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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Fifteen minutes earlier, in the main auditorium of the Basic Tactics Department, Building 7.
The assembled students watched the screen with skeptical eyes.
The outcome of the match between the two teams seemed too predictable.
Max’s team would undoubtedly win.
Max, inheriting the bloodline of the Sigmund family, wasn’t an easy opponent.
Everyone predicted Max’s victory and Ed’s crushing defeat.
“…”
But the atmosphere changed in an instant.
Max’s team fell into Ed’s trap, completely turning the tables.
The bustling auditorium fell silent, the only sound being the screams of Max’s team echoing through the sound amplification system.
“Not bad.”
Isabella’s eyes curved into crescents.
She had thought it strange that Ed seemed to be struggling against a fool like Max, but he had been hiding a trump card.
[Block them.]
She particularly liked his mercilessness towards his enemies.
His impassive face as he repeated “Block them,” the tone of his voice, his gaze – she was drawn to it.
She sensed that he wasn’t just a righteous and upright person.
‘I knew it. I thought you were the same as me.’
His act of kindness towards everyone while being ruthlessly cruel to his enemies – Isabella saw herself in that contrast.
The true self that emerged when she needed to achieve her goals.
The current Ed was exactly like that.
Unhesitating, merciless, showing no compassion.
He was mechanically crushing Max’s team for the sole purpose of victory.
‘I felt it during your entrance ceremony speech. You’re the same kind as me.’
Isabella had felt a strong pull towards Ed during his speech.
She had sensed that he knew how to manipulate people’s desires.
The vanity of the nobles.
Ed had catered to that vanity by praising their families, humbling himself while endlessly elevating them, choosing only the words they wanted to hear.
As a result, he achieved his goal.
He gained the favor and recognition of the nobles and became an academy student despite being a commoner.
In short, Ed was cunning.
He could see through people’s desires, manipulate them, and become ruthless to achieve his goals.
It was proof that he had a clear objective.
That was why Isabella wanted him by her side.
Because even if she exploited him, he wouldn’t break easily.
Just like the 3 fools who still considered her a friend, he would also put up with her.
“…To turn the tables… in that situation.”
Enya, however, was focused on a different aspect of Ed.
She was impressed by his ability to overcome adversity.
Ed’s teammates were all from insignificant families.
Campfire Tyler, Gardener Charlotte, Back-alley Fio.
They were a ragtag bunch.
But Ed had used their strengths, come up with a brilliant idea, and turned the situation around, reversing a battle everyone thought he would lose.
It was like watching the manga “Quickdraw.”
‘An unyielding spirit…’
Quickdraw, who had walked his own path despite being looked down upon by everyone, eventually conquering the world of swordsmen with a single draw.
She saw an overlap between Ed and Quickdraw, who had resonated with her heart so deeply.
Ed, who didn’t blame his circumstances or his teammates and did his best with what he had, was like Quickdraw in the early parts of the manga.
“Edgar Fix, this kid is something else.”
The judges were also impressed by Ed’s strategy.
This was the first time they had seen someone utilize their teammates’ abilities and the terrain so perfectly.
“The difference in rank was enormous, but he turned it around. Look at this.”
One judge showed the analysis report to his colleague.
The colleague chuckled in disbelief.
Max’s team’s expected combat power was “C+,” while Ed’s team’s was “E-.” It was an absurd difference in power.
“As you can see, the power difference is so huge that it almost seems rigged. But he overturned it with strategy alone.”
“…Amazing.”
“He expertly exploited their psychological weaknesses. He made them lower their guard multiple times. The vine trap’s failure, his comical retreat, the defeat in front of the cave – it was all intentional, to lure Max’s team into the cave.”
“That’s a textbook example of a psychological trap.”
The judges considered Ed’s strategy a textbook example of a luring tactic.
It was such a perfect example that they would tell others to “watch the match between Ed’s team and Max’s team” when teaching about luring tactics.
[KABOOM!]
But the match wasn’t over yet.
Max emerged from the destroyed side of the cave.
Though his condition was poor from inhaling the smoke, he still had a chance to counterattack.
He was, after all, a descendant of the Sigmund family.
[I’ll finish this.]
But at that moment, Ed stepped forward boldly, facing Max, who wielded the Sigmund family’s treasured sword, the Black Obsidian Blade, unarmed.
Some students in the auditorium murmured about his recklessness.
No matter how weakened Max was, he still held the Black Obsidian Blade.
-Th-this is dangerous.
-Does Sir Fix not know about the Black Obsidian Blade? It was made by a Master Craftsman dwarf.
-He wouldn’t be so unguarded if he knew.
The Black Obsidian Blade, one of the empire’s four cursed swords, had elevated the Sigmund family to their current status.
This cursed sword had gained notoriety during the great war seven years ago.
The Sigmund family, originally just a count family, had risen to stand shoulder to shoulder with marquises thanks to this sword.
Everyone watched Ed with bated breath.
Approaching so carelessly, he was bound to suffer a terrible fate.
He would be instantly sucked into the sword’s magic and mercilessly slaughtered.
[-Crack!]
A rift suddenly appeared in the air.
A bracelet emerged from the rift. Ed, walking leisurely with his hand in the rift, snatched the bracelet with his left hand and strapped it onto his right wrist.
[Ziiiiiiing….]
The mana stone at the center of the bracelet glowed, and the bracelet began to transform.
Metal extended from the bracelet, encasing Ed’s wrist and hand.
[Clack… Clack… Clack… Whirr…]
A pleasant sound emanated as the alloy parts interlocked precisely.
In an instant, the gauntlet was complete, firmly attached to Ed’s hand.
Everyone in the auditorium watched, wide-eyed.
‘What was that?’
[Kiiiiiiing—!]
Ed extended his gauntlet-clad hand, pointing at the staggering Max.
A round, white light pulsed in his open palm.
The white light grew in size, emitting a high-pitched whine.
*Kiiiiiiing—!*
The frequency of the whine increased.
The tension in the hall intensified.
[Bang!]
It was instantaneous.
A white flash shot from the gauntlet, striking Max squarely in the abdomen.
His body bent into a ‘⊂’ shape and flew backward, disappearing into the distance.
Only the Black Obsidian Blade remained.
He had vanished.
And that was it.
Ed turned and walked back towards his teammates without even checking the result.
[Clack… Clack… Whirr…]
The gauntlet retracted.
As if rewinding the equipping process, the metal encasing his hand was absorbed back into the bracelet.
[Ping!]
Having retracted all the metal, the bracelet detached itself from Ed’s wrist as if it had a will of its own.
It hovered in the air for a split second.
[Crackle!]
Just before it fell to the ground, a rift appeared and swallowed the bracelet.
The unidentified weapon that had obliterated Max, vanished without a trace.
Everyone in the auditorium stared, mouths agape.
“…”
No one could speak.
It was as if they were under a collective hypnosis.
‘What had they just witnessed?’
Forget the Black Obsidian Blade; that was a weapon from a different dimension.
“…Ha.”
Grand Mage Elena was equally shocked.
She stared blankly at the screen, finally regaining her senses.
She had known that her disciple possessed extraordinary talent, but she hadn’t realized it was capable of such innovation.
[Um, Supervisor?]
But the person in question was unfazed.
With an innocent expression, he urged the supervisor, asking why the match wasn’t over and if he shouldn’t be healing the injured.
[R-right.]
The supervisor, snapping out of his daze, nodded.
His figure flickered and vanished.
Max and his unconscious teammates appeared on the ground, Max with a large wound on his abdomen.
The supervisor healed them and announced the results of the match with a bewildered expression.
[Max Sigmund, Kruga Venden, Peter Collins, Cain Morgan, Vendan Truga. All disqualified.]
“…”
[Edgar Fix, Charlotte Verdian, Tyler Martin, Fio Bailey. All pass.]
With that declaration, the supervisor ended the match.
The teleportation orb in the arena glowed, transporting Ed’s and Max’s teams back to the auditorium.
“…”
But the atmosphere in the auditorium was strange.
It was eerily quiet.
Everyone just stared at Ed blankly.
Uncomfortable with the attention, Ed looked around, scratched the back of his head, and asked,
“Uh, why’s the mood like this?”
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Edgar: “I am Iron Man”
Sigmund’s defeat was inevitable