The Transmigrator Doesn’t Dream of Being the Protagonist – Chapter 12

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The Erze Trading Company was also on my investment list.

In the future, Tia would take over the company, and its stock price would skyrocket.

My plan was to hold onto those stocks for as long as possible.

Her specialties were Spirit Magic and archery.

Fitting skills for someone who preferred a more refined approach to combat, someone who disliked getting their hands dirty.

She had a trace of elf blood in her lineage, which explained her affinity for those skills. And as if to prove it, her beauty was captivating, drawing the eye wherever she went. And while smaller than a full-blooded elf’s, her ears were distinctly pointed.

In fact, one of the reasons Tia had enrolled in Neydia Academy was to recruit promising talent for her trading company.

Tia Erze was a calculating woman who valued practicality above all else. She chose her allies based on their usefulness, their potential to benefit her future endeavors.

And since I had no idea what the future held for me…

I decided to let our dear protagonist handle the hero business while I focused on winning the favor of this wealthy and influential heiress.

Joining the Erze Trading Company after graduation?

That was a guaranteed ticket to success. Why bother risking my life as a hero?

“Likewise, I look forward to our spar,” I said politely.

A small green orb materialized beside her.

A wind spirit.

“Tia Erze, may I propose a game?”

“A game?” Her eyebrow arched in amusement.

“Yes. I heard you enjoy games.”

“I don’t dislike them,” she said, her voice carefully neutral.

That was an understatement.

Tia loved games.

“If I win, I’d like your business card.”

Asking for a merchant’s business card was equivalent to asking for their contact information.

Tia tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear, considering my proposal. Her expression was unreadable.

She waited until most of the students were preoccupied with their own sparring matches before speaking.

“My business card? My contact information is quite valuable. Let’s hear what you’re offering. What will you do if I win?”

“May I whisper it to you?”

“That’s… unconventional.”

“You’ll regret it if you refuse.”

Her blue eyes narrowed.

“Very well. But I’ll remember this if I’m not satisfied with your offer.”

Her tone was calm, but her words carried weight.

Tia was a woman of her word. Antagonizing her now would be equivalent to making an enemy of the powerful trading company she would one day lead.

“Tell me, then, what is this valuable information you possess?”

She approached me, her red hair shimmering in the sunlight.

I smiled, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

“I’ll get you the complete collection of ‘The Hero’s Secret.’”

She flinched, taking a step back.

Tia’s secret was that she loved romance novels.

And not just any romance novels. She had a soft spot for trashy, melodramatic love stories.

Her favorite pastime was curling up in her room, devouring romance novels and indulging in elaborate fantasies.

But Tia, conscious of her image and the potential for scandal, kept her guilty pleasure a secret. She wouldn’t even ask her servants to procure such novels for her, let alone purchase them herself.

“Do I look like someone who enjoys such frivolous literature?”

Her voice was a bit higher than usual.

Her ability to maintain her composure in such situations was remarkable.

But she couldn’t hide the slight upturn of her lips.

Cute.

I fought back a smile.

“I heard it’s the most popular series in the market right now. I assumed everyone would be interested…”

“Don’t mock me,” she said, her voice low.

We were practically whispering.

“If you’re not interested, then it can’t be helped. Let’s forget this ever happened.”

“…Wait.”

I waited patiently for her to speak.

Her cheeks seemed to be flushed.

“Fine. I accept your offer.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to indulge my request.”

“Just to be clear, I’ve heard good things about this series. I’m simply… conducting market research. It’s purely for business purposes.”

Of course, I hadn’t misinterpreted her interest.

But saying that out loud would only make her dig in her heels.

“So, what are the rules of this game?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“It’s quite simple. We’ll try to steal each other’s necklaces. Any means necessary. The first to obtain the other’s necklace wins. But if you touch your own necklace during the game, you’re disqualified.”

She nodded, her expression thoughtful.

Good, she was a quick learner.

I handed her a necklace.

It was a cheap leather necklace with a magnetic clasp.

Five years from now, this game, the “Necklace Snatch,” would become a popular pastime among adventurers.

The goal was to snatch your opponent’s necklace within five minutes.

It might be a future trend, but who cared?

If I could use this opportunity to network with Tia, maybe even secure a position as her assistant after graduation, that would be a win in my book.

“This seems… intriguing,” she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

“It’s incredibly fun,” I replied, my tone earnest.

It wasn’t a lie. The Necklace Snatch was actually quite enjoyable. It would become so popular that not knowing the rules would be considered social suicide among adventurers.

“When do we begin?”

“Now.”

“Luviel, please notify me in five minutes.”

She addressed her spirit.

A blue glow enveloped her left hand, and a green glow enveloped her right. The wind spirit and the water spirit, ready to do her bidding.

“Shall we?”

I nodded, and Tia launched herself towards me.

Whoosh!

I sidestepped her attack, narrowly avoiding her grasp.

The wind spirit enhanced her speed and agility. A faint breeze swirled around her ankles.

I was impressed. Even a low-level spirit was capable of such feats.

In actuality, Tia had already formed a contract with an intermediate-level spirit, but she was keeping it a secret.

She wasn’t about to reveal her true strength in a casual sparring match.

I had to give it my all.

I had a secret weapon, after all.

The Heart of Winter.

And I had managed to defeat Dania, a three-star swordswoman.

“Damn it,” she muttered, her frustration evident.

The words seemed to slip out unintentionally.

She quickly composed herself, pressing her lips together.

She retreated a few steps, her eyes narrowed.

“Since you said any means necessary, I assume physical attacks are permitted?”

“Of course,” I replied smoothly.

At that moment, the wind spirit attacked from behind, its movements swift and silent.

But I was ready. I pivoted, dodging the wind cutter just in time.

It whizzed past my waist, missing me by inches.

I swung my wooden sword, aiming for the spirit.

It felt like playing whack-a-mole.

Tia, seizing the opportunity, charged towards me. I leaned back, extending my arm to grab her necklace.

But she was too quick. She retreated with two swift steps, putting more distance between us.

“You’re quite agile. I didn’t want to use this, but…”

A fiery spirit materialized beside her.

She gestured with her hand, and a ball of fire hurtled towards me.

Thwack!

I deflected the fireball with my wooden sword, splitting it in two.

The fiery orbs dissipated into thin air, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

But it was a distraction.

The earth beneath my feet erupted, tendrils of soil wrapping around my ankles, pinning me in place.

“It seems I win,” Tia said, a triumphant smile on her face.

She lunged towards me, her hand reaching for my necklace.

I jerked my head back, narrowly avoiding her grasp.

Then, with a flick of my wrist, I hooked her necklace with my wooden sword, sending it flying into the air.

I snatched it out of the air, clutching it tightly in my hand.

“Ah…”

“I believe victory is mine.”

She bit her lower lip, her expression a mix of surprise and disappointment.

But she quickly recovered, composing herself.

“Surely we’re playing best of three, right?”

“What?”

I stared at her, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Tia, as expected, was incredibly competitive.

“Aren’t we?” she asked innocently.

It was true that I hadn’t explicitly stated it was a one-round game.

She was being devious, exploiting a loophole in our agreement. And her innocent act made it difficult to refuse.

“Of course, best of three,” I said, sighing inwardly.

Losing another round would be a blow to my pride.

The earth spirit that had been holding my ankles released its grip.

If I had insisted on a single round, she would have launched into a lengthy argument, outlining the reasons why a best-of-three format was more appropriate.

That would be out of character for her.

She would probably claim that, since it was a new game for her, a practice round was only fair.

“I understand the rules now. But this time, I’ll accept defeat gracefully,” she said, her voice laced with determination.

“Very well. Let’s prepare for the next round.”

I handed her the necklace, and she fastened it around her neck, adjusting it to her liking.

She smiled, a subtle, almost imperceptible expression of satisfaction.

And then she summoned her spirits.

Determined to avenge her earlier defeat, she summoned a total of seven spirits.

Even if they were all low-level spirits, controlling this many would drain her mana reserves.

But that wasn’t my problem.

“This time, I’ll give it my all.”

She hadn’t summoned her trump card, her intermediate-level spirit. It seemed she wasn’t willing to resort to such measures in a simple game.

I gripped my wooden sword, putting some distance between us.

“Ready?”

She stood surrounded by her spirits, her gaze challenging.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice steady.

As soon as the word left my lips, the wind and water spirits attacked.

I swatted them away, feeling like I was playing baseball.

A cloud of dust erupted from the ground, obscuring my vision.

I retreated three steps, escaping the miniature sandstorm.

Tia, seizing the opportunity, had circled behind me. Her hand reached for my necklace.

I blocked her with my wooden sword, and she immediately switched hands, her other hand reaching for the prize.

She was determined to win.

I grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

“Now!”

The wind spirit swooped in, aiming for my necklace.

Their teamwork was impressive.

And the fact that she addressed her spirit so formally…

Thud.

My necklace fell to the ground.

“Ha, I win!”

“Indeed, you win this round,” I acknowledged, my tone neutral.

“Oops, ahem.”

She giggled, her demeanor childlike, then cleared her throat as our eyes met.

“It’s not over yet, is it? We’re tied.”

“True. This is the final round.”

She handed me my necklace.

“Ready?”

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

I stopped mid-stance, my body awkwardly positioned.

“I need a timeout. For a strategy meeting.”

“Ah…”

“Surely a quick strategy meeting is allowed?”

“Of course.”

Her seven spirits huddled around her, eager to receive their instructions.

She glanced at me occasionally as she whispered to them, her expression focused.

“No eavesdropping!”

“Understood.”

Hmm.

She was putting a lot of effort into this. It would hurt even more if she lost.

I rubbed the back of my neck, a strange sense of unease settling over me.

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