Chapter 11: Sudden Confrontation (2)

Name：I Became the Male Lead who was Clinging onto the Female Leads Author：
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Chapter 11: Sudden Confrontation (2)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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Celine? Aren't you far above the first years?

Didnt you see his spar just now? I dont think that guy would get hurt if he sparred with me.

"Well, you're not wrong, but..."

"I'll take that as permission."

Celine bowed her head slightly and approached Eugene with confident strides.

She usually maintained a cold distance, never initiating conversations, but the situation now was different.

It was a spar organized by their teacher during class and they were even in the same team.

No matter how reserved she was, speaking in an official setting like a class wouldnt be strange.

'And that sword technique...'

During the five rounds of sparring, he hadn't swung more than twenty times.

As a swordswoman who had dedicated her life to the art, she felt compelled to challenge that sword directly.

Eugene, since were in the same group, a spar doesnt seem out of place. What do you say? Want to go for a round?

"I'm scared... I don't want to."

What?

How could he say such a thing with a face that didn't seem scared at all!

Celine bit her lip.

It only seemed like retaliation for rejecting his confession.

'I know you're nothing more than that kind of man!'

But I am genuinely curious about your swordsmanship!

She hadnt expected Eugene to decline like this, and Celine found herself at a loss for words.

If you only looked at her appearance right now, she looked like a little chick hit by frost.

'Really scared.'

Eugene was genuinely scared and that's why he had declined.

'I don't think I'll lose in swordsmanship.'

Just in terms of swordsmanship.

Considering other factors, overtaking Celine wouldnt be easy.

Born into a prestigious swordsmanship family, she had been trained her entire life and, thanks to her impeccable lineage, her magical prowess was unparalleled among her peers.

If they sparred, Eugene might have a slight advantage in swordsmanship, but her overwhelming mana would make victory challenging.

A draw would be the best he could hope for.

Its still too early.

To ensure victory against Celine, Eugene needed more time.

If she only had a lot of mana but was a novice in swordplay, it would be different.

But she was, after all, a prodigy in the art of the sword.

Are you doing this because of what happened before?

Celines face hardened, ignorant of his internal struggle.

If youre declining because of that, you're really not worth my time."

Turning briskly, Celine began to walk away.

In her view, it was a cold and merciless walk.

However, due to her slightly petite stature, she looked a bit pitiful in Eugene's eyes.

Ill agree to a spar under one condition.

Celine stopped in her tracks.

A condition?

Had anyone else proposed it, she might have asked without hesitation.

But coming from Eugene, it evoked skepticism.

'Does he want to use sparring as an excuse to ask me out again?'

If that's the case, she wouldn't care about sparring and would immediately swing her sword.

"What's the condition?"

Just go easy on me.

What?

"Don't hurt me, go easy."

Celine's face twisted oddly.

She had expected some peculiar demand, but he was just asking for mercy.

"...I don't mind that."

She felt a bit embarrassed for making such wild assumptions.

Then, draw your sword.

Huh?

Lost in her thoughts, Celine instinctively raised her wooden sword.

In that moment.

Taaak!

"Your apology should be directed to your sparring partner!"

He was right.

The blow she just delivered wasn't something a first-year student could deflect.

Had Fritz not intervened, Eugene might've been seriously injured.

Slowly raising her head, Celine looked towards Eugene, who had already sheathed his sword, and said,

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright; I'm not hurt."

Eugene casually waved her off and turned to walk away.

'What just happened...?'

Has he... changed?

The Eugene Celine knew would have either sat down sobbing or asked for some absurd compensation for her actions.

But he simply waved her off and walked away.

Watching his retreating figure, the hostility in Celine's eyes diminished, if only slightly.

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Raei Translations

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"That was close. Phew."

Away from prying eyes, Eugene collapsed, relieved to be alive.

"How can a girl my age have such insane mana?"

Is this the privilege of being born to a ducal family?

Even though he had conserved his mana as he could during their spar, he was still sorely lacking.

"The gap is just too wide."

Mana grows exponentially as one ages and their magic circuit matures.

This meant that the still-young Celine, despite having amassed a vast reservoir of mana from various elixirs and family secrets, had yet to fully expand her mana pool.

The mana that Celine possesses now, will be considerably less compared to what she will have in a few years.

"Yet, there's such a gap between hers and mine..."

He was suddenly struck by the disparity: his meager mana, like being born with nothing, and her abundant mana, like inheriting a fortune.

'Mana should ideally be accumulated from a young age.'

If he had the strength to travel the world, he'd tirelessly seek out elixirs and secrets to enhance mana.

"There's so much to be done."

Eugene, having exhausted all his mana in the recent spar, closed his eyes.

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Raei Translations

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After class.

Celine's entire body was drenched in sweat, her uniform clinging to her.

Yet, she didn't care about such discomfort.

'Lately, my progress has hit a wall.'

With lips pressed tight and her arms trembling from fatigue, she had come to a startling realization during today's spar.

Her rapid growth in swordsmanship had plateaued.

As a 16-year-old prodigy, she relished the rapid rise of her swordsmanship skills.

But, for the past week, her usual enlightenments felt stagnant.

She knew she was a genius.

Since childhood, she possessed a natural affinity for the sword.

No other swordsman her age could match her prowess.

Wasn't she the top scorer in the swordsmanship section of the Royal Academy's entrance exam?

Her growth rate, already faster than most, increased even more after entering the Royal Academy.

'But now, that pace has slowed!'

When she swung her sword, she no longer felt unity with it.

The natural realizations she gained from practice no longer emerged.

It felt as if her mind had been sealed off.

If only I were a bit stronger during today's spar!

She wouldn't have lost her cool and made such a reckless move.

'Why am I like this lately?'

Unable to find the reason, she continued to tirelessly swing her sword, grinding her teeth in frustration.

However, the human body has its limits.

"Ugh..."

The sword slipped from her grip, clattering to the ground.

She tried to reach for it, but her trembling hand refused to cooperate.

Any more training would only be torturous to her body.

"Why... why is this happening?"

She sank to the ground, desperately trying to understand her current predicament.

But no matter how hard she thought, the answer eluded her.

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