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Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
This unexpected matchup made me rake my brain over what to do.
There is no way I can beat Ms. Mary in technique.
I might have a chance if she lets her guard down or shows weakness, but having seen her magical abilities before, the difference between us is literally like the difference between Heaven and Earth. It will be difficult for me to win in this match where I need to fight up front. Besides, even if I won, my fighting style is in hand-to-hand combat without using much magic… winning by punching and kicking a girl would definitely get me criticized. It would also make for a terrible picture.
“Well then, what should I do?”
That being said, I can’t fight any other way.
If I fight her head on with magic, I will definitely lose. I have no choice but to fight hand-to-hand even if it means incurring criticism.
… Besides, whoever loses first will —
“So Mr. Clo’s opponent is Mary.”
“Whoa!”
As I was worried about what to do, Ms. Kriemhild leaned over and peered at the matching sheet I was holding.
It was so sudden that I panicked, and when she saw my reaction Ms. Kriemhild apologized, so I hurriedly apologized as well. It seemed like their buzzing had died down, so I handed each of them the match schedule papers that had been given to me.
“My opponent is… him, huh. Given the special occasion, I would have liked to fight someone else, but… it cannot be helped.”
“Ahaha… my opponent is Prince Vermillion. Well, it’s fine. He probably wouldn’t want me to go easy on him, so I’ll throw a bomb at him.”
“…”
I also looked at the other matches and saw that Apricot was matched with Chartreuse and Ms. Kriemhild had to go against His Highness. Silva was matched up… against an outsider participant who I don’t know.
“Your surname… is Heartfield, right?”
“Yes, I guess.”
As I was looking at the matchup sheet, Silva confirmed my name while looking at the paper, in a flat voice that was not as cheerful as before. Since he mentioned my family name again, the name Heartfield must be familiar to him.
Although the Heartfield Family is a Baron Family, they’re nobles who do not have any outstanding accomplishments. If he has heard of the name, it’s probably connected to my bad reputation- or something related to Lady Violet.
…It’s not about my nickname, right? He hasn’t heard about ‘Abnormal Cagliostro’, has he?!
“Silva, Mr. Clo is—“
Perhaps sensing something from the way he was acting, Ms. Kriemhild tried to explain something to Silva before the latter continued. She was probably trying to say something to protect me.
Although I felt apologetic, I was going to take advantage of her kindness at first, but-
“Oh, so you’re Baron Heartfield. You’re different from how I imagined you to be.”
Then, someone I did not really want to meet appeared.
A slender, refreshingly handsome quarter elf, who was taller than me, wore glasses and had not met me in person before. Although he’s the son of a high-ranking Earl, he treats those of the lower rank without discrimination.
… What should I do? It’s already tough dealing with a boy like Silva, who’s transformed(?) in an unexpected way, but not only is Ecul an unknown variable, he also spoke to me while fully aware of who I am. If I make a mistake in dealing with this–
“Ecul! You went off on your own aga—Heartfield? Nephrite and the others… and a weird witch?”
Even though I cannot afford to make a mistake, an even more troublesome person… His Highness Vermillion appeared.
Is this some kind of an event? Did I somehow trigger an event where the love interests have gathered together to condemn me, the infamous villain, who’s the opponent of Ms. Mary?
No, wait, calm down.
I haven’t done anything wrong yet. I did something close to a crime to Prince Vermillion’s shitty brother, but I haven’t done anything to them yet—Oh, I did burn and throw away the flyer for the play where everybody here was a part of. Yeah, I wonder if I’ll be found guilty for that.
“So you are Clo Heartfield… ! I’ve heard that you have relationships with many women, greedily seek status and wealth, indulge yourself in the seven deadly sins, and are on the wanted list in the capital!”
Silva had a slight dark aura around him and was shouting at me with clear hostility.
Come to think of it, that was how people thought of me?
I’d forgotten about it because I was living my life normally, but in the capital I’m under observation and am a subject to be arrested.
“And now you even want to make Ms. Mary yours!”
Nope, not at all.
I’m sorry, but I have an attractive wife, so I have no intention of doing something like that.
“Silva, that phrasing is not—!”
“Now, now, please calm down, Kriemhild, Silva.”
Ms. Kriemhild was about to raise her voice to admonish Silva, who was insulting me, but before she could do that, Ecul raised his index finger in front of both their faces, gesturing for them to be quiet.
“Don’t raise your voice. If you have something to say, do it in a conversation, instead of a one-sided monologue. You have to get to know the other person better if you want to ask a question.”
… Surely Ecul does not get excited by scents and sounds like a certain pair of siblings, right? So he’s not telling them to be quiet because he’s reacting to the sound, is he?… let’s calm down, those siblings are exceptions. If they were lumped together, it would cause a lot of damage to the reputation of the elves.
“Well then, pleased to meet your acquaintance. Prince Vermillion seems to know you already, so let me take this opportunity to introduce myself properly. I am Ecul Forsyth. I come from an Earl Family, but I have no accomplishments to my name. You don’t have to worry about my status.”
With his natural, non-bleached white hair fluttering in the wind, Ecul Forsyth approached me, a mere Baron, for a handshake.
…He said that I didn’t have to worry about it, but since he made a request, I had to respond accordingly. So, I also introduced myself and shook his hand. I was told that I could drop the honorifics, but I just brushed it off with a polite smile, saying that I was more comfortable this way.
“Clo, I have something to ask you if that’s okay.”
After exchanging a few words, Ecul asked me a question with a welcoming smile, while still holding my hand.
With a puzzled look on my face, I nodded to indicate that it was okay, and Ecul continued with the same expression.
“Are you planning to relentlessly punch your opponent in this duel like what you did when His Highness Carmine was your opponent?”
— Now, how should I answer this question?
Translator’s note:
Until now we have been using “Eccles Forsythe” for Ecul, but the author decided to introduce his name properly in this chapter for the first time, so from now on, Eccles Forsythe will be referred to as Ecul Forsyth.
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