Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Midterm Exam (3)
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Aren's group arrived at what looked like the escape area.
"...It's spacious."
"Super spacious..."
The girls' mouths fell open slightly, as if they hadn't imagined such a clearing in the middle of the forest.
'Pretty big, huh.'
It wasn't enough for all the teams to enter at once, but at least a third could fit simultaneously.
"So, what's the plan now, Aren?"
Veronica's green eyes turned toward Aren. She was demanding an explanation.
"Calm down, Veronica. I know you're eager, but this is exactly when you need to keep a cool head."
Realizing her own impatience, her cheeks flushed slightly. Then, in a cool voice, she said,
"...Cut the nonsense and explain. Are we really just going to wait here?"
"Yes."
"Hieeek..."
Aren patted Lydia's head as she made a weird noise beside him, then began explaining.
"Do you remember the midterm exam rules?"
"...Of course."
"Then you should understand this is no problem at all."
"......"
Veronica's lips moved as if to say something.
But no other opinion came out in the end.
...It was indeed the most efficient method: robbing points from other teams that had gathered them.
Resentment from other students?
He hadn't considered that from the start. This was a competitive world, after all. The strong rose, and the weak were weeded out. That was the law of this world, unbroken for hundreds or thousands of years. And it didn't change for students.
"Anyway, toward the end of the four-hour limit, plenty of teams will come here with their points. We wait patiently, snatch the points, escape, and we're done. What's there to worry about?"
"......"
Listening to Aren, Veronica felt herself calming down a bit. That strange yet warm feeling made her heart thump a little harder instead.
Confirming she had settled, Aren shrugged and led Lydia to one side of the clearing.
A spot with not too much dirt and enough grass to lie comfortably...
'This'll do.'
Perfect for lounging.
Aren grinned at Lydia.
"Lydia, mind lending me your thigh?"
"Pardon?"
She stared at him with a baffled look, as if unsure what he was asking.
The more puzzled she got, the more boldly he requested.
"I need Lydia's soft thigh."
"P-Pardon???"
...
"M-My thigh...? W-Why...?"
"How could I not when it's really necessary?"
Lydia's eyes trembled as if she was genuinely flustered.
"Th-That..."
"We're the best of friends, aren't we? I figured this much would be fine... Was I wrong?"
At Aren's slightly hurt and sad expression, she panicked even more, waving her hands wildly.
"N-No! Since we're friends... yeah. You're a special friend, Aren, so I can do this much..."
"Really?"
"Y-Yes."
Aren instantly brightened up again.
"Then, I'll borrow your thigh, Lydia."
"O-Okay..."
With that, Lydia carefully sat on the ground and stretched out her legs. Aren laid his head on her white, soft thigh.
'......Oh.'
This is the life.
The squishy, soft texture was great, but from this angle, the view of her beautiful curves—and the faint glimpse of her flushed red face between them—was breathtaking.
Meanwhile, Lydia, giving Aren a lap pillow, felt her face might explode from embarrassment. But somewhere in her fluttering heart, she placed her hand on his head—
Smooth—
Smooth—
"...H-How is it, Aren?"
"Incredibly comfortable."
And stroked his hair.
Seeing him enjoy her touch, she thought,
'Like... a cat.'
A spark of maternal instinct ignited, and she kept petting him. Occasionally brushing his ear or peeking at his forehead.
On the other hand, Veronica watched the scene with a furrowed brow, glaring at Aren.
"......What do you think you're doing?"
"Hm? Resting, as you can see."
"...Is that resting?"
"Yes. If lying down isn't resting, what is?"
"......Well."
She was at a loss for words.
It wasn't wrong, technically...
"......Even if you're fine with it, Lydia must be uncomfortable. Get off."
"Are you uncomfortable, Lydia?"
"N-Nooo... Your head on my thigh has this nice weight that feels kinda stable..."
"See, Veronica?"
"......"
She stared at the two with sunken eyes.
For some reason, a slight ache tugged at one corner of her chest.
But dismissing it as imagination, Veronica sighed.
"Haa... Lydia. If that pervert makes you uncomfortable, just say so. I'll handle it."
"O-Okay..."
"Hm? Does that mean Veronica's offering a lap pillow instead?"
"......Well."
...She stammered for a moment in surprise, but soon spoke as if it were nothing.
"...Yes."
"Hmm?"
"But don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want Lydia suffering because of a pervert like you."
"Hmm..."
Glancing sideways, he caught the tips of Veronica's ears turning red.
'So that's how it is.'
He'd thought she was the cool, devoted wife type, but turns out she had a tsundere side too.
Meanwhile, the professors watching Aren's group were speechless.
"...That's what I think it is, right?"
"Yeah. Seems like it."
One professor blurted out,
"It's a bloodbath."
Everyone nodded at first... then waved it off.
"N-No, I didn't mean that... I mean the top team's strategy."
"Strategy?"
"Yes. The reason the top team is resting without hunting monsters right in front of the escape area... It's obviously to steal points from students arriving later."
"Hmm... You're right."
Then Lorenben stepped forward.
"Isn't that against the rules? Taking points without proper effort. If it really happens, we should disqualify them immediately. Strip them of the top spot too—"
"No, that's not it."
"...Professor Sierra."
Lorenben looked at Sierra approaching from behind.
...The annoying woman who always blocked his path.
"There's no rule violation in Aren student's strategy. You all know that."
Everyone nodded.
A few led by Lorenben seemed dissatisfied with Aren's approach, but fundamentally, there was no rule break.
"Besides, it's not even happened yet. Instead of complaining now, shouldn't we just watch?"
"......"
Lorenben's brow furrowed at the smiling Sierra.
He clenched his fist in secret.
Had it been an hour or two of rolling between Lydia's and Veronica's thighs?
Other students started approaching the escape area—
"Whoa...! Th-This is really working...!"
"......"
Aren seized points from the students, just as planned.
He patted the excited Lydia's head.
She'd hesitated with guilt over taking others' points before, but now that it was happening, she was thrilled.
'Interesting.'
Lydia must be a natural in real combat.
Meanwhile, Veronica gazed in the direction the robbed students fled and murmured lowly.
"...Is it okay just letting them go? It might've been better to force them to retire. If they spread word about us, other students might come as an alliance next time."
"Hm. Could be."
"Then why..."
Aren chuckled.
"Because we're stronger anyway."
He tapped Veronica's waist.
She flinched, recalling the training hall, her face reddening.
"Even if others ally against us, we'll win. I believe in the stronger Veronica from our 'training.' Don't you?"
"......I do too."
So cute.
He lightly rubbed between her waist and hips.
"Then we're good. We just wait for them to lure in bigger fish."
"......"
Consideration for other teams?
Sorry, no such thing. The exam wasn't a one-time thing, and this was a competitive world— this much was fine.
And so, Aren's team repeatedly crushed incoming teams one-sidedly, took their points, and let them go. Word spread, and more alliances formed.
But alliances of non-top teams couldn't even breach Aren's threshold—no, not even Veronica's or Lydia's.
So the allied teams got stripped of points too.
Repeating this—
—They hooked a monster catch.
"Jackpot."
"......"
"Hieeek."
Toward the exam's end.
Ferris, the Next Northern Grand Duke, and the Sword Saint's Disciple—all hooked at once.