Ch.197197 – The Triathlon Begins

<197 – Triathlon Competition Begins>

The operation had failed.

“I have no face to show, Holy Maiden.”

“No, it was my mistake for not anticipating that the Dark Guild would have such capabilities.”

“I’m grateful for Lady Yufi’s generous forgiveness.”

Yufi understood.

Giselle.

His resourcefulness was extraordinary for a commoner.

He does business in partnership with Princess Arcadia.

The number of followers who dream of such an opportunity and orbit around her exceeds three digits.

Among them, those worthy of proper conversation can be counted on one hand, and the actual royal guard who receive Arcadia’s call and assist with her affairs are fewer than ten.

Giselle was chosen as an equal <partner> where even these single-digit elite followers couldn’t succeed, so he was certainly not a man to be underestimated.

But that shouldn’t mean the hero’s failure.

“But you won’t give up so easily, will you?”

When a predatory yellow light flickered in Yufi’s eyes, Skola flinched. Whether ashamed of being overwhelmed by the Holy Maiden or ashamed of his failure.

Biting his lip and swallowing his humiliation, Skola bowed his head in submission.

“If there’s a chance for revenge, please grant it to me.”

“Practice is over. Next is the midterm exam. Show me in the next advanced class test. Your specialty.”

“…Holy Maiden. As I said before, I cannot offer direct sniping.”

“I’m not telling you to attack Oknodie herself. There’s something else, isn’t there? A target you can shoot.”

At Yufi’s clarification, Skola realized what target she meant.

“You mean I should target Oknodie’s golem?”

“There’s no rule against attacking vehicles. This academy is loose with regulations.”

“Golems are rock creatures. And I’m an archer.”

Skola hesitated.

Oknodie’s extraordinary talents, the protective forces surrounding her, and her close relationships with skilled individuals.

Anyone targeting her would need to reconsider whether they should continue pursuing her, remembering these facts.

Yufi understood Skola’s psychology.

What a cowardly man.

But his skills were no lie.

“And you’re a disciple of the Divine Archer. I’ve heard the Divine Archer’s arrows can pierce any metal in the world. Can’t the disciple pierce even rock?”

Yufi’s provocation, aimed at his pride, hit its mark.

Skola’s eyes changed.

“I’ll show you. How far my arrows can penetrate.”

* * *

Tuesday, 5:40 AM.

The advanced class students gathered at the mountain entrance much earlier than usual.

This was because they needed to start the exam six hours before regular class time to complete the triathlon.

“Oknodie is so lucky. Her mount obeys her well.”

“You’re one to talk, Dorothy. You chose a horse that everyone envies as your mount!”

“How’s our Rudolf?”

“How’s Rudolf’s condition?”

“I don’t know. He’s been depressed, like he’s sulking… Maybe the other horses stole his feed.”

“…That’s a serious problem!”

“What was that hesitation just now?”

“…I was thinking about how to comfort you!”

How brazenly Oknodie lies.

Watching from behind, Isabelle nudged Giselle’s side.

“Will she be okay? Oknodie.”

“Though her excuse is clumsy, she won’t be caught. As we saw in the entrance exam, Dorothy has a naive personality that’s vulnerable to deception.”

“I don’t mean that—I mean the test. The stares from all around are no joke.”

Besides Skola, who had recently reported Oknodie’s feed theft to the professor, glares were coming from all directions.

Both Massgakki Heugmag’s second princess and her faction, as well as the faction admiring the Ishtar hero.

Many students were eyeing Oknodie with burning intensity, trying to check the overwhelming favorite to win from the frontier.

‘I’ll grab even the hem of her skirt!’

‘Oknodie. I’ll never let you ride that golem.’

‘I’ll show you who’s relatively incompetent in this opportunity♡’

Their intentions were obvious just from their expressions.

Unlike Isabelle’s concerns, Giselle was completely calm.

“I understand your worry, but there’s no need.”

“It’s obvious she’ll be targeted by everyone.”

“We’re not in a relaxed enough situation to worry about others.”

“Will we be targeted too?”

“We’re not the only ones being targeted. Professor Platton has completely deceived the entire advanced class.”

The ground trembled, sending sand particles and pebbles flying.

Something in great numbers was approaching.

Thump. Thump.

The sound grew closer.

In the early dawn, insects stopped chirping and birds ceased their songs.

Boom boom boom… THUMP!

Eventually, several trees collapsed.

As the procession that had been approaching from beyond the rocky area finally emerged from the forest, they could finally see what was causing the sudden commotion.

“Students?”

“Look at their collars. Those are second-year emblems.”

“W-what! That impossible number!”

More than a thousand students by rough count.

And every one of them had fierce determination in their eyes.

“Lazy ones. Finally here.”

As Professor Platton chided them, a knight in armor emerged from among the students with clanking sounds.

“This year will be different. I’ve trained them rigorously for this day.”

“Hahaha! How pitiful, Andrew Conrad. This year’s advanced class has skills ranking among the top in all advanced classes throughout history. You have no chance.”

The two professors engaged in psychological warfare.

Who was this unfamiliar professor, and why had the second-years gathered at the first-year advanced class exam site?

A vague sense of foreboding.

A cruel truth they all wanted to ignore.

When the instructors leading the second-years approached and stood before the first-year advanced class, everyone was forced to face the reality they had been trying to avoid.

“The first-year advanced class midterm exam will be taken simultaneously with the second-year lower class students.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“The exam will last 12 hours from 6 AM to 6 PM, and scores will vary depending on completion and records in the three events: running, swimming, and riding.”

“Wait a minute, we’re first-years! How can you suddenly make us compete against second-years without prior notice!”

“Silence is golden, and here is gold. In the name of the golden god, I command thee, seal the mouth of the poor.”

The instructor threw gold foil from his pocket into the air, and a golden X mark appeared on the mouth of the first-year advanced class student who had protested.

As the student opened and closed his mouth in confusion, then clutched his throat in distress, the instructor said indifferently:

“Penalty for disrupting academic administration, 10 points deduction. Keep quiet for 5 minutes.”

The students, more afraid of the point deduction than being unable to speak for 5 minutes, kept their mouths shut.

Isabelle glanced at Oknodie and found that she had already covered Dorothy’s mouth—knowing her personality, she was exactly the type to speak up and receive penalties.

…As expected.

Typical of a child who knows everything.

Perhaps the Foundation had secretly informed her about this exam too.

“For your information, your opponents are second-year lower class students taking the Advanced Physical Training course. They’re pathetic fellows trying to compensate for their lack of skill with faith.”

Despite the blatant criticism, the second-years didn’t loudly protest but quietly lined up, burning with hostility.

Their seriousness was on a completely different level from the first-year lower class students before the mana verification test.

“These pathetic ones have one special rule. If they obtain a first-year advanced class student’s nameplate, they automatically receive the highest grade for this exam.”

“!!”

“Your grade won’t decrease if your nameplate is taken. However, I promise you’ll feel like an idiot for letting it happen.”

Competition within the advanced class.

Beyond that, the massive participation of second-year lower class students.

“Additionally, third-years taking <Zeneger’s Tactics> will also participate in this exam. Not as competitors, but as third-years permitted to indirectly intervene to predict and realize their grade predictions.”

In the distance, senior students on broomsticks waved their hands in the sky.

“I believe in you, Jeongbae! Hero Ishtar!”

“Giselle! I believe in your strategy. Wash away the stigma of being a reverse bettor!”

“Show the power of the Imperial Three Great Merit Families!”

A midterm exam with first, second, and third-years participating simultaneously—almost like a sports festival with massive numbers of students whose grades were at stake!

“When the whistle blows, first-years will start first, and when the second whistle blows, second-years will follow. First-years would do well to run for their lives.”

The instructor’s mouth corners rose to a point that was not just hideous but frightening.

“Because if they catch you, you’ll suffer.”

Gulp!

The first-years swallowed nervously.

6:00 AM.

When the scheduled competition time arrived, the whistle blew.

The triathlon.

A test that promised to be much more difficult than anticipated had begun.