Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: 025. Inter-Faculty Exchange Match - (2)
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Sophia Aquilova's selection as the Knight Faculty representative was for a simple reason.
Her achievements over the past couple of months had been overwhelming.
"Instructor, no matter how I think about it, this won't do. We can't put a wretched girl like that in the honorable position of Knight Faculty representative."
"Making some flash-in-the-pan kid who's only shone for a few months our representative is an insult to the Knight Faculty's dignity! And that girl is the traitor's daughter, isn't she?!"
Opposition arose not only among the Knight Faculty professors but also among the graduating class cadets.
It couldn't be helped. Sophia Aquilova was the descendant of a traitor. And she had no outstanding grades over the past year.
However, Chiron, the Swordsmanship Instructor overseeing this inter-faculty exchange match, dismissed all the objections.
"You lot talking about it while still nursing your injuries isn't very convincing."
"...Ahem."
At Chiron's words, the graduating cadet slyly hid his bandaged arm behind his back.
All the wounds had been inflicted by Sophia.
"Anyway, she's skilled enough to take down even you graduating seniors. The Knight Faculty is all about strength and merit."
The Knight Faculty had a culture of ranking matches. If a lower-ranked cadet challenged a higher one, the challenge had to be accepted unless there was an unavoidable reason. The results were posted as notices in the central hall of the Knight Faculty building.
Leveraging this ranking match system, Sophia had gone on a dojo storming spree, starting from the rank just above her own, all the way up to dethroning last year's top graduate just last week.
And she did it barehanded.
No matter how lackluster her grades from the previous year had been, beating every recent graduating cadet was more than enough qualification to be selected as the Swordsmanship Department representative.
However...
"Sophia, as the Knight Faculty representative, I expect an honorable duel from you."
"... ."
The Swordsmanship Instructor Chiron's hand patted Sophia's shoulder, his expression tinged with greed.
Chiron's intentions were obvious.
He clearly wanted to observe Aquilova's swordsmanship by sending her into the exchange match.
It was the same motive behind offering her private lessons last time.
'In the end, they're all the same.'
To them, Sophia was nothing more than a means to an end.
A target to shoot at. A tool to use and discard. A worthless creature they wouldn't feel a pang of conscience for throwing away.
She had long since resigned herself to it.
In the Knight Faculty, Erebos Academy, and the entire kingdom, she had no allies except for one person.
And sure enough...
"Ugh...! Traitor's spawn!"
"Murderer!"
"Forfeit!"
Even as Sophia stepped into the arena, it was the same.
The entire audience jeered at her in unison.
'I know.'
She was used to this kind of treatment.
It wasn't much different from before.
It was a matter of mindset. Sophia no longer intended to endure their abuse.
If they hated her...
'Then I just need to give them a proper reason.'
Crack!
A few minutes later, a crisp sound rocked the venue.
Sophia let out a small sigh as she looked at the woman with chestnut hair sprawled on the ground.
"Hoo..."
Izolde, the top student of the Magic Faculty.
Sophia's opponent.
Izolde's reputation had reached even Sophia from another faculty, so she had been fully on guard.
Just in case, she had assumed a combat stance ready to draw her sword, but Izolde foolishly mistook it for a handshake and closed the distance herself.
"...Is she stupid or something."
Who lets their guard down in a fight?
The starting whistle had already blown.
To think she'd even try to greet the enemy mid-battle, showing such weakness.
Thus, Sophia claimed a fair and square victory, but the crowd's reaction was far from favorable.
"...C-Coward!"
"Traitor's spawn!"
"Disgrace to the Knight Faculty!"
Jeers poured in from all directions.
Everyone in the stands was united in cursing Sophia.
Thwack.
Some trash thrown by someone hit Sophia square on the crown of her head. It slid down along the bridge of her nose.
"...Yeah."
It's fine.
Sophia brushed off the filth clinging to her body and let out a deep sigh.
She had long given up on improving her image.
It wasn't a big deal anyway.
To Sophia, there was only one thing that mattered.
'As long as my teacher approves, that's enough.'
Sophia turned her head to look at Leo seated in the VIP seats.
And she lifted the corners of her mouth as innocently as she could.
*
The match between Sophia of the Knight Faculty and Izolde of the Magic Faculty delivered a fresh shock to the audience.
Of course, in a bad way.
The honor-bound showdown between the Knight and Magic Faculties.
Contrary to everyone's expectations of a grand spectacle, it ended in just one exchange.
No, was what just happened even a proper exchange?
"Urgh..."
The inter-faculty exchange match was halted for an hour as Izolde was carried off on a stretcher.
Naturally, the atmosphere was as cold as if ice water had been dumped over it.
The guards broke into a sweat cleaning the arena for a while, as the audience had relentlessly hurled trash at Sophia even as she exited.
Why was Sophia, who was supposed to become the academy's future hero, receiving such treatment?
'Is it my fault?'
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
"Priest Leo."
A short while later, Priest Lowen approached after receiving a report from the cathedral side.
"Is Miss Izolde okay?"
If something bad had happened to Izolde, it would be a catastrophe.
"Don't worry. They say it's not a serious issue."
Good.
...Or so I thought, for a moment.
"Just a light coma."
I tilted my head at Priest Lowen's follow-up.
Did I hear that wrong just now?
"Priest Lowen?"
"Yes?"
"Aren't... 'light' and 'coma' words that don't go together?"
A coma means unconsciousness. How is that light?
Priest Lowen gave a wry smile as he explained.
"She did pass out, but her life isn't in danger, apparently. No major aftereffects expected either. Aquilova probably held back on her strength."
"Then when can Miss Izolde return?"
"According to the healing priests, she'll need at least a month of rest. Mages are supposed to take long breaks after head injuries, right? Something like that. By the way, Priest Leo, you're more thoughtful than I expected. Worrying about a student you barely know."
"... ."
"Priest Leo?"
Apparently, Izolde wasn't the only one who took a hard hit to the head.
I felt like someone had smacked the back of my head too.
"...A month?"
Izolde's absence.
A whole month.
This could only mean one thing.
'...Then who's going to clear Act 2?'
Izolde's role in Act 2 is crucial. More important than anyone else's.
She's the one who rallies the panicked, divided Magic Faculty students at the start of the incident, and delivers the decisive blow to the Predator.
In other words, Magic Faculty top student Izolde is an indispensable protagonist in Act 2.
For such a key figure to be out for a month due to a head injury now?
'...We're screwed.'
By the time my thoughts reached that point, I couldn't maintain my composure.
Before Priest Lowen could ask what was wrong, I buried my face in my hands.
"...Ahh."
This oversized mutt Sophia had finally caused an accident.
No Izolde. No protagonist to resolve the original Act 2, so all my plans go straight to the trash.
I needed countermeasures.
A student who could handle the situation in Izolde's place...
"Sophia."
Not like giving poison and then the antidote.
In the end, it always circled back to Sophia.
No, this academy did have other protagonist characters besides Sophia. There was Saintess Candidate Elise too. But she was the cathedral's forbidden fruit. Not someone I could casually approach.
It was at that moment of anguish.
"Oh, Lady Elise looks as radiant as ever today."
Speak of the devil.
The inter-faculty exchange match resumed.
It was the turn of Divinity Faculty representative Elise.
I looked up at the Saintess Candidate stepping into the arena.
Perhaps wanting freedom of movement for the match, Elise had cut her clerical robes like a miniskirt, and I could see the high priests from the cathedral foaming at the mouth over it.
She was even wearing earrings. Hard to see from afar, but they didn't look like holy relics.
"...She really has changed her image a lot, just like you said, Priest Lowen."
"They say the cathedral is quite worried about the Saintess Candidate's whims these days."
Elise's whims, huh.
There was no such mention in the original story.
Whatever.
The Saintess Candidate's outfit wasn't what mattered right now.
I didn't have the leisure to examine it closely anyway.
My mind was a mess.
I needed to review future plans back at the chapel.
"Haa."
Time to get up.
In the original story, Elise was supposed to face Sophia and forfeit anyway.
Having the Divinity Faculty's poster girl tussle with a Knight Faculty cadet would damage the church's image too much.
Yes.
That's how it had to be.
But...
"A dog that bites people needs some discipline, doesn't it?"
Elise smiled brightly as she assumed her combat stance.
Whoosh.
Holy barriers materialized in the air one after another.
Elise's golden eyes burned with unprecedented fervor.
"...Hmph."
Sophia, standing opposite her, scoffed and placed her hand on the hilt of her Ink Sword.
"...What the hell is wrong with you two... ."
Where did it all go wrong?
At this point, even attending felt like a mistake.
*
"Saintess Candidate, remember this. Once the match starts, just block a bit and then forfeit."
Before the match, the high priest earnestly advised her.
A Saintess Candidate had to show poise and dignity.
What was demanded of Saintess Candidate Elise in this inter-faculty exchange match wasn't victory. It was something more valuable than victory: forfeiture, i.e., defeat.
"...Yes. I understand."
Well, Elise agreed to an extent.
From the Divinity Faculty's perspective, this exchange match was a chicken rib to begin with.
No great gains from winning, but a loss would deal a huge blow to their reputation.
No need to show an unsightly side in front of everyone, honestly.
She was hopeless at physical activities anyway.
However...
"Next match. Divinity Faculty representative Elise Aurora de Lua, versus... Knight Faculty's Sophia Veronica Aquilova!"
The moment the announcer read the bracket, Elise's expression soured.
Sophia Veronica Aquilova.
During the last Full Moon Festival, they had crossed blades due to unavoidable circumstances, but truthfully, Elise didn't like her much.
She rather disliked her.
"...More than that..."
Priest Leo was in the stands.
Thanks to the VIP tickets Elise had showered him with, Leo was sitting close enough to recognize his face clearly.
To admit defeat right in front of that priest?
And to a mongrel like that?
"...Yeah, I don't like that."
Elise smiled sweetly as she gazed at Sophia.
The wretched mutt stood out plainly. She'd even heard Sophia had ambushed and taken down the Magic Faculty's top student just moments ago.
How could there be such a graceless dog?
"A dog that bites people needs some discipline, doesn't it?"
Elise slowly gathered her holy power.
"They say there's no such thing as a bad dog in the world, right?"
"Hmph."
Sophia scoffed and gripped her sword hilt. She didn't seem inclined to back down either.
"... ."
Elise glanced sideways at Leo in the VIP seats.
The priest is watching.
That alone was reason enough to give her all.
The cathedral's face, her own reputation—none of that mattered.
Elise was the only Saintess Candidate of her generation anyway. At least within this academy, not even Archbishop Balua could override her will.
If she had to attach another reason...
'Isn't this another act of deviation the priest told me about?'
Watching Elise burn with fighting spirit, the high priests in the stands nearly fainted.
And witnessing that farce,
Elise felt an unprecedented thrill.