CH 306

With Wednesday marking the end of my personal involvement in the festival, there was nothing left for me to participate in directly.

Since Liana was busy helping Cliffman and Ellen with their contest preparations, there was no room for me to intervene.

Today is Thursday, and the main event of the Unrestricted Tournament is taking place. Tomorrow, Friday, the Miss & Mister Temple Contest and the final round of the Unrestricted Tournament will be held.

Although I had secured my place in the Unrestricted Tournament main event by winning the Freshman Tournament, I decided not to participate.

It wouldn't be bad to gain some experience, but there were issues with my condition deteriorating more than expected when using magical enhancement, and I was hesitant to take the risk of injury.

I had barely scraped through the Freshman Tournament, which I had entered with a light-hearted attitude, and now, with the Black Order and the Vampire Council, I didn't know when I would have to engage in real combat. I couldn't push myself any further in the tournament.

So now, there's nothing left for me to participate in.

That ridiculous cross-dressing contest has also come to an end. Of course, the Black Order now thinks I have a bizarre taste.

Harriet was in Group C of the Unrestricted Tournament main event.

The participants had to arrive early at the stadium to prepare, so Harriet had no choice but to leave early.

Before she left, I had a brief conversation with her.

"I'm not sure what to say, but... will things go well?"

I felt sorry for saying this, but I couldn't figure out how Harriet had managed to get through the preliminaries and advance to the main event.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."

Harriet responded, seemingly annoyed by my concern.

I had been asking her about various things since morning due to my anxiety, but she didn't seem particularly confident, nor did she appear anxious.

"What about the earrings?"

Surprisingly, Harriet wasn't even wearing the earrings imbued with calming magic.

At my question, Harriet sighed.

"Artifacts are prohibited, you know?"

Was that so?

Now that I think about it, that makes sense.

Of course, I'm already a regular artifact user with the ring of Sarkegaar, but I hadn't checked whether artifacts were allowed or not.

That meant Harriet would have to fight without any items to help her control her temper.

"Anyway, don't push yourself. If you feel like you can't do it, just give up. Be careful not to get hurt, because you never know. Keep in mind that most of the main event participants will be able to use Magic Body Strengthening..."

"Hey! My mom doesn't nag me this much!"

In the end, Harriet snapped at me. Then, she looked at me with a sad smile.

"Do I make you that anxious?"

Was it that obvious?

"Ah... no. It's not that..."

"No, I get it. It can't be helped. And to be honest, I don't feel too bad about you being like this."

Harriet sighed.

"I know you're worried about me. Thanks."

She could have taken my nagging as a sign that I didn't trust her and felt hurt, but Harriet seemed to choose to see it in a positive light.

"Still, I'm trying to change."

I want to become stronger.

That includes physical strength, but I thought it was more about one's mindset.

Ellen thought she was mentally prepared but not physically.

Harriet thought she wasn't ready in either aspect.

In the end, after numerous events and incidents, both Ellen and Harriet changed significantly. It wasn't a specific event, but rather the accumulation of many experiences that planted the desire to become stronger in both of them.

"I'll show you this time," Harriet declared confidently. Lately, she always looked serious and grave due to various matters, but it seemed like it had been a while since I saw her genuinely smile.

"Can I look forward to it?"

"No matter what you expect..."

Harriet grinned.

"It'll be even better."

Leaving me with those words, Harriet set off.

It was hard to believe, but I had a strong conviction that there was no falsehood in Harriet's words when she said she would show me something beyond my expectations.

------

Among the people I knew, there were two who had advanced to the Unrestricted-Class Tournament.

One was Harriet de Saint-Owan, who had just departed for the stadium.

The other was, of course, Olivia Lanze.

The reason why Ellen mentioned that she could win Miss Temple and even the Unrestricted Tournament was not to provoke but because both of them were actually participating.

After Harriet's departure, I was at the dormitory's main gate.

"Hmm, were you waiting for me?"

"Well, yes."

"I didn't expect that. Surprising."

Olivia came out of the dormitory, narrowed her eyes, and smiled when she saw me.

"By the way, senior, you can't use holy power, right?"

I knew that Olivia had confidence in her abilities. I couldn't tell to what extent, though.

However, Olivia's greatest asset was her holy power.

Of course, since she had renounced her faith, Olivia shouldn't use holy power regardless of whether she could or not. At my words, Olivia smiled.

"Right, I can't risk getting sent to a religious trial."

"Would you go that far?"

"Unauthorized use of holy power is obviously prohibited."

Could she be confident in winning the tournament without even using her holy power, which was her forte? Of course, just by advancing to the main round, her skills were already proven.

At my question, Olivia tilted her head and showed a subtle smile.

"Hmm? Are you worried about me?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll handle it well."

"Tsk."

Olivia stuck out her tongue as if she was disappointed.

Despite being unable to use her most important ability, she remained confident. I wondered just how skilled Olivia was.

And there was one more thing I was curious about.

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Last year, you didn't participate in Miss Temple, did you? Nor the tournament."

"Last year, I didn't have the time since I was busy with volunteer work, right?"

"And you also said that you weren't interested in it before that."

"Ah, yeah, that's true."

Olivia wasn't the type of person to show off. Before all this, she was always humble, considerate of others, and even willingly took a year off to provide support during the Demon World War.

In any case, Olivia Lanze wasn't the type to boast about her achievements. She never participated in the Miss Temple contest or any tournaments like that.

"Do you want to know why I suddenly decided to participate in all of these?"

"Yes, I'm curious."

Although she must have constantly heard suggestions from people around her to participate in Miss Temple or the tournaments, I wondered why she suddenly decided to join them all.

"Well... it's not really anything special..."

At my question, Olivia's face turned red as she scratched her cheek with her finger.

The reason why Olivia Lanze, who had no interest in showing off her beauty or her power, suddenly became interested in both of these things seemed quite embarrassing. With a shy expression, Olivia cautiously spoke up.

"It's... because of money..."

"Money?"

"Yes... Money."

Money? Olivia, who seemed to be even more indifferent to money than showing off, said she was participating because of money? She awkwardly laughed with a ha-ha-ha.

It was somewhat...

A foolish and innocent expression.

It felt like I was seeing the real Olivia Lanze for the first time in a long while.

It reminded me of when we first met. Even when faced with an unexpected request from an impolite freshman, Olivia willingly obliged and sincerely engaged in conversation.

"Actually, I was disowned, right? Although it wasn't really my fault."

"Ah... right."

"So... I'm broke now..."

Ah.

So that was it.

When she was the daughter of a Holy Knight commander, she must have lived without worrying about money.

However, now that Riverrier Lanze was dismissed from her position as a Holy Knight commander and Olivia was disowned, she might have managed to escape various problems in one way or another, but she still faced a bizarre issue.

In short, she had no source of income.

That's why she participated in Miss Temple and the tournament, both of which offered a considerable amount of prize money.

It all came down to money, after all.

Olivia's face turned red as she seemed embarrassed to say it.

Still, it was quite intriguing.

"Miss Temple provides a monthly allowance for maintaining one's dignity, right?"

Students of the Royal Class receive a monthly allowance under the pretext of maintaining their dignity.

Four gold coins per month.

It may not be a huge amount for some, but it's still significant.

Olivia didn't seem interested in luxuries at all. She didn't wear any jewelry or accessories, and she didn't seem to have any expensive hobbies.

Wouldn't the allowance from the temple be enough for her?

"Well... it is, but..."

Olivia bit her lip slightly.

"I know it sounds foolish and a bit like showing off, so I didn't want to say it, but..."

Olivia sighed deeply, looking at me with a sense of resignation.

"I've been personally sponsoring an orphanage since before. Even though I've given up my faith, it doesn't mean I've given up on those children. My father used to give me quite a lot of pocket money, so there was no problem, but after everything that's happened, I couldn't bring myself to reduce the sponsorship amount. Those places are struggling financially too..."

"..."

"So, now I've run out of money and I'm reaching my limits in various ways. That's why..."

I could understand why Olivia hesitated to talk about it.

She knew that she couldn't help but be seen as a fool for her actions.

It wasn't a place she had been supporting with the money she earned herself from the beginning.

But even in her current financially tight situation, she couldn't reduce or stop the sponsorship. That's why she needed the prize money from winning the tournaments and Miss Temple, which she wouldn't have been interested in otherwise.

In the end, it wasn't about picking a fight with Elen or anything like that, but it was all about money.

Olivia's lips trembled, as if she were making an excuse.

"Well, I'm not that desperate?"

"What do you mean by that desperate?"

"I'm not like those who use the money they receive for joining a team like Shanafel as sponsorship funds."

I had once asked Olivia why she couldn't live for herself.

Did she think I would be angry if she told me the real reason she needed money?

"Actually, I did consider it, but after talking to you last time, I thought that was going too far... I think that's not right. But this is fine, right?"

Regardless of how the prize money is used, it ultimately belongs to the person who won it.

The places Olivia sponsors are probably not financially well-off. I don't know how much her sponsorship amounts to, but if that amount decreases, they'll inevitably be affected.

Seeing me not saying anything, Olivia smiled weakly.

"I guess it is foolish after all..."

Olivia muttered with a deflated expression.

"I do think it's foolish."

"..."

Helping others while not being able to take care of yourself is foolish, isn't it?

I once thought so, and to some extent, I still do.

"But does that make it a bad thing?"

There's no reason for someone who doesn't live like that to look down on someone who does.

Just like how I live my way.

There are people like Olivia who live their way.

I don't know and can't judge the right or wrong of it.

At my words, Olivia looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.

It's not a bad thing.

I never said it was a good thing.

"Thank you, Reinhardt."

But Olivia smiled brightly, as if she had received some kind of encouragement. Every time I saw Olivia's genuine expression, not her usual pretentious one, I felt as if I were suffocating.

"Be my strength. A great deal of it."

Olivia grinned mischievously as she gently patted my head, then gave me a quick wink.

"Bro, I'll definitely win."

"I didn't exactly say you should win."

"Don't be so nitpicky! I got the general idea!"

Olivia quickly ran off and disappeared into the dormitory.

... She was always full of energy, no matter when I saw her.

By the way, Olivia didn't participate in the grade-based tournament.

If the prize money was her goal, she could have entered the grade-based tournament as well.

Did she think it wouldn't be fair because her opponent would be a fifth-grader? After all, she's technically attended one more year. She wouldn't be able to enter the sixth-grade tournament.

So, it seemed like she only participated in the unrestricted tournament.

As I watched Olivia disappear into the distance, I became even more conflicted.

Miss Temple and the unrestricted tournament.

Olivia was the overwhelming favorite to win both.

And Harriet and Ellen, who participated in those events, were relatively weaker.

Thus, putting personal feelings aside, I was mentally rooting for Ellen and Harriet. Their fights were so obviously one-sided.

However, Olivia was participating in both events not just for the sake of her interest, but also due to a serious issue of her own.

Now, I didn't know who to root for.

But the financial situation of the orphanage was the problem.

It was something I couldn't quite understand.

There's no way that could be true...

"Ah, excuse me."

After Olivia left, I was about to return to the dormitory when someone called out to me.

It was a student, and since I was in the lowest grade of the Royal Class, it was naturally an upperclassman.

"Yes?"

"Are you Reinhardt?"

"Yes, but..."

It was a kind-looking female upperclassman. She called me over, but she wasn't looking at me; she was gazing into the distance.

More precisely, she was staring in the direction where Olivia had disappeared.

"What did you talk about with Olivia?"

"Well, it wasn't anything special."

Who is this person, anyway?

"Is that so?"

The upperclassman in front of me started to stare at me intently.

I didn't feel any hostility from her gaze.

How should I put it?

I felt an odd sensation, as if chills were running down my spine. Her smile didn't seem genuine.

"So, who are you?"

"Oh, I didn't introduce myself."

The upperclassman held out her hand.

"I'm Schmidt. Lydia Schmidt. Sixth grade."

"Ah, I see."

I shook her extended hand.

Her appearance was kind, but as soon as I held her hand, I felt it.

She was no ordinary person.

For some reason, I felt uneasy and stared at the upperclassman.

"What business do you have with me?"

"Ah, no, Reinhardt. I don't have any business with you."

The mysterious upperclassman showed me a subtle smile.

"Not yet."

What's going on?

Leaving behind those strangely chilling words, the mysterious upperclassman slowly walked away from me.