Chapter 95 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Alliance
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As the start time for the Inter-Departmental Competition approached, external guests began to take their seats one by one.
Amidst the crowd, a commotion arose in one section.
"Could it be... the Sorcerer of the Evil Eye, Albi Jer-on?"
"How surprising to see him attending a departmental event."
The external dignitaries murmured amongst themselves as they saw Albi seated in the audience.
However, no one dared to approach him.
His fearsome reputation as a hero was as renowned as his fame.
"I'm surprised to see you at an event like this, Uncle."
A female student, her arms laden with snacks, approached with a nonchalant expression and sat down beside Albi.
The sight caused the external dignitaries to stir once more.
She was Elena Jer-on, the acting head of the currently leaderless Jer-on family and a celebrated magical genius.
'So that's… the arrogant genius, Elena.'
Just as the dignitaries watched with keen interest, a handsome young man in his early twenties confidently approached Elena.
"Greetings, Lady Elena."
"And who might you be?"
"My name is Alak Turka. I am a prince of the Turka Kingdom."
The Turka Kingdom.
A hub of trade located on the border between the western and central regions.
Alak was the crown prince of that kingdom.
'She's just as beautiful as the rumors say.'
Seeing Elena up close, Alak swallowed hard.
She was so beautiful that it took his breath away.
Even for Alak, who as royalty had encountered countless beauties, he had never seen a woman with such looks.
Moreover, Elena was a powerful hero candidate with an incredible background.
For Alak, who was of marriageable age, she was a coveted prize.
'I should start by building a rapport. With my status, she can't possibly ignore me.'
Glancing at Elena's uniform skirt, Alak offered a gentle smile.
"It is a great honor to meet the renowned Lady Elena. Please, grant me the opportunity to escort you."
Assuming a formal posture, he knelt and unhesitatingly reached for Elena's hand.
Elena smiled sweetly.
Just as Alak, taking her smile as a sign of acceptance, celebrated inwardly, a pinkish magical energy flickered from his body.
"Huh?"
Without even glancing at him, Elena flicked her finger.
*Whoosh! Crack!*
"Keuk!"
Alak was sent flying, crashing into the spectator stands.
"How dare you!"
Enraged, Alak shot to his feet.
"Do you know who I am!"
"Are you angry?"
Elena asked, her eyes widening.
Alak, who had been on the verge of an outburst, suddenly had a dazed look in his eyes.
"N-No, not at all!"
"Right? You're not angry, are you?"
"Of course not! Why would I be angry over something like this! Hahahaha!"
"In that case, you're being unpleasant. Would you mind getting out of my sight?"
"As you wish!"
It was an incredibly rude thing to say to the crown prince of a nation.
But Alak paid it no mind, disappearing from Elena's sight like a dog.
Elena took a bottle of perfume from her pocket and spritzed it in the air.
The surrounding dignitaries stared at Elena, utterly appalled.
'So this is Elena Jer-on…!'
'To cause a diplomatic incident so casually!'
'The Witch of Lumerne!'
Before being called a queen, Elena was also known as a witch.
"I believe I told you not to use that power so carelessly."
When Albi spoke in a chilling voice, Elena replied with an air of annoyance.
"You saw it too, didn't you, Uncle? He was the one who looked at me with those filthy eyes first."
Elena scoffed.
Having possessed a powerful background and stunning looks from a young age, Elena was accustomed to the lustful gazes of others.
No matter how well they tried to hide their true intentions, she could easily sense such inclinations.
"Besides, I didn't even use any real magic. Isn't it his own incompetence if he can't resist even this much power?"
Elena smiled brightly.
The innate power she was born with was the ability to captivate people's hearts with her natural beauty and charisma.
A power that in her youth simply made those around her follow her easily had now developed into a demonic charm capable of bewitching people with a single glance.
"Anyway, what are you really doing here, Uncle?"
"I came to see a student who has caught my interest."
"A student who caught your interest?"
"A student befitting a hero."
Elena, who had been tearing open a bag of snacks, froze.
'A student befitting a hero? He's never said anything like that, not even to me.'
"Are you talking about Leo Flove?"
"Yes."
The corners of Elena's mouth curled up.
As the heir to the Jer-on family, Elena had met countless heroes and hero candidates since she was a child.
In her eyes, no one was more deserving of the title of hero than Albi.
'Not even my own father.'
Because of that, Elena had subconsciously strived for Albi's acknowledgment.
But she had never once received it.
'And this is a student that my uncle acknowledges?'
Elena's cold gaze shifted toward Leo in the distance.
'This should be interesting.'
***
[A warm welcome to all our distinguished guests who have graced us with their presence. I am Sedzen, and I will be your host for today's Inter-Departmental Competition.]
Sedzen's voice echoed throughout the Erek Parade Ground.
The murmuring crowd fell silent and turned their attention to him.
[Students! As previously announced, this year's Inter-Departmental Competition will be a battle royale! You will compete with your skills, strategies, and survival abilities until one glorious victor remains! And the department to which that final survivor belongs will be the winning department!]
"A battle royale, you say."
"I've never seen a format like this before."
"It feels more like an individual competition than a departmental one."
The external dignitaries' eyes lit up.
The rather unique method piqued their interest.
'I heard there are many exceptional students this year, in particular.'
'We must sponsor promising students and bring them over to our side in the future.'
Sedzen's explanation continued.
[You will each be given an artifact that monitors your physical condition! This artifact is set to immediately teleport you back here if it determines your life is in danger!]
Sedzen took out a magic bracelet and showed it to the students.
[In other words… it is possible to torment your opponents to a point just short of death. I say this as a precaution, but I trust no student will abuse this.]
An uncharacteristically cold gaze from Sedzen swept over the students.
The first-years flinched.
[Additionally, I would like to inform our esteemed guests.]
Sedzen looked toward the audience and spoke in a serious tone.
At the words of the renowned Professor Sedzen of Lumerne, everyone wore tense expressions.
[The main point of interest in this competition is the elegant performance of the wonderful students of Class 1! Everyone, when the Class 1 students appear, please pay close attention….]
"Drag him off."
Watching Sedzen begin his blatant display of favoritism, Halind spoke without a shred of mercy.
At his command, Ain and Ren, who were on standby, went up to the stage and dragged Sedzen away.
"Wh-What is the meaning of this! How could you do this to me! After I treated you so well during your school days! Ugh! Let go! Let go of me, you lackeys of Halind!"
The audience stared blankly as Professor Sedzen was wretchedly dragged off the stage.
"Class 1! We're expecting an elegant performance!"
Starting with Karl's playful shout, laughter erupted from first-years here and there.
*Thump— Thump—*
But the relaxed atmosphere instantly tensed up again because of the single man who stepped onto the stage.
It was Halind, the professor the students feared most.
[Before the competition begins, I have one announcement. This competition will also serve as the final practical exam.]
"Whaaaat?"
"This is the final practical?!"
[The sole objective of the Inter-Departmental Competition is survival, but the same is not true for the final exam. Every action you take will be recorded on the bracelets you are given. A student who is eliminated early can very well receive a higher score than a student who is eliminated late. Therefore, be prudent with every single action. That is all.]
Hearing Halind's words, Leo let out a smirk.
'Smart.'
For the sake of the competition's victory, students from the same department could team up to take down their opponents.
Furthermore, one could easily make personal sacrifices for their department.
But if it was also the final practical exam, the story changed.
'If you act solely for the department, you might mess up your exam. This makes strategy all the more important.'
While Leo's eyes gleamed, Halind spoke.
"The Inter-Departmental Competition will begin in ten minutes. Prepare yourselves."
Teaching assistants came and distributed the bracelets.
"Phew! I'm getting nervous."
As Karl spoke with a tense face, Leo chuckled.
"You'll do great, Karl."
"Of course. You be careful too, Leo. There are a lot of guys gunning for you."
"Don't worry."
Leo and Karl bumped fists.
"Ooh! Me too! Class rep, share some of that good energy!"
Iliana came over and bumped her fist with theirs as well.
That started a trend, and the Class 5 students all approached Leo one after another.
"Good luck, Leo."
"You too."
Just as he bumped fists with Chelsea, Halind spoke.
[The preparation time is over. The Inter-Departmental Competition will now begin.]
*Woooong—!*
Simultaneously, a giant magic circle formed on the ground.
As the academy had announced, they were scheduled to teleport to Neigrang all at once.
*Fwaaah—!*
A bright light flooded their vision.
*Whoooooooosh—!*
And when they opened their eyes…
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Wh-What is thisss!"
"I can't use magic!"
The entire first year was screaming as they plummeted through the air.
Before he fell, Leo took in the entire ruined city of Neigrang.
'The whole city is riddled with all sorts of curses!'
He could understand why this was called a forsaken land.
'The curses are repeatedly activating and deactivating.'
There was only one area where one could move about with peace of mind.
'The only area without curses is…'
Leo's eyes fell on a massive castle in the center.
'The castle ruins!'
*Fwaaah—!*
Leo adjusted his posture to minimize air resistance as he fell toward the ground.
'The first priority is getting to the castle!'
As he neared the ground, the levitation magic embedded in the artifact allowed him to land safely.
*Tap—!*
Leo landed in a ready stance.
The ruined city was, quite literally, overgrown with vegetation.
Human civilization, left unmanaged, had crumbled away at the hands of nature.
'The curses in this area haven't activated yet. I should hurry to the castle…'
"Hah! Leo Flove!"
A male student from the magic department, who landed a moment later, flinched upon spotting Leo.
"Hmm? You are?"
"Wh-What! Are you going to fight me right now?!"
The male student, who wore a tense expression, was someone Leo knew well.
'His name was Jebin, I think.'
He was the magic department student who had been clinging to Chloe right before the midterms.
"I don't particularly feel like fighting right now."
When Leo dismissed him, a grin spread across Jebin's tense face.
"Is that so? Well, what a shame. Because I'm going to take you down!"
"What?"
Jebin raised his staff and shot a spell into the air.
*Kiiiiing! Bang—!*
Leo narrowed his eyes and turned his head.
"It's not just my department. Turns out there are quite a few people who don't like you very much."
With a sly smile, Jebin aimed his staff at Leo.
"So, some like-minded people got together and came up with an idea. If any of us run into you, we team up and take you down first."
He could feel presences rapidly approaching from all directions.
"Don't feel too bad about it! Cooperation is a part of strategy, after all!"
"No, I don't feel bad about it at all."
Leo smirked.
"Are you prepared to face the consequences?"
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