Chapter 96: Competitive meet Part 2
Translator: Soafp
Just as I was thinking it might be time for lunch, the third match began.
As usual, as I ascended the stage…
“Keep up the momentum. Don’t kill him.”
“Aldo, don’t kill him! Same as before!”
“Don’t kill, Aldo-san! You’re amazing!”
Do you guys really think I’m a murderer or something? I want to interrogate them for about an hour.
The opponent didn’t tell me his name, either out of fear or intimidation. He has a fishy face, so let’s call him Sakana-kun.
When I looked at Suito-sensei on stage, he clearly made a displeased expression. I’m gradually getting more and more frustrated with this treatment.
Ah I see. You dislike D-class that much.
I was almost killed by a wyvern the other day. Let’s focus on Sakana-kun.
Sakana-kun, like Olivia, was dressed in a robe and wielded a staff. He’s probably a pure mage.
This would be my first time fighting against a mage, except for my mom.
I’m starting to get a little excited…
Just then, Suito-sensei made the announcement.
“Begin!”
Unlike Petagine earlier, Sakana-kun didn’t charge in. It’s natural for a mage.
I was a bit curious, so I kept an eye on Sakana-kun from a distance.
Sakana-kun faced me and fired a Water Shot by turning his palm towards me… I managed to dodge it, but it grazed my cheek, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if it had hit.
Of course. Sakana-kun fired off a spell without an incantation.
Back when I was at Blue Ring, I sparred with my mom many times. In free-for-alls, I always won, but I never won in magic-only battles.
It’s as expected from someone nicknamed the “Ice Witch”.
Despite telling myself not to underestimate him earlier, I found myself wanting to engage in a magic battle with Sakana-kun.
Perhaps Sakana-kun thought, “Don’t get close,” as I was hesitating. He unleashed a barrage of Water Shots, intending to finish me off in one go.
There’s no time to think about it. I decided to counter with Wind Bullets.
I chose three non-lethal ones and stationed them around me in standby mode.
Sakana-kun looked surprised at the standby spells, then glared at me and continued firing off Water Shots.
Sakana-kun’s full-force attacks were difficult to dodge in two dimensions, and I still wasn’t used to the magical shield… In that case, I swiftly used a Space Kick to ascend into the air.
The spectators around me widened their eyes, gaping at me with a dumbfounded expression. Sakana-kun was the same.
I wanted to fight a little longer, but it would be bad to blatantly underestimate him on this stage.
I placed Wind Bullets around Sakana-kun.
Sakana-kun realized he was in the center of the magic. He panicked and tried to flee…
Too slow. If he wanted to escape, he should have done it before this situation arose… In this case, he’d have to envelop himself in magic to withstand the impact.
Three Wind Bullets were released, all hitting Sakana-kun squarely.
He managed to dodge one, but the remaining two hit him cleanly, and Sakana-kun lost consciousness.
I returned the one that missed to its standby position around me.
Just like before, I waited for Suito-sensei to declare my victory while staring at him, but…
Suito-sensei, still wearing that dumbfounded expression, completely ignored me and moved towards Sakana-kun.
Although they were non-lethal, I was a little worried because one of them hit his head.
I cast a sonar spell to confirm the bones in his neck, head, brain, etc., and then applied healing magic.
Even after I finished applying healing magic, Suito-sensei was still staring blankly, and I was starting to get impatient.
“Suito-sensei, are you going to declare me the winner, or not?”
In response to my voice, he finally regained his senses and squeezed out his words…
“Ah, y-yes… The w-winner is D class, Aldo…”
The venue erupted in thunderous cheers.
Although it was mostly drowned out by the cheers, I managed to catch snippets here and there.
“He flew! A person flew through the air!!”
“What the heck is that guy! What is he?!”
“That’s flying magic! That was definitely flying magic!!”
Most of the cheers were about the Space Kick. As expected, flying through the air made a big impact.
To be honest, it’s uncomfortable to be in the spotlight like this.
Anyway, it’s almost lunchtime. I pretended to need the bathroom and slipped away from the training grounds.
I didn’t want to be found, so I used Wall Run and sprinted to the rooftop of the magic department building.
“I didn’t expect it to cause such a commotion… What should I do? Also, I’m hungry.”
In a world without flying magic, it’s obvious that people would react this way if someone could fly on their own… But Aldo didn’t feel any sense of crisis. Why? The answer lies with Rafina.
Rafina didn’t restrain Aldo’s actions. Instead, she deliberately allowed him freedom so that his skills wouldn’t become unique. She encouraged the spread of techniques to Elphus and Ashera. Aldo was allowed to train in the training grounds in front of many people, starting from simply stepping into the space at the edge of the training grounds… And gradually, it became commonplace for Aldo, Elphus, and Ashera to fly through the air in the Blue Ring training grounds.
But Rafina didn’t necessarily have this in mind from the beginning.
As Aldo grew, Rafina thought to herself. If it were known that one person came up with techniques like Wall Run, Space Kick, shaping weapons with magic, and the ultimate technique, Condense Ray, that person would inevitably become isolated. So… Rafina wanted to quickly assess Aldo’s abilities and identify people who wouldn’t fear or take advantage of him… Selected individuals were arranged to stay close to him. That’s what Garl, Berett, and Tamei were for.
Behind the scenes, there was also strict investigation of the Church’s sisters and orphans. As for internal candidates, Yamato was set to pass the Knight Order’s exam.
In a way, now that he had escaped Rafina’s protection, he was receiving “legitimate recognition” for his ability to perform the “Space Kick” technique.
Unbeknownst to him, the person himself was thinking,
“If I leave it alone, they’ll forget about it eventually.”
Without any particularly good ideas, I reluctantly flew out of the academy grounds.
If I can’t go to the cafeteria, I’ll have to eat outside. That’s certainly true, but normally, I’d get scolded if I was caught by the guards. However, I have the Space Kick. This time, I was saved by the Space Kick.
“I’m stuffed!”
There are three skewers lying next to me. In this world, even if you’re a woman or a child, you’d be full after eating one or two skewers, and even an adult man would be full after eating two or three.
I picked up the dropped skewers and handed them back to the skewer stand before moving to the alley. From there, I returned to the academy using a combo of Wall Run and Space Kick.
“I want to visit Anna-sensei’s place once.”
I cast a sonar spell to the extent of the magic department.
“Found her.”
In modern Japan, I would be the ultimate stalker. Moving across the rooftops, I head towards Anna-sensei’s vicinity. I wait for the moment when Anna-sensei is alone and in an inconspicuous place… Now’s the time!
Moving directly above, I free fall… Just before hitting the ground, I slow down with a Space Kick and land safely.
“Anna-sensei, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
Anna-sensei, who was walking in a place with no buildings, probably didn’t expect something to fall from above. With wide eyes and a gaping mouth, she points at me.
“Anna-sensei?”
She freezes for a moment but gradually comes back to life.
Anna-sensei lectures me on my sudden appearance. She seems utterly shocked.
“Haa… Aldo-kun, I can’t afford to be surprised by everything you do…”
As if she’s reminding herself, she mutters just one word.
“So, what’s wrong?”
“It caused a big commotion, so I’m not sure what to do.”
“…”
“Anna-sensei?”
Anna-sensei sighs heavily with a glare.
“Of course, wouldn’t you think about that before showing off Space Kick in such a conspicuous place?”
“Well, it wasn’t that big of a deal in Blue Ring…”
“Your surroundings must have accommodated you. After all, none of Aldo-kun’s techniques appear outside of fairy tales.”
“My surroundings…”
“Yes. It’s suspicious whether it’s Rafina-san or Yoshua-san.”
“My father, mother…”
“So, what are you going to do from now on?”
“From now on?”
“Yeah, are you going to hide your power or flaunt it?”
“…”
“I’ve heard about what happened at the Guild, so I’m not sure if you can hide it anymore.”
“The Guild…”
“Flaunting it might be a good idea. If you do, smart people won’t dare to bother you. I can guarantee that.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Aldo-kun’s strength and the Blue Ring family alone are quite something. I’m sure even the royal family wouldn’t dare to interfere.”
“I see…”
Anna-sensei smiles wryly as she looks at me.
I wonder how much time has passed. While I’m lost in thought, Anna-sensei patiently waits for me.
“Aldo-kun, the last match of the day will start soon. It’s time to move to the stage.”
“Got it.”
I say goodbye to Anna-sensei and walk towards the stage. Other students look at me with interest.
I feel like a monkey in a zoo… drowning in a sea of gazes, I remember Anna-sensei’s words from earlier.
“In the end, there’s no other choice, right? I refuse to live hiding from people’s eyes. I don’t want to discard the skills I’ve honed.”
Muttering to myself, my decision is firm.
Until I reach the stage, I truly feel like a monkey in a zoo. No one approaches me, they just whisper to each other from afar.
I miss Blue Ring a little bit. Maybe I should go back there to see Ashera…
Just when I thought that, angry voices echoed from the audience stands.
“Aldo! Where the hell did you go? We’ve been searching for you!!”
“Aldo, if you’re going somewhere, you should say it. Thanks to you, I couldn’t eat lunch!!”
“Aldo, if gone, no good!”
“Lewis, Nero, and Faristea… Haha… There are people who actually talk to me, huh? Even though Nero is always so annoying about lunch…”
“Sorry, let’s go to the food stalls later. I’ll treat you.”
With a broad smile, I replied, and there was a glint in the corner of my eye…
In my heart, I whispered, “Thank you.”
Now, let’s switch gears.
My opponent is Olivia, the representative of the S class. She’s already on stage, waiting for me.
It seems Olivia is not going to forfeit. She must want to fight bravely as the representative of the S class. That fact is necessary.
I also slowly ascend to the stage.
“I’ll fight for now, but please don’t go all out.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… If I manage to land a hit on Aldo, would you listen to one thing I say?”
“Ha? Well, okay.”
“!! I’m feeling motivated now. Don’t forget our promise.”
“…Got it.”
I feel like I’m the only one losing out here…
Now that preparations are complete between me and Olivia, Suito-sensei declares the start.
“Begin!”
Olivia keeps one magic spell on standby and hovering around her. If I approach carelessly, she’ll activate it.
Well, compared to Ashera’s ten spells, one shouldn’t be much of a problem…
But there’s a problem. Unlike the previous two matches, I really don’t want to attack a lady.
Punching a 13-year-old girl in front of everyone… no way…
However, if I hesitate, even for a moment, amidst the intense movements, she might notice me trying to hold back.
First, I need to create a “cornered” situation.
I put three Wind Bullets (non-lethal) on standby, floating around me.
“Here I go.”
“Please go easy on me.”
With Wind Bullets enveloping me, I run towards Olivia.
Not just watching, Olivia activates the spell on standby towards me.
I use one of the three Wind Bullets to cancel out Olivia’s magic. We’re now only five meters apart.
Olivia knows I’ll arrive before she can cast another spell.
She seems to understand that. Instead of casting a spell, she gets ready with her staff.
There’s no winning for her once I get close…
Olivia tries to swing her staff down at me. I dodge to the left and intend to finish by putting a dagger to her neck.
However, halfway through swinging her staff, Olivia releases it and rotates her hips, delivering a straight punch to my face.
Such an unexpected move… her fist grazes my cheek… I step back.
“Almost got you…”
Olivia mutters with a regretful expression.
“Did you plan that?”
“Yes, I was taught by Ashera when I was at Blue Ring.”
“…”
“In that case, it’s impossible for me to land another hit. I forfeit.”
Olivia raises both hands to indicate her intention to forfeit.
Seeing that, Suito-sensei reluctantly declares my victory.
“The winner is Aldo of the D class.”
Unlike the previous match, there wasn’t much cheering, but there was a commotion about the D class winning.
I wanted to ask Olivia something.
“Olivia, what did you want to ask me about? Perhaps about the bath?”
Does Sandra’s mansion also want a bath? It might be worth considering once Rosa’s magical tools are ready.
Olivia answered with a slightly lonely expression.
“A bath sounds appealing, but not this time.”
“I see… If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help.”
“…What if I said I wanted to be in the same position as Ashera?”
“…”
“I lost this time, so I’ll bet on the next one.”
“…Alright.”
With that, Olivia descended from the stage.
Honestly, in my previous life, I wasn’t popular enough to have someone express their feelings so directly. I don’t know how to act when someone shows interest in me so openly.
Of course, I’m happy about the sentiment, but as long as Ashera is with me, I can’t be insincere.
But distancing myself doesn’t seem right either. I think I should consult someone about this.
Today’s matches are all over. Tomorrow is the departmental competition between the Knight Department, the mage Department, and the Commerce Department.
Unlike the class competitions, the departmental competition will be a round-robin format.
The first match is Knight Department vs. Commerce Department, the second match is Mage Department vs. Commerce Department, and the third match is Knight Department vs. Mage Department.
The matches will be completed up to the second match in the morning, and the third match will be held at 1:00 PM.
Diana Kurosawa
April 5, 2024 at 8:21 amFormer adult being a wuss~
Sasuga Japanese MC, wuss as always~