Chapter 388
Chapter 388
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 388
Chapter Title: One-Man Team (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Amy pointed a finger at Screamer.
“Who else would I be talking to? Let’s be honest, your special strategy failed, didn’t it? I could understand if it ended there, but why take it out on an innocent teammate?”
Screamer’s face went blank.
As emotional as he was, he usually considered the circumstances before acting.
In contrast, Shirone’s group was charging forward recklessly, without any plan whatsoever.
‘Have they all lost their minds?’
Letting emotions rule would only lead to being exploited.
And Screamer instantly found a way.
This was an opportunity.
If he could easily gain 20 points at the cost of losing 5, it wouldn't be a bad deal.
‘With Maya on their team, they’re guaranteed to lose.’
Having made his decision, Screamer made a proposal.
“Alright, if you’re all so confident, how about we put it to the test?”
“A test?”
“You know we have the group evaluation in two weeks, right? Capture the flag. If you can beat me with Maya on your team, I’ll acknowledge it.”
Capture the flag was a contest where each side planted a flag in their camp, and the goal was to steal the opponent's flag while balancing offense and defense.
In the graduation exam, it was 15 vs 15, but for group evaluations, it was a 5 vs 5 mini-game.
‘Just like a graduating senior. He’s biting back properly.’
Shirone saw through Screamer’s strategy.
His plan was to force them to include Maya, whom he considered a liability, to secure an easy 20 points.
When Shirone hesitated to answer, a grin split Screamer’s lips. His red tongue flickered.
This was why you couldn't just charge in blindly. Whether they refused or accepted, he would win either way.
“What? Losing your nerve now that it’s real? And you had the gall to talk so big to me?”
Shirone, after long deliberation, finally spoke.
“It’s true that Maya’s sound magic is below average.”
“Hahaha! So you finally admit it! Yes, when you realize you’re the one at a disadvantage, you can’t help but…”
“However.”
Shirone’s face twisted in contempt.
“It’s still far better than having a guy like you on the team.”
Screamer’s mouth snapped shut, his expression wiped clean. He shot them a glare that used to make gangsters tremble.
“Am I to take that… as a yes?”
Shirone turned to his friends.
“Guys.”
Iruki, Nade, and Amy each took a step forward, flanking Shirone on his left and right.
Amy beckoned with her finger and said.
“Yeah, let’s do it. You’d better bring your best team. Not that it’ll matter when we crush you.”
With the situation escalating, it was Maya who was flustered.
She had messed up the evaluation and been berated for it. Normally, it should have ended there, but things had spiraled out of her control.
She was grateful to Shirone and his friends for standing up for her. But that made her even more reluctant to be a burden.
“Wait, I didn’t mean for this to…!”
Before she could finish, Nade pulled Maya into his arms.
As Maya’s face turned red and she was about to protest, Nade raised a fist at Screamer and shouted.
“Let’s do this!”
Nade’s voice boomed.
No regrets. In fact, it felt as if the resentment that had built up from constantly being wary of the graduating seniors was finally washing away.
‘Yeah, this is what it means to be with Shirone.’
Maya, on the other hand, turned pale. But the fervor of Shirone’s group was too intense to pour cold water on.
Screamer controlled his anger.
Looked at coolly, this was as good as a victory. They would lose 20 points, and he would gain 20.
“See you in two weeks.”
Screamer left the training ground. The other students stood there with dazed expressions, unable to believe what had just happened.
As if dealing with Fermi’s group wasn’t enough, now they were picking a fight with Screamer, who had a fair bit of recognition in Class Two.
‘Seriously, are they a bunch of brawlers?’
Sabina, standing next to Dante, let out a sigh. She tried not to get involved, but with Nade in the mix, she couldn't help but be concerned.
“This is driving me crazy. Why do they always cause so much trouble? Of course they’ll be at a disadvantage with Maya. Now Nade’s going to lose 20 points for nothing. Shouldn’t Shirone have stopped them?”
“You didn’t know?”
Dante turned away with a smirk.
“Shirone’s the king of the troublemakers.”
***
Ready for Battle (1)
For the first time in a while, Shirone’s group gathered at the Paranormal Research Society to spend a quiet afternoon.
Between his training and the missions from Gaold, Shirone barely had enough hours in the day, but his mind had been restless lately, so he had followed his friends to clear his head.
The feeling of lying on the sofa on a day off, staring blankly at the ceiling, was indescribably pleasant.
Why had he never realized how precious these moments were, always complaining about being bored?
Shirone recalled the events of a few days ago.
“By the way, about Maya. She was a commoner. I had no idea.”
Nade said.
“Me neither. I looked into it after that day. To be precise, she’s an outsider.”
“An outsider?”
“The Shinbi Tribe. They’re a minority group from the south. About 200 of them settled in Tormia and cultivated Kapura, a secret tribal remedy, for medicinal purposes. But 20 years ago, it was classified as a narcotic, and they went completely bankrupt. They ended up in debt, got stigmatized as a ‘drug tribe,’ and couldn't integrate into society. Things are tough for them.”
“I see. So Maya’s family must be struggling too.”
“Probably. I heard she has seven siblings. The tribe is likely pooling their money to support Maya. If she becomes a mage, it would improve the Shinbi Tribe’s reputation.”
“But how did she get into the magic academy? If it weren’t for the Ogent family, I wouldn’t have even made it through the special admission.”
“Professor Kolly recommended her. I don’t know the details, but they must have had some connection. Just like you.”
He was a stern department head in the graduating class, but at heart, he was a kind person, so it was entirely possible he had helped Maya.
“Apparently, there were whispers back then. But when her grades turned out to be nothing special, the rumors just died down.”
Should he consider that a fortunate thing?
If Shirone hadn't stood out in the entrance exam, he probably wouldn't have been so disliked either.
“Anyway, it’s a shame. The pressure on her must be immense. The entire tribe is pinning their hopes on her, and she can’t even graduate. It’s heartbreaking to see her swallow meat with water just to increase her vocal volume.”
That part weighed on Shirone’s mind as well.
“Yeah. And Maya’s a girl. Why wouldn’t she want to look pretty? I think she’d actually be beautiful if she lost weight. But I guess it can’t be helped as long as she’s in the graduating class.”
Iruki spoke up.
“Want to see what Maya used to look like?”
“Huh? How?”
“He’s quit now, but Nade used to collect a ton of them. You remember, right? The art books.”
It suddenly dawned on Shirone.
“Ah, the ones published by the Female Form Research Society?”
Nade sat up on the sofa.
“That’s right! We’re graduating seniors now, too. Most of the repeaters should be in there.”
Without another word, Nade ducked under the desk.
“Iruki, give me the issue and page number.”
Iruki, who forgot nothing, replied.
“The most accurate one would be the latest issue. Publication 48, page 8.”
“Number 48? Isn’t that from last year? Maya would have been heavy then too.”
“You’ll see. Just bring it over.”
Nade rummaged through the art books stacked in the safe.
He had lost interest after Shirone joined, but a man’s heart couldn’t bear to throw away his collection.
“Let’s see. Number 48, 48… Ah, here it is.”
Nade placed the art book on the table, and Shirone and Iruki leaned in from the sofa to get a closer look.
On page 8 was a drawing of Maya’s former self.
“Whoa…”
For a work by the Female Form Research Society, it was a modest style, and the rendering was almost saintly.
But that wasn’t what surprised them.
“Is this really Maya? She’s gorgeous.”
She was different from the urbane standards of Tormia, but she was a fresh and bright-looking girl that anyone could fall for.
Nade nodded.
“I remember now, I remember. I saw this picture back then and wondered who she was.”
Iruki explained.
“Maya started gaining weight in her second year of the graduating class. But it seems the Female Form Research Society only draws her former self.”
“That’s strange. Do they have a thing for Maya?”
“Could be. But doesn’t it feel more like respect than affection?”
Shirone was seized by an intense curiosity.
“Who are they, anyway? The Female Form Research Society.”
Nade said.
“That, I don’t know. If those guys get caught, it’s immediate expulsion. But they must be in the graduating class. Someone in the advanced class couldn’t possibly be drawing the graduating seniors.”
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. It meant they were seeing them every day, taking graduation evaluations alongside them.
Nade said.
“Let’s check out the others. This is from last year, so there must be other girls who are in the graduating class now.”
Iruki said.
“Pony on page 14, Suabi on page 16, and Dorothy on the last page. Those three are currently in the graduating class.”
Shirone looked back at Iruki.
“You really remember all this because of your savant syndrome, right?”
Nade pointed at the page.
“Hey, it’s Pony.”
Pony’s appearance was identical to her current self.
A symmetrical part emphasized her high forehead, with hair like golden threads framing both sides of her face.
She wore a dress that revealed her shoulders and collarbones, her chin held high in a pose that exuded royal grace.
“Ooh, Suabi is in here too.”
Kneeling by a stream, Suabi was nude, covered only by a blanket.
A bird was perched in her cupped hands, and she wore a beautiful smile never seen at the academy.
“It’s Dorothy, isn’t it? She looks so different like this.”
Dorothy was pulling up the hem of a black knit sweater, holding it in her mouth with a rebellious expression.
A teardrop-shaped belly button was nestled cutely on her slender waist, and she wore only underwear on her lower half, showing off her long, giraffe-like legs.
The tin doll she was never without was a key point, clinging to her neck.
“I thought this before, but they’re amazing artists. It’s like a photograph.”
Nade snapped the art book shut.
“Man, there are so many beauties at this school, but how come none of us have a partner?”
“Shirone does.”
“N-No! I mean, I…”
Nade shot him a sharp look.
“Hold on, now that I think about it, you said you went on a trip with just Amy. Did nothing really happen?”
“Huh? Nothing?”
Shirone’s face turned red. Nothing had happened, for sure. So why was blood rushing to his face?
“What’s this? Really suspicious. You’d better confess!”
Shirone’s eyes darted left and right. Realizing there was no one to help him, he resorted to his final tactic.
“Ah, whatever! I’m going to sleep! I’m so tired lately. Wake me up in an hour!”
When it came to dispelling worldly thoughts, sleep was truly the best medicine.
* * *
Waking up, Shirone sat up on the sofa. His friends were gone, likely having returned to their dorms.
“Ugh, what time is it?”
A note was left on the table.
*We’re heading out first. You’ve looked tired lately, so get some good rest and we’ll see you at the dining hall. Also, the red book, number 24, in the safe under the table is absolutely amazing, so definitely don’t look at it.*
Shirone yawned, crumpled up the note, and stood up.
“Still, that was a nice nap. I feel refreshed.”
Shirone grabbed his toiletries and headed for the graduating class building. He figured he could wash up at the school and go straight to the dining hall instead of going to his dorm.
The bell signaling five o’clock rang just as he finished brushing his teeth and washing his face.
“Hwaaaah.”
He yawned away the last remnants of sleep and strolled down the hallway with a lazy gait when he heard music coming from somewhere.
“What’s that?”
Someone was singing in the music room at the end of the hall. It wasn’t the kind of classical piece a mage would use, but a popular song.
“Wow, they’re really good.”
The singing was astonishingly skilled.
‘Did a professional singer come to visit?’
When he opened the door to the music room, he saw Maya, playing the piano and singing in a spot where instruments were lined up along the window.
It was the upbeat rhythm and blues song she had hummed while they were in the slash-and-burn villages, ‘Nothing More Beautiful Than You.’
The moment he opened the door, her voice hit him, and Shirone froze, a shiver of thrill running down his spine.
*Nothing more beautiful than you*
It wasn’t just that she was a good singer. Even knowing nothing about music, he was certain of it the moment he heard her.
There was something different about Maya’s singing.