SLO Chapter 23

Shout out to Jhouichi, Kayen, Billy Nguyen, and King for becoming patrons!

---

[Tutorial Battle Part 2]

What a pain.

I really didn’t want to fight… or more like, I didn’t want to move.

Really, they should have just done away with these Ranked Matches… Haa~.

In-game, Ranked Matches served as one of the events for the protagonist to get closer to the heroines.

The protagonist would form a team with the heroines or act as a substitute for one, gaining their favor.

In an act of petty revenge for his defeat at the tutorial battle, Luc kept on challenging the protagonist to Ranked Matches. Only, he hired other students and even mercenaries to fight for him.

But that wasn’t all. He also used schemes and all sorts of dirty tricks imaginable to sabotage the protagonist in or out of the Ranked Matches… but in the end, he still lost in all of them.

Today would be my first time playing his role.

The role of a villainous noble.

“Bal.”

“(^^)/”

On the way to the arena, I summoned Bal.

“Lord Luc, are you sure about this?” Rivera, walking beside me, asked with a worried frown on her face.

“Well, I can’t turn it down. But don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

“But I heard from my father you disliked moving.”

“I did, and still do~. I’m impressed Mr. Mar knows me so well.”

I complimented Mr. Mar, and Rivera released a sigh as if to expel some of her nervousness.

“Yet you are still going to fight, in spite of that.

“Your opponent is the Marshall House’s honorary knight prospect.

“I heard he received an excellent grade on the combat exam. Can you defeat him?”

“No worries. In the future, I may not. But now? It’ll be a piece of cake.” I yawned while looking at the backs of Lyncean and Dan walking in front of me.

The ugly fat frog Luc and the protagonist’s first battle was nothing but a tutorial, during which was explained the combat commands: Attack, Magic, Defend, Ultimate, and Item in order.

Luc was ultimately defeated by Dan using his Ultimate (no pun intended).

“You are so strange, Lord Luc.”

“Strange how?”

“Well, you created magic unimaginable to others, for one, and you refused a challenge despite being a member of a ducal house, for another.”

“When you put it that way, I don’t sound much like a noble, huh?”

“Yes, indeed. But in a good way.” Rivera giggled, prompting a chuckle from me, and as we laughed, we entered the arena.

Dan, having arrived first with Lyncean, started warming up. “I’m going to beat some manners into you.”

After telling Rivera to leave, I ordered Bal.

“Okay, okay. I’ll deal with you in one minute.”

I told it to control my body for one minute after the starting signal.

“Remember, Bal. You have to hold back. We don’t want him to get bedridden or killed.”

“(^^)/”

When I was done reminding Bal, Dan asked. “What is your level?”

Level? Oh yeah, you could level up by defeating monsters.

“1.”

Did he not like my answer? His gaze turned into a hateful glare.

“We will now begin the Ranked Match between the rank 20 Dan and the rank 2 Luc Hugaro Deskustos. Combatants, step forward.”

Professor Gloren Research acted as the referee, whereas our classmates served as witnesses.

With Bal in charge, Dan had absolutely no chance to win. But I hoped he could at least last for one minute. “Hope you can put up a good fight.”

Professor Gloren swung his arm down.

“Begin!”

I left my body to Bal and fell asleep… The next time I woke up…

“L-let go!”

…I was holding up Dan by his collar. He tried to swing his sword at me, so I kicked it off his hand.

“Fwoo, has it been a minute?”

And I was touching Dan, too. How convenient.

“Well, ‘checkmate’, I guess.”

Dan’s attribute magic was [Boost]. It was a broken magic that enhanced the effect of other magic by multifold.

Take body strengthening for example. Ordinarily, it doubled your physical abilities, but with [Boost], it could amplify your physical abilities threefold, fourfold, and so on.

Of course, you had to have sufficient mana and your body had to be strong enough to sustain it.

It shone the brightest when used in a cooperative situation.

But here Dan was fighting alone and still inexperienced. That was to say, he was no threat to me.

“[Boost]!”

Still, if he were to use his attribute magic to amplify his body strengthening, his overall physical abilities would go up to another level. I was a little interested to see it, but now wasn’t the best time, so I’d settle this.

“As if I’ll let you. Sleep.”

Lacking experience and having weak magic resistance, Dan instantly fell asleep, unable to resist Sleep.

Now then, time to put on a little performance.

I had Bal carry the sleeping Dan and take him up to the arena’s ceiling.

It was quite high, high enough that anyone would die falling from it.

“W-what are you trying to do!!!”

Lyncean’s scream reached my ears.

“Winner, Luc Hugaro Deskustos! Mr. Deskustos!!! Hurry and put down Mr. Dan!!!” Professor Research yelled, announcing the end of the match.

“Okay.”

Without any hesitation, I unsummoned Bal and let Dan fall.

“Kyaaa!!”

I had no idea who screamed.

But I could see Lyncean Sword Marshall’s face turning ghastly pale.

Before Dan crashed to the ground, however, Professor Research caught him in the air.

Lyncean Sword Marshall then rushed to their side.

“W-what’s wrong with you?! You coward! Dan was unconscious!!”

I was the winner. But never mind congratulating me, Lyncean insulted me.

It kind of pissed me off.

“He started this. He shouldn’t have challenged me if he wasn’t prepared to face the consequences.”

I took away my gaze from Lyncean and looked at the rest of my classmates.

“How about you guys? If you think you’re so strong, step up and challenge me. I’ll play with you.”

Some of them looked away.

Some of them stared back at me but didn’t say a word.

Some of them… looked at me with shining eyes like they worshipped me.

“Come on, guys. I may be spent from the fight, you know? This is your chance to raise in rank.”

I waited for a while, but still, no one spoke.

“I respect those who pursue knowledge. I also respect those who pursue magic.

“However, I don’t respect idiots who’re all brawns but no brains. I hate them.

“If another brainless idiot like that guy challenges me to a Ranked Match, I’ll make sure they won’t be able to challenge me a second time. So, you’d best think twice before you challenge me… are we clear?”

With this, they would spread rumors about me to other classes.

If I was going to walk the path of a villainous noble, I had to do at least this much.

Their reactions varied, but hopefully, there wouldn’t be another idiot to challenge me to a Ranked Match.

I turned to Lyncean who was glaring at me.

She should just be glad that I even went along with this annoying Ranked Match.

Dan was the one who challenged me, yet she called me a coward like I was the bad guy. You couldn’t argue with a self-righteous person like her.

I didn’t want to deal with her any longer, so I prepared to leave with Rivera.

“D-Dan will definitely defeat you next time! You’d better remember it!”

Lyncean screamed with a tremble in her voice.

I didn’t pay her any attention and left the arena without looking back.

“Are you okay with this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why didn’t you tell them that you had actually prepared magic to catch him?”

“Rivera. I’m lazy.”

“Yes?”

“It is pointless to explain yourself to those who won’t listen. And I don’t want to do pointless things. I’d rather talk about magic with you. It’s way more fun.”

It seemed Rivera was persuaded by my uncharacteristically long and unnecessary explanation.

Her face lit up with joy. Together, we started walking back to the dorm.

“May I have a word with you?”

I gotta say, this world was filled with too many annoying people.

I turned to Elina who had called out to me.

“How may I help you, Your Highness?”

“You don’t need to address me so formally… Elina is fine.”

“That so? Then you can just call me Luc, too. So, what’s the matter?”

“You are the first person to have ever looked so annoyed while talking to me.”

Well, I was annoyed, verily.

But I couldn’t possibly ignore her because she was a princess.

Royalty suck…

“I was impressed by your combat skills. It was clear to me that you have trained for years. I now see you in a new light.”

“Well, thanks.”

“I have heard about how excellent Lord Testa is from my brother, but you have proved that you are also a member of the Deskustos House.

“You have my thanks for showing me such a wonderful fight. I will see you in class.”

The princess left after saying her piece.

I couldn’t figure out what her true purpose was.

“It looks like she can’t be taken lightly.”

“What was that?”

“No, it’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about anything, Lord Luc.

“Now, shall we head back?”

“Yeah.”

Thus, I somehow passed through the tutorial.

Prev | ToC | Next

---

Want more? Please consider supporting me on Patreon! Then you can read up to 10 advanced chapters!