The Protagonist’s Party is Too Diligent

The sound of the kids in the class murmuring in confusion reached my ears, but I wasn’t really surprised.

Well, it makes sense since this match is basically the first battle in a game. Losing doesn’t matter, and winning isn’t a big deal either. It’s kind of like a tutorial.

Thanks to that, the combat difficulty was set a bit higher than usual…but of all places to have a one-on-one duel, my opponent is treated as a boss in the system, and since there’s a bronze medal on the line, I’d absolutely have to win if I aimed for the platinum medal.

If I just know the strategy and don’t mess around too much, I might be able to handle the duel, but the problem is that this is from Leo’s perspective, the main character.

The game I’m feeling right now isn’t a turn-based JRPG where each character takes turns attacking according to their speed; it’s a hyper-realistic FPS.

… Really, it’s not even an FPS; it’s just reality.

To be honest, I was confident in my personal skills. I could easily dodge the beginner’s sword swung by some nobody. I was sure of it.

Of course, I’ve already dodged Lucas’s sword multiple times, who is stronger than the Sword Saint at this point.

The Sword Saint is still alive. In the second work of the Chronicles of Aetherna universe, he dies at the hands of Lucas, so obviously, he’s alive at this early stage of the first work.

But the timeline between the first and second works doesn’t differ that much—about a year at most. Honestly, if Lucas charges at the Sword Saint right now for a real swordfight, I think Lucas could win. But that’s just my guess.

I looked blankly at the students who were carefully choosing their weapons.

They weren’t using personal weapons. No matter how combat-oriented they were, it wouldn’t make sense to order students to actually shoot each other.

Whether swords or spears, everything was made of wood and rubber. It would probably hurt a lot if hit, but as long as it didn’t hit the head, taking one or two hits wouldn’t be fatal.

There were also staffs for magic users that utilized mana. Of course, the mana stones were minimized to limit the magic cast to something like just a flash of light. When magic users cast spells, the instructor, Jennifer, would judge the magic’s range based on each student’s skill and indicate whether it connected or missed. At least, that’s how it was in the game.

Naturally, there were also guns.

Since guns have a lot of moving parts, they weren’t made of rubber. In fact, they were ‘real guns.’ If they were going to implement the bullets going in and the casings flying out, they might as well just use firearms instead of a model gun. The only difference was that the barrel was a solid metal rod and there were no balls inside, so even if you loaded it, it couldn’t fire.

The bullets inside were just pieces of metal without any gunpowder.

…So, the Ergensen rifle I was holding was heavier than the real gun I usually used. The revolver tucked under my arm too.

That said, it shouldn’t be a big issue for a brief duel.

“Okay, has everyone gotten their weapons!?”

Jennifer said as she looked around at the students. There were no answers, but everyone was holding at least one weapon. The types of weapons they used varied wildly, but seeing that it was perfectly matched without any leftovers indicated that Jennifer had checked all the students’ specialties beforehand.

“…….”

In a moment, Jennifer’s gaze landed on me as she was inspecting the students. Was it a coincidence?

“It might be awkward to face an unknown student right from the first day. If anyone has a partner in mind, get their consent and pair up. If there are any leftovers, I’ll pair them up myself.”

… And the remaining person would have to face Jennifer.

That was the worst-case scenario. I wasn’t sure how many times I would have to rewind time to win if we fought.

Jennifer was a warrior of the battlefield. Even though it was short, she had a strong presence on the battlefield during that brief time. Anything she got her hands on could be used as a weapon.

In the game, she was a character who could mix and match guns, swords, and magic freely due to the nature of turn-based RPGs, but there were times in event scenes where she was depicted fighting with chairs, ladders, cups, water bottles, stones, and even fountain pens or pencils.

It seemed like she was trying to mimic a character from some famous Hollywood film, but honestly, the motions and graphics were so awkward that it didn’t seem cool at all.

Clap!

Another sound of clapping rang out.

“Okay, I’ll give you one minute!”

Jennifer shouted.

I looked over at Alice.

“……I don’t want to.”

Then, as I locked eyes with Alice, she immediately gasped and took a step back.

…That hurt a little.

“I’m pretty sure I’d lose to you, so why on earth should I fight you? It’d be less embarrassing to lose to that instructor over there.”

Hmm.

Alice wasn’t an easy opponent. But her swordsmanship hadn’t reached Lucas’s level yet.

So, I guess I could win if we fought. I could turn my mistakes into nothing.

“Oh my.”

Charlotte chimed in as she was listening to Alice’s conversation.

“Alice, then would you like to duel with me? I’m confident in my swordsmanship, even though it may not look like it.”

Unlike Alice, who was holding a wooden bastard sword, Charlotte was wielding a rubber rapier for the sword part.

Charlotte swung that rubber sword a few times, then pouted her lips.

“Indeed, the difference in material changes the nature of the weapon. This isn’t really a sword; it’s more like a riding whip.”

“If you put it that way, this is just a club.”

Alice lifted her wooden sword and said.

And what I’m holding is a toy gun.

By the way, there was no one around us.

No matter how talented someone is, it seems like no one had the guts to hit a crown princess or a royal. You never know how it’ll be perceived.

“Ah! I, I! Then I’ll fight Sylvia!”

Ah, what?

I jumped in surprise! I almost jolted because Claire suddenly shouted from behind me.

If I hadn’t been through the last ten years, getting attacked by Lucas from time to time, I would have really jumped up.

“Hmm?”

Just then, the moment Alice turned to look at Claire,

“Attention!”

Jennifer’s voice rang out.

All the murmuring stopped, and everyone looked at Jennifer.

“Anyone who has found a duel partner, sit down!”

At Jennifer’s words, one by one, they started to sit down on the ground. Everyone looked a bit reluctant since they were all nobility, but none dared to oppose this battlefield deity. After all, it was the first day.

Alice and Charlotte sat down,

“Sylvia, quickly!”

As soon as Jennifer shouted, Claire, who had plopped down, grabbed my sleeve with twinkling eyes.

“…….”

But over there, Leo was looking over here with an extremely resentful expression.

Still, it seemed much better than facing Jennifer, so I quickly sat down alongside Claire.

Sorry, Leo. I won’t forget this debt. But I have no intention of repaying it.

Since Class A was a place where nobles with some connections were gathered, most of the kids sat down.

“Alright, then you two over there, pair up.”

After pairing the remaining two female students, Jennifer grinned at the last remaining Leo Grace.

“Oh? The firstborn of Baron Grace? Is your father doing well?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, yes! I’m doing well!”

As Jennifer spoke, Leo snapped to attention and shouted.

“Your voice is loud and good. Good. You will duel with me. Take a seat.”

Seeing Leo’s face turn pale, Jennifer didn’t even blink.

Once Leo finally sat down, Jennifer scanned the students all at once.

“Alright, let’s see….”

Then she took a pocket watch from her pocket to check the time.

“It seems we’ll be short on time to duel one team at a time. Okay, we’ll do it in groups of three. Don’t worry. I’ll be watching all of you and will be able to decide who wins.”

No, no one was worried.

If anything, what we were worried about was your insane level of exertion. Of course, I wouldn’t have the guts to say that to her face.

“Well then, first… okay, let’s see who will be the pillars of our country first.”

Jennifer pointed at me and Alice with a smile.

“You two, come up with your respective partners. And you two, come forward as well. These three teams are going first.”

“…….”

At Jennifer’s words, everyone started to get up cautiously while checking each other’s reactions.

No, wait, there was one person whose eyes were sparkling with excitement.

“You’re also a Grace, right?”

Jennifer said, looking at Claire like that.

“You have a good eye. I hope you can maintain that keen sight regardless of what you do.”

“Yes!”

How oddly fitting.

It seems Claire would actually fit better in the military…Well, that doesn’t matter right now.

Jennifer’s gaze lingered on me for a moment.

And I was convinced. This wasn’t just a feeling or a coincidence.

Why? Is it because I am the Emperor’s children? Is it possible that Winterfield is behind the Count Crowfield death incident—ah, everyone suspects it has to do with the Duke family, so…

…Did I get marked on the very first day of the semester?

“Alright, don’t just stand there. Everyone forward!”

“…….”

Under Jennifer’s urging, we moved to the front.

Alice and I stood back-to-back, keeping our distance.

And in front of me, Claire stood with a quite large sword firmly gripped in both hands, an incredibly upright posture.

Her eyes sparkled, and her lips twitched as if she was so excited to be able to duel with me.

…….

Hmm, well, I feel a bit good about her being like that.

But I couldn’t gauge her skill. Unlike those games where I learned unorthodox combat techniques, Claire would definitely have a straightforward swordsmanship just like the main character, Leo.

Would it actually be easier to deal with her?

I had seen her practicing with a real sword before. Certainly, handling such sword play would be much better than dealing with that annoying style.

Alright then.

I pulled the bolt of the rifle I was holding to load the first bullet into the chamber.

Then, just like a soldier holding a rifle, I rested the stock on my shoulder and bent forward slightly, spreading my legs a little to make it easier to jump—

—No, wait, is it really okay to have me, a simple soldier, standing right in front of someone holding a sword like this?

“Then, let’s start!”

Before I could even raise an objection, Jennifer shouted like that.

…Right, if it’s that person, she’d think ‘In battle, you must be able to win under any circumstances!’—

“Then, I’m coming!”

—Before finishing that thought, Claire shouted and charged at me!

Like in a swordplay scene, she lunged forward, putting her left foot out and lifting her arms high.

In a game, this would be more like ‘head strike’ rather than ‘vertical slash.’

It’s simple, but the motion is incredibly quick.

I jumped to the side with all my might. I barely managed not to fall over. The soles of my shoes made a rough sound as they scraped against the sandy ground.

Dry sand from the playground flew up, stirring up dust.

The rifle was long, and even though I was ready to lift it quickly, there was no time to align the muzzle as Claire closed in much too fast for a long rifle.

Alright then.

Let’s prepare for a shorter gun next time.

Click.

Even so, I pulled the trigger out of instinct, but Claire seemed to have anticipated it; she leaned forward and slipped out of the rifle’s line of fire.

“Missed!”

Jennifer’s voice echoed.

I jumped back.

Letting go of the handle with my right hand, I was about to bring my left hand under my armpit when,

“Yeah!”

I heard Claire shout that and immediately pulled my body back.

With her sword swung downwards, Claire immediately turned its direction and twirled the sword inward. If I had still been standing there, I definitely would have taken a hit—

“Ugh!?”

A moment’s delay, I felt the impact on my right arm and fell to the left like I was thrown.

Huh? What’s happening?

I hurriedly got back up. Everyone’s gaze was on me.

“Are you okay, sister?”

Claire looked at me with a very bewildered expression.

My arm ached. For a moment, I didn’t feel any pain in the struck area, but gradually agony returned, and my brain screamed.

Claire’s sword was glowing green.

……That’s a blade aura. Claire swung the wooden sword with an aura wrapped around it.

And that aura trailed behind her sword, moving as if following along with the swing.

Like a whip.

……Is it a wooden sword with a blade aura?

That’s totally unfair!

“Again!”

Feeling unjust, I shouted that with all my might.

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