Episode 10. Wait a minute. This isn’t it! (3)
Travell’s face was frozen with a speechless expression.
The potency of the ‘Hard Rock’ he had just hurled was something that no one in the first grade could handle.
Even when he employed it against Jenny Chainsilver, she struggled to withstand its force and ultimately had to relinquish it.
Even among Class A, it would have been a proven threatening technique.
“How… so easily…”
With all his might, Travell unleashed his best blow, only for Raimon to easily deflect it. It was almost like a trivial gesture rather than a skill.
“Is it my turn now?”
Raimon said with a smile. As he did, he put the sword back on his waist and incongruously picked up a branch.
The sight of shaking an odd branch instead of a sword was downright amusing.
“Ha…! What are you suddenly doing… Keck!”
Caught off guard by that sight, Travell was hit by the swinging branch.
“Cough!”
Travell flew out in an arc, rolling on the ground and screaming.
Was this really the power of just one branch?
Distracted by the shock, Travell lost grip of his sword.
“Gaah… What on earth…”
Regaining his senses, Travell denied what had just happened.
His uniform was dirty with dirt, and the wounds on his face… It was the worst disgrace of his school life. With his head down, Travell looked at Raimon with eyes full of resentment.
“That damn guy, how does he have this much power…!”
Although Travell had occasionally watched him train, he had never thought of him as stronger than himself.
The information about his hometown was also unclear. Because of that, rumors circulated that he was not a commoner but a vagrant, hence why he hid his identity.
Since most non-noble students often hid their origins, Travell couldn’t bear this situation from his perspective.
Crack-
Gritting his teeth, Travell tensed his neck muscles.
“What kind of trick did you pull off! How could someone like you!”
“As you can see, I just lightly struck, any complaints?”
“You, with inferior blood like yours, couldn’t possibly do that! Besides, even during combat training, you were dozing off in the corner!”
Growling, Travell picked up the sword he had dropped again. He adjusted his stance, channeling magic into his body, and unleashed a massive strike.
[Byrd Style – Land Geyser]
A brown wave tore through the ground. Dirt fragments scattered everywhere, creating furrows.
Thud!-
A threatening shockwave erupted, dispersing dust.
The astonishing power, as if firing a shell, was enough for spectators to keenly feel Class A’s strength.
“If it’s only this much, even he won’t come out unscathed…!”
“Have you been bullying others just to this extent until now?”
Raimon’s voice came from directly behind him.
Surely, with a injured leg, it would be difficult to walk, so did he avoid him in an instant with that body?
Caught off guard by the sudden strangeness, Travell swallowed dry saliva.
“You… have you been hiding that power until now? What’s your real identity?”
“Who knows? We’re just fellow students.”
Raimon said calmly.
“But for now, it seems you need to be taught a lesson.”
“…!”
Feeling terror, Travell gave in. The only thought in his mind facing an unknown entity was to escape immediately.
But Raimon knocked him down with a branch, then proceeded to beat his arms, legs, and head evenly. It was like punishing a clueless child.
“Why do you think you’re being hit?”
“How would I know!”
“Then maybe this will jog your memory?”
Raimon pulled something out of his pocket. In his hand gleamed something shiny.
A jewel shining in blue… fragments. If one were to guess its shape, a sapphire seemed the most likely.
“That’s Jenny Chainsilver’s…”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s Jenny’s precious necklace that you trampled and shattered. I secretly picked it up at the scene. It was quite a hassle to find.”
Travell wore a bewildered expression.
Is that really my fault?
“That was a fair exchange! It was payback for that wretched woman who lost in the bet!”
“Don’t you have any conscience?”
“What?”
“Yeah, let’s say it was a fair exchange. But do you find it amusing to destroy someone else’s precious belongings? Huh?!”
Whack!-
“Argh!”
Travell screamed again as the branch struck him.
He remembered the smirk on Travell’s face when he destroyed the necklace. He recalled how he wanted to see her crying over it.
“Just like how you tormented others because you didn’t like them. I don’t like you either. That’s all.”
“You… you…”
From the silent bushes, the sound of the branch striking echoed incessantly.
Only the cold wind blew around.
* * * * *
Indeed, Raimon’s special education for Travell was ongoing.
A scene where the protagonist’s strength bias is revealed. It still looks very good through the observer.
Raimon is someone who doesn’t forgive those who harm his close friends. Jenny is one of the first friends he made.
The one who broke his friend’s precious possession will only face such public execution.
– What’s going on? Is Travell getting beaten up right now?
– Does it make sense for him to be hit with a branch like that?
– It’s almost like a one-sided beating rather than a fight, isn’t it?
– How many hits is he taking? Poor guy.
– Poor? I find it rather satisfying. That rascal looks good getting beaten up!
– After a fishing rod, now even a branch becomes a weapon?
– The newspaper club kids will love this.
All the students’ attention focused on Raimon on the screen. The fight Jenny and I had seemed to be quickly forgotten.
The sight of Travell crouching in pain was exactly as seen in the game.
The scene where he mocked Raimon and then got hit back was the first cider scene in the main story.
‘If it proceeds without any changes, then next is…’
Instead of reflecting, Travell hires a trickster from the academy to use cowardly methods.
Radon Crowler, that’s me.
Since Radon was both a trickster and part of the newspaper club, he could exert his influence. Using that, false rumors spread within the academy.
‘Because of that, Radon ends up making a more serious mistake and getting expelled.’
Of course, I won’t listen to any of this. If he comes to me, I’ll pretend to listen diligently and let it go.
But there’s a possibility he might resort to threats in the worst-case scenario, so I need to prepare countermeasures.
“It’s over.”
Finally, both the battle and the exam have ended. The main characters, Raimon, Jenny, and Travell, managed to endure without being knocked out.
Raimon deliberately only beat them without knocking them out. He wanted them to cry out for surrender on their own. But despite Travell’s swollen body, he barely managed to endure. His resilience deserves recognition.
As time passed, the students gathered again on the first floor of the gymnasium. Radiant stood back on the platform and shouted to the students.
“Great job, everyone. The exam scores will be announced tomorrow morning. Whatever the results, don’t lose heart.”
Upon hearing this, some students nervously clasped their hands and prayed. Regardless of the grades, the real issue was their hometown.
“As you all know, the grades will also be reported to your hometowns. It’s to ensure you don’t take the academy lightly.”
The academy’s system forced the students to move, whether they liked it or not. Even if they were far from home, their performance could never be hidden.
“If you want to review or reflect, feel free to visit the library archives where the practical exam records should be stored. Let’s cultivate some leeway until the mid-term evaluations next month. That’s all!”
As the atmosphere finally came to an end, the students began to leave the gymnasium one by one. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I also tried to leave.
“Oh, and one more thing!”
Once again, Radiant’s admonition resounded, freezing everyone in place.
His words carried a compelling power that stopped everyone in their tracks. As a result, the group huddled together.
But what could be the reason for another interruption?
“Make sure Radon Crowler from Combat Class stays until the end. The rest of you can go.”
They called out only one person. Relieved that their names weren’t called, they went on their way.
Of course, I sighed and stayed put. I wonder if Professor Stella’s prediction will be accurate. Indeed, Class C’s explosive growth is quite attention-grabbing compared to their usual performance.
There was definitely a feeling of assessing whether Class A would be upgraded.
“Radon Crowler.”
Jenny, who remained alone in the gym, spoke up. I was on guard, expecting another confrontation, but the atmosphere was different. Her sharp gaze softened somewhat.
What could this be about now?
Is it because she’s not happy about being reassigned to another class?
“I lost.”
“What?”
“I lost.”
It wasn’t what I expected, but… it was quite subtle in its own way.
The gymnasium was empty now. Even if there were no listeners, declaring defeat wouldn’t be easy.
But despite winning, why would she declare defeat?
“Make sense of your words. Didn’t you see how I turned into an ice statue after facing you?”
“So, I lost. That’s why I said it.”
“…”
I didn’t bother to respond. The Snow Age… It rendered me incapacitated, but since Jenny herself sees it as a curse, I refrain from using it.
No matter how mentally cornered I may be, using the Snow Age would be denying myself and breaking my oath.
“I cheated. You can’t call yourself a winner when you resort to using powers that should never be used.”
“…”
“I’m no different from you.”
No different from me? That meant she considered herself akin to Radon, a deceitful and petty trickster. It couldn’t be a more extreme characterization.
It’s necessary to delve into Jenny’s past story to understand why she’s so self-critical.
Because of the cursed power, the Snow Age, her mother died. Naturally, she abhorred that power and felt disillusioned with herself for possessing it.
So, she wanted to exclude the Snow Age from her abilities. She considered even using that power a sin.
In other words, Jenny now sees herself as a sinner, on par with a cowardly trickster.
“But next time… next time, I’ll definitely win. Without the aid of that cursed power, with my own hands.”
With those words, Jenny turned her head away. Her expression before turning wasn’t one filled with determination to challenge her rival.
It was simply the face of a lamb who had been hit by the storms of life and lost its meaning.
Jenny left the gymnasium alone.
A drop of water fell from her cheek… and sparkled in the light.
