Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 29: Assassination Game (2)

Beatrice stepped forward with a displeased expression.

“If there are any cadets who object, please raise your hand.”

Reiser scanned the cadets as he spoke.

Beatrice and Argos.

There wasn’t a single person who denied that these two had the best skills.

After all, they had proven themselves.

“Cadet Beatrice will have the first opportunity to make her selection. You may take turns choosing the cadets you wish to team up with.”

‘Since it’s come to this…’

She needed to gather strong allies, ones who could handle things without her having to intervene personally.

Beatrice swept her gaze around. Her first choice didn’t require much deliberation.

She extended her hand.

“You.”

As soon as Beatrice made her choice, Argos let out a sound of regret.

Luce Felix.

He was someone Argos had also been keeping an eye on.

When they first arrived and sparred, Luce had been the most overwhelming, aside from Beatrice and Argos.

“Me, me?”

“Who else would it be? Your name is… Luce, right? Come here.”

The rare white-haired boy quickly moved to stand behind Beatrice.

“My turn, huh? Hmm…”

After some hesitation, Argos pointed at someone.

It was Gareth.

“…Gareth. Come here.”

“…Me?”

Gareth’s eyes wavered.

The crushing defeat from the previous night lingered in his mind.

It was something that could be called a betrayal, no matter how close they were or the fact that this was a survival game.

His actions had been more than enough to earn Argos’s ire.

“Your skills are excellent, after all.”

Argos spoke with an emotionless expression.

…Of course, it wasn’t just because Gareth had great skills.

‘I’d rather have that guy with me than let him team up with Beatrice.’

That was his simple reasoning.

Beatrice.

He didn’t want to see her and Gareth together.

Gareth had always been entangled with women.

He was a man who indulged in excess, and Beatrice was the only woman in this officer academy.

‘Instead, I’ll make sure to work him hard.’

Argos smirked faintly.

While he wasn’t a petty person, he hadn’t forgotten last night’s humiliation.

He planned to exploit Gareth’s abilities to their fullest now that they were on the same team.

“Interesting choice. Then I’ll pick—”

Beatrice, without any hesitation, made her next selection.

“Clone. I’ll choose you since I feel bad about what happened last time.”

It was Clone.

“You’ve got an eye for talent! But I’ll have to decline.”

Clone flexed his proud muscles and grabbed his waist.

“I have a score to settle for my humiliation last time! If we’re on the same team, I can’t do that.”

If it were someone else, or if her mana was in proper condition, Beatrice might have let him be.

But in this game, Beatrice couldn’t exert much power.

‘No, that guy is perfect as a shield.’

Given the situation, Clone was a valuable asset.

His large build made him ideal for absorbing stray attacks.

That’s right.

Beatrice intended to use Clone as a shield.

“Come here before you get hit again. Like I said last time, I’m serious about smashing you this time.”

“…Ahem.”

Even the brash Clone hesitated at that.

Reluctantly, he stepped forward.

‘Now, all that’s left are the weaklings. Solid.’

The remaining cadets were all pretty much the same in her eyes.

She decided to rely on Solid for advice.

Solid seemed capable of assessing others’ skills at a glance.

‘Finally, it’s time for you to be useful. Speak before I kick you out of my mind. Who should I pick?’

[Young Beatrice, that would be boring. I must decline.]

‘You’re the one who told me not to overdo things.’

[I’ve changed my mind. Wouldn’t this be a good time to form a contract with me in case of an emergency?]

‘That will never happen.’

While she bickered with Solid, Argos chose another cadet.

“It’s Cadet Beatrice’s turn again.”

The back-and-forth with Solid had delayed her decision.

She couldn’t afford to cause more trouble, so she randomly pointed at someone.

‘Damn it, I’ll deal with you later.’

[The door to our contract is always open, young Beatrice.]

He remained infuriatingly smug to the end.

She regretted leaving Tyrfing in Lilith’s care.

If she had it in her hands, she would have used it to threaten Solid.

**

“The team that captures this flag will be declared the winner. For convenience, Cadet Beatrice’s team will be Blue, and Cadet Argos’s team will be Red.”

“Smart choice. Red suits Argos.”

Red was the color representing the Argos family.

Argos seemed pleased as he grinned broadly.

“Cenci.”

“…What is it?”

A cadet whose name she didn’t know spoke to her.

“I’m not interested in winning, so let’s take it easy. Go easy, you know?”

“…What?”

“There’s nothing to gain from winning here, is there? It seems like this silly game is the last event for today. Let’s finish quickly. I just want to go back to the dorm and rest.”

“Is that so? I can arrange for you to rest forever.”

She quietly toyed with her wooden sword.

The cadet flinched and quickly waved his hand.

“I have no intention of fighting you. It wouldn’t end well for me.”

“Then get lost.”

“…You should rely on your looks more, Cenci. Being called a goddess seems like a stretch.”

She found him unworthy of a response and turned her head away.

Then, she walked forward.

Beatrice and Argos stood face to face.

Behind them stood the 14 cadets they had chosen.

A subtle tension filled the air.

“Beatrice, I’m sorry, but I won’t hold back. Even if I made a mistake yesterday, I won’t go easy this time.”

“Let’s hope you don’t leave your post again this time, chatting away with your friend like last time.”

She gestured toward Gareth as she spoke.

“…About, what happened yesterday…”

‘Even if there were two of you, you’d still be younger than me, rookie.’

Beatrice wasn’t someone who would fall for a typical provocation.

She deliberately ignored Argos’s remark and asked a question instead.

“Reiser.”

“Yes.”

“There should be a reward for the game, right?”

Reiser smiled and nodded.

“Of course. A reward will help motivate the cadets as well.”

“What’s the reward?”

“It’s something that no one here would be able to resist. Kiri! Bring ‘it.’”

“Yes, sir!”

At Reiser’s command, a knight quickly moved and brought something forward.

At first glance, it looked incredibly luxurious.

It was a box adorned with the royal emblem, resembling a case that might hold a ring.

Reiser held up the case and showed it to the cadets.

“What is that?”

Instead of answering, Reiser opened the box.

[Th-that’s…! Beatrice! This is your chance. You absolutely must win this war—!]

Beatrice frowned as Solid’s excitement buzzed in her mind.

Curious about what could cause such a fuss, she examined it closely.

It was merely a red orb, which looked blue depending on the angle—a mysterious and enchanting gem.

“N-no way, Reiser, is that…?”

Argos stared in disbelief.

“Yes. Those who know will recognize this.”

[A Mana Heart! That’s definitely a Mana Heart!]

“It’s a Mana Heart. Although it contains only 1/1000 of the original quantity, I believe you all know its effects.”

The cadets couldn’t hide their shock.

Beatrice furrowed her brow.

‘What exactly is this?’

[You don’t know what a Mana Heart is?]

‘I don’t.’

[My goodness! Young Beatrice, I knew you were ignorant, but this is truly catastrophic!]

‘…….’

Beatrice, now unexpectedly labeled ignorant, felt displeased but reasoned there had to be a reason for the cadets’ astonishment.

After all, they were nobles, born into privilege.

Besides—

‘If it has “Mana” in its name, it must be some sort of artifact.’

Beatrice assumed it was an artifact that increased mana capacity and dismissed it lightly.

However, the Mana Heart was far beyond mere artifacts.

[Young Beatrice, a dragon’s heart is called a Mana Heart. Comparing it to ordinary artifacts is an insult.]

A dragon—the epitome of mana.

Their mana was concentrated near their hearts, making a dragon’s heart a highly concentrated elixir of mana.

Thus, a Mana Heart surpassed any elixir.

‘Dragons? Are there dragons here?’

[Of course, or else the Mana Heart wouldn’t exist. Though they vanished during the Age of Magic.]

Such Mana Hearts were incredibly rare.

Not only were dragons few in number, but their immense power also made them nearly untouchable.

The main reason was that dragons disappeared after the Age of Magic.

This meant—

Every Mana Heart in existence was an artifact from that era.

It was a national treasure.

The Kingdom of Krapos officially owned seven intact Mana Hearts.

The orb before them was a fragment of one of those Mana Hearts.

“Th-this is insane. Are you really offering this as a reward, Reiser?”

“It is indeed a Mana Heart. His Highness the Crown Prince ordered the treasury to release a fragment of a Mana Heart and had it refined into this. Of course—”

Reiser gestured to the knights again.

Then—

Fifteen boxes containing Mana Hearts appeared.

“His Highness decreed that every member of the winning team shall receive one of these Mana Heart fragments.”

“E-every member…?”

Even if it was only 1/1000 of a Mana Heart, it was still an extraordinary prize.

The mana increase it provided was immense.

[Even that amount could raise one’s level by at least one step. A low-rank would become mid-rank, and a mid-rank could reach mid-high rank.]

Only then did Beatrice realize the magnitude of the opportunity before her.

‘One rank higher… That would save me three years of time.’

[Three years? No, it could save five years. What a bold move, offering a Mana Heart as a reward.]

Beatrice agreed.

This was an unbelievable prize.

‘I’ve never seen anything like this, even in my past life.’

It was Beatrice’s first time encountering such an extraordinary item.

She licked her lips.

Although she had planned to win anyway, she now had a definite reason to ensure victory.

“D-does this mean His Highness hasn’t abandoned us?”

A Mana Heart was no ordinary item.

Everyone present knew that for the Crown Prince, this act came with considerable risk.

“Of course not,” Reiser affirmed confidently.

“His Highness regards you, the offspring of the Aristocratic Faction nobles, not just as participants in this game but as ‘the future of Krapos.’”

It was a shocking statement.

After the rebellion, it was widely known that the Crown Prince harbored disdain for the Aristocratic Faction.

The cadets present were the children of that faction—children who had been abandoned, even by their own families.

And yet, the Crown Prince, who held supreme authority granted by the king, considered them significant.

This wasn’t mere lip service.

By presenting the Mana Heart, he demonstrated visible and substantial trust.

The cadets were deeply moved.

The value of the Mana Heart was incredible on its own, but the Crown Prince’s intentions hidden within it resonated even more profoundly.

It became a powerful motivator in every sense.

“Cenci. Or rather, Beatrice.”

Hearing someone call her, she turned around.

It was the cadet who had previously suggested taking it easy.

His gaze was resolute.

The other cadets wore similar expressions, their enthusiasm palpable.

‘Those are good eyes.’

Previously, they had looked disinterested, if not outright indifferent.

But now, their eyes were sharper and more determined than ever.

The overflowing zeal was almost burdensome.

“What should we do to win?”

The lazy nobles from earlier were gone.

They were now passionate cadets.

It wasn’t just greed for the Mana Heart driving them.

Their expressions reflected a sense of duty to live up to someone’s trust.

“Reiser, let me ask you one thing.”

Perhaps moved by their sincerity, Beatrice also grew more serious.

She addressed Reiser.

“…Can we get an advance payment? I’ll compensate if we lose.”

Reiser looked dumbfounded.

“…Cadet Beatrice, is that a serious question? Absolutely not.”

“It was a joke. Did you have to take it so seriously?”

In truth, she had been half-serious.

‘This won’t be easy.’

This game didn’t look easy at all.

Not just for Beatrice’s team, but because the other side was equally fired up.