Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Mastermind of the S-Class League (3)
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While the two girls were locked in a frantic chase.
“Another peaceful day. It is all thanks to the Goddess’s grace…”
“...”
Saintess Luciel appeared out of nowhere.
A holy parrot who knew nothing but her goddess and proselytizing.
In a way, she was the most difficult opponent to deal with.
But I had already seen right through her.
“The Goddess Elune is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
“—!”
She must have come to check if I had read the holy book she gave me.
I had memorized key passages for just this occasion.
When I beat her to the punch, she looked genuinely surprised.
“You really read it!”
An innocent girl’s smile.
That purity mercilessly pricked the boy’s conscience.
“Have you finally found it in your heart to believe in the Goddess?”
Her eyes sparkling, she drew closer.
As she did, a brilliant halo emanated from her.
Is she the type whose divine power leaks out when she gets excited?
“Let’s go to the temple right now. I’ll give you a proper, passionate baptism myself!”
Hold on. Calm down!
You’re up next, aren’t you? What about the tournament?
“Is that really important right now?”
“...”
She said it didn’t matter if she missed the tournament.
It seemed that converting me was her top priority.
Her obsession was growing stronger.
This was manageable, but I was worried about what would come later.
I held up my palm to stop her from coming any closer.
“I’m sorry, but not yet.”
“—??”
“I don’t want to pretend to believe in the Goddess half-heartedly.”
I am a man who strives for perfection.
You’ll have to wait until I’m fully prepared.
When I played up Jace’s personality, she nodded as if she understood.
“Ah, that’s right. You are that kind of person. I was getting ahead of myself.”
She said she had been too hasty and promised it wouldn’t happen again.
Still, I had a feeling she’d visit at least once a week.
“The only thing the Goddess has given us is love…”
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
I replied with a little extra service.
She smiled as if she couldn’t ask for more.
[Favorability +2]
I was starting to get the hang of it. I’d have to proceed like this.
Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down completely.
I never knew when the Saintess’s fanatic mode would activate.
I needed to get stronger than her quickly to seize control of the situation for good.
“It’s almost time. I’ll be off to practice love and justice.”
“…Right. I’ll be cheering for you.”
The girl walked away with light steps.
As soon as Luciel left, I sprang into action.
I put a hand to my forehead as if troubled and let out a heavy sigh.
“Are you alright?”
Ceria asked with concern.
Dealing with the Saintess was tiring.
She must have thought I was putting up with it because, well, she was the Saintess.
It was an act, but not entirely false, so it wasn’t a complete lie.
“Of course, I’m fine. Luciel is just acting as a Saintess should. The day will come when we need her power.”
“...”
Was she at a loss for words? She quietly took my hand.
The sight of her lover enduring for the greater good must have seemed pitiful to her.
*Oh no, my man is struggling!*
*This just makes me want to treat him even better, doesn’t it?*
She seemed to be pondering along those lines before offering a solution.
“Should I give you a hug?”
“—!!”
My intention had been simple.
I just wanted her not to feel jealous, even if the Saintess approached me.
That was all I intended, but for some reason, she took it a step further.
Which made it even better!
I would welcome this kind of outcome any day.
“Now’s not a great time… but could I ask for one later?”
“Yes. Please lean on me whenever you’re having a hard time. That’s all I wish for.”
Yes, this was true love.
Ceria’s kindness was nearly invincible.
This was why I could remain so nonchalant even when the holy Saintess approached me…
A moment later, the princess trudged over.
Aruru was clinging to her back like a limpet.
I had a feeling this would happen, but she’d been caught after all.
Esterize’s lips quivered, her face a mask of despair.
“I, I am…”
“You need to say it properly, right?”
“I am Lady Aruru’s slave! Ugh…”
“...”
As if there could be no greater humiliation.
She seemed ashamed to the point of self-loathing.
It was especially harsh for someone who was once a princess.
My little cutie.
Feeling better now?
“Mhm, since it’s her first offense, I decided to be lenient.”
I silently shrugged.
As long as it was resolved without my intervention, all was well.
Munch, munch.
Aruru nibbled on her popcorn as usual.
Meanwhile, the princess looked as if her soul had left her body.
She could have just paid it back tenfold; why did she resort to servitude?
Well, she had her reasons. I heard she was quite poor.
It was a similar situation to Aruru’s.
My little cutie was the young head of her household, so she always had to pinch pennies.
Esterize, on the other hand, had lost her entire country.
Rebuilding a kingdom required an astronomical amount of funds.
If I could, I would help her.
But right now, I wasn’t in a position to worry about others.
I’d have to at least become the family head…
No, even with aid on a national level, it would be difficult.
It was like pouring water into a bottomless pit, but the princess would eventually succeed in that monumental task.
Her will and effort defied all limits.
She possessed qualities that made her impossible not to like as a person.
“Are you having a tough time?”
“Huh? Not really…”
She shook her head weakly.
In the distant future, she would become a queen unshaken by anything.
But for now, she was just a powerless girl clinging to hope.
A tremendously heavy burden rested on those small shoulders.
It was truly heartbreaking to see her hide that fact and force a bright expression.
“Everything will definitely work out.”
“—!!”
As I whispered the invincible spell.
She was overcome with emotion, as if those were the very words she had longed to hear.
Her face flushed red.
She looked on the verge of tears but somehow managed to hold them back.
If we had been alone, she might have actually cried…
If I were single, I probably would have given her a gentle hug.
“You don’t know anything…”
“I can guess one thing. That you have a secret you can’t tell anyone.”
“—??”
She startled, denying it with her entire body.
Ignoring her reaction, I delivered the final blow.
“What is a comrade?”
“Th-that is…”
“This is what I believe. True comrades are those who share each other’s pain.”
“...”
If you have something on your mind, feel free to share.
I don’t have the ability to solve it, but I can at least sympathize!
As I finished speaking, she slowly nodded and fell into thought.
I wondered what would happen.
With anyone else, she might have kept it secret, but I had a feeling she would confide in me.
[Favorability +3]
Her favorability shot up.
As I felt a sense of satisfaction, I realized something was amiss.
“...”
The princess’s favorability was already at 75.
Considering Aruru was at 79, she had almost caught up.
The trait reward was within sight, but I also felt a strange sense of crisis.
The princess was more righteous than anyone.
Surely she wouldn't make a move on a man who was already taken.
I might be getting ahead of myself.
But the sheer excellence of this body was truly frightening.
Why must I be so perfect as to trouble others…?
As I entertained such conceited thoughts.
The next match was already being prepared.
Luciel the Mace Master vs. Erich the Gear-Reliant.
It wasn't a match I was looking forward to, but it would certainly be a spectacle.
The Saintess, using her stacking buffs as always.
Strength, stamina, agility, defense, resistance, and so on…
In an instant, all her stats rose to the level of an ogre.
And that wasn't all.
Her true nature was that of a healer, so she would heal herself at the drop of a hat.
Ogre + Troll = Saintess.
A truly terrifying formula was established.
The other hero candidates each had ways to deal with her.
But Erich, who was heavily reliant on his gear, was completely helpless.
*CRASH!*
Luciel swung her mace with all her might.
Even as she attacked, she never lost her Saintess smile.
Her movements themselves were exceedingly ordinary.
Her posture was decent, but there was no martial subtlety whatsoever.
It was as if she knew nothing of breathing, power distribution, or technique; she only had her basic attack.
She just swung wildly.
Her level of skill was pitifully low.
Which made her even scarier…
She was S-Class just by mindlessly spamming basic attacks.
If she were properly trained, a monster would be born.
“Ugh… I can never get used to this strength!”
“Are you calling me a gorilla with just a lot of strength?”
“No, I didn’t say that!”
“But you thought it, didn’t you?”
“Wait a minute. I am royalty!”
“And I am a Saintess.”
“St-still, nothing good will come of treating royalty so carelessly…”
“The Goddess is always by my side, so I’ll be fine.”
“—!!”
The Goddess-parrot’s strike deeply dented Erich’s shield.
It looked like a high-quality item, but his opponent was just too much.
The Saintess, intent on crushing her opponent by instinct.
Her form was chillingly beautiful.
It was no wonder I was so wary of her.
As if she finally understood how I felt, Ceria squeezed my hand tightly.
“Dammit, do you know how much this thing costs?”
“You seem to have money to spare. Donations are always welcome.”
“...”
Erich’s will to fight plummeted.
Having fought her several times, he likely predicted the outcome.
He knew his abilities were no match for hers.
And even if he managed to break through with great difficulty, there was no future in it.
The Saintess’s healing spells were second to none.
Above all, Erich had a weakness for women.
Though royalty, he was a man who followed the code of chivalry…
No, let’s stop sugarcoating it.
He was just a playboy who liked women.
“Enough! I’m done.”
To hell with this!
He declared his defeat with that kind of sentiment.
I could guarantee it.
Within a few months, he’d be trailing after Luciel like a puppy.
Then Aruru would finally be free from that flirt.
A characteristic of Erich.
When he fell for a woman, he only had eyes for her.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't a playboy.
In any case, he only ever approached female students who disliked him.
He had a good background and handsome features, yet he was a glutton for punishment.
In that sense, I was blessed.
With a beautiful fiancée, I had nothing to worry about.
As I imagined a blissful married life, the next match began.
Baken vs. Crow.
A showdown between fist arts and spear arts.
It could be seen as a battle of real men.
Baken was even more intense than Largo, and Crow was so taciturn he felt cold.
Soon, the passionate and the frigid clashed.
Hero, schmiero, they shared a common obsession with nothing but strength.
*Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!*
As expected of S-Class, their movements were incredibly fast.
Just watching them was enough to make one dizzy.
Ten punches in a second, ten spear thrusts in a second.
These monsters…
The moment I became S-Class, they would relentlessly stick to me.
In preparation for that time.
I carefully observed their fighting styles.
They fought viciously, as if they had met a mortal enemy.
They used every skill they had honed thus far.
“...”
A scene where blood and chunks of flesh flew.
A boy’s sensibilities couldn’t endure such brutality.
This wouldn’t do.
It seemed best to just avoid them.
I preferred Jace’s fighting style.
Maintaining dignity and leaving a sliver of composure.
Unconsciously, it seemed my own tastes aligned with this body’s.
*Flash!*
The two male students unleashed their ultimate skills simultaneously.
Somehow, they even ended up with internal injuries and coughing up blood in the exact same way.
“Another draw, it seems…”
“...”
At Baken’s murmur.
Crow silently nodded.
These vicious bastards…
It was only the beginning, yet they fought themselves into such a state.
“They’re always like that.”
“I have no desire to befriend them.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
Had they made up at some point?
The princess and my little cutie were exchanging words.
Just from their conversation, it was clear.
Jace was bound to be relatively popular.
A moment later, Gale and Skadi faced off.
The two mages wielded fire and ice with absolute freedom.
Lava boiled and blizzards raged…
The scale was so different it made my head spin.
I had no idea how to even begin fighting them.
But Esterize’s fighting style was somewhat similar, so I could probably use her as a reference.
Anyway, this match was also a draw.
They were rivals, but being mages, they seemed to have reached a rational compromise.
The final match was…
Esterize vs. Ilensia.
The strongest versus the weakest, making the result easy to predict.
“Aah! My spirits…!”
Hmm, I might have to reconsider Spirit Swordsmanship.
***
Day two of the S-Class league tournament.
An anomaly occurred right from the first match.
“Esterize, please accept my love!”
“—??”
Erich’s target of affection had changed.
The princess replied with a sour expression.
“I have no intention of… wait, are you rich?”
Hurry up and give me money!
It wasn’t quite that feeling, but she seemed poor enough to blurt out such nonsense.
Oh, the poor thing.
It reminded me of my little cutie, who had often gone hungry.
Coming from a princess of a proud kingdom made it even more pitiful!
“I have more money than I know what to do with.”
“Ah, I was just kidding!”
“Never mind that, how much do you need?”
“...”
The girl muttered shyly.
An amount equivalent to the empire’s annual budget.
Erich squeezed his eyes shut.
He must have realized instantly that this was another lost cause.
Amidst the awkward atmosphere, Aruru’s ears perked up.
“Does this mean I can finally relax?”
My little cutie.
Is it right to be happy when the bomb has been passed to your friend?
“Mhm, my happiness comes first, so it’s fine!”
My pet’s happiness is my happiness.
Feeling sorry for the princess’s misfortune, we happily munched on our popcorn together.