Book 1 Chapter 28
【28】27
Class 5 and Class 1, divided into two camps, sat in a circle around their respective professors.
“Are there any students who wish to compete?”
“First, I recommend Leo and Chelsea!”
When Kal raised his hand and spoke, the students nodded.
Leo was not only the class representative but also showed an impressive performance during the provisional class period, firmly establishing himself as a talented individual in the students’ minds.
Chelsea, without a doubt, was from a prestigious hero family, and her entrance exam score was the highest in Class 5.
“Leo Flobe, Chelsea Llewellyn. Any complaints?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
“Good, Kal Thomas, who recommended them. You go too.”
“Huh? M-Me? I think other friends would be better…”
“You have no veto power.”
“Yes!”
Kal was forced to participate, albeit reluctantly.
“Next?”
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll do it too!”
Iliana and Teid eagerly raised their hands.
“Iliana Raden, Teid Marcoa. Four more people left.”
“I’ll do it too.”
“Nella Karven.”
When Nella declared her intention to participate in a languid voice, the male students eagerly raised their hands.
They were motivated by the participation of Nella, one of the most beautiful girls in the class.
Just like that, eight contestants stepped forward.
“It seems Class 5 has also decided on its members, then!”
Sedjen spread his hands.
Woosh-!
Light rose from the training ground, and a rectangular line was drawn.
Along with it, goals made of mana lines appeared at the ends of the rectangle.
The players from both teams gathered in the center.
“Game time is 20 minutes. Victory is important, but fair play is more important. I'll give you a moment for a strategy meeting.”
Professor Sedjen, who gave time for a strategy meeting, went to the referee's stand.
“You came out without fear, did you?”
“I’ll crush you.”
Celia and Chloe glared at Kal, wearing wicked smiles.
A scared Kal hid behind Chelsea.
After exchanging greetings, both players gathered in the center of their respective camps.
Leo was chosen as captain, recommended by Chelsea.
“The top students are one thing, but look at the other Class 1 kids.”
“They’re all children of prestigious families.”
“They’re determined to win no matter what.”
“Wasn’t Class 1 the class with the highest average score?”
While everyone was making strategies with tense expressions, Leo, wearing a blue vest, asked,
“But isn't movement always advantageous for knight-type departments?”
“What are you talking about, Leo? Bastera isn’t always advantageous for knight-type departments. The performance of magic and summoning departments is also incredibly important!”
Teid replied.
“Why?”
“Why? Of course…”
Teid, who trailed off, asked as if something had occurred to him.
“Leo, have you ever played Bastera?”
“No.”
“You’re from the Delard Kingdom, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh dear. You wouldn't know since the Delard Kingdom is a frontier.”
Teid covered his face.
“In Bastera, you win if you score more goals in the opponent’s goal within the time limit. However.”
“However?”
“Strategy meeting time is over. Team captains, step forward! We will decide the first attack.”
Leo went forward as a representative.
Class 1's representative was Duran.
Sedjen, holding a coin, asked Leo,
“Which will you choose, heads or tails?”
“Heads.”
Sedjen glanced at Duran, who nodded as if it didn't matter.
Clink-!
The coin flipped up and fell onto Sedjen’s back of the hand.
“Tails. Class 1’s first attack.”
Duran, who received the transparent ball, smirked grimly.
“This time, I’ll definitely crush you.”
Leo shrugged off Duran's provocation.
Duran, scowling at the sight, returned to his camp and handed the ball to Celia.
“Finish explaining.”
At Leo's words, Teid shouted with a tense face.
“No time to explain! Experience it yourself! It’s coming!”
“Huh?”
Whoosh-!
The transparent ball turned red and was engulfed in flames.
“Here it goes!”
Celia threw the ball with all her might.
Flash-!
The ball flew towards Leo at tremendous speed, drawing a straight trajectory.
Leo hastily dodged.
Thud-!
“Gasp?”
The male student behind Leo was hit in the side and was sent flying, screaming.
Thump! Roll, roll, roll!
Celia swept her disheveled hair back and high-fived her teammates.
Leo, watching his classmate writhing on the floor, asked with a serious face.
“…Is he going to die?”
“Well, he’s protected by protective gear… but it hurts a lot.”
Kal replied with a disgusted voice.
Teid swallowed dryly.
“This is Bastera! If you hit an opponent with the ball, the right to attack passes! But, if you get hit by the ball and can’t move, you’re out! It’s a dangerous sport where you could even lose your life if a really strong person throws it!”
Only now could Leo understand why the students were so tense.
Scoring many points is one way, but rendering all opponents incapacitated before that also results in victory.
***
“Splendid! Powerful! Elegant! As expected of a direct descendant of the Gerdinger family!”
Sedjen clapped his hands and rejoiced.
“Hallind! Your class can never beat ours!”
“The game is still early, isn’t it?”
“Hahahaha! Indeed! But just having Celia student gives us an absolute advantage! You of all people would know that the Gerdinger family is highly specialized in Bastera!”
“…”
At Sedjen’s words, a Class 1 student raised his hand and asked.
“Why is the Gerdinger family advantageous in Bastera?”
“Good question! The most efficient element in Bastera is the flame element with high destructive power! And the Gerdinger family’s flames are considered the most powerful among humans!”
He pointed at Hallind with a triumphant expression.
“Your senior, legendary at the Lumerin Academy! The Empress of Bastera, who was one of my and this friend’s first disciples, was also a Gerdinger!”
Sena, who was listening to the explanation, smiled.
“We also have a student who can handle flame aura.”
Hallind looked at Leo, who was holding the ball.
Flames erupted from the ball Leo held.
***
‘It contains mana of no particular element?’
Leo, having grasped the ball's characteristics, lightly rolled the ball, engulfed in a fiery aura, on his palm.
The Class 1 students looked at Leo with tense faces.
“Kal.”
“Huh?”
“Is it okay to attack or restrain a person with abilities?”
“No. Marking to prevent passing is allowed, but attacks can only be made with the ball.”
‘So the ball is the only means of attack. The one with the ball would have an absolute advantage.’
“Is that so?”
While Leo was figuring out the rules, Nella first approached the fallen male classmate and unleashed her aura.
As the light of the white aura burst forth, the male student’s face visibly relaxed.
‘Oh? A healing-type aura? That’s a rare element.’
Auras have various elements.
Generally, there are many elements that enhance attack power, but there are also healing-type elements like Nella's.
“Leo, oppa. If you hold the ball for too long, it’s a foul, and the right to attack passes to the other side.”
“Understood. I have one more question. It doesn’t matter if I kick the ball with my foot instead of just my hand, right?”
“It doesn’t matter. But wouldn’t that decrease accuracy?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Leo tossed the ball into the air and then kicked it hard with his foot.
Boom-!
The aura at Leo's fingertip exploded, and its recoil was added to the ball.
The instantly drawn out firepower of the aura combined with immense physical ability sent the ball flying towards Class 1's goal even faster than Celia had thrown it.
“Block it!”
Celia shouted urgently.
Crackle, crackle, crackle-!
Chloe's magic power erupted, creating a thick ice wall in front of the goal.
Crash-! Crack-!
The ball deeply embedded itself in the thick ice wall.
“As long as I’m here, scoring a goal is imposs…”
“Possible?”
Leo, who had sprinted into Class 1's camp, smiled at Chloe and charged towards the goal.
The Class 1 students were flustered.
“W-What…!”
In the meantime, Leo leaped towards the ice wall.
“Ah!”
Crunch-!
He unleashed a flying kick at the ball embedded in the ice wall.
Crackle, crackle-! Smash-!
The ice wall shattered, and the ball went into Class 1’s goal.
Beep-!
“Class 5… first point scored.”
Professor Sedjen, blowing the whistle, said in an indignant voice.
“As expected of the class representative!”
“His agility is incredible!”
Cheers erupted from Class 5.
‘As expected, he's not to be underestimated.’
‘Ugh! I let my guard down.’
‘This guy!’
Celia, Chloe, and Duran frowned, looking at Leo.
“Nice! The first point is incredibly important!”
Kal gave a thumbs-up.
“Alright! Let’s defend Class 1’s attack like this and win the right to attack!”
Iliana, the mood maker, raised her hand and shouted.
“Oh!”
Class 5’s atmosphere heated up.
“It looked like a reckless attack, but he scored with momentary quick thinking!”
As Sena burst into admiration, Hallind shook his head.
“No, that’s a strategy.”
“Huh?”
‘According to Ain, he took on a leadership role on the ship on the day of the entrance ceremony, right? As such, he must have already grasped Chloe Müller's characteristics.’
Chloe specializes in ice magic, and her high-speed chanting ability is top-tier among first-year students.
In other words, she is the player most specialized in guarding the goal among Class 1 players.
Leo had grasped that beforehand and aimed for an opening.
‘He’s an excellent strategist for his age.’
Hallind stroked his chin, his eyes sparkling.
Meanwhile, Class 1's counterattack began.
Duran, holding the ball, ran towards Class 5's camp.
Crackle-!
Golden aura sparks flew from his body.
Swoosh-!
As he sprinted, Chelsea quickly followed.
Lightning and wind. Both are elements specialized in speed.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“Tch!”
As Chelsea persistently followed, Duran clicked his tongue and passed to Celia, who was following behind him.
“Ah!”
Chelsea was flustered.
‘He’s annoying, but his pass is accurate.’
Celia, who received Duran’s pass, charged fearlessly towards Class 5’s goal.
Students stood in her way, but Celia easily outmaneuvered them.
In front of Celia, Leo appeared.
“Hello.”
“I knew you’d come.”
Celia smiled brightly.
“But what to do? Even though he’s annoying.”
Crackle-!
“This guy’s speed is quite fast, you know?”
“That’s not something you should say, Celia Gerdinger, with your brutally high destructive power, is it?”
Duran, who had somehow outrun Chelsea, was jumping over Celia’s head.
No matter how specialized in speed, Chelsea could never beat Duran in a jumping competition.
Celia and Duran glared at each other, frowning.
The two, of course, had an extremely bad relationship.
But they didn’t jeopardize victory for personal feelings.
Whoosh-!
Celia passed to Duran.
Leo didn’t even attempt an interception.
‘What is it, did he give up?’
With no pass obstruction, Celia looked at Leo, puzzled.
And seeing Leo’s face, she realized something was wrong.
“Duran, wait a sec…”
But by the time Celia’s words reached him, Duran was already throwing the ball.
Crackle!
“This makes it a tie!”
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