the semifinals.

“Hmm. But why does my chest feel a bit bigger?”

A faint sense of confusion appeared on Luke’s face as he stood in front of the wardrobe to prepare for the match.

Looking down, he saw the symbol of motherhood hidden under a compression bandage.

It seemed a bit smaller a few months ago. It appeared that his chest had been growing continuously since before entering the academy.

Even after the coming-of-age ceremony, his chest growth hadn’t stopped.

If it gets any bigger, it might become inconvenient when swinging his sword.

‘This thing… It’s meaningless to grow any bigger now.’

The Star Boy sighed lightly as he stared at his chest.

One day, after his older brother, ‘Luke Starlight,’ fell seriously ill.

To uphold the Starlight family’s legacy as a renowned swordsmanship family, he had taken his brother’s name and entered the academy.

Even if it wasn’t the fate he had desired.

Yes. It was undoubtedly an unavoidable destiny.

“Eileen… Starlight…”

The Star Boy’s lips moved as he reminisced.

Eileen. The name he had before taking on his brother’s role.

A name that no one called him anymore.

It was strange.

He had let go of any lingering attachments, yet today he found himself uttering that name again.

Did he still harbor a desire to live as a woman?

“Enough. At least now is not the time to think about such things.”

Eileen chided himself.

The match was about to begin.

Now was the time to give his all to reach the person he respected.

When he stepped onto the arena stage, he would wield his sword, filled with stars.

‘Watch over me, Your Grace.’

As Eileen placed a fist over his heart, the compression bandage pressed against his chest.

After dressing and grabbing his sword.

Not as the Star Boy.

But as the Star Girl, he took a determined step towards his star.