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The first part of the trial in the succession battle was overcoming obstacles. It was a trial which tested how the participant could overcome various trials, crises, and traps when they appeared.

In the past, the participants always had numerous ways to overcome the obstacles. However, nowadays, of course, all of the obstacles were being overcome through pure muscle and will. Destroying, smashing, bracing and thoroughly dismantling, even if in the end the participants were covered in blood, the warriors who eventually arrived at the finish line were the best of the best.

Pugh!!

When the violent cheers erupted from the stadium, the three princesses set off. Thousands of people had come to see the princess who would soon become the Empress. They sat around the dome of Ferrodel with their hands sweaty due to sheer excitement.

The three princesses couldn’t interfere with each other during the trial. On top of it, they wouldn’t know how far their competitor had progressed until they arrived at the finish line. Only the people watching the game could know the progress of all the princesses.

“Ahhhh!!”

“Haab!”

“…”

Their start was flashy. They leaped forward in the air and rushed towards the trial. Of course, Yerina was the only one who didn’t do that.

“Oh oh!”

“What a forward leap!”

The first hurdle of the trial was crossing a rocky mountain terrain. The princesses had to climb over, or break through it to clear it. But the problem was, the rocky mountain was too high to climb over! The weak but strong willed princess would normally climb through to pass it, and the strong one would smash the mountain of rocks.

Whoosh-!! Whoosh-!!

As the first and second princesses swung their fists, a light storm broke out and a hole started to drill itself in the rocky mountain. Meanwhile, the third princess had not even arrived yet. She was slow to the point that the few people who had some expectations from her were instantly disappointed.

“O…Obviously, the second princess is much more powerful.”

“The first princess seems to have realized that her strength is less than the second princess. And it seems like she has been polishing her techniques more.”

The speed at which the two of them broke rocks was unbelievable. Then, when the two princesses were about to finally break the last rock, the third princess arrived at the front of the rocky mountain. The spectator clicked their tongue as they watched her walking leisurely, not even running or sweating.

“Has she given up on her life?”

“Well, she doesn’t even have enough vassals to become an Empress.”

“Yet she didn’t even want to challenge herself.”

However, the people who had been chatting were astonished when the third princess raised a wand.

“Wand? Maybe it’s magic?”

“Huh, you see all sorts of absurd sights in life.”

“Finally, the third princess has turned crazy!”

At that moment, the third princess gracefully waved her wand and chanted.

“Lapisman fight.”

It was a type of high-level magic which channeled the caster’s will towards the rock.

Thump-!!

“Huh???”

“What just happened?!?!”

What the third princess just did was vastly different from the other princesses who were loudly breaking the rocks. Since the rocks were making way for her, all she had to do was walk leisurely through the created passage.

When she passed the rocky mountain without any effort, the other two princesses, who had a headstart, were also finally able to pass through the rocky mountain. Unlike the other two princesses whose muscles had already turned red, Yerina was still walking gracefully. No beads of sweat could be found on her beautiful face.

The next obstacles which stood in the way of the princesses also had a similar pattern to the rocky mountain; it was blazing fire. To get through it, they would need strong muscles as well as mental strength to overcome the pain.

“Aaaaaah!!”

“Haaaah!!”

While the two princesses were sprinting forward even when their whole body was charred by fire, Yerina gracefully waved her wand.

“Flamita.”

Moments later, the blazing fire miraculously split sideways, it was as if a red carpet had been laid for just one person.

“Th-this is…”

“With magic, something like that can happen…?”

Of course not. The reason why Yerina could do it was because the magic she was currently using was an extremely high-level magic. It required its caster to not only cast a simple offensive or defensive magic but to also understand and deal with the nature of the element itself.

With only a few years left for the succession battle to take place, Yerina was determined to learn these high-level magic spells, and what just happened proved that she was able to master them completely.

‘It’s great…’

Slowly, Yerina began to take the lead from the other princesses. It was indeed nice to see them somehow break through the obstacles with their guts and strength alone, but in the end, Yerina’s method was much faster.

When she encountered a bridge made of lava, she gently swung her staff to create a bridge of rock and walk over it.

And when she arrived at a cliff with nothing leading to the land across, Yerina summoned a flock of luminous birds in front of her and used them as a foothold.

Watching her progress steadily, the audience was dead silent.

For five hundred years, the perception that ‘muscle’ was the best had been taken for granted by all people and nobles. With muscles, tenacity, blood-and-sweaty passion and brute strength, they thought that it would be enough to overcome any difficulties.

But.. right now, they were attracted by the third princess’ magic rather than the first or second princess’ strength. It was because it was more elegant, more relaxed, more beautiful, more mysterious and classy. How could they not feel so when such beautiful magic was beating the two strongest warriors of the continent even though the caster was doing so only by shaking the staff a little.

“No, no, no…. These are nothing but puny tricks.”

“Yes, that’s right. There is a golem as the last trial before the finish line. Can she even defeat the golem with magic?”

When Yoo Seodam heard about the golem, he smirked. It’s not like he thought that Yerina would win unconditionally. Rather, he was surprised that there was such a high-tech golem here in this world.

‘In a world where everything is ruled by muscles, it’s good to see they still use some magical elements in the succession battle.’

After all, without magic and science, the world would be nothing. It’s just that magic wasn’t being ‘described’ in detail in this world’s story, but it still managed to constantly reveal its presence behind the muscles.

Boom, boom!!

When the three princesses finally arrived at the final gate, the crowd clenched their fists. A part of them was hoping that either one of the first two princesses would win, and the part that wanted a change in the empire wanted the third princess to win.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Kuooo!!

The first princess rushed in with a roar as loud as the roar of the golem.

Koong-!!

Moments later, the first princess’ arms had already clashed against the golem’s arms. The height of the golem easily surpassed 5m, but her strength even managed to push this golem backwards!

But something even more surprising happened on the other side. The second princess had ripped off the golem’s hand with her grip forcefully! Even though the golem had three pairs of arms, it was surprising that she could rip one off so easily.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“As expected! There is nothing in this world that can’t be beaten by muscles!”

“Continue to smash it, Princess!”

Meanwhile, the third princess—the first to arrive at the final gate—still hadn’t taken any action. She just stood there taking her sweet time.

Some said, “Her taking the lead was nothing but a trick. Now that she has reached here, I think she is afraid that her insignificant fighting power will be exposed.”

Why did she have to wait for the other two princesses? Everyone who saw her wondered so. But, her next actions made the spectators think that she wanted to do so to show the overwhelming difference between her and the other princesses.

“Aktoma Frohibeire.”

As she graciously moved her wand, a fluorescent rope materialized around the golem’s body and bound it tightly.

“Jenu Gibin.”

Then, the golem knelt down on its knees.

“Lux Klumna.”

Pillars of light rose from the ground and smashed the golem’s head.

“…”

“…”

“Huh?”

The golem was destroyed after only three magic spells were casted.

Unable to accept that reality, everyone gasped in disbelief.

“She’s smart.”

“Right?”

However, the truth was, Third princess Yerina didn’t do it to show overwhelming dominance. She had to meditate once she found out the opponent was a golem and had to think on what type of spell to cast. But no one knew that she was preparing for such magic.

Rumble-!!

Eventually, the second princess succeeded in destroying the golem. When all the obstacles were finished, the veil blocking each other would be lifted, and they would be able to see how far the other princesses had progressed. Naturally, the second princess, who thought she would be first one to finish the trial, leisurely trampled on the golem’s head with her bloody body and lifted her head up.

“Huh?”

To her surprise, she made eye contact with Yerina who, after killing the golem before her, was sitting elegantly with her legs crossed on a pile of golem wreckage while enjoying a cup of coffee.

“You are late, big sister.”

“You… what… how…?”

“Maybe I was stronger and faster than you?”

Kuang-!!

Before long, the first princess also successfully took down the golem. And when the veil was lifted, she really didn’t say anything.

Unlike the first and second princes who were covered in blood and bruises, the third princess was clean and perfectly fine. Apart from the fact that her breathing was a little ragged, she looked elegant and sharp, just like before she had started. It was almost as if she had just gone out for a walk. Of course, the truth was, she had almost run out of mana, so she only looked a little different on the outside.

“Hmmm…. Well-trained muscles weren’t as good as I thought?”

Yerina smiled brightly. But her words only provoked the two princesses.

* * *

“Your Majesty! We can’t let it continue!”

“Your Majesty! We must immediately execute the third princess who used magic in the succession battle!”

“To mock the sacred succession battle with magic, not muscles…!”

The Empress looked closely at the faces of the numerous nobles who rushed at her as soon as the first trial was over. Those nobles who were questioning the third princess’s use of magic were the ones who either supported the first princess or the second princess. If the first and second princesses were defeated, they would lose everything immediately. It was no wonder they were so desperate.

‘They are weak.’

But in the eyes of the Empress, they only looked pathetic. It couldn’t be more lamentable that in this empire there were still nobles who lacked muscles and will.

“I will ask you. Have I ever banned the use of magic in the succession battle?”

“You have not. However!”

“However, what? The succession battle is a good place to do anything to prove your strength. Is it unfair because the magic is stronger? Do you think so?”

“Th-that’s right! Why is she using magic at a place where you have to prove your strength with muscles?”

“That’s funny!” Empress Primel Primelia cut off the nobles. She had no more interest in hearing their ramblings. “Since when have we—people who trained our muscles—began trembling at the sight of magic? Are you ignoring our national power? Are we that weak to the point we forbid it?”

“…!”

“The reason we pursue muscle, isn’t it for the sake of strength? Are you afraid of strong magic? Then train your muscles even more. If that doesn’t work, I’d say learn magic like the third princess in order to become stronger!”

Magic was no longer a discipline that could be ignored. When it’s sufficiently trained, magic could reach a level that even surpassed the power of muscle. The Empress finally had to admit that fact.

“You know? The combat power of all the trials were extremely fair. The reason why the first and second princesses lost is simple; it was because they are weaker than the third princess!”

The Empress slammed her fist on the chair’s armrest and stood up. If it had been the same as before, the ground beneath the chair would have collapsed, but for some reason her slam only made some cracks on the chair.

“The succession battle for the throne is a very sacred ceremony, and it is also a place to prove your qualifications to become emperor. You guys dare to object the results of the battle?! Guards! Lock them all in ‘Anti-muscle Prison’!”

The nobles turned pale at those words.

“P-please… Your Majesty! That’s not what we meant!”

“Please! Please withdraw that order! Your Majesty”

“What are you doing! Bring them all out!”

Anti-muscle Prison.

This prison was a very terrifying prison with the restriction that ‘you can never train your muscles’. While imprisoned in this prison, no protein would be provided, and no exercise equipment was allowed.

“If it is muscle loss–!!”

“Your Majesty!!”

In other words, it was the most terrible punishment in this world. In this world where the scale of muscles proved the strength and dignity of a nobleman, losing muscles because you couldn’t exercise meant a vertical fall in the position!

“Sigh….” The empress sighed. It was quiet sigh released only after the nobles were taken away by the guards. The Empress stroked her chin and thought about the trial which had just concluded. In fact, the victory of the third princess in the succession battle could be considered almost certain just by taking first place in the battle power trial.

‘The virtues of being a true emperor, huh?’ It was something which had been completely forgotten 500 years ago. Subjects that no one cared about were now looked at by the Empress.

The quality of an Empress? Grace? Etiquettes? Policy?

The Empress didn’t know anything. After all, she was strong so she had no need to learn them. However, the princess of this generation was somehow very different from her.

‘A princess who gains strength with her brain, and not her muscles…’

She stroked her biceps which were slowly fading away. Recently, when she cut the intensity of her workout by less than half, her muscles didn’t grow any more, and now it was hard to even keep them in their original condition.

However, she didn’t felt that it was a loss at all. After all, recently, the empress had been interested in reading. Moreover, the books were also related to magic.

‘If the next Empress ruled the empire based on magic, not muscle…’ She thought that maybe it would be a pretty interesting world.