Volume 2 - CH 9

More than three weeks have passed since then.

And now, finally, the eve of the martial arts festival selection rounds is here, and each of them is showing signs of nervousness on their faces.

“But why are you so enthusiastic, Julis? It looks like you went somewhere today────was it for special training? …… Phew~!”

“Yep yep, That’s a private matter, so I’ll keep it to myself. I’ll just affirm that I was at a special training…… Phew~!”

While each was getting ready for bed, in the room of Julis and Ricardo, those two sweltered and sweated boys were facing each other.

They stretched out their legs, looked up at each other, held their arms straight up…… and bent them. Repeat.

They’re doing──── push-ups, so to speak.

“Phew……! As expected of Julis! Your pectoral muscles are roaring nicely!”

“Phew……! Phew……! What an honor to be told by Ricardo! Now I have another path to popularity!”

Topless. The room temperature seemed to be rising heartily, as the breath of the sweltering boys echoed through the room.

And they were smiling all the way──── and yet their pectoral muscles were really groaning…… as they did push-ups that showed no sign of stopping.

If one had to describe such a scene in one word…… it would be “Gross”.

(I don’t care if it’s something trivial or not…… I’ll do anything to be a muscular man in order to make Cecilia smitten with me!)

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Maybe…… no, Cecilia definitely would never seek such a thing from Julis.

Julis’s lust was slowly turning in the wrong direction.

“I’ll get back to that……. So, is it safe to say that you are going to take the challenge seriously this time, Julis? ……Phew!”

“Phew……! Well, I am────What, you don’t like it or something?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Ricardo stood up at Julis’ words and pumped his fist in the air.

“This is a great chance, y’know? How can I not be happy────when I get to fight that Julis Anderberg for real!?”

“……What the hell do you think I am?”

Julis also stopped his pushups and looked up at Rickard, who was sitting on his haunches.

Julis wondered why he was being evaluated this highly.

“At least I think I’m the strongest in this grade────, which is why I’m going to beat you and climb to greater heights! And that of my stepping stone is going to get serious on its own, y’know!? How can I not be happy about that!”

It seemed that he was a battle junkie──── or seemed not.

He just wanted to climb higher. The joy of seeking strength.

(A stepping stone he said…….)

Julis’ cheeks twitched at the straightforwardness of his statement.

But he was glad for the recognition, he didn’t dislike his ambition, and he envied his confidence.

So────

“There’s no freaking way you’re going to beat me…… you bastard.”

Julis smiled and arrogantly told Ricardo.

♦♦♦

Oh my, are you already going to bed, Anastasia-sama?”

Meanwhile, in Emilia’s room, with her silver hair wrapped in a towel, Anastasia was currently preparing for bed.

“Yes…… Is Emilia-sama still not going to bed?”

“Fufu, I was thinking to go, but──── it seems I’m too excited that I can’t sleep.”

“Is that so? I think you should go to bed early since tomorrow is the selection tournament……. But if you can’t sleep, then it can’t be helped.”

Anastasia dried her long, silky red hair with a magical tool.

Her expression was very calm, and made it seem as if tomorrow was not a big day.

“So why don’t we have a little chat until then?”

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“Is that your strategy to ruin my condition, I wonder?”

“Fufu, I don’t intend to do that────If I am going to fight, I should do it fair and square, head-on……, or I will disgrace myself as a member of the royalty.”

“I don’t think royalty has anything to do with it……. Well, okay. I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a little while now.

Anastasia put her hair-drying magic tool on the side of the bed, rolled up the sleeves of her nightgown, and sat down on her bed.

Emilia, who had untied her towel and gathered up her long silver hair, sat down on the other bed as well.

“How confident are you about tomorrow, Anastasia-sama?”

“Not bad. I feel and feel stronger than before……. So, what about you, Emilia-sama?”

“Well……, to be honest, I only feel like────I can win tomorrow.”

Emilia smiled thinly and looked confident.

Anastasia saw this and smiled thinly as well.

“I know I’m losing in the grades──── but you shouldn’t think of me as the same person I was before, okay?”

“Yes…… I look forward to it, Anastasia-sama.”

There is no excitement or cutesy atmosphere in the place, which made it hard to believe that it was a maiden’s room.

All that was there were the voices of two girls──── helplessly determined to win.

They didn’t hate each other. It’s just that they showed confidence in each other because they saw the person in front of them as a friend──── and a worthy rival.

“────Well, first we need to figure out what to do about Julis.”

“……We’ll have to wait and see, I suppose. I have a countermeasure in mind, though────.”

The eve for these maidens seemed to be far from over.

♦♦♦

“…… 8th Unit, march──── toward those detestable humans.”

On the other side, a new spark was being ignited.