Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Duel (1)
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A week had already passed.
The graduates had been teaching all the students.
Perhaps they were pleased to be treated as seniors, as they showed a great deal of enthusiasm.
They took especially good care of us.
They bought us meals every day, which significantly reduced my fixed expenses.
As the seniors' wallets grew thinner, Aruru grew chubbier.
My little cutie.
Have you gained a little weight?
“It’s just your imagination.”
“Hmm, no matter how I look at it…”
“Be a gentleman and protect a lady’s honor.”
“…”
*If you mention it again, I’ll bite.*
She bared her adorable fangs with that expression.
I wouldn’t mind being bitten, but I should probably stop here.
“You don’t need to worry about it. I like you just the way you are now.”
“—!”
My unwavering affection made her blush.
As if that wasn't enough, she began wagging her tail furiously.
Her chubbiness made her reactions all the more lively.
“I knew you’d say that. I love it!”
After this bonding moment with my pet, I bought plenty of popcorn and butter-grilled squid.
The final event, the friendly duels, was about to begin.
The matchup was simple.
Graduates versus the Hero candidates who hadn't participated.
All we had to do was enjoy the show.
‘We’re planning to teach your classmates a lesson, you know? Is that all right with you?’
Yesterday, the seniors had voiced their concerns.
I put their minds at ease.
*We’re not that close. Feel free to beat them up.*
They gave me a dumbfounded look at my response.
But soon, they nodded in understanding and moved on.
“Hmm, I hope the seniors win…”
Perhaps because she’d been treated to so many meals.
My little cutie seemed to want to cheer for them.
But the outcome was already decided.
It was highly likely to follow the original story’s plot.
The difference between a main character and a supporting one is absolute.
A landslide victory for the Hero candidates was expected.
The first match was between Major Gilbert and Crow.
“…”
“…”
The moment they met, they glared at each other fiercely.
Major Gilbert frowned and grumbled.
“Well, I’ll be… Not even a shred of courtesy. He doesn’t see me as a senior, but as an enemy… I’ll be sure to correct that habit of his.”
“…”
No more words were necessary.
In the blink of an eye, their weapons clashed.
In that instant, Crow's spear flashed, creating countless afterimages.
“—!”
Something Gilbert and everyone else misunderstood.
Some of the Hero candidates had extensive real-world combat experience.
Crow often left on warrior pilgrimages, so his spearmanship was already perfected.
As if refusing to go down without a fight.
Gilbert put up a decent struggle with his own swordsmanship, but it was all he could do to hold on.
*Ah, that’s terrifying…*
Will that spear be pointed at me one day?
The moment I become a worthy opponent, he’ll challenge me without a second thought.
An unavoidable fight.
It was a trial I would have to face at least once.
It wasn't that he disliked Jace.
He simply wished to fight the strong, so there was no way to dissuade him.
Baken was the same, and Cedric was burning with hatred. It's enough to drive me crazy.
*Hmm, maybe I should make them fight each other?*
I might be able to eliminate one of them…
I forced the stray thoughts from my mind.
For now, I needed to study Crow’s movements to prepare for the future.
Gilbert was being pushed back steadily.
As if his pride as a senior was being crushed, he attempted a bold counterattack.
Not to be outdone, Crow unleashed his own special moves.
One might have expected him to go a little easy on his opponent, but there was no sign of that.
*If I fight that guy, I’ll end up in bed whether I win or lose.*
Well, that wouldn’t be so bad in its own way.
Ceria and Aruru would visit me, so I wouldn’t be bored.
“I expected this to some extent, but this is beyond… I admit defeat.”
“…”
Gilbert’s declaration of defeat.
His ragged breathing alone showed he had reached his limit.
Far from teaching his junior a lesson, he had been the one to get schooled.
Surprisingly, the shame on his face was faint.
It seemed he had acknowledged Crow, recognizing him as someone who had earned the right to be arrogant.
“To think Gilbert would be so one-sidedly beaten…”
“Hmm, that spearman must be the strongest.”
“There’s still a chance to make up for it. We just have to win from now on, right?”
Again, they were mistaken.
The aces among the Hero candidates were Aruru and Esterize.
The seniors fought seriously.
But following the original story's script, they suffered one defeat after another.
*No, does this even make sense?*
*They’re just too strong, aren’t they?*
They denied reality with that look on their faces.
It wasn’t despair, but they seemed to have received a major shock in many ways.
Worse, all the students were watching.
They probably wished they could find a hole to crawl into.
And with that, all the events came to an end.
And yet, my senses told me something more was coming.
It couldn’t end like this.
I felt a situation would arise where I would have to step in.
What could I have missed?
The graduates had accepted their defeat gracefully.
We had gotten fairly close, so they had no reason to pick a fight with me.
No, wait a minute…
Sometime during all this, another person had appeared.
A face that seemed to be hiding a dirty secret.
His appearance reminded me of someone.
- *That’s Maier Venice. Cedric’s cousin.*
Chloe sent me a message with magic.
She poured out her words in a rush, as if it were a huge problem.
- *I don’t know for sure, but I have a strong feeling. He’ll definitely pick a fight with you. You don’t need to engage him.*
She was telling me to just ignore him.
She was saying it out of concern for me, but this was actually what I had hoped for.
I've been coasting for a while now, so it's about time I looked for trouble.
Should I call it a trial of sorts?
If I could defeat a graduate, the evaluation of me would change significantly.
My eyes met the girl’s from a distance.
As if she had recognized the determination in my eyes, she didn’t know what to do.
- *Don’t tell me you’re planning to face him head-on?*
I gave a slight nod in affirmation.
It was a disadvantageous fight, but I had an ace up my sleeve.
- *So you’ll boldly face any opponent. Yes, that’s the kind of person you are.*
I must not run.
The moment I hesitate, my reputation would take a serious hit.
For the sake of the comrades who support me, I will achieve a magnificent victory.
A moment later, Maier Venice stepped onto the arena.
Sure enough, he pointed directly at me and provoked me.
“Jace Crodain, I wish to spar with you. You were a Hero candidate, after all, so it shouldn’t be too out of the blue.”
“…”
“Come on, get up here. Surely the heir of the Crodain Family wouldn’t avoid a duel, would he?”
Everyone frowned.
It was clearly a forced confrontation, but he didn't seem to care one bit.
He seemed dead set on it.
Since it was what I wanted, there was no need to get worked up.
The graduates, furious on my behalf, shouted out.
“That crazy bastard! Why is he being so selfish?”
“Seriously, how is this any different from bullying a junior?”
“Cut it out already! The more you act like this, the more you embarrass the rest of us!”
Criticism from his peers rained down on him.
But Maier just let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“Shut up. What have you done to be so loud? If you’d won even a single match, it might be different, but I can’t let it end like this. I will restore the dignity of the seniors in my own way.”
It was like watching the pinnacle of disgraceful behavior.
At this point, it was beyond forced; it was just nonsense.
The relationship between Cedric and Jace.
How many people didn't know about it?
His intention to do something to me in front of everyone was obvious, but I would graciously accept.
He would have to pay the price for underestimating me.
We’ll see who wins when we fight. Let’s do this.
[Sudden Event]
[Target to Defeat: Maier Venice]
[Reward: Achievement Points +300,000]
An event, appearing right on cue.
I’ll show them my skills and collect some points while I’m at it.
“If that is what you desire… I will gladly be your opponent.”
“—!”
That single sentence sent murmurs through the crowd.
*Do you really have to fight? You can just ignore him, can’t you?*
It was obvious they were thinking something along those lines.
Even the girls sitting next to me were puzzled.
But soon, as if placing their firm trust in me, they spared no encouragement.
“Please do your best.”
“Hmm, he seems a bit out of your league…”
“I feel like you might be able to do it.”
“Ugh, I don’t want Jace to get hurt…”
“That’s fine. I can heal most injuries with my divine power…”
Right, I had that too.
With the Saintess’s healing, I would recover quickly even if I was badly injured.
I gave a faint smile.
Then, with my usual demeanor, I walked toward the arena.
Not just the students, but even the graduates were on my side.
“You don’t have to treat that guy like a senior!”
“Show him what you’ve got! I couldn’t stand the sight of him anyway.”
The absolute majority was supporting me.
At this moment, I feared nothing.
Instead, it was Maier, who had so brazenly provoked me, who flinched.
“What gives you the confidence to accept this duel?”
“Who knows. I just got the feeling that I could beat someone like you.”
“—!”
His gaze turned sharp.
He glared at me as if he wanted to eat me alive.
*What’s the problem? You’re the one who started it, right?*
I wasn’t just saying it; I was truly confident I could win.
He was a supporting character at best. If I used all my abilities, my chances of winning were quite high.
“Ridiculous! At your current level, you don’t stand a chance. I don’t know what makes you so confident when you lack both strength and experience.”
*He’s A-rank, and I’m S-rank.*
He was claiming that the gap was absolute.
I agreed to some extent.
But this body’s performance was so exceptional that I stood a chance.
I had acquired all my exclusive skills and weapons.
In other words, I had met the minimum requirements to stand against the strong.
“Well, fine. It doesn’t matter. Now that you’re here, there’s no turning back. I’ll nip that bud of yours right here!”
He lowered his voice and growled ferociously.
Even though we had just met, he was overflowing with hatred.
Cedric was probably the same, if not worse.
I actually liked that attitude.
Since he was a scumbag, I could swing my sword freely.
The same would be true for him.
He would undoubtedly come at me with the intent to half-kill me.
Until now, I had grown in relative safety.
But from now on, there would be many times when I needed to be this vigilant.
From that perspective, this duel held great significance.
This world was undeniably real.
In the process of defeating the Demon King's army, I would often face life-threatening situations.
My enemies would hate me.
They would attack me viciously, as if facing their sworn enemy.
I needed to get used to that malice.
Jace’s skills would protect my mind.
But I had to overcome it without relying on them to become stronger.
I slowly gripped my exclusive weapon.
Not to be outdone, Maier also assumed a combat stance.
“…”
“…”
It was obvious who was stronger.
As proof, Contempt for the Weak didn't activate.
*Is there no Contempt for the Strong?*
How great would it be if I got stronger as my enemies got stronger?
Surprisingly, such a thing did exist.
The Holy Sword’s additional effect was exactly that.
I couldn’t help but covet it.
If the Holy Sword were to choose me, I would gratefully make good use of it.
Anyway.
For now, I just needed to defeat the scumbag in front of me.
A sacrifice that will serve as the foundation for my growth.
Since he was from the same family, his style would be similar to Cedric's.
This duel would be beneficial in many ways.
With everyone watching.
I swung my sword without a hint of hesitation.