-Three days later—
I don't feel great about it...
But I don't wanna get entangled with the important characters anymore.
Let's be careful.
So that the story doesn't stray from the original.
I thought while returning back to my tent.
"Wh-What the hell?"
But there was someone else inside.
In terms of importance, she's a character with an even heavier presence than Janica.
The subject of marvel for her classmates and even professors.
The rare genius and the most powerful character of "The Failed Swordsman of Sylvania."
LUCY MAERIL
"Zzzz"
And she was sleeping there.
"AAAAH—"
Why the hell is she... sleeping here?!
What is she even doing in this mountain valley...?
'Original timeline... careful...'
I thought while taking a few steps back.
"You're so loud that I can't sleep."
She said while being half awake.
"What did I do—"
"Not you."
"That wolf over there, which is as big as a house."
!!
"It keeps talking to you. It's asking you to someday save Janica at all costs."
Lucy had only been at the camp for two days.
'Let's get to work~'
'This won't lead to anything, right?'
I was thinking while going to hunt and collect firewood.
It didn't take me long to realize
how complacent of a thought that was.
—QUEST—
[JOINT COMBAT TRAINING]
At the training hall.
"WHOO!!"
"WHOO!!"
"WHOO!!"
Joint combat training is literally a mock one-on-one combat exercise.
To minimize lethality as much as possible, the combat students mostly use fake weapons.
BENEVOLENT PRINCESS PHEONIA
GOLDEN DAUGHTER LORTELLE
SPIRIT SORCERER JANICA
SLOTHFUL LUCY
WICKED KLEBIUS
I could go on and on, and the list wouldn't end.
Even so, the most important person is the protagonist, after all.
"FAILING SWORDSMAN" TAYLOR
"Is Taylor's match next...?"
I was waiting for his match. I was so excited that anyone could tell how excited I was just by looking at my face.
I already knew the results, so I didn't pay much attention to the matches.
Because the winners of the duels in the joint combat training episode were the first-year students, the same as the protagonist, Taylor.
Except for exactly one second-year.
Janica Faylover.
"HEY."
She said, her face shining like the sun, full of excitement and energy.
I can't believe she's running happily to me after going through the pathetic experience of me asking her for money.
"The list of matches is out."
While checking the list, she said.
Unlike Lucy, who's from the cat family, there's no doubt Janica is from the dog family.
"Ah, I'm not really interested."
I said while avoiding her eyes.
"Why? Aren't you curious about your match, Ed?"
Huh? Wait a minute.
I have to... fight as well?!
'Ed Rothstaylor in the original storyline was already expelled by now,
so who's going to be my opponent...?'
No way...
I checked the list.
"I shall perform to the best of my ability."
Taylor said while standing on the stage.
Yeah. Right now, it doesn't matter who I'm fighting against.
I need to pay attention to Taylor.
Though it was from a world beyond the screen, I lived as Taylor for so long.
[GAME OVER]
PLAY AGAIN?
YES / NO
From miserable and vain bad endings to pure endings that left long-lasting impressions,
I completed that journey countless times.
Among the countless routes, there wasn't a single route that wasn't arduous and difficult.
I've already decided on taking care of my own life, but I'm cheering for Taylor.
By the way...
"...I'm repeating the announcement. Lucy Maeril. Is there a student named Lucy Maeril?"
"Please come up to the arena once you're ready for the match."
Where did Lucy go?!
Then I saw her sleeping at the back of the podium.
"GO FINISH YOUR DUEL FIRST!!"
"YAWN~"
First-year, top-of-the-class Lucy Maeril versus Taylor McLore, the protagonist of this world, born to be a swordsman, has never held a sword before in his life. Yet, with the first swing of his sword, he cuts through Lucy's lightning-quick magic.
The spell she had thought would obviously hit was blocked, catching her off guard as Taylor closed the gap.
Surprised, Lucy hits him with Lightning Strike, an intermediate-level lightning magic...
Taylor is then completely overpowered by the reflexively cast magic spell, but Lucy is disqualified for using intermediate-level magic,
earning Taylor the honor of being the first to defeat Lucy Maeril.
It was a legendary scene.