"Of course, if I'm lying, I'll agree to any condition you set," Noah said calmly, his words astonishing those around him.
An agreement between the Calamity and the Yaksha Princess?
What exactly is going on?
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Stella hurriedly asked, "Noah, what exactly are you talking about with the teacher? What's this about a coach?"
Nene stared at Noah for a moment, both of them falling silent.
Seeing his unwavering resolve, she finally closed her fan and smiled.
"Alright, in that case, I think things just got interesting. Hey, Vermillion, let's go."
"Huh? What???"
A bewildered Stella was easily subdued by Nene with one hand and forcibly dragged away.
The princess kept staring back at Noah, loudly questioning him, but he simply smiled and waved goodbye.
Unable to bear the commotion, Nene shouted, "Shut up and be quiet! Aren't you a princess? Why are you acting like a wild animal?"
"If you know I'm a princess and still treat me like this, you clearly don't take me seriously!"
"Hahaha, of course I don't. Who do you think I am? Now come along."
"Where are you taking me?!"
"What do you think? Training, of course. That kid asked me to help you awaken your true power. I didn't want to agree at first, but after hearing about what's hidden inside you, I'm interested. Be prepared—I won't go easy on you."
'True power?'
What was that? Why didn't she know anything about it? What kind of manga-like setup was this?
Nene came and left quickly, taking one of Hagun Academy's top competitors with her.
By the time the students from Kyomon Academy arrived, the Yaksha Princess was already gone.
"Noah from Hagun Academy?" A girl from Kyomon Academy approached him.
Noah turned to look at her as she introduced herself.
"I'm Mikoto Tsuruya from Kyomon Academy."
"Hello."
"I just heard from a junior that the Yaksha Princess came here. Is that true?"
Noah nodded. "It is."
"Then where is she? Isn't she the new instructor assigned by the League?" Mikoto seemed puzzled.
Even if the Yaksha Princess was a temporary teacher at Hagun, this was Kyomon Academy's home turf—she wanted to make that point clear.
"She left. And she isn't an instructor assigned by the League."
"She isn't?"
"She came here for personal reasons and has already left."
"I see... alright." Mikoto looked disappointed.
It made sense.
If the world's third-ranked Mage-Knight came to lecture, it would be an invaluable experience for the students.
Noah observed the girl before him.
Mikoto Tsuruya.
Just as he expected, like Kuraudo Kurashiki from Donrou Academy, she was also one of last year's Seven Stars Sword Art Festival quarterfinalists.
Her title was Schneewittchen (Frosty Sneer). True to her name, she appeared serious and never smile.
She glanced around, then fixed her gaze on a corner of the arena where Ikki was facing the Yagure sisters alone.
"Is that... the Another one?"
Among knights, one can often discern another's identity through hearsay and subtle details observed in their demeanor and actions.
Just like now.
Without displaying any flashy abilities, merely using basic swordplay to effortlessly suppress two opponents spoke volumes about his exceptional mastery of swordsmanship.
He was a presence that had to be studied, even if he wasn't a representative contestant.
That was the Another one
Facing Kikyo's Instant Acceleration, Ikki perfectly controlled the distance, leaped into the air, and placed the tip of his foot on the shaft of her spear.
From an outsider's perspective, a meticulously planned pincer attack was instantly broken.
Moreover, Ikki used his opponents' own force against them, causing the two sisters to clash with each other, all while maintaining a relaxed expression.
The disparity in strength was visible to the naked eye; no further evaluation was needed.
"Truly splendid," Mikoto praised sincerely. As a quarterfinalist from last year, she had a discerning eye.
She could clearly see that the Yagure sisters weren't weak, even within Hagun Academy, they were among the upper echelons.
If she had to face them two-on-one, she might find herself in a tough spot.
Yet, in front of the Another one, those sisters were like children being thoroughly schooled.
He really was strong!
"Someone this strong didn't make the cut. It seems this year's Hagun Academy lineup is formidable," Mikoto said, flashing her signature smile to probe for information.
But combined with her sharp gaze and chilling aura, it came off as an eerie, frigid smirk.
She was here to gather intelligence and wanted to use a smile to bridge the gap.
Unfortunately, every time she tried this approach, it backfired, pushing people further away or sparking outright hostility.
"It was just bad luck," Noah said.
"Luck? That doesn't seem quite right, does it? After all, you're the one who eliminated him, Calamity," Mikoto looked at him.
"Since he lost to you, that means your strength surpasses his, right?"
Noah didn't answer.
At that moment, Tohka walked over.
She smiled at Mikoto. "Frosty Smirk, long time no see. You're still the same as ever."
Mikoto's expression soured, clearly displeased with the nickname.
She had graceful face, but smiling was difficult for her!
She wanted to offer a polite smile in return, but what Tohka saw was a mocking, scheming smirk.
Sensing the awkwardness, Mikoto felt a wave of discomfort and took her leave.
"Noah-kun, how is Stella doing?"
"President."
"Yes?"
"You and Nene-sensei are from the same school, right?"
"That's right, though we trained under our master at different times."
"I heard that when Nene-sensei first used her ability, she accidentally made a toy float."
"This is my first time hearing that," Tohka said, tilting her head. "But with a gravity-manipulating ability, making an object float isn't difficult."
"But at the time, she genuinely mistook her ability as just making objects float," Noah emphasized.
"Senpai, do you know what happens when someone misunderstands their own abilities?"
"They probably wouldn't be able to exert their full strength. It's like a faucet without the valve fully open—water can only trickle out," Tohka answered.
Then, she seemed to realize something, her eyes widening.
She looked in the direction Stella and Nene had gone, her mouth opening slightly, but no words came out.
'Could it be? No, it couldn't be.'
'Was that not even Stella's true strength?'
...
Concept Interference System—Dragon.
The power to manifest the physical strength and concept of a dragon in the real world.
Because she misunderstood the nature of her ability, Stella had become nothing more than a small fire-breathing hatchling, unable to unleash her true potential.
Unearthing her latent power wasn't something that could be resolved with a few words.
Noah knew it could only be awakened through terror intense enough to push her to the brink of despair.
Moreover, this power had to be suppressed immediately after she erupted.
He couldn't do it.
Neither condition could be met.
Given their emotional bond, pushing her to the brink might just cause her to lose her will to fight entirely.
As for the second condition... he lacked the raw strength.
If he fought Stella as she was now, victory wasn't guaranteed.
At best, his chances hovered around seventy percent.
It was a matter of compatibility.
Even without the dragon's concept, purely as a fire mage, her firepower surpassed his. If both used fire magic simultaneously, he'd be at a severe disadvantage.
As for his ice or water abilities, they would be overpowered and suppressed by her intense heat.
This was the weakness of the Weaver. When an opponent's raw output far exceeded the physical scale he could manipulate, he couldn't form an effective strategy.
Since such opponents were bound to appear eventually, he was surprised the selection battles had gone so smoothly.
When Stella's power was truly unleashed, it would undoubtedly grow exponentially.
By then, he would be no match for her.
To put it bluntly: if he tried to suppress her awakened form, he might die.
The sudden surge of power could lead to a brief loss of control.
Stella had managed her current power through years of effort, but if it grew dozens of times stronger in an instant, the possibility of an accident wasn't zero.
With the Yaksha Princess's raw strength, she could handle any issues that arose.
Gravity was the most suitable ability for physical suppression.
If the Chairwoman could lend a hand, it would be foolproof.
Unfortunately, Kurono had been swamped with League work since summer vacation started and was currently away on a business trip.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator