Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

Chapter 709 Before the last round

[Mia's POV: ] (Unfinished! Please wait!)

It has been a while since I got my title and they announced the winners of that round of the competition. And, yes we got through this one.

'Huuuuu…'

It was difficult. 

I was exhausted in those last moments. I won't even know how I was able to handle myself back then.

'Perhaps the heavens blessed me with greater strength or perhaps someone watching us right now prayed for us. Whatever it was, we managed to make it successfully. 

And the loudest cheers that erupted after the entitlement finished, resonated with all our hearts.

'A thrilling feeling it was, certainly.'

I can hear them saying our names, my name. And they were cheering for me, clapping, screaming at the rear sight they got to see.

'It was magical for me…'

And I can tell for certain that it was a magical experience for the audience as well. 

'The last time someone became a master in this arena was around the time I was three years old or something. So around eighteen years ago or something?'

Captain and vice captain, most of the students with me as a matter of fact hadn't even been born back then. 

There were many young people watching me right now so this was their first time seeing something so magical, something that they could only read in books or see in photos. 

And for the older ones who had seen this kind of spectacle before as well, this was nostalgic for them. 

They were joyous when we were announced to have passed the fifth round. 

And of course, we were as well…

The announcements and cheers were well received, the joy was celebrated, and the atmosphere was flowery now.

Even on the ground where only the last round participants had remedied, there was a unique festive atmosphere.

'My house members including me were being approached by the people that others spent a fortune or a long time to get an appointment with.'

Some of the masters and other who had been impressed by the techniques and skills of my housemates even invited them to an individual meeting. Most probably to talk about an apprenticeship or to work alongside them.

These house members of mine had a special set of skills that would be coveted by any alchemist who understood their worth and their potential so, miss Grandbell, Sir Fang and Kuro and even Ball, especially Ball, were surrounded by those old men who were asking them for a meeting. 

'They saw the value of their skills and they knew since their skills were still in the development stages and they could improve them better than what they could do on their own in the academy.'

They understood the value of youth the most, so if not right now, even if they had to wait till we graduate, they were ready to do it later if it meant they could have them, and their talents. 

They knew just how special these guys were… but the fact that the one who showed them the true values of their skills was our vice captain would not change in any circumstances.

'They were surrounded by them even right now. And, it was fine since this is break time. They have worked hard, so they definitely deserve a break.' 

And I would have been the same if it had not been for the entitlement process, but after I received the title, all my fatigue was gone and I was back to the top physical condition. 

For a matter of fact, I was feeling better than ever before. And thanks to the title I just received, I could now use my unique skill even more proficiently.

Or at least, that was the feeling I was getting when focusing deep inside of me.

'I would have to test my skills to see just how much I have improved-'

"Excuse me? Miss Mia Silver?"

"Hmm?"

I was lost in my own thoughts as I sat in a corner, away from all the commotion going on right now.

And since it was a little unnoticeable place, thought I wouldn't be approached by anyone. 

However, it looks like I was wrong this time. 

"Yes? How my I help you miss…"

"Oh! Apologies. Where are my manners."

Someone spotted me even in this shadowy place and it was the person I was expecting to greet the least.

"I greet thee, the new master of Alchemy, master Mia, the alchemist of Silver. 

I'm called Ëthereal. And it is a pleasure to be the first person to greet the newest master alchemist of this world."

Her greeting was… quite sincere. And she was as elegant with her way of bowing and showing her genuine curiosity towards me as a high class noble or royal lady. 

I would even say it was comparable to some pillars of high society. 

She was unexpectedly good…

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Ëthereal. And it is actually an honour to be greeted by the toughest opponent standing in our way to victory. 

Personally, I respect you miss Ëthereal. 

And it's not only because of the talent you have shown in this competition until now, but also because you are perhaps the only person that shows me how big of a difference between a prodigy and a true genuine actually is in this field. 

You are simply amazing."

She was someone that started this competition with crown prince Charles. However, starting the second day's third round, the two of them continued individually.

And, when they did, people started seeing just how truly amazing this person before me actually was. 

'Not only her methods were unconventionally genius, the way she always created her works was just too gorgeous for one to ignore.'

I was amazed the first time I saw her creation process videos playbacks yesterday, and I was amazed until I saw both rounds six times straight before suddenly falling asleep.

She… was a gale of freedom. The way she enjoyed creating her own versions of simple yet utterly stunning things, doing some foolery while doing so, laughing and enjoying herself was something too captivating for me.

Unexpectedly so as well.

It was just too fun.

'And I wished to become like her. Daring, free, unfazed even before the toughest of challenges.'

She was perhaps the very trigger that gave me the inspiration to create the Powder of innate growth. 

"Huhuhu. You sure are a funny girl to say good and bad things together like that."

She was laughing, and even that was attractive. 

'A perfect laugh that hides the true emotions of one so well even the best experts would get fooled by it. 

She's just too good with all that she does.'

*

They have been gone for a while now. What might be so urgent that Master Grandalff had to escort him to the headmaster's office himself?

"They are in trouble, aren't they?" 

They are always doing dangerous things and they were gone for three whole months. Of course they were in trouble right now. They are so careless!

"I don't think they would be in any kind of trouble, Agnes."

We all were in our usual benches by a tree in the garden as Princess Cathy patted my back and reassured me with a positive voice. And, I looked up at her.

"But… but you know how they are… how they are so careless and-"

"It will be fine, Miss Agnes. I think so as well. And I can say for certain it isn't about their absence for three months. if it were the case, the headmaster would have reacted the time they returned and were in the middle of the entire ceremony that happened earlier."

"Right. 

They were asked to meet him in his office after they received their present from the wish granting tree. Those three unique looking cards."

"Yes! It must be because of that!"

Mister Ragasage's words made sense, and seeing how even Prince Morexis agreed with him, it must be the case this time.

Yes…

The two of them shouldn't be in that big of a trouble.

And it's not like they did something to the wish granting tree so what they got was not their doing either. 

'Yes…'

It was a coincidence, a chance that they got those things and it was not their fault. Which means they should just be talking with the headmaster about something important. Perhaps something related to the things that they did when they were gone.

"Yes…"

They said they were going on a very important business trip, didn't they? 

Something related to the adventurer's association's request about a dungeon or something? 

[[ Master~. They went to a dimensional dungeon~!" ]]

Right. That. I almost forgot the word they used for that place.

'A dimensional dungeon…'

And El mentioned it was a dungeon where time flowed differently and the reason they were so late was just because the time difference was like that.

That was the reason they were late, and they had finished whatever they had went there for, so they had come back fine as well.

Yes. That's right. 

They came back. And that's all that matters.

'And they aren't hurt anywhere either.'

If anything, they are healthier than they used to be the last time I had seen them. Which was good as well.

'They didn't do anything too foolish and were able to get done with whatever they had gone there for, and since they were back now, we all can go back to our usual ways now.'

And El mentioned it was a dungeon where time flowed differently and the reason they were so late was just because the time difference was like that.