Chapter 1-15
The day of the exam.
The first day’s exam is the physical strength test.
All four hundred thirty two new students are gathering in the school’s yard
While they were supposed to come in an outfit easy to move around in, there is also the issue of it being early morning, so everyone is wearing quite a bit of clothes.
That being said, I am also wearing long sleeves and pants, taking care not to let my body heat be stolen.
Around five minutes after the assembly time, someone who could be thought to be an instructor appeared from the front of the yard.
“Eh, nice to meet you, everyone. I am the instructor Mitchell Woo.
Today’s exam is the physical strength test. I’ll have you run the school’s outer circumference of about ten kilometers.
Your time will affect your score just like that, so endevor properly.
Each individual has a cloth with their assigned number on it made, so wear it on your front.
Well then, we’ll start one hour later at the main gate, so do not be negligent in preparation! That will be all!”
A ten kilometer marathon, huh. I have confidence in my physical strength, so I’m glad it’s a simple event.
My number is 44.
Normally you won’t have good feelings with such a number.
However, I entered my warm-up exercises without my motivation especially dropping.
The two beside me exercising in the same way are the two who came to my room early this morning.
“I’ll confirm your base physical strength with today’s exam.”
Vaine is stretching his body with thorough care while talking.
“Don’t talk from a higher viewpoint, blockhead! I’ve only allowed such a way of speaking from Kururi-dono!”
Curosshi also performs stretches with scrupulous care just like how Vaine instructed him to yesterday.
“Ow ow, don’t push so strongly!”
By the time I notice, Vaine has entered supporting Crosshi’s stretching.
I must be his way of getting even for the slander.
“You, I said yesterday to not touch my skin so much! Pervert freak!”
“I can’t support without touching. You’ll get used to it right away.”
“As if I’ll allow it!”
They’re performing the same type of exchange as yesterday.
I had the intent of calling myself the person to most understand Vaine, but those two are already far more close.
Well then, during the time the two were flirting, I looked around the area.
Oh, there are faces I know here and there.
I found Iris.
She’s also exercising with meticulous care.
She was making the eyes of ‘I’ll win no matter what.’
Thanks to that, I hesitated to greet her with light feelings.
Which reminds me, this academy has no consideration towards the sexes or the like.
A pure contest of physical strength without handicaps, huh.
Well, the excelling women are just that numerous, I suppose.
…I won’t lose to Iris, right?
I became a bit uneasy.
I look around for others and,… he’s there!!
The first prince Arc and his best friend Reil.
While the two’s floridity stands out, above all, being surrounded by women is the reason for standing out so extremely.
Arc wasn’t showing the sort of polite correspondence he showed at the party.
That’s him appealing, ‘Hurry up and leave!’ with his gaze.
I can see his best friend Reil trying to curry his favor going, ‘Now, now.’
As I thought, being a prince is difficult.
I look around the area again and… , once again, big-shot spotted.
Eliza Deauville.
The prime minister’s daughter and the grade’s top beauty.
Excellence in studies, almighty in sports.
Possessing blue eyes, her beautifully lengthened hair reaches until the waist.
She is slightly closing her eyes and standing erect while folding her arms, but that standing figure is also beautiful!
As expected of my future wife.
Honestly, she’s absurdly my type.
And yet, why is her personality bad!?
If she were modest, wouldn’t she be perfect?。
What a waste.
Even now Eliza’s followers, the big four, are stationed behind her.
Everyone is being coerced by the big four’s gaze and don’t approach.
If there’s a man worth greeting, she will approach on her own.
With the exception of that, reject all others! It’s as if they were given such a mission.
That has to be it.
Come to think of it, the Eliza in the game, If I’m not mistaken, was in class A as if it were a given.
So that means she should encroach upon the upper ranks of this marathon.
…Pu.
After imagining Eliza’s face as she’s frantically running, I laughed a little.
Even though she’s putting on such a cool act… .
It seems like from my imaginary image, a feeling of affinity towards Eliza bubbled up.
It seems that Vaine and Crosshi are getting on well together, so I approached Eliza’s location out of curiosity.
“Yo, morning. I’m-”
Before ending talking, I was thrusted away by a woman who could be thought of as the big four.
That’s violence!!
“Back off, menial!!”
“Menial!?”
What’s menial!? It’s the first time I’ve been called it so I don’t know.
“Um, I just thought to greet Eliza-san,” I conveyed with quite the confusion.
“Eliza-sama is busy right now. Do you not understand by looking!? Menial!!”
The member of the big four who thrust me away answered.
“Menial!? Well, I’m just standing anyway.”
“You’re persistent, menial!!”
“Menial!?”
“Stop, Merime-san”
The unexpected entrance of the core.
Eliza commands the girl called Merime and came in from of me.
To the point you could call it perfect, a beautifully conducted bow.
I almost ended up letting out a pure impression of to the like of, ‘beautiful.’
“You are Kururi Helan, correct? I am named Eliza Deauville.
I’m sorry that one of my attendants were rude to you just earlier.”
“Nah, It’s fine. I’m not worrying about it.
More so than that, please treat me well from now on, Eliza-san.”
“Yes, I am incompetent in many things, but please treat me favorably.”
“Nevertheless, Eliza-san, not excluding that bow just now nor your appearance, everything about you is very beautiful.”
Her appearance was so beautiful to the extent that such simple words are inexcusable.
“Fufu, It seems Kururi-san is skilled in the treatment of women.”
“No, It’s simply my true feelings.”
“Is that so? Then I will happily accept them.
Well, I have to prepare. I will take my leave here.”
“Ah, let’s both do our best.”
“Yes.”
Eliza finished a perfect bow yet again and quickly went back.
One of the big four, Merime also came did a bow as an apology.
More so than that, take back that “Menial!” from earlier!!
My impression of Eliza was a very good one.
I can’t imagine such a kid bullying Iris.
Hmm, but she will do it.
That’s women’s scariness right there. You can’t see anything coming from the outside appearance.
I need to stop her without being fooled by her beauty.
That’s also my greatest reason for me being at this academy after all.
I finished my warm-up and put a light burden on my body.
At ten minutes before starting, everyone in the surroundings are finished preparing.
As expected of a school where the elite gather.
“You get nervous a bit, right, master?”
Right before the start, Crosshi said such a thing.
“Ah, I get nervous.”
It’s better to talk when you’re nervous. It’s my pet theory.
“Is everyone ready?”
There was no one who responded to instructor Woo’s call.
That’s also the sign that everyone is fine.
“Start!” Along with the instructor’s voice, a signal gun resounds.
Right after starting, three large masses are formed – the lead, middle, and low rank group.
Everyone must have objectively judged their physical strength and decided to move to their position beforehand.
I naturally hung to the lead group.
I don’t want to think about too many unnecessary things.
I didn’t look to see who was nearby.
The school’s outer wall can be seen on the left while running, so I turned left at the first turning point.
There are four of these points total. After three turns, last is a straight line.
At the first turning point, the lead group had approximately fifty people.
The group gets progressively spread out and it becomes easier to run.
The group continued to spread apart in this way.
At the second turning point, it had decreased to about thirty people.
Ah, Vaine’s here.
I noticed because he’s big..
Bad, bad. If I lose concentration, I’ll fall out of the group.
After the turning at the second point, the straight portion is long.
For a straight course, no matter how much you run, it doesn’t seem like the distance has been closed.
I bear this mental anguish and by the time I notice, the group has become about ten people.
The one pulling the vanguard is the first prince, Arc.
‘Really!?’ I thought, but no good! Focus!
At the third turn, the longest straight section had finished.
Arc, Reil, Vaine, a guy who runs with a spring in his step, and I remained in the lead.
I was a bit surprised by the prince who raised his pace after coming so far, but somehow everyone hung on.
However, after turning at the last point, Vaine and the springy guy fell out.
It’s the final battle with three people.
Arc put on his last spurt.
I hang on so I don’t get pulled away, but I immediately realized.
I have another gear.
But, let’s turn over first place.
I don’t want to stand out too much and it doesn’t seem like it’ll be good later even if I win against the prince.
I decrease my pace little by little and pulled away from Arc.
I get overtaken by Reil who I had temporarily pulled away from.
He also seems to be reasonably tired and doesn’t force himself to pass me.
We proceed in the shape of running side-by-side and the goal becomes visible.
It seems Arc has already reached the goal and is resting.
“You seem like you still have your composure,” I was suddenly told such a thing by the Reil next to me with a smile.
It was a strangely eerie smile.
Power leaves my body, giving a weightless feeling. Reil is second, but I took third.
After the race, Arc and Riel are praising each other’s efforts.
Immediately after, at the end of a close contest between Vaine and the springy guy, Vaine won by the difference of a tenth of a second.
“Alright!”
It’s his rarely heard loud voice.
“Kururi did better than I thought,” Vaine came and called out to me after getting water.
“Vaine also did well running with that large body.”
I also gave praise to Vaine.
After exercising, just why does your mood seem to become so refreshing?
After that men who trained their bodies flowed into the goal one after another.
As expected, it was intense for women, so there are still no clearers.
“Next is ninth, huh.”
It’s the final one-digit place.
I look at Vaine and his gaze was turned towards the course.
I’m sure one thing or another, he’s worried about Crosshi.
And he might also be wishing he makes it into the upper ranks at the same time.
I was immediately able to see the ninth placer.
It’s a woman!
Due to it not being Crosshi, Vaine immediately lost interest.
After straining my eyes, I can see a dead heat unfolding between Iris and Eliza.
Whoever enters next is ninth.
It is the last single-digit place and also a fight that staked the women’s first for the two.
The two are frantic enough that for value of their beautiful faces to be lost.
Iris.
You can’t win!!
I yelled franticly in my heart.
I want to put it into voice, but I can’t do something like that.
Eliza’s pride will be trampled over.
Please!!
Iris, for your sake, for my sake, for the world’s sake, please lose!!
“Do your best! It’s the end, stand firm, Iris!!”
Vaine is refreshingly cheering beside me without worrying about the presence of others.
You stupid bastard!!
“Eliza!! Stand firm!!”
I instinctively let out a voice.
“Iris!!” Vaine yells.
“Eliza!!” I also yell undauntedly.
“Iris!!”
“Eliza!!”
“Irisーー!!”
“Elizaーーー!!”
The two see the goal and enter a final acceleration.
The two rushed into the goad at nearly the same time.
Which is it!?
“Eliza’s a bit ahead.”
Instructor Woo answered.
“Yeahーーーー!!”
I unintentionally yelled.
Eliza had the expression of, ‘Why are you pleased?
“Well done. Eliza-san…, right? It was a good race.”
Iris ran over to Eliza and extended her hand.
A good after sports scene.
“Hmph.” Eliza lightly spurns her and ignores her, going to get water.
Iris comes this way sorrowfully.
“It looks like I’m disliked. Even though we had a good match.”
“Well done. It was a good match. Also, a good result.”
Passing water to Iris, I showed a full smile.