Olivia Lanze was in the training grounds.
“You won’t practice the sword anymore?”
“No, Father.”
“Why?”
Because she didn’t want to learn more about the art of hurting people, even if she knew she’d never use it that way.
“….”
But she knew it was pointless.
Since she had already learned everything she could, she knew there was nothing else for her to learn since her third year.
Olivia was afraid of becoming more skilled in violence. She was afraid of becoming too comfortable with hurting others. She distanced herself from violence and the possibility of violence.
But now, Olivia was holding a sword.
Controlling the power flowing through her body was something she hadn’t done in a long time, but it was all too easy to get into the habit again.
Olivia was now planning to participate in the Intra School Tournament.
The Intra School Tournament.
And Miss Temple.
She had no interest in those things to begin with.
Whether that annoying first-year student, Ellen, showed up or not, it didn’t matter.
“Olivia, you don’t have to push yourself like this anymore.”
“…No, it’s okay. I can still do it.”
“We know your situation. Even if our facility’s budget is tight, you’re still a student.”
Other things aside.
Money.
Money was needed.
Due to the war against the Demon Realm, there were countless war orphans.
Just as no country couldn’t provide relief for poverty, the empire couldn’t support all the war orphans.
There was a facility where all the orphaned children had been gathered, but they were lacking in food and clothing. After serving in the Demon Realm War, Olivia had been supporting them.
But now that she no longer had the background of being the daughter of the Holy Knight Commander, Olivia was running out of resources to support them.
Olivia is someone who cannot abandon them. She may have abandoned her faith, but she will not abandon those children.
“If Reinhardt finds out, he’ll say something ridiculous again.”
She couldn’t even say anything to Reinhardt because she thought she would receive a rebuke.
The prizes for the tournament and Miss Temple are substantial. With those prizes, she could sustain the facility she supported for a while.
She also knows that a policy to support war orphans will be announced soon. She just needs to provide them with a little food and clothing for a while with her own hands.
That’s all.
That’s why Olivia Lanze is holding a sword.
“It’s been about a year…. since then.”
She put down the sword when she was in her third year.
However, there was a time when she had to pick up the sword for an unavoidable reason.
She couldn’t just do volunteer work when she went to the Darklands under the pretext of volunteering.
There was a time when she felt disgusted with herself for believing that she had strength.
She had put it down since then.
She is confident that she will win, but she doesn’t think it will be easy.
She needs to make some effort to regain her edge. At that moment, she tried to calm her mind and gather her strength.
-If only you were born a little later.
-Swish.
“Ugh, seriously!”
-Clang!
Olivia suddenly threw her sword as her temper flared.
What was that all about?
Olivia stayed alone in the training room for a while with her face flushed.
In the meantime, the door of the training room opened and someone came in.
-Knock.
“Olivia. You’re here.”
Was she looking for Olivia? The person approached Olivia with a bright smile.
“Oh, yeah. It’s you, Lydia.”
Olivia may do strange things to first years from time to time, but she is still kind and friendly to fifth and sixth years.
The one who came to see her was not a fifth year student but a sixth year student , B-2 Lydia Schmidt. She came to Olivia with a bright smile.
“I haven’t seen you wield a sword in a long time. You’re really going to participate in the Intra School Tournament, aren’t you?”
“Uh… yeah, that’s why.”
“I see… that’s too bad. I was hoping to aim for the championship this time, too.”
“Who else is participating besides you?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? This is the last chance for Windsor, so he’s also going to compete.”
“Ah… I see.”
By the sixth year, one’s skill could be compared relative to a graduate.
One could easily understand the desire to participate in the Intra School Tournament to confirm the results of their six years of hard work.
Lydia Schmitt looks at Olivia, who was holding a practice sword, eyes full of joy.
But Olivia feels like something is stuck in her throat, making it hard for her to breathe.
“By the way, Olivia, you know…”
“What?”
“You’re not supposed to use divine power.”
“Yeah, I know.”
It’s an absurdity for someone who has renounced their faith to use divine power, whether it’s possible or not.
The people who use divine power without the church’s approval are approached by the church.
If it is resolved favorably, they receive training at the church and become an official priest.
If they refuse, they are subject to inquisition.
So Olivia cannot use divine power in public places.
She has to seal it away for the tournament. When Lydia Schmitt hears that she already knows that, she cocks her head.
“Even without using divine power, You can beat anyone, right?”
“Oh, no… that’s not what I meant…”
Lydia Schmitt’s attitude was not meant to be dismissive, but rather pure curiosity, but it could only be an uncomfortable question for Olivia. While Olivia is flustered, Lydia Schmitt lowers her head.
“Of course, if it’s you, Olivia, you can definitely do it.”
It was a bright tone without a hint of inferiority. But the words that followed were enough to make Olivia feel creepy.
“Olivia, don’t reject the divinity within you.”
“….”
“Return to the embrace of Towan. To where you belong.”
Olivia couldn’t face Lydia Schmitt’s gaze properly.
Her hands became cold with sweat, and chills ran down her spine.
She lived with being the target of this kind of obsession her whole life.
Even the members of the Grace Club said that what almost happened to her was just the personal misbehavior of the commander of the Holy Knights, and suggested that she should regain her faith.
Lydia Schmitt is not a member of the Grace Club. She is an aspiring Holy Knight serving the war god Als.
Although they serve different gods, she is a friend who always emphasizes that they should work together within the will of the Great Gods.
Olivia was getting tired of these things.
“I told you, Lydia. I… I gave up everything…”
“It’s okay, Olivia. Your judgment may have been clouded at the moment. Sometimes, you can lose your way and wander.”
Lydia Schmidt’s dark black eyes, as deep as an abyss, gazed at Olivia.
“So, I’ll guide you back to the right path.”
“….”
“We’re friends, aren’t we?”
As Olivia watched Lydia Schmidt smile broadly, her lips trembled.
What is the right path she should take and what does it mean to be guided?
Fear.
From a certain point on, Olivia’s religious friends became increasingly frightening for her.
So.
She’ll go to Reinhardt’s classroom today too..
That’s what Olivia thought.
Since the Monday exam was over, I was being dragged by Harriet and Ellen to study for the next exam.
Honestly, I had no intention of being the top student, I needed to train for the tournament now.
I got last place in the last exams not because I was stupid, but because I needed the achievement points. I’m confident I can beat Ludwig even without studying!
Even if I only solve half of the problems, it’s possible!
“This will come out. Remember it.”
“I already memorized it.”
“Memorize it more.”
“Okay.”
But these guys don’t know my situation, so they’re sticking to me and pointing out the expected exam questions.
It feels good.
But it’s a strange situation where I feel like time is being taken away from me.
I’ve already filled out and submitted the application for the first-year tournament.
The preliminaries will be held this weekend, and if I make it to the finals, the tournament will begin on the first day of the festival.
While I was studying hard, Harriet stretched and made a groaning sound.
Then she stared at me.
“Are you really going to vote for that senior as Miss Temple?”
“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”
Harriet looks at me with a puzzled expression.
“Why is that?”
“Just tell me if you’re going to vote or not.”
“But I don’t have any intention of going to see that. . .”
“Oh… really? Ah, I see.”
Harriet looks satisfied for some reason.
From the beginning, I’m as busy as a one-eyed cat watching two mouse holes.
There’s no time to leisurely watch something like that. I still don’t know when the Black Order will show up, there’s also the Vampire Council to deal with, and then the issue with Charlotte too.
Did it look like I had the time to play around?
Harriet laughed for some unknown reason and then went back to reading her book.
“If you go to see it, does that mean you’ll vote?”
But now Ellen is the one asking me while Harriet remains silent.
Harriet turns her gaze back to me.
“You said you’re not going.”
“Does that mean you’ll vote if you go see it?.”
“Why are you saying it like that? Even if I went, I won’t vote, okay?!!
Why is she suddenly acting like this?
Ellen nodded when I said I wasn’t going to vote even if I went.
I had no intention of seeing the Miss Temple contest. Instead, if I needed achievement points urgently, I would transform into a woman and participate myself!
But I’m not interested in that kind of thing!
Besides, it’s impossible for me to disguise myself as a Temple student other than myself, so I can’t even go out disguised as a woman in the first place!
[Event Occurrence - Miss & Mister Temple Contest]
[Please vote for the Miss & Mister Temple Contest. If everyone you voted for is elected, you will be rewarded.]
[Reward: One of each talent possessed by the elected person]
…What a fucking pain.
This bastard who always wants to make things difficult for me is trying to drag me into hell again.
What should I do?
I already said I’m not going.
A powerful event that cannot be missed has occurred. If I actually went to the contest without saying anything…
I don’t think it would end up good for me.
And the person with the highest chance of becoming Miss Temple is Olivia Lanze, so of course I will vote for her. It’s just an event where they’re giving away one of Olivia’s talents for free.
It would be stupid not to do this event.
But couldn’t you have given this event a little earlier?! I wouldn’t have said I wasn’t going if I knew about this a few seconds ago.
Hmmm.
But come to think of it, it’s a bit strange.
Naturally, I couldn’t even participate in the Miss Temple contest, but if I voted for myself, participated in the Mister Temple contest and won, what reward would I get?
If I won, any possible reward would be something I already have.
[If elected Miss Temple, ‘the power to select any talent’ will be granted.]
Really?!
If I won the Mister Temple competition, there was nothing for me.
But if I become Miss Temple, I can choose my own talent…
No, no, no, that’s impossible from the beginning. I don’t have a chance against Olivia Lanze, who had a huge following, in addition to being herself
It’s all the same bullshit as the 4,000 points I get for winning the crossdressing pageant.
If I really wanted that talent, I’d have to join Miss Temple as myself, since I couldn’t impersonate Temple students. But how would that even go…?
“I want to participate in Miss Temple.”
“…Did you mean Mister Temple?”
“I said Miss Temple.”
“…But you’re a guy?”
“Is there a law that says guys can’t participate in Miss Temple?”
”????”
Would I do such a crazy thing?
Anyway.
I’m not participating, but I have to go to the Miss Temple contest.
I can’t miss an event like this.
If I say I’m not going and sneak in, I feel like I’ll eventually get caught. And then it will be entirely up to Ellen’s mercy what will happen next.
If I didn’t vote for Olivia, I’ll probably hear something like, “If you weren’t going to vote for her, why did you go?”
“Well… I suppose I could go see it.”
Ellen and Harriet’s eyes suddenly changed when they heard me speak.
“Ah, no! It’s a festival! And that’s a part of the festival! So we should enjoy everything about the festival. Uh… ah, don’t you think so?”
“….”
“….”
Even as I spoke, the atmosphere turned so bleak that it made my skin prickle.
I’m grateful for this event… really grateful… But why do I feel so uneasy?
In an effort to liven up the chilly atmosphere, I felt compelled to say something, anything.
“No! We can go see Mister Temple instead of Miss!”
“Like hell you’re going to see that, you idiot!”
-Smack!
Before I could even spout any more nonsense, Harriet smacked me on the head.
“Ow, why did you hit me?”
But wait, Miss Temple and Mister Temple are chosen together, so we’ll get to see both of them!
Enduring the children’s cold stares, I became lost in thought.
Miss Temple and Mister Temple…
Wait.
Does that mean I’ll get two free talents?
If I guess both the winners of Miss Temple and Mr. Temple correctly, do I get two talents?
No, wait.
Do I have to guess both Miss and Mister Temple correctly to get the reward?
Miss Temple is Olivia Lanze.
But who is Mister Temple?
He wasn’t in the original. He probably wasn’t even in the Royal Class.
In the original, Scarlet, who was scorned for her red eyes and hair, won Miss Temple in the B class. It was just as important an episode as Ludwig’s tournament.
In the original, the Mister Temple of this festival was Bertus.
He was a prince and handsome, so if Bertus joins again this time, he might win again?
If Bertus wins, I’ll get a choice between his talent in Swordsmanship, Mana Sensitivity and Mana Control. I’ll get the talent in Swordsmanship since I already have the other two.
I can’t predict which one of Olivia Lanze’s talents will I receive. It’s possible to get the Divine Power talent, but that’s not bad either. Since she seems like a monster like Ellen, she might give me something amazing…
“Wait, where do you think you’re going?”
When I stood up, it seemed like Ellen and Harriet became even more upset.
“No, I’m not going anywhere, I’m just going to see Bertus!”
“….”
“….”
However, their gazes didn’t hold a sliver of trust in me, who said that I changed my mind so quickly after saying I wouldn’t go.
Ah.
I wish the system had given me the event a little earlier….
No, it probably gave it to me late on purpose. After all, the event appeared the second I said I wasn’t going.
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