Master 50

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After the second match ended and some time had passed, inside the participant treatment room prepared within the tournament stadium.  

“Ugh…”  

Lying on the bed in a daze, Cecil slowly opened her eyes and let out a groan as she tried to sit up.  

“…Haa.”  

However, as soon as she lifted herself halfway, a sharp pain shot through her entire body, forcing her to collapse back onto the bed with a sigh.  

“What… happened to me….”  

Her last memory was of standing her ground after the collision, desperately catching her breath, and then hearing a thunderous roar just before she blacked out.  

“Hey… is anyone there… cough.”  

Holding onto a faint hope, she called out weakly, but a sudden fit of coughing forced her to cover her mouth, swallowing her words.  

Then, as she saw the blood staining her palm, her expression darkened, and she muttered to herself.  

‘…Well, of course, there’s no way I won.’  

Her opponent was Hayden, a third-year student and a championship contender—someone who was essentially a superior version of herself.  

She had clashed head-on with him despite not having even fully mastered her sword aura, so it was obvious who the cheers she heard as she fell were meant for.  

‘Still, maybe I should be satisfied with doing my best…’  

As she guessed the outcome in her mind, a hollow expression settled on her face before she gritted her teeth.  

‘…No, what kind of nonsense is that?’  

It wasn’t even the semifinals or finals—she had been eliminated in the very first round.  

She couldn’t bear to face the friends who had cheered her on.  

‘I really wanted to show my true strength this time…’  

More than anything, she couldn’t bring herself to face him—the one who, as a judge in the selection match, had watched her without a single word of encouragement.  

“Urgh….”  

Tears welled up in her unfocused eyes as she bit her lip in silence.  

—Another shocking upset! First-year Adele Felgrave has defeated second-year Lucia Urein and advances to the next round! 

It was at that moment that she heard the stunned voice of the tournament official echoing from beyond the stadium.  

“Hah… haha.”  

She had pretended not to care, but deep down, she had always acknowledged Adele, who was constantly at her heels, as a worthy rival.  

“This just makes me look even more pathetic…”  

Knowing that Adele had defeated an upperclassman and advanced to the next round made her loss sting even more.  

— Step, step…  

Still lying in bed, lost in despair, she suddenly pricked up her ears at the sound of approaching footsteps from outside.  

“Who is it?”  

“Ah, um. I just wanted to check on my sister’s condition.”  

Hearing the conversation between the nurse and Whitney just beyond the door, she clenched her fists and shut her eyes.  

“Fortunately, it’s nothing serious. She just passed out from extreme exhaustion.”  

“Oh….”  

“She has some minor internal injuries, but there’s enough time before the next round, so she should fully recover by then.”  

Something about their conversation seemed a little strange.  

“That’s a relief….”  

“Right? It would be too cruel if she couldn’t participate after her miraculous comeback victory.”  

Hearing that, her heart started pounding wildly.  

‘A comeback victory…? Did I… win?’  

“It’s rare for a first-year to defeat a third-year. You must be proud of your sister.”  

‘…Seriously?’  

Forgetting even her pain, Cecil abruptly sat up and finally noticed the flower crowns and letters of encouragement her friends had left at her bedside.  

“Hehe… See? I can do it.”  

She was still bewildered, but the outcome was clear.  

No longer on the verge of tears, she grinned and clutched her friends’ gifts tightly to her chest.  

“My sister just acts spoiled all the time….”  

“Haha. My sister is too mature for her own good.”  

‘What the hell is he talking about?’  

As she quietly chuckled to herself, Whitney’s shameless remark from outside made her expression turn ice-cold.  

‘I was the one who suffered, and he never cheered for me or helped me….’  

She still vividly remembered Whitney mocking her, daring her to prove herself in the selection tournament.  

‘More than anything, the way he pretends to care is just creepy…’  

And she hadn’t forgotten.  

How he had warned her not to concern herself with their father’s sudden disappearance.  

How he had remained expressionless even at their mother’s funeral.  

‘Why haven’t the black mages taken that bastard yet? Ah, right, he’s a white mage, so that wouldn’t happen.’  

Of course, she didn’t have the courage to say such things to his face, so she simply swallowed her resentment and cursed him silently.  

“I’m actually considering sending my younger sibling to the academy, but the tuition is too expensive.”  

“…Hmm, that’s true. A scholarship program would have been nice.”  

She tilted her head at their conversation.  

‘But there is a scholarship, isn’t there?’  

She clearly remembered how excited she had been when a hefty sum labeled as a scholarship had been deposited into her account after she ranked first last time.  

“By the way, could I see my sister’s face for a moment?”  

“……!”  

Hearing Whitney’s cautious request, Cecil panicked.  

She hurriedly shoved her gifts aside and lay back down.  

“It’s standard procedure not to allow visitors during treatment, but….”  

Silently, she prayed that the nurse would refuse him outright.  

“…Since it’s Sir Whitney, it should be fine.”  

“Ugh.”  

To her horror, the nurse allowed him in without hesitation.  

Not wanting her rest to be disturbed, she quickly pulled the blanket over her head and pretended to sleep.  

— Creak…  

A few seconds later, the door to the infirmary opened with a quiet sound.  

“…Sister, are you still asleep?”  

Holding her breath, she lay completely still, suppressing her urge to grimace at Whitney’s voice, which was now right beside her.  

“Hmm…”  

Then, after staring at her for a long time from the chair beside the bed…  

“I’m sorry, Cecil.”  

He suddenly murmured, reaching out toward her.  

‘…Should I scream?’  

Panic surged through her, and she seriously considered whether to sit up and yell for help.  

“I couldn’t even cheer for you because of work. You’re not mad, are you?”  

“?”  

“…?”  

“I should’ve treated you better.”  

But contrary to her expectations, Whitney simply stroked her hair gently, speaking in a remorseful tone.  

‘…Huh?’  

Cecil, more baffled than she had been in a long time, remained frozen, unable to respond.  

“Still, I’m glad you grew up well.”  

“…!?”  

The man who always spouted suspicious nonsense was, for the first time, speaking with genuine sincerity.  

***  

— Shiver…  

“…Mm?”  

Cecil, who had been lying motionless in bed, trembled as I stroked her hair and murmured a heartfelt compliment—something I would never normally say.

Surprised, I widened my eyes and examined her complexion.  

“Is she cold…?”  

Seeing the goosebumps on her arms, I figured she must be weak from exhaustion.  

‘Back in the day, she used to whine so much that I even sang her lullabies.’  

Pulling the blanket up to her chin, I couldn’t help but smile as childhood memories from this life surfaced.  

‘And… yeah, we used to play pretend a lot.’  

Recalling how Cecil, always taking the role of the hero, often beat me up during those games, I grimaced. But we were kids back then—she probably doesn’t even remember.  

‘…Wait, are those gifts from her friends?’  

Lost in nostalgia, I suddenly noticed a stack of colorful letters scattered at the foot of the bed.  

“……”  

Reading through them, I saw they all congratulated her on passing the first match.  

It made my chest ache.  

‘They’ve only known her for a few months, yet they’re better than me.’  

Even if my intentions were for her sake, the fact remained that she was lying here because of me.  

Trying to keep her out of danger, I had thrown her into it.  

What kind of idiot does that?  

‘That’s why… I should start supporting her path instead.’  

Even if she had only fought a doppelgänger, Cecil had still taken down Hayden—the main character I had meticulously controlled.  

She was far stronger than I had expected.  

Keeping her caged any longer would be nothing but selfishness.  

“Don’t worry and keep moving forward, Cecil.”  

In the end, what I needed to do for her was no different from what I did for Lady Meridia.  

“…I’ll always have your back. Haha.”  

If Cecil became a hero, I’d have to drastically revise my plans—but so be it.  

When the means override the goal, it never ends well.  

I needed to remember that.  

No matter how I acted from now on, protecting the people I cherished had to come first.  

‘…I should leave a small gift before I go.’  

Resolving my thoughts, I took out the little present I hadn’t had time to give her before and set it gently beside her.  

‘This will comfort her more than anything I could offer…’  

As I carefully placed it beside her, holding my breath to avoid waking her—  

“Uh, excuse me… you’re not allowed to be in here….”  

A startled voice came from beyond the door.  

Then, silence.  

“Whitney Lingard.”  

“We need you to come with us.”  

Sensing the ominous aura creeping in, I narrowed my eyes.  

Two figures entered the infirmary, their expressions dark and their gestures unmistakable.  

“Haha… well then.”  

Judging by their energy and the unconscious nurse slumped behind them, they were undoubtedly black mages.  

‘They’re playing right into my hands.’  

This meant my plan was working.  

***  

“What brings you gentlemen here?”  

Whitney rose quietly, standing protectively in front of Cecil, his expression one of feigned confusion as he addressed the intruders.  

“We thought you were on our side, but you went and got rid of Rebecca.”  

“As if a white mage would ever be one of us. Rebecca was a fool to think otherwise.”  

Glaring at Whitney with undisguised hostility, the black mages suddenly shifted their gazes to Cecil, who was still lying in bed.  

“That your little sister?”  

“This works out. We always return what we’re given.”  

Hearing that, Whitney immediately grasped Cecil’s arm and prepared to cast a protective spell, his voice turning icy.  

“…I’ll come quietly. Just don’t touch my sister.”  

His voice was devoid of any humor, filled with chilling resolve.  

Cecil, still pretending to sleep, flinched slightly—but fortunately, no one noticed.  

“Smart choice. In return, you’ll be helping with our plan.”  

“Put these on your wrists and come with us. Try anything funny, and we won’t guarantee your sister’s safety.”  

Sneering at how easily he complied, the black mages tossed him a pair of advanced magical restraints.  

“I say we take the girl too.”  

“No, too many eyes around. Let’s just take what we have.”  

Whitney tensed at the suggestion, a cold aura briefly flaring around him.  

But the moment they gave up on Cecil, the energy subsided.  

“By the way… doesn’t he seem strangely familiar?”  

“What nonsense. Just keep an eye on him.”  

With the restraints securely fastened, the two black mages flanked Whitney and led him out of the infirmary.  

Silence fell over the room.  

“…No way.”  

In that heavy silence, Cecil sat up, her voice barely above a whisper.  

“This… this was all a setup to fool me. They thought I wouldn’t realize….”  

Then, her gaze landed on the letter Whitney had left behind.  

“To think you’re already participating in the selection tournament at such a young age. I’m truly proud of you, Cecil.”  

Her face turned ghostly pale.  

“By the way, how’s your brother treating you?”  

An official seal made it clear—the letter was from their father.  

“…Ah.”  

In that moment, the illusion Cecil had clung to for so long shattered.  

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