It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 74

 Chapter 74 : Entering the Martial Festival

The sound of footsteps echoed steadily.

Running through the hallways was surely prohibited. Thinking this, the girls standing nearby turned their heads to see who was making the noise.

And they wore expressions of shock.

It was only natural, as the person striding through the hallway was someone they never expected to see in this building.

Not particularly tall, but of a decent build.

A flat chest and a slender physique.

There was no mistake.

The person walking through the hallway was none other than a male knight.

This wasn’t exactly a “no-men-allowed” area, but as far as the girls could recall, this was the first time a man had set foot here.

Moreover, the male knight walking through the hallway was a figure etched vividly in the memories of some of the girls.

Amid the commotion, surprise, and hostile glares from those recalling past events, Ragna scanned the area, searching for the lecture hall of the female knights.

After some time, Ragna finally arrived at his destination.

(Lecture Hall 14.)

This was the place. She had to be here.

He had confirmed this by hypnotizing a lone student council member nearby, so there was no mistake.

With that thought, Ragna flung open the door to the lecture hall and stepped inside.

Instantly, the gazes of the girls seated inside turned toward him.

A male knight suddenly entering a women’s lecture hall.

The looks directed at this incongruous presence were filled with bewilderment and disbelief.

Some approached, wondering if he had entered the wrong room by mistake.

But Ragna ignored them, scanning the room to find the person he was looking for.

…There she was.

The lecture hall’s layout was similar to that of the men’s.

In the middle row, near the window, sat Hazel Granstig, smiling as she looked at him.

Ragna strode toward her.

Whispers from the girls seated nearby reached his ears. “Why is a guy here?” “Wait, is he going to Hazel?” The commotion grew louder, but Ragna ignored it and stood before Hazel.

“…I never expected you to come here. What’s the matter, Lord Ragna?” Hazel asked with a faint smile.

In contrast, the two girls beside her, Anya and Liche, glared at him with tense expressions.

Ragna took a deep breath and said, “…I came because I have something to ask.”

“Oh my, to come to me directly like this… Hmm, if I’d known, I would’ve prepared some tea. Shall I have some brought now?”

Hazel, seemingly enjoying the situation, looked at Ragna who was addressing her formally with an amused expression.

Ragna responded with a stiff face, “No, that’s fine. I don’t plan to stay long.”

“Oh? That’s a shame…”

“Let me get straight to the point. Why did you ban Seria Brandzburg from participating in the Dagger and Shortsword divisions?”

“…Aha, I see. That’s why you came,” Hazel said, chuckling as if she’d just realized something. Ragna furrowed his brow.

“Hehe, indeed, we made a bet before, didn’t we? And Seria was part of that bet,” Hazel continued.

“…You knew,” Ragna said.

“Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?” Hazel replied lightly.

Ragna was left speechless by her response.

Hazel continued, “I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t give up easily.”

“…”

“I believe I mentioned it through Anita. Though her phrasing was rather crude at the time, let me rephrase it properly now. Remember this: ‘The stubbornness and obsession of the Granstig family are well-known.’ No matter what happens, obtaining what we desire is the pride of the Granstig family, whatever that may be.”

“…So you sabotaged Seria Brandzburg?”

“Oh my, that’s a harsh way to put it. Someone might misunderstand,” Hazel said with a sigh.

Then she added, “Believe it or not, I didn’t do anything to Seria.”

“What does that mean…?”

“It’s not a lie. Others moved before I even had to. Yes, that’s right. Before I could act, the student council had already banned Seria from the Dagger and Shortsword divisions. Do you know why?”

“…”

“Because she’s a nuisance. You may not realize it, but the Martial Festival isn’t just a simple combat tournament. It’s a crucial opportunity to showcase one’s skills to spectators especially to the kingdom’s knight orders and lords. Having someone like Seria in such an important event would only cause trouble. It’s like a loach muddying the waters.”

“…”

“So I didn’t even need to step in. The matter was already settled before I could act. Hehe.”

Hazel smiled, and Ragna glared at her with burning eyes, grinding his teeth.

But Hazel maintained her smile in the face of his gaze.

Ragna let out a heavy sigh and said, “…Fine.”

“Oh?”

“I acknowledge the situation. But…”

“But?”

“…Don’t think everything will go your way. I won’t just sit back and take it.”

“Hehe, so what do you plan to do?”

“I don’t see any reason to tell you. I’ll take my leave.”

“Hehe, very well. Safe travels.”

Hazel gave a slight bow.

With a glance at her, Ragna turned and began walking back.

The girls who had gathered to speak to him flinched and stepped back.

With his menacing aura and eyes that seemed to burn red, it would be strange if anyone could approach him.

Ragna parted the crowd of girls and strode quickly toward the lecture hall’s door.

*Bang!*

The door slammed shut with a loud noise.

Hearing it, Hazel wore a satisfied, victorious smile.

___________

No one dared approach Ragna as he stormed through the hallway.

A chance to interact with a male knight.

Some might have been tempted, but even they couldn’t muster the courage to approach Ragna, who exuded an oppressive aura.

His presence made it difficult for the girls to speak to him.

Even so, some tried to approach.

But Ragna brushed them off with his glowing red eyes and exited the lecture hall building.

As he walked down the corridor, he thought to himself.

*They got me.*

His previous encounter with Hazel.

Perhaps because he could still recall her off-guard demeanor, he had been too complacent.

And Hazel had taken advantage of that, landing a devastating blow in a way he hadn’t anticipated.

Until today, Ragna hadn’t doubted for a moment that Seria would participate in the tournament and achieve great results.

But today, at the very moment the tournament rules were set, Hazel had struck with a move she’d kept hidden all along.

No matter how talented Seria was, her opponents were more experienced.

Even with her genius reputation and training under Karen, it would be hard to gain the upper hand.

And as expected, the fourth-year participants were likely sharpening their blades against Seria.

To them, Seria was someone who, with talent alone, had skipped grades to reach their desired level.

To those who had barely reached the fourth year through grueling training, she was a thorn in their side.

It wouldn’t be surprising if they were waiting for a chance to take her down.

The fact that a penalty was imposed on just one person so decisively meant it had been carefully orchestrated.

*Crunch—*

Ragna ground his teeth, seething with anger.

But his mind remained cold, calmly analyzing the situation.

The current situation:

With Seria, his strongest piece, out of play, Ragna had only two pieces left to rely on.

Anita and Liliana.

Of the two, Liliana was the stronger piece.

Her swordsmanship was exceptional.

Even Hazel would find it hard to outmatch her.

But Liliana’s weakness was her mana capacity.

Compared to Hazel, or even Anita, it was lacking.

While she could pass maneuver training, it was likely just barely.

Anything beyond that would be difficult.

If drawn into a prolonged battle, even without extreme measures like Ragna’s, defeat was certain.

Hazel surely knew this.

No, most opponents facing Liliana would likely employ that strategy.

That meant the roles his two pieces could play were limited.

Breaking through the enemy’s defenses to take down their king seemed nearly impossible.

A checkmate situation.

But even so, he had no intention of admitting defeat.

If they thought they had cornered his king, he had no choice but to make a move.

“…Looks like I’ll have to step in myself.”

If his pieces couldn’t move, the king would have to take the field.

If the situation became dire, the king needed to shake up the enemy’s formation himself.

He had no intention of sitting in his castle, waiting for the enemy, as he had when he faced the Hero before.

With that resolve, Ragna headed toward the carriage where Seria was waiting.

Seeing Seria’s worried expression as she looked at him from the carriage entrance, Ragna softened his stern face and gave a faint smile.

It seemed he’d have to put in some effort to ease her frustration today.

As he thought this, Ragna realized something.

To resolve the current situation, he needed new pieces.

New faces to break through this deadlock.

And two figures came to mind.

A slight smile formed on Ragna’s lips as he pictured them.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id