Chapter 36: Has it changed?

The match with Gulf has ended, and the fourth, fifth… and then the eighth match is over, and now it’s Philip’s turn.

“Well then, let’s get going.”

The atmosphere is unchanged, nonchalant.

A face that you can’t tell whether he’s serious or just being casual.

Nevertheless, Gulf and Michela understand Philip’s true strength.

“I don’t have to say ‘do your best,’ but we’re rooting for you.”

“I hope you don’t get bored and just play casually.”

“Thanks, Gulf. And you too, Michela. Can I assume that you’re cheering for me, just like Gulf?”

“Feel free to think whatever you like.”

Michela, with her usual cold attitude, left the waiting room with a carefree smile and headed towards the competition venue.

(Sigh~~~. I never thought I’d participate in the intense battle tournament~~~)

Philip is fundamentally a person lacking in motivation.

Although he has a sharp mind, he generally only scores at a level where he doesn’t need to take makeup exams.

Even in terms of combat training, he has only put in effort to a level that won’t disgrace his family, and he never seriously trained until he met Ishud.

(Well, you know~. At least, I have to win the first round, or my father will definitely be angry.)

Being cheered on by someone he can call a friend does serve as a motivation, but for Philip… in order to continue his carefree school life as before, he just wants to avoid being scolded by his father, Duke Gergios.

(But if I lose to something too ridiculous… well, if it’s on this side, losing to Michela might be okay. She got thrashed by Ishud, but from our perspective, she’s pretty strong in her own right.)

With such foolish thoughts in his mind, he climbed into the ring.

“Philip… I never expected you to participate in the fierce tournament.”

“…………”

Philip’s opponent in the first match is Jesta Noruaga, a student at Ryzard Academy.

In contrast to Philip’s sloppy appearance, Jesta is a handsome young man who fits the description of an honors student with his sleek, flowing hair. 

His primary job is a finesse swordsman, and his secondary job is the same as Ferno from Sambal Academy – a knight. However, unlike Ferno, Jesta wields a rapier.

The nature of his primary job is inherited, and he excels in handling rapiers compared to knights of other professions.

“……Who are you again?”

“What!!! You forgot about me?”

There wasn’t any particular history or connection between Philip and Jesta.

Philip simply wasn’t interested in others to that extent. Although he occasionally participated in social events, he only remembered those who stood out as particularly noteworthy.

In contrast, Jesta’s family is of the Marquis class, so technically, Philip’s family has a higher status. However, even with that, he didn’t expect Philip, who comes from a Duke’s family, to forget him.

“Well, fine. However, if you came up here without any intention, you shouldn’t expect to leave unscathed.”

“Oh~~ Come on, lighten up a bit. You’re ruining the good atmosphere, you know?”

“You can afford to be carefree for now.”

“Ugh, what a hassle.”

Their verbal exchange concluded around here.

Now, they are about to clash in the finals, bringing together the culmination of their respective training.

“Do it, Philip!!!!! Beat that damn pretty boy!!!! YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

“…Ugh, that kind of cheer is so common.”

Amidst the various voices from the spectators, the voice of a friend, which he found interesting for the first time, stood out.

Philip, being the fourth son of a Duke and not a commoner, had a peculiar habit of slacking off, but he still had a fair amount of support from students in his year and others. Among them, Ishud’s cheers seemed to resonate the most with him.

“Both of you, refrain from attacks that could lead to death.”

“Yeah.”

“Sure thing.”

“Now then… begin!!!”

As the female referee declared the start of the match, unlike the match between Gulf and Sambal, neither of them moved immediately. Jesta slowly drew his rapier, and Philip also leisurely took out his dagger and assumed a stance.

“…What’s wrong? Not coming at me?”

“Whenever I move is my own business, right?”

“Well then… let’s make you move, even if you don’t want to.”

Provoked, Jesta made the first move.

“Hey, here I go. Huuh, take this!”

“Ugh!!”

Jesta quickly closed the distance and, although in a basic stance, unleashed a series of sharp and swift thrusts.

Each thrust was aimed accurately, and if any landed, it wouldn’t just be painful.

As per the referee’s instructions, they avoided attacks that could lead to death. However, among vital areas, Jesta did not hesitate to attack anything except places that would immediately result in fatal injuries.

“…It seems like you didn’t come here just on a selfish whim.”

“Well, who knows?”

“I’m curious about what kind of change in mindset you’ve had in the three years of middle school when you never participated in a tournament.”

“A change in mindset, huh~”

From Philip’s perspective, he didn’t think he had changed that much.

However, whether he had changed or not was something others would perceive.

Recently, he spent a lot of time with Michela, and there were acquaintances like the Student Council President, Christille. From Jesta’s perspective, the fact that Philip was participating in the intense tournament was almost like a miracle.

When Jesta learned that Philip was participating in the intense tournament, he seriously doubted if Philip had contracted some strange illness or if he had hit his head and undergone a personality change.

However, even if others doubted him or claimed that he had dramatically changed, Philip himself didn’t think he had undergone a significant transformation.

“…Well, isn’t it just that? I found something enjoyable in my daily life. You know, without that kind of fun, I can’t be bothered to take classes seriously.”

Yes, he simply found someone interesting and enjoyable. 

If there were factors that might have caused him to change, that was the only one.

“Don’t think we’re the same in that regard. But to truly be involved with such barbarians…”

“Barbarians, huh. Well, I guess you guys would want to deny it.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“Well? If I win, I might tell you.”

“Don’t worry. Regardless of such things, I will defeat you.”

Whether he would follow through on his words or face defeat, that would become clear in the next few minutes.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter