Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 146

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 146

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Disappointment crossed Asillia’s face as she arrived at the small training hall in the west wing that Belinda had built for Leo.

It was a perfect training hall with leveled ground, a roof to shelter from rain, and even a small fountain to cool off after sweating, but there wasn’t a single knight in sight training.

“Huh, what’s this? Don’t you even have knights at your house?”

“Yeah, there’s no one except the knight who teaches me swordsmanship.”

At Leo’s answer, Asillia looked around with a deflated expression.

House of Hereios, ruler of the Southern Seas and called the guardian of the Kingdom’s waters, had a formidable military force.

In contrast, the Blanche Family was a central noble house overflowing with wealth but without an estate.

That meant they had no need for an army to protect or manage territory.

Therefore, while they possessed enough private soldiers to guard the manor, there was no reason to maintain a costly knight order.

Eventually losing interest in the empty training hall, Asillia examined the wooden swords neatly arranged on one side, then scratched her cheek bashfully and spoke up.

“By the way, she was really pretty. Ahem.”

Even without asking who she was referring to, it seemed obvious. Leo puffed up with pride as if he’d been complimented himself.

“That’s right, Lady Belinda is the most beautiful person in the world.”

“What? No, not the Marquess. The person who was behind the Marquess.”

Behind Lady Belinda?

‘So behind Lady Belinda there was definitely…’

Leo’s eyes widened as he recalled the memory and asked back.

“Are you talking about Lady Terry by any chance?”

“So that’s what you call her.”

And at Asillia’s following words, Ian, who had been sitting in a corner of the training hall with his nose buried in a book, completely lost his concentration.

“The shape of her muscles was the most perfect among all the women I’ve seen. She must definitely be the most beautiful person in the world.”

Even though beauty standards differ from person to person, to judge beauty and ugliness by muscle definition when the Marquess’s face was right there?

‘She really isn’t right in the head.’

While Ian shook his head in disbelief, the argument between Leo and Asillia was slowly heating up.

“But the most beautiful person in the world is Lady Belinda…”

“Are your eyes attached to the soles of your feet?”

“Asillia, did you even properly look at Lady Belinda’s face?”

“Of course I did! She had two eyes, one nose, one mouth. Other than that, she was just ordinary and skinny without any muscles.”

“…!”

Leo’s mouth fell open in shock, then he warned with a serious expression.

“Take that back. It’s not just two eyes, one nose, one mouth – it’s the most beautiful two eyes, one nose, one mouth in the world!”

“What if I won’t take it back?”

The two glared at each other. Then, as if by agreement, they each grabbed a wooden sword from nearby and shouted toward Ian.

“Ian, referee!”

“…”

Ian suddenly felt a deep sense of doubt about his eleven-year-old life.

He had thought that going to the Academy would let him make friends with whom he could have intelligent, calm, and dignified conversations.

‘Just where exactly did I go wrong?’

As Ian reflected on the past, he vaguely suspected that ‘that’ letter might have been the starting point of it all.

* * *

How could he shake off Asillia, who kept challenging him to duels?

After Leo consulted Chaser about this problem.

From what Ian heard, Chaser’s advice was quite excellent, yet Leo couldn’t quite make up his mind.

‘That’ letter arrived at just the right time, as if targeting Leo’s indecisive heart.

Cesar’s letter contained its usual short and clear message.

While using violence to resolve the situation was wrong, it was for Belinda’s honor, so he should reflect but not regret.

Also, children naturally grow up fighting, so perhaps they could become friends through dueling.

Knights originally build camaraderie through sparring. So don’t view dueling as violence driven by emotion alone, but as an opportunity to learn about your opponent and make yourself known to them.

After reading Cesar’s letter several times, Leo spoke with a determined expression.

“If possible… I’d like to become friends with Asillia.”

“What nonsense is that? Do you really think you can become friends with that monkey?”

“Yeah. The knight said we originally grow up fighting!”

“…Wait, is that what the letter said?”

Leo and Asillia’s first duel began that way.

Don’t aim for the face or vital spots.

Victory goes to whoever touches the opponent’s body with their wooden sword three times.

The duel conducted under a few rules Ian created ended in a draw.

Both Leo and Asillia were covered in dirt, lying spread-eagle on the ground gasping for breath.

Then Asillia barely lifted her head and declared toward Leo.

“From today on, you’re my rival!”

At those words, Leo’s cheeks immediately turned red and he smiled so broadly his dimples showed.

“Yeah, I wanted to be friends with you too.”

“What? A rival isn’t a friend!”

“Why not? Asillia, you ask me every day what I like and dislike.”

Of course I have to check your preferences to target your weaknesses.

“Plus you only take the same classes as me.”

I don’t care what they are, I just want to compete and win.

“And you’ve been following me around.”

That’s only because you wouldn’t duel with me!

“Lastly, you never said anything bad about Lady Belinda just to get me to duel you.”

That would be pretty underhanded, wouldn’t it?

Asillia, who had been grumbling internally at Leo’s words, found herself speechless at Leo’s final question.

“If this isn’t friendship, then what is it?”

“That’s obviously…!”

Knowing what the other person likes and dislikes, taking the same classes, being together all the time.

‘Right. What’s the difference between a rival and a friend?’

But admitting it now would feel like losing somehow, so Asillia began stubbornly insisting.

“Anyway, it’s different. To me, you’re a rival!”

“I see.”

Maybe Asillia just calls friends ‘rivals.’

Leo nodded and, having figured out Asillia in his own way, rolled around on the ground before jumping up.

“I’m Leo Blanche. Let’s duel every single day.”

“Great! I accept that challenge!”

That day, Leo sent a letter to Cesar saying he had become friends with Asillia and asked:

How many friends do you have, Knight? Since you said you’ve sparred so much, you must have many friends, right?

Three days later, Cesar, having received Leo’s letter, realized his mistake.

After pondering all day, he ultimately couldn’t abandon his nature and wrote back honestly.

Now that I think about it, I never became friends with the knights I sparred with. I hope this isn’t a disappointing answer for you, Leo.

Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, the hawk that had been carrying heavy bundles of letters back and forth between the North and the Royal Capital happened to lose Cesar’s reply.

* * *

‘If only Leo hadn’t read that letter.’

Caught between the son of a ducal family and the son of a marquess family that had sworn loyalty as vassals, Ian pitied his own situation as he opened his mouth.

“Let’s move to a different location for today’s sparring match.”

Ian drove the two screeching monkeys into the study room.

Faced with an enormous amount of books before her eyes, Asillia lost all will to fight like a demon confronting divine power and melted into a limp mess.

“Leo wins.”

“Ugh, this isn’t fair.”

A familiar book caught the eye of the now powerless Asillia.

Walking over weakly and pulling it out, she found it was a fairy tale book depicting the adventures of the first king.

The hero king of Jenos Kingdom, known to be a 9th rank mage, a knight who mastered aura, and possessed the highest level of divine power at the 9-star rank.

Having overcome drowsiness through respect for the first king and read the fairy tale book to the end, Asillia began speaking in a somewhat mysterious tone.

“Do you guys know? There’s an incredible treasure left by the first king hidden in the Grand Temple.”

“What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden?”

“The first king’s treasure?”

Confirming that Leo and Ian’s attention was focused on her, Asillia continued as if sharing a secret story.

“This is super high-grade information, but there’s an incredibly complex underground waterway beneath the Grand Temple, right? The sacred artifacts used by the first king are hidden there.”

“Say something that makes sense. No matter how much it’s a temple, how could they freely touch a king’s property? Obviously the Royal Palace should own it.”

“That would be true for ordinary treasure. But these are sacred artifacts. The temple stepped forward saying they should manage them. Everyone’s seen it at least once. The first king’s holy sword that the temple displays in front of the Grand Temple as if it belongs to them.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sure that’s right.”

Undeterred by Ian’s sarcasm, Asillia stubbornly continued.

“The priests in the Southern Region are part of the Pro-Monarchy Faction. The high priest there told me. There’s a hole in the outer wall of the Grand Temple that leads to the underground waterway.”

“A hole?”

When Leo’s eyes sparkled with excitement, the thrilled Asillia quickly continued.

“That’s right! If we can just find it, we might be able to retrieve the first king’s treasure from the underground waterway! Normally the priests would guard the temple surroundings like an iron fortress, but you know, right? The temple has been keeping its doors tightly locked for weeks now.”

Asillia’s eyes sparkled with dangerous romanticism.

“Shall we try to find that hole leading to the underground waterway?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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