256 – Only Fear
The tumultuous inter-class competition has ended, and now students are just waiting for the grand sports festival to finish.
Some have begun to determine that they will undertake the final few individual events that will take place after the inter-class competition to collect points.
“I’m not underestimating a first place that’s worth only 10 points, just because it’s only two meals at the cafeteria.”
“Right? Those who don’t realize how precious 10 points are are the point-rich fools who’ve never tasted a 1-point black bread because they think 5 points are too dear.”
“What? You guys eat black bread that’s worth 1 point? Are you insane?”
“… That’s the cheapest option, isn’t it? What do you eat instead?”
“If you drill a hole in a tree, sap comes out! And if you cut a plant stem, you get plant juices. There’s berries in the bushes, and tons of sweet aphids and yellow ants!”
The students realized that poverty has no end as they patted the shoulder of their resilient classmate, tears in their eyes.
“Hang in there… We’ll help you.”
“Tell us the event you want to win. We’ll definitely run with you…”
“Really? I’m so excited!”
‘This is really degrading. Having to be treated the same as these losers in a lower class.’
Foundation Scholarship Student Pride.
He had not the slightest intention of joining in this pitiful friendship of theirs.
‘While you’re swaying to the tune of that loser, I will surpass everyone and take first place.’
Having lots of points allows you to buy valuable things.
A delicious meal.
Lecture preparation items.
Attendance.
And even grades.
Rumor has it that points are needed for advancement as well.
‘I don’t have the luxury to care for friendships with losers. Just go and get expelled together, you fools!’
For that reason, Pride was eagerly awaiting the start of the individual event matches.
“Go back. You can’t participate.”
“Why not?”
“Shut up. Go to the playground.”
At the instructors’ injunction, the first years gathered on the playground, bewildered.
Pride was also one of the expelled students.
‘Why? The inter-class competition should have already ended.’
The first year won after unexpectedly receiving a forfeit from the second years, but the third years were monsters beyond that.
They’re not just ghost stories that you encounter on the road, they’re terrifying tales of existence.
Having nearly faced calamity by stepping into the third years’ territory, Pride felt even more fear.
“Instructor. Are we really competing against those third years?”
“What are you talking about?”
The instructor on the playground replied with a look of disbelief.
Phew. It must’ve been a misunderstanding, right?
Wasn’t there some kind of error on the part of the instructors in charge of the individual events?
“Of course we are. We’re starting in 5 minutes. All first years, up on the court.”
That match, which they had hoped against hope would not happen, was indeed about to start.
The injured sighed in relief.
“I never thought I would feel grateful to the Warrior.”
“Making us compete against the third years? What kind of bullying is that?”
“I guess I’m blessed for giving my all in the match. I’m so happy not to face the third years!”
The first years standing on the court looked like fish ready to die, mumbling with death in their eyes.
“Maybe it’s not too late. If I break my leg myself, I might not have to participate…!”
“Stop it, dumbass. If it’s an injury not sustained during the match, you can’t get treatment for free.”
“Then I’ll wait until the match starts?”
“Idiot. They won’t treat self-inflicted injuries for free either. Just suck it up.”
“Uwaaaah. If I had known it would be like this, I should have let the Warrior’s sword hit me properly to forfeit!”
The court was filled with half crying and half resigned students, creating a gloomy atmosphere.
“Oknodie. What if the third years use swamp magic as soon as the match starts and make us unable to move? We might not cross the line and just die from being hit by the ball.”
“Don’t worry!”
In the span of an hour, Jiang, who recovered too quickly to return to the court, answered brightly.
“That kind of wicked thing is only done by the fourth years!”
“Fourth years do it, huh…”
At least the third years are not those scary seniors that make you forfeit and unilaterally bully you.
With this unreliable information, Jiang’s shoulders drooped even more.
“Why did they allow the third years to come to the court first?”
“Because they think we’re easy?”
“They want to show us who’s boss.”
“Hmm. I think it’s better to just give up!”
“… Unexpected. I thought you really hated losing, Oknodie.”
“It just is what it is!”
“Is that so? The skill gap between the third and first years. I don’t want to face it, but we have the Warrior.”
It wasn’t just Jiang who took an hour to rest.
The most infamous classmate, the merciless Warrior Ishtar, who had eliminated the most first years, was also present.
“If we’re not in peak condition, there’s a limit to how much mana we can recover in just one hour! We’ve also revealed all of our big techniques fighting among ourselves.”
They didn’t lose to the second years due to their skill but rather because of Mandela’s malicious schemes that forced them into forfeit.
Thanks to that, the power dynamics among the first years entered a Three Kingdoms era.
A faction of Warrior followers looking to snag at least points by following the Warrior who showed off his strength.
The Imperial faction led by the unknown competent person, the Second Princess Masugaki, who would protect the dignity of the Empire despite being eliminated so vainly.
Oknodie’s border faction, symbol of allegiance, is the only rival to the Warrior and dark horse, Kasia.
These are just the big three factions, and digging deeper reveals the untrustworthy appearance of the Third Princess Yayoi’s faction benefitting from Masugaki, and an assortment of other factions claiming to be the lords of the border, etc., blooming like mushrooms after rain.
The situation resembled the chaotic era of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Warring States period rather than the Three Kingdoms.
This was a vastly different structure compared to the absolute support given to the second-year Marquis Mandela’s Agassi as the top and the sovereign.
“Anyway, I just want to get this over with as soon as possible…”
Jiang muttered weakly as if going to Professor Sadako’s lecture.
Her expression darkened even more as the third years entered the court.
“Haha! Look at the first years’ skin. How could it be so smooth? We were like that just a few years ago! I feel like digging into them with my nails out of envy!”
“You’ll be as we are soon enough… unless of course… you can become a third year! Kekekekeke! Not just anyone can be a bureaucrat under the tenure system. To become a third year, you have to sell everything you can for points! Kyaahh!”
“Seeing the royalty enjoying a high school life without even a hint of dark circles makes it look so fun. I definitely want to enroll them in “Surviving the Social Club” lecture.”
The shocking quotes of the third-year seniors filled the air!
The fact that all of this transpired within one minute after they stepped onto the court caused not only Jiang but most first years to crumble in dizziness.
“Peek-a-boo?”
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Why are you so scared? You all will have to learn the [Wall Pass] spell and take the exam to pass through the 108 walls made by the professors once you become third years. Practice beforehand so you won’t get stuck in a wall and become status-effected with [Stuck in wall]!”
“Uwaaaaah! I don’t want to be a third year!”
“Then drop out!! Do you think Gift Academy is just some water? I assure you, cowards like you will die during class before getting stuck in a wall!”
“There! Stop scaring the first years more than necessary.”
“Heeh? Why? I haven’t said anything wrong! I simply told the truth about the gloomy future awaiting all first years!”
“I’m a working student aiming for fourth year.”
“…”
As the senior scaring the poor first years crawled back to the ground, Oknodie waved from afar, realizing the poor first year was Titosso.
Titosso, who was busy crying, didn’t even notice Oknodie, only clinging to the light stand.
“I-I’m crazy… This is a nightmare. I’m definitely going to forfeit right from the start!”
At Pride’s shout, a huge bird nearby opened its mouth.
“I’m going to forfeit! I’m going to forfeit!”
“What! What’s with this bird?!”
“What’s with this bird?! What’s with this bird?!”
“Is it a humanoid bird that eats people and steals their voices!?”
“It’s a Giant Parrot, you absurd first year.”
The senior scratching its feathers behind replied with a look of bewilderment.
“You made a good decision. If it starts, just forfeit.”
“T-Thank you…?”
“Once it starts, you’ll have to forfeit even if you don’t want to.”
Pride felt a twinge of irritation at the senior’s warning.
Aren’t they underestimating it a bit too much?
Even though she had heard disturbing rumors about how third years would capture pitiful first years and send them as undead, or toss children into the lair of tentacle monsters and only bring back treasure chests, wasn’t it in the very center of the sports festival grounds where the instructors and professors were watching?
“Third years, please refrain from causing any casualties. If you kill a first year, there might be a significant deduction of points and possibly imprisonment depending on the circumstances, so please be cautious.”
After hearing the speech from the head of the first-year division, Professor Mahabharata, all hopes vanished without a trace.
In fact, the most unfortunate aspect was the academy that produced such third years and the professors who taught such students.
“We will commence the dodgeball match between the first years and the third years for the Grand Sports Festival.”
A magical signal flare soared across the sky.
The flare’s colors burst forth, scattering like the innermost thoughts of the first years.
