First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 72

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

Episode 72

 

Telling the prepared class to come out first.

 

Would there really be anyone who would respond to such a sudden call to come forward?

 

[What? No class is ready?]

 

As expected.

 

The training ground remained quiet in silence.

 

In such large-scale competitions, it’s not easy to step forward first.

 

[Can’t be helped. Then through a lottery…]

 

“Us, Professor! Our class will go first!”

 

Someone confidently raised their hand high.

 

It was a male student with a tall stature and sturdy build.

 

[Good confidence, Heathcliff. Then the first match will be Class D.]

 

The male student called Heathcliff clenched his fist tightly.

 

“Alright! Let’s beat them all down, guys!”

 

“Cowards who can’t even step forward first aren’t even worth a single punch!”

 

“Wooooooo!”

 

The other children from Class D cheered at Heathcliff’s bold words.

 

Looking closely, these were the guys who had been most enthusiastically fired up when Amelia mentioned the class competition earlier.

 

They seemed to have great pride in their abilities.

 

“Were those guys first place last semester?”

 

I muttered while looking at the Class D children.

 

Cathy shook her head beside me.

 

“They were second place. Class A was first. But Class A would never step forward first in this situation. They know that, so they’re acting so confident.”

 

Fail also subtly joined the conversation.

 

“Actually, last semester’s class rankings were the overwhelmingly dominant Class A at the top, then Class D below them. This was practically fixed, and the rest of the classes fought tooth and nail among themselves.”

 

“So they’re not first place, but they maintain a solid second place.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Fail pointed to Heathcliff, who was already in strategic discussion with other students, and continued.

 

“Moreover, that guy is Heathcliff de Mendel, and he was ranked 3rd individually in the first semester. 3rd out of 200 students. He’s also Class D’s class president.”

 

“Impressive guy.”

 

“Right? But no one actually likes that guy.”

 

“Why? He seems popular from what I can see.”

 

“Everyone’s just going along with it. His personality is a bit… cruel. You’ll see later.”

 

A cruel personality?

 

I activated my insight to observe Heathcliff closely.

 

Fortunately, no particular abnormalities were detected.

 

Amelia looked around at the students and spoke.

 

[Which class will face Class D? Are there no other brave classes?]

 

Whispers could be heard from the students.

 

“There’s no way.”

 

“Why would we step forward just to get humiliated…”

 

From their reactions, Class D seemed incredibly strong.

 

But there was something more than simple strength in the nuance.

 

They were afraid of facing Class D itself.

 

[Can’t be helped. Then Class D’s opponent will be decided through a lottery.]

 

An assistant handed Amelia a transparent container with 10 balls.

 

Amelia removed the ball marked with Class D, then thoroughly mixed the remaining balls in the container.

 

“Please don’t let it be our class.”

 

Fail clasped her hands together in prayer.

 

A moment later, she drew one ball from the container.

 

[Class D, Class E. Come down right now.]

 

Sighs of pity erupted from here and there.

 

“It’s over.”

 

“Nothing to see here.”

 

The students turned their eyes away from the training ground, as if they couldn’t bear to watch the carnage about to unfold.

 

I looked at Fail with eyes demanding an explanation.

 

Fail seemed to read my gaze and smiled before opening her mouth.

 

“If Class A is up in the heavens, then Class E is deep underground. Class E was stuck in last place throughout last semester.”

 

“So everyone thinks there’s no hope.”

 

“Right. Even if it were Class I, just one rank higher, the reaction wouldn’t be this severe.”

 

Indeed, the students seemed to believe there was no possibility of Class E defeating Class D.

 

I recalled the conversation I had with Ragnor at the dormitory after school yesterday.

 

‘I heard that bastard was assigned to Class E.’

 

The other guys don’t seem to know yet.

 

Since only one day had passed since the semester started, information about the transfer students’ class assignments didn’t seem to be widely known.

 

Soon after, the triumphant Class D and the dejected Class E filed down to the training ground.

 

“…Huh?”

 

The students made surprised sounds upon discovering an unfamiliar face among the Class E members.

 

“That white hair…”

 

“It’s Ragnor von Grantuan!”

 

“That person was in Class E?”

 

The audience’s reaction reversed.

 

Everyone had heard about Ragnor von Grantuan’s reputation since childhood.

 

The world’s strongest talent among peers.

 

“Maybe this time…”

 

“Will Class E show something today?”

 

Veronica, who was sitting cross-legged among a group of female students, frowned.

 

“Everyone’s fantasizing too much. If Ragnor von Grantuan was so great, he would have swept through everyone alone in the transfer exam and taken first place. The fact that he was forcibly sent back already exposed that his reputation was hollow.”

 

Class E, the overwhelmingly lowest-ranked among the 10 first-year classes.

 

Adding one flashy but worthless addition wouldn’t change the result.

 

“Right, Asel?”

 

Veronica suddenly addressed me.

 

“From the perspective of someone who directly eliminated Ragnor, what do you think the result of this match will be?”

 

All eyes from our class focused on me.

 

Fail and Cathy, even Max, were eagerly waiting for my response.

 

“Well.”

 

I just answered honestly.

 

“I think Class E will win?”

 

Veronica’s expression soured.

 

* * *

 

The class president of Class 1-E.

 

Claire de Mateus stood on the arena floor, breaking out in cold sweat.

 

“Why are you so scared?”

 

Class D president Heathcliff, standing opposite, giggled mockingly.

 

“Do you even have the right to be scared? You already know you can’t win anyway, right? Just give up comfortably instead of being so impudently frightened. Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of winning?”

 

The Class E students trembled with anger at the direct insult.

 

But they had no way to refute those words.

 

Last semester, their record against Class D was complete defeat.

 

They had never won against them even once.

 

“This time will be different.”

 

Claire looked straight into Heathcliff’s eyes despite trembling with fear.

 

“A hidden card has joined our class.”

 

Claire pointed to the white-haired man leisurely observing the arena from a corner.

 

Heathcliff, realizing who she was relying on, snorted with derision.

 

“Ah, that empty shell? Wasn’t it revealed during the transfer exam that his reputation was all just rumors?”

 

Heathcliff’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

 

“Next Generation World’s Best Swordsman, the Holy Kingdom’s greatest genius forcibly sent back on the first day of the transfer exam… Puhaha! You guys are truly pitiful for having to rely on such a braggart.”

 

Claire glared at Heathcliff with eyes that looked ready to kill.

 

Amelia stepped between them to mediate.

 

[Since we have transfer students, let me explain the rules again after a long time. The victory condition is simple. Steal the flag planted in the enemy team’s base and plant it in your own team’s base to win. You’ll be divided into three positions: ‘Keeper’, ‘Supporter’, and ‘Forward’.]

 

Amelia held up three fingers.

 

[There’s only one difference between positions: the activity radius. Keepers are restricted to near their team’s base, Supporters to the middle area, and Forwards to the enemy team’s territory. If even one person leaves their position’s activity radius, that class is automatically disqualified.]

 

In other words, the Keeper is the position that guards their team’s flag.

 

The Forward is the position that steals the enemy team’s flag.

 

And the Supporter is the position responsible for passing the flag between the two.

 

‘That’s why cooperation between positions is important.’

 

Once a flag left one’s activity radius, it was absolutely impossible to retrieve it alone.

 

You had no choice but to trust your team.

 

[However.]

 

Amelia’s explanation wasn’t over.

 

[Only one person can move freely across all fields without being restricted by activity radius. It’s a position called ‘Libero’. I don’t need to emphasize how important this role is, right?]

 

Being able to move freely across all fields.

 

Theoretically, this meant the Libero alone could perform the entire process from stealing the enemy team’s flag to planting it in their own base.

 

Even if the overall strength was lacking, if there was an overwhelmingly skilled player on the team, they could dominate the match alone.

 

[Now, both Class D and Class E, report to me who will be taking the Libero position.]

 

“Class D, here.”

 

The one who boldly raised his hand was naturally the class president, Heathcliff de Mendel.

 

There was no other suitable candidate in Class D besides him, who ranked 3rd among the 200 first-year students.

 

[Confirmed. What about Class E?]

 

Claire pondered for a moment before speaking.

 

“Could you give us a little time for a strategy meeting?”

 

[Permission granted.]

 

“Thank you.”

 

Claire had been active as the Libero throughout the first semester.

 

But the result was always defeat.

 

Still, she couldn’t entrust it to a student weaker than herself.

 

There was only one person in this arena who could be a variable.

 

“Um…”

 

Ragnor looked at Claire calling him with emotionless eyes.

 

“Will you do it? Libero.”

 

“…”

 

Ragnor thought for a moment, then shook his head.

 

“No.”

 

“…”

 

“The habit of relying on others isn’t good. Try standing up with your own strength. I’ll help you.”

 

Tears welled up in Claire’s eyes.

 

She didn’t know why, but overwhelming emotions suddenly surged up.

 

‘How pathetic have I become?’

 

She who had entered with the grand dream of becoming the strongest knight had somehow become a defeatist.

 

She felt ashamed of herself for thoughtlessly leaning on a transfer student and begging for victory.

 

From now on, she would try properly like her initial mindset.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Claire thanked Ragnor and shouted toward Amelia.

 

“Class E’s Libero is me!”

 

Amelia nodded briefly.

 

[Confirmed. Everyone else, move to your respective positions!]

 

Through the first semester, the students’ positions had become somewhat fixed.

 

While everyone was moving to their positions in an orderly manner.

 

Heathcliff deliberately bumped Claire’s shoulder and said.

 

“Seeing that you even dumped the Libero position on a girl like you, that reputation really was just empty rumors. Coward.”

 

That might be true.

 

Perhaps Ragnor really was afraid of a direct confrontation with Heathcliff and pushed the Libero role onto her.

 

But.

 

“What does that matter?”

 

It was okay to lose.

 

It was fine even if they couldn’t win.

 

“We will face you with our own strength.”

 

Losing now meant nothing.

 

Because school exists as a place where students can freely experience failure.

 

Heathcliff laughed as if it were ridiculous.

 

“Heh. Yeah, give it your best shot.”

 

Soon, all students completed their position arrangements.

 

Not only Class D and Class E, who were the participants in the match.

 

Even the students sitting in the seats watching were enveloped in heavy silence.

 

“…”

 

Shortly after, Amelia raised her arm and declared the start.

 

[Match begin!]

 

Dash!

 

The students moved swiftly from the moment it started.

 

The early strategy was simple.

 

Forwards break through the enemy’s defense and steal the flag.

 

Keepers and Supporters defend to prevent the enemy Forwards from taking the flag.

 

‘We have to stop the Forwards!’

 

Class E’s Keepers closely watched the movements of Class D’s Forwards.

 

This early phase was the most important and critical timing in the entire match.

 

How much they could delay the enemy from stealing the flag was the turning point that determined victory or defeat.

 

“Pathetic fools.”

 

Heathcliff raised his sword.

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