Volume 5 Chapter 15 A Man's Jealousy Is Undignified
Inferior Lord
Even though it has "Lord" in the name, it's actually a low-level (Inferia).
These are mid-level demons that lead lesser demons, like the ones that can't become true demons.
But don't underestimate them just because they're low-level (Inferia). With sharp claws and quick bodies, their fighting style using magic can wipe out a party with just one of them.
They might seem like jack-of-all-trades, but don't take their strength lightly just because they carry the name of a Lord.
Source: 'Beast Guide (In Progress)' by Cory Mondrey
☆☆☆
The Inferior Lord attacks Randy. Facing a 3-pronged attack, Randy clenched his fists.
At the moment the Inferior Lord in front swung its claws down, Randy's fists roared.
Left, right, 1-2-3.
His fists moved so fast that he caught all 3 Inferior Lords almost at the same time.
*BAM!*
A loud explosion echoed as the upper bodies of the 3 flew apart.
Yes, they literally exploded.
Blood and guts splattered on the front wall and door, while only the lower halves, following their momentum, slid past Randy's feet.
Rolling with a dull thud, someone in the room just said, "Huh?" and the whole place fell silent.
Randy glanced at the purple-black stained door and walls, letting out a small sigh when he noticed blood on his cheek. He felt like Keith would scold him for focusing too much on power and neglecting technique.
Still, he thought he was better than before, wiping the blood off as he turned to look at his students. ...Well, more like at Luke, who had been pushing him.
"Well, this is about right."
He said this to Luke, showing his rival where he stood now, but Luke also smiled wryly, realizing Randy had gotten even stronger. It was clear that even during the busy winter, Randy hadn't slacked off and had been training hard.
Feeling satisfied that he had surprised Luke, Randy knew the students wouldn't understand that.
"Eh?"
"Why?"
Only a confused voice could be heard. What to say about this, Randy was unsure as he heard Luke's voice.
"One punch each. Truly a gorilla's work, huh?"
"Who's the gorilla?"
As Randy frowned, a dry metallic sound "clank" echoed... only to be drowned out by a huge cheer. The students rushed towards Randy, eager to get to him.
"You're amazing!"
"Thanks, Randolph!"
"How are you so strong?"
"Was it really just one punch?"
With voices coming from all around, Randy scratched his head, feeling overwhelmed, "Oh, wow." He never expected such a warm welcome.
Liz came to help the troubled Randy. As Liz ran over, the students naturally moved aside, making a path for Randy. When Liz reached him, she tilted her head and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Randy flexed his muscles, and Liz smiled, "That's good." As the surrounding students exclaimed "Wow," Randy noticed a slight gaze directed at him. From outside the circle, someone was looking at him with hostility...
It was Edgar, supported by Arthur and Dario.
* * *
Three Inferior Lords appeared from the door. The students were already exhausted, and their items were running low. The beings they had just barely defeated together were now showing up in this situation.
In such a hopeless situation, everyone's faces turned pale.
Edgar was no exception.
Fear and panic wrapped around him, but he tried to grip his sword tightly. But now... if one was to describe Edgar's feelings... it would be humiliation and jealousy.
Without picking up the sword he dropped, Edgar's fists clenched even tighter.
(This was supposed to be my place...)
Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, he glared at the sight of a man surrounded by students, smiling at Elizabeth.
Randolph Victor.
A well-known figure in the same grade, rumored to be useless and unmotivated, but recently, opinions about him had split in 2.
Still seen as useless.
Or maybe he's actually an amazing guy.
The reason for the mixed opinions started before the second semester. Elizabeth von Braubelg, who had been exiled, showed up at the academy with a confident attitude.
At first, everyone was just talking about Elizabeth coming back. The guy next to her was seen as just a nobody trying to win her favor. But that gossip quickly disappeared when they saw Elizabeth, who was once called the [Ice Princess], laughing happily.
Soon, the talk shifted to that guy next to her.
The guy who won Elizabeth's heart.
The guy who forced Elizabeth to follow him.
The students gossiped freely, but the guy himself didn't seem to care at all. He continued his usual lazy school life.
As Randolph showed no change, the students' interest began to fade. By the time the regular tests were over, opinions were split, but no one was actively discussing it anymore.
No matter which rumor was true, everyone agreed that eventually, Elizabeth would lose interest.
But recently, Randolph became a topic of conversation again. Apparently, he fought and won against an S-rank adventurer in the Dukedom.
The rumor was pretty weak.
That was Edgar's first thought. Randolph didn't participate in combat training at school and just daydreamed during classes. It was hard to believe that Randolph Victor, who was known for his poor test scores, could defeat an S-rank opponent.
No one at the academy would believe it.
But it seemed that the rumor was true. Edgar was initially just shocked by the news coming from various sources. However, he soon found himself inspired by the rumor and trained hard during the winter. If that guy could do it, then maybe he could aim higher too.
No... to put it more clearly, he wanted to be stronger than that guy. He thought that this useless guy was catching Elizabeth's interest just by that one thing. So, he aimed to go beyond that. To be above the guy who always had Elizabeth smiling at him.
Just simple rivalry. A childish rivalry that no one should know about. But it was too arrogant to even call it a rivalry.
At first, he thought it would be a breeze. He knew how Randolph usually was.
He believed he could do it. Moreover, he had never failed at anything before.
Surprisingly, things were going smoothly so far.
His dungeon exploration skills were also paying off,
and he felt confident leading his team.
He felt a chill against the last strong enemy, but with everyone's help, they managed to defeat that powerful foe. Of course, there were things to reflect on, but even with that, defeating the Inferior Lord as a student was more than enough.
So everyone was filled with joy, and for that moment, there was no difference between high and low status as they patted each other on the back. And in the middle of it all, Edgar was praised like this gem that even the dungeon seemed to recognize.
...But now, this gem just looks like a silly item.
Because──just moments ago, the 3 Inferior Lords that had filled everyone with despair, burst apart the moment they attacked Randolph.
Edgar didn't even understand what had happened.
He only knew that the 3 Inferior Lords charged at Randolph. But in the next moment, the upper bodies of the Inferior Lords exploded. All 3 at the same time.
That moment was truly quiet.
The dull sound of the Inferior Lords' halves hitting the ground echoed through the floor.
Breaking that silence were Randolph's words.
"Well, this is about right."
Wiping the blood off his cheek, Randolph didn't even glance at the Inferior Lords that had fallen at his feet and walked towards Edgar and the others.
Still, no one understood what had just happened.
"Huh?"
"Why?"
The voice that someone spoke was also Edgar's inner voice. The one who answered was Cecilia's guard knight.
"One punch each. Truly a gorilla's work, huh?"
With a look of disbelief, Randolph said, "Who's the gorilla?" as he frowned.
Not sure if everyone understood those words. At least, Edgar didn't want to accept it. The punches that were too fast to see, the guard knight's skill to see through it, and the 3 corpses that showed him this was reality.
With the gap too big, Edgar's sword slipped from his hand.
──Clang
That dry sound broke the silence... and the wave of cheers that followed was definitely aimed at Randolph.
The floor shook with cheers, and students rushed over without caring about their groups. Just a moment ago, Edgar was in the center of that circle, but he lost that spot in an instant.
And that wasn't all.
"Randy, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Randolph flexed his muscles, and Elizabeth smiled at him with a big, bright smile that reminded one of a blooming flower. In the center of the circle, no one could step between the two of them. It was their own space. The fact burned in Edgar's chest.
In that space, Elizabeth looked up at Randolph with a happy face. Seeing an expression he had never seen before, Edgar instinctively pressed his hand to his chest and crouched down.
"Your Highness?"
"What's up?"
With 2 friends worrying about him, all he could say was, "It's nothing."
Trying to cover it up and calm the swirling jealousy and humiliation in his heart, Edgar lifted his face.
There was Randolph looking at him.
(He's trying to provoke me...?)
If he looked closely, he could see Elizabeth talking to Catherine too. It had always been strange. Catherine and Elizabeth were supposed to be like cats and dogs, but since the third term started, they seemed to be getting along normally.
So... he thought he could be accepted too.
"You really are something else."
"Hey, I'm still growing."
Seeing Randolph chatting normally with Catherine, doubts began to form in Edgar's heart.
──Why did Miss Catherine say 'exile'?
──Why the Beast Forest?
It all connects back to Randolph... maybe those 2 are putting on a show to take Elizabeth away from Edgar.
This is a wild thought, but Edgar, completely lost in jealousy and humiliation, has no self-control.
(I have to get her back... to where she belongs. To the right place──)
Edgar's glaring eyes, full of hostility, were still fixed on Randolph, who was in the middle of the cheers.
This was the moment Edgar saw Randy as an enemy, and no one knew that this misunderstanding, born from a twisted love, would later shake the world.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)