Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The PvP Event
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Time flew by, and a month passed.
Throughout that month, the heart-pounding training sessions with Liche continued.
For the three days when there were no classes, we practically lived at the Adventurer's Guild.
On the second day, we faced a C-rank monster far stronger than a salamander. On the third, B-rank fodder monsters.
Being put through the wringer like that, Liche grew thinner by the day. It was like she’d shed what little flesh she had on her already skinny frame, leaving only bone.
That was the first time I saw what happens when a person is pushed to their absolute limit.
They say you have to face the threat of death to grow, but when every single day is a life-or-death crisis, it’s its own special kind of torture.
Still, Liche never uttered a single word of complaint. Why? Because even after all that hellish training, the growth she experienced was palpable.
When Liche came to find me on the second day, her hair a disheveled mess, she spoke as if in wonder.
She said her mana capacity had definitely increased compared to the day before.
Of course it had. Hunting monsters is a much faster way to grow. Besides, if she’d had any complaints, she would have given up long ago.
Doesn’t that make attending the academy pointless? If growth is all that matters, everyone would just become adventurers.
But Liche was still a first-year. I understood after looking at the academic calendar. The first-year curriculum was focused more on theory than practical application.
The emphasis on practical skills increases with each year, but Liche couldn't wait that long.
And then there’s the academy’s name.
An easy analogy would be the brand names from my past life. Slap a logo on a t-shirt and the price skyrockets into the hundreds. Graduate from a university with a big name, and you're recognized everywhere.
Similarly, just graduating from the academy was enough to be recognized as a talented individual wherever you went.
Even after the academy’s three-day break ended, Liche continued to be relentlessly trained.
She had somehow managed to get a class exemption slip from her A-Class homeroom professor under the pretext of having private lessons with me.
You could think of it as something like a field trip from my past life.
Normally, it wouldn't have been allowed, but since Liche was the top student, she had the credibility to make it happen.
After being ground down for a whole month, Liche had certainly gotten stronger. And if she hadn’t, I would have kept grinding her until she did.
Of course, there was a minor Arthur-related incident during the training.
Unable to find Liche on campus lately, Arthur had asked around and eventually tracked us down.
He demanded to know why his heroine was hanging around with me. But for fuck’s sake, she was the one following me, not the other way around.
The protagonist was so incompetent that his heroine was following me around, which was nothing but a pain in my ass. Thinking about it now, I got so pissed off I landed a silent punch right in his face.
Arthur was sent straight to the nurse's office, and I didn't see him for the rest of the day.
This routine continued, and time passed until the day of the PvP event arrived.
***
"Look at this crowd."
We were currently seated in the professor-designated section of the large training grounds.
The grounds consisted of a large central space surrounded by spectator stands, with the center itself divided into several smaller training arenas.
Even excluding the designated seating, the stands were packed with a noisy, bustling crowd. Every student, including the graduating third-years, had taken a seat and was waiting expectantly.
Even students who had been away on long-distance practical training had all returned, making for a considerable number of people.
The only ones not in the stands right now were the students participating in today's event and the professors acting as supervisors.
Of course, I didn't fall into either category, so I was just sitting in the professor's section with my legs crossed, enjoying the view.
"Ugh... There are so many people, I think I'm getting dizzy."
"Same here."
I was a shut-in in my past life, and Yui had been cooped up in her room until recently, so neither of us could stand crowded places like this.
Honestly, coming to watch was optional, but I couldn't miss a good show, which is why I'd come armed with popcorn.
"Still, it's nice that we have a separate section for professors, isn't it?"
"It's tolerable, at least."
Luna, who must have been an extrovert before becoming a slave, seemed perfectly fine.
"There really don't seem to be many third-years."
Although the PvP event had nothing to do with them, the third-years had all shown up, eager to watch. Yet, their numbers were clearly smaller compared to the first and second-years.
The reason was likely the high number of expulsions and dropouts.
Many students realized their limits and dropped out early, or like the Luke of the past, were expelled for poor grades.
That's why making it to the third year was seen as a guarantee of graduation, and those students were considered elites not just within the academy, but throughout the empire.
In fact, students who graduated from the academy’s combat programs were, in terms of raw power, no different from B-rank adventurers.
"Still, there are a lot of them."
I should send them all to be my assistants.
That’s how everyone becomes a graduate student.
"Hello, temporary professor."
As I was carefully observing the third-year students, a female professor I had seen once before sat down next to us.
"Who are you?"
I recognized her face, but we knew nothing about each other, not even names.
All I knew about her was that she was an academy professor, and all she knew about me was that I was an adventurer currently serving as a temporary professor.
"Come to think of it, we've never properly introduced ourselves."
The female professor introduced herself as Liana Lindsay, the homeroom professor for C-Class.
So, we returned the favor with our own introductions.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Oh, no reason. I just saw this seat was empty."
Liana offered a small smile.
But I could tell she was lying.
Who seeks someone out for "no reason"? It was obvious she had something to say.
Seeing this, I subtly whispered to Luna.
"A gold digger?"
"...Please don't be so quick to judge someone's kindness."
I got an earful.
Seriously, what woman shows goodwill to someone she just introduced herself to if not a gold digger?
"Just what kind of world did you live in, Sir Luke...?"
The world I came from was a battlefield where you had to keep your hands in your pockets if a strange woman got close.
As I was talking with Luna, Liana spoke up tentatively.
"It’s nothing special, really. I just heard from Professor Epert that the professor personally invited by the Headmaster has been privately tutoring the first-year’s top student, and I was curious about what kind of training you provided."
An individual esteemed enough to be invited by the Headmaster was personally training the academy's top talent.
Of course she'd be curious about the details of that training.
But unfortunately for her, there wasn't much to tell.
"We've just been hunting this whole time."
That one sentence was the whole story.
There was nothing to hide. It was my policy to answer if asked, and we really had done nothing but hunt.
"Is that all...?"
"Yep."
Well, there are plenty of ways to get stronger besides hunting.
In the story, Arthur circulated mana through his mana circuits to expand them and repeatedly emptied and refilled his mana to increase his maximum capacity.
There were various training methods, but in the end, Arthur also grew stronger by fighting monsters and demons.
"The PvP event will now begin!"
Just then, a voice echoed throughout the training grounds.
A professor with silver-blue hair stood in the middle of the large arena. He must have imbued his voice with mana, because every syllable carried clearly all the way to the distant spectator stands.
"The duels will commence on the signal of the supervising professors in each arena! Victory is achieved when a professor judges an opponent to be incapable of continuing combat, or upon an opponent's surrender! Each participant may only carry one weapon provided by the academy. All other weapons, magic tools, and artifacts are forbidden! Let's have a fair and honorable competition!"
It wasn't a long speech, but it covered all the essential points.
I already knew the lines from reading the novel.
Though he didn't explicitly state it, any cheating or manipulation would result in a loss at the supervising professor's discretion.
In other words, he was telling everyone to use their heads and act accordingly.
"Looks like it's finally starting."
"About time."
The wait felt incredibly long.
It was like sitting in a movie theater and being forced to watch useless commercials.
In reality, it hadn't even been ten minutes, but it felt like thirty.
As soon as the silver-blue-haired professor finished speaking, students ascended the stairs to the various arenas in pairs.
The matchups were completely random, regardless of skill or rank.
And what kind of situation does that create?
For example, the top student could be matched with the student in last place.
One might think that would be an unfair fight, but as a professor, I had been briefed beforehand.
The final rankings weren't just based on victories in this test, but also on how much one showcased their abilities.
To put it bluntly, even the last-place student could improve their standing by showing they could block the top student's magic and endure, by demonstrating exceptional mana control, or simply by proving they had become significantly stronger than before.
The supervising professors would make their judgments, and the rankings would be adjusted later based on a comprehensive evaluation.
""Begin the duel!""
Voices erupted simultaneously from each arena, followed by the sounds of explosions from all over.
However, the spectators' attention was focused on only a few select spots.
Naturally, the crowd was drawn to the most spectacular fights. After all, flashiness was a sign of a strong student.
It was only to be expected.
If there were a monster colosseum, a fight between an ogre and a minotaur would be far more entertaining than one between a goblin and a warg.
"It seems everyone has worked hard," Liana said, smiling as if proud.
I had only been here a short while and didn't really care, so I wouldn't know.
But Liana must have watched all these students over time, so she would be able to see their growth.
Still, in my eyes, they were all just a bunch of weaklings.
As expected, the lower-ranked students' matches ended without much fanfare. A few spells cast, a bit of rolling around, and that was it.
Several duels ended in a short span of time. As soon as an arena was restored with repair magic, the next pair of students would ascend.
Among them was one student who stood out.
"Ah! Student Arthur!"
It was the public toilet himself, Arthur.
"Did you know? I've been watching that student for a while, and his growth rate is astonishing. He seems different every time I see him."
He's the protagonist and a transmigrator; it would be weird if his growth was slow.
Honestly, I still think he's progressing too slowly.
"He's not at your level, Professor Luke, but I can guarantee he'll be moved to A-Class if the rankings change this time!" she declared with a proud expression.
Though we had only exchanged a few words, I was starting to get a sense of her personality.
One of the few good nobles.
"Ah... but his opponent, of all people."
The reason for her concern was obvious.
Since this was an event designed to change the perception of the protagonist, his opponent had to be stronger than him.
And it had to be a rival-type character.
There was only one person who satisfied all these conditions.
Daio Brando.
He ascended the stairs on the opposite side of the arena from Arthur.
Professor Liana was disappointed because she probably thought Arthur was still no match for Daio.
But Daio was guaranteed to lose this time. It was part of the predetermined story.
Soon, the professor signaled the start of the duel, and Arthur shot forward, launching himself at Daio.
To put it nicely, Arthur's attack was straightforward. To put it bluntly, it was idiotic.
He literally just charged in a straight line and swung his sword.
For a guy who wasn't lacking in mana like me, it was a stupidly simple attack.
'What an idiot.'
Do people get dumber when they hold a sword?
He needed to abandon the mindset that just because he had a sword, he had to fight up close.
Even though he fought so foolishly, the world, for the sake of the protagonist and his stepping stone, was backing Arthur's victory.
Daio tried his best to counterattack, but as the fight dragged on, he, a mage, began to fall behind the warrior-class Arthur in terms of stamina.
The fight scene, which felt like it was on a loop, finally came to an end.
The result, naturally, was Daio's defeat. The battle had been quite long and flashy, but that was all there was to it.
To me, who had witnessed the Sea Serpent's breath, the academy students' magic looked like child's play.
Daio descended the stairs with a look of profound shock on his face. From now on, he would start training as if his life depended on it.
As for Arthur, he paused on his way down the stairs, looked in a certain direction, and then gave a grin and a wink. He was looking towards the area where the heroines were waiting.
"Ugh. Disgusting."
The sight made me want to gag.
It looked like he was putting all the dating advice he picked up from light novels to use.
"Wow... That's a bit much..."
"......"
Yui and Luna, who had inadvertently seen it too, grimaced.
No matter how canonically handsome the protagonist was, acting like that would kill any affection one might have had for him.
"Sir Luke! Over there! It's Miss Liche!"
Just then, Yui tugged on my sleeve, making a fuss.
I looked where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was Liche.
And on the opposite side of the arena, ascending the stairs to face her, was, as expected, Tia.
A duel between the top student and the second top student. It was more than enough to capture the audience's attention.
"We finally get to see the results of your private tutoring!" Liana exclaimed.
She seemed eager to see how much Liche had grown.
I could guarantee that while they might have been evenly matched in the beginning, the gap between the top and second top students was now as wide as the heavens and the earth.
The battle began shortly after.
Tia confidently launched a barrage of water and ice, but...
-BOOM!!
Liche, showing no intention of holding back, immediately set off a fiery explosion.
'Explosions are the only proper form of attack. Damn right.'
The acrid smoke obscured everything, but when it finally cleared, the only people left standing in the arena were Liche and the professor.
Tia wasn't unconscious, but she was completely exhausted from blocking that single blast. The professor, judging her unable to continue, declared Liche the winner.
As Liche walked back toward the stairs, she glanced around, and our eyes met. She smiled and flashed a V-sign with her fingers.
"......"
Liana, who had been so talkative just moments ago, was now silent. I didn't need to ask to know how shocked she was.
I, on the other hand, smiled.
"Heheheh..."
It was the moment my ultimate battering ram was complete.
***
The PvP event continued.
Even though the main characters—the heroines and Arthur—had finished their matches, this was reality, not a novel. The other students' opportunities didn't just vanish.
The same was true for the mysterious figure perched on a distant rooftop.
"Hmm~"
Because this was no longer a novel, events didn't occur on a set schedule.
Originally, the event was supposed to begin when an insider student passed information to the mysterious figure while the Headmaster, Lucia, was away.
But Luke had killed the insider, leaving the figure in the dark about the academy's situation.
Therefore, the figure had to decide on the best time to attack, and that time was now.
The PvP event, where all students and professors were gathered in one place, conveniently depleting their own stamina by fighting each other.
Thinking this was the perfect opportunity, the figure stood up.
"The Headmaster might be there... but even for her, it should take some time to break out of my ability."
After the recent series of incidents at the academy, Lucia had spread a barrier over the entire campus that detected demonic energy.
It could detect Demonic Humans, demons, and anything else related to demonic energy.
This made it impossible to enter the academy and wreak havoc or kill people directly as before. But that wasn't a problem, as his ability could be used from outside the academy grounds.
The figure stretched out an arm, palm facing up.
A dark, sinister energy gathered above his palm, forming a sphere.
"Alright, it's your turn~"
The sphere in the figure's hand flew into the sky, stopping just outside the barrier above the academy.
Then, a massive, pitch-black barrier, blocking out all light, descended, encompassing a range that included the Headmaster's office and the large training grounds.
"Struggle all you want. Against an opponent you can never defeat. Hehe."