The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Tournament (1)

***

Swish. Slash.

My sword danced, weaving intricate arcs of light.

The training dummies, reduced to straw, fell to the ground.

Yet, I frowned, a sense of unease lingering. I licked my lips, tasting the salt of my sweat, a testament to my efforts.

My skills had undoubtedly improved, but lately, I couldn't quite execute the precise movements I envisioned.

It wasn't that I had lost my skills.

My repertoire had expanded, but my overall proficiency hadn't increased proportionally.

"With the tournament just around the corner, I'm not sure if this is enough…"

I was starting to feel uneasy about Ian's rapid improvement, befitting a protagonist.

The tournament was a duo competition.

Two-person teams from the academy's combat departments would compete for the championship.

Two winners would be selected from each year—first, second, and third—and the prize…

-You want me to help you win the top spot?-

…was the right to maintain the top ranking in their respective departments for a year.

I had used this as an excuse to ask Lili for help.

Along with a promise, an apology, to never look at her with those eyes again.

-With your skills, you should be able to win without my help, shouldn't you?-

Lili had asked, her gaze filled with suspicion. I had reluctantly told her the truth.

'I don't have a partner.'

-Oh…-

Grace and Anna, my party members, weren't combat specialists. And Grace, as a member of the Divine Arts Department, was required to serve as a healer during the tournament.

-What about Ian Cedric? You're always together.-

'He already has a partner. Selina, the second-place student of the Magic Department.'

I hadn't confirmed it myself, but I was certain.

The tournament was designed to be a duo competition precisely to facilitate Ian and Selina's partnership.

But that had given me an opportunity to ask Lili to be my partner.

While I told Lili I needed her help, I had no intention of stealing the victory from Ian and Selina. It wouldn't disrupt the original storyline.

In fact, it would help things get back on track, with them reclaiming their rightful place as top scorers.

My target was the second-place prize.

I remembered a passage from the story:

-The tournament brought Selina and me closer. Fighting together, relying on each other, we learned to anticipate each other's moves, understanding each other with a single glance.-

-But there was another duo who developed an even stronger bond. The team that lost to us in the finals…-

-After receiving the Secret Garden Pass, the second-place prize, they went to the Secret Garden immediately after the tournament, and their relationship blossomed.-

The Secret Garden Pass.

I didn't know what happened in the Secret Garden, but,

The fact that it was mentioned in the story meant it had a significant impact on relationships.

"But at this rate…"

I gripped White Night and took three steps forward, slashing at the training dummy.

Targeting vital points, aiming for instant kills.

Swish. Slash!

I frowned as my swift, precise cuts turned into heavier, deeper slashes, my wrist moving differently from what I had envisioned.

While still effective, it wasn't the style I was aiming for.

"Sigh…"

I wasn't worried about being weaker than Ian. As far as I could tell, he hadn't surpassed me yet.

But my plan relied on me being undeniably stronger than him.

Strong enough to control the outcome of our match, to win or lose as I pleased.

But Ian was much stronger than he was at this point in the original story.

Perhaps he had gained some kind of power-up during his mission, or perhaps my presence as a rival had spurred his growth.

Regardless, he had improved drastically, and,

It might be impossible for me to lose to him without making it obvious.

But winning was the worst possible outcome.

So, I was searching for a way to lose the tournament without revealing my true abilities.

Asking Anna for a temporary weakening potion was out of the question.

The tournament required the use of standard academy-issued weapons, and,

The use of potions and artifacts was prohibited.

Creak.

Just as I was racking my brains for a solution, my partner arrived.

How did she always arrive exactly on time?

"Training again? Aren't you tired?"

"I'm a member of the Knight Department. I have more stamina than you, a mage."

"You train more than any other Knight Department student I know… Well, talent needs to be nurtured with hard work."

She closed the door to my private training room, and it automatically locked, thanks to the access restrictions I had set up.

"I love being a student council member. It's so convenient."

I had to agree.

While it was called "my" private training room, she, as a fellow student council member, also had her own.

Non-members had to use the shared training grounds, risking exposure of their strategies.

For those trying to steal the top spot, it was a necessary risk.

A classic case of the rich getting richer.

"But the shared training grounds are ten times larger than this."

"I still don't like it. It's like being a clown, performing for an audience."

I clicked my tongue, unable to argue with her logic.

She tossed me an expensive-looking water bottle.

"Here, you look like you're about to melt. Drink this and take a break. We have about three hours, so take your time."

"Thank you."

"It's nothing. You don't have to bow your head like that. It makes me feel uncomfortable, Berry."

She used my name casually now.

She had been wary of me at first, when we started training together.

But after I consistently treated her with polite indifference, suppressing my true feelings, she had relaxed around me.

Thanks to Grace's information, I knew I had to slowly chip away at her fiancé's influence.

There was no way to increase his favorability if he wasn't even present.

So, instead of relying on dramatic gestures like the heroine rescue event,

It was more effective to build a friendly rapport with her, pretending to be indifferent, suppressing my affections.

"That Selina girl, Ian Cedric's partner, is pretty good, too. She might even be on par with me now."

"…Did they both stumble upon some hidden power-up…?"

"Huh?"

"N-Nothing. Just talking to myself. So… the second-place student of the Magic Department is now as strong as you?"

Lili nodded, biting her lip.

It was a habit of hers, a sign of annoyance.

"We might actually lose. Even though everyone's talking about the Knight and Magic Department top scorers teaming up."

Perhaps defeat wasn't an option for an Imperial Princess. She was starting to feel competitive towards the protagonists.

'If she finds out I'm planning to lose on purpose, she'll kill me.'

A sudden pang of guilt, a feeling I didn't actually possess, made me say,

"There's no way we'll lose. We're the top scorers, after all."

I smiled.

If Selina, too, was stronger than in the original story, it might actually work in my favor.

But Lili, mistaking my smile for confidence, smiled back.

"You say some nice things sometimes, Berry."

Her smile, a rare sight these days, was so sweet that I slept soundly that night, without any of my usual anxieties.

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