Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Having reached the position just one step away from the championship, even Lyra, who usually relies on confidence, wanted to make one more effort, thinking she might continue her streak of upsets and seize the crown.

The title of champion in the Magic Exchange Tournament, glory that will resound throughout the entire Valeria Empire, held immense allure for Lyra.

Hearing the pink-haired girl's bright, clear voice echo through the private box, Astrid gave an almost imperceptible smile. Her long right leg crossed over her left knee, the soft, smooth calf covered in black stockings gently pressed against her thigh, producing a highly textured, alluring sound with every subtle rub.

"A soldier who doesn't want to become a general isn't a good soldier. Just having this fighting spirit means you've already won half the battle," Astrid said softly, her crimson eyes fixed on Lyra beside her.

Unconsciously, the aura of the destined heroine was beginning to take shape in that pink-haired maid. A year ago, there was no way she would have spoken with such confidence in front of Astrid.

Previously, she'd worried that without her, the villainess, creating obstacles, Lyra might face fewer hardships and her subsequent growth could be affected. But now it seems the issue wasn't too serious. Although the story's direction had changed significantly, the overall outcome remained favorable. Astrid Calliste wouldn't be seen as Lyra's mortal enemy, and the latter could embrace the radiant life meant for her.

It was good... All her efforts hadn't been in vain...

A few minutes later, the head maid returned to the private box. The dishes they'd pre-ordered were nearly ready and will soon be served.

"The battle's over. Now it's time to properly reward ourselves."

In Lyra's astonished gaze, Astrid straightened her posture and poured juice for her, speaking in a calm tone.

"Eat and drink your fill before contributing again. I'm really looking forward to seeing Lyra standing on stage as the winner of the next match."

Hearing Astrid's words filled with anticipation, Lyra nodded earnestly.

"I won't let Astrid down!"

She absolutely had to win, not just for herself, but to meet Princess Astrid's expectations.

She wanted to become a knight whom the princess could be proud of.

After finishing lunch, Astrid's group returned to the dormitory. Because she'd been so tense in the morning and had just experienced a fierce battle, Lyra inevitably felt a bit drowsy as she cooled down.

As soon as she entered the dorm and washed her face, Lyra took off her coat and little leather shoes, neatly folded her knee-high white stockings and placed them into the clothing basket under the desk, then climbed up the ladder to rest.

"Iris's match is at three in the afternoon. We'll have time to go watch."

Seeing Lyra go to sleep so quickly for the first time, Astrid knew she was exhausted. Sitting on the bed for a while, her pink lips parted slightly.

"Elise will wake us when it's time. For now, set aside your excitement and get a good nap."

Just making it to the finals had made Lyra this happy, her legs swinging beneath her, bumping into Astrid, not to mention she'd talked much more than usual at the meal.

Astrid couldn't imagine how ecstatic she'd be if she actually won the championship.

Lyra nodded on the bed, speaking softly.

"Mm, Astrid too."

"Make sure to enjoy your sleep."

Her voice carried a slightly rising intonation at the end, prompting Astrid to glance at Lyra again. The latter had tucked herself into the covers, leaving only her head exposed. Her pale pink long hair conceals her delicate, petite ears. Although her exact expression couldn't be seen from this angle, Astrid could easily imagine Lyra's curved lashes and upside down lips.

"Okay."

Responding softly, Astrid also removed her outer clothes and stockings, climbed up the ladder, and prepared for her afternoon nap.

A while later, a cold, little girl resembling a kitten crawled over from the neighboring bed, quietly slipping under the covers and wrapping her arms around Astrid's waist.

"Good afternoon, sister."

"Good afternoon, Amalia~"

....

If Lyra during lunchtime had been in a confident state, having defeated a strong opponent and brimming with self-assurance, then after watching Iris's practical duel against her opponent in the afternoon session, her confidence was inevitably shaken.

On the semifinal stage, Iris once again displayed her overwhelmingly dominant swordsmanship, constantly pressing her opponent from start to finish, not giving them even a moment to catch their breath.

The morning match had still been back-and-forth, with the outcome uncertain until the very end, providing ample excitement for the audience. But in the afternoon, Iris won her match in an almost crushing manner. The entire process conveyed only one message to the audience:

Even among early tier Magnus, there were differences in strength. Not every match needed to be so heart-pounding.

The semifinals that started at three o'clock ended by three ten. Lyra looked at the elegant hostess Evelyn on stage, her eyes unconsciously softened, realizing she'd only taken a few sips of her juice.

Iris's opponent wasn't weak at all, only because they faced someone too strong did they fall so quickly. Lyra had studied that competitor previously; his strength should have been on par with Sentos, possibly even slightly superior in actual combat due to magical elemental advantages.

If even such a person couldn't last ten minutes against Iris, how could someone like herself, likely weaker, stand a chance?

Winning the championship wasn't that easy...

Her hand clenched tightly around the sword hilt, the bottom of the scabbard clashing against metal with a grating sound, quickly drowned out by the cheers, becoming just a drop of water falling into the ocean, unable to stir any waves.

Amidst the roaring cheers, Iris lifted her head, looking toward Lyra in the audience, then followed the host off the competition stage.

Thus, the finalists didn't need any drawing, nor did they need to wait for the academy to announce the final match list, everything was already clear.

Four days from now, right here, Peak Tier Sorcerer Lyra Beckett will face off against early tier Magnus Iris Kroyd. The champion will be decided between the two.

"Lyra, what's wrong..."

"Feeling a bit nervous?"

Astrid also noticed the glance Iris cast their way. After looking at Lyra, Iris shifted her gaze toward Astrid. Although it was only a fleeting moment, Astrid still caught it.

Lyra bit her lip, placing her other hand on the hilt of the Sword of Light, then spoke after a moment.

"Just a little..."

Miss Iris's strength was truly terrifying, she was on a completely different level compared to other early tier Magnus.

And most crucially, in these matches, except for the semifinal's preceding bout where Iris had to use a few extra moves, none of her other matches had forced her to reveal her true killing techniques.

In other words, Lyra had already used about seventy to eighty percent of her trump cards in the semifinals, while Iris was still holding everything back. Whether in terms of strength or information, Lyra was at a huge disadvantage.

Even a fool wouldn't completely delude themselves after just one victory. Realizing the gap between them, Lyra suddenly felt that defeating Iris seemed nearly impossible.

"..."

After a brief silence, Astrid spoke gently.

"There are still three full days of rest after this match ends. You've got plenty of time."

"No need to be so tense."

Astrid understood Lyra's feelings. In the morning, she'd just successfully challenged a higher tier, her confidence finally swelling, only to see her opponent dominate the arena in the afternoon, instantly piling on pressure. Anyone would feel uneasy under such a push-and-pull.

Lyra turned to look at Astrid, the woman still maintaining her aloof, elegant demeanor, her wine-red eyes reflecting Lyra's face like two beautiful red magic crystals.

"I still remember Lyra's bold declaration this morning... that you absolutely, absolutely had to win the championship..."

"So, don't give up so early."

"I still believe in you, Lyra."

After soothing her with a few gentle words, the surrounding audience gradually began to leave. Amidst the noisy crowd, Astrid watched as Lyra slowly stood up.

"Let's go. Back to review the match. Let's see if dear Miss Iris reveals any weaknesses during her fight."

"Maybe that'll be your key to victory."

Just feeling discouraged won't help. The only thing to do now is figure out how to win.

Hearing Astrid say this, Lyra lifted her face, seeing that snow-white, soft hand shimmering like jade in the sunlight. After a few seconds of hesitation, she took it, using Astrid's strength to stand up.

"I understand, Astrid."

Although a faint sense of disappointment lingered in her heart, Astrid was right.

There were still three days left. She wasn't completely out of luck.

....

Afraid of putting too much pressure on Lyra, there was one thing Astrid hadn't mentioned to her.

In the semifinals, two participants from Elizabeth Academy of Magic had advanced to the top four: one was the tournament's dark horse, Lyra; the other was a third-year senior, a lightning-specialized mage who had reached the early tier Magnus level.

In the original timeline, it was this lightning-specialized mage who won the Magic Exchange Tournament, becoming a star player celebrated by all. But under the influence of Astrid's intervention in the story, he fell in the semifinals to Iris Kroyd, the foreign princess who hadn't participated in this tournament originally, thus missing his ticket to the finals.

This chain of events left Elizabeth Academy of Magic in a bit of a dilemma, as the host of this exchange tournament, they were likely going to watch the neighboring country's princess claim the championship in the imperial capital.

At this moment, Lyra represented not just herself, but the entire Elizabeth Academy of Magic, and even the Valeria Empire behind it.

Such pressure was still rather heavy for a girl who hadn't seen much of the world.

However, even without Astrid saying it, Lyra could roughly sense it. The day after the semifinals, the way all the students looked at her had changed.

There was admiration and envy for her historic achievement of overcoming a higher tier, but also a subtle undercurrent of expectation and faint melancholy.

Anyone can see that even if Lyra had the strength to challenge a higher tier, she couldn't possibly defeat an early tier Magnus level. Iris's victory was practically a foregone conclusion.

Even those who knew about Lyra's exceptional affinity for light elements, certain informed individuals, various academy professors, and even the headmaster, held pessimistic views about the upcoming match.

Perhaps the only one who still believes Lyra could win was Astrid alone.

Inside the training tower, Lyra, her forehead lightly beaded with sweat, planted her sword in front of her, closed her eyes, and struggled to calm her wildly pounding heart.

Seeing that Lyra seemed completely drained, barely able to move, Astrid gently stroked the deep blue brooch on her chest, her pink lips parting slightly.

"Do you want to continue, Lyra?"

Normally at this point, Lyra's combat power was nearly depleted, making it unlikely she could keep fighting.

Hearing the clear female voice enter her ears, Lyra nodded, gripping her sword tightly again, her gaze firmly locked on the silver-haired princess ahead.

"Astrid... I can still persist..."

"Really? Don't push yourself too hard. You can rest if you're tired."

"It's fine. I can do it."

She shook the Sword of Light in her hand, tiny ice chips falling from the tip onto the ground, as Lyra steadied her breath, light energy quietly coiling around the blade.

"Let's continue, Astrid. No need to hold back."

"Keep the same speed and rhythm. I can handle it."

If this were an actual match, Iris's blade would already be at her neck.

She still had strength left to squeeze out, far from reaching her limit.

Seeing that Lyra still insisted on continuing, Astrid let out a soft sigh. A thin wisp of white mist emerged from her pink lips, quickly vanishing into the cold air.

"Use your spirit force to arrange ice-element particles into a formation of three rows and two columns, longer in the center and shorter on the sides, then gather them into a sharpened cone shape, emphasizing the destructive nature of ice elements..."

As the woman chanted, sharp ice spears once again condensed in the air, instantly launching towards Lyra at bullet-like speed.

Raising her long sword to aim and slash at the ice spears, the sharp blade colliding with the cones produces deafening sounds. Only a few ice fragments scattered to the ground, while the impact point on the spear simply turned slightly whiter, showing no sign of being penetrated.

Although she hadn't broken the ice spears, Lyra's goal was only to alter their trajectory. With her current spirit force reserves, she couldn't possibly cut through the ice spears summoned by Astrid's ancient incantations.

Noticing that Lyra's movements had clearly slowed by more than one beat, Astrid released the ancient incantation again. This time, Lyra barely dodged even more, her footsteps were slightly unsteady.

"That's enough, Lyra," Astrid said slowly.

"Continuing practice won't be very meaningful. If you get injured, it could negatively affect the upcoming match."

Compared to strength, it was probably her mindset that was truly affecting Lyra now.

Perhaps she should find a way to help Lyra release the pressure building up in her heart?