A Wager
1655 Words
Michael Dwart, his classmate seven years ago, was a prodigy and a top student in a magic academy. Not only that, but he was also an S-Class adventurer. Michael calmly replied at this reunion and sent a scornful gaze through narrowed eyelids.
“Yeah, it’s been a while more like years, Ernest Teucher. Are you still attending school?”
Christine and Sophia made noticeably unpleasant expressions, but this person had helped them, so they didn’t complain.
Suddenly, around eight girls ran out from the middle of the hostages, pushed Ernest’s group aside, and rushed up to Michael. They were Michael’s girlfriends who came with him today to visit the mall.
“Michael! We were so scared~!”
“You had a frightful experience because of my disappointing juniors, didn’t you? But it’s fine now.”
“Yeah, I had faith that you would save me.”
“Ah, Michael. You’re so cool. After all, you’re such a strong adventurer.”
Sophia coughed and Christine scowled at the extravagant praise from these dressed-up girls, and at Michael for basking in that praise.
“...What an unlikeable fellow.”
“I agree with you.”
The knights who Sophia had contacted rushed into the courtyard just after Michael cleaned up the situation, and they began restraining the Rebellion soldiers and caring for the hostages. Ernest saw that turmoil on their day off was more or less over, and as the tension left him, his body shook violently and fell over. His fatigue from using Limit Breaker had gushed out.
“Brother!”
“...Ah...don’t worry...I’m fine...If I rest a little, I can just about walk.”
“Then you should sit down for a while right?”
As Sophia put Ernest on a food court bench, the knight's officer in charge called out and ran up to the four of them.
"Hey! You guys are the adventurers who settled the affair, right? Will you
come with me to the station to make a report right now?"
"My my, it's not a good time, you know? We'd like to get some rest if we can."
Sophia turned his gaze to Michael who was surrounded by girls, but―
"Should you be begging me to deal with a troublesome investigation after I cleaned everything up for you?"
"No, Sophia. It's fine. …If I rest in the carriage, I think I'll recover a bit."
"Brother, you're not pushing yourself too much?"
"I'm fine. Nothing was really hurt…."
Ernest stood up, pretending to be tough despite his deeply fatigued expression. After a moment, he turned in Michael's direction and bowed lightly.
"Thank you, Michael. You really saved us today."
"I don't need thanks. The strong should support the weak."
Christine and Sophia again took on dangerous faces at Michael's malicious words, but having Ernest rest was more important to them right now than snapping at this boy, so Christine took Ernest's shoulder and tried to guide him to the carriage.
"But Ernest are you still trying to become an adventurer with that pitiful strength?"
Christine couldn't disregard Michael's scorn this time.
"You… How dare you!"
"Christine, it's fine."
"It's not fine! I won't stay quiet after such self-indulgent insults!"
Shaking off Ernest's attempt to restrain her anger, Christine lifted his shoulder away and pointed a finger at Michael.
"You can say what you want, but Ernest is much stronger than someone like you! I've seen his strength myself! Do you even amount to the dirt under his feet!?"
The biting words Christine threw were only wishful thinking. Christine didn't know Michael's power, didn't know the hopeless gap between Ernest and that boy.
"…Haha, ahahahahaha!"
"W-What's so funny!?"
"All of it! How can I help but laugh at this? Saying the lowest of the lowest adventurer over there is stronger than me… hahaha! Him, the coward who once ran away because he was too scared to fight me? That's a masterpiece!"
"Eh…?"
Ernest ran away from a match? Christine turned her head in astonishment and disbelief, but… Ernest didn't deny it. He stayed quiet, staring at Michael, and she couldn't read his response. But Christine knew such a thing was impossible,
so she once again turned to Michael.
"You're lying! There's no way it's true!"
"Hahaha, because you're convinced he's stronger."
"Exactly! Ernest won against me, so he's no ordinary adventurer!"
"Oh? How can you lose to someone as weak as a bug?”
“I swear to you my dignity and honor as the second princess of the Cryoliniese Kingdom.”
“Oh?” Michael became interested, he knew the power of the second princess and it was surely powerful, to think that Ernest won against him? Was it to intimidate and scare him?
“Such bluffs won’t work against me.”
“How can you say that when I’m literally by his side? Do you think as the princess of the nation I would interact with some ordinary peasants?”
Michael got her point.
“It seems that you understand,” Christine said.
“Hoh. Then if what you say is true then why don’t we make a wager?”
“...Wager, you say?”
Michael switched his gaze from Christine to Ernest.
“As a matter of fact, there’s a good way to find out whether you’re right or wrong. Ernest, there will be a state-sponsored tournament for all adventurers in the Kingdom of Cryoliniese. All S-Class adventurers including Princess Christine will be participating.”
“Huh?” Ernest faced Christine who had an unsurprised look. “Is that true?”
“Yes, the country does sponsor one and it will happen next month. But it’s still accepting participants and the remaining slot for the main event will be decided by winning a qualifiers match.”
“That’s right if what Princess Christine is saying was true then why don’t we test it out on a tournament happening tomorrow? I can register you immediately as my opponent. After all, there’s no one willing to fight against me because they know how powerful I am.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to fighting you again. This time I won’t run.” Ernest declared, when he first battled with him, he ran because he was afraid of death. He doesn’t have the power of the blessings that can be used against him but this time he has a system.
“Oh? Did you gain some confidence huh? Okay, just hand me your adventurer’s card, and all is set.”
Ernest pulled out the adventurer’s card from his pocket and handed it to Michael.
Michael tapped it with something and then it glowed.
“Okay, it’s already set.”
“Just like that?” Ernest asked.
“Yes, as easy as that. Your opponent tomorrow is me, I’ve been recently promoted to S-Class who holds the nickname the ‘hunter’. Our fight has already been scheduled, so if I lose I’ll take back everything I said today, and apologize as Princess Catarina demands. But If I win...I want her as one of my girlfriends.”
Naturally, Ernest raised his voice to protest.
“Michael! Don’t make such a ridiculous―”
“Fine. I’ll accept those terms.”
“What?”
Christine easily accepted it, to Ernest’s chagrin.
“Stop, Christine, this doesn’t mean anything! I don’t need Michael’s apology. Okay, the bet is off. I’m out!”
“Too bad, you’re already registered and the bet is set.” Michael grinned.
“Even if you don’t need it, I do. I have no position of my own while the adventurer who beat me is called weak.”
Ernest didn’t give up on trying to persuade her, and Christine didn’t give in. Neither was willing to compromise, so unfortunately Michael’s wager was set.
“That concludes the negotiations, right? Heh, it’s a boring match that I’ll win of course, but maybe now it’s a bit more worth the bother? Let’s meet in the arena next time, Ernest. I don’t think I have to say it, but if you stand before me with such shabby power...well, you better be prepared. The tournaments are real combat, not like mock battles. Fight hard if you don’t want to be killed. Hahahaha.”
Laughing loudly, Michael left with his girls. Neither Sophia nor Christine had positive impressions of Michael’s impressions after that display of arrogance.
"Hmm. His face is good, but having such a crooked personality is terrible."
"…What an unlikeable feeling."
"Ha, no matter what he says, you won against me, so you can easily beat that guy. Don't you think so?"
“I’ll have to train later...and prepare for tomorrow’s match. I will give everything my all so that you won’t become his girlfriend.”
Christine laughed at his words. “Girlfriends? Don’t worry, I trust that you can win this fight. You are powerful Ernest and he didn’t know it. Which gives you an advantage.”
“Hmmph...okay if you say so.”
Later evening, Ernest prepared by practicing his new sword, Galatine. He wanted to use this for tomorrow’s match but if he’s going to unleash the unbridled power of the sword, it’ll be out of the question. But thanks to the new powers he gained from the system after integration, he now knew how to use this sword properly. Weapon’s tracing
First, he can increase his overall stats when the sun is up, so when there’s a sun there’s power, and the nearer the sun approaches noon the more powerful he’ll become.
Second, the sword is storing up energy as it is being basked in the sun so the longer it materializes the stronger its power. It can also release a beam of energy at will.
Weapon’s tracing is surely convenient, there’s a lot of skill written on this sword enough to make him stay all up till morning. But Ernest only needs to know the basics.
And thus, tomorrow came.
- Writer
