Chapter 285

Chapter 285

I was at the registration desk for the cross-dressing contest at the main headquarters of the Temple.

I had pulled my hood down deeply to avoid being recognized by anyone.

“Uh, excuse me, teacher.”

“I’m not a teacher, but yes. Do you have more to say, Reinhart?”

‘Please don’t say my name out loud! I’m somewhat famous, and someone might recognize my name!’

There were students all around me registering for various contests, but I was the only one standing at the empty cross-dressing contest registration desk.

The other kids were casting suspicious glances at me.

—Oh, look at him... He must be entering that contest.

—Unbelievable.

—This is big news!

—He must be embarrassed. That’s why he came with a hood on. But won’t you have to show your face during the contest anyway?

They were staring at me with a very specific sort of look...

“Uh, you know, about the cross-dressing contest... Could you keep my identity, uh, a secret...?”

“Oh, you mean you want to enter the cross-dressing contest but keep your identity a secret?”

‘Don’t say it so loudly!’

The receptionist smiled kindly, as if she understood perfectly.

“Please refer to this pamphlet for detailed contest information, Rein... Ah. Ahem.”

‘Please don’t look at me like that... Is there anyone else like me entering the contest...? Probably not, but I have a good reason!’

Since the reward of Achievement Points had not been enough to entice me, that candy vendor jerk decided to change the reward to a 5-point increase in my mana. How could I refuse that?

After completing the registration, I hurriedly left the main headquarters of the Temple, hoping no one would see me.

“Damn it... Damn it...” I muttered to myself as I hastened away, worried that someone might recognize me.

‘This is so messed up. I can’t believe this is happening. It’s so messed up!’

Fortunately, I didn’t run into any familiar faces.

***

If it became known that I was participating in the cross-dressing contest, I would be finished.

People would ask me “Why in the world did you enter that contest?” and I wouldn’t have any good excuse to say.

If word got out that I had entered after calling everyone who entered or watched such contests a pervert, it would be a disaster.

I would be committing social suicide.

I could see it already. “I didn’t know you were into... that kind of thing...”

Ellen, Harriet, Olivia, Vertus, Charlotte... Everyone who knew me would be shocked.

However, there was no way I would get caught. I had asked for my identity to be kept secret, and they would introduce me as “Anonymous Cross-Dressing Participant 1” or some such. It was even written in the participant pamphlet.

[If a participant requests identity protection, the organizers will definitely guarantee confidentiality.]

The organizers were well-prepared, and were willing to keep the identities of any participants secret, even someone with a sinister hobby.

Still, I planned to change my facial appearance with the ring. If I got caught later on, I could just say that my makeup was too good... But ideally, I wouldn’t get caught at all.

Since I would be participating with a different face, no one would recognize the anonymous cross-dresser as Reinhart. Besides, there was no reason for any of the Royal Class kids to come and watch the cross-dressing contest.

As long as the host didn’t suddenly announce, “Now, here is Reinhart, a first-year student from the Royal Class!” I would never get caught. I just needed to be careful of weirdos like Connor Lint.

Might it be better to threaten to kill him if he went to watch the contest? No... saying something like that might make him suspect that I was participating.

A 5-point increase in mana and enhanced magic resistance... It was a huge step towards Mana Domination, and I had a feeling I knew why the rewards had been increased.

It was ultimately a good thing, and I had a very high chance of winning. But why couldn’t I be happy about it?

Why did this candy vendor always make me go through such nonsense when he wanted to give me something? Why couldn’t he just give it to me for free? Why was the reward always greater when I had to endure humiliation instead of risking my life in battle?

“Next, the preliminary match between Reinhart from the Royal Class, first year, A-11, and Oranken von Istua from Dardia Class, first year, C-32, will begin. Both students, please take your positions.”

My mental state was so shaken that I couldn’t even focus on the situation in front of me. It was the preliminary round of the first-year tournament to select the finalists. Matches were being hosted all around the massive preliminary arena.

I couldn’t see my opponent’s weapon or face clearly as I was too agitated. I felt like I was going to lose my mind.

“...”

My opponent seemed quite intimidated by the fact that I was from the Royal Class.

“Begin.”

At the referee’s signal, I immediately tossed aside my training sword and charged at him. It did not feel acceptable to be wielding a sword in my state.

I went in with my fists.

I had just heard his name, but I had already forgotten it.

‘Sorry, nameless friend.’

Whack!

“Ugh!”

“Reinhart wins!”

‘Anyone who meets me today should consider themselves unlucky! I’m very sensitive today!’

***

Thud!

.

.

Whack!

If my Mana Reinforcement worked properly, I felt like I could take him on.

I would definitely beat Ludwig, but I would have to take Gladen Amorel seriously.

The finals for each grade-level tournament were to be held on Monday and Tuesday. The group matches for the finals were scheduled for Monday, and the semifinals, finals, and ranking matches would be on Tuesday.

On Wednesday... was the cross-dressing contest.

On Friday, the final day of the festival, the Mister and Miss Temple Contests and the Open Tournament finals would be held.

The Open Tournament was actually the biggest attraction, and the preliminaries were also being held on the same days as the other tournaments.

The winners of the grade-level tournaments would be decided on Tuesday, and the Open Tournament finals would begin on Thursday.

I was only thinking of participating.

I wondered how Harriet was doing. She would be going through her preliminary rounds as well.

I had easily emerged victorious in my group because my opponents were first-year students, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Harriet was eliminated in the group stage of the Open Tournament, since most of the participants were upperclassmen. If she didn’t make it to the finals, she might feel hurt.

Contrary to my expectations...

“I won,” Harriet said with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

I stared blankly at her. “How?”

“What do you mean, ‘how’? I won all my matches, so I won.”

‘How on earth did she do it? Did Harriet actually manage to defeat upperclassmen in close combat and win her group?’

Harriet stuck out her tongue, saying she wouldn’t tell me, and quickly left the dormitory. She seemed to be heading to the Magic Research Club estate.

Could she have changed that much in just a few days?

No, it wasn’t that.

I remembered what she’d said before.

“I just wanted to try harder.”

Harriet had been striving to become stronger for a long time. Even before she said those words to me, she had been upset about not being able to go to the Dark Land with us.

Harriet had been continuously working hard to become a competent mage. More precisely, she had been working hard to get used to fighting. This had to be the result of her efforts.

‘By the way, did she come to the dormitory just to brag about winning her group preliminaries to me?

‘Why is she so cute?’

***

It was Sunday.

“... Your Highness, I think I misheard you.”

“You heard me correctly...”

“...”

I had said many shocking things to Eleris before, but it seemed that, this time, even Eleris couldn’t accept what I was saying.

I understood her. I really did.

“You need a dress...?” Eleris asked.

“That’s right...”

It would be even weirder if she was okay with it.

The cross-dressing contest... I’d been coerced into participating, but I couldn’t just show up without any preparation.

I needed clothes. I would also need a wig. Although I could use Sarkegar’s ring to grow my hair long, I still needed a wig.

If it were Riana, she might be horrified at the thought of me doing something so bizarre, but she would probably laugh and have fun dressing me up. But of course, I couldn’t choose that option.

The thought of being teased by her for life, and how I would have to face Ellen and Cliffman, made me want to strangle myself.

Unfortunately, I had no fashion sense.

And so, the only person I could confide in and complain to was Eleris.

‘Pick out a dress for me. Please!’

“A cross-dressing contest... you say...” Eleris muttered.

“... It’s a long story... but yes.”

Eleris’s lips quivered. “Why on earth... would you do that?”

Her gaze said it all. ‘I know my kid was a bit off... but now he’s become even stranger...’

“Look, it’s really important and necessary for me. It’s hard to explain in detail.”

“... Is it related to the future?”

“Well, you could say that...”

To be precise, it was related to my personal growth.

Eleris was still confused.

“Um... I can’t possibly understand how... Your Highness cross-dressing is somehow connected to your preparations for the future...”

The utter incredulity in her eyes was hard to bear.

‘Eleris... Trust me... I’m a thousand times more distressed than you are!’

“Still, Your Highness must have a plan.”

I did have a plan...

A ridiculous plan in which some jerk promised to boost my stats if I won the cross-dressing contest...

“Well... Um... Good luck, Your Highness.”

Eleris could see that I was dying inside as well, and seemed to understand that I wasn’t thrilled about this either. She patted my shoulder as I sank deeper into despair.

Indeed, Eleris was the only one who understood my feelings.