Chapter 72: Absolute Strength
As an apprentice with an A-level talent in the Sound branch, possessing the [Magical Voice Penetration] ability, unless someone had a talent that completely overwhelmed hers, she would never willingly submit to a newcomer who only surpassed her in appearance.
Similarly, Hill, who considered her strength on par with Freya's, though less overt in her emotions, had eyes filled with scrutiny that never once strayed from Janna.
"Is everything ready?"
"No problem."
Putting down the script and noticing the scrutinizing eyes around her, Janna understood that David Berg had her go first to showcase her strength and win over the others.
Therefore, for herself, for David Berg's support, and to increase her value in next year's contract negotiations, Janna had to seize every opportunity.
"Whoo—"
She exhaled lightly and, seeing David Berg's confident gaze, smiled slightly. Following the script she had memorized thoroughly, she began to sing the opening part.
"La la—la la la—"
"Spring whispers in the gentle rain, the rose does not disappoint the audience's affection—"
"Day after day, day after day~~ The rusted blade cannot stain the enemy's blood, the kingdom's silver edge is full of laughable jam—"
"Day after day, day after day~~ Galloping warhorses, countless banquets, roses growing in cages, when will they bloom in unlikable colors—"
The opening of Act A unfolds amid the hectic preparations for a birthday banquet.
Natasha, who disliked attending various social gatherings since childhood, was forced to wear layer upon layer of heavy gowns under the maids' assistance, making her already annoyed.
She couldn't help but voice complaints that no one paid attention to.
These lyrics were Natasha's helpless accusations while trapped in layers of gowns.
"La la—la la la—"
The melodious singing, as if magical, captivated everyone in the rehearsal hall hearing Janna's voice for the first time.
It felt as if even their souls were immersed in her singing.
[Character Special Talent, "Voice of the Heavens" activated.
Effect: A voice like the heavens; listeners will become somewhat entranced and develop a deeper affection for the singer.]
"I am not as good as her..."
Freya, who had harbored doubts, finally understood the source of David Berg's unwavering confidence upon hearing Janna's singing.
It stemmed from his confidence in this newcomer!
Whether in appearance or strength, without a doubt, Freya, who had always been proud of her abilities, was utterly defeated this time.
Moreover, what puzzled her the most was that, facing this newcomer actress who could be considered a "workplace rival," Freya didn't feel even a hint of jealousy.
On the contrary, after hearing Janna's singing, she felt an uncontrollable urge to hear more...
"Excellent!"
Clap clap clap clap—
As the singing stopped, David Berg couldn't wait to applaud loudly.
Seeing this, the other actors, still immersed in the singing, also began to applaud spontaneously.
Even the scrutinizing gazes instantly turned into genuine admiration.
"Your performance exceeded my expectations!"
"Thank you. If you keep praising me, I might take it seriously."
"Absolutely! I would never go against my artistic intuition to tell lies!"
Seeing David Berg's seemingly exaggerated demeanor, Janna smiled and nodded. Standing beside her, Liji Silks, while feeling proud, couldn't help but feel a bit pressured.
"It seems she has put in a lot of effort practicing in private... This won't do! I can't be outdone by someone I taught!"
Secretly determined, Liji Silks also began to suspect whether this genius apprentice, who had exceptional talent in opera performance, also possessed a talent in the Sound branch.
"Alright, let's continue..."
The rehearsal continued until 4 PM.
By the time Janna returned to the academy, it was already near dusk.
Creak—creak—
Holding the Misty Branch and passing through the vine corridor, Janna, who hadn't eaten much at noon, first went to the cafeteria to buy a few pieces of honey bread and two boxes of blueberry yogurt.
After packing them, she quickly returned to her dormitory.
"You've finally returned—"
"Door Spirit, did anyone come looking for me today?"
"Miss Vivian's messenger left a message saying she will still be waiting for you at the usual place on Monday."
"Alright."
Responding simply, Janna lightly tapped the magic painting with her knuckles, opened the door, and yawned from exhaustion.
"Indeed, no matter where you are, working is always the most tiring thing..."
After taking off her wizard robe, Janna looked at the schedule posted on the door.
"The originally scheduled Defense Against Dark Magic class on Monday morning has been moved to Tuesday, and Monday's class... is Transfiguration."
Currently, Janna's compulsory free courses included 《Defense Against Dark Magic》, 《Ancient Magic History》, 《Introductory Herbology》, 《Introductory Biology》, 《Basic Spellcasting》, and 《Elvish Language》.
In addition, she had also chosen 《Transfiguration》 and 《Contract Studies》 as elective courses.
Compulsory courses had their class times determined in advance according to the academy's schedule each week.
Elective courses, however, were more affected by the teaching wizard's schedule.
Although the total number of class hours was fixed, the teachers often had other matters.
Once a class was canceled, students could only passively wait for notification, and no refunds were given.
For instance, the 《Contract Studies》 course Janna had chosen, although taught personally by the principal, had a relatively average reputation for teaching.
Of course, the quality of instruction was certainly not a problem, but the esteemed principal was extremely busy and often canceled classes.
It had been a month since Janna last attended a 《Contract Studies》 class. During this month, there hadn't even been a notice about when the class would resume...
Splash—
Casually turning on the showerhead, Janna quickly took a hot shower.
After using the Cleaning Spell to dry off the water droplets, she put on her pajamas and, feeling refreshed, sat down at the lab table to review next week's courses.
"Partial Transfiguration, as it stands now, apart from accelerating magic consumption when transforming into features of other attribute creatures, doesn't pose much of a problem..."
"As for the other theoretical courses, there aren't major issues. I've already memorized what needs to be memorized. What's lacking is just understanding some of the content..."