episode_0018

After Elfelt, who wanted to die of embarrassment, finally calmed down,

“……I made a spectacle of myself. Then, let’s talk about cards together.”

We finally got to the main point.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I felt that Arianna’s gaze towards Elfelt had slightly less respect.

“First, I want to put in all those powerful cards you used, Sir Knight.”

“Yeah. You mean ‘Hand Trap’?”

“‘Hand Trap’……. Is it called ‘Hand Trap’ because it’s a trap that activates from your hand? It’s quite intuitive.”

Elfelt had already figured out what the most powerful cards were in this duel.

“But you said there seems to be external pressure on the Headmaster, Sir Knight. What exactly does that mean? Is it because of that external pressure that I didn’t know about those cards?”

However, it seemed she hadn’t fully grasped why those cards weren’t used at the Duel Academy.

“Huh? Did Senior Elfelt not know anything about [Spirit of the Lock]?”

“It’s embarrassing, but I saw it for the first time today. I was completely surprised. To not know about the existence of such powerful cards at all……”

When Arianna asked with a puzzled look, Elfelt fiddled with the ends of her drill curls, as if the fact that she didn’t know was embarrassing in itself. The way they moved was like springs, which was a little amusing.

“Arianna told me that there was a student who used it and ended up in a terrible state.”

“What? They ended up in a terrible state because they used a card? Was there something so absurd that happened?”

“I, I don’t know the exact details either……. I just happened to see it a few times and heard some rumors.”

Arianna flinched slightly at Elfelt, who was frowning as if just hearing about it made her angry.

“Even today, there was a noble among the audience booing unnaturally fiercely. Among the professors, there were some whose expressions grew paler as the duel progressed.”

“Such a thing……. I had no idea at all.”

Elfelt seemed utterly unaware and was shocked, her words trailing off.

“From what I see, I wonder if even the professors colluded to create a local rule.”

“A local rule?”

“A rule that only applies in a specific area, I mean. They self-imposed a ban on all cards that could check the opponent’s plays within the Duel Academy. They threatened the students and the professors didn’t teach, but hid them.”

“Even the professors colluding……?! N-Now, could you show me the card for a moment? [Spirit of the Lock].”

I took out [Spirit of the Lock] from my deck and handed it to Elfelt. Elfelt frowned and examined the card carefully, then nodded as if she had realized something.

“……Although it’s a relatively recent card, with this number, it should have been included in the curriculum. They intentionally left it out. So that the existence of this card couldn’t be known within the Duel Academy.”

“Then it’s clear. That students and teachers colluded to erase ‘Hand Traps’.”

“To think that the environment of the Duel Academy was being manipulated……. Haaah.”

Elfelt let out a deep sigh.

“It’s too embarrassing that I, being the Head of the Disciplinary Committee, didn’t notice something like that……”

And she made a sad face as if feeling responsible. It seems she’s quite genuinely disheartened.

“What does the Disciplinary Committee usually do?”

She seemed too depressed, so I subtly asked to change the mood.

“It’s nothing grand. Just preventing things like improper attire or bullying, I suppose.”

Now that I asked, it was just ordinary Disciplinary Committee activities, not particularly related to dueling.

‘Improper attire……?’

“Improper attire, you say……”

However, one thing was questionable, and Arianna voiced the exact same question I was thinking. Looking at Elfelt’s cleavage, which was still clearly exposed.

“Ugh. Just so you know, this is unavoidable because the location of my ‘Deck Portal’ is here!! When I was little and small, they didn’t overlap……. I’m troubled by it too.”

As if she was aware, Elfelt blushed and made excuses.

Was ‘Deck Portal’ referring to the portal from which cards could be drawn, which had also appeared for me? It seemed that Elfelt couldn’t help but maintain such attire because it just happened to end up between her breasts.

“Ah, anyway! Still, things will be different starting tomorrow! Because the Disciplinary Committee has now become the ‘Judgment Club’!”

Elfelt declared proudly, placing her hand on her chest.

“‘Judgment Club’?”

“Yes. Cheating is impossible below the duel field. That’s why the existence of a judge wasn’t particularly necessary until now. But because of that, we’ve neglected the ‘non-duel aspects’ too much.”

The job of a judge in a tournament, commonly called a ‘Judge’, isn’t just simple judging. They also have a duty to intervene to some extent in various unsportsmanlike conduct and disputes outside of the duel.

……Well, whether real-life ‘Judges’ did well is another issue, though. How varied and numerous the villains are in any store or tournament.

“Accepting the advice you gave the Headmaster, Sir Knight, the Disciplinary Committee has become the ‘Judgment Club’ as of today. We have become noble arbiters who preside over correct and fair duels!”

But surely Elfelt would be more than capable of carrying it out. I felt that certainty.

“I’ll cheer you on. I hope you don’t get too busy.”

“Of course, I don’t intend to neglect my own duels either. It’s my principle to enjoy both duty and rights to the fullest. I also plan to increase the number of members at this opportunity.”

It seems I don’t have to worry about the current situation continuing at the Duel Academy.

“Anyway, seeing them again, they really are incredibly strong cards……. Is there no means to resist these ‘Hand Traps’?”

Elfelt returned to the main point and asked, looking intently at [Spirit of the Lock]. For Elfelt, whose plays get significantly tangled if even one card is blocked, they must be very troublesome existences.

“There is.”

“Oh? There is?”

But there’s no way there isn’t a means to resist. Rock-paper-scissors also applies between ‘Hand Traps’.

“For now, speaking only about the cards we have out, [Earth Absorber] is immediately blocked by [Spirit of the Lock] here.”

“……Ah! [Earth Absorber] has an effect that draws cards, so it can be blocked?!”

Arianna, who had been quietly concentrating on the conversation, said with her eyes sparkling as if she had figured it out.

“Yeah. Because the effects that [Spirit of the Lock] can negate include drawing cards.”

“Indeed. The range it targets was incredibly broad, this card……”

Just as I was about to tell Elfelt, who was shivering anew at its power, about the means to stop such a [Spirit of the Lock] instead,

“Uhehe. I’m a little shy.”

A small voice was heard from beside us.

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

“Ah.”

Where the sound came from, where everyone looked,

“Ah, I apologize for the trouble last time……. It was soft and warm, which was nice. So much so that I want to enter again next time.”

The gloomy spirit with long, black hair, wearing a white shroud and tightly hugging a lock as big as its torso, [Spirit of the Lock], was floating around, scratching its messy hair as if shy.

“Wh-wh-what is it?! Not even on a duel field?! And a card that isn’t a Legend card manifesting?!”

At that sight, Elfelt was so surprised that she fell backwards, hitting her behind.

“Normally, that doesn’t happen?”

“Of course not!!”

“I, I haven’t heard of such a thing either.”

She immediately sprang up and answered the question asked while I looked away because her panties were showing. Arianna also shook her head vigorously and said it was the first time she’d heard of it.

“I don’t know why, but it seems I can do that.”

“What kind of……. That’s an absurd ability……”

It seems my ‘Chosen One’ ability isn’t limited to Legend cards.

“Well, this is a little embarrassing. Can I go back now……?”

“I didn’t tell you to come out, though.”

“U. That’s true. I was just happy to be praised somehow……. Uhehe. Please excuse me.”

[Spirit of the Lock] went back into the card’s frame awkwardly. It got stuck because its butt was big, and then slid in smoothly, which was unnecessarily embarrassing to watch.

“…….”

Elfelt stared intently at [Spirit of the Lock] that had returned to the card, then

“Um……. By any chance.”

She handed me back [Spirit of the Lock] and called me with a slightly hesitant expression.

“Is there something on your mind?”

“It’s a bit of a tangent, but if you can use the ability to manifest that card on other people’s cards as well……. By any chance.”

Elfelt stopped speaking and, after a moment of thought,

“……Could you manifest my [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord]?”

She asked, holding her cleavage open with her middle and index fingers and taking out the card, [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord], from within.

“Hmm.”

I acted as if I wasn’t flustered by the way she took out the card, received it, and examined it. [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] was a shiny, cool card that seemed to be perhaps one step below a Legend card.

“Di. Diamond Rare……. This is the first time I’ve seen one up close like this.”

Arianna’s eyes sparkled as much as the card, as if she were seeing something incredibly rare.

“Still, it probably can’t compare to a Legend card. So……. Is it possible?”

“Hmm…….”

I examined the card I received and thought for a moment. It was true that I wanted to see such a cool card up close in reality at least once.

“I wonder if my room will turn into a sea of fire the moment it appears?”

However, [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] is a monster that creates a sanctuary of holy flames around itself as a continuous effect. I definitely wanted to avoid my room, which I had worked so hard to clean, immediately turning into a sea of fire.

“Ah……. That might be dangerous. I don’t know much about manifestation either……”

‘Leave that to me.’

At that moment, Marius’s voice was heard in my head.

‘If a dangerous aura is felt, I will immediately stop it.’

I took out my deck and pulled out the Legend card [Ice Mirror Marius]. [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] is cool, but Marius is still the coolest.

“What are you doing?”

“Marius said he’ll stop it if anything happens. I think we can try it.”

“You can even talk to cards? Amazing……. So this is a ‘Chosen One’……”

“How about it, shall we try?”

I asked for everyone’s agreement.

“If it’s Lord Marius, he’s trustworthy. I agree!”

“……Please, don’t hurt my [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord]. Is that possible?”

‘Leave it to me. I treated you harshly before, so I will treat you gently this time.’

“Yeah. He said he’d be gentle.”

It was decided. I placed the Legend card [Ice Mirror Marius] on the floor, put ample distance in case of anything, and then wished for [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] to manifest.

‘But does it happen just by wishing? It seems they’ve all come out on their own accord until now…….’

Fwoosh……!

The moment I thought uneasily whether this would work, a gentle flame began to wrap around my room.

“Kyaak?! I-Is it okay?! Are you okay?!”

“……It’s okay. This flame is safe. It’s a flame that doesn’t burn anything.”

While Arianna was flustered, as Elfelt said, the flame didn’t burn anything, and soon a pure white flame rose among us, and [Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] manifested.

[Spirit King of Holy Flames, Flame Lord] was,

“I, the king……”

Completely unbefitting its magnificent name,

“I, the king, was incompetent and ended up in such a state……”

Completely dejected, hugging its knees and crouching, and sobbing.

For some reason, a timid kid appeared, despite grandly referring to itself as ‘I, the king’.