The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 106: Friendly Mock Battle (2)

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Iris Seniore.

The first thing Ulan noticed about Iris Seniore was her size. Though not as towering as Ulan himself, among the women he had encountered, she undoubtedly possessed a commanding stature.

And there was something more.

A striking feature that seized the gaze.

"Um, your face..." Noah awkwardly interjected.

It was because of the moisture trickling down her face. Whether she had washed up or not, Iris's visage was thoroughly dampened, as if immersed in water.

However, she seemed to pay no attention to it. She did not even bother to wipe the water away, and anyone could see that she was simply lowering her head.

"I apologize for being late," she apologized in a calm voice.

"Iris, if you've washed your face, you should wipe it off."

"......Ahh," Iris' eyes widened slightly; as if she had just realized. After a moment, she replied dryly, "I don't have a towel."

"What, you don't even have a handkerchief?"

"It's okay. It will dry if I just leave it alone."

"No, that's not what I mean....... Oh, well, come over here for now. I'll wipe it off for you."

Sighing, Camilla pulled out a handkerchief and then used it to wipe Iris' face.

Noah blinked several times as she watched Iris, who did not resist and simply stood still. She was trying to peek at her status window.

[Name]: Iris Seniore

[Age]: 18 years old

[Grade]: A

[Trait]: Master of Spearmanship.

One of the named characters of the Arsene Academy.

Iris Seniore.

She was slated to become the next student council president of Arsene, set to debut next year, and stood at the center of various events related to the student council.

Among them, the event that Noah paid attention to was undoubtedly the Hidden Event.

'There are two conditions for activation.'

The most important condition was to become close enough to Iris. Only then could you save her life in the hidden event.

'Grade-A Named characters are rare.'

There was no harm in keeping her alive. She would be a strong force when fighting the Abyss.

‘Originally, according to the original work, she should smoothly get through the entrance ceremony event to attract attention.’

Then, when the new student council is formed, she would secretly receive a proposal for cooperation.

The reason was that she did not give in to the pressure and discrimination of the existing student council and showed her conviction.

'However…….'

This time, it was impossible.

At the entrance ceremony, which was supposed to be the occasion for meeting, Ulan caused such a stir that he was called a terrorist.

As a result, Ulan stood out in a different sense, and Noah had given up on all the hidden pieces and events related to the student council.

'But I never expected that I would have such a connection with her thanks to the exchange meeting with Eloden.'

After all, you never know what will happen in life.

After finishing her thoughts about Iris, she then turned her gaze to the purple-haired woman who was carefully wiping her face.

‘......Camilla Tanesia.’

Iris's best friend and one year older than her; the two had been together since childhood, and it was said that they were closer than sisters. According to the user who played as Iris, they trust each other's words more than their family, which means that they are very close.

So, if she was to participate in the hidden event centered on Iris, it was better to build a relationship with Camilla as well.

'Because Camilla.......'

will be the final boss in Iris Seniore's Hidden Event, so she's in a similar position to Professor Dirac.

And the reason why she needs to build a relationship with Camilla is because that is the only way you could get involved in the hidden event with Iris.

In other words, by infiltrating their absolute trust in each other, one could only then build the friendship necessary to join the Hidden Event.

This was the second activation condition..

‘This one won't be easy,’ Noah sighed heavily; the trouble had already begun, which made matters worse. ‘Still, there's no need to be impatient.’

She had only just met Iris.

And the Hidden Event she centered would not occur until spring next year, after the new student council was established. There was still plenty of time to grow closer.

As Noah finished her musings, the moisture that had been on Iris's face had been neatly wiped away; her face was now much cleaner than when she first saw it. Then her calm purple eyes fixed on the group, "Thank you for responding to the summons."

After bowing her head once again, Iris lightly tapped her left chest.

"My name is Iris Seniore, a sophomore in the Military Studies Department. I've been chosen as the representative of Arsene for this friendly mock battle, albeit somewhat lacking."

Starting with her introduction, Ulan's group also gave brief introductions once again. After a simple exchange of names, Iris continued with a dry tone.

"The reason I called you all here is to share the strategies and formations we'll be using in tomorrow's mock battle."

Noah guessed right; however, she didn't delve straight into the main point.

After catching her breath for a moment, Iris shifted the topic elsewhere, "But before that, there's something I need to say."

"......?"

"It's about you."

Iris's finger pointed directly at Ulan. After glancing at him briefly, she spoke in a dry tone.

"I'll be honest with you, you're insurance."

"Insurance?"

"Yes. I've heard that there's someone in the Eloden Academy who's very good, and from what I've heard, he's an Expert."

She knew who Iris was referring to — Ian Marcus, the Paladin. One of the Warriors, he was, as Iris just said, an Expert and the strongest member of the Eloden delegation.

"But unfortunately, we don't have the power to match him. If Himmel Deorg were here, we'd leave it to him..."

But he wasn't at Arsene anymore.

He had submitted his withdrawal request and left the academy. It wasn't by his own choice, but rather a decision made by Count Deorg.

"That's why I called for you."

Himmel was an advanced-ranking knight.

Ulan, who had turned Himmel to a bloodrag, must be even more than that. Moreover, rumors of Ulan being an Expert had spread among the students.

As the explanation neared its end, Ibella suddenly interjected into the conversation, "So Ulan's role is to confront Eloden's expert?"

"No, that's not quite right."

"Huh? Then......."

"Like I said, he's our insurance. So unless it's absolutely necessary, you won't need to ask him for help."

Huh? What kind of talk is this? They select him as a candidate but don't ask him for help.

They all wore puzzled expressions.

"......."

Meanwhile, Ulan narrowed his eyes.

It was a vague feeling—

—that Iris Seniore was not very favorable to him. But that didn't mean she was hostile.

Therefore, if one were to describe Iris's attitude at the moment, it might be something like this:

‘She's wary of me.’

Though he didn't know the reason why.

Ulan silently observed Iris.

But apart from that, she never once turned her gaze toward Ulan.

After a while, when things had quieted down.

Iris redirected the conversation back to its original topic, "I'll return to the main point." Turning halfway, she approached the wall and unfolded a map she had prepared in advance.

"This is a map of where the mock battle will take place. As you can see, the terrain is divided into two."

The terrain was clearly divided into two parts — the elevated north and the dense forested south; each had its own advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly, the north had rugged terrain, making it advantageous for defense. It was akin to a natural fortress. However, there was a disadvantage of it being difficult to join the main force. As most of the terrain consisted of steep hills or gorges, it would take quite some time to join forces.

Next, the south was a plain area covered with dense forests. It wasn't advantageous for defense, but the advantage was that one could quickly join forces whenever necessary.

Among the two, Iris pointed to the north, "Our Arsene camp is positioned in the north."

It seemed they had already decided on the base.

Next came an explanation of the rules —

"There are two victory conditions for this friendly mock battle. One is capturing the flag, and the other is annihilating enemy forces."

The conditions were easy enough for Ulan to understand.

No further questions arose. Thanks to this, Iris could continue her explanation.

"So, we've divided our forces into three groups."

Firstly, the group stationed at the flag base.

Secondly, the defense unit for guarding the gate.

And thirdly, the attack unit whose objective is to breach the enemy's defense line and capture their flag.

"Where will we be assigned?"

"I'll explain that now."

She cleared her throat and pointed to the map.

"First of all, the attack force will be composed of those with good mobility. The members are as follows:”

The attack force consisted of six people in total.

The main members were Iris herself, Ibella, two warriors, a hunter, and a magician; the attack force would then be divided into two teams, each led by Iris and another senior student.

"The defense force will be composed of those with good defensive skills. The members are as follows:"

The defense team consists of four people.

They were Camilla, Dilia, Noah, and a sniper.

They will be stationed on the hilltop to intercept enemies approaching the stronghold.

"Finally, the base must be guarded by two people according to the rules. So I've assigned you and Cliff Anton to it."

"Cliff Anton?"

"Yes, he's a third-year student in the Magic Department and is known as the master of defensive magic. He's also the winner of the Arsene mock battle last year." Iris replied and —

Camilla added to Iris's explanation, "By the way, Cliff Anton is the current president of the Arsene Student Council. Of course, freshmen won't have the chance to meet him."

As she said that, Ulan had an expression that showed he had no idea who Cliff Anton was.

As the conversation came to an end,

"Wait a minute. I object!"

"I have a question!"

Ibella and Dilia, who had been silent until now, raised their hands at the same time. They then turned to Iris and questioned her.

"Why did you put Ulan in the base?"

"That's right. He could be very effective if he was assigned to the attack force, couldn't he?"

Ulan was a powerhouse at the realm of a Master.

If he was assigned to the attack force, there would be no way for the enemy to stop him. In other words, it means that the battle can be ended in an instant.

Even if he was assigned to the defense force, he would be a powerful shield; there was no one in the enemy camp who was strong enough to challenge the place Ulan was guarding.

Right after the two girls' questions ended, Iris replied in a nonchalant tone, "Because he's insurance."

"What do you mean by insurance...?"

"To be honest,"

After a short sigh, Iris's finger pointed at Ulan, "I don't want to hear people say that I won with the help of that man."

"It's ......,?"

"But I don't want to lose this mock battle either, so I called him. If the front line continues to be pushed back, I'll put him in then."

When her words ended, Ulan's group finally understood the meaning of the word insurance.

Ibella immediately protested.

"But that's too...!"

"Of course, we don't want to force you."

Iris cut off Ibella's words.

She then glanced at Ulan and said, "So if you don't like my way, tell me right now. I'll exclude you from the selection and choose another student."

If you don't like it, you can leave.

That was what Iris meant.

At those words, Ibella, Dilia, and Noah looked at Ulan with eyes filled with worry and anxiety.

After a while,

Ulan’s closed lips were parted, "There's no need for that."

"Does that mean......?"

"I'll go along with your decision."

"Thank you for understanding."

In response to his compliance, Iris gave a faint smile. And for a moment, a glimmer of relief flashed in her eyes.

But only for a moment.

Iris's expression remained impassive as she addressed the group, "That concludes our meeting for today. I will see you all at the arena tomorrow morning."

With that brief dismissal, Ulan and his friends rose from their seats.

A few moments later, as soon as they left the student center, Ibella furrowed her brows as if she had been waiting.

"What in the world was that about?!"

Her forehead wrinkled with anger; with an uncomfortable expression on her face, she exploded with pent-up frustration, "If she didn't want to hear people say that we won because of Ulan, she shouldn't have picked him in the first place!"

"......I agree. I don't like it."

Dilia's reaction was the same as hers.

It irked them that Iris would keep Ulan as a backup while asserting her misplaced pride.

"I'm fine with it."

Ulan's reaction, however, was different.

Despite being essentially ignored, he seemed unbothered by the situation.

"Her words aren't true anyway."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The three others' eyes widened at his unexpected statement.

Meeting their gazes, Ulan further explained his reasoning, "There were some lies mixed in there."

Ulan could discern truth from falsehood through a person's expressions and reactions.

There were several pieces of evidence.

For one thing, Iris never made proper eye contact with Ulan since entering the room.

When she did address him, it was only with fleeting glances, and her facial expressions and tone of voice clearly indicated that she was lying.

Based on this, Ulan decided that everything she said about him was a lie.

He didn't know why she did it, but...

'She must have her reasons.'

…and so Ulan didn't take it to heart; knowing that her disregard wasn't genuine was enough for him.

However, Ibella and Dhelia still couldn't shake their anger. Seeing their frustration, Ulan spoke again, "I'm really fine, so you don't have to worry about it. I'm satisfied just being able to fight alongside you two."

He was glad to be on the battlefield with his comrades from his past life. Even though it was just a mock battle, it was a chance for him to reminisce about the good old days.

"Ulan......."

Ibella and Dilia's eyes wavered, seemingly touched by his words.

After a moment, they nodded.

"I see. If that's how you feel, then..."

"But while we're at it, let's make sure to win."

"Of course. I have no intention of losing."

In all his battles, he had never once given up. So even if it was just a mock battle, he had no intention of losing on purpose.

Ulan's determined smile was met with a brightening of the two girls' expressions.

'Overnight Pass!'

Though their goals were slightly different, they shared a common resolve.

And so, with their thoughts aligned, Sunday night came to an end.

* * * * *

Meanwhile, that time.

"Hmmm."

As Ulan and his friends left the room, Iris collapsed onto the table like a deflated balloon and Camilla patted her on the shoulder with a faint smile.

"You did well, Iris."

"...Ugh, I'm exhausted," Iris muttered in a petulant tone, completely different from her usual demeanor.

In fact, this was her true self.

She was actually quite timid and shy, and not used to interacting with people, "I'm really tired."

But not many people knew this.

Only Camilla in the academy.

Iris only reverted to her true self when she was alone with her, and otherwise maintained a stoic attitude and tone.

It was a somewhat duplicitous image, but there was no particular reason for it.

She was simply nervous, and the more nervous she became, the more bland she became; and today was the day her nervousness reached its peak.

"But I didn't show any signs of nervousness, right? Right?" Iris asked, as if to confirm—

—and Camilla's response was subtle, "No, I think you were quite nervous."

"Eh?! Why, whyyy?"

"You came in with water all over your face."

"Th-that's! I don't know how it happened..."

Her voice trailed off, and she lowered her head. Camilla burst out laughing at her crestfallen expression, "Just kidding, I don't think anyone noticed."

"R-really?"

"Yeah. They probably just thought you were clumsy."

"Ugh, that's not much better..." Iris pouted. Her dignity as a senior was at stake.

"I even took medicine to try to calm down, but why am I so nervous today?"

"It's probably because of that Ulan kid."

"......."

Her lips sealed shut.

Because it was the truth.

Back in March, during the freshman entrance ceremony, Iris was sitting close to the stage and took a direct hit from Ulan's roar, which ruptured her eardrums.

Was that why?

From the moment she saw Ulan, Iris's nervousness was already at its peak.

"That's right. To be honest, I was scared," Iris wrapped her arms around her trembling shoulders. She had never heard of anyone rupturing their eardrums just by shouting, so she had never made proper eye contact with Ulan even today. Just the thought of meeting his gaze made her heart race.

And there was one more reason why she was wary of Ulan.

"And he was also half-naked."

"That, that's......!"

Iris flustered, and Camilla sighed.

"Men getting undressed still makes your body tense, even now."

"...It's inevitable," Iris pouted her lips.

Ever since she was young, just seeing a man's bare body made her stiffen.

But it's not like she's scared.

Is it just that her body tenses up? So she becomes more rigid than usual. Of course, Iris had tried to change it many times, but so far, it had been in vain.

"By the way, are you sure you're okay?"

"Huh?"

"The fact that you put Ulan in the base. Shouldn't you have told him it was the student council president's orders?"

The decision to use Ulan as insurance.

It was a directive from the current student body president, Cliff Anton. Along with the threat that if the order was disobeyed, the entire student council would not participate in the mock battle.

'It would be difficult if the student council didn't participate.’

After all, most of the top five strongest students in both the second and third grade were members of the current student council. In other words, if the entire student council didn't participate, it would mean a significant decrease in the quality of their forces.

'And.......'

Having decided to run for the next student council president, she needed to show that she could lead the students well.

If the entire student council turned their backs on her, it would only be seen as a sign of Iris's lack of ability as a leader.

And so Iris accepted the student council's proposal.

'Ulan has made enemies with the student council.'

There were many reasons for this.

The incident at the entrance ceremony, and the fact that Himmel Deorg, who had a close cooperative relationship with the student council, had resigned, were both largely Ulan's fault.

In other words, Ulan was a thorn in the side of the student council. However, they couldn't directly pick a fight with him, so they were trying to find another way to humiliate him.

'…Childish fools.'

Iris' eyes turned cold.

She had agreed to their demands for now because she needed their help, but she planned to change her tactics immediately once the mock battle began.

It would be a waste to keep someone of his caliber stuck in the base. After finishing her thoughts, Iris turned to Camilla and smiled, "Yeah, it's fine. It would be inconvenient if there was discord within our ranks before the mock battle even started. It's better for one person to bear the brunt of the dissatisfaction."

"Iris......."

"I know what you're worried about, sister. But this is the most efficient way, so just leave it to me this time," her eyes shone with determination. In this state, no one could break her stubbornness.

Camilla sighed heavily, as if she had no choice, "Alright. But if anything difficult comes up, tell me right away. I'm always on your side."

"Thanks, sister."

A smile spread across Iris' face; as if she had a great deal of support.

And on the following day,

Arsene Academy and Eloden Academy.

The curtain rose on the friendly mock battle that would test the pride of both academies.

End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . .

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