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Chapter 27
Preparations to Defeat Them (1)
The First Training Grounds, where they had previously held the match against Red Class 1.
There, Celine was biting her lip in humiliation.
During the three-day Outdoor Survival Training, Black Class 6 had recorded a disastrous result.
I was supposed to lead Black Class 6 in Ernas’s place…!
In the distance, injured students were being treated in tents.
Most of them were from Black Class 6.
Schmitz had injured his leg, Chloe hurt her wrist, and even Viola, the sturdiest among them, was groaning as she lay on a cot.
“Well now, what are you doing here all alone, Lady Celine?”
“…!”
Startled by the voice behind her, Celine flinched.
A huge man with brown hair was walking toward her.
“Don’t tell me you’re being ostracized in Class 6? That’s not possible for the temporary representative, is it?”
“Gort Waldpelt…”
Representative of Yellow Class 3, Gort Waldpelt.
He was heir to the Waldpelt family, one of the Six Great Sword Houses.
With a physique like a bear’s, he was a northern-style swordsman who emphasized raw power. It was said that when he wielded the Waldpelt Heavy Swordsmanship, he could even smash through boulders.
“What do you want?”
“Can’t a man talk to someone for no particular reason? Hm?”
Gort grinned crudely.
“Just a bit of light chatting—shouldn’t you respond with a smile? Don’t you think?”
“I have no intention of making small talk with you.”
Celine glared at him.
“After what you did during this training, you have the nerve to speak to me.”
“Ha, that?”
This practice had been survival training on a rocky island.
It was meant to prepare them for expeditions into the wilderness to subjugate monsters or heretics, surviving three days with only minimal rations.
The problem was… it was permitted to seize rations from other students.
“We didn’t break any rules, did we? Taking food from other students isn’t against the rules.”
“Don’t play dumb!”
Celine raised her voice.
“You colluded with Green Class 4 to attack our Black Class 6!”
On the first day, there had been no signs.
But at dawn, Yellow Class 3 and Green Class 4 launched a joint raid on Black Class 6’s camp.
Even though they had set a night watch, it was meaningless.
Overwhelmed by the combined assault of two classes, the students of Class 6 were helpless, and most of their food was stolen.
Afterward, they tried to reclaim it, but against Yellow 3 and Green 4, who moved in coordination, they stood no chance.
“And this morning—you ambushed Class 6 when we were already exhausted, injuring several students! You had nothing left to steal!”
“We were just hungry in the morning. Thought maybe you had some hidden supplies.”
“Ridiculous! All you wanted was to wreck our class!”
“Wreck? You’re exaggerating.”
Gort shrugged.
“Did anyone get crippled? Did anyone break a bone? Just a few bruises, a couple sprained wrists and ankles, that’s all.”
“To dismiss it so lightly…”
Some students had injuries that would keep them from swinging a sword for at least two weeks.
That was clearly excessive.
“If you think we broke the rules, why not tell the instructors, Celine?”
“…!”
Just then, a cold female voice cut in.
A blonde girl with striking features walked toward them.
“Verisrize Schreier, you…”
“Am I wrong? If you think there’s a problem, go complain to the instructors, Celine.”
Verisrize Schreier, representative of Green Class 4.
Heir to the Schreier family, another of the Six Great Sword Houses.
Unlike Gort, she was a southern-style fencer who prized speed, specializing in Schreier Fencing, a rapid, piercing rapier style.
“Imagine it—Celine Bastian whining to the instructors because another class beat her up. The sight would be so pathetic it might actually be entertaining.”
“Verisrize…!”
Covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed, Verisrize made Celine glare fiercely.
“Oh, come now, Verisrize, that’s a bit harsh. I’ll apologize for her.”
Gort raised a hand between them.
“But Celine, this training is meant to prepare us for fighting monsters and heretics. If this were real combat, losing food and getting injured would be the least of your worries—you’d have lost your head.”
“That’s…”
“That’s why the instructors didn’t stop us. Because this is that kind of training.”
On the surface, his words made sense.
So Celine bit her lip, unable to reply.
But she couldn’t accept it in her heart.
“We only did our best in training. Don’t be so bitter about it, Celine.”
“…”
As Celine sank into gloom, a familiar voice rang out.
“If you truly had only done your best, we’d have no complaint.”
Turning, she saw Chloe, her wrist bandaged, walking toward them.
“Yellow Class 3 and Green Class 4 joined forces from the start with malicious intent. You weren’t training sincerely—you abused the rules just to bully Class 6.”
“…!”
At those words, Celine realized why she couldn’t accept what had happened.
If they had been injured in fair competition, she could endure it.
But being lynched under the guise of training—that was intolerable injustice.
“Celine, you don’t need to listen to such sophistry. They’re nothing but cowards.”
“Chloe…”
“Ha, cowards, is it?”
Gort scratched his head with a wry smile, while Verisrize glanced at Chloe.
“And you are?”
“Chloe Yusburck, Lady Verisrize.”
“Ah, the viscount’s daughter.”
Once she confirmed Chloe’s rank, Verisrize’s interest evaporated.
Proud of her status as heir to a Great Sword House, she rarely deigned to speak seriously with anyone below a marquis’s family.
If not for Celine’s own noble lineage, Verisrize wouldn’t have conversed with her either.
“Hmm, Lady Chloe.”
Instead, Gort stepped forward with a grin.
“Coward is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“If my words were too harsh, I’ll apologize. But I won’t retract them—they’re simply the truth.”
“Apologize but not retract, hah!”
Gort laughed, then turned to Celine.
“She’s a sharp one, isn’t she, Celine?”
“Gort, that’s enough…”
“Don’t be offended—it’s a compliment.”
As he smiled at Celine, Chloe spoke again.
“If you dislike being called cowards, then face us again—when Lord Ernas is present.”
“…!”
Gort’s expression stiffened.
Even Verisrize, who had feigned disinterest, flinched and looked at Chloe.
“If Lord Ernas had joined this training, you wouldn’t have dared such tactics.”
“Come now, Lady Chloe…”
“You planned this raid because you knew Lord Ernas wouldn’t be here, didn’t you?”
“Ridiculous.”
Gort scowled.
“Are you saying we’d have been too scared to attack if that weakling were around?”
“Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course not! We could crush that loser in an instant! Right, Verisrize?”
Suddenly called out, Verisrize flinched.
“Y-Yes. That fraud could be easily beaten. He used to run away in fear of me, after all.”
“Exactly! He even fled during a duel with me once! Do you think I’d fear someone like that?!”
Gort raised his voice.
“So, Chloe, take back what you said. I can’t just let that stand.”
“Then if you get the chance to face Lord Ernas directly, you’ll fight him head-on, won’t you?”
“Of course! Verisrize too!”
Verisrize frowned, as if asking why she was being dragged into this, but Gort didn’t care.
“Very well. Since you’ve said that, I’ll retract my earlier remark.”
“Ha! That’s better!”
“When Lord Ernas returns, I’ll make sure he hears how eager you both were to challenge him.”
Without waiting for their reply, Chloe turned to Celine.
“Celine, the treatments are finished. We should get going. Come.”
“Ah… yes, all right.”
Leaving Gort and Verisrize behind, Celine followed Chloe.
Voices rang from behind, but she ignored them, keeping pace with her companion.
“Lady Celine, you’re not very good at improvising, are you?”
“…What?”
“You couldn’t even properly respond to their provocations. That won’t do.”
On the boat back to the dormitory island, Chloe spoke in her cool voice.
“With that kind of temperament, you’ll have trouble even in romance.”
“Wh-why bring that up?”
“The moment a man does something unexpected, you’d stammer and blush, wouldn’t you? You’d always be the one at a disadvantage in a relationship.”
“Y-You talk like you know about romance!”
“Somewhat. Though I’ve no actual experience.”
“…Honestly.”
Celine let out a small laugh.
Her stiff expression had softened without her realizing.
Perhaps Chloe had deliberately brought it up to ease her mood.
“Gort seems to have an interest in you, Lady Celine.”
“…What?”
“The way he looked at you was lecherous. He didn’t look at me any better, but still.”
“T-that’s nonsense…”
“You’re the beauty whom Lord Ernas chose as his fiancée. Naturally Gort would harbor unwholesome thoughts.”
“W-Why bring up Ernas now? And if I’m a beauty, then surely you…”
“Anyway.”
Chloe cut her off.
“The problem is, Gort isn’t the type to treat women kindly. He looked more like the sort who enjoys seeing them cry.”
“Wh-What does that even…”
“Meaning, it won’t be easy to exploit his interest in you.”
“…You were actually thinking of that?”
“It’s my job to use my wits. That’s my role.”
“Chloe…”
It was true—Chloe had constantly supported her with ideas.
Celine’s ability to manage the role of temporary representative was largely thanks to her.
“Even so, I think we need Lord Ernas’s strength. To defeat Yellow Class 3 and Green Class 4 together.”
“Chloe, you mean…”
“Beating them separately won’t do. That won’t heal the wounds of today.”
“…”
Celine looked around.
Her classmates from Class 6, injured and disheartened, wore gloomy faces.
“Only by defeating both Gort Waldpelt and Verisrize Schreier together can we truly redeem this loss.”
“…Yes.”
She couldn’t disagree.
Anything less wouldn’t suffice.
Just like during the survival training, they needed to face both sides at once—and win.
Only then could they erase the sneers and condescension they’d endured.
“And so… Ah!”
“What is it, Chloe?”
They were approaching the island that housed Class 6’s dormitory.
Someone was waiting by the dock.
“That’s…”
“…!”
Realizing who it was, Celine gasped.
Before the boat even touched the pier, she leapt off.
“Ernas…!”
She ran, not caring that her shoes got wet.
Her former fiancé, heir to the prestigious Lanzstein family and true representative of Black Class 6, was there.
“Ernas, why only now…!”
“Sorry. I was delayed by some matters.”
The moment she heard his calm voice, tears welled in her eyes.
And she realized something.
Somehow, she had come to think of this man as… the most reliable person in the academy.
“Well then, Celine.”
Ernas spoke quietly to her as she bowed her head to hide her tears.
“Let’s prepare to bring down Gort and Verisrize.”
He already knew exactly what Black Class 6 and Celine needed to hear.
