Chapter 46
“Of course, I don’t mind arm-wrestling, but why are you worried…?”
No, seriously.
Why would I pick a fight with Senior Libri?
“Ah!”
I understand now.
“Senior Yungt, do you perhaps like Senior Libri?”
“W-w-w-w-what?”
Yungt’s face turned bright red.
“Heh heh heh, judging by your reaction, you definitely like her. Good. That’s how a man should be!”
Even I could figure that much out.
He wanted to show off that he’d protected the woman he liked!
“Got it. I’ll arm-wrestle you. Beat me, then go impress Senior Libri!”
Who knew my infamy, which had risen by chance, would come in handy like this?
Yungt.
This senior was an extra character who wasn’t even mentioned in the original.
He was probably just some burly upperclassman A in the game. Even that was similar to Magnum.
‘That makes me like him even more.’
I wanted to shout at all the romance-fantasy guys who were probably off at social gatherings on a Sunday.
This isn’t the time for that!
This world is full of all kinds of threats, including the <Cult of the Abyss>. This isn’t the time to leisurely fool around in romance!
Take a cue from people who train on weekends instead of flirting!
Of course, even if I said that now, no one would take me seriously.
In that sense, I genuinely liked Senior Yungt.
No, I liked everyone training here on their day off.
‘Should I let him win?’
I seriously considered it, but.
‘No, no matter how good my intentions are, that’d be insulting.’
The second thing a man hates most is losing a match.
And the thing a man hates most is when his opponent lets him win.
‘With my strength, I wouldn’t win even if I tried my hardest.’
My current Strength stat was B.
It was good considering my slender appearance, but naturally, I’d be weaker than the burly Senior Yungt.
All right.
Let’s compete properly and lose properly.
“Let’s get started!”
“Why are you so enthusiastic…?”
The atmosphere was a little strange, but.
Anyway.
When we took our places in the middle of the training hall, the other cadets gathered to watch.
Among them was a female cadet with clearly defined abs.
I focused my gaze elsewhere so I wouldn’t accidentally stare.
“Then, Senior Yungt, if I lose here, I promise I won’t pick a fight with Senior Libri from now on, though I haven’t before!”
“N-no… Not picking a fight isn’t enough…”
“Huh? Then do you want me not to even talk to her?”
“!”
Yungt’s face lit up. Yes, that’s exactly what I want!
“Of course not. How can I not talk to a library committee member? Besides, you don’t have the right to control who Senior Libri talks to.”
“….”
He had a point.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing…”
We both rested our elbows on the table and clasped hands tightly.
Yungt’s thick forearm contrasted with Gilliam’s ordinary one.
The female cadet with the defined abs stepped forward.
“I’ll be the referee. Once I count to three, begin. One… two… three!”
“Hngh!” “Hup!”
When Senior Yungt and I both put all our strength into it at the same time—
Thump!!
The winner was decided instantly!
And the winner was, as expected!!
“…Huh?”
…Me?
Huh?
Why?
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one shocked by the result.
The referee, the spectators, and Senior Yungt were all speechless.
In an extremely awkward atmosphere, I made a suggestion.
“Uh, uhh… best two out of three, right?”
“R-right! Best two out of three!”
A strange situation where the winner suggested best two out of three, and the loser accepted.
“H-ha ha, you went easy on me the first time, right?”
“R-right! I couldn’t very well beat my junior right away!”
“Great, then give it your all this time, okay? Referee, please!”
“A-ahem… Here we go again. One… two… three!”
Thump!
The winner was decided instantly again.
Once again, I won.
“…Best of five—”
“Stop.”
“Sorry.”
…
…
…
Embarrassed.
Awkward.
Uncomfortable.
“Um… Senior Yungt, what would your Strength rank be if you took the test?”
“About a C…?”
“….”
Then of course I’d win.
I was a B.
It wasn’t B versus B-, but B versus C, so naturally, I’d win by a landslide.
‘In the world of subculture games, it’s usually a given that strength isn’t proportional to build…’
I never expected it to turn out like this.
The female cadet who was refereeing murmured.
“You’re stronger than I expected.”
“N-no.”
“Can I feel your arm…?”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
Awkward.
Extremely awkward.
I was looking around for no reason when I sensed something was off.
“Senior Yungt, could you roll up your sleeve?”
“Why?”
“Um… something’s bothering me. Just for a moment.”
There was something strange on Senior Yungt’s arm where he’d rolled up his sleeve.
“How long has this been here?”
“Who knows? I don’t know.”
A setting from the original came to mind.
Merchoa, a highly poisonous plant that grows wild in the forests deep in the eastern region.
However, it takes some time for the poison to properly spread through the body after contact.
Before that happens, characteristic spots appear on the body.
If the spots are still there, you’re lucky. With treatment, you can survive.
But if the spots appeared and then disappeared—
You should hurry and write your will.
Your remaining lifespan should now be counted in minutes.
“Have you been to the forests in the eastern region recently?”
“How did you know? Recently, around twenty of us, including me, went to the forest for a second-year cadet field exercise.”
…
Shit.
This is an emergency.
Bang!!!
Gilliam burst into the infirmary, wrenching the door open.
“Professor Mella! This is urgent!”
“Everchess!? Did you finally get a woman pregnant?”
“Why would you suddenly say something so absurd? That’s not it! Please take a look at this upperclassman. I think he’s been poisoned by Merchoa!”
“Merchoa?”
Professor Mella frowned dismissively.
“It may be famous as a poisonous plant, but it’s rare for anyone to be poisoned by it…”
Professor Mella examined Yungt’s arm and blinked.
“…Why is this actually real?”
——————
“Ah… I wish Everchess would suddenly destroy himself…”
Muttering, Roderick threw a dart at a board with Gilliam’s face drawn on it.
The dart struck the space between those annoyingly handsome brows. Thunk.
Yos, a cadet from the Crown Prince’s faction, hurried over.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! Everchess—!”
“What about Everchess?”
Roderick replied indifferently this time.
He’d gotten worked up over nothing so many times already.
It was surely another report that he’d killed some evil-looking guy covered in tattoos.
“Everchess did something to a second-year cadet named Yungt—!”
Roderick paid attention.
“A second-year!?”
Roderick was a second-year, too.
In other words, he was in the same year as Yungt.
Of course, Roderick had hardly ever seen Yungt before.
He’d probably just think, “Oh, right, there was a cadet like that,” if he saw his face.
But.
“What atrocity has Everchess committed against my close friend!”
Come to think of it, we were probably the best of friends!
And Crown Prince Roderick resolved to spare no resources in avenging his best friend. Even if it meant making an enemy of House Everchess!!
“I-I heard he saved Yungt’s life…? He discovered that Yungt had been poisoned by a poisonous plant called Merchoa…?”
Roderick seriously considered throwing a dart at Yos.
“And there’s an urgent notice that all second-year cadets who recently went on a field exercise to the eastern forests should be examined… A-and now that I think of it, Your Highness went there recently too, didn’t you?”
“…I did.”
“Have you noticed any spots on your body?”
“…Come to think of it, I recently noticed a spot on my thigh that wasn’t there before.”
“Apparently, that’s a symptom of poisoning.”
…
…
Crash!!!!
.
.
.
A few days later.
The same official commendation was posted on the academy’s most important bulletin boards.
〈Commendation Resolution〉
(…)
Accordingly, Gilliam Everchess is awarded 3 merit points for saving the lives of 17 second-year cadets through his keen observation.
(Chairman’s seal)
(Commendation Committee seal)
With this, Gilliam’s total merit points increased from 1 to 4.
The number of demerit points Gilliam needed to be expelled also increased from 11 to 14.
Standing before the resolution in the main entrance hall, Roderick—
“U-uuuuugh…!!”
was trembling.
‘What on earth is he doing…’
A woman looked at Roderick with pity.
It was the Second Princess, Elettra, who was also Roderick’s younger sister.
‘It feels like my brother is single-handedly dragging down the dignity of the imperial family…’
Even if they were rivals for the throne, she wished he’d show some restraint.
However.
That was that.
And she had things to do.
Politics.
Elettra pasted on the smile she used at social gatherings and stepped in front of Roderick.
“Congratulations, Your Highness, Crown Prince Roderick.”
“Elettra…!!”
Elettra smiled brightly.
The smile of a victor.
“‘Our’ Gilliam was able to save Your Highness’s life. I couldn’t be happier.”
Translation: Now you owe us your life. You know that if you act out of line from now on, you’ll immediately become an ungrateful bastard, right?
“Ghh…!!!”
Translation: Ghh…!!!
And.
“Gaaaaaah!!!”
Translation: Gaaaaaah!!!
Elettra smiled outwardly as she sighed inwardly.
‘Sigh…’
It was wonderful that Gilliam was doing good things.
‘But why can’t I find him now?’
Well, it was obvious.
‘He must be off flirting with another woman.’
What a scumbag.
But.
Elettra looked up at the bulletin board.
His keen action had saved the lives of 17 cadets.
Gilliam was trash.
A delinquent womanizer.
A man who played with women.
But.
One way or another, he was also the man who’d saved the lives of numerous cadets in times of crisis.
No matter how much of a trashy womanizer Gilliam was, the value of what he’d done would never fade.
Just as even Roderick, who hated Gilliam most, couldn’t deny that Gilliam had saved his life.
—You’re prettier when you smile.
Elettra was proud of Gilliam for all that.
“…Hehe.”
Her cheeks flushed as she smiled shyly.