The rules to the Swimming Tournament was simple.

Apart from attacking other teams, any magic or methods can be used to get to the goal within the shortest time. Because of this rule, people who won by purely just swimming were few and far in between, and it was not a tournament that relies on one’s body build or reflexes. Therefore, if all goes well, even the 1st years have a chance to win the 3rd years.

Everyone’s expressions in the cla.s.s changed as Zelda-sensei explained the rules proudly. Seeing this, I felt that Zelda-sensei was not a sensei just for show. Although he was as hot-blooded as a certain tennis-player. And that he was currently only wearing a T-back.

Anyway, as he managed to stirred the fire within everyone, they stayed silent, waiting for his next words.

” Well then, the first team is Maria and…. ”

Yes, he began to announced the members of the different teams.

Of course, since this was still a school tournament, there was still an underlying objective to it. To sum it up, cultivating the character as well as to improved the communication between students.

Because you can’t win just by using magic. So, this was not just about one’s swimming skills or magic techniques, but creativity as well. And the main point of the entire tournament, the teams.

Teamwork, tactics, making use of each other skills.

To improved the communication within the cla.s.s, there was no need to clump people within the same cliques together, which was why we don’t get to choose the teams, rather, the teachers did that.

Ahh, there might also be that they won’t want people with ability to team up together, upsetting the balance. I was really thankful for this. It was really a system filled with consideration.

Yep. Because in my previous world, it was horrible. As it had to be a mixed team of boys and girls, there was a ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’ war going on. They were so desperate not to get roped into the same team as me.
….Can I cry? Ah, somehow the scenery in front of me was getting blurrier. Rrrrrrrrr.

” Then, the last team, the 4th team! Mi, Selphy, Zen and Will! Okay! Get into your teams and start your discussion! ”

As this me was crying like a kid in my inner heart, my name was called. Zelda-sensei said new connection within the cla.s.s would formed right? Yep.

…….It was all a lie!!!

” Mmm, it turned out this way. ”
” Somehow is this still the same group as we have in cla.s.s! ”

After gathering, Zen completed my sentence. Mi and Selphy were nodding in agreement happily. Well, although there were no new relationships, at least they were all people I knew I would have fun with.

A grin played on my mouth as I gestured the 3 to come closer.

” So, the only one who can’t swim is Zen. ”

The 2 besides Zen nodded at my words. I knew Selphy learned how to swim in the forest spring but Mi was a surprise. It seem like the head of Sociunnov declared, out of nowhere, that all men needed to know how to swim and Mi took swimming lessons as per his father’s orders.

…..Oi.

He definitely knew about this, Mi’s father. He’s an oldboy here, wasn’t he? Stop trying to give your son special privileges!

And, I left all my tsukomis in my heart. I was not someone who cannot read the atmosphere by looking down on Mi’s father here.

Me? I just gave a vague answer. Since I was from a Duke’s family, I would do anything. This was those kind of situation where I should flaunt my family’s power. Hooray
for power!

….You there, stop your tsukomi that that was not the correct way to use it. Because I knew that. Yep.

” Then, what is the strategy this time? ”
” Don’t we need to train Zen in swimming first? ”

Selphy opened her mouth and started the meeting. Next was Mi. I just nodded at their words. Although the tournament was that anything goes, there was still a rule that we would need to at least come in contact with the pool.

Which meant, although anything goes, most of the action would be within the pool. At that, Mi’s suggestion to first learn swimming was valid. Plus, although any magic was usable apart from attacking others, we were all just 1st years. The magic we could use were limited.
[TN: Guys, Will is trying to promote teamwork. Which means no…. not standing out too much. If he can.]

But, but, but guys.
The one who started this tournament was that First Founder. In both good and bad way, I fully believed in him. Would it really be just a simple tournament? Was it really just a tournament made so he could admire some swimsuits? From what I had heard from Shiro, he did not seemed like the type who went wild like this. That was to say, there was a reason for this tournament.

But what? What was the most recent thing that happened in the academy? And when I reached that point of thinking, I lifted my head up and grinned.

” But then, there is something I wanna do. ”

To the us who hadn’t learned much magic, [any magic] was said. There was bound to be a hidden meaning to that. And at that moment, Zelda-sensei announced that today’s lesson was over. But the meeting between us was not over that easily.

And so, we moved our location to the academy’s rear garden. The forest, said to be the garden, was as dense as ever but still, I moved towards the empty plot of land I found earlier without hesitating. Zen was explaining to the Mi who had questions marks and exclamation marks floating above his head.

And, the only difference from before was the faeries.

I did gather mana around my ears before I enter the rear garden but the moment I stepped into the forest, all chatting ceased immediately. Hm. I did gave them a pretty strong warning. But it might be useless since Selphy had learned how to control her mana output.

I did felt a little pity but they were just getting their own deserts. If they were simply chatting it would be fine but they purposely did it in a way just to make Selphy suffer. I was not a man of such n.o.ble character that I could let them go after that.

Reflect on it as much as you can.
…..Ah, although I wouldn’t know if they were doing it or not since I was not observing them all the time.

” And there Will taught us mana perception. It look someplace like a plaza. ”

Zen said as he pointed.
….Unfortunately, that’s the wrong direction, Zen. As I was smiling wryly, a voice entered my ears.

” Hoh hoh. So Will-dono had already knew how to handle mana before enrolling. ”
” Ah, yea.. That’s because I had a tutor. ”

Mi nodded at my words, satisfied with the explanation. That was because it was not a uncommon situation within the n.o.ble community. And when we reached the plaza, we gathered into a circle.

” 《召喚》! ” [TN: Shokan, summon]

As I wish that it would be a normal and bland entrance, I gathered mana as I shouted. Then, as if the destruction of when he was first summoned was a lie, Shiro simply appeared. A ‘pop’ like how popcorn popped sounded rang out as he appeared, his long white hair not even swaying.

After looking around him, Shiro began walking towards me, smiling happily. Seeing that blissfully happy face made it really hard to be angry with him. No matter what he did, all would be forgiven. Or rather, he was really like a dog….

” Oh! Master! You are not corss-dre…. gwahp! ”

I take it all back.

After magically strengthening myself, I gave a flying kick right to Shiro’s face. With a speed that you can’t even see, I shut his mouth up.

I’m that. I have a big heart. Even when he destroyed the cla.s.sroom, I sweep it all under the rug because there was no helping it. I was not small-minded like that. Yep. ….I knew that. But. But then. It was not like I can forgive everything. Shiro was immediately given a ‘X’ when he started talking about that part of black history of my cross-dressing mission in Hattuo.

《お口くちばってん》
[TN: Okuchi Batten, X the mouth]

I imagined a white rabbit with an X for a mouth as I casted the magic chantlessly. Activating wind magic, I landed on the ground safely as Shiro touched his mouth, panicking.

” Hmー! Hmー! ”

Well, I ignore Shiro who was trying to say something behind me as I returned to the main topic. Clapping my hands, I got the 3, who was in a daze, to looked at me.

” Well then, there is a lot of attributes to magic. Like fireball or water ball. And according to each person’s attribute, the techniques they used will be different. And since attribute-magic was the first magic we learn, that’s the magic we thought of when ‘magic’ is mention. ”

To confirmed all 3 were listening to me, I raised my finger. Like how other raised their finger with a proud expression. It was important to check their concentration with such a subtle method. You, please don’t say that it was an excuse.

” That there. Think about it. Is magic just that? I think not. There is something else. Yes, summoning magic! ”

With Shiro mumbling as my BGM, I stood with a extremely proud expression. The 3 of them went ” Ohhhhh!!! ” and gave me applause, their eyes shining with pure admiration for me.

…..How embarra.s.sing.

This was embarra.s.sing! To be looked at with those kind of eyes as I stood here with a proud face! I really yearned for some tsukomi.

I want someone to tsukomi me!

My heart was in anguish. In my house, there were John-sensei, and on my travel, there were Buu-san so I completely forgot about it but yes, this was this kind of place. This was a place where I was the only tsukomi around. It was a laspe of memory. My failure.

My shoulders slumped as I reluctantly casted.

《解除》
[TN: Kaijo, Release]

I released the lock I had on Shiro’s mouth. It, it’s not that I need Shiro’s help!

…..Let’s stop, this was getting sad.