Chapter 280 - Kagami's deductions
"Hehe..."
Kagami Kusakabe gave a playful smile, nodding slightly embarrassedly.
"Actually, I want to establish an official Journalism Club here at Hagun Academy."
"For the monumental first issue of the academy newspaper, I was hoping to make you the cover story, Roy-kun!"
"You want to feature me in the very first issue?" Roy asked.
"Yes!" Kagami nodded eagerly.
"You are an A-Rank knight. Your entrance exam scores were even higher than the Crimson Princess's, completely shattering the all-time records for Japanese Knight Academies."
"However," she continued, her reporter instincts shining through, "compared to the massive international sensation caused by the Princess's enrollment, your arrival has been kept almost entirely under the radar."
"Even I...a highly well informed future journalist...only found out that a second A-Rank monster was enrolling the night before classes started."
"I truly believe that if you are the protagonist of our inaugural issue, the newspaper will be a massive success!" Kagami didn't hide her intentions, laying out her thoughts truthfully.
"Well, an interview doesn't sound too bad." Roy chuckled, not refusing her request.
In this world, Blazers naturally attracted immense public attention.
Setting aside official, professional Mage Knights, even Student Knights were treated like celebrities by the media.
A talented, beautiful knight like Stella, armed with her royal title, was the ultimate media darling and a guaranteed traffic magnet.
The Seven Star Sword Art Festival was even grander.
As the absolute apex of student tournaments, thousands of student knights across Japan competed for the top spot.
The matches were broadcast live on national television, with broadcasting rights selling for astronomical prices.
Powerful Blazers often gained massive fanbases before they even graduated.
Roy knew full well that his status as an A-Rank knight would eventually draw the media's focus.
Once the selection battles started, he would inevitably become a frequent subject of newspaper headlines anyway.
There was no harm in doing a favor for a classmate.
"Really?! You promise?!"
Kagami cried out in pleasant surprise.
Overjoyed, she immediately threw her arms around Roy's right arm, hugging it tightly against her body.
She skillfully or perhaps instinctively pressed his arm directly into the elastic softness of her surprisingly well developed boobs.
Her cute, innocent face coupled with her formidable figure made this a highly lethal combination.
"We are classmates, after all. We should help each other out."
"If you need a favor, Kusakabe-san, I'm more than happy to oblige," Roy said with absolute solemnity.
He glanced down at his arm, currently sinking deeply into the comfortable softness.
For the sake of your sincerity, how could I possibly refuse?
"You're the best, Roy-kun!" Kagami shook his arm affectionately, fully utilizing the powerful, natural weapons of a high school girl.
"So, what exactly do you already know about me?" Roy asked, letting her cling to his arm without any attempt to pull away.
"I couldn't find much specific data on your background," Kagami looked up at him, her eyes turning sharp and searching.
"But... there is a highly classified rumor circulating among certain channels. It says that during your entrance exam, you actually defeated the Chairwoman."
"Is that true?"
A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Roy's eyes.
At the time of that spar, the only people present had been himself, Kurono and Ayase.
Neither he nor Ayase were the type to brag, and the Chairwoman had only made a few passing comments.
Yet, a decent amount of time had passed since then. If the news had genuinely leaked, the media would have exploded by now.
But there had been zero movement, meaning the circle of people who knew was incredibly small.
For Kagami to dig up this information proved that her intelligence gathering network was no joke.
"So... it is true?!"
Noticing his silence, Kagami's eyes widened in shock.
The arms hugging his limb tightened even further, pressing his arm so deeply that he could clearly feel the outline of her nipples beneath her uniform.
Roy's non denial was all the confirmation she needed.
"That's just too incredible... To defeat the former World No. 3 while still just a Student Knight..." In Kagami's eyes, pure admiration and longing sparkled brightly.
"...It was just a fluke. The Chairwoman held back significantly."
"If she had fought with lethal intent, I might not have won," Roy said with a modest smile.
"You're far too modest, Roy-kun. A feat like that cannot be explained away by the word fluke," Kagami said, making no secret of her awe.
"If you didn't have overwhelming strength, you wouldn't have been able to defeat the Chairwoman even if she was holding back."
Having confirmed her biggest scoop, Kagami became even more enthusiastic, chatting animatedly as she tried to learn more about Roy's situation.
"You mentioned you wanted to set up a dedicated, serialized column for me in your campus newspaper?" Roy asked.
"Yes! Everyone is going to be watching your match record," Kagami nodded fervently.
Given his strength, Roy was practically guaranteed to become a heavy favorite to win the championship, making him the perfect long term topic.
"I actually wouldn't recommend that," Roy smiled gently, offering a different perspective.
"I can say with absolute certainty that I will easily sweep the campus selection battles."
"For a serialized newspaper column, publishing reports where the outcome is never in doubt might attract readers for the first few issues."
"But over a long period, the lack of suspense will cause reader interest to drop drastically. People get bored of absolute dominance."
"Ah... you have a point," Kagami nodded thoughtfully.
Roy's logic was sound.
A story without tension or stakes naturally lost its gripping power over time.
"But if I don't cover you, I don't have a compelling protagonist for my reports!" Kagami pouted, looking distressed.
"I can recommend the perfect candidate for you. If you make him the main subject of your interviews and serialized coverage, I guarantee your newspaper will be a massive hit."
Roy raised his eyes and nodded toward a familiar figure standing across the training hall.
He was pointing directly at Ikki Kurogane.
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