[Mia's POV: ]
"Huuuu…"
I have attended many alchemy competitions in my life in a worse state than I am right now however never in my life have I ever been this this much excited about something and anxious at the same time.
[ "Now then! We will begin with the first round!" ]
The alchemy competition of Principality is something I have attended five times already. Thrice as a spectator in the past and twice as a competitor, though at that time, no one knew me as the alchemist prodigy.
I was just a normal girl like everyone else. A pretty and easy-looking one as well, however, things changed after my first time in this competition a few years ago…
'I met someone precious at that time and that was the moment that I changed everything in my life.'
I learned things about my talent and things about the world that a kid from a back alley of some ruler place would have never learned had it not been for that fortuitous encounter.
They became my sponsor, helped me with things that I needed, and I learned to hone my talents in Alchemy, about harmony, and after learning more about this subject and finding it more fascinating than anything I had ever come across, I returned to the place that gave the precious person to me.
I got past the first four rounds back then, however, in the fifth round, my competition was with the people with the masters and grandmasters as well as talents that were face more refined than me.
I couldn't perform as well as them back then however, I did pretty well and was complimented by the judges... which was fucking humiliating.
'The annual competition of the Principality is the platform that gave birth to the (Alchemist of Silver), however, not many people know about this. Not even many of my house members know that I have participated in this competition previously.'
They will find out soon though, but that wasn't important anymore.
[ "Alright everyone! This is going to be a roller coaster! Look! The first thing that will be used to judge everyone here for the first round is this! You must already know what this is, right contestants?" ]
The announcer had been the same person since the last decade, but this old uncle was very good at what he did so the rulers' decision to have him was pretty good I would say.
They were special, and, the thing that they have revealed on the ground, the thing that was on display on every screen floating above us, was in no way something that all the beginner alchemists could create.
[ "However! I will explain to the audience what this thing is!" ]
The place for the competition's first day was set to be made with long benches with many materials for the participants and some open areas between each of these long benches for them to perform some of the things that they couldn't do in the simply provided places.
'And, what they had revealed right now, an ingot of simple looking iron that was anything but a simple ingot of iron, was not something anyone could make in a small place such as the one we had been provided.'
We alchemists called this material (Common Catalyst), a material that could be used in many of the alchemical reactions to hasten the reaction.
'Hmmm… looks to be of around medium-high quality. That's definitely not something just anyone with the basic knowledge of alchemy could produce.'
To synthesize a common catalyst, one needed a deep knowledge of the fundamentals of the alchemy itself, which was not something even many of the young alchemists in our school knew much about.
'They want to kick out more people than usual it seems.'
I don't know their intentions but from what they had introduced as the objective of the first challenge of this competition, it seemed like they were going to make the competition more tough this time than it was last year.
'But then again, nothing fun practically happened last year and things were boring so, this is something that spiced things up.'
There would be a more fun element to the game if the competition's stakes were upped by a notch, and this happened every few years anyway… just that I didn't think this year would be one of those so-called (Challenging turns).
[ "So everyone! I believe you have understood what this this, right? The objective would be simple! You just have to create what you think this is and when you are done, please get to this site for the assessment!" ]
The sold old ground of the alchemy competition, the same old things, the new stage, the unique people that were looking at all of us, cheering for the different people, the special people seeing the competition from close sitting right outside beside the level of the stage that was set for the new and old judges as well as the experts that I was quite familiar with already.
'Many things are the same, many things that never could be the same are different this time as well, many of the people around us are the same this time as well, however this time, I am a different person than what I had Bremen during both of my previous try's.
This time, I have not only the things I have learned by myself but, also the things that I have learned from the second most amazing person I have ever met in this life of mine.
'Vice-captain… I know you are watching us. I can feel you. I know you have faith in us, in me.
Rest assured. We will make it to the place that at least none from our school will be able to.'
He taught us through a book that was supposed to only exist for the teachers of the great Academy of Hope. He taught us things that were thought to have been forgotten with the loss of the civilizations, he gave us resources that were unfathomably absurd, and if that wasn't enough, he showed us things that were at the start unbelieve all in themselves, but by the time we understood just how true they were, we knew what we were learning for a simple alchemy competition, were all things that masters and grandmaster learning through long and persistent tries after seconding a large part of their lives doing something they obviously know they are better at than many of the people present in this world, than many of the common people currently just watching them from the higher grounds out there.
'Vice-captain Lucifer… I don't know who he is, or what he is, or, even why he was doing us all such a favor, why he was sharing such precious things with people that he will have no relation with after the things are done in this academy. I don't know what he wants or if he even wants anything from me at all… but, I know one thing.'
He is an amazing person. And, I have to stick close to this amazing person. Even after we are done with the academy, if fate allows it.
It's still a long time before the academy ends though. So, there will be many more opportunities to learn from him, but, just the things that he had taught us all in this short time we had been together, the things that no house captain could possibility even understand themselves, are enough for all of us to get through the first two days of the competition.
'Especially this first round.'
[ "Then, I would like to request Sir President and Lord Justin, the sun of the free country, to announce the beginning of our two hundred and thirty-first Annual Alchemy competition!" ]
We have completely learned all there was to learn from the greatest book written on the Alchemy, a book I know few people among these thousands have ever even come across in their lives.
'We all knew the basics, we had practiced everything there was from the basics. We learned how to use our unique abilities in the process as well as how we could increase the quality of the final product by doing some simple things and there are many more things that we can do with the new knowledge we all possess now.'
We can do many things with it, even making a universal catalyst is something possibility for us now.
However, the objective was to create something simple…
[ "I appreciate the participation of all the competitors present with us on this bright day. I also appreciate the presence of all the people who have joined us to witness this amazing battle of alchemical products.
Our ancestors have started this tradition and I will continue it by honoring all the participants with the authority passed down to me as I mark the beginning of our two hundred and thirty-first alchemy competition!" ]
Lord Justin was pretty young, however since the previous lord just passed away two years before, the responsibilities he had to carry all by himself had been quite heavy, and everyone knew that.
But still, the fact that carried them out so perfectly and even made improvements in the ongoing system was something that reflected his talents and capabilities.
And, though a great part of these advancements was the President of Lakmer, just the fact that both of them were as close to each other as a family, showed the bond this nation of independence had.
both of them were quite amazing people as well, however, there was something only Lord Justin was capable of as the true ruler of this land.
lightsnοvεl -Ooooooooooong!
The principality of Lakmer was a blessed land, gods and divine beings were rumored to have blessed this land themselves. It was said that this whole arena was created with the help of those divine beings' blessings, and, the Lakmer Royal family had always possessed a unique authority through which they could create unique phenomenons in this blessed land of theirs.
"As pretty as ever…"
Golden dust fell from the sky and everything that it touched was covered in a similar golden light, which included everything in this stadium.
It was a kind of buff that recovered everyone to their peak condition for the sake of the competition, and it was something only the royal family of this land could do.
And, this was also something only those who actually participated in the competition could experience…
'I am not too excited about this like many of the participants here since I have experienced this even when the previous head of the Lakmer household, Sir Justin's father had been among us, some of the older people here had been present since the start of this annual competition so they had seen all there was to see in this place, however, for those who experienced this golden dust for the first time, like my fellow mates, were all astonished at this wonder.'
The feeling of refreshment, the calmness that came after that, the sense of relief and focus, they were the gifts to the brave people who were at last brave enough to participate in a competition where such intimidating people were present.
It was for us, the younger people, for the ones who were seeing a crowd of this scale for the first time in their lives, not for those who had already gotten used to these gazes, this intimidating presence, this unique heaviness only we participants could feel.
[ "Good look everyone. We look forward to seeing your work." ]
President was someone Carla would have liked since he is so famous for his aggressive character but, well, I think since her grandfather is his friend, she already knows him.
He was a cool person though, and, since he has also announced the start of the competition… it was time for us to showcase what we have learned in these past few weeks, as well as throughout our entire lives.
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