Chapter 38 – Divine Princess Trial Match
Tch! ...
I looked at Teresa, seated in the front row, with utter disgust.
Still putting on that fake, oh-so-considerate act of offering to clean the desk yourself. Green-tea b*tch, who are you trying to fool?! You think I can’t tell how pleased you are right now?
This was your goal all along, wasn’t it? You cunning little tramp, playing the teacher and now clinging to him like your protector. Acting pitiful while raking in all the benefits!
I ground my teeth in frustration, yet there was nothing I could do about her.
Damn it. If only open, sanctioned duels were allowed, I’d definitely make that little wretch taste real pain!
...Wait. Open, sanctioned duel?
After a brief moment of thought, a cold smile curled at the corner of my lips.
I had just thought of the perfect idea.
Heh. Go ahead, Teresa. Enjoy your little victory while it lasts. You won’t be smiling much longer.
***
“Um, Irene... about, uh, the desk…” After class, Teresa left first, as instructed by Carlis. As more and more classmates filed out without a care, one of my lackeys hesitantly tried to speak up.
“Wait.” My expression suddenly turned relaxed and nonchalant.
“Huh?” They were confused by my sudden change in attitude but didn’t dare ask further.
I stayed in the classroom with a few of my followers. Once the last student—other than us—left, I stood up leisurely.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where...?”
“Isn’t it obvious? To help clean up Teresa’s desk and chair.” I smiled. “What, didn’t you listen to the teacher’s instructions in class?”
“Uh, well...” That completely baffled them.
They knew me well. For someone like me, who was always flaunting my noble bloodline and family pride, to willingly clean up after a Wild Divine Princess?
“Irene, aren’t you... just letting this go?” one of the girls asked, her lips pursed in confusion.
“Let it go? What’s there to be bitter about? The teacher gave an order, so we clean. Nothing more to it.” I said it like it was nothing, then turned to one of my lackeys.
“Conor, if I remember right, you’re the one who scribbled on Teresa’s desk that day, aren’t you?”
“Uh, yeah... I did.” The male Divine Prince (God help us, he was barely worthy of the title) looked uneasy, sensing something ominous.
“Then it’s your job to clean it. And remember the teacher’s warning—not a speck of paint left behind. Or else... well, I might not be able to help you anymore.”
“...Got it.”
(Even though it was your idea in the first place...) Conor silently fumed but dared not say a word. He just grabbed a rag and started wiping the desk clean.
“Irene, that ungrateful Wild Divine Princess just embarrassed you publicly. You’re seriously going to let her get away with that?” another girl asked, biting her lip.
“What else can I do?” I smiled. “The teacher’s involved now. If we pull any more stunts like that, someone will get expelled. Believe it or not.”
The word “expelled” shut her up immediately.
She was just from a minor noble house. If she got expelled, her father would kill her.
“All right, let’s finish up quickly and head back.” I sounded perfectly at ease.
My followers exchanged glances.
They knew me too well. I was not someone who forgave and forgot. If I looked this relaxed, there was only one explanation:
I had come up with something better.
***
“...That’s the gist of it.” The female counselor, dressed in a sharp, capable outfit, stood with arms crossed, addressing the class.
“When you first enrolled, aside from your entry test results, we didn’t really know your actual abilities or potential.”
“Cold, static numbers can’t capture everything. Improvisational skill, combat experience, weapon proficiency, psychological composure—these are far more important than raw stats. And these dynamic traits can’t be measured with a simple test. There’s only one way to assess them.”
“Combat.”
“With ten days left before the Freshman Crown Tournament, we’ll be holding a real combat test for all first-year Divine Princesses. Every student will participate. Based on your performance, we’ll complete your personal combat profiles and dynamic records.”
The announcement instantly stirred excitement. First-year Divine Princesses lit up with fire in their eyes, practically itching to fight.
Finally, The moment they’d all been waiting for.
Who didn’t want to shine in front of all the teachers and freshmen? Who wouldn’t want to be the star of their year and become the most sought-after figure on campus?
The male Divine Princesses were especially fired up.
They knew their moment had come.
Put simply, how does one gain top-tier mate selection privileges on campus? It’s easy—break into the top three on the combat rankings. Get your name spread all over campus and among the first-year students. Who wouldn’t come flocking then?
Although this test wasn’t the official combat ranking, it was the first step toward the Coleman Duel Rankings. If they did well, they’d attract female Divine Children and Divine Princesses for both partnerships and romantic interest. They’d gain the spotlight, and instructors would take notice, marking them as “promising talents.”
And if they made a name for themselves at the Freshman Crown Tournament... then they’d become legendary in one battle. All of Coleman Academy—and maybe even half the continent—would know their names. The prestige of winning that tournament was immense.
After that? They’d be campus celebrities. Princes might recruit them. Entire nations might send princesses to court them...
And on a deeper level, a hunger for battle and competition was part of what made a Divine Princess, just like a Divine Child’s thirst for knowledge.
Especially this batch of fearless first-years. Young, cocky, and convinced they could take on even second- or third-year students. No way they’d miss a chance to show off.
“Heh...” I rested my chin in one hand, legs crossed in my over-knee stockings, and stared coldly at Teresa in the front row, watching her every move.
Divine Princesses could sense each other’s Domains. And clearly, I could hardly sense anything from Teresa—not even whether her Domain existed.
That only meant one of two things: Either her Domain was extraordinarily rare and special...
Or she hadn’t awakened a Domain at all.
And a Divine Princess without a Domain? Wasn’t a Divine Princess at all.
Either way, I couldn’t wait to see Teresa humiliated during the real-combat trial. It would be so satisfying.
Ugly little duckling—let me teach you the difference between the noble and the wild.