Episode 6
In the auditorium, each team gathered for the self-introduction session. I only recognized Ariniki’s face; the other five team members were complete strangers.
Lamia, the S-class swordsman, brushed her long hair back and stood proudly. Her assertive chest drew quite a bit of attention, making some gazes drop a level.
Ariniki sensed this and pinched my hand firmly. I couldn’t afford to be distracted; I needed to be sincere.
“I’m Lamia from S-class. My specialty is swordsmanship. Is it okay for me to be the leader?”
Given her S-class status and the confidence she exuded, no one dared to object. It seemed fine to let her take the lead.
“Alright, then. Let’s have the A-class member introduce themselves first,” Lamia said, and a slim young man raised his hand hesitantly.
“Um… I’m Ryuuki. I specialize in heavy armor. Nice to meet you.”
Heavy armor users were typically front-line warriors, strong and bulky. But Ryuuki, wearing full plate armor, looked like he might get stuck if he tried to move. He appeared rather unreliable.
Next was a freckled, red-haired girl with short hair tied back. She was quite adorable.
“I’m Nyuma from B-class. My specialty is archery.”
Nyuma didn’t seem odd in any noticeable way. She was the last one remaining from her class, but there was no hint of any hidden issues.
“I’m Irio from C-class. I specialize in spear fighting.”
Irio had a strong accent, but his pure and boyish eyes made him likable. There was nothing unusual about him.
The introductions halted after Irio.
Next up was the D-class representative, a girl. I hadn’t interacted with her yet.
She wore flamboyant robes like a shaman and had hair accessories made of animal feathers. What stood out the most was her manner of speaking. Even though she hadn’t spoken to anyone yet, her lips moved subtly, nodding or chuckling to herself as she conversed. Her chestnut hair was braided into three strands, which she held up while smiling.
“D-class representative! Please introduce yourself!” Lamia called out loudly, and the shaman-like girl, with her eyes closed, looked around at us before opening her eyes and beginning her introduction.
“…Me? I’m Elsha. I’m a spirit user.”
“Are you talking with spirits? We can’t see anything…”
“They’re right here.”
Elsha said, pointing to the space beside her. There was nothing there, at least nothing visible to the rest. It seemed that spirits were generally visible to others, based on their reactions.
Elsha, seemingly conversing happily with an invisible spirit, gave off the most unsettling vibe among the five of us.
“Ah… I’m Ariniki from E-class. I’m a healer.”
Ariniki introduced herself quickly, seemingly trying not to let Elsha dig too deep.
Finally, it was my turn.
“I’m Viper from F-class. My specialization is… well, let’s call it magic for now.”
“You’re the one with poison magic, right? Are you planning to cheat again this time?”
Nyuma questioned me suspiciously. It seemed Viper’s misdeeds were widely known.
“I won’t do anything like that. I promise.”
“That’s fine, but…”
“…It’s okay. Luciel says this person is kind.”
Elsha followed me with a gentle smile.
“Ru… Luciel?”
“He’s a spirit. He knows everything. That’s why he knows Viper isn’t a bad person.”
Elsha spoke confidently, as if she truly believed in it. It was nice to have her on my side, but it would have been better if it weren’t this mysterious girl who conversed with a seemingly invisible and unverifiable spirit.
Elsha’s eerie and intimidating aura seemed to silence everyone.
“Anyway! The class competition is a team event. Let’s build our bonds from now on! We also have a training camp!”
Lamia summarized things, but the concept of a “training camp” was unfamiliar to me.
“Training camp?”
“Yeah. To strengthen the team’s bond, we’ll split up and train in different places as a team. We can choose our destination, so if anyone has preferences, let us know.”
I see. The class competition was a small-scale mock battle, 7 against 7, and teamwork was crucial. So, a training camp made sense.
And I had just come up with a straightforward method to face Goose’s team head-on and win honorably.
“Lamia, I have a place I want to go.”
The mountain range where the old man, often called the official cheat, lived. That’s what came to my mind.
