CH 16

After redoing the rite, there’s nothing else to do so I’d rather just go home, but…

I need to get ready for the real classes the next day.

Isn’t that amazing, Sensei?

「 Now, let’s go to the next event. Is everyone ready? 」

I knew that they won’t let us go back home yet.

The female teacher I just met, Whip-sensei, is happily hosting the event.

She didn’t ask if we were prepared, but ready instead.

「 This is the first important thing that you should all know about your lessons. We can only develop you to the fullest by understanding your talents, abilities, and personality in detail, and by providing you with teachings tailored to your individual needs 」

Haa…

「 We checked your vocations jut earlier, and figured out your talents. Next, we’ll see your abilities. And to do that… 」

Teten~

「 It’s a friendly match! 」

Friendly match?

Meaning, a fight?

I knew that this school would force us to fight as soon as we entered it!

「 The new students who entered our school are children of feudal lords, nobles, or royalty. And their population who serves as their guards. The upcoming friendly match will only limit the participation to the escorts only 」

Whip-sensei continues her explanation.

「 It’s up to the individual if they want to participate. If you’re confident, then join in. If you don’t like it, you can decline. I can assure you that it won’t impact your grades 」

The crowd begins to make a noise.

The sudden request to fight is the source of confusion, but the conditions added are probably confusing them

There are two types of students in this school.

Nobles, commoners, guards and guarded, master and servant, something like that.

Only one of them is eligible to participate, and also, it’s up to them whether they participate or not.

One can’t help but wonder what’s the intention behind such strange conditions.

「 Hey, Sao, isn’t this? 」

「 It just means that you have to do your part 」

My conversation with Nee-san continues as she starts to realize the purpose of this event.

「 This event is disguised as an attempt to see the fighting ability of the students, but it has a deeper agenda. A soldier is a soldier, a commander is a commander, they’re expected to play a different role 」

「 It would be a failure for a commander to stand in the frontlines and fight 」

Starf-ojousama joined the conversation.

「 In that case, it would be us, the children of nobles, who are considered to be in command. Then, the children of commoners are enrolled as escorts. So, it’s assumed that they have natural combat strength 」

「 And it’s about how you manage your bodyguards. It means that they’re giving the master a test on their decision-making. And since this is a friendly match, there won’t be any effect on our records 」

But, I can’t use that as a reference.

「 Masters who didn’t care about that and just had their guard fight are warlike and show-offs. A thoughtless leader who puts their vassals in danger for such a shallow thing. If they decline to, then the master is considered afraid, spineless 」

「 Both of them are bad ratings? 」

In fact, I don’t know how the teachers evaluate this event until I hear from them.

Well, it’s just the first day of school, and they’re probably only aware of the fact that they can use this as a basis for making decisions in their student guidance.

「 Then, I’ve made my decision, we’ll turn down this match 」

「 Ojou-sama? 」

「 Sao-san and Caliber-san are my bodyguards, but also my precious friends, you’re family. I’m a failure of a master if I put you to some pointless danger. I don’t care if they call me a coward 」

「 Ojou-sama!! 」

「 Caliber-san 」

Nee-san’s in tears from Ojou-sama’s kindness.

Then, the two hugged each other.

Okay, clap clap.

But, the friendly match naturally includes an element from the servant’s side, not just the master side.

This one is simple. If you fight, you have to win.

For children of commoners, who are naturally uneducated, the only thing they can be proud of at this moment is their strength.

I guess all commoners gathered here to have a suitable combat-related vocation because they’re enrolled in this school as guards.

I’m sure they worked hard to be picked by their masters.

So, this friendly match is their first and best opportunity to show their results.

If they win and perform well, they can ask the teachers for more special lessons.

Eventually, you’ll be introduced into the government service.

It’s not hard to see that the master who didn’t participate to avoid danger, also crushes their chance of making a name for themselves.

Will they pick stability or opportunity?

They’re trying to find out the qualities of each student with a question that has no right or wrong answer.

「 It’s so prudent, or should I say malicious? 」

As expected, school is not a simple matter.

While I was mulling over, the bloodthirsty students have long decided to participate and competed in the temporary ring.

「 Go, my servant! Show the prestige of our domain by winning! 」

「 Yes, Master 」

So easy to understand.

That kind of clarity is also good. Hundreds of thoughts may be piled up on top of each other, but in the end, it’s the single action that decides everything.

The careful yet indecisive were the ones who fall before those who take quick actions.

Some master and servant go to battle excitedly.

Some master and servant stare at each other calmly.

Some master and servant curl themselves out of fear.

The new students are already divided into various colors based on a single activity by the faculty, and this will probably be used in future educational policies.

「 Hey, Sao, is it okay if we don’t participate? 」

Nee-san’s itching as she’s watching other people fight.

She’s also raring to go.

「 Our master’s decision was to not participate. Isn’t your ability to follow your master’s orders also part of the evaluation? 」

「 Ugh 」

After hearing that, Nee-san went quiet.

The battle heats up as one by one, the fighters get kicked out of the ring.

Then, there’s only one that remained.

◆

「 Nobody’s joining in anymore? 」

Nobody answered Whip-sensei’s call.

They all fell silent.

「 Then that concludes the friendly match for the new students. The final winner is Clay Mohr-san, the bodyguard of Lady Bloom-san 」

It’s a girl who beat all those who were willing to participate and stood in the ring until the end.

She has dark skin and black hair just like a wild tomboy.

Her physique is almost male from how firm it is.

She’s holding a blade-less imitation sword.

As expected, she has a combat-type vocation.

「 Well done Mohr, you’ve made a name for our territory on our first day 」

The woman who calls her, is beautiful in a man’s clothing with a hint of masculinity? -ish of a girl?

However, the direction of her masculinity is more of the elegant type, compared to the girl on the ring.

They suit each other in a sense.

「 This is child’s play for me Bloom-sama, the people in the other territories are just a bunch of cowards 」

「 Mohr is just too strong. Well, if you’re serving as my bodyguard, then you have to be the best 」

It seems like the beauty is the daughter of the Lord, and the dark-skinned tomboy is the bodyguard.

So that’s their combo.

「 While we’re at it, why don’t we introduce ourselves. My fellow classmates, My name is Bloom De Carmen Wack, the second daughter of Siegmund Wach. And this is my bodyguard, Clay Mohr

「 I’m the strongest of all, Mohr! 」

She came to mount the fight with her results right away.

「 How did you perceive this friendly match? Just for fun? For orientation? No, that’s not it. I saw this as the pecking order of this new school year. There had to be a clear distinction between the weak and strong. 」

「 And I’m the one on top! 」

「 Mohr is right. From now on, our school year will be led by the strongest of us! It’s the natural order to follow the strong 」

They’re starting some kind of speech, but the teachers aren’t stopping them?

They won’t.

They wanted this to be an event.

「 From now on, we will be in charge of the events that require the student’s initiative. It’ll go more efficiently that way 」

「 It’s too late to refuse now! Those who fought and lost had no right to complain, much less those who didn’t fight! 」

「 Mohr is right. The rights are fought for and won. All speaking rights are revoked for those who refused to fight. Not fighting means that you’re just a loser. Especially 」

Hmm?

What?

The gaze of that girl seems to be going this way?

Must be my imagination.

「 It’s a shame that your servants didn’t join for the match. If I recall, you’re from the Zerisaf territory, right? 」

It wasn’t my imagination.

Why is it that we always get tangled with trouble?

「 I overheard the faculty making a lot of noise during the vocation reexamining earlier. She’s already evolved her vocation so early, and he has a vocation I’ve never heard of. I was hoping that he’d be a good rival for my Mohr 」

It’s that teacher’s fault?

How dare you just dangle out the personal information of your students.

「 However, it’s a disappointment that they didn’t participate. No matter how brilliant the guards are, it means nothing if the master who commands them is a coward 」

……。

Huh?

「 It must be frustrating for you commoners to not be able to use your abilities under your stupid master, right? How about you give up your master’s and work for me instead? A man of great talents only shines when used by a great leader. As it’s competent with Mohr’s…Hii!! 」

It was for a moment.

At that moment, Nee-san and I closed the distance between us and this lady who keeps on speaking dumb things, putting the blade at her throat and the tip of my stick at her face.

「 Bloom-sama? 」

「 What an amazing bodyguard, not moving an inch in the face of their master’s danger 」

Nee-san and I immediately withdrew our weapons, but if we had no intention of stopping, then this lady would’ve left the world by now.

Mohr-san, who’s just standing next to her could be branded as a failure of a bodyguard.

We returned to our master, Starf-ojousama, and kneeled by her side.

「 I’m sorry, I pulled out my sword without asking for Master’s permission. However, to turn a deaf ear to the insults towards Master would also erase our reason for being 」

「 Please forgive our selfish behavior 」

In response, Starf-ojousama smiled calmly.

「 How can I be angry for what you’ve done? That was a failure on my side. I didn’t expect that there were people who could be so conceited that I passed on the opportunity to show it. In the end, I caused you to do something so reckless, I regret it 」

The sound of admiration could be heard from those around us.

The humble manner of Starf-ojousama must’ve sounded respectable in contrast to the pompous manner of the other lady up to that point.

「 Indeed, I came to the capital with my pride on my shoulders, becoming the feudal lord someday. I can’t let other people look down on me. I should believe in you more 」

Yes, believe in us.

In Nee-san and my strength.

「 Whip-sensei, do you mind if they participate in the friendly match this late? 」

「 Sure 」

She accepted right away.

「 My name is Starf, the daughter of Ogova, the lord of Zerisaf, sending my dear friends and loyal subjects to join the fight. And, we’ll break the confidence of the arrogant people. Peace is to be fought and defended to the last! 」