Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 29

"!"

The instant victory was declared, a concussive blast of mana slammed into Crowlin’s solar plexus.

The surprise attack sent him hurtling through the air.

This… this can’t be.

Being knocked out of the ring meant an automatic loss.

Even through the haze of pain and confusion, Crowlin forced himself to focus and channeled his mana. He tried to kick off the air in the opposite direction, using the pressure to regain his balance, but—

Thud.

His body hit the ground first.

"……"

A heavy silence fell over the field as Crowlin lay there. It didn't last long, however, before the silence shattered into thunderous cheers.

"Woooah!!"

"We won! The Princess won!"

The Izelin camp erupted in celebration.

"……"

In stark contrast, the Jerome Academy side was deathly quiet. Even Crowlin himself couldn't comprehend what had just happened; it was only natural that the other Jerome students were left speechless.

Crowlin slowly pushed himself up. With a hardened expression, he turned to the referee.

"Referee, what happened? I clearly shattered Eleina's shield. The match should have ended the moment I broke her student ID's protection."

But the referee offered no response. Instead, Eleina spoke up.

"No, it wasn't my student ID's shield that you shattered."

Shwiiiing—

As Eleina extended her hand, a transparent shimmer flickered into view. It was a shattered artifact, shaped like a suit of armor that had enveloped her entire body.

"What is that?" Crowlin demanded.

In response, Eleina showed him a pure white steel orb resting in her palm.

"This is the Aegis Shield. An artifact I borrowed from Roen for a short while."

"A protective artifact? That's against the rules! You're only allowed one artifact other than your weapon. Aren't you already wearing gear to boost your strength and agility?"

"That is incorrect. The only artifact I am equipped with is this Aegis Shield."

"Then what about that reaction speed…?"

"That was a consumable item that temporarily boosts physical stats. An elixir, essentially. You simply assumed it was an artifact."

"……"

Eleina continued, her voice steady as she addressed the stunned Crowlin.

"Furthermore, I had already placed a spell on the Aegis Shield."

"A counter-spell."

"Yes. A spell designed to reflect an opponent's attack directly back at them. That is what pushed you out of the ring."

"…A victory of tactics, then."

Eleina nodded at Crowlin's resigned words. "Indeed."

It was a strategy that had bridged an overwhelming gap in raw power. This was all thanks to Roen, who had analyzed Crowlin perfectly. From his fighting style to his specific techniques and weaknesses, Roen had mapped out everything—including how to counter them.

"Are you saying Roen planned all of this?"

"That's right. I was merely moving according to his instructions."

"…I’ll have to re-evaluate my assessment of Roen."

Just then, the referee approached and asked Eleina for her student ID.

"Here it is."

Charrr—

As she infused mana into the ID, a translucent shield enveloped her. The protection was perfectly intact.

"Confirmation complete. Student Eleina's protective function remains active. The first match of the Territory War goes to Izelin Academy!"

At the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠referee's official declaration, another roar of cheers exploded from the Izelin side.

"Waaaah!"

Hearing the cheers, Eleina waved to the Izelin students, her expression brightening considerably.

*

A gloomy atmosphere hung over the Jerome camp's barracks.

Crowlin returned with heavy steps and bowed his head before Chepesi. "I have no excuse."

"We'll discuss reprimands later. Go back and report everything you learned during the battle to the strategy analyst."

"Yes, President."

After dismissing Crowlin, Chepesi began gnawing on her fingernails.

A loss… A loss, of all things.

To lose to the likes of Izelin Academy was a humiliating defeat she hadn't even considered possible. She wanted to rush out and teach them a lesson herself this very instant, but she forced herself to calm down.

This was a stinging blow, but it wouldn't change the final outcome. The power gap between the two academies was still vast. The only variable was…

The mercenary… I suppose.

Chepesi glanced toward the barracks where Roen was stationed. She didn't know exactly who Izelin had hired, but having won the first round, Izelin would likely deploy their mercenary in the second match to solidify their momentum.

In times like this, the right move is to play a strategic sacrificial pawn.

Even if it meant a bitter second loss, planning for the long game was the correct decision. And if defeat was inevitable, she had to at least crush their morale. It was the perfect opportunity to use one of the Izelin defectors who had joined Jerome; it would make for excellent propaganda later.

It doesn't matter if they don't send out their mercenary, either.

The representative she was about to send was stronger than anyone currently at Izelin Academy. Defeat simply wasn't an option.

Chepesi made a swift decision and selected a name from her roster. Her choice was a blond male student—one of the key figures who had defected from Izelin to Jerome.

"Josephine, it's your turn. Put an end to this conflict and prove your loyalty."

It was time for Josephine Ingrid, once Princess Eleina's right-hand man and royal guard, to step forward.

Chepesi added one final ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠incentive. "If you succeed, I will take full responsibility for ensuring your sister is cured."

Josephine bowed his head, accepting the command. "Yes, President."

*

After the victory, Eleina returned to the tent and bowed her head to me in a show of deep respect.

"I won because of you. Thank you so much."

"It's too early for thanks. The Territory War isn't over yet."

It was just one win. Two more steps remained for a total victory. The first battle had gone according to plan, but there was no guarantee the next would follow suit.

Of course… I’ve played the Territory Wars in 'Myrillin Saga' dozens, even hundreds of times.

The Territory War was one of the game's most entertaining features, allowing players to form teams with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠characters from different academies and battle using unique traits and skills. There was a time when I was more obsessed with this mini-game than the main story itself.

Because of that, I knew Jerome Academy's roster and knew the probability of Crowlin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠leading the charge was extremely high. But the roster I remembered wasn't a 100 percent certainty, so I couldn't afford to be careless.

This world has random variables.

Some games add RNG to prevent players from "cheesing" difficult sections through save-loading. Myrillin Saga was no different. On top of those variables, I had no idea how my own actions as Roen had altered the course of this world.

"Philip, it's your turn."

"Ye… Yes."

Philip, the Princess's royal guard. He wasn't exactly the most reliable guy, but I decided to place my trust in him this time.

Well, there’s a chance this match might be won without a single blow anyway.

I shrugged, glancing toward the Jerome barracks.

"You must return victorious," Eleina encouraged him.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Let's go, Philip!"

"Win this!"

Amidst the cheers, Philip walked out to the dueling grounds with trembling steps. From the opposite side, another student approached.

Step—

Seeing the male student, Philip froze in his tracks.

"…Josephine."

Philip's face contorted as he spat the name.

Josephine Ingrid. He was a student who, alongside Philip, had served as one of Eleina's royal guards. But in the end, he was a traitor who had abandoned Izelin for Jerome.

Philip glared at him, gritting his teeth. "You bastard… How dare you show your face here?"

If you're a traitor, you should stay hidden. To think he’d show up at the Territory War specifically to sabotage Izelin—there was a limit to how wicked one could be. Just how much more did he intend to hurt the Princess?

Philip gripped the hilt of his sword and bit his lip.

I will win. I must win.

Despite Philip's vitriol, Josephine remained expressionless. "…Shut up, you idiot."

"……"

As the two glared at each other, the announcement rang out.

"We will now begin the second round of the Territory War between Izelin and Jerome!"

Peeeeep—

At the sound of the whistle, the match began. Philip lunged forward immediately.

"Die!"

Fwip—

Philip drew his sword and charged recklessly at Josephine. However, despite Philip's spirited battle cry, Josephine simply raised his hand high in the air.

"I forfeit."

His voice was calm, cutting through the tension.

"?"
"Uh…?"
"Huh?"
"What the—"

The field was instantly plunged into confusion. Faced with such an anticlimactic turn of events, the crowd of over a thousand people fell silent. The match had ended before it even began.

"Uh… Due to student Josephine's forfeiture, Izelin Academy is the victor."

The referee, looking just as bewildered as everyone else, declared the result.

While the crowd was still processing the shock, Chepesi exploded.

"You bastard! What is the meaning of this?!"

She leaped from her seat and stormed onto the dueling ground, grabbing Josephine by the collar. She shook him violently, screaming in his face.

"Traitor! Do you think this changes anything?! Izelin is finished today regardless!"

Even if she had sent him out as a sacrificial pawn, she never could have anticipated him surrendering without a fight.

At Chepesi's furious roar, Josephine looked at her with cold, hollow eyes.

"A traitor? Those are harsh words. I have never… not once… betrayed my homeland, Chepesi."

Josephine turned his head and looked toward Eleina. "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"

Princess Eleina replied with a triumphant smile. "Of course, Sir Josephine. My loyal knight."

"What… what? Weren't you the one who betrayed the Princess?" Philip asked, standing awkwardly to the side.

Josephine let out a smirk. "Hmph. As if I could leave the Princess in the hands of an unreliable fool like you and actually join the other side."

"You… you son of a bitch…"

Philip cursed, his expression a mess of emotions, before pulling Josephine into a fierce hug. As angry as he had been, he couldn't be happier. To think the friend he thought was a traitor was actually a spy who had infiltrated the enemy camp under the Princess's orders—it was like something out of a play.

Josephine twisted his body, trying to shove Philip off. "Let go, you disgusting bastard."

"Shut up, you punk. You're dead later."

While the two had their "emotional" reunion, Chepesi was screaming at the top of her lungs for the head referee.

"I-I won't accept this! Elena! This match is invalid!"

In response to Chepesi's protest, Elena held up the match roster and shrugged.

"Student Josephine's name is clearly on the Jerome roster. This situation is the result of your own failure to manage your students. Furthermore, he forfeited after the match officially began, so there are no procedural issues. This is a legitimate victory for Izelin Academy."

"Gah!"

Chepesi whirled back to Josephine, her face twisted in rage. "You bastard, I guess you don't need the medicine for your sister anymore? Wasn't that the whole reason you defected?!"

"It was. But I don't need it from you anymore. I've already received the cure from Roen."

Josephine glanced at me. I gave him a slight smile and asked, "How is Joshua's condition? I hope she's improved."

"…I can't say for sure yet, but thanks to you, she's past the worst of it."

"That's a relief."

Josephine Ingrid. Having lost his parents at a young age, he had entered service as a squire and served Eleina for years. He was a prominent figure and a staunch supporter of the Princess, a man whose presence alone had boosted Izelin's ranking in competitive matches.

He was, without a doubt, the strongest fighter Izelin had.

However, as Izelin's situation worsened, he had been swayed to transfer to Jerome Academy. The condition was a cure for the rare disease afflicting his younger sister, Joshua—his only remaining family and the person he cherished most in the world.

Eleina had been aware of this. After consulting with Josephine, she had willingly agreed to let him go to Jerome. It was partly to have a double agent, but mostly because she hoped his sister would get the treatment she needed. Even if Josephine had truly turned his back on her, Eleina would have accepted it; she wasn't cruel enough to demand loyalty at the cost of a child's life.

In the original timeline, without my intervention, there was a high chance he would have eventually sided with Jerome for real. But because I provided the cure, Josephine was able to operate as a true spy. The information he passed to us over the last week was invaluable.

And now, he had plunged a dagger into the enemy's heart. He had fulfilled his role perfectly.

Having lost the second round in an instant, Chepesi turned her fury on me.

"Roen! Do you really think you can get away with a stunt like this?"

I shrugged. "…What's the problem? Winning by any means necessary—isn't that what war is? In that sense, I am executing this war perfectly. Now, shut up and prepare for the next round."

Flutter—

I shed my outer coat, handed it to Ciel, and stepped confidently onto the dueling ground.

"What? You? Don't tell me…"

Chepesi's eyes widened as she looked up at me. I beckoned to her with a single finger.

"That's right. I'm Izelin's mercenary and their third representative. Roen, from Eredor."

"……"

"Come on up, Chepesi. Let's settle this."