Chapter 136

Even amidst the confusion, my mind made a quick decision.

There’s no need to panic.

React calmly.

There’s a protective barrier around us.

No way a bottle of alcohol would break through it.

Thud!

Crash!

The bottle hit the barrier and shattered as it collided with the floor.

In that brief moment, I sensed the princess looking at me with a curious gaze.

A peculiar smile appeared on her lips.

She seemed to be saying, “Not bad.”

“What, what’s going on?”

“Is it a fight?”

People around started murmuring.

Their gazes naturally turned toward the person who had thrown the bottle.

Mine did too.

“That, that guy is Slane, a first-year?”

“Gasp, the Fang of Carnage…?”

“Whoa, look at those terrifying eyes.”

People whispered with surprised expressions.

They seemed shocked that the opponent was more formidable than they had thought, initially assuming it was just a drunken quarrel.

I felt the same way as them.

‘…Why is he here?’

Slane, the Fang of Carnage.

No matter how much I racked my brain, he had no connection to this place.

And yet he appeared?

And he’s picking a fight with me?

The situation had twisted too much.

‘I was supposed to pick a fight, but it’s the other way around?’

Is this karma…?

I was dumbfounded.

Geez, even when I decide to stay quiet, the world doesn’t leave me alone.

‘Huh?’

Suddenly, I noticed two familiar figures.

Camian and Annette.

They must have shown up here as per the flow of events, even though I don’t know when.

Annette looked restless, clearly wanting to help me somehow.

But Camian was holding her back.

‘So that’s what’s happening.’

Annette is a good person, so she was trying to act on her emotions, while Camian was making a cold judgment.

He must have thought that getting involved in Slane’s dangerous business would put his childhood friend Annette at risk.

A good decision.

Since meeting me, Camian had been making more protagonist-like decisions.

My efforts were paying off.

But that’s not the important thing right now…

I refocused on Slane.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Slane was deliberately making loud footsteps as he walked toward us.

‘He’s very drunk.’

His face was flushed red.

His eyes were bloodshot.

Yet, he could walk straight without staggering, which was evidence that his mind and body were trained to maintain balance even in extreme conditions.

“Ha, these damned bastards. So you guys were in cahoots after all? Heh, the world is such a dirty place.”

Slane’s sneer rose from deep within.

With that one sentence, I grasped the situation completely.

The princess had sneak-attacked her ally Slane during a mock battle, unbeknownst to anyone.

Thanks to that prearranged sneak attack, I could easily take down the monster Slane.

It was essentially a team kill.

It was a situation that would enrage Slane.

And that anger was clearly directed at the princess.

He must have tried to retaliate right then and there.

But the problem is…

That anger was now directly aimed at me as well.

‘Hey, it’s really not me.’

I wanted to protest, but it wasn’t a situation where that would work.

It was a coincidental situation itself.

Of all people, I was drinking with the princess, who had benefitted from the team kill?

Even I would go crazy if I were Slane.

He must have thought we were plotting together to screw him over.

“Get rid of this, you bastards!”

Slane clenched his fist and swung it wildly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A terrifying sound rang out.

The sound of fists hitting the barrier.

I hoped nothing would happen, but I heard the barrier cracking.

Creak.

No matter how strong the princess’s barrier was, it couldn’t withstand Slane’s continuous punching.

I glanced at the princess as if to say, ‘Do something,’ but she just kept smiling enigmatically.

Hey, you’re the one involved here, why are you neglecting your duty?

I might as well trust a stray dog than this psycho princess.

Feeling frustrated, I chugged my beer.

But it seems my actions were perceived differently by others.

“Whoa, he’s drinking beer calmly in this situation?”

“What’s with that crazy composure…?”

“Man, he’s a real troublemaker. He’s got no fear.”

“Speak of the devil, this is the guy who led a hopeless mock battle to a close finish.”

“Indeed… He must have some plan. Something we can’t fathom. That’s why he can be so nonchalantly calm!”

No… I don’t have any plan…

Why are they putting so much pressure on me?

Sweat trickled down my forehead.

If I showed any weakness here, I would be humiliated.

What should I do…?

Thud!

In the meantime, the barrier finally broke completely.

Bang!

Slane kicked the table.

Crash!

Clang!

The table fell helplessly backward, shattering the dishes and glasses.

But…

The moment he kicked the table, I instinctively grabbed my glass.

In other words, I was still holding my beer glass.

“He saved that in that moment…?”

“Amazing reflexes!”

…Don’t overdo it.

It was just my instinct to not waste beer kicking in.

Anyway, since it felt awkward to just hold it, I downed the remaining beer in one gulp.

“Wow, crazy guts.”

“He can do that in front of the Fang of Carnage…?”

“A crazy provocation?”

I heard exclamations of admiration from around me.

Usually, it would feel good, but now wasn’t the time to enjoy that.

“Ha, look at this guy.”

Slane looked at me in disbelief.

I placed the empty beer glass gently on the floor, trying to keep a straight face.

It might seem like a timid action, but there was a reason for it.

“Don’t break others property its rude. Don’t you know that?”

I said seriously.

A legitimate scolding in anyone’s eyes.

A statement to clearly mark who was in the wrong to everyone around.

That was my intention from the start.

“Hmph, I can pay for it, so why does that matter?”

Typical Slane response.

There were no jeers since he was the opponent, but everyone seemed to be thinking, “What kind of person is he?”

Even those who didn’t know Slane.

That was enough.

Even if I got hurt by him now, it would be seen as a victim of a scummy person.

I had laid down a minimum safety net.

“Stop talking nonsense. You shameless bastards, aren’t you going to apologize?”

Slane shouted.

His voice was full of anger, clearly reflecting how much he had built up.

I waited for the princess’s reaction.

Because I knew that subtly following the princess would be the best course of action.

Please, let’s just go along with it.

“Would it be enough if I apologize, even if I don’t know what it’s for?”

The princess responded nonchalantly.

A truly shameless reply, denying any team kill.

She was ready to give a meaningless apology without any genuine feeling.

She must have already calculated that it would appear as a forced apology.

“What? Don’t act like you don’t know anything, you damn…”

“Sorry.”

The princess interrupted, apologizing abruptly.

Even I felt taken aback, let alone Slane.

“Hey, you…”

“Sorry.”

“It’s annoying, so stop…”

“Sorry.”

“…”

Is that a technique…?

How could she interrupt at exactly the right moments to cut him off?

Slane’s face was on the verge of exploding with anger. His clenched fists trembled. He probably wanted to hurl insults at any moment, but he couldn’t. He felt completely ensnared by the princess’s pace, unable to explode.

‘What did you expect? Did you think rushing in angrily would solve anything? Do you even know what kind of woman she is?’

I clicked my tongue inwardly. The princess wasn’t someone you could deal with mindlessly. Even after racking my brain, she was difficult to handle. That’s why I was going through this trouble.

‘Hmm?’

Suddenly, I noticed Slane’s angry gaze shift towards me.

“Damn it, I’m feeling so pissed, I’ll start by taking down one of them.”

Crack!

Slane cracked his knuckles. His choice was clear. He decided to leave the tough prey for later and attack the easy target first. He was indeed a natural predator, instinctively knowing whom to hunt first. But damn it, that meant me!

Ah, there goes my plan of getting through this by lying low.

“Uncultured brute. All you have is your fists?”

I crossed my arms and tilted my chin up. Anyone could see I was exuding confidence. But inside, I was screaming, begging him to settle this with words!

“Impressive.”

“He’s not shaken at all…”

More admiration erupted from around us. I wasn’t thrilled. I knew how quickly their reactions would change if I got beaten up.

“All you have is your tongue to boast about.”

Slane sneered coldly.

Why is he venting on me! The real culprit is her!

I desperately wanted to expose everything, but I couldn’t. That was frustrating.

…Could this be a bad ending?

I had a bad feeling. Even if he didn’t intend to kill, Slane was the type who wouldn’t care if he accidentally killed someone due to a failure in controlling his strength.

“Well, that’s your opinion.”

Despite my thoughts, I maintained my composed appearance. There was no turning back now. I couldn’t afford to show any weakness.

“Hmph, let’s see if it’s just my opinion.”

I realized Slane was 100% set on attacking me.

‘Tch, guess I have no choice.’

I had only one option left. I had to accept the princess’s proposal and ask for her help. It wasn’t ideal to commit too early, but to survive this, I had no other choice.

“Take this!”

As his shoulder moved, anticipating his attack, I was already dodging backward.

Thud!

The chair fell over, and my back hit the wall. I dodged the first strike, but I couldn’t dodge a second.

“Oss…”

Just as I was about to call out to the princess to accept her proposal.

“That’s an unacceptable act. You’ve crossed the line.”

Smack!

Someone grabbed Slane’s arm from behind. My eyes widened in shock. It was a familiar face, yet one that shouldn’t be here.

Regina Ernbert. The student council president and my fiancée.

‘Why is she here?’

Regina had declined my date invitation, saying she had prior plans. There was no lie in her words. But why was she here?

“P-President?”

“When did President Regina get here…?”

The sudden appearance of Regina stirred the crowd. Yet, they seemed relieved. They trusted that with Regina here, the commotion would soon be resolved. This was the weight of the trust she had built over four years.

“Damn it, president or not, let go of me, you bastard!”

Slane cursed and tried to shake off the arm holding him, but it didn’t budge, as if pressed by a boulder.

“You…!”

In his rage, Slane swung his other hand at Regina.

Whoosh!

A powerful blow, but.

Smack!

Regina calmly tripped Slane.

“Ugh!”

Slane lost his balance and fell to the floor with his back.

Thud!

Without even trying to break his fall, he landed hard. Regina mercilessly pinned his exposed neck with her knee.

Crack.

“Grr…ugh…”

Slane’s face turned red as he gasped for breath, his windpipe crushed. Regina showed no mercy. Eventually.

“Ugh…”

Slane lost consciousness and collapsed.

Everything happened in an instant.

‘Wow, did I just survive this?’

I blinked rapidly, still in shock. Whether it was a miraculous coincidence or not, the outcome couldn’t have been better for me. I didn’t have to accept the princess’s proposal after all.

It really pays to have a good fiancée. Networking wins, networking wins.

Just when I thought it was all over, Regina approached the princess.

‘What’s going on?’

The atmosphere was tense. I tilted my head, puzzled.

Regina leaned close to the princess’s ear and whispered. Her voice was quiet, but I heard it clearly.

“…Why did you just stand by?”