Thursday.
It was the day when most individual events had ended, and the team competition events were being held all at once.
The Lower Class Students helped each other, striving for the entire class to place 2nd in each event and earn a total of 80 points together.
For someone who snagged all the campus events, like a rich High Noble, a royal, or a wealthy merchant’s child, 80 points might not mean much, but for Commoners or impoverished nobles, it could be their daily bread (5 points, fine dining)!
“Why are you aiming for 2nd place? If we’re doing this, why not go for 1st?”
A student’s comment chilled the atmosphere like throwing cold water on a hearty stew.
“Who said that? That clueless idiot.”
“It’s the guy who just woke up from fainting at the Midterm Exam and just got back from the Medical Building.”
“Wow… how has he not been expelled yet?”
“Apparently, he takes great notes.”
“Annoying.”
Seeing the student on the verge of tears from the insults, a Mob approached, making clank clank sounds as their armor hit together.
“What the hell! There’s no need to hit me!”
“…1st place is for the Upper Class.”
“Phew. Sorry, I thought you were a violent psycho in full armor and got nervous.”
Maybe helping was a mistake. Just as the Mob began to regret their decision, a chorus of screams echoed from a distance.
“Come on! We also need to participate! Looks like some fools are in trouble over there.”
Fifty Lower Class Students rallied around the Mob and spotted students on the ground, coughing and rolling through the dirt on one side of the playground.
The ground was scarred like a dragon had danced on it, and it was hard to imagine what the dragged students had gone through.
“Waaah! I scraped my knee!”
“When my mom hits me, I barely get bruises!”
“What kind of tug-of-war is this…”
On the opposite side, students who looked like they regretted their actions wore expressions of discomfort, while Oknodie, with a pout on their face, stood there.
“Ugh. The rewards for speedruns are still better than flying rewards or windmill spinning rewards. If you’re going to be dragged around until you draw a circle, at least get lifted into the air! If you keep awkwardly touching the ground, the rewards just become vague!”
With the super-strong girl Oknodie leading the way, all the monsters from the Upper Class gathered.
Naturally, for the Lower Class facing such a team, they needed to keep their feet on the ground to avoid getting hurt too badly! Listen, you can’t let anyone see those scraped legs; who knows how many might die in the second set, so just relax and get dragged!
“This is why we don’t aim for 1st place.”
The student who just got discharged from the Medical Building blinked.
“Are they fools, then? Why challenge the Upper Class?”
“There’s a bonus for participating. Special rules for the grand sports day. But if you forfeit, the reward drops to a tenth. So, they’re gritting their teeth to hold out instead of losing 30 points for just 3 points.”
“… I’ll end up spending it all on medical bills, right?”
“Exactly, the poor beggars. Those unfortunate guys who made a bad choice. Tsk, tsk.”
“But didn’t you get that armor from Oknodie?”
The unfortunate one who made a bad choice lowered their head gloomily. Unlike others, the Mob couldn’t treat those unfortunate students like they were third-party matters.
*
Up until the start of the team competition, Isabel and Dorothy seemed pretty worried.
“Isn’t the Empire team just letting our Border Region handle all the dirty work?”
“Just letting it go would be lucky! Those sneaky jerks have set traps in the forest I frequent. It’s clear I might get hurt, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to interfere!”
“No matter what, Group C as a special group doesn’t have any ambition.”
Kasia shot a grumpy look at Isabel. Isabel sighed at the demotivating gaze and turned her head away.
“It’ll be okay! We’ll all get points together!”
“I really hope so…”
“Anyone who tries to hinder us from getting points becomes the entire Upper Class’s enemy?”
Even Oknodie wouldn’t dare do something like that. If they play tough and decrease the favorability message to the point where it covers their vision, even a fool would realize they’ve messed up big time.
“Hmph. I’m only helping until the sports day ends. Don’t get any ideas.”
“What’s the Warrior so proud of?”
“They abandoned us during the Midterm Exam and finished the race on their own. Oknodie at least helped boost the Border Region’s scores.”
“With that, they still lost the cooperative score to the Dragon Principal, losing the joint first place.”
“Annoying.”
Shock washed over the Warrior’s face. They had never considered being treated this way by the Imperial Students, who they thought would always support them.
The Imperial Students were used to being the best in their hometown, so it was natural not to look kindly at someone who had left them behind.
“Pffft. Ba~boo ♡ If you’re going to run wild like that, you should’ve seen it coming ♡”
Of course, behind the Imperial Students’ chilly reception was the Second Princess Masugaki from the Empire, stirring up discontent against the Warrior.
“They’re being a bit annoying over there. They should just get along like friends in the forest.”
Isabel thought to herself in response to Dorothy’s comment. Aren’t animals in a constant eat-or-be-eaten relationship?
“Ahh. Anyway, the good times are all over now.”
Even the Upper Class Students, who had greatly enjoyed the ease of bullying, trembled at the thought of the upcoming Friday.
The next day was the legendary inter-grade competition.
1st place was worth 1000 points, 2nd place 800 points, 3rd place 500 points, and 4th place nothing!
For safety reasons, 1st years compete against 2nd years, and 3rd years against 4th years, but the intent behind this is clear.
It just means the rankings will be established by academic year!
“Oknodie. Do you think we can win?”
“Nope.”
“If you say that, it must be really impossible.”
“Because we’re 2nd years! Can Isabel beat her future self a year later?”
“If my future self isn’t careless, it would be impossible.”
That’s the kind of fight it is.
All the 2nd years know it.
What 1st years are learning and what skills they have.
Upper Class might be a bit special, but the inter-grade competition is more like a massive war where over two thousand students compete, not just a class battle of fifty!
The strength of individuals loses meaning when the numbers are this skewed.
Moreover, the Upper Class isn’t exclusive to just the 1st years.
There are also Upper Class students in 2nd year.
“The orthodox noble lady Mandela, the White Knight Roe, the Blue Fist Io, and the Fearsome Deadcat. The 2nd year Upper Class doesn’t lag behind the Warrior or Oknodie. The four I just mentioned are especially strong, and they’re also known as the Four Kings of the 2nd year.”
Dorothy shared the rumors she had heard.
Isabel, listening nearby, noticed something strange.
“Isn’t that Deadcat senior the one who forfeited just before getting beaten by Oknodie?”
If that’s all it takes to be one of the 2nd year’s Four Kings, maybe it’s not as hopeless as it seems regarding the top power.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much. After all, the inter-grade competition is something everyone participates in.”
Isabel couldn’t understand Oknodie’s resigned attitude even before it began. It was like they were hiding away, believing they didn’t deserve to enjoy the grand sports day where everyone was hurling insults at them, just like when they used to sneak around.
Seeing such a lack of confidence made her worried.
“But with Oknodie here, would everyone give up so easily…?”
Isabel was half persuaded.
“You know, Oknodie had a blast during the individual dodgeball too, didn’t she?”
“She sure did. That little mouse couldn’t care less and seemed to have a blast while everyone else was struggling for their lives!”
“Dorothy says that Oknodie won’t help anyone else.”
“If that’s the case, why not ask Jezel? No one knows more than her about information.”
The information-savvy Jezel replied coolly.
“Give up. More than half of the 1st years have already accepted defeat.”
“Even with Oknodie? I mean, the Warrior is here too! The 981st class first years are the strongest of all time, right?”
“Even if you push yourself too hard, you all won’t be able to partake in today’s remaining individual events. Even though the Medical Building is free during the sports festival, no one wants to lose their points.”
“But still…”
“The problem isn’t just that.”
“What else is there?”
“First of all, there are a significant number of Foundation Scholarship Students who were trying to sabotage the sports festival that Oknodie and Son Ohchun have been managing. So far, we’ve caught at least 50.”
Out of over 2000 first years, 50.
When doing the math, that’s one spy in every 40 people!
It’s impossible to anticipate a fair match.
“The ‘first’ means there’s another reason as well?”
“Yes, Group C is a problem too. There’s a general lack of enthusiasm toward campus activities. Most of them are either sold to the Academy or joined as a sort of escape plan.”
“Ah…”
They want to earn points, but asking for help from those who just want to passively exist would be useless!
They were individuals with motives that didn’t align at all.
“Kasia.”
The girl with short blue hair and an indifferent gaze as if she had embraced life’s indifference.
Every time a random spark flickered near her body, the instructor behind her gripped their subjugation rod tightly, perpetually immersed in tension.
Isabel approached the girl, who ranked high on the list of people who seemed to care the least about life.
“Yes, Isabel?”
“You know my name?”
“I heard it.”
“I know it seems shameless to come to you when we’re not even close, but I actually have a favor to ask.”
“Alright.”
“Oknodie is a kid who gets hated by many, but when the opportunity arises, she enjoys herself more than anyone else. I really hope you can help her… huh?”
“Sure.”
“Really? You will? Why?”
Kasia replied nonchalantly to Isabel’s flabbergasted face.
“She’s like me. The Foundation and Research Facility are similar too. She’s just slower at realizing it than I was. One day she’ll come to understand how fleeting the freedom she enjoys is.”
“…!”
“If you want to look away, you can close your eyes. When the time comes, she’ll have to face it no matter what. If it’s about helping such a poor child’s game, then I’ll assist.”
Isabel, who had stepped forward to lighten Oknodie’s heart, felt her own heart grow heavy, as if she was engaging in an exchange of equivalent value.
