10. Black-and-White Princess and Soul Dress [4] – part 1

The moment that Leia announced the members of The Big Five Holy Festival.

「P-Please hold on a moment!」

A male student shouted.

「Nn, what is it?」

Leia-sensei asked him so and quietly waited for the boy’s response.

「How to say, that is… Ria-san and Rose-san being chosen… It’s only obvious. It is a famous story that Ria-san can use soul dress since she was five years old, and Rose-san is the legitimate successor of Sakura Blossom One-Sword Style… It’s vexing to admit but, they are certainly better than us. Therefore, I can comprehend them being chosen.」

「Fumu, and your point is?」

「But … I don’t understand the reason why this unknown swordsman, Allen-Rodore, is chosen as a participating member in the prestigious Big Five Holy Festival!」

He glared at me with a sharp glance.

(No, even if you make such a scary face…)

Leia-sensei was the one who chose the participating members, so you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Somehow uncomfortable, I scratched my cheek, and two more male students backed up the first guy.

「That’s right! Why were we excluded, and such a suspicious unknown guy chosen?」

「Please give us a convincing reason!」

Looking at them closely, these three were the guys who ignored my greeting a while back.

In response to such questions, Leia-sensei,

「Reason? Obviously, it ain’t anything other than strength.」

She answered indifferently.

However, of course, the three men cannot be convinced by such a simple explanation.

「……Strength? A self-taught swordsman who can’t belong to any school! Surpasses us in ability!? It’s ridiculous!」

「President… are you sane?」

「His old academy – do you know Gran Swordsmanship Academy? A small academy in the countryside, and the yearly average number of students who make it into one of the Five Academy is zero. There seemed to be a little better guy this year, known as Dodriel, but his whereabouts are now unknown. It’s a nameless mediocre academy, you know?」

There was one interesting piece of information in their desperate defense.

(…Dodriel was missing)

Speaking of which… I never saw him after the duel.

(Well, I don’t care, but…)

Leia-sensei, who heard the enthusiastic claims of the three of them,

「So, what do you wish to do in the end?」

Surprisingly enough, they took some time to digest their own defense.

「That is… we would like you to… select the participating member once again carefully.」

「In the first place, it should be customary to select the members for the Big Five Holy Festival after taking into account the results of the practical test.」

「T-That’s right! This is so unprecedented! We firmly request you to redo the selection!」

As Leia-sensei took a step backwards, their volume gradually increased.

However, such momentum was instantly stopped with just one question from sensei.

「Fumu, that is, you are saying that you are dissatisfied with my, the president’s decision?」

「「「……!」」」

Not only the three, but the whole classroom fell dead silent.

Everyone was silent and an air of tension filled the room.

That’s obvious,

Even if she seems like this – Leia-sensei is one of the Five Academy, Thousand Blade Academy’s president.

If one were to say something imprudent, it wouldn’t be strange to be expelled from the academy at once.

However, those three also couldn’t back down after asserting this far,

「…Y-Yes, we are dissatisfied. We can’t accept this!」

They still replied defiantly to Leia-sensei.

Starting with one guy’s remark, the other two also voiced out.

「From a nameless and obscure third rate academy – in addition, a self-taught swordsman is not fit to be our representative!」

「We three, are all graduates from a prestigious academy of swordsmanship! And we also graduated with almost the top grades! There is no way we are inferior in ability to that nameless guy!」

Oh damn… my name was being torn into pieces.

(…Just what kind of person do I look like to people?)

Why is this slander about me spreading throughout the class?

(Somehow, my vision got cloudy…)

So while I was sadly watching『Slander Allen Tournament』,

「Fuuuu… say, Allen」

Leia-sensei sighed and called out my name.

I’m sure it is nothing good, but I can’t ignore it.

「…What is it?」

Just in case, I responded.

As I did,

「You… are really unpopular!」

Leia-sensei cackled happily.

(Whose fault do you think it is, Just whose…!)

This is probably the first time I ever wanted to beat a woman.

(But if I get angry here, I will be playing right into Leia-sensei’s hands…)

Then I would be the same as Ria.

Therefore I,

「Yes, unfortunately, it does seem so.」

I did not let myself get angry and responded calmly.

As I did,

「Oof… that is a bad reaction. Unlike Ria, you’re a dull guy…」

Leia-sensei made a yawning expression as though bored.

「Sorry.」

I lightly apologized while grinning in my heart.

– This time, it’s my win.

「Fumu… but, this is troubling, I never thought there would be this much objection.」

Leia-sensei put her hand on her chin with a troubled look and started thinking.

Because she was silent, a heavy atmosphere fell upon the classroom again.

Meanwhile, I, who was at the center of this topic, felt it a bit harder than others.

(No… enough already, no more…)

I was so tired of everything, that I stood up and headed to the podium where Leia-sensei was standing.

And I whispered into her ears, so that the others couldn’t hear it.

「Sensei, Is it okay for me to leave the competition? Honestly, I don’t particularly have a strong feeling for the Big Five Holy Festival…」

Yes, I am not so interested in the Big Five Holy Festival.

This is because the Big Five Holy Festival is a battle to showcase the results of learning in Middle School.

It’s obvious when you look at the dates – on the calendar, the first weekend of the week you enter the High School of Swordsmanship is the Big Five Holy Festival.

In other words, in middle school – for me who didn’t belong to any school nor learn much at Gran Swordsmanship Academy, the Big Five Holy Festival has no significant meaning.

(If anything, I’m looking forward to classes at Thousand Blade Academy rather than this tournament)

I am particularly looking forward to a wonderful lesson on the acquisition of soul dress.

(Moreover, if I untactfully participated in the Big Five Holy Festival and sustained serious injuries… It will hinder the classes from hereafter)

And there are many more such competitions in the future.

The fact that there are tournaments like the Big Five Holy Festival for second and third year students, can be easily understood by looking at the pamphlet of the academy guide.

I’d like to study hard at this Thousand Blade Academy, and I’d like to express that power at the second and third year competitions.

Leia-sensei, who heard my story, quietly nodded.

「Fumu… I understand you well. Thank you for coming all the way to tell me. Please return to your seat.」

「Yes.」

I went to my seat while looking down to get away from everyone’s gazes

(But… I did something bad to Leia-sensei…)

Sensei must be aware that she would encounter a lot of opposition, when she selected a nameless swordsman like me, to participate.

I don’t know if it’s an evaluation of my current ability, or if it’s like a little kinship in anticipation of my future growth.

Anyway, there is no doubt that she evaluated me positively.