LMHS 28

Chapter 28

After a short wait, this insane talent training academy teleported all the students in the auditorium at once.

It was a scale unimaginable for any other family.

Only possible in the Papiope Duke House, overflowing with various abiliters and talents.

The place we arrived at was a small island that seemed uninhabited.

Rosemary, curious as if it were fascinating, linked her arm with mine and asked:

“Hero, do you know what this test is about?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Are there things you don’t know, Hero?”

“I can’t just choose to see only the future I want to see.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did she seem to have her question resolved and quiet down.

I was curious too.

“I wonder what the winning conditions and rules of this test are…”

“No matter the theme, my brother and I will do our best to help! If it’s not you, Hero, no one else can be adopted by the Duke!”

She was showing enthusiasm strong enough to snort.

“Haha, thanks.”

Since the Papiope Duke decides the winning conditions and rules as he pleases, there was a high chance they would differ from what I knew.

This adoption contest had even been moved up in schedule because of me.

When the Duke adopted his first child, the winner had been decided through a tournament duel.

Lucian Papiope.

He had won the tournament duel with his ability of affinity with animals.

If Laspi were a monster tamer, he was like an animal tamer.

And he didn’t just win. He achieved an overwhelming victory through the opponent’s complete surrender.

How could he have won in a place where all you could bring in was a dull wooden sword?

Was he skilled with the sword?

No.

Did he bring beasts like tigers or wolves to the match?

No again. The arena did not allow animals to enter in the first place.

When people think of animals, they usually imagine vertebrates with substantial bodies.

But insects are, after all, arthropods of the class Insecta.

Yes. He…

brought in millions of winged insects to the arena to attack his opponents.

It was an outdoor, roofless arena, so such an attack was possible.

Who could withstand an attack by millions of insects targeting only them? Just staying conscious would be a relief.

He could have brought flocks of birds that could fly like insects, but he deliberately chose insects…

Probably to create an overwhelmingly spectacular sight to force his opponents to surrender.

Also, if he had brought birds, other abiliters might have taken them down.

For instance, an abilter who controls fire could have roasted the birds.

Of course, insects can also burn, but in scale, he could achieve overwhelming superiority.

“This is why luck matters…”

If I had chosen the wrong timing and had to compete against him, even I could never have won.

At that moment, a staff member, apparently in charge of the proceedings, stood before the students and used a loudspeaker magic.

“Before starting the adoption contest, anyone who does not wish to participate should move to the designated Safe Zone.”

They had probably brought non-participating kids for fairness and transparency.

The students surged out, and in an instant, the number of participants dropped to less than half.

Most of the remaining kids looked over ten years old.

Among the standing children, I was the smallest. No wonder they were underestimating me.

“This feels unfair…”

I probably had the highest mental age. Today, my short limbs felt like a curse.

At least Laspi and Rosemary were standing on my sides like guards, so no kids were picking fights like before.

Both were lean but taller and bigger-boned than their peers, which was reassuring.

Once all non-participating kids left, the organizer spoke again.

“From now, each participant will receive one egg and one return scroll.”

The teachers waiting nearby carried baskets and began distributing one egg and scroll to each participating child.

An egg… somehow, I had a sense of what the test would be.

“…A battle royale?”

The eggs handed out by the academy teachers had each participant’s name written on them.

This was probably to prevent someone from stealing another’s egg and pretending it was theirs.

“It is said that defending something is harder than hurting someone.”

The organizer paused for effect, then smiled and continued:

“The rules of this adoption contest are simple. The participant who protects their egg until the end will earn the right to become the second adopted child of the Papiope Duke.”

As expected, it was a battle royale format.

Many participants enter the arena at once, fight each other, and the last survivor wins.

Rosemary tilted her head while listening to the explanation and asked me:

“Hero, it says ‘the right to be adopted,’ not that you become the adopted child. Is that correct?”

“Oh, sharp observation. But you don’t need to worry about it too much.”

In fact, even if you won this battle royale, it didn’t guarantee adoption by the Duke.

After spending several weeks at the Duke’s residence during a probationary period, final adoption required his approval.

It would be troublesome for the Duke’s household if a troublemaker got adopted just by winning one test.

As long as you don’t cause major incidents, the adoption wouldn’t be canceled, so it didn’t matter.

I focused again on the organizer’s words.

“The entire island, excluding the Safe Zone, will be the arena. In ten minutes, the flare will be fired, and the match begins.”

He waved the flare in his hand for all to see.

“Ah, most monsters on this island are low-level, but higher-level ones are occasionally found in the inner parts. I recommend not going too deep.”

At that moment, someone raised their hand and asked the organizer:

“Can we use the return scrolls you gave us?”

“Yes. In emergencies, use the scrolls to return.”

“Any penalties?”

“Of course. Using a return scroll counts as forfeiting the test. You will immediately be disqualified and moved to the Safe Zone at the island’s center.”

As expected. They hadn’t thoughtfully provided a scroll just for escaping.

“Also, if you intentionally injure your opponent severely, you will be disqualified. So use your strength appropriately.”

The mention of disqualification for intentionally hurting others visibly brightened the students’ faces.

Some even exhaled in relief, patting their chests.

“…Fools.”

In other words, anything is allowed as long as it doesn’t seriously harm someone.

Probably, the appropriate threshold is something a healing abilter could immediately fix.

I thought this test would have caused chaos on Earth.

At least the Papiope Duke House provided expensive return scrolls for emergencies.

“From now on, physical attacks are prohibited for ten minutes. Use any means to secure your position.”

[Perspective 2 overwrites the current timestamp.]

I immediately saved the perspective and scanned the surroundings.

Everyone seemed to be forming small teams.

Since my team was practically pre-set, I immediately moved with Laspi and Rosemary.

“Let’s go, guys.”

“Yes, Hero!”

“Okay.”

We intended to enter a densely wooded area.

Since Laspi’s ability was monster taming, it was advantageous to gather as many monsters as possible.

After walking some distance, Rosemary, walking beside me, began lagging slightly behind, shuffling oddly.

Sensing something was off, I stopped abruptly and turned her around.

“Marie, are you hurt?”

“N-no.”

“You don’t have to push yourself. Want to go to the Safe Zone and rest?”

“I’m really okay…”

Rosemary hesitated, sneaking glances at me.

Then Laspi seemed to understand the situation immediately and sighed softly.

“Just tell them, Marie. They’ll understand.”

What could be the matter?

I stared at her, silently urging her to speak, and her voice shrank.

“Hero… the truth is…”

“Yeah?”

She suddenly pulled the eggs from her pocket and placed them on the ground.

One, two, three… the endless stream of eggs stopped only when it reached seven.

They were all real eggs engraved with someone’s name.