Tabitha blinked at the challenger. Her staff, which appeared to be permanently glued to her chest, almost slid from her arms.

“You're the princess of . . . . poverty?”

“So I'm told. Wonderful title, isn't it?”

“It is! In a really cool and ominous way! You look super pretty for a princess of poverty, though . . . as well as totally rich?”

Katrina Mainz softly giggled. She had a mature smile and a warm voice.

“But it's true. I don't have a penny to my name.”

“. . . Ever thought about selling that handbag for a bucket of spare change?”

“I couldn't do that.” Katrina casually peered down at her accessories. “It doesn't belong to me. Nor does my uniform, for that matter. These are all donated items from my considerably more financially secure relations. I'm a walking charity case. Perhaps they should call me The Princess of Hand-Me-Downs instead?”

“Uwah, your hand-me-downs are amazing . . . I once got a scarf that'd been chewed on by the same family of moths for years. I felt bad about taking it away from them, so I didn't even get it . . .”

“Oh, I'm not blind to the audacity of my title. I would like to stress that I didn't bestow it upon myself.”

“. . . Meaning there's someone who does these things? Because I wouldn't mind being called a princess every now and again, even if they only mean it ironically and are actually whispering things behind my back! Trust me, I'm totally shameless that way! I can handle it!”

Katrina giggled once more.

“I'm not sure if there's any one person behind these things. You would have to earn the ire of the court of public approval as a whole.”

“That sounds easy! How do I do that?”

Yuela groaned into the side of the pillar. It was one thing for Tabitha to earn a few public tutters. It was quite another for her to strike out and purposefully make a bad name for herself.

“If you wish to follow my example, you would need to suffer a succession of financial crises. This is remarkably simple to achieve when you pair exorbitant household expenditure with limited cash flow.”

Tabitha hummed in thought. She was seriously thinking about this.

“. . . But I already have no money?”

“None whatsoever?”

“Mm. I'm broke. In fact, I think broke people have more money than me. I owe money to Coco.”

Coco looked up at Tabitha. There was a tiny crease in her indifferent expression.

“Coco confirms presence of outstanding debt, which totalled with accrued interest currently sits at—”

“Anyway, I'm totally penniless,” cut in Tabitha, her smile as severe as the scowl Yuela was aiming her way. “And by that, I mean really penniless, and not the kind of penniless where I have a handbag that can pay off all my owed pocket money.”

Coco turned her head at the luxurious red handbag hanging from Katrina's shoulder.

“Coco estimates that the retail value of the aforementioned handbag is insufficient to—”

“Aah! I get it! I get it! I'll pay you back, okay? In fact, I'll start saving straight away! This school gives us an allowance, right?! I promise I'll give you everything! I . . . I won't even leave money for food!”

“Coco accepts.”

“You answered straight away! You mean I can't even have food?!”

“Foraging and hunting is free of expenditure.”

“You want me to forage and hunt for my food?!”

Katrina raised her umbrella. She pointed it straight at Tabitha, a slight glimmer in her eyes.

“Then, on behalf of deposed nobles everywhere, I name you, The Princess of Outstanding Debt.”

“W-Wait . . . that's . . . that's not what I was . . . I mean, with a title like that, you don't even need to whisper behind my back . . . uh, so it's okay, I'll . . .”

Too late.

“I apologise,” said Yuela, her quiet voice ringing with deep repentance. “I had no idea that all this time, I was in the presence of royalty. Please forgive my gaucherie, Princess of Outstanding Debt.”

Tabitha stared long, hard, and pleadingly into the face of her new torturer.

“H-Hey, Yuela . . . you're not seriously going to . . . ”

“My apologies, Princess of Outstanding Debt. But I am not fit to be spoken with on such an informal basis. I insist, Princess of Outstanding Debt, that we refer to each other by our appropriate titles. Please understand, Princess of Outstanding Debt, that my impertinence throughout this day was not intended. Had I known you were the Princess of Outstanding Debt, my frequent allusions to your lack of intelligence would have been properly worded so as to not instigate a misunderstanding. Princess of Outstanding Debt.”

Tabitha fell back against the pillar. She'd suffered so many mortal blows in the past few seconds that her spirit was exiting her body.

Mission accomplished, Yuela turned to the default winner of the duel.

“Katrina Mainz?” she said, her hands neatly clasped in front of her. “I don't believe we've ever met. I am Yuela Vlinder.”

Katrina gave a little bow. To Mireille, it seemed wholly unnecessary considering she'd already courtesied.

Staying animated must have been a noble thing. Maybe that was why Yuela was always shaking her head and crunching her fists at Tabitha.

“I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Yuela Vlinder . . . although this would be the second time that I've said these words. We most certainly have met before.”

“We have?” Yuela's eyed widened at the embarrassing faux pas. “My apologies, I do not recall . . .”

“Oh, please think nothing of it. I'm quite forgettable. Ours was a cursory introduction in the past. However, I don't believe this is an appropriate time to add to it. I came to accept a public challenge for a duel. I believe your acquaintance has been waiting long enough, and I'm frightened that her strength wanes with every passing second.”

“You'll . . . You'll fight me?” Tabitha quickly defied her own escaping soul by jumping up at Katrina's words. “You mean you really wanna?!”

“Tch.”

Yuela made an unladylike noise as Tabitha recovered from the multiple knockout blows she'd dealt her. If she had it her way, Tabitha would always be in a state of enforced quietude. Her state of mind was inconsequential.

“Of course I will,” answered Katrina. “How could I not? You issued such a heartfelt challenge. I may have lost my inheritance, but not my shameless nerve to believe I can still defend the honour of the nobility.”

“Maximum points!” said Tabitha, nodding profusely. “If you see someone willing to embarrass themselves in public like that, you should at least give them a sympathy fight!”

“I also believe this would be the first encounter between a witch and a knight at this academy. Creating my own little tear in the history books does strike me as an attractive proposition.”

“I know, right? You don't need any other reasons!”

“. . . Well, I'm also interested in a little this and that. I'm curious as to how witches utilise their magic, as I've had precious little opportunities to observe it in person.”

“Heheh, in that case, I'll show you something special! My very best!”

There were so many questions concerning how this impending duel was going to pan out.

Mireille left them all to Yuela, who valiantly stepped between the two budding brawlers.

“I'm sorry, but this is unacceptable,” she said, solely addressing Katrina. “There will be no contest of any kind. As I have already explained to The Princess of Outstanding Debt, you cannot merely duel on a whim. There are regulations and rules to adhere to. Many of them. And all for good reason. Chief of which is that this hall is plainly unacceptable for use as—”

“Seraph of lambent flame, I beseech you to grant this follower pity so she may set her foes ablaze.”

“You're already casting your magic?!”

Yuela swivelled around. Her hands reached out, but paused in the air. She was clearly torn between springing away or grabbing the collar of the witch now radiating with a light, prismatic glow.

All around, students were immediately dashing away in a panic. Even the ones who'd been triumphantly scoffing under their breaths while not bothering to hide their eavesdropping made a beeline for the other end of the hall.

“Hehe.”

Tabitha smiled like a child at her own birthday party, then closed her eyes. Even now, she was still tightly hugging her staff.

Apparently, she didn't need to aim with that thing.

“Most sacred wielder of the burnished light, I ask that you strike with your swiftest mercy and deliver liberation for the lost.”

“What are you doing?! You're not even going to move?! You're just going to start nonchalantly casting your spell right where you're standing?! What about your opponent?! You're not going to ask her if she's ready?! How do you always succeed in breaking my expectations?!”

“Six Primers of the great beyond, receive my prayer and gift your most virulent calamity onto the masses. Bathe this land in doom's cacophony and wash away the haze of hope.”

“Okay, stop right there! Just who are these masses?! What's this about doom and calamity?! Are you fighting one person or the world?! Since when was wishing for global catastrophe required for spell casting?! Are you not making this up?!”

Tabitha peeked out from one eye.

“Eh? . . . But it takes time to cast my most show-offy spell, you know?”

“You mean you're saying these useless words on purpose?!”

“I need to do something. I might as well sound cool while I'm at it.”

“. . . . . .”

“Hm? Yuela?”

“You think . . . you actually . . . sound . . . cool . . . ?”

“Don't I? Look, look, if I half close my eyes as though I'm just waking up, doesn't that make me look three times as scary?”

That was it.

Yuela Vlinder's expression clouded over.

And then, while rendered speechless beyond repair, she chose this moment to finally call it quits.

Not content to merely bury her face in her hands, she scooted past Tabitha, hid behind the pillar, and then calmly lowered herself down. Doing away with any world inhabited by Tabitha's disregard for common sense, she planted herself at the base and curled up into a defensive ball.

Whatever will be, will be.

Mirielle and Coco took turns gently patting her head.

“Um, it's okay, Yuela. I promise I won't ever duel anyone without permission!”

“Coco asks that Yuela not feel disheartened. Tabitha is special.”

They received an indistinguishable murmur in response.

As for Tabitha, she'd taken half her vengeance for Yuela's insistence on her new title. And soon, she would take the other half on the one who'd given it to her.

“Soooo . . . Katrina? Since the duel has basically started, shouldn't you try and stop me?”

“Should I?”

Unmoving and unblinking. Katrina Mainz was the poster girl of calmness.

“. . . Uh, well, to be honest, I just wanted to surprise you a bit. I thought you'd definitely react if I started spell casting straight away. I mean, at this rate, I'm gonna have to really make sure I only aim for the top of your hair or something. You should probably stop me.”

“But observing a witch at work is fascinating. Seeing how your Mana physically encases you as your spell increases in volatility is, well, magical.”

Tabitha readily accepted the praise. As she briefly glanced down at herself, she hummed at the prismatic aura radiating from every inch of her body.

“I don't even see it anymore. I'm glad you like the colour palette.”

“I do.”

“Still, aren't you gonna get ready? After I fire this thing off, you need to retaliate, right?”

“I am ready.”

A diminutive response, shorn of any intent.

There was calmness, and then there was obliviousness.

Tabitha smiled with uncertainty. Her arms hugged her staff even tighter, as though to subdue some of the energy beginning to noticeably swivel around the gleaming red jewel atop it.

“You sure? Because all I see is an umbrella and a handbag. It looks nice, by the way.”

“Thank you. I believe it was handmade.”

“So, like, you've got your weapons inside it, right? Collapsible swords or what?”

“You have no need to worry about me. Simply continue with your marvellous spell.”

“Alrighty!”

And so, Katrina Mainz, armed with nothing more than an umbrella and a handbag, peacefully faced the torrent of swirling magic as though she were neatly assessing the weather from behind the comforts of a glass window.

Her expression was one of curiosity. She was like a researcher calmly awaiting the results of Tabitha's highly impractically charged spell, regardless of where it was aimed.

“Incidently, I notice you are concentrating with exceptional focus and clarity, even though you are appearing to speak with little effort. Quite a trait.”

“Oh? Well, I'm pretty good. I can even perform concurrent casting while doing a light waltz.”

“What would happen if I were to disrupt your spell cast?”

“Nothing. I'm totally expecting you to, so I'll just let the spell fly. It'll pass right over your head, but stop just before it hits the wall.”

“I see. And what would happen if I were to disrupt you in a way which you absolutely do not expect? Wouldn't the sharp loss of concentration be calamitous, now that I imagine your spell is nearing the apex of its power?”

“Huh? Well—”

“I concede.”

“. . . Eh?”

Katrina's handbag and umbrella dropped to the floor. She raised her hands and smiled.

“You win.”

“Eeeh?!”

All of a sudden, claws of prismatic light discharged from the jewel atop Tabitha's staff.

Before, the flickers being exuded were like ocean waves gently rolling against a waterfront.

Now, they were flames eating at the air.

“Wait, back, back, back you go!” said Tabitha, desperately fanning away the immeasurably destructive light as though it was a misbehaving puppy. “Bad! Bad!”

It didn't work.

Mireille's hands shot to cover her eyes as a blanket of white light engulfed the hall. In those ensuring seconds, her world consisted of the sound of a tremendous rushing existed, like a typhoon trying to squeeze through a tiny gap in the door.

And then, she was blown off her feet.

Not by an impact. But by the noise of a deafening thunderbolt.

She landed on her backside. The booming reverberations sung throughout her entire body. She couldn't raise herself. The aftershocks of the noise alone was enough to pin her down. She was sure that everyone and everything else in the hall had suffered the same fate.

As the light began to fade, Mireille's blinking eyes were immediately drawn towards Katrina Mainz.

Or rather, where she should have been.

The Princess of Poverty was nowhere to be seen.

A dreaded chill ran down Mirielle's spine. However, logic told her that Katrina hadn't been struck. There was no crater in the ground. There weren't even any scorch marks.

The damage was to the windows and the roof.

An inordinate amount of sunlight rushed down to greet the stunned inhabitants of the practice hall. The stained glass windows were now residing on the grass outside the building in tiny little pieces. As was a section of the roof.

There was a huge hole high above them.

Tabitha had refurbrished the practice hall with a natural skylight.

Mirielle gulped. She wasn't sure how much academy roofs were priced these days, tapestry and ornate carvings and all. But she was sure that a penniless witch would have trouble affording it.

Tabitha Holtsen's debt repayments were going to be significantly prolonged.

“Uuugh . . . . . .”

As for the girl herself, Mireille saw her collapsed exactly where she'd stood. Face down and groaning, only her fingertips were moving. Her staff was finally disattached from her body. It was a sad sight.

Mireille heard footsteps behind her. Yuela was already on her feet. Perhaps it was because she'd already been curled up in a defensive posture. Mireille could only be impressed at her foresight.

“. . . Is she dead?” asked Yuela, her voice solemn and eerily still.

Mireille returned her attention to Tabitha. She heard another faint groan.

“N-No . . . she's alive . . . I think?”

“I see.”

Yuela calmly raised her bow and aimed it at Tabitha's motionless body.

Mireille had to throw herself around Yuela's ankles.