Episode 197. Day 2 of the Festival (2)
That evening.
Even after the first match of the tactical banquet ended, the excitement of the people did not die down.
The day after Group A’s match, Group B plays. Then Group C and Group D remain.
A total of 4 groups compete to select a winner.
The winners of each group will have a final showdown at the end of the game, and the winner will be the final winner of the tactics banquet.
It was a relatively simple match compared to the many people who were excited about it.
This is because the method is to simply overcome the opponents you meet with your skills and move up.
There are no particularly complex obstacles or traps on the field.
However, on the final day, the field expands beyond the stadium to the Purgatory Volcano, which will expand the fighting space to some extent.
Until then, you can compete purely on skill without any variables due to terrain.
Jenny, who won in such a place, is a unique existence among many talented people.
“You were really cool, Sister.”
“Thank you so much for coming, Ray.”
“How can I just sit still while my sister goes to such a big competition?”
A restaurant area in a town near the academy.
Among them was an outdoor restaurant run by students from the cooking club.
There were numerous tables spread out in the open garden, and the beautiful scenery created a great atmosphere for eating.
The kitchen of the cooking department was also located outdoors, so it felt like looking at a food truck. Could it be said that it was a true combination of the common people and the nobles?
In that place, the sisters were laughing out loud.
I laughed too, because the atmosphere couldn’t have been anything but good.
“You’re laughing at what you did well!”
“What am I?”
Suddenly Ray looks at me and gets irritated.
There was no expression of contempt on his face when he saw a criminal in prison.
“How dare you share a room with another woman, leaving my sister behind? I’m really disappointed!”
“That noise again?”
I was wondering what on earth it was, but it seems like he repeated that phrase more than 10 times today.
Now it’s time to slowly get used to it.
When Ray arrived at Alighieri Station on the magic train with the knights, I was the only one who came out to greet him.
Jenny asked me to do it because she couldn’t come out because she was preparing for the tactical banquet.
At first, he was happy to see me, but as soon as he found out about my dorm life, he started to be wary.
“How dare you lie to me! Don’t you fear the heavens?”
“Okay, then stop it.”
But even though I said that, Ray stayed with me until the tactical banquet started.
Considering how many hours it took, I guess it’s safe to say that there’s no resistance towards me.
So I decided to do that now.
“It’s okay, Ray. Radon isn’t as mischievous as you think.”
“But do you think it makes sense to share a room with another woman while leaving your sister behind?”
So do you think it makes sense for this academy to implement that dormitory system?
At least I was able to soften my stance a little because it was my sister’s words.
After all, things go well when sisters get along well.
“Are you talking about Ruska?”
“That’s right! The girl with the black hair and scary eyes!”
“Don’t worry. Ruska is my friend too, so nothing strange will happen.”
That’s true. Actually, nothing strange happened in my room.
Plus, Ruska isn’t strong enough to attack me outright.
It may look scary on the outside, but it’s actually strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
“But, Sister, you shouldn’t let your guard down. You never know what might happen if a man and a woman live in the same room!”
“Um… what happened? Radon.”
Jenny asks, turning her head sharply.
He immediately replied no.
“Look at this. That’s not true.”
“You have to believe it. That girl is really pretty.”
“Uh… Really?”
Suddenly, I heard praise for Ruska.
Ray poured out his impressions of what he had witnessed like a torrent of water.
“When I think about it, it looks scary, but it’s also incredibly fascinating. Should I say it’s like a fox that wags its tail to seduce? And…”
Suddenly, Ray looked over Jenny’s body and continued speaking.
“I think I had a better body than my sister.”
“what…?”
“I had a chance to get a quick look at it at lunch today. When I got up close and looked at it… it was absolutely fantastic.”
What is he talking about all of a sudden?
There wasn’t a single line that the main character in a comic book would say when he reveals his true colors.
When a kid like this says that, I feel a huge sense of alienation.
“There was a seductive aura there that was so alluring. Something that my sister didn’t have…”
“what…?!”
“Should I say I want to hug you just once…?”
There’s nothing a young guy can’t say.
Jenny, who was secretly teased, had a shit-eating expression on her face.
and…
“Do you really want to hug me?”
“omg!”
The ‘real thing’ appeared from behind.
Ray’s heart sank when Ruska suddenly appeared and whispered in his ear.
Then he sits down next to Angela, who is accompanying him.
“If you want, tell me as much as you want. I’ll hug you until you burst.”
“yes…”
Ruska said with a bright expression as she sat down.
I couldn’t help but laugh because the sight somehow looked like a wild beast.
And when I looked at it again, it really was pretty. And it’s said that it’s the same combat class as my sister’s.
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
`Living with such an attractive person… Can that guy really be sane?`
Ruska and Angela placed the food they had brought on the table and began to eat.
It seemed like they were simply sitting together to eat. The saintess next to them eating only rice balls seemed a bit odd though.
There, Ruska started talking to Jenny.
I watched the first match well. Congratulations on winning Group A. I will be up soon, so wait.
… the same words came out of Ruska’s mouth.
It looks like that older sister is also a participant in the tactical banquet.
And Jenny unnie also urged her not to drop out and to come up again.
A top-tier fighter with similar combat skills, and an acquaintance of the same Radon Crawler…!
`What is it? My heart suddenly feels so pounding.`
They haven’t even fought each other yet.
But just imagining them meeting each other in the finals makes my heart flutter.
Besides, just talking to them now, a strange current flows between them.
Their eyes met, as if the swords of two martial artists were clashing with all their might, creating a great commotion.
The fight had already begun. That alone was enough for Ray to predict.
‘That girl… she’ll definitely win Group B!’
Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D.
When two of the four remaining survivors fall, the real finals will begin.
Already, the image of the Queen of Snowstorms and the Crimson Beast fighting each other in the volcanic valley was forming in my head.
An inevitable fate.
But Ray believed. He was sure that his sister would win.
The person closest to that guy, Radon, is my older sister.
“I have something to ask you.”
“huh?”
Ray speaks to Ruska, who is eating food.
She asked just to confirm.
“By any chance… did anything strange happen while you were with Radon?”
Ruska blinked, locking eyes with Angela, wondering what she meant.
But soon after understanding, Ruska burst into laughter.
“Ah… hahaha, that never happened.”
“Really?”
“There are many other kids who share a similar room with me, so there’s no need to be suspicious.”
When I think about it, that’s true.
Even though there is such a dormitory policy, I have never heard of any incidents or accidents occurring.
Anyway, I’m glad you said no.
Here, Ray spoke to his sister to show her support.
“I see. I guess my sister is the only one who has kissed this person’s face.”
“Oh, I already did that.”
“yes…?”
Ray looked dumbfounded at the surprise remark.
Instead of being flustered, Ruska laughed and answered back. And she had a funny expression on her face.
Ray bit his lip, feeling as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue.
and…
“Hey, you human.”
“uh?”
“You dare lie again?”
Ray suddenly opened his eyes and looked at me with a fierce look.
I could tell that her attitude was not light, even if it wasn’t as light as Jenny’s.
And then he clenched his teeth and licked his lips.
“Last time, you said that no one else besides my sister allowed you to touch their lips.”
“Ah… was that so?”
[Erosion rate reduction: -10%]
[+1000 Credits]
“Was it? What the! Of course it was, you human!”
I guess this guy is really trying to tear me apart.
Are you saying that you want to eat me for dinner instead of the banquet on the table?
It was the moment when Ray’s teeth, caused by his anger, were about to fly at me again.
“Honey~”
Suddenly, Mary flew down from the sky and landed on my shoulder… no, she completely crushed me.
“Ugh!”
I fell down from the chair and was crushed by Mary, letting out a short scream.
The impact was felt simultaneously on the shoulders that had collided and the bent back.
Thanks to that, Ray stopped gritting his teeth and looked at her with an expression like, ‘What now?’
Of course, it hurts the same whether you get bitten or crushed.
“Ah… Are you crazy? Why are you suddenly crushing people and causing a ruckus!”
“Huh? This is so much fun! It’s thrilling!”
What about thrills! If you’re going for that, go to an amusement park and ride a roller coaster.
Oh, but it doesn’t exist in this world?
It’s a world where there’s no way to satisfy desires. So much so that I really want to change it.
“But what are you wearing on your face?”
“Huh? This?”
Mary had something covering her mouth and nose.
I knew it was Mary at first glance because of her pink hair and her size, but out of nowhere she was wearing a long muffler over her face like a mask.
And then he climbs up on the empty chair and declares:
“Hahahaha! I’m a ninja! I’ll kill you all!”
Oh my… Where and what did I see that impressed me again?
Not only me, but other kids also tilted their heads and looked at me strangely.
At this point, there are no species that disrupt the ecosystem.
“The time of slaughter has come!”
Then he would jump down from the chair and run around like a kid.
I knew he was a weird guy to begin with, but it’s ironic that he keeps yelling whenever he does something like this.
`No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to it.`
Wait, kill me?
And a ninja?
It was a combination I had heard a lot about.
Come to think of it, the ninja character in the novel record I wrote used to kill the main characters with lines like that…
hmm…
* * * * *
Preparing for the event was hard work.
I design it in my head beforehand and then finish it by hand.
I can’t imagine how much time and effort that would take.
I can endure it if the other members help me out.
When we laugh and chat, all the depression that has built up from being busy disappears.
“Ha… What on earth have I done?”
But here… there was a cadet who prepared while carrying that gloom and loneliness all by himself.
Although he was the head of the alchemy department, he had no interaction with others due to his isolated personality.
If he had not been the top student, he would have been neglected long ago.
“No one is coming…”
Bayman Dreadnought sighed as he sat on the box.
Since he was good at making golems among the alchemists, the scholars asked him to do one thing.
The plan was to open Golem Square and provide a sense of mystery to the audience.
Of course, I accepted the offer because it gave me excellent performance, and I secured time to prepare while going on an external mission.
In the completed Golem Square… there was no one.
‘Why on earth?’
His father and mother passed away when he was young, and he was left alone and abandoned by relatives who stole his property.
The only person who would play with him was the golem.
He suddenly realized as a child that he could create a golem, and he spent his time making friends to replace people.
However, the world sees his power and praises him, saying that he is a descendant of the great alchemists of the past.
Ancestors? I don’t care who they are. I don’t even want to remember their names.
I just want to live quietly and comfortably.
But I had no intention of living like a homeless person.
His relatives, who had previously abandoned him, recognized his golem talents and asked him to return.
Naturally, I declined and chose to enroll at Alighieri.
Even though my heart was dry, I could instinctively feel a sense of nausea.
But the bachelor’s degree didn’t seem any different.
Because this place, where we have not always been with ‘humans’, was an unknown territory.
But as long as no one touches me, that’s enough.
Just get an education, get good grades, get a scholarship, build a golem kingdom, and live in peace.
For that sole purpose, Bayman retreated to a corner and studied.
Still, it was a good thing I came to Alighieri. I learned a lot and was able to create more useful golems.
Golems are like my only friends.
I wanted to spread the word about these guys’ greatness.
but…
“Am I really no good at this?”
Other events are very enthusiastic, but this one is cold.
It was extremely quiet, except for the golem’s rattling sound and the occasional caw of a crow.
As expected, he cannot get along with people of the world.
The moment I was about to make that pledge, someone appeared and broke the silence.
“Huh? Where is this?”
A girl appeared at the entrance to Golem’s Square.
Are you a resident of Alighieri Town or a tourist?
“I don’t know how to get back.”
From what he said, it seemed like the latter.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought out that nuance of being missing.
Then the girl spots Bayman and approaches him.
“Huh? Oppa! Where am I?”
Even if the other person is a child, it is still very unfamiliar.
What should I say in this situation…
“It’s full of strangely shaped iron things.”
The child looks at the iron golems and says:
Could it be that you are mistaken in thinking that golems are strange?
Since it is a gloomy place with no one around, it might look a bit eerie.
Only then did Bayman find the courage to speak.
“It’s Golem’s Square.”
“Is this also an event venue?”
“Yeah. But for some reason it’s not popular at all.”
“….”
The child stared blankly and didn’t speak for a while.
Again the silence came, and Bayman felt half-confident.
And the child said,
“That’s so cool!”
“what?”
“As expected, it’s a magic banquet. I didn’t know that something so fancy and wonderful could be found in such a remote place.”
Suddenly my heart started to ache.
Other people say they’re cool too. Even the bachelor people and other alchemists often rate the golems highly.
As an `achievement`.
“Did you make all of this?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“That’s so cool!”
Hearing the praise continue again, Bayman shook his head and said.
“But it’s nothing. These guys we’ve made now don’t have any `performance` other than showing off their long-term skills.”
“What’s so great about that? That alone would be great.”
“….”
Once again, my heart is pounding with emotion.
Because for the first time, the Golem itself was praised rather than its ‘achievement’.
“Really… do you think so?”
“Of course! Can I stay here and play tonight?”
What on earth is this feeling?
I suddenly felt like I was running with passion, even though I was always cold.
My heart rate increased even though I didn’t do any strenuous exercise.
It was only for a moment, but it felt like I was being stimulated by an electric shock magic.
Finally, Bayman, whose face was red, asked the child.
“Hey kid. What’s your name…?”
How long has it been since you asked someone, “Who are you?”
The feelings I have for the child who made it happen can be summed up in one word.
“This is Amy Crowler.”
Then the child answered with a very kind expression.
It was my first love.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
