I Became the Male Lead who was Clinging onto the Female Leads

Chapter 30: Swordsmanship exam (3)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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The moment Celine descended from the dueling arena, Tina, with her golden hair flowing behind her, rushed over and hugged her.

"Celine! You did great!"

"Ugh..."

She felt like a massive object was smothering her face.

Normally, she would've pushed Tina away, but she was too tired to do so.

"...Let go."

"Huh?"

"...Release me."

"Oh, sorry."

Tina gave an awkward smile and released Celine.

Soon after, Cillian, who was with the others, approached them.

He smiled warmly and spoke.

"You did incredibly well, Celine. Truly the top swordsmanship genius of the Royal Academy."

However, Celine walked past him and approached Eugene.

"Huh?"

Cillian let out a surprised noise.

Standing in front of Eugene, Celine spoke.

"You're the only one left, huh?"

With her words, all eyes turned to Eugene.

True to her words, he was the only one left to take the test.

"Which dueling arena will you be in?"

"...Coming to watch?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

What else would she be looking at besides his duel?

Celine stared intently at him, waiting for a response.

"It's the 7th arena."

Eugene answered without hesitation.

Then...

"Let's go, Tina."

"Shall we head there first and wait?"

"Yeah. I'm too tired to wander around."

Celine took Tina's arm, leading her towards the 7th arena.

On the way, Tina suddenly grabbed Yerina's arm.

"Come with us, Yerina~"

"Me too?"

"Yes!"

"Seems everyone's quite interested in your duel, huh?"

"..."

Cillian gave Eugene's shoulder a few reassuring pats before following the girls.

"Hmm..."

Eugene felt odd.

He had always lived without caring for the heroines' attention, and now, ironically, he was the center of it.

'Life is unpredictable.'

With that thought, Eugene also headed to the 7th dueling arena.

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Raei Translations

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Upon arrival, the duels were already halfway through.

All Eugene had to do was wait.

He looked blankly at the sky, passing the time.

Before long, only two swordsmen remained for the test.

Clack!

"That's a good sword!"

"Haah!"

In the dueling arena, an ordinary swordsman and Fritz were engaged in a duel.

And around them...

An unbelievable crowd had gathered.

He expected this to happen.

After Tina's declaration, interest in Eugene skyrocketed.

People came in droves, eager to witness his abilities in the upcoming test.

'But to gather this much...'

Rumors spread faster than words.

Tina's declaration spread like wildfire, and soon every first-year student knew.

But it didn't stop there.

Even second and third-year students, who had acquaintances in the first year, began to appear.

At this moment, the attention and gaze on Eugene far surpassed the three main heroines.

Despite the presence of the three main heroines nearby, the crowd's attention was squarely on Eugene, focused in their discussions.

"Did you hear about today's incident?"

"Tina sided with Eugene, right?"

"Was that really the right decision?"

They discussed the events of the day.

"But Eugene started changing a few months ago."

"Did he lose his mind over a woman?"

"No, he's been obsessed with swordsmanship and has been training nonstop."

"How did that happen?"

"They say it started after he got hit by a carriage."

"By a carriage?"

"I heard he hit his head."

"Wasn't it his back?"

The crowd speculated about the cause of Eugene's change.

But ultimately,

"If he doesn't stand out in today's duel, wouldn't it be all for nothing?"

"Right. Effort and results are two different things."

"We'll see soon enough."

"That's why everyone's gathered here, after all."

There was widespread skepticism about whether Eugene could prove himself.

"Whether he proves himself or not, it'll be fun."

"That's true."

The crowd continued their excited chatter.

No matter what Eugene would display, they had nothing to lose.

The only student feeling uneasy was Tina.

"What have I done? What have I done?"

"Tina!"

"Tina, snap out of it!"

"What have I done? What have I done...!"

"Tina!"

"You need to keep it together!"

"What have I doooone"

Despite Celine and Yerina's attempts to comfort her, Tina was emotionally shaken.

The consequences of her actions had ballooned beyond imagination.

If Eugene proves himself, everything would be fine.

If not, both their reputations would plummet.

Though, it's arguable if his reputation could fall any further.

'Eugene, you can do it, right?'

He needed to perform well.

'You'll do it for me, right?'

Tina stared intently at Eugene.

'Mountains remain mountains, waters remain waters...'

Eugene calmly surveyed the dueling field.

Suddenly, the student right before Eugene was exchanging swords with Fritz.

'Why am I getting all this attention!'

That student, due to Eugene, was shaking from the excessive attention.

For one, it was completely unexpected.

But most eyes were telling him, 'Get it over with.'

In such an atmosphere, it was impossible for him to properly compete.

"Argh!"

The student, in frustration, swung his sword wildly.

"A blind swing!"

Whoosh!

With a swift motion, Fritz swung, and the student's wooden sword was sent flying out of the arena.

At that moment, a commotion erupted from the surrounding crowd.

"It's Eugene's turn now, right?"

"It's finally starting."

"We've been waiting for this."

'What on earth is this?'

Fritz wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around.

Everyone was eagerly awaiting Eugene's duel.

'Is this because of Tina?'

He pieced together the situation from the surrounding noises.

'Everyone is waiting for Eugene's duel.'

One day, in his swordsmanship theory class, Eugene, a student, had shown great passion.

His love for the sword was evident both in theory and practice.

So much so, that Fritz was deeply moved.

He had even spontaneously arranged a duel to witness Eugene's skills.

Watching that duel, he was awestruck and vowed to one day cross swords with Eugene.

'I didn't expect that day to come so soon.'

Thanks to the exam, the opportunity to face Eugene presented arose.

His mana was limited to the average level of a third-year student, it'll be a good fight.

'Excellent.'

Although Fritz wasn't naturally talented with the sword, his heart, full of love for swordsmanship, began to race.

The pride and competitive spirit of a swordsman welled up within him.

"I can't wait any longer."

Mana surged up his throat, and a loud shout burst from his mouth.

"Eugene von Lennon Grace, step onto the dueling arena!"

At his commanding shout, the previously noisy surroundings of the arena fell silent.

Step by step, the sound of Eugene's footsteps echoed.

He ascended the stairs, wooden sword in hand, and took his position in the arena.

He gave a slight bow.

"Eugene von Lennon, ready to learn from this duel."

"Very well."

Fritz nodded in satisfaction and spoke,

"Given the audience, I hope this duel doesn't disappoint."

"I feel the same."

"Well, it may sound silly to say this during an examination,"

Fritz began with an earnest expression,

"But for the sake of those watching, may I suggest we treat this as a real duel?"

"You mean to allow lethal moves?"

Fritz nodded,

"Exactly. Everyone here wants to verify the rumors surrounding you. Adjusting the exam to match those expectations seems apt. After all, our Royal Academy has teachers skilled in high-level healing magic, so even if one gets gravely injured, there's no threat to one's life."

"I see."

"The choice is yours. Will you accept my proposal?"

In Eugene's case, his Sword Soul talent would significantly benefit from a real-life situation.

'I won't be able to use the Lightning Sword Technique though...'

Conventionally, using the Lightning Sword Technique in a duel would be considered underhanded.

He couldn't use it.

However, in a duel where lethal moves were permitted, he could still shine without it.

There was no reason for him to decline Fritz's offer.

"I accept."

"I respect your bravery."

Cheers and words of admiration for Eugene's bravery echoed in the background.

"Draw your sword then. I'll give you the first move."

With that, Fritz raised his sword.

Eugene also readied his sword, adopting a basic stance.

"Well then, let's begin."

"Come on!"

With a forceful step, Eugene lunged towards Fritz.

Stopping right in front of Fritz, he lifted his sword high above, and then, with all his might, aimed it at Fritzs head.

It was a straightforward downward strike without any particular tricks or feints.

Yet, in Fritzs eyes, the speed of that sword was astonishingly fast.

"Ugh!"

Fritz quickly raised his own sword to block the incoming blow.

The force was greater than he anticipated, but with his decades of swordsmanship and strength fortified by his mana, he stood firm, like an unmovable mountain.

Clang!

After a brief contest of strength, Eugene retreated to create some distance, but Fritz immediately launched a counterattack.

Whizz!

He aimed a swift strike towards Eugenes hearta strike so fast that no ordinary student could possibly block it.

However.

Clash!

Eugene deftly parried it.

Fritz's sword merely grazed Eugene's side, and in an almost lightning-like response, Eugene swung his blade again.

Whoosh!

Had Fritz not hastily gathered his mana to dodge, he would've been seriously wounded.

"Is... Is he for real?"

In just a few exchanges, the depths of Eugene's skills were apparent.

Fritz realized he couldnt afford to take Eugene lightly; he had to face him as an equal.

"I'm going all out!"

Fritz's eyes widened in determination.

He unleashed a flurry of strikes, reflecting a lifetime of swordsmanship traininga sword senior students would falter against.

Crash!

Yet, Eugene managed to block every attack.

He not only defended himself from every strike but also found opportunities to counter whenever Fritz showed an opening.

Thwack! Thud!

Without falling for Fritzs tricks and feints, Eugene delivered precise and effective counterattacks.

Soon, several cuts marked Fritzs body, staining his clothes with blood.

"What the...?"

"What am I watching?"

The spectators were all in sheer disbelief.

But the most stunned was Fritz himself, who was directly confronting Eugene's abilities.

"Damn..."

He had only anticipated an impressive duel, never once did he entertain the thought of defeat.

Wasn't Eugene just a first-year student?

Though he would soon advance to the second year, the fact remainedhe was still in his first year.

And first-year students at the Royal Academy were typically considered novices.

And to think of facing defeat against such a novice?

Such an event was unprecedented in the history of the Royal Academy.

"This cannot be!"

Fritz's eyes burned with intensity as he channeled his mana.

A formidable surge of power flowed throughout his body.

To any onlooker, it would look as if he's using up most of his mana for a single blow.

But that was just a ruse.

In a desperate attempt to parry the sword, Eugene expended considerable mana, but Fritz was prepared.

With a concealed strike, he hoped to seize the upper hand.

"Haah!"

With sheer determination, Fritz lunged forward, swinging his mana-charged wooden sword at Eugene.

The swift blade aimed for an important point, and evading it seemed impossible.

As Fritz anticipated, Eugene raised his sword in defense.

'Got him!'

Seizing that instant, Fritz exploded his mana, heightening his reflexes to their peak.

Withdrawing the sword he'd thrust, he exploited an opening in Eugene's defense.

'An attack he can't dodge!'

This was a deadly blow, honed from decades of sword training.

Fritz's sword made contact with Eugene's body.

But in a blink, Eugene's form vanished.

'What?!'

Wide-eyed, Fritz scanned his surroundings.

To his left, there was nothing.

He checked the right.

There stood Eugene, sword raised high.

Channeling mana into his blade, Eugene executed a flawless downward slash.

Crack!

Fritz's face turned deathly pale.

The figure swinging the sword at his side was reminiscent of a Sword Master.

Before he realized, the wooden sword had made contact with his flank.

Wham!

"Ugh!"

Excruciating pain coursed through him, his eyes rolling back in agony.

Fritz crumpled to the ground, losing consciousness.

Thud.

Clatter.

The sound of his wooden sword falling echoed loudly.

"Wha?"

The eyes of all who had been watching the duel widened in shock.

Today, during the swordsmanship exam, an unprecedented event in the history of the Royal Academy happened.

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