episode_0061

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and I was standing alone as a male among numerous first-year female students, listening to the loud fanfare and magnificent, lively music that announced the start of Tri-Conflict. The only good thing was that Elfin was by my side.

Judging by the flashes of their cameras going off nearby, it appears that reporters are among the throngs of people watching the Tri-Conflict.

Most festivals hosted by the Academy are open to outsiders, and Try Conflict is no exception.

Even without looking closely, I could feel the onlookers groaning at me, a male caught between females. Even my white uniform and black fur made me stand out.

“Thank you to everyone who came to the 254th Try Conflict. I am Ivory Cliff, the Dean of the Academy. Try Conflict is a competition that showcases the qualities of the Academy students…”

Tri-Conflict begins with Dean Ivory’s speech. I blankly watched Dean Ivory giving her speech.

Dean Ivory is also a character you can have as a colleague, but it’s a bit funny because you know that his original personality isn’t like that.

“Ain, are you nervous?”

Although it was Elfin who asked that question, it seemed like the Elfin who asked was nervous and started speaking in an old tone.

“I can’t help it even if I’m nervous. It’s already happened, so I have to do it.”

“You are so strong.”

Elfin looks up and smiles.

“It’s tough. It’s just that I don’t have any thoughts.”

“Hoohoo.”

While chatting with Elfin, Dean Ivory’s speech ends and some formalities are performed.

As the Try Conflict event progresses, you can feel the tension rising among the female first-year students lined up around you.

That’s only natural, because once all these events are over, the first test of the Tri-Conflict, the Test of Strength, will begin in the huge arena directly in front of us, north of the Academy where we are gathered.

More time passed. When Elfin tapped my shoulder and pointed somewhere, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ain!!! Elfin!!! Cheer up!!!”

When I focus my hearing for a moment, I see a hoyo waving its arms (and its large chest) wildly, calling us, while my flock of females gather around it.

In addition, seeing their parents, the splendid nobles, gathered together and their guards mingling around them, made me feel like the tension that wasn’t there was gone. (It’s not that I’m not nervous, though.)

When I looked at Hoyo and smiled and raised my hand slightly, Hoyo laughed brightly and cheered, “Woo-oo-!” and behind him, Count Miho Iron Foxtrot also burst into laughter, saying, “Nyahaha.”

“I have to work hard.”

“If you do that, you will win.”

Elfin answers my words, and I nod.

“Now then, let’s begin the glorious first test of Tri-Conflict, the Test of Strength! Cadets, move to the arena!!”

To the thunderous roar of Dean Ivory, the first-year students line up and enter the stadium as they had practiced before. The cheers of the audience begin to grow louder.

“What will come out…”

Each of the Tri-Conflict trials prepared in Academy Story 2 has various versions, and the content you experience changes with each playthrough.

I’ve spent a lot of time playing the game, so I’ve experienced all the different types of tests, but even within the test, the details change randomly due to random numbers, so even if I’m experienced, it’s not easy for me to win.

However, it is true that I have an overwhelming advantage over other students who know nothing.

A huge stadium with only a white marble floor appears as the audience cheers. There are also extremely large seats inside the stadium, but they are so full that it is difficult to fit even one person.

“Cadets, get ready!”

As Dean Ivory’s command rings out, all the students begin to take out their weapons.

I also have a kite shield on my left arm, but I don’t take out the mace on my waist. For now, I have Elfin with me.

And then, a moment later, a large amount of high-level welcome magic is used…

“This is… ‘Siege Crystal’.”

“What is that?”

Since the students gathered in groups of three or four, distancing themselves from each other as the exam began, there was no one around us, so I didn’t bother to lower my voice.

“This is a test where you choose one of two crystals and move it to the destination.”

“I see.”

Elfin nods at my explanation, and then Dean Ivory continues his explanation.

“This test of strength is the ‘Siege Crystal’! Let me explain the rules…!”

Dean Ivory begins to explain the rules of the Seed Crystal in a cute voice.

1. The crystal moves faster the more people there are within the indicated range.

2. Crystals are not destroyed when attacked, but when hit, the speed of the opposite crystal increases.

3. The movement path of each crystal is unfair.

4. When the crystal arrives, the people gathered around it will pass the test of strength. In other words, you don’t have to choose just one crystal.

“All students, get ready!!”

Dean Ivory’s declaration rings out, and all participants begin to prepare.

“Elfin.”

“Say it, Ain.”

Elfin looks straight at the two crystals and answers.

“When it starts, go to the crystal in the rough terrain.”

“Is there a reason? One side is rough and the other side is flat.”

Her words, and the positions of the two crystals as written in the rules, are clearly unfair when seen with the naked eye.

But that alone doesn’t make it ‘unfair’.

“Trust me. When you look at it with your eyes, a rough crystal may look worse than a flat crystal, but what you see isn’t everything.”

“Okay.”

In my explanation, Elfin completely trusts me without any nonsense. I wonder if I am becoming more and more masculine, as I am thankful for such small details…

“Test of strength! Start!!!!”

The test begins with a loud noise.

The students chose not to move rashly for the time being in order to explore. It seems that they did not expect that what they thought was a simple competition would turn into a showdown.

Most of the small group immediately runs towards the crystal on the plains, while Elfin and I run towards the crystal on the rough ground.

The ground is unstable, but fortunately I have been training hard so it didn’t bother me too much. However, there are some parts of this path that require climbing or jumping down, so I need to be prepared.

Most of the students who finished exploring moved to the crystals on the plains, and only a few came to the rough terrain.

“This is not the right place to say hello, but I finally have the chance to say hello. Nice to meet you, Ain.”

Among the students approaching the rough terrain, a plump-looking female student greets them with a longsword slung over her shoulder.

“That side…?”

“Saturday Star Lucid Morningstar, your friend Nari’s female. I’ve heard a lot about her.”

Indeed, it seems that Nari is the female of the group of three male barons, the first of whom I became close with.

“Nice to meet you. As you said, the situation is not good for a leisurely greeting.”

“I guess so. How are you, Princess Erpeion?”

“Hmm.”

Unlike me, Elfin greets Morning Star in a plain manner, perhaps because they are old friends.

“Ain, they’re ahead after all.”

As Elfin said, there are more students on the flat ground than on the rough ground, so the positions of the two crystals begin to slowly drift apart.

“Elfin, tell the students to hold their positions. And ask two people who are fast to come.”

I think that Elfin’s words, as the princess, would have more influence than those of a complete stranger, so I ask her to do it.

Even the status of the Elfin princess is an acceptable power in the Test of Strength.

“Cadets in the rough terrain, hold your positions! And two quick-moving cadets, come to me!”

As expected, the princess’s position is not light. The students who had hesitated for a moment gather around the crystal according to Elfin’s instructions, and two students approach us.

“I am the young lady of Foxflame Baron.”

“Isul Stella Dew, Viscountess Youngae.”

Ina’s side is a female fox holding a bow, and Isul’s side is a rare female badger holding two round whips in each hand.

“There should be a way to sneak across to the flat ground nearby. Let’s find it.”

As I said that and moved, Elfin, Ina, and Isul followed suit and started looking around from where they could see the crystals on the plain.

“I see a path leading down over there.”

After looking around for a while, Inaga, with her keen eye, discovers a wide path that leads through a cave on the other side near the path that the crystal on the plains is supposed to take.

“But will the four of us be okay, Your Highness the Princess, Ain Youngsik?”

As Isul says this, she looks worriedly at the students gathered around the flat crystal.

“There will be an opportunity soon. Let’s sneak over to the other side first.”

I encourage the elfin and female students to use silence spells around us so that no one can hear us as we move through the cave. I feel the footsteps of many people approaching the cave…

“You really came over without anyone knowing.”

After exiting the cave, we were able to safely get out on the right side of the flat crystal and the opposite side of the rough crystal.

“But you still haven’t told me how to attack, Ain Youngshik.”

When Isul looked straight at me and spoke, I smiled briefly and said.

“Would you please wait a moment, Young-ae of Isul?”

At my words, dew slightly stained my cheeks…

“Liberator!! Liberator!!!!”