漫画大王

Chapter 106

Then, after a little while, a surprising pair began to approach the water’s edge.

“U-Um... I... I kindly decline...”

“Why? It looks fun, doesn’t it? Let’s go in.”

“I-I am embarrassed...”

Charlotte, in her swimsuit, was pulling Scarlett, who was also in a swimsuit, toward the water. They were wearing the standard swimsuit given by the Temple, that was not anything like a bikini, but more like a school swimsuit.

Still, the boys’ gazes still drifted their way, and their expressions turned to blank stares. Since both of them were incredibly beautiful, it was unavoidable.

Erhi, perhaps because he still remembered being hit by Scarlett, couldn’t bring himself to look in that direction.

“Can we join in too?” Charlotte asked as she approached, and Scarlett’s face turned bright red.

“Of course, Charlotte!”

Ludwig warmly welcomed them, and Vertus cracked a smile.

As soon as Charlotte entered the water, Vertus scooped up a bucketful of water and splashed it towards her.

“Ahhh!”

Charlotte, drenched in water, glared at Vertus, who had splashed the water at her.

“What are you trying to do?” Charlotte demanded, while Vertus giggled.

“This is just how you’re supposed to play while in the water,” he said. “Are you seriously mad? You can’t be.”

Splash!

“Ahh!”

“Don’t tell me you’re really going to get mad. Are you mad just because of a couple of splashes of water? Can’t you take a joke as a joke? Are you that twisted?”

Splash!

“Stop it, you jerk!”

Charlotte was on the verge of spewing some harsh words.

“Hey, hey, if you came in to play, you should play. What’s the point in getting angry? Hahahaha!”

Vertus suddenly burst into mad laughter and continued to splash water furiously at Charlotte, who screamed and started splashing back.

“Ahhhh! You lunatic!”

“Guys, help me out!”

“Please, don’t bully Charlotte!”

Charlotte eventually sent out a plea for help, and Ludwig and Scarlett, among others, began to attack the imperial prince.

“Wah! Whoa!”

The scene that unfolded was both fierce and not fierce at the same time. Vertus wasn’t pretending to be nice; he was openly picking on the princess. Since he was doing it more in a teasing manner, rather than making it a serious confrontation, it created more of an amusing atmosphere than a tense one.

This was something completely different from the original development I had orchestrated, and I couldn’t tell if this scene was harmonious or menacing.

‘Maybe you two can actually get along.’

“Guys! You guys should help me too!” Vertus exclaimed.

Eventually, the chaotic scene turned into a full-fledged class battle.

***

The fierce water fight ended in victory for Class B, who had the numerical advantage.

“This is the worst...”

Charlotte, despite having gained the upper hand in the battle, was now suffering from reddened eyes and nose due to Vertus’s persistent attacks on her alone. It seemed she had inhaled a lot of water through her nose. Of course, Vertus had the same issue, having swallowed a crap ton of water as well.

“We may have lost, but we surely fought well,” Vertus said with a giggle, and Charlotte glared at him with narrowed eyes.

Though they were supposedly out for each other’s lives in order to claim succession to the throne, at that moment, they just looked like normal siblings.

Charlotte glowered at Vertus. Her gaze was chilling, and she muttered ominously, “Let’s play ‘watermelon splitting’. The loser gets a flick on the forehead.”

“You want to play that all of a sudden?”

Vertus seemed a bit taken aback by Charlotte’s abrupt suggestion.

Charlotte truly seemed to want to give Vertus a real beating.

‘More importantly, though, how do you even know the game of watermelon splitting?’

“Are you scared you might lose?”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Vertus burst into laughter at Charlotte’s provocation, then looked down at her with a sinister expression.

“Of course not,” Vertus said.

“Bring the watermelon!”

Both Vertus and Charlotte, though kind and gentle towards others, were of completely opposite personalities when talking to each other.

***

A watermelon was left alone on the sandy beach. Charlotte and Vertus stood across from each other, the watermelon in between them. They would spin around ten times, and the first to break the watermelon got a chance to give the other a good flick on the forehead.

Both of them had their eyes covered with towels.

“U-Um, guys... Don’t you think this is a little dangerous?” Ms. Mustang said.

Ms. Mustang seemed anxious as she watched the students gear up for the watermelon-splitting game with bats in their hands.

“The one who breaks the watermelon first after spinning in place ten times wins!” Ludwig said.

Ludwig acted as the referee, and everyone gathered around to watch the impromptu watermelon-splitting contest with a mix of nervousness and fascination.

“Ready... On your marks... Begin!”

At Ludwig’s cue, Vertus and Charlotte began to spin on the spot.

To be honest, the idea that two of them shared a sense of camaraderie was merely my own personal guess.

A moment later...

Thunk!

“Ouch!”

“Oops, that was a mistake.”

Charlotte, instead of hitting the watermelon with the bat, had struck Vertus on the head.

She had not swung her bat downard, but had swung upwards from right to left. It was evident to everyone watching that she hadn’t been targeting the watermelon from the start.

Somehow, while wandering around dizzily, she kept moving towards the sound of Vertus’s voice, rather than the watermelon.

“How could you do something like this!”

“It was a mistake!”

Thunk!

“Argh!”

“Oops, another mistake.”

‘Charlotte... Is it Vertus’s head that you want to split, and not the watermelon?’

Vertus removed the towel from his face, giving Charlotte a cold glare.

“You’re finished.”

“It was a mistake, okay? You’re gonna get mad over a mistake? Didn’t you say not to get serious while playing?”

“You clearly did that on purpose!”

Eventually, a chase ensued between Vertus and Charlotte, who had thrown off her towel as well. Naturally, Vertus’s physical superiority meant that Charlotte didn’t manage to run away for long, and was eventually caught.

Vertus, furiously mad, lifted Charlotte and threw her into the sea.

“Die! Drown and die!”

“Ugh, you lunatic!!!”

Splash

The hilariously menacing sight of the two of them bickering made everyone erupt into laughter.

***

The emperor’s decree that both royal children would be stripped of their royal rights if either of them suffered mental or physical harm due to the other’s actions meant that their fights would never escalate too far in the first place.

So, in the end, all they could do was bicker, and the funniest part was that both of them were actually furious with the other, yet neither could do anything more.

Instead of the original scenario, where Class A and B couldn’t stand each other, both classes seemed to be on decent-enough terms that students from either class could at least hold a conversation with each other.

Dinner time came, and after everyone had finished their dinner, the teachers gathered us together. To ensure there were no infections or parasites left in us, the mages and priests cast various types of purification spells on us. Though I was a bit nervous, thanks to Sarkegar’s ring, there was no risk of my true existence being exposed.

After the medical checks were completed, the teacher announced the results to both classes.

“Both Class A and Class B have completed the special conditions. However, there were four final survivors from Class A, but only one from Class B. After taking into account various evaluation scores, this mission concludes with Class A’s victory.”

As expected...

The story arc that should have ended with Class B’s victory had, due to the changes in development, concluded with Class A’s triumph.

Ultimately, Charlotte didn’t manage to secure a victory.

Mr. Effenhauser posted a piece of paper on one side of the dining hall wall.

“Although the winning class receives bonus points, it doesn’t mean that the losing class will all receive poor scores. Check your individual evaluation scores here.”

Being in the winning class didn’t automatically guarantee the highest score, the same way losing didn’t guarantee the lowest scores. After all, anyone who did nothing and slacked off couldn’t receive the highest score just because their team won.

However, it wasn’t over yet.

“Additionally, individual members who greatly aided their class or played a pivotal role during the mission will receive bonus points. For Class A, these are numbers 1, 2, 5, and 11. For Class B, they are numbers 1, 9, and 11. The reasons are attached to the individual evaluation records.”

Bonus points...

Vertus, Ellen, Harriet, and I received bonus points, and from Class B, Charlotte, Delphine, and Ludwig were the recipients.

Vertus must have received the points for taking on the leadership role and enduring the hardships, Ellen and Harriet for playing crucial roles in the orc hunt and for their constant labor. As for me, it was probably for taking on various inconvenient tasks.

It seemed a similar consideration had been taken when awarding the bonus points to the students in Class B.

“Remember, bonus points are also included in the evaluation record, and at the end of the semester, the individual with the highest bonus points will receive a special award. Moreover, be mindful that bonus and penalty points can be exchanged.”

If you received penalty points for breaking school rules or causing trouble, you could offset those with the bonus points you’ve already earned, sort of like an immunity privilege. Of course, these points reset at the end of the semester.

Anyway, although Class B lost, it was likely that Charlotte had scored quite high. I didn’t know how she’d done it, but she had somehow managed to hunt down the orc successfully as well.

While Mr. Effenhauser was explaining various other things, Ms. Mustang was distributing slips of paper to the seated students.

“Finally, write down the name of the person you think played the most significant role in your class during this mission.”

It was time to choose the MVP.

I debated between nominating Ellen or Harriet, and eventually submitted Harriet’s name.

I briefly considered writing my own name down, but the moment I contemplated it, I felt like a crazy, arrogant prick, and restrained myself.

The voting results for Class A: Vertus—two, Ellen—two, Harriet—four, Reinhart—three.

The voting results for Class B: Charlotte—six, Delphine—three, Ludwig—two.

Thus, Harriet and Charlotte were selected as the MVPs.

“Me... me? Why, why?”

Harriet seemed utterly surprised by her selection, and her face flushed red.

***

As MVPs, Harriet and Charlotte each received an additional point, making it two bonus points for each of them for this joint mission.

In the evening, Class B suddenly made a campfire. Class A couldn’t understand why those from Class B, with their seemingly endless energy for bonfires and playing with fire, decided to start another fire out of the blue.

But then, Lanian Sesor started playing an instrument and singing along, which was not too bad in its own right.

It seemed like the students from Class A were scattered around, some resting or heading to their bungalows to sleep early.

“Don’t they ever get tired?” Harriet muttered incredulously as she watched the spectacle unfold.

It seemed strange to her that, having maintained such intense energy while on the deserted island, they seemed to get even more excited when told to rest.

“I guess they’re just excited,” I said.

I was lying on a sunbed, observing the scene, while Harriet was sitting on the sunbed next to mine.

“Anyway, if you have something to say to me, just say it.”

Harriet’s face turned red, visible even in the dim night.

“Wh-What! I... I don’t have anything to say to you.”

“Nothing, huh? Okay then, if you say so.”

“...”

Lying there quietly, she approached hesitantly and took a seat next to me, then spent quite some time hemming and hawing, not saying anything coherent but not staying completely silent either. I had a good guess as to what she wanted to say.

Finally, after much hesitation, she opened her mouth.

“Uh... Th... Th-th-thank you.”

‘So you’ve been agonizing all this time just to say that, huh.’

It seemed she wanted to express her gratitude for how I had continually looked out for her during the mission.

Of course, I looked at Harriet and cracked a smile.

“Hehe, is that so?”

“... Why are you laughing?”

“What exactly are you thankful for? And how thankful are you? Can you describe in detail what it was that I did that you’re so thankful for?”

“Wh-What?”

“Since you’re so thankful, surely you must have a reason. What are you grateful for?”

As I snickered and stood up slowly to question her, she started inching back.

“Hm? Tell me, what exactly were you so grateful for? Huh? Let’s hear it.”

As I switched into teasing mode, Harriet grimaced. “Eek! I knew it! I hate you! You’re the worst!”

“Oh? Didn’t you just say you were thankful?”

Her face turned beet red.

“Get lost!” she yelled at me, then stormed off to her bungalow.

***

This was a long-awaited break. The time at the Temple seemed almost to be a relentless succession of training days, so having a moment where I could just zone out and do nothing felt extremely rare.

The mission had been intensely demanding, far beyond the usual rigors of training, and this extended break felt like a just reward.

Ellen, having enjoyed exploring underwater with a water-breathing spell, requested that Harriet cast the spell on her again.

“... You find that fun?”

“Yeah.”

After sending Ellen off, Harriet cast the water-breathing spell on herself as well, and went into the sea with Adelia. When they returned, they seemed thrilled, chatting excitedly about their incredible experience.

As for me, I embraced this rare respite by spending most of my time sprawled on a sunbed, eating and then just sprawling some more. Once we returned to the Temple, the relentless schedule and training cycles would resume, and days of rest like these wouldn’t come by any time soon.

Hence, I was totally devoted to resting.

That meant that, aside from eating and sleeping, I was basically continuously sprawled out.

“... Are you a mollusk or something?” Charlotte commented as she approached me. It was already Saturday, and I still remained in that same state.

“Hm? Why?”

“It’s just that you’ve been slumped over here since yesterday.”

Lying on the sunbed like some kind of specter appeared quite peculiar to her.

“I figure I’ll be grinding away again once we get back, so I’m doing absolutely nothing while I still can.”

“Ha, that’s an interesting way to put it.”

Charlotte’s splendid golden hair was tied into a ponytail. Her hair was so rich and voluminous that it seemed any style would suit her well. She did not seem to be planning to swim that day, since she was wearing a white sleeveless dress. Charlotte sat down next to me, sipping her drink.

Charlotte had taken down an orc. Although her supernatural power was a secret, it was formidable enough to kill an orc.

However, ever since the mission’s end, Charlotte seemed to be wearing a constant air of dissatisfaction.

“Did you take down the orc by yourself?” I asked.

At my question, Charlotte seemed to zone out for a moment, before she nodded slightly.

“How I did it is a secret, but yes.”

The students of Class B had been taken out one by one, and the mission had concluded with Charlotte taking down the orc on her own.

“Why do you ask that?” Charlotte asked, tilting her head slightly as if wondering why I would ask such a thing.

“It just seems like you’re not too thrilled about it.”

I was only willing to push that far, and not ask anything unreasonable. While Charlotte and I had grown friendlier, delving into sensitive areas still felt inappropriate.

A powerful ability, but one that had to be kept secret... Charlotte seemed to contemplate a moment, then smiled lightly.

“Um... I kind of dislike relying on my supernatural power,” she said, giving as much away as she seemed willing to, before smiling.

“... Is that so?”

Whatever her ability was, it seemed Charlotte disliked her own power.

When faced with the approaching orc, she had lost her composure and used her supernatural power. Although this resulted in the orc’s defeat, she disliked having to rely on her own supernatural power to solve the problem.

‘A supernatural being who dislikes her own abilities...’

Charlotte’s abilities only grew more intriguing the more I learned about them.