Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: A Calculated Alliance
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"…I will give you the Goddess's Tear."
The 3rd Prince whispered in my ear after a moment of serious contemplation.
'Oh? Now this is valuable.'
I didn't let it show, but inwardly, I was quite impressed.
Ellington had offered something far more significant than I'd expected.
It seemed he was staking everything on this.
After all, he couldn't afford to fail twice with the Empress watching.
He'd been eliminated even earlier than Frantz in the student council president selection.
"Do you believe this training is worth that much?"
I asked, my expression indifferent.
The Goddess's Tear was a type of protective charm produced only in the Kraus Theocracy.
An item so rare you couldn't buy it even if you had the money.
Frankly, it wasn't something you'd just give away to win first place in a training exercise.
"From what I've gathered, now is the turning point to widen the gap."
I let out a small laugh at the 3rd Prince's confident reply.
'Adel must have figured it all out.'
Ellington was a bright fellow, but he didn't possess the ability to accurately analyze the current political climate.
That was more suited for Adel, the prodigy of the Richter ducal family.
I had a good idea of what was going on, but I feigned ignorance and nodded.
"Alright. Then there's one thing we need to make clear."
"What is it?"
"This is payment for cooperation, nothing more. It doesn't mean I'm joining your faction."
As I drew a firm line, the 3rd Prince's face twisted slightly.
"…You drive a hard bargain. I thought this would bring us considerably closer."
"But that doesn't imply a master-servant relationship, does it?"
"That's true. So, will you do it?"
"If the price is the Goddess's Tear, then it's an absolute yes."
I lowered my voice and accepted the offer.
The Goddess's Tear was a jewel with incredible effects.
Simply possessing it granted strong resistance to poison and all sorts of supernatural abilities.
Unless it was on the extreme level of Esmeranta's Tower, I probably wouldn't fall for most illusions.
If he was offering something like that, I'd agree to any condition.
"In return, I have conditions of my own."
"As you wish."
"We must defeat the Crown Arachne. And…"
Ellington glanced toward Frantz and spoke softly.
"You must make me stand out."
To widen the gap with the 2nd Prince, he needed a performance far more impressive than anything he'd shown before.
Moreover, just allying with me, the student council president, would significantly boost his image.
He was giving up the Goddess's Tear, but it wasn't a losing deal for him.
'Today could be the turning point that wins him the crown prince's seat.'
I took Ellington's outstretched hand and shot up from my seat.
If I've agreed to the payment, I have to do the job right.
Like a professional.
"I shall serve you with utmost loyalty."
As I replied respectfully with a slight bow, the expressions of the surrounding students changed.
My deferential attitude made it look as though I had entered Ellington's service.
"Heh heh! Until the job is done, that is."
"..."
Of course, no one but the 3rd Prince heard that last part.
Ellington simply stared at me with a complicated look in his eyes.
He probably wore that expression because he couldn't quite figure me out.
'An interesting reaction. My dear sucker— I mean, client.'
* * *
We immediately joined Team 2.
While Team 15 was stronger, this training was a stage for Ellington to shine.
So, we joined by being absorbed into the 3rd Prince's team.
'As long as I get what I want, I don't care who gets to be the face of the operation.'
There's no point in building a reputation with this identity anyway.
As we entered the arena, Ellington quickly explained the formation.
The basic strategy was similar to Team 1's.
"Lord Ellington and Sir Camil will take the front. The rest will handle the flanks. Getting caught in the web will neutralize you, so avoid the rear as much as possible."
The team members nodded at Adel's explanation.
They had all witnessed how Frantz's team was crushed.
But I felt the team members' gazes turn to me.
It seemed to be because my name hadn't been called.
"What about me?"
"Sir Ray… please protect Sir Mac and Lady Sophia. Our team has excellent firepower, so we need a strong guard."
"A perfect position."
To stay quietly in the background, that is.
A guard was an escort assigned exclusively to protect ranged attackers like mages or archers.
In truth, if the plan worked properly, a guard would have almost nothing to do.
It just meant I should watch from the sidelines and step in if an emergency arose.
'The Goddess's Tear is on the line. Is there anything I wouldn't do for it?'
I smiled faintly and nodded readily.
"Then let's begin."
Clank. Clank. Clank.
Soon, Anselm's voice echoed from above.
"Closing the entrance. Releasing control magic. The training begins now!"
Thud! Ssssk!
With the heavy sound of the arena's iron gate closing, the Crown Arachne began to move.
As if it had been waiting, the creature began spewing webs everywhere.
It seemed displeased that the mages had cleared its home while it was under the control spell.
"Shhhk! Shhhriek!"
Judging by the irritable noises it kept making.
"Chah!"
The battle began with Ellington's war cry.
The 3rd Prince bravely charged forward, swinging his aura-infused sword in all directions.
It was the Wave Knight Sword of the Holy Great Warrior, Myrden.
It had been his trump card in the student council president selection, but now he used it without hesitation from the very beginning.
'Since he's already shown it once, it's better to use it actively rather than hide it.'
As expected, against a monster like that, a power-focused sword art was more effective than the delicate Imperial Sound Lock Sword.
Sure enough, Ellington was putting on a truly outstanding performance.
Clang! Craaash—!
As his sword struck the spider's head, dazzling fragments of aura scattered in all directions.
At the same time, the Crown Arachne's body flinched and retreated.
"Yes!"
"That's it, Your Highness!"
Cheers erupted from the students in Ellington's faction in the stands.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Prince's side was utterly silent.
Perhaps because Frantz had already failed, the atmosphere was somber, to say the least.
'At this rate, the 3rd Prince will be the one to make a deep impression on the Empress today.'
Empress Melies was the person who could exert the most influence on Emperor Reynold.
Furthermore, she was known to be wise and sagacious.
Wasn't it due to her keen eye that she was appointed as the headmaster of Venderford?
The reason the princes had to catch Marie Melies's eye was clear.
So far, Ellington was making a solid impression.
'Everyone's doing well, huh? Nothing for me to do. Not that I planned on doing anything in the first place.'
Before entering the arena, I told the members of Team 15 to stick strictly to support roles.
The idea was to use Team 2 as a shield and avoid getting into trouble by stepping forward unnecessarily.
It was a strange request—telling them not to perform well—but my friends readily agreed.
They gave me their full support, as following my words had never led them astray.
"Now, let's see you run wild."
I muttered with a wicked smile, like a mastermind pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
Adel's command was precise and perfectly synchronized.
It seemed she had accurately analyzed the Crown Arachne's strength and the team members' abilities.
Unlike Team 1, which had collapsed in an instant, Team 2 was steadily gaining the upper hand.
Th-th-thump!
"Kiiieeeek!"
The combination of Ellington and Camil wasn't half bad.
As the 3rd Prince advanced with his Wave Knight Sword, the heavy Line-Drawing Sword Technique would immediately strike the flank.
It was a preemptive move to prevent the Crown Arachne from using its venomous fangs.
"Move in!"
Once the spider's attention was drawn, attacks from other team members like Frixon and Curtis poured in from the sides.
Clang-clang-clang!
The Crown Arachne's exoskeleton was hard enough to withstand even aura.
But it couldn't block repeated impacts forever without taking damage.
If it kept getting hit, it would eventually lead to a serious injury.
"Kriiiieek!"
Eventually, the creature had no choice but to turn its attention to the annoying team members clinging to its rear flanks.
Just then, Adel, who was directing from the center, whipped her head around.
"Now!"
At her signal, Sophia immediately unleashed her magic.
It seemed they had coordinated this moment in advance.
"Fireball!"
Swoosh—! KABOOOM!
The fireball flew in an arc and exploded precisely on the giant spider's back.
'If she had just fired it normally, it would have been hard to hit. Adel's strategy increased the accuracy.'
The Crown Arachne was a monster with an enormous body, but its movements were by no means slow.
It probably could have dodged a simple fireball with ease.
Adel eliminated that possibility by distracting the creature as much as possible.
That was why the magic attack landed squarely.
"Focus on the offensive just a little longer!"
Confident of victory, Adel encouraged them in a loud voice.
Kaboom! Boom!
Sophia's fireballs had already landed three times, and the team members' performance was remarkable.
Ellington, in particular, was fighting as if possessed by a god of war, performing incredible feats.
Finally, the 3rd Prince delivered the final blow to the Crown Arachne.
Pshuk!
He slipped through an opening created by Camil and plunged his sword deep into its head.
"Kerrghk!"
The body of the 3rd-rank druid collapsed with a grotesque sound.
At that, a roar erupted from the stands.
"Uwaaaah!"
"His Highness the 3rd Prince has succeeded!"
But just as everyone was reveling in their victory…
"Huh?"
As a massive shadow fell over her without warning, Adel Richter turned around with a bewildered expression.
Her eyes immediately caught sight of a sharp, venomous fang.
The Crown Arachne had somehow closed the distance and was lunging with its maw wide open.
"Kieeeek!"
It seemed the creature valued the commander, Adel, more highly than the mage.
As the 3rd-rank druid suddenly changed its target, her expression went blank.
"Adel!"
"G-get away!"
The panicked shouts of Ellington and Sophia echoed in her ears.
But it was already too late to do anything.
"Ah…"
Sensing her impending death, Adel Richter let out a hollow sigh.
But just then.
Grab! Claaaang!
I wrapped my arm around her waist and thrust the Black Dragon Sword toward the Crown Arachne's fang.
'Thanks for the legitimate physical contact.'