“So why did you enter the cross-dressing contest?”
“The money.”
“Ah, the prize money. Yeah, fair enough, fair enough.”
The host continued to ask awkward questions, and although contestant no. 40 appeared to be handling them well, the grip on her dress became increasingly tighter as the host’s questions continued.
Every time contestant no. 40 became more embarrassed and ashamed, the audience’s expressions became stranger and stranger.
In fact, this behavior was not much different from what the human tank, contestant no. 24, shown earlier. No, in fact, it’s exactly the same.
However, while people felt disgusted by the same behavior from contestant no. 24, they found themselves unable to look away from contestant no. 40’s similar behavior without realizing it.
Maybe it worked because she was cute?
That’s right.
Dangerous thoughts crept into people’s minds.
“So, what are you going to do with the prize money? Buy another dress or…?”
“….”
Of course, the host didn’t stop being cruel. Contestant no. 40’s increasingly awkward smile, as if she was troubled, was enough to gain the audience’s sympathy.
“Stop harassing her!”
“Right! Just stop it already!”
“Just ask a normal question!”
Eventually, criticism began to pour in towards the host who was making no. 40 uncomfortable. People had reached the point where they were siding with the contestant.
“Oh my, I think I was a bit harsh. I apologize.”
“No, it’s okay.”
The host asked about everyday life and hobbies, and as the malicious questions disappeared, the silver-haired participant responded with a calm smile, answering various questions.
It had been a typical question-and-answer session, but people began wishing that this final segment wouldn’t end too soon.
“…I don’t think I should watch any more.”
Erich muttered to himself.
He began to feel that he was about to awaken something dangerous.
“…Yeah.”
“….”
The other two weren’t any different.
Liana couldn’t give her usual disdainful look this time.
“Why do I feel jealous of a man?”
Liana was murmuring absentmindedly like that too.
“Come on, let’s get this appeal out of the way….”
“Do it later!”
“You’re going too fast!”
People even tried to interrupt the host.
Contestant no. 40 just giggled as if she was embarrassed by the audience’s behavior, but that was just adding fuel to the fire.
“Well, it looks like you, no. 40, have come to exert an enormous influence on the preferences of a lot of people.”
“Um… I’m sorry….”
“No, dear contestant, you don’t have to apologize, but we can’t drag this out forever, there’s still the voting portion and the competition needs to wrap up soon, so what do you have in store for us?”
The host didn’t allocate any more time for contestant no. 40.
“I will sing a song.”
Since many others had already done it, there was nothing particularly new about it. Of course, there was no accompaniment prepared, so everyone either did it in an acapella style or brought their own instruments.
Singing was common in the talent portion, but the audience’s eyes lit up at the mention that contestant no. 40, who seemed extraordinary and full of secrets, was going to sing.
“What kind of song is it?”
“It’s an original song.”
“Oh, an original! Are you a music major?”
At the somewhat probing question, contestant no. 40 gave a subtle smile.
“Well?”
After all was said and done.
During the appeal, contestant no. 40 sang a song.
And everyone was taken aback by the song sung with that untrained voice.
It was because no one had ever heard the lyrics nor the melody of “a girl tending to the bean fields” before.
For the appeal, the name of the song was Chilgapsan.
It was bizarre and strange, but in many ways it was shocking because it was a style that had never existed in imperial culture.
After the introductions of all the contestants were finished, it was now time to vote.
Forty participants came back on stage once again.
From No. 1 Kono Lint, who showed off his underwear for no reason but had a shocking evolution of abilities to those who knew, to No. 40, a mysterious contestant who could pass as a candidate for Miss Temple.
The result could be guessed without even looking.
Everyone was staring blankly at number 40.
With each passing moment, contestant No. 40’s face got increasingly flustered, and while she still tried to maintain a smile, the corners of her mouth were twitching.
It’s impossible to not be moved when witnessing a contestant on the verge of tears due to her inability to bear her own shame.
Of course, the song was bizarre because it was a style that had never been heard of before in the empire, but wasn’t there a magic word for this situation?
Extraordinary.
So it’s understandable that even if contestant 40 did something strange, it will be understood as its own charm.
“Really… It looks like she didn’t want to participate.”
Regardless of whether it suited her or not, everyone had to agree that contestant no. 40 was really struggling to endure this situation.
Why did he come all the way to this competition when he didn’t even want to participate in the first place?
“But… How much money does she need, exactly….”
Money.
People could not help but guess that contestant no. 40 had participated because she really needed the prize money. They murmured to each other and started speculating.
“I don’t know who it is, but he must have probably been really handsome to begin with. Then can’t he just enter Mister Temple?”
“Maybe he is also participating in Mister Temple.”
“Ah, I see.”
If you won both the cross-dressing competition and Mister Temple, the prize money was doubled.
All the spectators who came to watch the competition felt the same way.
Men were curious what in the hell he actually looked like
Women, naturally, wondered how handsome the guy really was.
If he participated in the cross-dressing contest because he needed the money, then he would naturally participate in the Mister Temple contest as well.
Everyone concluded that if they go see Mister Temple they will be able to figure out the guy’s identity.
While everyone was murmuring at each other, the Royal Class students were alternatingly glancing at Kono Lint and contestant no. 40.
Even though the embarrassing display of contestant no. 1’s underwear seemed to have been forgotten, Kono Lint was still in a state of mortification about it.
Caught in a complex state of being both bewildered and pleased by the situation, Kono Lint was sending looks to his friends that said “Hey, I did it!” but in reality, he found himself looking at contestant no. 40 again.
“Hey, by the way.”
“What?”
Erich de Lafaeri lightly tapped Cayer’s side.
“Do you think he was staring at me?”
Erich obviously meant participant number 40.
“…Wait, you mean he wasn’t looking at me?”
“Wasn’t it me?”
Liana frowned at Heinrich and Cayer’s words.
“What are you talking about, you idiots? He’s a guy, if he’s going to be looking at someone then it would be at me, why would he be looking at you?”
All four Royal Class students sitting in the audience were thinking that contestant no. 40 was constantly glancing at them.
“What about me?”
“Me?”
“It’s probably me.”
“No, of course it’s me. What are you even talking about?”
All four of them started bickering over trivial matters.
Everyone’s thoughts were actually correct.
Contestant no.40 kept fidgeting his eyes and occasionally met the gazes of the other four.
As soon as their eyes meet, they quickly turn their gaze away, but it’s clear that they were doing it. So, it’s inevitable that such thoughts would roll around in the boys’ heads.
But still, he’s a man….
Well, still….
No, absolutely not.
…Maybe?
Could it be that he was actually a woman?
They were caught up in confusing delusions with such bizarre thoughts.
Of course, contestant no. 40 was not like that, but in reality he was looking at them.
“Hmmm…”
Liana was looking somewhere else this time, not at contestant no. 40.
“Why?”
“Look, that person over there.”
Liana whispered to Erich, pointing somewhere.
“Don’t you find them a bit eerie?”
There, wearing a black robe, stood a figure at the very back of the auditorium, staring at contestant no. 40. Of course, there were quite a few people in the audience with their hoods pulled up to hide the fact that they had come to watch this competition, just as there were people like contestant no/40 who came to this competition with their identity hidden.
However, the black robe that was excessively dull was enough to make one feel uncomfortable just by looking at it.
“…Yeah.”
Erich, who suddenly felt a chill for no visible reason, replied..
Leaving such worries aside, the voting began.
Contestant no. 40 reluctantly entered the competition due to financial difficulties.
With his appearance alone, he probably had already secured a lot of votes, but when people heard that he participated in the tournament because he needed money, more people began to sympathize with him and even started giving him pity votes.
It was obvious that contestant no. 40 would win, and indeed he did.
No one had any objections, it was a unanimous victory.
This whole thing was just torture.
“What are your thoughts on winning the contest?”
“Oh… Thank you very much. Yes.”
But this hellish experience wasn’t over just yet.
While wearing the crown and holding the trophy given to the winner, I tried to force myself to smile, but I hoped that this would end soon.
[Event completed - Cross-dressing contest.]
[You have earned 4000 achievement points.]
[Magic power has increased by 5.]
[Magic resistance increased.]
In the end, after a damn long time, I finally obtained the reward I wanted.
And a prize of twenty gold coins as well.
20 million won.
Actually, it’s quite a large sum of money.
However, I wondered if this money was really worth exchanging my dignity for, which has already dwindled and will probably continue to disappear in the future.
My magical power was originally 14.2.
Now, my magical power is 19.2.
If it rises just by 0.8 more, I will gain the talent of [Magic Domination].
Okay.
It won’t be long now.
I did all that shit for this.
For the winner, there was a crown, a trophy, a victory speech, and cheers and screams from the audience.
-Oppa! Take me with you!
-You’re so much prettier than me, just be my unnie!
The cheers of middle school girls.
-Hyung! Please take care of me!!
-Hyung, I…
The confessions of middle school boys.
-Our secret friend, Hazzzzaaaa!
And these high school students weren’t any different.
I felt dizzy.
It felt like I was going to throw up.
Still, I tried to keep a straight face on. Just as Bertus didn’t, those guys from the Royal Class didn’t seem to recognize me.
The host, who had been harassing me with his stupid questions the whole time, smiled at me.
“Now, can you do an encore of the song you just sang to celebrate your victory?”
“….”
They asked me to sing one more song to celebrate the win, so I ended up singing “Chilgapsan” one more time.
I don’t know about the others, but seeing everyone looking perplexed and not knowing how to react, was quite funny even in that situation.
Do you all know the sorrow of the mountain hut on Chilgap Mountain?
Anyway, the cross-dressing competition was over.
Now all I had to do was safely throw away this trophy and return safely as Reinhardt.
-Hyung aaaaaah! I… feel weird…!
Ah.
Should I just kill all of you and be done with it?
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