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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Princess Lyla smiled faintly.
It was a beautiful smile, but also an unreadable mask.
It was hard to tell if she was angered by the provocation or intrigued.
“Indeed, fellow student. As competitors, there’s nothing strange about a contest.”
However, she added,
“It seems I’m not the only one you’ll have to overcome.”
“—Exactly, you nouveau riche brat.”
A haughty voice rang out, and a young man stepped forward.
With a high nose bridge and tightly pursed lips, the arrogant young nobleman was Eagle Fendevig, the eldest son of the renowned Fendevig mage family from the former Magic Kingdom of Morian.
Beside him, his twin sister, Hau Fendevig, stood with her arms crossed with a smug expression on her face.
“Do you think a momentary advantage gained through underhanded tactics equates to true skill? It’s absurd to talk about first place while ignoring us.”
Chrom shrugged.
“Isn’t it a bit much to bring up social status at the Academy?”
Eagle’s eyebrow twitched at Chrom’s noticeably casual tone, a stark contrast to the respectful manner he had used with Princess Lyla.
“What’s wrong with calling a nouveau riche a nouveau riche? I didn’t mention anything about commoners, so it shouldn’t matter.”
“That’s just playing with words—but whatever.”
‘At least he’s more interesting to deal with than that boar,’ Chrom muttered, then looked around.
Crow Vein, the dual-wielding swordsman from the Grand Duchy of Nahart, stood among the students with a competitive smile on his face as he watched Chrom’s group.
Beside him, Akasha, the youngest paladin, waved.
Alphonse Betouare, a handsome young knight with blond hair and blue eyes, hailing from the old royal faction of the Sphero Kingdom, watched with a glint in his eyes.
He was accompanied by two other knights and a muscular, bare-chested giant.
Among them were those Chrom had met and spoken with, those he knew only through “knowledge,” and those he had never encountered before.
One empire and three vassal kingdoms. And those who belonged to none.
In the center of it all, the imperial princess spoke.
“It seems this will be an interesting competition, Chrom.”
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After the brief standoff, the students dispersed.
Chrom’s teammates, claiming exhaustion, also headed back to their dorms.
Lotto, seemingly overwhelmed by the events, looked dazed.
Pino grumbled about being dragged into Chrom’s schemes but quickly changed her tune when he mentioned a bonus based on their final score.
She was truly a talent Bern Midas would have hired in a heartbeat.
Lavaul seemed slightly embarrassed but not particularly afraid.
Fiore, excited at the prospect of a challenge, was clearly fearless.
Only after the others had left did Regret, who had been silent until then, finally speak.
“You told me when we first made our agreement. This place is crawling with monsters even stronger than me.”
“I did.”
I nodded, then added,
“But that was you as ‘a girl from a mercenary background.’ You’re different now. That’s what we’ve been working towards for two years.”
I was confident that even against Crow Vein, who possessed top-tier physical combat potential among the “Planetarium” companions, Regret could win if she fought seriously.
Battles always had unpredictable elements, so Regret wasn’t invincible.
But few students could confidently face her in a one-on-one fight.
And there was a vast difference between “few” and “none.”
Regret must have realized that too.
“That princess is a monster. I’ve never seen her fight seriously, but her formula precision and mana control are on a different level.”
She was undoubtedly talented.
Her environment and age advantage also played a role.
But even considering all that, she was undeniably a monster.
And that meant—
“Honestly, haven’t you been itching for a real challenge? Let’s aim for the top and take down the boss.”
She was the perfect target.
Regret looked exasperated.
“Easy for you to say, since you’re not the one fighting.”
“Hey, let’s be realistic. That princess is a walking fortress. You want me to breach a fortress? I’m just an ordinary human, after all.”
“And I’m not?”
“You’re practically superhuman. You can crush iron pipes with your bare hands. Calling yourself human is a bit…whoa, whoa, violence is never the answer!”
I quickly backed away from Regret as she cracked her knuckles.
What she considered a light jab could break my bones. I couldn’t afford to get injured before an important event.
“So, are you backing out?”
“Who said I was backing out?”
“Then it’s settled.”
“…Never mind.”
It was a rather anticlimactic conversation, but it was enough.
Knowing we were still on the same page was all that mattered.
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The second stage of the project took place in a vast forest within the Academy grounds.
At this point, the fundamental question of what constituted a “group project” arose, but this was an Academy with special forces-level entrance exams.
Applying common sense here was foolish.
Professor Istal began her explanation.
“The name of this project is Treasure Thief! The rules are simple! Find and acquire ‘treasures’ hidden throughout this forest. The treasures emit a distinct red aura, so they’re easy to identify. Every day at midnight, the treasures held by a team will disappear. Teams without a treasure will be eliminated. The project ends when four or fewer teams remain. That’s all!”
Most of the students grimaced.
Not only would they have to survive in the forest for days, but the structure of the project inevitably led to conflict.
The name “Treasure Thief” itself implied taking treasures from others.
Whether those treasures belonged to some unknown entity or other teams.
Fiore Midas asked,
“If a team possesses multiple treasures, will they all disappear at midnight?”
“No, only one treasure will disappear in that case.”
Alphonse Betouare asked,
“What exactly constitutes ‘possession’ of a treasure?”
“A mark will appear on the student closest to a treasure after they’ve made contact with it. That mark determines possession.”
Crow Vein started to ask a question,
“Then—”
“Yes, well, figure out the rest yourselves! Move out!”
“No, wait, you’re ignoring my—whoaaaa!”
Whoosh!
Crow, who was about to complain, was launched into the air and sent crashing into the forest.
Professor Istal, having just thrown a person like a shot put, nonchalantly dusted her hands and said to the remaining students with a smile,
“Now, to your designated locations!”
“…”
The students thought,
‘Why is she always the one explaining things when she hates details so much?’
‘At least give us a summary or have her subordinates do it.’
‘I have more questions, but I’ll keep quiet or I’ll end up buried in the ground.’
They couldn’t voice their complaints.
The trifecta of authority, violence, and madness kept even the most arrogant students in check.
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After arriving at our designated location, I said,
“Everyone, first, let’s scout the area for a suitable base camp. I have a portable shelter, so we just need a place to set it up. We have enough food and water. Prioritize finding a defensible location.”
Fiore tilted her head.
“Defense is important, but shouldn’t we secure a treasure first? We’ll be eliminated if we don’t have one by midnight.”
I replied,
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the treasure.”
This was just another form of item farming, albeit a rather unusual one.
It was time for the ‘Greedy Prodigal’ to shine.
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