Chapter 13
“Today, we'll be doing team-based combat training!”
As soon as we got to school that morning, Cain shouted.
So… a group project?
The nightmare of my previous life suddenly came back to me…
The nightmare where all four of my five group members, everyone except me, disappeared without a trace…
“Team-based combat training, huh? I wonder what it'll be like.”
“Who knows. At least we won't be on the same team.”
Having just one of us would be overpowered enough; surely they wouldn't put Ian and me together.
“I'll announce the teams! Team One! El! Arin! Gen Jegen Karuen!”
Karuen… Wasn't that the count's family famous for magic?
I'd never heard the name Arin, but since she didn't have a surname, she must be a commoner.
She was also the only other Class A student from a commoner background besides me.
“I'll head over first.”
“Sure. See you later.”
As I left Ian behind and went to my spot, a red-haired girl greeted me cheerfully.
“Hello! I'm Arin! I'm confident I can hold the line with my shield!”
A shield-bearer. If she'd made it into Class A with a shield, she must be quite skilled.
“I'm Gen Jegen Karuen. Leave the covering fire to me.”
If he was from House Karuen, his skill was probably guaranteed.
“I'm El. A swordswoman. I know I'm pretty good at fighting.”
In reality, I wasn't just pretty good—I was extremely good.
“Next! Team Two!”
Before long, all the teams had been decided.
“You've all introduced yourselves to your teammates, right? Then we'll start the sparring matches in order! Team One! Team Two! Come forward!”
First again…
“We're up first! Let's win this!”
“We shall.”
“Yeah.”
Our opponents were a team made up of top-ranked cadets.
So… second, third, and fifth place, was it?
Honestly, I could sweep the likes of them even with my eyes closed, but…
You never know. I shouldn't let my guard down too much.
Having already been caught off guard twice, I decided to stay at least a little on edge.
“They're a team made up entirely of top-ranked cadets. This won't be easy.”
“I know…”
Their lineup was one swordsman, one spearman, and a mage. A classic composition. Two melee fighters and one ranged attacker—a time-honored tradition.
“I'll do my best to keep the mage in check.”
“Then I'll block their attacks until then! El, you can jump in and take them out in a flash!”
“…That's the only way. You there. I'll provide covering fire however I can, so try to take out at least one of them.”
“Well… I'll try.”
Gen looked at me with a hint of distrust in his eyes. Maybe he hadn't seen me beat the stuffing out of that purple-haired bitch the other day.
Arin, on the other hand, seemed to have seen it, because she was looking at me with complete trust.
Well… it was a little much, but if she was going to look at me like that, I had to live up to her trust.
I drew my sword casually and took my stance.
“Everyone, take your positions! Begin!”
At Cain's declaration, the spearman charged toward us.
But his powerful charge was blocked by Arin's shield.
“Hngh! This much is easy!”
Her stance was solid. I could tell she'd trained hard. She also seemed to have plenty of talent.
“Hey! Don't get distracted!”
Gen, who was keeping the opposing mage in check, shouted at me.
At the same time, the opposing swordsman charged me.
He was fast and his stance was good, but… that wasn't enough.
-Shhk
“…Huh?”
With a light slicing sound, the swordsman's blade was cut apart. It must've been a pretty good sword, too. What a waste.
-Wham!
“Guh!”
I smacked the swordsman over the head while he stood there dumbfounded, apparently unable to understand why his sword had been cut, knocking him out. Then I charged toward the spearman facing Arin.
And followed up with a kick.
“Guh-agh!”
The spearman, unable to change his stance while facing off against Arin, was kicked in the side and sent flying out of the sparring ring.
Well… he wouldn't have been able to block it even if he hadn't been facing off against her.
-Clang!
The opposing mage somehow broke through Gen's interference and cast a spell at me, but I easily deflected it and pressed my sword to the mage's throat.
“Do you surrender?”
“…I surrender.”
-Clatter
My opponent surrendered, dropping the staff they'd been holding.
A wise decision.
“Sparring match over! The winner is Team One!”
The match ended in less than a minute.
This much was nothing.
-Hug!
“Wow! You're amazing! I thought you seemed impressive yesterday, but I didn't think you'd be this good!”
“Uh-huh…”
The moment the spar was over, Arin hugged me and exclaimed.
Her chest softly enveloped my face.
As I quietly took in the feel of her breasts—smaller than mine, but definitely larger than average—Gen soon came over and said,
“Indeed. Your skills are remarkable. Now I see why you were placed in Class A despite losing the entrance exam.”
“Ah…”
Right… I did lose the entrance exam…
“Wait! Lord Gen! What are you saying?! You've made El feel down!”
“I merely stated the truth!”
“Ugh! There are things you shouldn't say even if they're true! You're so tactless!”
Wow. Even at an academy, for a commoner to speak so boldly to a count's son…
She must have a lot of guts. Or maybe she just doesn't think.
“Phew… All right. I'm sorry.”
“No… it's okay.”
She actually managed to make him apologize.
“Hm? Why?”
Arin asked with a bright smile as she looked up at me, her face saying she was impressed.
Gah! That smile's so bright, I'm being purified!
“Ahem. It's nothing. The next team's match is starting.”
Ian was on Team Three, up next.
“Ian, huh… I'm curious to see how the top student fights.”
“There's not much to see.”
Because…
“Begin!”
It'll be over in an instant.
As soon as the match started, Ian charged ahead all by himself.
In the blink of an eye, he took out the two frontliners, then held his sword to the throat of a girl who looked like an archer.
“Sparring match over!”
Did that take about twenty seconds?
“Wow… How is he that strong?”
“Who knows.”
Guess he's just talented.
Ian looked over at me with a proud expression, and it kind of pissed me off.
If I got serious, I could finish in two seconds, not twenty!
Besides…
“Cadet Ian! I know you're strong, but this is team combat! You can't just run wild on your own!”
“Oh. Yes…”
In a team match, you shouldn't do everything yourself. That would make the other students dead weight.
I smiled at Ian, whose face had immediately fallen, just to rub it in.
His face turned a little red.
He was definitely angry. Probably frustrated.
“Hehe.”
I was giggling because it was funny, when Arin, who was still hugging me from behind, said with a somewhat conflicted expression,
“You and the top student… seem close?”
“Do we?”
“Yes. What are you two to each other?”
“Who knows… Just friends?”
We'd eaten together, gone out together, and Ian had even called me his friend before, so it was fine to confidently say we were friends, right?
Yeah, yeah. Of course it was.
Arin, who'd still been making a conflicted face, soon spoke with a resolute expression.
“Then be friends with me too! And Lord Gen!”
“Hey? Why are you dragging me into this all of a sudden?!”
“Just come here, you blockhead!”
Huh?
“Hm?”
“I can't let you be stolen away by a scoundrel like him!”
“Huhhh?”
What was she talking about?
“Anyway! Starting today, we're friends! Got it?”
“Uh… okay. Got it.”
Ah. Her forceful attitude had pushed me into agreeing.
Arin. What a terrifying girl, to be able to corner a Swordmaster like this.
“El. You just laughed at me, didn't you?”
Just then, Ian came over.
The moment she saw Ian, Arin glared at him fiercely. Why was she acting like that?
“So what if I did? Bleh!”
That was one thing, but I couldn't stop teasing him.
“Then who told you to charge in alone? You should've thought about the fact it was a team match, idiot.”
“Youuu…!”
Oops. He was mad.
“Hehe.”
“El… are you really just friends?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Was there anything besides being friends?
When I looked at him, slightly confused, Ian seemed to notice Arin for the first time and said,
“So… your name was Arin, right? Nice to meet you. I'm Ian.”
“I'm Arin.”
Unlike the way she treated me, Arin spoke coldly.
Maybe he sensed that she disliked him, because Ian laughed awkwardly and said,
“Haha… I guess you don't like me. So, why are you hugging El?”
“Can't friends hug?”
Is that so? I'm not sure.
“Friends, huh…”
After murmuring for a moment, Ian pulled me out of Arin's arms and hugged me himself.
…Huh?
“I'm her friend too, so this is okay, right?”
“Wait, Ian?”
“Stay still. This is revenge.”
Saying that, Ian held me tightly.
I mean, I could get free if I wanted to… but it's kind of cozy, so I don't want to escape…
“Ugh! What are you talking about? That's something only we can do as girls!”
Saying that, Arin snatched me away again. This side was nice too, since I could feel her soft, pillowy chest.
…Am I being treated like an object or something?
“I've been her friend longer, so I don't think it matters.”
“Hmph! Time doesn't matter! We've already fought together, so we're closer!”
As the two of them argued over me and passed me back and forth like an object, I just stayed still, finding it oddly comfortable. And Gen looked on at the whole thing with pity…
What is even happening here?