Episode 28
After a short wait, this insane talent incubator teleported every student in the auditorium simultaneously.
The scale was unimaginable for any other household—a feat possible only for the Papiope Dukedom, which overflowed with various Abilitators and talents.
We arrived on a small, uninhabited-looking island.
Rosemary, who had been studying our surroundings with fascination, linked her arm through mine.
“Do you know what this test is about, Brave Hero?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Is there something even the Brave Hero doesn’t know?”
“I can’t exactly choose which futures I want to see.”
“Aha……!”
Only then did she seem satisfied, her curiosity resolved. I was curious myself.
“I wonder what the victory conditions and rules will be….”
“Whatever the subject is, my brother and I will do our best to help you! No one but the Brave Hero can be adopted by the Duke!”
She spoke with such zeal she was practically snorting.
“Haha, thank you.”
Since the Duke of Papiope sets the rules and conditions as he pleases, there was a high probability they would differ from what I knew. After all, this competition had been moved up specifically because of me.
When the Duke adopted his first child, the winner was decided by a tournament-style sparring match.
Lucian Papiope.
With his ability of animal affinity, he seized victory. If Raspi is a monster tamer, then Lucian is an animal tamer. He didn’t just win; he achieved an overwhelming victory because his opponents all forfeited.
How could he have won when they were only allowed a single, blunt wooden sword?
Was he a master of swordsmanship? No.
Did he enter the match with tigers or wolves? No, that was impossible; bringing companions into the arena was prohibited.
Usually, when people think of animals, they think of vertebrates with some bulk. However, insects are undeniably part of the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta.
That’s right. He had attacked his opponents by bringing millions of winged insects into the arena.
It was an attack only possible because it was an outdoor arena without a roof. Who could hold their ground when millions of insects swarmed only them? It would be a miracle if they didn’t pass out.
He could have brought a flock of birds, but he chose insects—likely to create an overwhelming spectacle that forced a forfeiture. Besides, if he had used birds, other Abilitators might have struck them down. A fire-wielder, for instance, could have turned them into roast poultry. Insects would burn too, but he held an insurmountable advantage in sheer scale.
“This is why luck is so important…….”
If the timing had been wrong and I had been forced to compete against him, I never would have won, even as me.
That was when the moderator, a staff member in charge of the proceedings, stood before the students and used amplification magic.
“Before we begin, those who do not wish to participate, please move to the designated safe zone in advance.”
They had brought the non-participating children for the sake of transparency. Students began to pour out, and in an instant, the number of participants dropped by more than half. Most of those who remained appeared to be at least ten years old.
Among them, I was the smallest. No wonder everyone looked down on me.
“I feel a sense of deprivation, seriously…….”
My mental age should be the highest here. Today, I especially resented my short arms and legs. The only saving grace was that Raspi and Rosemary stood on either side of me like guards, discouraging anyone from picking a fight. Though both were thin, they were tall with larger frames than their peers, making them reliable company.
Once the non-participants had cleared the area, the moderator spoke again.
“From now on, we will distribute one egg and one return scroll to each of you.”
Teachers waiting in the wings began to carry baskets, handing an egg and a scroll to each child.
An egg. I felt like I knew what the test would be.
“……Is it a battle royale?”
The egg I received from the teacher had my name written on it—a measure to prevent students from stealing someone else’s.
“There’s a saying that it’s harder to protect something than to hurt someone,” the moderator said, pausing with a faint smile. “The rule for this competition is simple. The person who protects their egg until the very end will be granted the qualification to become the Duke of Papiope’s second adopted child.”
As expected, a battle royale. A structure where many enter an arena, fight, and the last survivor wins.
Rosemary tilted her head.
“Brave Hero, it says ‘qualification to become an adopted child,’ not that you’ll become one. Is that right?”
“Oh, you’re sharp. But don’t worry too much about that.”
In truth, winning this didn’t guarantee immediate adoption. After an orientation period of a few weeks at the estate, one would only be officially adopted after receiving the Duke’s final approval. It would be a headache for the Dukedom if some random brat were adopted just for winning a single test. As long as I didn’t cause any major incidents, it wouldn’t be rescinded, so it didn’t matter.
I refocused on the moderator.
“The entire island, excluding the safe zone, is the arena. The competition will begin in ten minutes with the firing of a signal flare.” He waved the flare, showing it off. “Most of the monsters here are low-grade, but high-grade ones appear in the center, so I recommend you do not go too deep.”
A student raised their hand.
“Are we allowed to use the return scrolls?”
“Yes. In case of emergency, use the scroll to return.”
“Is there a penalty?”
“Of course. Using the scroll is considered abandonment. You will be disqualified and moved to the safe zone.”
I knew it. There was no way they’d provide a free pass to run away.
“Oh, for your information, intentionally injuring an opponent severely will result in disqualification, so please control your strength.”
At that, the students’ faces visibly brightened. Some even let out sighs of relief.
“……Idiots.”
In other words, as long as you didn’t leave permanent damage, anything was fine. The threshold was likely whatever a healing Abilitator could fix in one go. This was a test format that would have caused an uproar back on Earth. At least the Papiope Dukedom provided expensive scrolls for fleeing.
“Now, for the next ten minutes, physical attacks are prohibited. By any means necessary, claim your spot.”
[I overwrite the current point in time onto Point 2.]
Having saved the point, I turned to look around. Everyone was forming teams. Since my own team was already decided, I set off immediately with Raspi and Rosemary.
“Let’s go, guys.”
“Yes, Brave Hero!”
“Yes.”
I intended to head into the dense forest. Since Raspi’s ability was monster taming, it was advantageous to gather as many creatures as possible.
We walked for some time. Rosemary began to lag behind, her gait becoming increasingly awkward. Sensing something was wrong, I stopped and turned her around.
“Mari, are you hurting?”
“Ah, no.”
“You don’t have to push yourself. Do you want to go to the safe zone and rest?”
“I’m really fine, but…….”
Rosemary hesitated, glancing at me cautiously. Raspi sighed softly, as if he understood immediately.
“Just tell him, Mari. He’ll understand.”
What on earth could be the problem? As I stared at her, her voice shrank.
“Brave Hero, actually…….”
“Yeah?”
Without another word, she reached into her pocket and began setting eggs on the ground. One, two, three……. The eggs didn’t stop appearing until there were seven of them.
They were all real, each engraved with a different student’s name.