Silent Witch Book 7: Chapter 6: Three Most Prestigious Schools

"Monica, how about we go shopping on the next day off?"

At a certain day lunchti, a week before the upcoming school festival, Lana suggested that idea.

Lana sounded like she has been planning on going shopping to get so things she needed for the school festival.

In Serendia Academy, students could go shopping in the nearby town if they filed an out-of-town notification. But as Monica chewed on a piece of bread, she shook her head.

"I'm sorrybut I had so things to doon that day"

"chess tournant."

The piece of bread stuck in Monica's throat when Claudia blurted out the words, caused her to choke. While Lana widened her eyes in response, looked at Monica in shock.

"Do the student council have jobs on the day of the chess tournant?"

"No, I just"

Claudia blurted out again, intercepting the stamring Monica.

"She's beco representative player, as a first player."

That words almost caused the sa thing to happen again, so Monica turned her head at Claudia with tears in her eyes.

It's not surprising that few people were aware of the players representing the chess tournant, as they were discreetly posted on the bulletin board.

In fact, the chess tournant itself was not a very large-scale event. Even it was called a tournant, but in reality, it's more like a social event where players from other schools were invited. Because of that, very few students had an interest in the chess tournant.

Even Lana, who stared at her with her eyes wide open, didn't seem to know that Monica had been chosen as a player in the chess tournant.

"What? Don't tell you've been chosen as a player, Monica?"

"m-more or less"

Talking about sothing like getting chosen as a representative always made Monica uncomfortable, so she never told anyone about this.

You're getting too carried away, you're only a good-for-nothing without skills.

Those mories of heartless words thrown at her in the past kept running through her head. The re thought of the cold eyes of that boy Monica had once believed to be her friend was enough to make her heart squeezed, but contrary to her expectation

"That's amazing!"

Lana rattled her chair off, leaned forward to examine the flabbergasted Monica before excitedly rambled on.

"Oh, my gosh! Why do you keep those things to yourself! Do cheering the match allowed in there?"

"you're planning to do that when you don't even know the chess rules?"

Lana's lower lip pouted at Claudia's remark.

"I've learned the na of each piece."

"Are you have no sha, to say understand the rules with that alone?"

"W-What's wrong with that?"

While blushing with embarrassnt, Lana looked at Monica whose mouth was opening and closing repeatedly, unsure of what to say, but her fluster state forced her to nod.

"Yeah, I'm happy to have your support," said Monica in a hushed voice, leaving Claudia sighed in disbelief.

" honestly, that statent could cause the bystander idiots who don't understand the rules to cheer loudly."

"Not even I would do sothing like that!" yelled Lana with her raised eyebrows, before turning her head to Claudia as if she had rembered sothing.

"Speaking of which, didn't you participate in last year's tournant? I rember there were also two mbers from the student council"

"I'm surprised you rembered."

Claudia grunted as her beautiful face contorted in vexation. Expressing as if she had been confronted with the mistakes of her past.

"Right, after Neil said, Let's do our best' I can't hold back in my match and accidentally playing it with my all what a blunder"

Miss Claudia Ashley was well-versed in many knowledge, yet extrely troubleso to handle at the sa ti.

Essentially, she loathed being depended on by anyone, kept others at a distance with a brooding aura, and made no effort to hide her spiteful attitude to anyone but Neil.

Of course, her motivation to participate in the tournant last year was the participation of Neil.

I wonder what kind of chess Lady Claudia plays I'd like to have a match with her, but I don't think she would agree to my request if I asked her to probably

According to Elliot, Serendia Academy had dominated the tournant last year, so Claudia must be very strong. Maybe she should ask Elliot or Benjamin about Claudia's chess.

As Monica was engrossed with that thought, sothing brought to Lana's mind as she suddenly chid in.

"Hey, I was wondering, are the schools we're playing against going to be the sa ones this year?"

" I suppose. It was dubbed as a social event for the three most prestigious schools, after all."

..Seriously?

Monica's heart jumped with an unpleasant sound at Claudia's words.

Speaking of the three most prestigious schools in this Ridill Kingdom, there was the Serendia Academy, a prestigious school for the children of noble families. The "Temple" under the jurisdiction of the shrine excelled in the field of law. And the last one was the best institute for training magicians

Minerva.

That thought was resulting in her fork slipped out of her hand. And a clicking noise was reverberated awfully loud, leaving her heart pounded heavily with her palms wet with sweat.

"Monica?"

"ah I'm sorry"

Monica hurriedly got out of her chair and tried to pick up the fallen fork but her fingers were unable to hold it properly. The fork slipped off between her fingers and fell to the floor again.

Minerva, an institute for training magicians, is an institution where Monica Everett, the Silent Witch, once attended.

Monica had graduated at the age of fifteen after skipping a grade, and most likely, her classmates from that ti were still in attendance at Minerva.

I'll be fine, I think they don't even rember . I'm sure.

Like Monica always did, she had kept her head down and rarely spoke in public. Even after she had learned the no-chant spell, she mostly stayed in the lab and didn't show up at any conferences or research presentations, so only a few people had morized Monica's face.

I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

Her desperate self-convincing words couldn't stop her body from shaking, flashing out the mories of the scornful eyes of the boy she once believed to be her friend.

You're not my friend.

*gasp* Monica's throat tightened.

Unsure of how to breathe properly, Monica took a series of short, gasping breaths. It was the first sign of hyperventilation. Monica hurriedly pressed her hand over her mouth.

"Monica!?"

Lana, noticing that sothing was wrong with Monica, got out of her chair and kneeled down beside her.

I can't let Lana worried.

Even when Monica's face grew pale, her body shaking, she moved her trembling lips.

"I'm fine yeah, it's nothing."

"But your condition didn't look like it's nothing!" grunted Lana in grimaced, when Claudia blurted out.

" do you know anyone in the Temple or perhaps Minerva?"

"!"

" looking at you, you seem to have so kind of bad relationship with that person."

Monica shook her head furiously as she held her chest.

No, you're wrong, Barney's not at fault, it must've been my fault, I was wrong, so it's not a bad relationship or anything, it's all my fault.

Every ti she saw that nostalgic face in her mind, Monica would bla herself. Otherwise, she felt like he would never forgive her. She felt as if she wasn't even allowed to live.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I ca out of my mountain cabin I shouldn't have been out in the sunlight I should have done what Bernie said

"Monica," called out Lana in a strong voice as she put her hands on her shoulder. In response, Monica turned her head slowly facing Lana, then with a determined look on her face, Lana told her.

"Before going to the chess tournant, get up earlier in the morning and co to my room. You hear , Monica, You must co."

""

"Promise ."

Monica has a habit to nod unconsciously when soone asked her in an assertive voice.

So in response to her reluctant nod, Lana told her, "You must co, okay?" to remind her about her promise.