Chapter 99

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 99

EP.99 The Game of Wits Begins

A commoner suddenly interrupts the conversation between the Princess and the Saintess.

And it wasn’t a polite interruption. It was almost like shouting, in front of the Princess, in front of one of the Empire’s top ten!

Naturally, from Elga’s perspective, she couldn’t help but think, ‘Has she lost her mind?’

Though the academy operates on the principle that status doesn’t matter,

there are still things a commoner should and shouldn’t do.

Dealing with nobles is one thing, but the royal family is on a completely different level.

Moreover, the woman in front of her, the Fifth Princess Yurika, isn’t even a student at the academy.

Nor is she someone like the Saintess, who has business at the academy.

She’s just a visitor. Meaning, the academy’s rules don’t apply to her.

‘Could it be that the Princess will take offense and accuse her of insulting the royal family? No, that couldn’t be, right?’

What should be done if that really happens? Should it be stopped?

Can it even be stopped? What if I end up in trouble too?

But she’s someone close to Kyle. And I know her to some extent.

It feels wrong to just stand by and watch. Really, what should I do?!

While Elga was agonizing over these thoughts,

“…I’ve been wanting to ask, who is that with the purple hair?”

Yurika finally seemed curious and gestured towards Tisha.

“Who are you? I don’t recognize your face.”

The gaze of one of the Empire’s top ten, staring straight at her, was chilling.

Moreover, Yurika’s eyes seemed to shimmer with a blood-red hue, adding to the intimidation.

For Tisha, who realized her mistake, it was an immense trial.

“Well, I am….”

“Sister Tisha. Your Highness. She’s a very good person.”

The Saintess subtly stepped in to defend Tisha.

However, Yurika shook her head and looked back at Tisha.

“I’d like to hear the introduction from her, Saintess. So, purple hair? Could you introduce yourself again?”

It was impossible not to be nervous in this situation.

She had met the lord Byun-kyung, the Lady, and the Saintess, but the Princess was truly overwhelming.

After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the Emperor who ruled the entire Empire. There was no comparison.

Moreover, she was one of the top ten strongest people in the Empire.

What should she do? How should she act to avoid any trouble?

‘…Stay calm. She’s probably not a bad person. She’s just curious about me.’

Thinking this, her wildly beating heart began to calm down.

As her tension eased, her confused mind also started to clear.

Tisha then straightened her posture and spoke to Yurika, who was staring at her intently.

“It is an unparalleled honor to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Tisha.”

“A commoner, I see.”

Tisha flinched and glanced at the Princess cautiously.

Fortunately, Yurika’s remark, ‘A commoner, I see,’ didn’t seem to carry any negative connotation.

It wasn’t as if she was saying, ‘Why is a commoner interrupting my conversation?’

It seemed more like she was simply acknowledging that Tisha didn’t have a noble title.

And as expected, Yurika didn’t reprimand Tisha.

Instead, she asked questions with a face full of curiosity.

“Alright, I understand. Tisha. Then let me ask differently. What’s your relationship with Kyle?”

Flinch!-

At Yurika’s question, Tisha involuntarily trembled.

Even though Yurika was smiling, it felt as if a fierce monster was glaring at her.

An instinctive thought arose in her mind that she needed to answer carefully.

“…We’re friends.”

“Friends?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Is that really all?”

She could have just answered ‘Yes’ to the question, ‘Is that really all?’

But Tisha didn’t do that and instead added another answer.

“…I think we’re a bit closer than most friends.”

At Tisha’s last answer, a glint returned to Yurika’s red eyes.

However, this time, Tisha didn’t flinch.

‘It’s true, isn’t it? Kyle and I are closer than just friends… right?’

If they were just acquaintances, he wouldn’t take such good care of her.

He taught her exercises with dedication, met with her whenever he had time to talk.

They laughed, chatted, and had serious discussions about sorcery, supporting each other.

Most importantly, he even found and shared rare books with her.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Yes, this was an objective observation, not a subjective feeling.

Thinking this, Tisha calmly waited for Yurika’s next words.

“Closer than most friends.”

Yurika crossed her arms, deep in thought.

The Saintess and Elga were extremely tense, but Tisha, the subject of Yurika’s contemplation, remained calm.

“By the way, does that mean you also want to be Kyle’s?”

Of course, even Tisha couldn’t help but be taken aback by Yurika’s next words.

“…What?”

“Are you saying you want to belong to Kyle too?”

At those words, not only Tisha but also Elga and the Saintess,

all froze, unable to say anything, just staring at Yurika.

They felt like they had heard something, but the content was so unbelievable.

Moreover, the person who said it was the Princess, one of the Empire’s top ten, making it even harder to believe.

“Your Highness, this is a place where many people come and go. Such words….”

Elga, who barely regained her composure, hurriedly tried to wrap up the situation.

She had a gut feeling that if this continued, something really bad would happen.

But the problem was that the person she was dealing with was Yurika.

A Princess who didn’t fit the typical mold of the royal family at all.

“Lady Elga, stay put. It seems like I’m right, doesn’t it?”

“Your Highness, please….”

“Isn’t it? Then, purple hair… ah, Tisha. Are you just friends with Kyle, or is there more?”

It was like throwing a boulder into a calm lake.

If an ordinary person had said such things, they might have laughed it off or responded with, ‘We’re just friends! Really!’ to defuse the situation.

But Yurika had said it outright.

Are you also trying to belong to Kyle? The important part wasn’t ‘belong.’

It was the inclusion of the word ‘also’ in the Princess’s statement.

‘What does that mean? Could it be that the Princess…?!’

‘I had my suspicions… and they were right!’

‘Brother Kyle? The Princess is after Brother Kyle again!!’

The first to speak, with some authority, was Elga.

Though she wasn’t as high-ranking as Yurika, she was still the daughter of a Grand Duke.

“Your Highness, does Kyle know about this?”

“He knows.”

“So, you mean… that Your Highness wants a deeper relationship with Kyle….”

“He knows.”

“Oh….”

“But that man has no feelings for me yet.”

Both Tisha and Elga felt a sigh of relief in their hearts.

They had thought Kyle had already fallen for the formidable Princess, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

However, their brief relief quickly turned into a deep sense of unease.

While Kyle might not have feelings for her, Yurika, the Fifth Princess and one of the top ten, seemed very certain about her feelings.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made such shocking statements in this setting.

Tisha and Elga almost simultaneously thought,

What do I have that’s better than this Princess?

Is there any reason for Kyle to choose me over her?

‘…Nothing.’

‘There’s nothing….’

The position of the daughter of a Grand Duke? The title of the Emperor’s legitimate daughter was far superior.

Expertise in sorcery? The opponent was already one of the Empire’s top ten.

No matter how they thought about it, they couldn’t see a way to surpass this formidable rival.

The thought of someone taking Kyle away entirely, something they had never considered before, suddenly made them feel foolish for their previous complacency!

‘…No, it’s not that there’s no way.’

‘There’s just one way… one way to beat the Princess….’

The solution was quite simple.

They just needed to achieve what they had always aspired to.

‘If I become the Grand Duke, if I become the new ruler of Littorio! I can rival the Princess.’

The position of the Princess was indeed impressive, but so was the position of a Grand Duke.

Unlike the Princess, who had no real power, a Grand Duke held significant authority.

If they became the Grand Duke, wouldn’t Kyle, after some consideration, choose to be with them?

‘If I become the best in sorcery… perhaps I could rival the title of one of the Empire’s top ten.’

She had already blocked the mana explosion, which wizards found most troublesome, with sorcery.

If she grew further, she could possess skills comparable to sorcery.

Kyle, who loved effort, might notice her rapid growth!

‘I can do it. No….’

‘No! I must do it!’

With firm determination and a hint of desperation, they looked at the two women sitting across from them.

Yurika could be sure that her guess was roughly correct.

That she wasn’t the only one aiming to be by Kyle’s side!

‘So that’s why you said you weren’t interested in my proposal?’

She understood. It was said that strong men always attracted beautiful women.

The conflicts arising from that weren’t a sign of a man’s weakness. They were just privileges.

Those who complained about it were merely the ‘failures’ who weren’t even chosen.

‘This will be fun. Competition is always fun. Although right now, it’s too vague to even call it a competition. Grow up quickly, kids. Make it worth fighting each other.’

In an instant, it became a fierce game of wits, with everyone keeping each other in check.

As a result, the one who found herself in a difficult position was the Saintess.

“Sisters….”

In the eyes of Tisha and Elga, an indescribable, burning determination could be seen.

Yurika’s eyes were filled with an almost maddening ‘interest’ as she watched them.

Caught in the middle, the Saintess sighed softly, feeling lost.

‘I told you to take it easy, Your Highness.’

Looking at Yurika, who was smiling beside her, the Saintess made a resolution.

She didn’t know about anything else, but she had to prevent anything that would put Brother Kyle in a difficult position.

She decided to help and protect him so that he wouldn’t face any trouble.

The witch, the noblewoman, the saintess, and the princess. This marked the beginning of a game of wits among the four.