First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 73

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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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Episode 73

 

Whiiiing-!

 

Waves of aura began swirling around his entire body.

 

Not the typical blue aura.

 

A snow-white aura that flickered like a dancing blizzard.

 

“What is that?!”

 

The watching students were shocked.

 

“Aura attribute conversion?”

 

“That’s something we learn in the second semester!”

 

“When did he master such an advanced technique…!”

 

The professors watching the match results from the platform each added their own comments.

 

“It seems Hiscliffe has been grinding his teeth and dedicating himself to special training during the break.”

 

Bowgers, the Class J supervising professor, lit up his eyes with interest.

 

“Kuhaha! That makes sense. That boy has always been third place, hasn’t he? He must have worked tremendously hard to close the gap with the first and second place students.”

 

Edgar, the Class C supervising professor, stroked his beard.

 

“Aura attribute conversion…”

 

Violetta, the Class D supervising professor, sat in her chair with interlocked fingers covering her mouth.

 

“It might end more anticlimactically than expected. Unless the transfer student assigned to Class E steps up.”

 

“You mean Ragnor.”

 

The professors were well aware of how large the skill gap between Class D and Class E was.

 

And with Hiscliffe, a core member of Class D, having mastered attribute conversion, that gap had widened even further.

 

If there was one variable that could make a difference, it would only be Ragnor von Grantuan, called the Holy Kingdom’s Next Generation World’s Best Swordsman.

 

“I thought Ragnor would take the libero position, but Claire remains the libero while he chose to be a forward.”

 

Bowgers, the Class J supervising professor, lowered his voice.

 

“He must have his reasons. I hope his reputation shines through this time.”

 

Ulysses, the Class E supervising professor, spoke earnestly.

 

Whiiiing-!

 

Meanwhile, the battlefield was being swept by a blizzard due to the cold air Hiscliffe had unleashed.

 

“Kyaaaah-!”

 

“Damn it! How the hell are we supposed to beat that!”

 

Without even needing the other Class D students to intervene.

 

Hiscliffe alone was smashing through Class E’s defense line, getting closer and closer to the flag.

 

“Urgh!”

 

“My feet are frozen!”

 

The cold air attached to the ground froze their feet, adhering them to the earth.

 

Class E’s defenders couldn’t detach their frozen feet stuck to the ground and were bound in place.

 

Hiscliffe mercilessly swung his sword at them.

 

“Take this!”

 

Mendel Vision Swordsmanship.

 

Lion’s Roar.

 

Kugugugugugu-!

 

Cold air rushing like a roaring lion struck Class E’s defense line.

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

“Save me!”

 

The scene that followed was gruesome.

 

Students covered in blood from head to toe could no longer stand and collapsed to the floor with a thud.

 

A priest’s healing magic could easily recover such external injuries.

 

But the pain the victims felt until recovery would be terrible.

 

“He should go easier on them…”

 

Students watching from the seats shuddered at Hiscliffe’s ruthlessness.

 

“Cruel bastard.”

 

However, Amelia, the referee, didn’t particularly restrain him.

 

[Medical team, please tend to the injured students.]

 

She only gave such orders to the standby medical team.

 

Meanwhile, Hiscliffe grasped Class E’s flag in his hand with light steps as if taking a stroll.

 

“This is so boring I could go crazy. How did you guys even get admitted here?”

 

Hiscliffe mockingly spun the flag in his hand in front of the Class E students.

 

The Class E students’ faces contorted with anger, gloom, and frustration.

 

“Well, whatever. Let’s end this.”

 

Hiscliffe, flag in hand, turned around and ran toward the Class D camp.

 

Claire gritted her teeth watching this scene.

 

“Damn it!”

 

If Hiscliffe returned to the D Class Stronghold like this, Class E’s defeat would be confirmed.

 

The team’s keepers were already almost completely wiped out.

 

For Class E to win, they had to steal Class D’s flag as quickly as possible while the supporters held Hiscliffe’s feet.

 

However.

 

“Kraaaah!”

 

“Hah, haah!”

 

Slash!

 

Class E’s forwards couldn’t break through Class D’s defense.

 

Far from the keepers, they couldn’t even advance further from the supporters’ territory.

 

Claire fought well, taking down opponents one by one, but it didn’t affect the overall situation.

 

‘At this rate…!’

 

They would be defeated by those bastards once again.

 

Just like always.

 

‘I hoped this time would be different.’

 

Were the expectations for change with the start of the new semester futile?

 

Hiscliffe, spewing white, cold air, had already broken through even the supporters’ territory and entered the Class D camp.

 

“They missed their last chance.”

 

“They can’t stop him from there now.”

 

The watching students were certain the outcome had already been decided.

 

Now Class E had to simultaneously perform flag capture and defend against Hiscliffe with only the libero and forwards’ strength, without support from supporters and keepers.

 

It was impossible.

 

“It’s over.”

 

Hiscliffe, with a twisted smile, charged at high speed toward their stronghold.

 

At that moment.

 

Shaaaash-!

 

A blue flash poured down toward Hiscliffe’s path.

 

“…!”

 

Hiscliffe raised his sword to defend his body.

 

Blue light rays filling his vision collided with white cold air.

 

Kwaaaaang!

 

The aftermath of the wave caused by the brief clash was tremendous.

 

Hiscliffe couldn’t withstand the impact and was pushed back, sliding.

 

“…What?”

 

“What just happened?”

 

The students were struck with shock as if hit on the head.

 

They couldn’t believe it even seeing it with their own eyes.

 

Hiscliffe was helplessly pushed back in someone’s sword clash?

 

“Ha.”

 

Hiscliffe raised his head to look at the opponent who had blocked his path.

 

“I wondered when you’d step forward. You coward.”

 

Ragnor stood in a relaxed stance with his sword in hand.

 

Even with the match on the verge of defeat, his expression remained calm.

 

“….”

 

Ragnor scratched the back of his head.

 

Soon, a quiet remark slipped from his lips.

 

“I heard you’re ranked 3rd among all first-years. Is that true?”

 

Hiscliffe was dumbfounded.

 

Why was he suddenly asking about rankings in this situation?

 

“That’s right. I’m 3rd place.”

 

Of course, there was no reason not to answer.

 

The 3rd place ranking was also Hiscliffe’s source of pride.

 

“Bullshit.”

 

Ragnor frowned as if he couldn’t understand.

 

“How could someone like you be 3rd? You seem weaker than Irin, let alone Asel.”

 

“…What did you say?”

 

Ragnor sighed as if genuinely disappointed.

 

“I guess my expectations were too high. Ever since meeting that incredible guy during the transfer exam, I must have overestimated this school’s standards.”

 

Hiscliffe bit his lip.

 

“…!”

 

Anyone could see that his side had the advantage while the other side was at a disadvantage.

 

But hearing such insults made his blood boil.

 

‘A mere bug who didn’t even make it past the middle of the transfer exam!’

 

Hiscliffe vowed to tear that braggart in front of him to shreds.

 

“I’ll rip you apart.”

 

A pure white snowstorm erupted from the tip of Hiscliffe’s sword as his face contorted with rage.

 

Mendel Vision Swordsmanship.

 

Lion’s Roar.

 

Kwaaaaaaaaa-!

 

A storm of bone-chilling cold shattered the ground as it poured forth.

 

Ragnor stood calmly and swung his sword forward once.

 

Whoooosh!

 

A blue flash completely annihilated all the cold air it touched.

 

After a few more sword strikes followed, Hiscliffe’s vision technique was completely neutralized by Ragnor’s sword without a trace.

 

“Wow!”

 

“What’s with that guy! He’s amazing!”

 

Everyone watching the battle felt a deep thrill.

 

But the most shocked was Hiscliffe himself.

 

“This is impossible!”

 

Lion’s Roar was his secret swordsmanship that he had trained throughout the vacation, holed up in his family estate.

 

It was a secret technique he had perfected through bone-grinding effort to surpass 1st and 2nd place in the second semester.

 

But such a technique.

 

Not even by another vision swordsmanship, but simply neutralized by a few ordinary sword strikes.

 

“Well, you’re not completely hopeless.”

 

Ragnor said as he evaporated the cold air clinging to his sword.

 

Blue aura blazing beyond the boundaries of his body, even on the sword in his hand.

 

“Is that the end of your little tricks?”

 

Sword Expert.

 

Ragnor von Grantuan pointed his sword at Hiscliffe.

 

Having witnessed his opponent’s realm, Hiscliffe was seized by the desire to deny reality.

 

“5-star?”

 

If he transferred as a first-year, he must be the same age as himself.

 

5-star at the mere age of seventeen?

 

Wasn’t that an achievement worthy of being recorded in history books!

 

The Holy Kingdom’s greatest genius. The nickname of Next Generation World’s Best Swordsman wasn’t a false rumor but the truth.

 

“What the hell are you.”

 

Hiscliffe’s lips trembled.

 

“Damn it, what are you! This doesn’t make sense. 5-star? If you’re already 5-star, how did you get eliminated midway through the transfer exam!”

 

Unless there was some match-fixing involved.

 

How could a Sword Expert lose to someone at the first-year level?

 

“That’s a meaningless question.”

 

Ragnor lowered his stance and bent his knees.

 

“That’s because there’s someone stronger than me among this batch of transfer students.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, he charged at Hiscliffe like thunder.

 

“Kugh!”

 

Hiscliffe raised his sword diagonally to respond.

 

But the aura blade’s slash easily cut Hiscliffe’s sword in half.

 

“Kuhek!”

 

Thud!

 

Hiscliffe, struck on the back of his head by the blade, collapsed face-first and fainted.

 

Ragnor snatched Class E’s flag from the fallen Hiscliffe’s hand.

 

“Is it okay for me to hold this?”

 

Ragnor asked the students in the battlefield, but the students, lost in shock, seemed to have forgotten how to even respond.

 

[No problem.]

 

It was Amelia, the referee, who resolved his curiosity.

 

Ragnor handed Class E’s flag to Claire, who was staring blankly with her mouth agape as if witnessing a deity.

 

“Take this back to our base.”

 

“Ah, okay!”

 

He couldn’t carry it himself since he had to charge into Class D’s stronghold to recapture their flag.

 

Claire gripped the flag tightly and moved carefully across the territory.

 

Though Class D interfered, other Class E students also assisted Claire, providing support.

 

“Now then.”

 

Ragnor turned his head to look at the flag planted in Class D’s stronghold.

 

Class D keepers with tense expressions blocked his path.

 

“Shall we end this boring match.”

 

* * *

 

I chuckled as I looked at the faces of Class B children, mouths agape in shock.

 

“See, what did I tell you.”

 

Fail and Veronica.

 

Cathy, Bernard, Max.

 

Even Lessor de Balkaud had an expression that showed he couldn’t understand what had just happened.

 

“I said Class E would win.”

 

Two flags were planted simultaneously in Class E’s stronghold.

 

[Victory, Class E!]

 

Amelia announced the winner matter-of-factly.

 

The seats were bustling with the unexpected reversal of results.

 

Most of the conversation was about Ragnor, who had dominated the match with overwhelming force.

 

“The rumor about him being the Next Generation World’s Best Swordsman wasn’t an exaggeration.”

 

“Such a monster placed 3rd in the transfer exam. And was even forcibly sent back on the first day.”

 

Historically, there weren’t many cases where transfer students stood out by overpowering existing students.

 

But through Ragnor’s performance in this match, the students seemed to realize something.

 

“What’s with these transfer students? They’re scary….”

 

At least this year’s transfer students were something different.

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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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