episode_0010

“… … .”

“… … .”

Inside a cafe inside the academy.

As I was organizing the materials for the group project while facing a girl, at first glance, it seemed like I was no different from usual.

‘… I’m dying.’

That wasn’t the case inside.

And the cause was the girl sitting in front of me, Ira Librion.

She also looks no different from usual on the outside.

Although there is currently no conversation between the two, this is not strange either.

Neither she nor I are the talkative type, so there were quite a few instances of silence.

But I can know. That she is different from usual now.

It’s quite depressing.

There was also something to guess about the reason.

‘Probably because of sparring.’

The sparring with Cedric that happened the other day.

That defeat is probably what made her what she is today.

It seemed like she was trying to hide it in her own way, but I ended up noticing her gloom that was revealed implicitly.

‘You can just pretend you didn’t see it, but… … .’

Actually, to put it bluntly, I don’t need to care if she’s depressed.

Even in that state, she is diligently preparing the assignment and cooperating.

I don’t even have any intention of establishing contact with her in the first place.

However, it was difficult to move on from that.

Because the reason she became like this had something to do with me.

The sparring between her and Cedric earlier had never existed in the first place.

However, my existence became a variable, and the sparring between the two, which should not have happened in the first place, ended up happening.

I felt a little guilty about that fact.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t my fault, but there was no way I couldn’t be bothered by him being so gloomy right in front of my eyes.

That may have been the reason.

“… Don’t worry too much.”

I started talking for no reason.

“… … ?”

Ira, who had been looking down at the table with a gloomy expression, carefully raised her head.

Those eyes looked more fragile than usual, and my small conscience suffered even more from guilt.

“Sometimes people lose.”

However, although it could be said that it was a good thing to start talking with such good intentions, there was a fatal problem.

The problem is that I am not good at speaking to begin with.

“… … .”

Sure enough, Aira did not feel encouraged at all and instead looked more depressed than before.

When I saw that, I closed my eyes tightly and cursed myself.

If possible, I wanted to rewind time to before I spoke.

However, there is no rewind function in life.

Did you say that if you pulled out a knife, you should cut the radish as well?

There is nothing we can do about it. I have no choice but to keep pushing.

“I lose every day, well.”

First, they lighten the mood by putting me down.

It’s not a lie. Because I have lost more times than ever in sparring.

Even if that was intended, it is true.

“… … .”

But unfortunately my strategy didn’t seem to work.

Ira was left speechless. Her expression never brightened.

Well, what she and I are carrying is different.

I was just an average student to begin with, so it didn’t matter how many times I lost, but that wasn’t the case for her, Aira Librion.

I have lived with high expectations from the beginning, and my grades are nothing compared to mine.

Her defeat also has to do with her father’s honor.

Even if it is only one loss, it carries a different weight than me.

So, from her perspective, my words will only sound like the words of a guy who knows nothing.

“… Yes, thank you.”

But she thanked me.

Even though my words did not reach her heart.

I looked at her with somewhat mixed eyes.

She needed to make up her mind.

Otherwise, it will collapse.

I couldn’t help but look at her, hoping that she would have some luck in her future life.

***

Time passed quickly, and finally the day of the tournament arrived.

Regardless of the feelings of those directly participating, the tournament is a big event within the academy.

Everyone in the combat department participates, and their sparring is revealed to everyone in the academy.

There was no way that such an event would not attract attention, and many people gathered to watch the tournament.

As for the Combat Department students, sparring was an event they were familiar with, but as the rankings were decided and the audience entered, they seemed more serious than usual.

If you do well, you can build up a reputation, and if you rank in the rankings, you can receive not only great fame but also quite valuable prizes, so it was strange not to light up your eyes.

They were students of the Combat Department who were even more sincere.

“lost.”

I had a different story.

Since I had full intentions of doing moderately from the beginning, I entered the tournament half-heartedly and was eliminated in the second match.

Of course, the words were just fluttering, but the acting was done well.

Probably no one noticed.

I left the stadium with such a light heart and went up to the stands.

“Wade! Thank you for your hard work!”

“Thank you for your hard work. It’s a shame.”

“It was a good match.”

Mary, Jack and Alexis welcomed me.

“… … .”

The sight made me dizzy for a moment, but I managed to calm the dizziness and sit down.

To be honest, I didn’t plan on watching the tournament with these members.

Originally, I was only planning to come with Jack.

But Mary suggested that we watch it together. Naturally, Alexis followed suit.

Even before I could express my intention, things progressed smoothly, and this is the result.

Actually, you can somehow get past Mary.

but… … .

“… … .”

Alexis The way this guy looks at me is unusual.

What can I say, it seems like they are hiding it in their own way, but their guard is flowing.

Why are you giving me this look? Of course, it’s probably because of Mary.

Alexis right now is probably overflowing with affection for Mary, and she can’t help but be bothered by my presence that she treats so friendly.

Seeing his inability to hide his emotions to the point of transparency, I began to worry about whether he would be able to survive in the harsh royal family.

‘… Well, I guess it will take care of itself.’

Even though he looks so sloppy, he is actually smart and quick-witted.

Even if I don’t worry, this guy will take care of himself.

Appearance, background, abilities, and even personality.

A guy named Alexis is truly the perfect man for the role of male lead.

Among them, what I value most is personality.

Other than that, these are elements that all other male leads also have.

However, except for Alexis, most of the male leads… My personality was a bit poor.

I’m not a villain, but what can I say… To put it simply, there is nothing cheap about it.

A close example is Cedric. That guy just doesn’t get along.

On the other hand, Alexis has a noble status as a prince, but seeing as she consistently uses respectful language toward me, a commoner, it can be said that she is a person with good character.

‘Try to do well.’

No matter who you choose, it’s ultimately up to Mary, but I think Alexis is a pretty good choice. Cancer, of course, humanity comes first.

With that in mind, I turned my attention to the stadium where the next game was taking place.

***

“The winner is Simon Berthean!”

“Stop! The winner is Carl Edmel!”

The tournament proceeded step by step.

Although the tournament being held today was limited to first-year students, it still took a considerable amount of time to proceed as all students in the Combat Department participated.

Taking that into consideration, multiple matches were held at the beginning of the tournament.

Once the number of players was reduced to a certain extent, each game was played one at a time, and the quality of the games gradually improved thanks to the structure of the tournament where only the highest level players survived.

The sparring between the top students in the combat department was interesting to watch, and the interest in the audience’s eyes grew stronger.

And so the final game of the successful tournament arrived.

“Cedric Allenhart vs. Ira Librion!”

Cedric and Aira’s match.

To begin with, these two boast overwhelming skills in the combat department.

It was planned that the two would meet in the finals.

“As expected, these two meet.”

“Well, it’s like it was decided before we started.”

Other Combat Department students seemed to think so too.

So did I.

Although I believed in both of their abilities, it was for fundamentally different reasons.

Because the final in the original was also a match between the two.

‘It hasn’t changed.’

thank god.

After the last sparring between the two ended, I was anxious that something might change.

But now that this has happened, you don’t have to worry anymore.

I looked down at the stadium, erasing the anxiety that had been bothering me for a while.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Cedric, who has sharp eyes and cold eyes as always, and doesn’t look like he’s nervous, and Ira, whose usual weak expression has disappeared and whose eyes show a strong will that seems to have sharpened its will.

There was tension between the two.

“Who will win?”

Mary’s innocent voice was heard.

“I heard that Cedric won the last sparring. However, after overcoming that defeat, Ms. Ira would have further refined herself, so the result may have changed.”

Alexis’ voice follows.

As he said, Aira would have sharpened her sword after that defeat.

You must have trained harder than usual and prepared for today’s tournament with all your might.

but.

Unfortunately, not all the hard work in the world receives its deserved reward.

“The winner is Cedric Allenhart!”

In reality, it is a cruel law.