As always, the gluttonous Duke Andersen chose the most challenging strategy, prioritizing performance.
“Damn… just how much food can that senior fit into their stomach…”
The competition event was [Eating a Lot of Food].
While brute force or wisdom might fail against some seniors, stamina for eating was a whole different battlefield. Along with it came the additional profit of collecting from the Cooking Handbook.
“Isn’t an Exorcist supposed to be satisfied with just a piece of bread…?!”
“That’s a stereotype. We need to eat well to ensure we don’t get exhausted during exorcisms. On the contrary, Andersen junior, your stomach is the weird one.”
How could a first-year eat so much? Andersen answered with a not-so-proud face, “We had to eat a lot just to survive given how intense the lectures are…”
Eventually, the second-year seniors declared a forfeit, overwhelmed by the hardships endured by Andersen’s faction. Thus, the performance-prioritizing strategy was successful!
“Now it’s our turn. The Dark Trading Company will prioritize favorability in our strategy to avoid the loss of team power.”
Jezel, Isabel, Dorothy, and Rockbell relied on a second scheme. The two main competition events were:
Event 2-1: [Tug of War].
The total strength of participating members would determine the victor, making it a straightforward bus-riding strategy by pulling others along using one’s own attributes. Of course, the upperclassmen from the Dark Trading Company didn’t have anyone overwhelmingly strong.
Event 2-2: [Disgusting Food Duel].
Teams race to consume the most hideous ingredients or atrociously bad-tasting dishes in a relay. Letting someone else suffer through such horrible food in your place was a brilliant tactic to increase favorability!
‘It may have been a bit lacking during my Marine days!’
In those situations, threats could work wonders.
– “If you don’t thank me, I’ll dump all this food on you. Is that okay? Is that okay?”
– “Damn it, thank you!! I said thank you!!!”
– “I don’t feel sincerity! The favorability didn’t rise!! Should I really give it all to you?!”
– “How much more do I have to say thank you?!”
While favorability was lowered for those with a rigid gauge, it was a gambit with a relatively high success rate. Unexpectedly, Dorothy and Rockbell performed magnificently.
“Escargot? This is delicious. When we go back to the forest, let’s share it with other people!”
“It’s so flavorful! It’s way better than when the farmland was trampled by the large species and I had to gnaw on tree bark.”
“…”
How on earth did those two survive in the forest?
Isabel’s glare at them was quite piercing.
“Hehe! Now it’s only us left. I’m really looking forward to the charm battle with Di!”
“I’ll argue that even a stoic nun in full plate armor has demand for cuteness.”
“Even a beastman fighter is cute, right!”
The final unknown competition [Charm Battle] awaited them. Despite being the most uncertain challenge, the Arcadia faction joined the fray.
Even the second-year seniors were intrigued, their eyes sparkling with interest.
“A kill-death beastman assassin has demand, huh? I’ll show you critical cuteness.”
“Ahaha! That’s a weak thought, Deadcat. If you show your claws while trying to appeal cuteness, modern men will be scared and run away! Just give a little of that ‘chu-chu’ and ‘ugu-ugu’ and that should be sufficient!”
“…The second-years don’t get the appeal of cuteness at all. I think we’ll win easily.”
True to Isabel’s evaluation, they felt confident about this battle. The unity of the second-years was limited to team tactics; pulling them into individual talents would significantly drop their effectiveness.
“Meow meow! Meow meow!”
“It’s a beginner’s mistake to think that merely uttering cute onomatopoeia will make you appear cute. It might work on some old sloppy guy, but I’m the guardian of the Dragon Principal. My scoring will be very low.”
“That’s outrageous… to score so low is disappointing…”
As Zhenya took the stage first, the opposing Deadcat became overconfident.
“There’s no need for long talk. Either give me points for my graceful appearance or die.”
The pose of Deadcat, spreading her legs proudly and flaunting her waistline, was met with an icy stare from Professor Mahabharata that made even Irene flinch.
“…”
“…”
“What are you staring at? Do you want to die?”
Professor Mahabharata let out a heavy sigh at Deadcat’s obnoxious behavior.
“Zhenya wins. Thanks to the relative fool not even understanding the concept of cuteness, we achieved victory. You may thank your foolish opponent for winning.”
The charm battle devolved into a mortifying spectacle of limbs twisting in shame.
Deadcat was fortunate; she built the wrong model of charm as a kill-death.
“Ugh, I can’t lift such a heavy branch!”
“That’s way too fake. First, fix the massive sword on your back. Scoring will be very low.”
“Hehe. Don’t I look attractive and cute with my hair down?”
“If you hadn’t spoken, you might have looked so. Scoring for a first-year student is very low.”
With the first-years’ consecutive failures, the second-year girls regained their confidence.
“Professor, this question is too difficult, please help!”
“What were you doing in lecture time if you weren’t studying? This isn’t cute; it’s cancerous. Scoring will be very low.”
“Professor, how about my overall study habits?”
“Who do you think you are, looking round-eyed? Your unexhausted state isn’t pleasing. Scoring will be very low.”
“…”
With the continuous failures from the second years, this time the first years gained a sense of despair instead of confidence. Mahabharata professor’s scoring criteria were hard to satisfy prior to the charm battle!
“Oknodie. Can you do it again? Would you like a giant soup pot to hide in?”
“The little lady typically shows a good amount of charm. You should do great.”
“I’ll do my best!”
While some genius can create from nothing, I’m not that talented. Besides, my results are just a replication of what I’ve seen! Just like mimicking techniques, one needs an original to imitate cuteness.
This time, my gaze fell upon Fake Lin, hidden within Titosso’s Friendship Ring.
Fake Lin appeared solely to look cute at certain angles, like a pet that appeals for charm and is worth imitating in this area!
“Sing, come here for a moment!”
“Doing silly things, aren’t we?”
Despite saying something unpleasant, Sing approached obediently. Has he already passed some test? Blood was dripping from his sword.
Did he take some exam alone?
“Why did you call me?”
“I’m going to do a charm performance, so just stand still here!”
Swoosh.
As I grabbed Sing’s waist, he became extremely flustered.
“What are you doing? A woman shouldn’t just hug any man recklessly.”
“Sing isn’t just any man, he’s the one I’ve got my eye on!”
“…”
Hugging the waist of the guy I like, I’m so cute, right?
Right, professor?
I peeked back while leaning just a tad, blinking cutely. All of these actions were mere replicas of what Fake Lin would do!
Since I was imitating the actions of the ghost who spied on Sing’s memories, it was practically like mimicking my little sister.
How cute will an older brother find this behavior from his little sister?
But wouldn’t a real brother first give me a playful hit on the head?
…Then I’ll just insist that I’m a stepsister!
“Haah.”
The professor sighed as he used a powerful telekinesis spell to separate Sing and me.
“I impose a fine of 100 points for inappropriate inter-gender exchange.”
Unfortunately, Professor Mahabharata did not grasp my grand intentions.
“How is this fair! I was just showing off the innocence of my little sister by hugging him and now I’m fined!”
“Oknodie, for luring an innocent child, you will receive a fine of 1000 points!”
Suddenly hit with a fine bomb, Sing’s face crumpled.
What an idiot.
If he had just said he was like a little sister because he was allowed, he wouldn’t have been silent as if he was dumb!
“Hey, you trash! Are you even an adult?”
“Feeling anxious about it, and yet you go ahead and misbehave in public!”
“You can’t even protect a lady. What sort of grotesque act is this? Control yourself, you pedo swordsman!”
The professor’s fines were met with a flurry of jeers directed at Sing.
“Ahaha! He tried to make an impression on a guy, yet forgot the fact that the examiner is a woman! What a blunder, knowing Mahabharata professor’s preferences!”
“Ugh. Mandela senior is in the same boat!”
“Initially, wasn’t what you claimed a charm battle? Cuteness was merely your area of confidence, Oknodie. There are many methods to exude charm.”
Mandela senior began to self-promote towards Professor Mahabharata.
“As the top student who leads the rambunctious second years, I, Mandela Castera, take pride in living an exemplary life. What does Mahabharata professor think of my charm?”
“Very good. Unlike the disgustingly rambunctious Dragon Principal, I appreciate that you’re of the type that manages rather than creates incidents. I’d like to give you additional points. Scoring will be very high!”
“…”
Oops.
That was my mistake, overlooking the professor’s personal tendencies.
Dealing with a troublemaker is a charm battle one cannot win!
“Ah, I see… Oknodie is weak against those with that personality. This information can be put to use.”
In the midst of the chaos, Warrior Ishtar nodded knowingly while peeking from outside the classroom, adding to the atmosphere of pandemonium!
In the thick of disarray, Jiang quietly laughed under his mask as if he had gained insight.
“When the enemy is strong, smothering with cuteness pulls you into a chaotic situation. That was helpful.”
Thus, the grand winners stemming from this battle were the acknowledged charmer, Mandela senior, and Jiang, who gained wisdom.
*
“Oknodie. Never do such charm battles again.”
“Eek. I couldn’t think of another method. Then why don’t you show me an alternative, Isabel!”
“Me?”
“The little lady has a point. It’s a rare opportunity, so why not practice charm battle techniques?”
Even Jezel added her voice, which made things overwhelming.
Charm points, huh.
When it comes to charm for me, it’s surely that.
“Eat up. Put down your utensils.”
“…Is that the answer?”
“Don’t worry about washing dishes.”
“While I’m very thankful for that, it’s certainly far from cute.”
Isabel covered her face with a pot lid.
“Don’t make me do such shameful things again.”
“I’m already embarrassed as is. I absolutely promise I won’t.”
Oknodie was perhaps in disbelief that she committed such an act to Sing.
However, charm battles had nothing to do with one’s strength, and even if one lost, the only consequence was shame; that too would dull and become shameless with repeated attempts, thus allowing for good matches to begin.
“Professor… can the calluses on my fists also be a charm?”
“Of course. There’s nothing more charming than blood and sweat, so Lotto, you’ve passed!”
Even the noble fighter Lotto, who had been knocked out early by seniors, could now back up his charm with his calloused fists and pass.
In the meantime, Oknodie, still failing to pass, puffed up her cheeks with a pout.
“This is a case of diligence competition, not a charm battle!”
“I will be the judge. Analyzing and matching answers to the judging criteria is a virtue every examinee should display.”
“Then, can I win by showing off my collected items?”
“Of course.”
“Then let’s battle again over Unique rating [Cooking Handbook Collection Rate] against Mandela senior! Professor, you have the Order of Information Reading, right?”
“If both parties agree, I shall use it.”
“Ahaha! To battle a noble like myself with the collected number of delicacies I’ve eaten thus far, age-wise I should not be able to lose! I gladly accept!”
Oknodie, overflowing with confidence, placed her hand on the book of culinary demarcation.
Facing her, Mandela stood tall with equal authority, placing her hand on the tome as well.
[Order of Information Reading – Unique Food]
[Order of Information Reading – Unique Food]
Lines of food names densely began to cover the page where both had laid their hands.
Everyone watched in anticipation, but the joy did not last long.
Flap
The page of Mandela Castera turned leisurely, fully filling one side.
The state of Oknodie’s book, however, looked alarming.
Flap
The page turned.
Flap flap
Turning again and again.
Fwapfwapfwap!
Speeding up increasingly, it seemed never-ending.
One couldn’t help but fear just how many meals were consumed each day to accrue such vast knowledge, changing the expression of Professor Mahabharata to serious!
