[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
Chapter 14 – Genius vs. Promising Talent
Three weeks had passed since the new sester began. The once bustling cradle had gradually settled back into its familiar rhythm.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!! This is unreal!!”
Well. In the beginning that was.
“Hey! The Swordsmanship Club and the Martial Arts Club are going head-to-head in a deathmatch!”
The exaggerated gestures and voice were a bit over the top.
At first, everyone reacted indifferently to the boy’s shouts.
“What? A deathmatch all of a sudden?”
“Fighting over the club room? But is that really a death match?”
“They’ll probably just bicker and then stop. They do that every sester.”
Friendly matches between clubs were a regular occurrence.
They’d even beco a sort of event.
So, the students’ reaction was sowhat expected.
“From the Martial Arts Club is the top promising talent, Deus!”
However, this ti it was hard to see it as a simple event.
“Huh? Wait a minute. Deus, isn’t he the one at the initiation ceremony…”
“That’s right. The boy who was unhard by the Student Council President’s ability!”
“The monster who broke the asuring device and the barrier… No way. Him?!”
The person representing the Martial Arts Club was not an ordinary student.
A freshman who has caught the attention of not only upperclassn but also teachers.
“And! From the Swordsmanship Club! Luciel Mar… No! Senior Luciel is coming out!!”
“Whoa?!”
“This is insane!!”
The strongest mber of the Swordsmanship Club who will face Deus. 4th-year top student.
Leader of the Dispatch Team. The undisputed strongest student in the cradle. Luciel Margretel.
She was a person who rarely appeared in public due to her status.
Even though she joined the club, she refrained from actively participating.
Yet, this very person suddenly declared her participation in the friendly match!
“Wow. We have to see this. We must see this match!”
“When is it?! Where?! How can we see our Senior Luciel?!”
The Cradle students’ interest skyrocketed as expected.
Deus played a part, but Luciel was the decisive factor.
The woman who chose the life and duty of a Special abilities person over a princess status.
In addition, Possessing exceptional skill and beauty sculpted by light.
It was only natural that everyone would be interested in such a figure stepping forward.
“This is crazy. Isn’t this totally Beauty and the Beast?”
“You idiot. That’s a romance novel. This is Beast vs Beauty.”
“Everyone quiet! Why can’t you all focus?!”
Why were these kids not interested in today’s class?
Why were they all like this! Focus! I’ll give you a pop quiz?!
Only the teachers were left with gloomy faces, tapping on the chalkboard.
While the entire Cradle was in this state of turmoil, what was the protagonist of the friendly match doing?
—owwwww!!
“Oh. Fast.”
What else would he be doing? Playing with the cat, of course.
Today, he was once again exchanging flashy attacks with Jojo the cat.
He knew he should stop, but the sound effect he used ‘Ora Ora Muda Muda’ was a bonus.
“…”
And today as always Yurishia, who was quietly watching from the side.
“Um, over here Deus.”
Mustering up her courage, she finally opened her mouth.
“A-Aren’t you worried? Or… nervous…”
Worried? Nervous? Deus blinked and withdrew his hand.
Jojo with a ‘ow!’, quickly scampered over to Yurishia’s side.
“Huh.”
“Ah.”
Unlike Deus, who had been delivering lightning-fast kitty punches.
Jojo purred loudly like an 8-cylinder noise, rubbing against Yurishia.
Seeing this Deus crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.
“Typical male.”
Regardless, Jojo continued to cling to Yurishia.
As if Jojo wanted to say, “You’re better than that monster!”
“Hey! If you like Yurishia so much then go live with her! I’m the one feeding you!”
“Th-That’s too much. Don’t say that… This child, well, I don’t do that like Deus.”
Indeed, Deus was the only one who exchanged kitty punches with Jojo.
Jojo might be rubbing against her now, but if Yurishia actually showed interest, she would snort disdainfully and walk away.”
From Deus’s perspective, it was like, ‘What a jerk cat.’
“Um and… about Jojo.”
“Yeah?”
“He’s not a boy…”
…Uh, huh?
“It’s a girl.”
“…”
“Y-You didn’t know.”
[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
Deus stared silently at Jojo after Yurishia’s words.
Um, okay. So, I nad a female cat Jojo.
Could it be that the kitty punches she throws at whenever she sees was actually…?
‘No. Co to think of it, there’s nothing wrong with a female Jojo.’
‘So I’m innocent. You’re still Jojo!’
—owwwww!!
As if sensing Deus’s inner thoughts.
Jojo suddenly approached him and unleashed even faster kitty punches.
Of course this ti too, all the attacks were blocked by a single finger.
“Yurishia.”
“Y-Yes!”
“You just asked, didn’t you? If I’m worried or if I’m nervous.”
“Um… yes. The opponent in the friendly match is…”
“Not at all. Worried. Nervous.”
An indifferent voice. A face so relaxed it was as if nothing had changed.
Seeing this Yurishia unconsciously gulped.
“Those are things guys who lack confidence in their skills do.”
Excitent or thrill. Maybe that’s how he was feeling.
Worry, nervousness. Those words were far too distant from him now.
It was not so apocalypse scenario where the world was going to end tomorrow, so what was there to worry about?
“B-But still. The opponent is soone who…?”
“Whoever cos, I will win.”
Beyond confidence, it was conviction. No, even the word conviction felt insufficient.
What should one call this? Inevitable? Truth? I don’t know. We really don’t know.
But one thing is for sure. That is…
“ too. I also think that you will win.”
“Yurishia?”
“It’s not that I’m not worried at all like Deus and I am nervous. But still! I think Deus will win in the end! I..I believe!!”
“Uh, Um…”
This wasn’t exactly the kind of encouragent he was hoping for.
Deus awkwardly thanked her while scratching the back of his head out of feeling shy.
***
The afternoon classes ended. The students rushed off sowhere.
Not the snack bar. Not the cafeteria. Not the library nor the central plaza.
Today their destination was the Cradle’s 7th training ground. That was the place.
“Hey! Hurry! We should take front-row seats!”
“No! The middle seats are the best! You can’t see well from the front!!”
Again, Inter-Club friendly matches aren’t that rare of an event.
Today’s commotion wasn’t about the match itself but the participants.
“Isn’t this a bit much? The Martial Arts Club is sending a freshman but the Swordsmanship Club is calling out their 4th-year top student.”
“It’s not unheard of for a junior and senior to face off, so it’s okay, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but there’s never been such a big difference!”
“Hey. If you’re going to argue like that, the Martial Arts Club is also at fault for that whole one-day mbership thing.”
The back and forth continued. Arguing about which club was in the wrong first.
In the end, the answer was one. No matter what we just need to eat popcorn!
“Here it is! Popcorn made by the Fries Club! Buy it now! Almost sold out!!”
“Hey! Fries Club, what the heck! Why are you making popcorn?! That’s our Snack Club’s thing!”
“Oh really? It’s our Cooking Club’s, you damn heretics!!”
anwhile, a fight broke out over the popcorn sale, which could bring in sweet profits today.
There will probably be another friendly match between the three clubs in the morning.
“I don’t know what’s going on all of a sudden.”
“Why? I find it interesting. This is the charm of the Cradle, isn’t it?”
Not only the students, but the teachers also seem to have so expectations.
The promising talent versus the genius. The battle between genius and promising talent. What kind of ending will it have?
“Everyone! Please take your seats! Quickly! Otherwise, we won’t start!”
Seizing the opportunity, the Event Club quickly filled the role of managent.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Suddenly, it beca an event for the entire Cradle.
“To all the students gathered here today! We sincerely welco you! Today’s match is between the Martial Arts Club and the Swordsmanship Club. Swordsmanship Club versus Martial Arts Club! This is a friendly match for the final victory point between the two! And the students who will take on this friendly match are! The promising talent and the genius. The genius versus the promising talent!”
Ah! Hurry up and start! When are they starting?! We’ll eat all the popcorn at this rate! Ah, slow down! We haven’t gotten our popcorn yet!
The final line ca when the chaos peaked from all directions.
“Then from now on! The friendly match! Will begi—iiiiiiin!!”
“Woooooooh!!”
Deus put his hand on his forehead with the cheers filling the training ground.
‘This is crazy.’
This wasn’t just a zoo of beasts, He felt like a barbarian gladiator in the Colosseum.
He was scared that the students might start shouting ‘Kill! Kill!’ and point their thumbs down.
He didn’t know how things got so big. His chest felt tight with anxiety.
‘…Well, whatever. Thanks to this I’ll finally have a proper fight.’
The body he worked so hard to build, and the pact that bound his life.
He wondered when he would ever get a chance to use all of it and now the opportunity had finally co.
His opponent was the princess considered the best among the Cradle students. No, one of the strongest 4th-year seniors. Thanks to her, he could really fight without any worries.
“We’ll start by introducing the Swordsmanship Club! Our Cradle’s proud senior! The one who has never missed being the top student! The Cradle’s best swordsman! Please welco Luciel Margretel-senpai with a big round of applause!!”
―Waaaa!!
A huge roar. An even louder applause. An ordinary person might have been intimidated from the start.
“Next! The Martial Arts Club! The new talent who showed an amazing performance at the initiation ceremony! The one who can conquer everything with a single punch! Please welco Deus with a big round of applause!!”
Conquer everything my ass. Stop using such embarrassing rhetoric!
—Clap clap clap!
Deus standing in the training ground, looked completely calm.
The students’ cheers, applause, and everything else had already been pushed aside. The only thing that mattered to him now was the person standing opposite him, his opponent for today.
‘…Indeed. I can feel that her form is different from the start.’
They said she was close to the level of the Cradle’s teachers.
She certainly deserves that reputation.
The anticipation she exudes even without drawing her sword, and the perfect balance in her body. She’s strong.
A person who has almost reached full maturity.
It’s like facing a well-maintained, sharp sword.
‘Thank goodness.’
Deus grinned while thinking about this.
It seed he wouldn’t need to hold back too much today.
[Translator – Late Drear]
[Proofreader – Seeker]
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