After a while, I was able to confirm my guess. Viscount Telln began to widely distribute leaflets both inside and outside the Academy.
He had acquired a large gem said to amplify children's intelligence and mana, and then upgraded it with his magical abilities. The name was the Phantom Stone. If one endured ten minutes of a terrible nightmare, it would temporarily increase their learning ability. To be precise, it could enhance three aspects: concentration, intelligence, and mana. It was advertised as ideal for use during exam periods, and the nightmare would soon be forgotten, so it supposedly didn't matter.
Of course, there were some voices concerned about the children's health. However, parents' reactions to a product that simultaneously increased intelligence, concentration, and mana were tremendous.
'He's going to experiment on the day of the Petit Debutante.'
Naturally, the social world and the academy were in an uproar. And so was I.
'It was for a slightly different reason.'
Developing something that instills trauma in children instead of truly increasing their intelligence! Such things were nothing less than garbage.
'He should die.'
But how could I defeat them? Right now, all I had was cotton candy like a fluffy cloud.
"Besides, I don't have enough mana. So we can't break through head-on." I pondered.
'Is there anything that can help children while preventing Viscount Telln? But I can't make exactly the same thing because of my ability…'
I looked at the pink, cloud-like cotton candy, tilted my chin, and pondered. "In short, the Illusion Stone contains blessings and mana." If I did it well, I might think of a way.
I poked Dominic in the side and asked, "Can I still summon three demons?"
"Yes." It was like a sword. But if I thought about it carefully, three seconds seemed to be enough.
I thought about what I could do in the next four days.
Four days passed quickly, and the day of the Petit Debutante dawned. The huge hall was packed with children, parents, and observers eager to see Viscount Telln's welcome display. It was the most tense day for the children of all the elementary academies. It was a day to show off the most beautiful and rare things they possessed.
Gorgeous chandeliers hung from the ceiling. After a while, all the academy children gathered in the central hall of the academy. The huge hall was incredibly opulent. The soft carpet on the floor was carved with antique patterns from foreign lands. The magnificent obsidian table and chairs, decorated with angel patterns, overwhelmed the viewers.
The children who sat at their own tables screamed in amazement.
"It's so shiny!"
"My legs can't touch the floor…"
"It's natural that your legs don't touch the floor."
"Dazzling."
The children's likes and dislikes were clearly divided. However, most of the children here were aristocrats. They thought that flashy and adult things held the highest value.
"My mother is happy too!"
"That's right."
"Then I'm happy too!"
The children whispered and looked toward the VIP seats where their parents were sitting. It was customary for parents to attend the debut performance of young children. Moreover, wasn't it none other than Hessmann and Babyloa who were making their debut performance? It was also natural for wives of various noble titles to flock to it.
Parents screamed as soon as they entered the hall.
"Oh my God, how much does that gem cost?"
"That's amazing!"
"There's Princess Mirissa."
The greedy eyes of the adults turned to Mirissa. The little lady in a pink dress looked even brighter as she held roses in her hands. Everyone in the room wondered who the beautiful princess was going to give her roses to. Of course, they weren't curious with pure intentions.
"Who are you giving that rose to?"
"Isn't that my son?"
"Oh my God, if he marries Princess Mirissa, what a dowry…"
"He was close to my child."
"When the previous Duke was alive, he offered Princess Mirissa's marriage to our family."
Mirissa sighed inwardly. "What are adults?" She knew that every time she looked at him, the eyes of parents with sons flashed. But she wasn't even interested in that. Mirissa stared across the hall. The girl's pupils became cloudy.
'My sister… I prepared to give her flowers. Why isn't she coming?' The owner of the rose that everyone was curious about was Meldenique.
'My sister looks really good with roses.'
Mirissa was not interested in talking about her premature fiancé or the immature boys. She liked her older sister, who was like an adult, wonderful, and thought of her.
'When will my sister come?'
Mirissa slumped her shoulders down and looked around. She hadn't received any contact, so she became even more anxious. Her brother said he was sorry he couldn't attend and sent her a rose stone necklace through his servant. However, Mirissa was not in a good mood as she looked down at the necklace. After all, the Hessmann family was more important than her.
'That's it. It's easier for me not to come.'
At that moment, a nicely dressed Axion approached her with a sullen face. "Mirissa! I can't see Carat, where is Mel?" Axion's expression was full of dissatisfaction. Mirissa could read the suspicious complaint on his face: "Did you two go to do something fun without me?"
'After all, he's a typical carefree elementary academy student.'
"Let's wait a little longer." She told Axion in an adult-like manner.
Axion chuckled and scratched the rug under the table with his foot. "Okay."
Ding, ding-.
The bell of the Academy clock tower rang loudly. Finally, the Academy's biggest event, the Petit Debutante, began.
'What happened?' However, after the first part ended and the break concluded, Meldenique did not arrive.
"After Part 1, a break, and a time to introduce special items, we are going to proceed with Part 2."
'Why isn't she coming?' Listening to the guidance of the debutante's host, Axion and Mirissa stomped their feet in nervousness. Originally, I was going to introduce the product in Part 2. However, when I thought of Meldenique not arriving without telling me, I was worried.
Meanwhile, the lower nobles began to display the goods they had brought with them.
"The item I want to share with you today is a jewelry box."
"We've brought a 4th Circle mage to the house!"
Each time the children introduced the person they brought or gave them something, Mirissa and Axion's hearts grew more nervous.
"Mel… will come, right?"
"Of course. I believe it." Mirissa bit her lip. Mel would keep her promise. She was completely different from her brother, Duke Hessmann.
Mirissa glanced at the door. 'The door will be worn out.'
"But even now, if she doesn't come, she can't enter at all…" Axion's expression became very anxious.
"Look at the faces of the Duchess of Babyloa and Viscount Telln." They were already very excited on the platform. Look at the huge tables in the center of the hall lined up with welcome seats! They were arrogantly smiling at the white-haired president of the academy who was seated side by side on the podium. Even without seeing it, it looked like they were already casting a shadow.
Axion clenched his fists. "Nothing happened to Mel, did it? Maybe they can't come because they're harassing Mel." It certainly made sense.
"If that happens, I will never forgive that adulterous man or those people." Axion clenched his fists.
Mirissa nodded in agreement. "Assassinate him."
"No, I don't intend to assassinate…"
"Make him a eunuch." Axion's eyes blinked, sensing Mirissa's cruelty.