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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The grand coliseum within Mirinae Academy.
The atmosphere was electric.
–Bbahm pah-ra-pah-ra-bah-rah-bahm!
A resounding march blared, accompanied by a shower of flower petals from above.
Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Cheers erupted, threatening to pierce the very heavens.
–BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The deep, resonant beat of drums pulsed through the air, seizing control of every heartbeat.
The inter-academy exchange competition, where academies from across the land gathered to test their mettle, had begun.
“Let the games begin!”
Gainard, overseeing the competition, announced the start with a crisp, authoritative voice.
“Velutos! Velutos! Velutos!”
“Mirinae! Mirinae! Mirinae!”
“Ruamos! Ruamos! Ruamos!”
“Tanteroi! Tanteroi! Tanteroi!”
Each academy’s name echoed through the coliseum, roared by their fervent supporters, fueling the already intense atmosphere.
“This year’s inter-academy exchange competition is being held here at Mirinae Academy. Therefore, I, Gainard Grants, will be presiding over the proceedings.”
“Waaaaaaaah! The Golden Knight! The Golden Knight!”
“He’s so handsome! So cool!”
Gainard gave a short, respectful bow before continuing.
“Now, we will begin the entrance ceremony for the first-year students. As per tradition, the academies will enter in reverse order of last year’s first-year rankings.”
Tanteroi Academy, enter!
As Gainard’s words faded, a wave of cheers erupted from the Tanteroi Academy section.
An aura of raw power emanated from them, their eyes burning with ambition.
Despite the heavy armor that seemed to burden their every step, they walked with an unyielding resolve.
Clang, clang, clang, clang.
Most of the students aspired to become knights, their expressions reflecting their unwavering determination.
Their faces were hidden behind visors, revealing only their fierce gazes.
An oppressive aura of unwavering resolve radiated from them, extending beyond their armor, permeating the coliseum.
They carried themselves with a quiet defiance, determined to shed the shame of being underestimated as commoners.
Last year’s defeat was their seniors’ burden to bear, not theirs.
–Clank, clank, clank.
The heavy, metallic clang of their armor echoed through the coliseum, accompanied by a silent, almost bovine, intensity.
The students of Tanteroi Academy, predominantly commoners, had arrived.
“Victory is ours!”
“Woo! Woo! Woo! Ah!”
A textbook example of knightly discipline and spirit.
Arak, the representative for Tanteroi Academy’s first-year students, stood at the forefront.
His imposing stature and commanding presence, rumored to originate from a distant land, made it difficult to believe he was only seventeen.
‘Incredible.’
‘Perhaps Tanteroi will claim the first-year championship this year.’
As the other academies recoiled before Tanteroi’s overwhelming presence, Gainard introduced the next academy.
“Ruamos Academy, enter!”
A hymn filled the air as his words faded.
Angelic voices descended from above, enveloping the coliseum in a celestial embrace.
–Rustle, rustle.
The soft rustle of fabric accompanied their every step, a testament to the priestly garments they wore.
Robes of priests and nuns.
A harmonious blend of pure white and deep black, accented with lines of gold.
Their mere presence inspired a sense of reverence, awakening dormant faith within the hearts of onlookers.
The heated atmosphere of the coliseum cooled, replaced by a wave of devotion.
The gentle hymn washed over the audience like a warm spring breeze, a comforting embrace.
It spoke of love, compassion, and happiness, prompting some to clasp their hands in prayer.
The devout followers of the Ruamos faith, the students of Ruamos Academy, had arrived.
Raymay, the representative for Ruamos Academy’s first-year students, knelt reverently at the forefront, hands clasped in prayer.
The embodiment of piety and devotion.
Gainard, sensing the shift in atmosphere from fervent excitement to solemn reverence, quickly introduced the next academy.
“Mirinae Academy, enter!”
The first thing that caught their attention was a red cap.
‘Hmm?’
Was that part of the Mirinae Academy uniform?
A red cap, dark sunglasses, a black t-shirt, and khaki pants.
An unusual ensemble, worn by the student leading the Mirinae Academy procession.
–Thump, thump, thump.
“Wh… what is that?”
“…? They’re so different from last year.”
Last year, Mirinae Academy had resembled a disorganized child’s room.
The deep-seated conflict between nobles and commoners had led to a disjointed entrance, with students entering in two separate lines, some even exchanging heated words.
A cacophony of discord in a place that supposedly valued cooperation above all else—that had been Mirinae Academy.
Therefore, everyone expected a similar display this year. However, that expectation was shattered.
The students of Mirinae Academy entered with an unprecedented level of discipline, order, and unity, surprising not only the audience but the other academies as well.
“That red cap is their leader.”
Every student, except for one, wore the same outfit.
They followed their red-capped leader, mirroring his every move. They walked when he walked, stopped when he stopped.
“Halt.”
–Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The owner of the red cap.
Lee Seok-hyun raised his fist, signaling a halt, and the entire procession stopped in perfect unison.
“Stand by.”
He simply stood there, exuding an aura of quiet authority, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.
The fiery intensity of the armored knights and the devout reverence of the priestly procession paled before this display of disciplined order.
Even Gainard was taken aback by their transformation, momentarily forgetting his duties before finally introducing the last academy.
“Velutos Academy, enter!”
–Swoosh.
The announcement was met with an immediate, dramatic flourish.
A red carpet unfurled across the dirt floor.
Not just any ordinary carpet, but one rumored to be worth the price of a small building.
–Rustle, rustle.
Unlike the other academies, there was no sense of grandeur or warmth in their entrance.
Pure-blooded nobles. Velutos.
These two words alone carried an undeniable weight, their combined presence radiating through the coliseum.
They simply walked, their every step a statement of their inherent superiority.
Dressed in exquisite uniforms, their noble bearing evident in every gesture.
And among them, the most radiant was Elua Velutos, their representative.
Her shimmering, summer-sea-blue hair cascaded around her as she surveyed her surroundings with a dismissive smile, as if nothing could possibly impress her.
But ironically, all eyes were on Mirinae Academy.
Freshness.
An unexpected, captivating novelty that the other academies lacked.
Even the students of Velutos Academy, after taking their designated positions, couldn’t help but stare at their rivals.
“Lord Bellos is standing at the back…”
“Does Mirinae Academy have a student with a higher rank than a prince?”
“…Is that the commoner Lady Elua mentioned?”
“What? That commoner is representing Mirinae?”
‘Quiet! We need to focus on what we’re doing.’
Elua wanted to silence their whispers, but she too found herself drawn to the spectacle.
‘Lee Seok-hyun… what is he thinking?’
The foolish, clumsy commoner she’d encountered at the Portal Management Office seemed like a distant memory.
Lee Seok-hyun stood silently, his expression unreadable.
If it weren’t for the sunglasses obscuring his gaze, she might have gleaned some insight into his thoughts.
‘What is he planning?!’
Elua gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed on Lee Seok-hyun.
Mirinae Academy had made a powerful statement from the very beginning.
“Now, we will begin the oath ceremony. Please raise your left hands.”
With all eyes on them, the inter-academy exchange competition officially commenced.
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I’m screwed.
That was my final assessment after observing the other academies while dressed in my drill instructor uniform.
‘Things have gotten a bit out of hand.’
I hadn’t planned on wearing this outfit to the coliseum.
To be the only one dressed like a drill instructor while everyone else wore their academy uniforms, leading the procession and giving commands?
It felt like an attention-grabbing stunt, something I normally avoided.
But the expectations surrounding Mirinae Academy’s entrance were too high to ignore.
‘Why did I even agree to this?’
I recalled the conversation from a few days earlier, when we’d discussed our entrance strategy.
“Seok-hyun, we’ll obviously enter like we do for combined training, right?”
“Huh?”
While everyone else pondered the question, Woo Do-hyun’s casual remark had sparked a flurry of enthusiastic agreement.
“Woo Do-hyun, you ask the obvious, of course. Do you think a commoner wouldn’t understand such basic principles? Don’t worry, commoner. I’ll arrange for a top designer to create the finest drill instructor uniform imaginable.”
Bellos had proudly announced he was already working on the design.
“But Seok-hyun, we’ll continue combined training even after the first semester, right?”
Mijuran had apparently assumed the drill instructor uniform was a given, her focus entirely on the training schedule.
“Seok-hyun, my legs hurt, carry me.”
And then there was Meiri, who always had a laundry list of demands despite not even participating in the training.
Anyway, with that level of expectation, I couldn’t refuse.
‘I’ve drawn too much attention.’
Excessive attention early on would only lead to more scrutiny, a definite disadvantage.
In this situation, I had no choice but to resort to drastic measures.
‘Let’s make this a big one.’
I couldn’t be the only one under the spotlight.
‘I need to involve the other academies in this wager.’
If I was going to pull off a con, I might as well go big. Recalling an old adage, I raised my left hand for the oath ceremony.
This wasn’t just an inter-academy exchange competition anymore.
It was a marketplace, and the other academies were my customers, ready to wager their fortunes.
This was my domain.
‘This brings back memories.’
My twenties, spent hustling in Dongdaemun selling clothes, then hawking cell phones in Yongsan.
Those days flashed before my eyes.
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Thanks for the chapter
I wonder the reasons they set up a competition for first year students. There must be a political one as this is lopsided for the nobles who can affords all the trainings at a very early age. And the first year will be the best chance to showcase their superiority as the commoners have barely anytime to learn and develop their skills at the academies.