I walk with Ada and Francis flanking me on either side.
Francis is making a fuss, saying something about it being unprecedentedโฆ
โThatโs why! If you do something like thatโฆ!โ
โWhatโs wrong with me acting high and mighty if I can erase this city in the blink of an eye?โ
โN-No! Please, Iโm begging you, stop it!โ
โWhat should I do?โ
โPlease! Iโll do anything!โ
โHm?โ
Did you just say anythingโฆ?
As Iโm teasing Francis for funโฆ
Suddenly, weโre surrounded by about ten students. Probably upperclassmen.
โWho are you?โ
I ask, while squeezing Adaโs chest. Itโs wonderfully soft. This is my first time squeezing a twelve-year-oldโs chest; itโs refreshingly new.
โYouโฆ!โ
The one who stepped forward is a handsome guy with silky blonde hair. Well, not as good as me.
If Iโm a Hollywood superstar, heโs like a second-rate model in Japan. Like one of those โJa-somethingโ types.
โฆWait, why is he popular if heโs not that handsome? Not that heโs ugly, but still.
I guess even if a guy is somewhat ugly, he can make up for it in other ways.
But if a woman isnโt beautiful, sheโs often dismissed regardless of other abilitiesโฆ
Which is harder, I wonder?
So, what was it again?
This guyโฆ who is he?
I ask who he is, and he responds with โyouโ. What kind of upbringing did he have?
โOh, so your name is โYouโ? What a terrible name, Iโd like to see your parentsโ faces.โ
โโฆI am Sei Cladion, heir to the Cladion Count family.โ
โCladionโฆ? Oh, thatโs right. The one with nothing but a run-down mine.โ
Ah, I remember now.
The teacher mentioned it.
A Count family with a reputation for bad finances.
โA run-downโฆ?! You dare insult my family?!โ
โInsult or not, your family really has nothing. Why didnโt you industrialize before exhausting the mine? Stupid?โ
โY-Youโฆ! Unforgivable! I challenge you to a duel! This is not just to make you retract your insult but also to remove you for disrupting the schoolโs order! If I win, you will leave the academy!โ
Sigh.
Blood sugarโฆ oh, a duel.
Ah, right, that kind of thing.
โCan I kill the people around us?โ
Since weโre surrounded.
โโฆThey are witnesses.โ
I see.
Witnesses or not, the fact that they surround and intimidate a younger student shows their true nature.
โCan I kill you?โ
โTry if you can!!!โ
Interesting.
As I was about to snap my fingersโฆ
โWait a moooooooment!!!!!!โ
Francis grabbed my arm with amazing force.
โWhatโs wrong, Fran? Want some attention? Oh, good girl, good girl.โ
โWait, seriously, wait! This isnโt a joke, please wait???โ
โOkay.โ
โPromise you wonโt do anything, okay? Please, for Franโs sake.โ
Calling herself โFranโ is hilarious.
Itโs amusing, so Iโll wait.
โSure.โ
โAda! Make sure he doesnโt do anything! Please!โ
โYes!โ
Ada responds enthusiastically, but she wonโt listen to you, you know?
And then, Francisโฆ
โAhemโฆโ
Clears her throat and faces the guy from the trash province.
โPardon me, Lord Cladion.โ
โYou areโฆ from the Klein family?โ
โYes, my name is Francis.โ
โMy apologies. I am Sei Cladion.โ
โLord Cladionโฆ Iโll get straight to the point. Please, stop this.โ
โButโฆ!โ
โLord Cladion. Exas here shows no mercy. Win or lose, it will only harm you. Think of the insult from a fallen knight as being bitten by a dogโฆโ
โNo, I canโt do that! I am the student council president of this academy! To maintain order, I cannot forgive him!โ
โIf so, at least teach him the proper way to duelโฆโ
โFrom your tone, Lady Klein, it sounds as if I will lose.โ
โTh-Thatโsโฆโ
โDo you think I would lose to someone who cheated on the entrance exam?โ
Ah-ha?
So thatโs how it is.
Interesting.
Well, humans are like that. They always claim โThere must be some mistake!โ when they donโt understand something.
Few people are willing to investigate why such a mistake happened.
You should learn that in college, though! Strange, isnโt it?
โUm, wellโฆ Yes! Even if he loses, if he doesnโt know how to surrender, he might die! Thatโs not good, right?โ
โHmmโฆ I understand. Letโs wait a bit.โ
โThank you.โ
And then, Francisโฆ
โOkay?! You absolutely must not kill him, got it?!โ
โHow much can I hurt him?โ
โNot how much, just donโt injure him!โ
โThen itโs not a duel, is it?โ
โAnyway, just try not to hurt him!โ
โAlright, I get it.โ
Now thenโฆ
โUh, Trash Province guy?โ
โItโs Cladion!!!โ
โSo, if I lose, I leave the school, right?โ
โโฆThatโs right.โ
โWhat will you do if you lose?โ
โIโll do anything.โ
Hmm?
โThen Iโll give you plastic surgery.โ
โPl-plastic surgery?โ
โIโll shave off your nose and replace it with a goblinโs nose.โ
โHow farโฆ! How far do you intend to insult me?!โ
โOf course, to the very end.โ
While Francis, with an expression of utter despair, looks on, the noble duel begins!
โGyaaahhhhhhh!!!!โ
Itโs over.
Even though he was acting all high and mighty, Trash Province guy got beaten in an instant.
Sad, isnโt it?
He shot some strange flames at me, but I have โDispelโ that neutralizes magic and โBarrierโ that absorbs excessive energy on my body at all timesโฆ
In theory, I wouldnโt die even if a nuclear missile hit me.
So nowโฆ
As promised, I shaved off his nose.
And now Iโll transplant the goblinโs nose.
โAlright, itโs done. It suits you.โ
โA-Aahhhhhh!!!!โ
Oh, heโs going berserk.
Interesting.
He ran away, covering his nose.
โWhat was that about?โ
Ada asks.
โThere are idle people everywhere. Iโm envious.โ
I reply.
Carrying the still-frozen-with-despair Francis, I returned to the Klein family mansionโฆ