[Reberu] ga Arunara Agerudesho? Mobukyara ni Tensei Shita Ore wa Gēmu Chishiki o Ikashi, Hitasura Reberu o Age Tsudzukeru

[The 4th Race]

Amanai and co successfully got first place, and finally it’s time for the 4th race.

I’m having Horsie, pulling a chariot with Iris and a luggage bag packed with items on it, adjust his speed so that he reaches the starting line last.

“Hi.
Are you two Sakurai Tōru-kun and Iris-san?”

“Un?” (Sakurai)

When we arrive at the starting line, a beautiful boy… I mean, a beauty in male clothing, Julia von Knaust, who happens to be positioned next to us, calls out to us.

She has a military academy student who appears wo have volunteered himself holds the reins of the horse, while she herself naturally sits on the edge of the simple chariot with a unified standard prepared by the management side.

Her elegant presence is clearly mismatching with the plain-looking chariot, to the point that the words ‘out of place’ would never be more apt to describe it.

“Ahh, umm… are you Princess Knaust?” (Sakurai)

“You don’t have to be so formal, I’m merely a student right now.
You can call me Julia.” (Julia)

“That so.
Then, you have a business with us, Julia?” (Sakurai)

“Yeah, I heard that Amanai-kun asked you guys for help, see.
I thought I’d say hello as fellow competitors.
Sorry for suddenly calling you out.” (Julia)

Having said so, Julia smiles.
I, on the other hand, get a little impressed.

Because Amanai shouldn’t have told her the existence of his cooperator, that is me.
But she’s saying that she knows that I’m cooperating with Amanai.

In other words, she’s built her own information network; she’s more wary of Amanai than I initially thought.

(Her source of information is probably a student of the military academy, but as for who it is, I don’t know.
Perhaps it is better to assume that knight apprentices are all her eyes.)

“Also, I’m returning this to you.” (Julia)

Saying that, she hands over a carefully-tied-up special thread.

It’s the reason why I purposefully slowed Horsie down; one of the traps that I set up by using the ‘Shishū’ skill to wrap special threads around the wheels of the chariots on which other participants ride.

She’s surprisingly perceptive to have notice that, even though I tied it up just now.

However, she only handed over one thread, the traps on the wheels of other participants are still fine.

“Are you okay with not alerting the other guys?” (Sakurai)

“It’s their fault for not expecting the opponents to set up some tricks in advance and not noticing it.
That’s what I think, at least, but what about you?” (Julia)

“Anything’s fine as long as it’s convenient for me, so can I set it up again?” (Sakurai)

“Fufu, I refuse.” (Julia)

“Please reconsider it.” (Sakurai)

“No means no~.” (Julia)

Saying that, she takes the sword beside her and immediately swings it under the chariot.
Then a small snapping sound rings, it’s the thread that I was stretching out while we were talking.

It wasn’t something that just anyone could cut with such a casual sword swing, but perhaps I should say, as expected of the top of the military academy.

Well, it’s not a strategy that I was placing all my bets on, but honestly, it’s my fault for looking down on her too much.

As we’re glaring at each other, the commentator raises her voice and the surroundings begins to heat up.

A race in which Julia, a special player, participates.
There are more cheers than when Amanai and co were out; there’s even a cheering party that’s exclusively cheering for her.

“Oops, it’s time.
I’m looking forward to seeing how you two are going to fare later.” (Julia)

She says so and stands up from the chariot on which she is sitting, before beginning to shower her smile in response to the cheers.

What a show-off, while thinking so, I turn my back on Julia.

“Hm~? Hmm~.” (Iris)

“Iris? What’s wrong?” (Sakurai)

“Ahh, err, umm.
Something feels kind of off.” (Iris)

“Off?” (Sakurai)

“Yes.
The magic power I felt from Julia-san feels…… how should I put it, I wonder?” (Iris)

I wouldn’t know something like that even if you ask me.

After all, I’m a mob character; I’m not blessed with talent in magic, so I can’t perceive magic power.

Maybe if I keep meditating, or getting directly hit by magic, or training, I’d be able to acquire Magic Power Perception skill, but I have no intention of making my fighting style concentrating around magic, so I’m leaving it for the time being.

To begin with, if I want to focus on magic, I must have at least something at the level of Akano Reika’s ‘Absolute Magic Perception’, otherwise… well anyways, my thought on magic is, given that this is a fantasy world, it’d be great if I can use it, and a bit disappointing if I can’t, but I won’t fret over it.

In any case, even if you ask me how magic power feels like, I wouldn’t know, in fact, I’d like to know that myself.

Believing that Iris can come up with the answer, I check the items I brought just in case and then grasp Horsie’s reins.

“Now it’s your time to shine, Horsie.
Get your spirit up and run like the wind!” (Sakurai)

“Neigh!”

“This is a competition where sabotaging is allowed to begin with, so doing what Sakurai-san’s told me is fine… it should be fine, right?” (Iris)

I raise my thumb up to reassure Iris, who is making a slightly anxious face.

Then, I leak a smile seeing Julia, who is still continuing to give fan service to the surroundings with a leisurely look, unaware of the trap that I have set up in her chariot.

Sorry, but in this race, regardless of whether you are a student of the academy or knight apprentice of the military academy, I’ll crush you.

My goal is only one, to be in the first place.

If you want to hate someone, hate the management side that allows sabotaging even though I’m here!