Vol 5. Chapter 26: Melee

“If that is truly what you think, then act according to your own thoughts.” After listening, Vinny fell silent for a long while, then smiled at Margaret. “You are right. Nobility is not anyone’s privilege. As long as someone is noble enough, anyone can be the Saintess.”

“Then, Margaret, treat this as the club assignment I am leaving you.”

“Mm? A club assignment?”

“That is right. What our club calls love and bonds is, in truth, the same thing as what you are pursuing.”

“Margaret, do you think a person’s faith is more important, or their character?” Vinny asked. “I believe a person’s faith will not make them earn respect, but their nobility will make both them and their faith earn respect together.”

“Them and their faith.” Margaret gazed at Vinny, murmuring to herself.

“That is all. I hope you really can do as you say, Margaret.” After saying that, Vinny said goodbye to Margaret, greeted her once more, then turned and left.

The next day, after Vinny was woken up by Shicodale as usual, he ate breakfast and headed to the Teaching Hall with his bag.

Although the Carillian Chosen One Granted by God Tournament was about to begin, classes still had to continue. It was just that, as if overnight, the academy had become different.

Vinny did not know how late Ferdi’s group had played last night, or how wild they had gotten. He only hoped they had not forgotten that last night had not been the weekend, and that they still had class this morning.

Yawning, he walked into the classroom and discovered that the expressions of his classmates were different from usual.

All at once, everyone had entered the state of being halfway through the semester.

The last two classes that morning were consecutive combat classes. Vinny felt combat class was still very good. At the very least, he would not have to be trapped in the classroom taking geography class, experiencing the feeling that one class was even longer than six.

Carillian Academy was not like the schools on Blue Star, where physical education classes were always taken over and the physical education teachers were always frail and sickly. Here, there was no such thing as classes being taken over, because combat class, magic class, and cultural studies were equally important. Sometimes, they were even more important than cultural studies. After all, this was a magical world, and everything revolved mainly around magical knowledge.

Vinny had originally thought today’s combat class would be the same as usual: everyone else fighting fiercely on the Training Field, while he alone was the idlest person in the entire class, wandering around like he was shopping. But when he arrived at the arena, he discovered that things did not seem to be that way.

Under normal circumstances, one class occupied one training field. There had never been a situation where two classes were squeezed into one training field.

However, today, when Vinny’s class arrived at the Training Field under the teacher’s lead, they discovered that another class was already there.

Vinny thought the teacher had remembered the wrong training field, but unexpectedly, when the teacher leading that other class saw their class, that teacher walked straight over and naturally began chatting with their teacher.

At that moment, Vinny wondered whether these two consecutive combat classes had been arranged as a class match.

They had really never played that kind of thing in their first year. Back then, it had always been internal class battles.

He was not the only one thinking that. Many students in the class thought the same, wondering whether, with the Chosen Tournament approaching, the academy was going to increase the intensity and add some real-combat training for them.

That was a good thing for everyone, but—

Vinny looked at the students of the neighboring class standing nearby, all of them curiously sizing up this side as well, and felt a little strange.

Why had he never seen the vast majority of these people before?

Logically speaking, they were all second-years, and they had spent a year attending classes in the same academy and the same Teaching Hall. Even if they were not in the same class, he should have seen them a few times. Some of their faces should have looked familiar.

But Vinny had never seen a single one of the people from the neighboring class.

“All right, everyone. These two consecutive combat classes will be different from usual. Today, we are not fighting internal class battles.” After their teacher finished speaking with the teacher from the neighboring class, she returned to the front of the class.

“Teacher, are we doing class matches today?” one student asked.

“Mm, yes and no. We will be fighting against people from another class, but the format may be different from what you are imagining,” the teacher said with a nod.

“We will not be fighting by class unit. Instead, we will mix together with the students of the neighboring class and conduct real-combat training in two-on-two form.”

“Huh? Doesn’t that make things troublesome?” A student immediately raised a question. “Why not just have a direct class match?”

“It is troublesome, but we definitely cannot have a class match against the neighboring class, because all of you are second-years, while the neighboring class is made up of first-year newcomers who have just entered the academy.”

Oh.

Then it was not strange. Not strange at all.

Vinny looked at the neighboring class’s ranks and suddenly understood.

No wonder he had found every face so unfamiliar. They were first-years.

“All right. For now, move freely to the side, but do not go far. Later, I will have you draw number cards one by one. Whoever draws a number card should go find the junior students in the neighboring class with the same number card. They will be your teammates. As for your opponents, we will arrange that afterward.”

“Also, although I know all of you are good children, I still have to remind you of something. As upperclassmen, take care of your juniors. They are newcomers, after all. They definitely do not have as much real-combat experience as you do. Their strength and on-the-spot adaptability will definitely be somewhat worse than yours. Do not pressure them just because they are holding you back. Understood?”

Everyone understood what that meant. To put it plainly, each person in their class would bring along one junior student, then fight another combination of their own classmate also bringing along a junior student.

After everyone agreed, they each walked to the edge of the Training Field to warm up.

Because the people of this world had mana flowing through their bodies, their physical quality was far beyond what people from his previous life could compare to. Even so, to be safe, they still had to make complete preparations. Warm-ups still had to be done.

And so Vinny began warming up meticulously at the edge of the Training Field.

However, the more he did, the more he could not continue. His expression grew increasingly stiff.

Why?

Because on the soft mat beside him sat a white-haired nut ball, holding her face in her hands and smiling. She did nothing at all, simply sitting there and staring at him.

And she did not hide it in the slightest. She stared straight at him like that, as if afraid other people would not know.

Several times, Vinny wanted to speak, but he suppressed the impulse.

This fellow had started again.

She had started doing her daily task again—making him angry once a day.

She had not done this daily task today yet, and it seemed as if she felt uncomfortable all over because of it.

But did she think Vinny was still the Vinny of the past?

Heh. He had changed.

If it had been before, he definitely would have been unable to stop himself from bickering with the nut ball. Then he would have been dragged into her rhythm, eventually angered into losing his composure and returning in crushing defeat.

After so many experiences, Vinny naturally knew what Aesphyra was trying to do. Thus, he pretended not to notice her at all and continued doing his own warm-up exercises.

Let her look if she wanted to. He was a grown man. Could he possibly be afraid of being looked at?

Though, being stared at by this white-haired nut ball did give him an indescribable sense of discomfort and embarrassment.

“Tsk-tsk.”

However, things were indeed not that simple.

Aesphyra made a new move. She crossed her black-stockinged legs, which gave off a matte-like effect beneath the crystal lamps, folded her arms, and shook her head while watching Vinny. At the same time, her mouth made tiny noises that were extremely hard to ignore.

That feeling was as if even the nut ball had shaken her head after seeing his warm-up exercises.

Vinny immediately lost his composure. In an instant, he could not endure it anymore.

“Hey, hey. You are deliberately picking a fight, aren’t you??” Vinny looked at Aesphyra and snorted.

“Huh?” Aesphyra appeared very surprised. She looked around as if she had not reacted at first and thought Vinny was calling someone else. Only after that did she discover that there seemed to be no one else around her, and only then did she realize he was calling her.

Damn it. What are you acting for?

Would you, a rotten ironclad green-eye, sit next to anyone else? Would you let anyone else sit next to you? And you are still pretending to look for someone else?

Vinny laughed from anger.

“Student Vinny, were you calling me?~” Aesphyra pointed at herself with a smiling face.

“Who called you? I did not call you. I was calling the mat you are sitting on,” Vinny mocked.

“Oh? Does Student Vinny have some objection to Mr. Mat, whom I am sitting on?” Aesphyra tilted her head in puzzlement.

“I do.”

“Oh? What objection? Could it be that Student Vinny heard this Mr. Mat say he does not want to be sat on by me?” Aesphyra asked playfully.

“Oh, sorry. I have no objection now. Just now, because you were sitting on it, I mistook it for a sleeping mat at first glance. I was wondering who was so careless as to leave a sleeping mat on the Training Field.” Vinny chuckled.

“But if it really is a sleeping mat, Aesphyra, you should pick it up and use it. I think the size is just right. It is too much of a waste of space for you to sit on it, because even if you lay down, it would still be fine. It could completely fit you.”

“Haha. Rather, that kind of thing suits you best. Hey, hey, I am serious, Aesphyra. Your family’s bed is too wasteful. When you sleep on it, there is so much empty space left. The cost-performance ratio is too low.” Vinny continued mocking her.

“Oh~ Indeed. I also often feel troubled because of that.” Aesphyra put on a very distressed expression. “Since Student Vinny brought it up on his own, are you going to share my worries? Then does Student Vinny want to personally help me solve the issue of space occupation?”

“Y-you, what are you saying?!” Vinny had no idea what he thought of, but his face instantly flushed red. “In broad daylight, in front of everyone, do not say such misleading things!”

“Eh? What misleading thing did I say?” Aesphyra looked at Vinny with a baffled expression. “Student Vinny, you only said you were interested in helping me solve my problem, and I am very happy. You could not have gone and thought of some strange place again, right?”

“Oh my, so you really did~?” Aesphyra smiled meaningfully. “After all, although Student Vinny loves lying all the time, the ‘blackboard’ on your face can always make up for that very well and let people know what you are thinking inside, you know~?”

Aaaaaahhhh!

Vinny held his head in extreme vexation.

No, how had he been played by her again??

How strange. Clearly, clearly it was not supposed to be like this. Why did he always start overthinking because of Aesphyra’s words??

Damn it!

“Tch! So what were you tsk-tsking here just now? Was there something nonstandard about this young master’s movements??” Vinny stopped pretending and asked directly.

“Huh? No.” Aesphyra raised an eyebrow. “Student Vinny’s movements are very standard. Must my attitude be mockery? Can it not be me sketching, observing, and learning?”

“Learning, my nuthead! Do you look like you are learning? You are clearly mocking me, all right??”

“No, Student Vinny. Do not always use malicious intent to speculate about other people.” Aesphyra smiled sweetly. “I was sighing in admiration that Vinny’s warm-up exercises were extremely standard. They reminded me of lunge exercises, and those reminded me of flocks of ducks swimming by a river.”

“Isn’t that just mocking me??”

“Who said that? Do humans not always gain inspiration from animals? So those words were pure praise for Student Vinny, you know?” Aesphyra was completely unconcerned.

“You really are...” Vinny felt his fist harden, but he had no way to refute her. In the end, he could only stubbornly toss out one painless sentence.

“Tch! Then you, nut ball, can just stay still here. You are here because you want to affect this young master. This young master will not fall for it! This young master is not going to bother with you. I will keep doing my own warm-up exercises. You just sit there and watch. When we go up later, this young master will watch you flash your back, twist your ankle, and embarrass yourself in front of the junior students!” As he spoke, Vinny snorted, turned around, and continued doing his own warm-up exercises.

“Eh, Student Vinny, that is not good. What if the two of us are placed in the same group later~? Then would you not be embarrassing yourself in front of the junior students?”

“Tch! This young master would be afraid of you? Afraid of you, this nut ball?? Just you wait. If I get placed in a group with you later, watch how this young master spins you into a rotating nut top in front of the entire class and the junior students!” Vinny raised his fist in threat.

Of course, as everyone knew, Vinny’s threats had never counted for anything in Aesphyra’s eyes. From Aesphyra’s perspective, not only did they have no intimidation power, they were instead extremely cute.

If Vinny had been dressed as Vinnia while making that expression, it would have been even cuter.

“All right! This young master is warming up now. I am not talking to you anymore. Talking to you is simply wasting time and wasting life!”

“Oh my~? Speaking of which, groups will be assigned soon. Is Student Vinny looking forward to it?”

“Looking forward? Looking forward to what?” Vinny glanced at Aesphyra. Although his previous sentence had been that he was not going to bother with Aesphyra and that speaking to her was wasting his life, when Aesphyra asked, Vinny still answered.

“Does that even need to be asked? Has Student Vinny never thought about it? In this seemingly insignificant group training match, perhaps you might encounter a beautiful love story or something.” As she spoke, Aesphyra’s beautiful violet eyes narrowed, like a white-haired princess cat watching her litter-box scooper with a long, thin gaze.