Chapter 634: The First Match

“Thank god. I thought I was late.”

Muen sneaked into the competition venue, and only after he took the matchup order list from the teacher maintaining order and looked it over did he finally let out a breath.

“Last one up. Damn, my luck’s pretty good.”

“You’d better hope it really is good luck.”

A voice—thirty percent grief-stricken, seventy percent aggrieved, and ninety percent cheap, shameless sleaze—suddenly echoed right beside him, nearly making Muen jump out of his skin.

When he realized what was happening, his cheek twitched. He turned his head and looked at the ghostlike bloated figure that had appeared beside him at some point, and he complained,

“You’re not dead yet, Pink Bear?”

“Thanks to someone, I was only beaten half to death. Good thing I’m tough as leather and thick as wood. I just slept it off and recovered.”

With dark veins jumping on his forehead and bulging veins swelling beneath his pink fur, the bear-shaped creature leaned in close to Muen, who kept retreating out of guilt until he had nowhere left to go. With a ferocious face, it said,

“As for a certain brat... you look like you had a pretty good time last night, huh... Yeah? Was the empire empress’s skin soft? Did her feet smell nice?”

“H-Have I?”

Muen’s gaze drifted. “How do you know what I did last night? Don’t you slander me out of thin air! I’ve always been very chaste and self-disciplined...”

“With that kidney-deficiency look on your face, anyone can tell what you did last night.”

Pink Bear clicked his tongue. “I’ve got to hand it to you, kid. At a time like this, you’re still playing that hard. You’re not afraid you’ll get chopped into pieces someday?”

“Ahem, ahem. You know what they say—no pain, no gain. The bigger the crisis, the bigger the payoff.”

Muen puffed out his chest. “As a man, how can you be scared of a measly yandere knife?”

“You’ve got guts!” Pink Bear gave him a thumbs-up.

“Ahem, so, strictly speaking, fanfic site—keeping up with updates has never felt this satisfying. I was pretty close to half-dead last night too...”

Muen said cautiously, “So how about it, Imperial Great-Uncle—be magnanimous and let it go. Let me off?”

“...Fine.”

Pink Bear shifted aside. “I’ll let you off for now.”

“Huh?”

Seeing Pink Bear agree so easily, Muen froze, then stared at Pink Bear suspiciously.

“You... you didn’t go and do something to screw me over again, did you?”

“You little brat—when I mess with you, you chicken out. When I don’t mess with you, you get uncomfortable all over. Were you trained into some weird new kink by Celicia or something?”

Pink Bear looked disgusted, as if he couldn’t even be bothered to associate with a coward like Muen who surrendered so easily to a woman.

“Then why would you...”

“You think I’m really that free every day, with nothing better to do than figure out how to screw you over? I’ve got my own business.”

Without drawing attention, Pink Bear tucked a stack of small booklets into a leather pouch, then magnanimously patted Muen on the shoulder.

“I just figured you’re still kind of useful... No, I mean, since we’re basically family too, I couldn’t bring myself to do anything to you. Don’t twist my good intentions, alright?”

“Even more suspicious...”

“Heh. Saying all that is pointless anyway. You didn’t come here just to bicker with me, did you?”

“Of course not. I came to compete.”

Since staring the shameless bear down wouldn’t reveal anything, Muen quickly refocused on what mattered.

“But I’ve still got a while before I’m up, so I’ll use the chance to watch the others first... Huh?”

“What?”

“I didn’t expect Ariel to be the first one up.”

Muen looked at the name on the list. “And her opponent is someone called Barlo... something.”

“Baror Kentf. A famous young prodigy on the kingdom’s side. Supposedly born with divine strength—nobody can match his brute force.”

“Oh?”

Muen looked at Pink Bear in surprise. “You actually know stuff like that?”

“Hey, who are you looking down on! I’m Duke Oranriel, alright? Isn’t it only natural I’d know this?”

As he spoke, Pink Bear leaned in close with a secretive look, cautiously glancing left and right like a thief. Then he pulled a little booklet out of his chest and lowered his voice.

“So... I’ve got a detailed info packet on the kingdom’s participants. From all the abilities they’ve shown in public, down to the juicy gossip spreading in private—I collected it all. Like this Baror, for example—supposedly he’s obsessed with huge boobs, loves provoking women on purpose, and he even went to prison for it. A total pervert. I suggest you punish him harshly on the arena!”

“Since it’s you, and for the sake of our relationship, I’ll only charge you two thousand Aimier. Conscience price. Honest trade.”

“...”

Staring at Pink Bear, who casually demanded two thousand Aimier to sell him a trashy booklet whose relevant information could be summed up in a single sentence, Muen was speechless again.

This dead bear was imperial kin, two whole generations senior to the current reigning majesty. By rights, he ought to be one of the most important figures in the empire...

So why was he always this money-grubbing? And why did he always seem genuinely short on cash?

In that regard, he and Ariel really did have a common language.

“This is probably what a pitiful man looks like when a woman controls the household finances...”

Muen thought for a moment, then sighed.

“Shut up. Are you buying or not?”

“Not buying.”

“Tch. Son of a duke, and you’re this stingy.”

Pink Bear put the booklet away indignantly, but then turned around and pulled out two betting chips, leaning in with a sleazy grin.

“Then you want to put money on who wins? Watching a match needs a little extra spice.”

“...You really that desperate to make money?”

“I’m tight lately. Quit yapping. Consider it paying back the fact I still haven’t settled my previous account with you.”

“...Fine. But is there even any suspense? Ariel’s obviously going to win.”

“You’ve got that much confidence in that flat-chested little brat?”

Pink Bear’s eyes went wide as he stared at Muen like he was seeing him for the first time, shocked. “Don’t tell me you’re into that kind of flat chest. I mean, she’s pretty, and her legs are long, tch tch tch... But I didn’t think you were really the type who’ll eat anything! Hurry up and give me five thousand, or I’ll tell Celicia about this!”

“If I wanted to keep my life, I wouldn’t have such a delusional thought.”

Muen rolled his eyes. “I’m just confident in Ariel’s strength, that’s all.”

Because she was the phoenix-proud-heaven heroine.

Forget “brute-force-invincible Baror”—even if it were some hundred-year hermit monster, an evil god possessing a dead freak, Muen would still bet on Ariel without hesitation.

If you asked who in this world had the most faith in Ariel, it would be Muen, no question.

“True. That flat board’s odds do look higher.”

Pink Bear didn’t know anything about protagonists or heroines, but his eye was sharp. He could still roughly tell who was stronger at a glance.

“Then let’s bet on how many minutes it lasts,” Pink Bear said. “I’m taking ten minutes. Five thousand.”

“I...”

Muen rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. “Then I’ll take three minutes.”

“Three minutes?”

Pink Bear was surprised again. “The other guy is supposedly ‘brute-force-invincible,’ you know. You’re really that bold. Don’t tell me you actually know him and think he’s just an idiot?”

“No. I don’t know anything about that Baror. But I know Ariel very well.”

Muen glanced at the one-way-transparency special guest lounge where Celicia was.

With a perfect chance like being the first match, there was no way Ariel wouldn’t put on a show.

And besides...

“You said it yourself earlier.”

“Said what?”

“Baror likes—”

“...”

...

...

“Saint Maria Academy, Ariel Bugaard.”

“Kingdom National Academy of Magic, Baror Kentf.”

On the arena platform, the two sides announced their names and exchanged greetings.

After confirming both were ready, at the chief referee’s shout, the entire arena environment suddenly changed.

The smooth ground turned into jagged mountain rock. Lush green spread over the surroundings. The arena that had only been a bit over a hundred meters across suddenly became so vast you couldn’t see the boundary at a glance.

In an instant, it went from an arena platform to a dense mountain forest.

Secret Rite Mechanism: Ten Thousand Phenomena Simulation.

In truth, the young prodigies participating in this exchange were already at a fairly high realm. An ordinary arena obviously couldn’t meet the requirements of an all-out clash between both sides, so Saint Maria Academy directly brought out this enormous mechanism built by a first-generation master of alchemical machinery, so both sides could fight to their hearts’ content.

Looking at the vivid environment around her, Ariel once again felt her blood surge.

Right—this kind of setting was the only thing that could really stir up her desire!

Sure, she couldn’t see the stands because of it, but that was fine. She believed that at this moment, Celicia was definitely watching her closely!

“Oh? You’re my opponent this time?”

While she was happily fantasizing, Baror suddenly spoke to her first.

Ariel looked up. Baror Kentf, her opponent, was a gigantic brute over two meters tall. His upper body was bare, and his muscles were as solid as coiled dragons.

Baror had been born with an exceptionally powerful physique. It was said that at ten he could already throw down several adults. After he began cultivating, his body advanced even faster—he could even fight magical beasts barehanded across realms. In the kingdom he was very famous, called a “humanoid feral beast,” “brute-force invincible.”

Compared to him, slim-built Ariel looked as fragile as a sheet of paper.

To outsiders, this was already an unfair fight. Compared to a gifted genius like Baror, famous from a young age, Ariel had only risen quickly. She hadn’t even had time to leave the academy yet, and at this stage she hadn’t even successfully participated in the Holy City trials from before—she really didn’t have much in the way of achievements she could show.

Her fame was less than a tenth of the salacious gossip about Muen Campbell.

“Your weapon’s a sword, huh? And it’s wrapped in bandages—looks like a good item.”

Baror was also quite relaxed about this duel. To him, an academy sprout like this coming out to fight was just a symbol of dwindling talent, so before the battle he casually chatted as usual.

“But it’s kind of a shame.”

“A shame? What’s a shame?” Ariel asked, confused.

“You’re not really my type.”

Baror’s gaze swept over Ariel’s chest. Even Baror, who even his own people admitted was a total pervert, had eyes so pure at this moment they looked like a baby’s—without the slightest worldly desire.

“If you were a little bigger, I’d go easier on you. But you’re flat to this extent, I can’t even find a reason to hold back. What a shame, hahaha...”

“...”

After Baror finished, some people in the stands even snickered.

And amid Baror’s wanton laughter, Ariel silently pushed the Heavenly Flame greatsword she’d just drawn back in.

“Hm? Are you scared?” Baror blinked and laughed. “Surrender now, and you’ll still make it in time.”

“No, I have no intention of surrendering.”

“Oh? Then you’re putting your weapon away—”

“I just think...”

Ariel’s expression didn’t change as she clenched her fists tighter and tighter. The corners of her mouth rose little by little, carving out a vicious arc, and she said, each word distinct:

“Using a sword on you would still be too merciful.”

...

...

“Honor your bet—I won.”

Muen hummed a little tune as he sang, snatching the five thousand Aimier Pink Bear had staked right out of his hand.

Pink Bear’s mouth twitched. He stared at the stage, stunned for a long moment, then clicked his tongue.

“Tch tch, too cruel. That’s really too cruel. How can she be this cruel? That little girl doesn’t know how to behave—couldn’t she at least leave our neighboring friends a little face?”

“Heh. Not calling her ‘flat board’ anymore?”

“...Forget it. I value my life.”

Pink Bear scratched his head and sighed. “Kids these days—every single one is scarier than the last.”

On the stage, the vivid environment created by the Ten Thousand Phenomena Simulation had already become a mess. The entire dense forest looked like it had been swept by a storm—more than half the trees had either turned into debris, or toppled outward in a radial pattern.

And Baror, who’d been spouting arrogance a moment ago, was now lying unconscious in a gigantic crater that looked like it had been hit by a meteor.

This crater wasn’t caused by any magic or some terrifying ultimate move.

It had been smashed out by enraged Ariel—one punch after another, forcibly.

Yes. With her fists.

She hadn’t even drawn her usual Heavenly Flame greatsword. She’d only used the most basic fists—basic to a degree that made your scalp go numb.

And the so-called “brute-force-invincible” Baror had already been unable to take it by the two hundred and fifty-first punch, losing consciousness completely. Now he was basically unrecognizable, swollen up almost an entire size, with who knew how many bones broken—like mud slapped on the ground.

“Terrifying. Seriously terrifying.”

Muen tucked away the money. Even though he’d expected it, seeing this scene still made him shiver.

“Just as expected of Ariel. Even her physical body is terrifyingly strong.”

Makes sense—what protagonist doesn’t train their body? Especially a woman like Ariel, who was determined to open a crystal harem.

But speaking of which...

Muen suddenly thought of something.

Why do I feel like, going by the timeline, Ariel right now is even more ferocious than she was in the original novel?

What does she have now that’s different from the original?

Hard training?

Ancient ruins?

Because she saw that scene with Liya, and turned grief into motivation?

Or was it because she removed “women” as the factor that could affect her sword-drawing speed?

Or...

Muen thought seriously for a ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) while, then reached a conclusion.

“Probably because of that.”

Muen clapped his hands and said firmly,

“Black Bread is amazing!”

Pink Bear: “...”

Pink Bear stayed silent for a long time, staring at Muen. For some reason, he suddenly had a premonition.

—Sooner or later, this brat was going to end up like that Baror in the arena, beaten into a pig head by Ariel.

His hunches were always accurate.

...

“Alright, it was a joke.”

Muen counted the bills in his hand to make sure Pink Bear didn’t pull some shady trick. It wasn’t much money, but he’d earned it himself—earned it off Pink Bear, even—and that made it precious.

“I’m done playing with you. While there’s still time, I’m going to find Celicia.”

Before he left, Muen glanced at Pink Bear one last time and suddenly asked,

“Oh, right. I didn’t ask earlier—what’s that on you?”

“On me?”

“That’s blood, isn’t it? Who did you fight?”

“Oh, this?” Pink Bear didn’t care at all as he patted his leather pouch. “Earlier, when I was selling—when I was kindly giving our foreign friends a little help, some kid who didn’t know his place provoked me, so I taught him a lesson.”

He said casually,

“Didn’t think I’d get blood on me. How careless.”