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Chapter 327 Part 2

The bell rings on the grounds of the pilot school, signaling the start of the afternoon section.
Herbivore mechanic and I make our way to the honored guest seats in the main auditorium, the venue for the exam.

「Looks like we were being misunderstood huh.」

The slender young man shrugged his shoulders as we walked. This is about the old man who appeared earlier, who seems to be one of the instructors.

『We would appreciate it if you would refrain from recruiting the students early than the agreed time. We are also putting a lot of time and effort into the event.』

He warned us.

「Well, it can’t be helped. We are a pilot and a mechanic from the merchant guild Knights and all of the top-rankers were there with us.」

It’s like fiddling with your hat under a grape arbor or trying to re-tie your shoelaces in a watermelon patch.
In my previous world, it would be like 『going on a business trip with a woman』. Even if it’s just business and both parties don’t have the intention to do anything weird, there will always be someone who misunderstands and doubts you.
I bowed back to the old man and promised him that I would not do such a thing.

「By the way, that instructor is from the knight order. I couldn’t imagine in the past that he would be so polite to me like that.」

Herbivore mechanic continued as if impressed. Certainly, the previous knight order, and the pilot school, which was strongly influenced by the knight order, had an atmosphere that respected only themselves.

『You’re just a private Knight! Know your place!』

He could have yelled at me and kicked me off the table where I was eating, seriously.

「Everything sure has turned for the better now.」

Herbivore mechanic nodded at my words and sat down beside me at the end of the honored guest seat. Then he looked down at the match venue.

(So the first match of the semi-finals is between Light Cruiser-sensei and Cool-san huh? I would have liked to have seen them in the finals if possible.)

With a bit of regretful feeling, I looked at the two beautiful Jay-Anne women sitting in the simulation cockpit.
The fact that I can’t see what’s inside their tight skirts is frustrating, but still really nice regardless.

(I wonder if I can ask Light Cruiser-sensei to bring her uniform to Jayanne.)

Guess I’ll ask her the next time I book her. With this in mind, I leaned forward to see what I could not see.

***

The gazes from the audience crawled into the spot between her knees. While sensing this, Cool sighed at his opponent’s joyful atmosphere.

(This is the worst match-up.)

It was as Tauro said, Light Cruiser-sensei. She wanted her rival from school days, to be the one to fight the 『Cassabell’s Storm』.
Entrusting the whipping girl whose ability was unknown to her while she fights Black Tights-chan who she already analyzed. It should have been a win-win situation for both of them.

(It can’t be helped. This is also what a battle looks like.)

After refocusing herself, Cool-san poured magic power into the knight and walked it to the starting position.
After both sides bowed, the referee announced the start of the match.

***

Two one-meter-tall miniature Knights crossing swords in the center of a magic circle ten meters in diameter.
Looking down at them from the honored guest seat, I thought to myself.

(Light Cruiser-sensei is in the lead and Cool-san is being cornered.)

Both are equipped with a standard one-handed sword and shield. Although Cool-san looks like she’s in trouble, her single blow has more destructive power than Light Cruiser-sensei, and she continues to chip away at her opponent’s stamina.

「The cold-looking one seems uninspired, isn’t she?」

Herbivore Mechanic also seemed to have the same opinion. He tilted his head slightly, probably because I had told him at lunch that 『the two are evenly matched』.

「The power of feeling. That must be the difference.」

The slender young man looked more puzzled at my reply. But I don’t know how I should explain it any further.
She loves to train herself so much that she goes on warrior training trips.

『The Training Demon』

It is hard to imagine from her usual gentle and mild-mannered atmosphere, but she is called as such by Jayanne’s apprentice girls, and she has earned their fear and respect all the same.
It was only a few days ago that Plain-chan turned into her Queen mode, and Light Cruiser-sensei has yet to fight against her. That’s why she’s more eager to win this match and fight her.

(However, Cool-san doesn’t have that much passion.)

Her goal is to become 『Virgins’ first woman』.
For that reason alone, she accepted my tuning-up massage and discarded her human self.
Now she is the first-time-eater monster, Unicorn of 『Doom Squad』 who will deal with as many people there as long as they’re virgins.

(If only the prize was virgins, it would have been a good match. No, she would’ve even won overwhelmingly.)

Considering the way she performs in the Divine Tournament in the Holy City, that possibility is not unlikely.
However, it was a result of a 『cause』. To be exact, it’s because, despite the fact that I’ve tried my best to find it, I can’t find any virgins among my connections.
The only thing that motivates her now is her pride to win now that she entered the competition.

「Tauro-san, it seems the match is about to finish.」

Herbivore Mechanic said while staring at the venue with a serious expression.
Cool-san’s Knight, who has pushed around from beginning to end, finally lost its balance and fell on its butt. Light Cruiser-sensei’s Knight didn’t miss the opportunity and lifted the sword high up in the air and swung it down.

(I’m sorry. Please forgive this good-for-nothing boss.)

I, Dr. Slime, as the leader of the Doom Squad, apologized deeply in my heart to the Unicorn.

***

The pilot school that located east of the Royal Castle in the royal capital. Downtown, southwest of there, is a three-story building.
On its rooftop, in a garden overgrown with grass and trees, a 15-centimeter-long dung beetle reacts with a twitch and looks up at the sky.

『What’s wrong?』

A 20-centimeter-long caterpillar sitting on a branch asked his friend.
General Dangorou emitted a wave as he moved his antennae.

『……It’s Unicorn』

『Unicorn?』

Imosuke, the vice-commander, lifts his upper body and tilts his head to the side, not understanding what he means.

『Ei!』

Dangorou curled up in a ball. Beside them, a 20-centimeter-long turtle swam leisurely across the pond in the garden.

***

Here, the perspective switches to Cool-san.

(What was that just now?)

Her opponent’s blow that she thought would end the match.
Her opponent swung straight down, but for some reason the impact was minimal and she was able to survive.
However, she could not understand the cause. It seemed that her opponent was the same, and a slight sign of confusion was wafting through the air.

『Curl up.』

And then, she thought she heard something in her head.

(General!)

Cool-san just understood instinctively.
It was General Dangoro’s blessing that lessened the blow. And his words now were advice on how to fight.

(That’s right. There’s no rule that says I have to fight with a sword and shield just because I’m a knight. I should have fought in my own way.)

She throws her sword and shield at Light Cruiser-sensei, and while she is surprised and avoids it, she moves back to take distance from her.
Cool-san took a deep breath and poured a large amount of magic power into her leg and then hovered.

(Take this! My specialty, spinning technique!)

Accelerating at once in a mad dash, she bends forward and hugs her knees in mid-stride. There, Cool’s Knight, who had applied maximum power to the hover, turned into a single wheel that rolled furiously forward.
Light Cruiser-sensei was surprised and held up her shield, but decided it was impossible to guard against it midway.
She decided to dodge to the side, but her shield was blown away.

(It’s not over yet!)

The wheel, which passed her at murderous speed, tilted itself before the outer edge of the magic circle and turned toward Light Cruiser-sensei.
The sense of being able to keep accurate track of one’s current position while rotating at high speed can only be achieved by Cool-san, who has taken her spinning technique to the extreme.

(From this point on, it’s all about endurance. Don’t expect you’ll win so easily!)

The killer wheel repeatedly attacked the miniature Knight, drawing a letter 八 on the floor two to three times. Light Instructor-sensei tried to swing her sword, but it was deflected by the high-speed rotation and finally sent her sword flying.

(With this, we’re even. However, do you still have something up your sleeve I wonder?)

Cool-san approaches Light Cruiser-sensei, who is now empty-handed while spinning around from the front.
The entire audience gasped at the sight of her complete refusal to evade.
In the slow time that passed between the two fighters, Cool-san muttered to herself.

(….As expected of her.)

Light Cruiser-sensei, who had not moved as if she had forgotten what fear was, swung out a right hook with the force of her hip just before the collision.
The Knight’s fist struck from out of sight, striking the center of the spinning wheel. It then inflicted fatal damage on Cool-san’s Knight, who had very little strength left, further diverting it from its path.

(Boss, vice boss, and general. The strawberries… were delicious)

With these words, the Knight lost control and went out of the magic circle with a diameter of 10 meters. Although the supply of magic power was cut off, the Knight hit the wall without losing momentum.
It leaped upward and plunged into the center of the honored guest’s seats.

「Woaah!」

With such a voice, the one-meter-high golem Knight was caught from the front by the knight commander with a Kaiser mustache. It can only be said as expected of him.
Like this, the first semifinal match ended in the form of a victory for Light Cruiser-sensei.