Ch.58EP.17 – Is Irene Windler a Villainess? (1)

Cricket was one of the noble leisure sports similar to baseball, while also being familiar to commoners.

Unlike polo, or mounted ball games that required trained horses, practice fields, and equipment, cricket could be enjoyed with just a ball and a flat bat.

Thanks to this, cricket was a popular sport that bridged nobles and commoners, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that everyone was familiar with its basic rules.

Therefore.

“Is that all you can do?!”

“My grandmother could swing a bat better than you!”

“Why, why can’t you catch the ball!? It’s falling right in front of you…!”

…Well, it was something like this.

At the cricket match, or rather the cricket examination field, the players (students) were enthusiastically throwing balls, swinging bats, and desperately trying to catch balls.

The two teams currently taking the exam happened to include many noble children representing the South and East regions.

And as if by fate, the teams were divided accordingly.

Those from the South and East were cheering for their respective regions, and the cheering was becoming so heated that it seemed like chaos could break out at any moment.

It was a territorial war and war game in the name of sport.

This was no longer just a sports match or a student exam subject, but a war where the pride of the territories’ people was at stake.

Arno de Ophen, who happened to be taking the cricket exam, shook his head.

“…It seems like there might be an uprising in the territory if we lose this match.”

“Not ‘might be’—there will be. I heard that when territories with conflicts had a cricket match among Academy seniors, citizens from the losing territory surrounded the lord’s son armed with slings and threw stones at him.”

“Is, is that senior still alive?”

“He’s breathing. Just living while being treated as the worst traitor in the territory.”

“……”

“So we must win at all costs. I don’t want to be treated as a traitor. …And I don’t want to die from being stoned either.”

“…Hmm.”

In this way, the cricket match unintentionally became quite interesting.

The exam was secondary; the atmosphere was about winning at all costs and beating the opposing side.

Arno and the other members of the Swordsmanship Department were worried about when a fistfight might break out.

“Wow, so bench clearing exists in this world too?”

Ihan Turtle was simply dumbfounded as he observed the situation.

He had come to watch the match since his students were participating, but the situation was becoming much more combative.

He had thought a noble sport would proceed with dignity, but this was more exciting than most baseball or soccer matches.

Furthermore.

“Am I watching European football? Why are there so many hooligans?”

Even the spectators were all like berserkers.

He thought that if things went wrong, some might even burn nobles’ carriages with torches.

“This is crazy, absolutely crazy.”

Perhaps because there was extremely little entertainment?

People were taking sports very seriously.

He guessed this aspect appeared because cricket itself was a familiar sport.

“Should I introduce soccer?”

There was something similar to soccer, but he wondered what kind of ripple effect it would create if he introduced it more seriously.

Is this what they call intellectual curiosity?

Just as he was wickedly considering introducing modern soccer.

“Instructor?”

“Number 11 Bear?”

He encountered a familiar face.

“It’s Barry, sir. We’re not at the training ground, so please call me by my name.”

“But I remembered your number correctly.”

“…Should I be grateful for that?”

“More importantly, why is Barry here?”

“Ah, I’m earning some living expenses. It’s something of a peak season.”

Number 11 Baldy, no, Barry Cobbs scratched his head with an awkward smile.

He pulled out cold drinks from his enormous backpack.

It was also filled with snacks like beef jerky and pretzels.

“Oh, are you allowed to sell such things?”

“It’s not officially allowed, but everyone tends to turn a blind eye. Especially those of us who are always short on living expenses.”

“Is that so? I thought I saw some drunk people…”

“Haha, selling alcohol is illegal. They’d probably get caught the moment the enforcement team shows up.”

“…There’s even an enforcement team?”

Ihan, though incredulous, took out two silver coins from his pocket.

“Give me one drink and some jerky.”

“…That’s too much money.”

“The rest is a tip.”

“…Instructor.”

“Study during exam period, man. Don’t refuse because your pride is hurt.”

“…I’ll serve with loyalty!”

“Just do well normally.”

“Yes, sir!!”

With a sharp salute, Barry accepted the two silver coins (a month’s salary for a family of four) and handed over his entire bag.

When asked for just one item, he gave everything and left.

“I told you to listen.”

Who asked for everything?

Ihan grumbled as he put a piece of jerky from the bag into his mouth.

“Homemade? It’s well-made.”

It was an excellent taste that made the money well spent.

* * *

-To get straight to the point, Ihan ‘dared’ to refuse Magnus the Grand Duke’s proposal.

For a mere knight to refuse a Grand Duke’s proposal was unheard of, and.

The Grand Duke could have considered it an insult and ordered his head cut off, but instead.

– Why are you refusing?

He merely showed interest, his eyes gleaming.

Asking why he refused such a good proposal.

After all, if handled well, it was an opportunity to become a son-in-law of the Grand Duke’s family.

It was a chance for social advancement, and he could even use the Lionel name.

So why give up this opportunity?

Ihan’s answer to this question was.

– I’m not interested.

…and.

At this masterpiece of an answer, Magnus the Grand Duke blinked his eyes, while Maximus rolled on the floor holding his stomach.

– Kwahaha! Brother, didn’t I tell you! This guy is a gem, a gem! To think there’s someone who disrespects the great Lionel like this! Truly amazing!

– …Indeed he is, haha!

However, neither the Grand Duke nor the Knight of the North seemed displeased.

If anything, they were delighted.

Perhaps it was a characteristic of Northerners.

Unlike the Central nobles, they valued sincerity over hiding their true feelings, and seemed to value frankness even more.

After bursting into laughter, Magnus the Grand Duke said.

-Still, knight, always remember my offer. Lionel will always welcome you.

He left, still leaving the possibility open.

He was like a storm of a man,

Appearing with a ferocity that seemed ready to sweep everything away, and disappearing just as suddenly like a storm.

– Next time, let’s have a fierce battle, I’ll be waiting, Rohan!

– …You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?

– Hmm?

“…Should I break that bastard’s jaw next time I see him?”

The guy who renamed him three times from Rihan to Rahan and then to Rohan.

They say no younger brother is as good as his elder brother, but unlike the Grand Duke who left a somewhat positive impression, this guy kept irritating him until the end!

If he meets that arrogant gorilla again, he won’t let him off so easily.

He’ll take his jaw or his neck!

Ihan had determined a new target to pulverize besides Galahad’s arrogant grappler.

But before that.

“Should I deal with these Information Guild bastards first?”

The target to be dealt with before the grappler and the gorilla was none other than the Information Guild.

If they took money, they should do their job properly, but somehow all the information was a mess.

‘The Duke I thought was a murderer turned out to be a normal, decent person, and the guy I thought was a rapist turned out to be quite magnanimous. How can this happen?’

Of course, one can’t judge everything based on a single meeting, but Ihan trusts his eyes and instincts.

In that sense, neither the Duke nor the Grand Duke were worthless trash.

Rather, they had the dignity and ability most befitting the title of nobility among all the nobles he had met so far.

So Ihan narrowed down the reasons why the Information Guild had passed on such poor information to two main possibilities.

One was that they had carelessly collected information, or alternatively.

‘Both of them had thoroughly fabricated information about themselves.’

Whatever the case.

“…It’s exhausting.”

Somehow the frequency of incidents seemed overwhelmingly higher than when he was in the Order.

…Is it because he’s at the Academy?

“No, it’s not the Academy that’s the problem, it’s the people.”

You know what?

Any academy story is peaceful until the protagonist appears.

And now, unfortunately, his workplace has two, no, three protagonist-level main characters.

‘A returner, a mysterious rogue prince, and…’

“-Instructor!?”

“……”

“Oh my, what a coincidence? Meeting in a place like this, hoho…”

“…Hmm.”

And the possessed girl right in front of him.

Ihan sighed and thought to himself.

This girl really.

‘She’s a terrible actor.’

Irene Windler approached him with an awkward smile.

[Arin, you know? There won’t be a better opportunity than today! Today is the day to achieve our goal!]

‘Shut up, what am I doing because of you?!’

Irene Windler wondered what on earth she was doing.

Because of her noisy ghost roommate who chattered every day, she even had to put on makeup from the morning.

[Huh? I didn’t tell you to put on makeup? You did that on your own.]

‘Should I meet him looking like a beggar then!? I, I’m doing this for your sake, you girl.’

[Hmm~?]

‘Why, why are you looking at me like that?’

[Nothing, nothing at all. Anyway, whatever lecherous thoughts you might have, I don’t care, but you must fulfill my request, understand?]

‘I don’t have any lecherous thoughts! …But do I really have to fulfill that request?’

[If you want to fail your exam, you don’t have to.]

‘Umm…!’

Irene Windler, who hadn’t studied at all, relying on the ghost girl who memorized all subjects, reminded herself that she had no choice but to fulfill the request.

Although as the top student in the Magic Department, she wouldn’t be expelled even if her grades were low, so what if she failed the exam?

‘I can’t fail the exam!’

For a girl with the soul of a student who never took the college entrance exam, nothing was more terrifying than getting low grades.

Therefore.

‘Just, just touch his thigh, just his thigh…’

The girl swallowed hard as she glanced at the knight’s thigh, which seemed thicker than her waist.

Shiver!

“…?”

The knight felt an inexplicable chill.