Chapter 429: Preliminary Rounds Part 4

The principal let out a deep sigh and asked,

“Do you really have to do this?”

“How many times are you going to ask? Yes, I really have to.”

The Sword Queen’s answer remained the same.

What she was about to do now was enter the preliminary rounds.

Her plan was to secretly blend in among the students and participate in a match.

To avoid standing out, she had even changed her appearance.

Normally, she looked like a youthful child, but now she had grown noticeably taller and was properly dressed in the official Dragon Slayer Academy uniform.

If she claimed, “I’m a student here, you know?” at least nine out of ten would probably believe her.

Of course, just changing her appearance wasn’t enough to enter the preliminaries.

She didn’t officially exist in the records to begin with.

That’s why she had pestered the principal and, in the end, got her way.

From the principal’s perspective, he had no choice but to comply with the request (or more like threat) of a senior who far outranked him, but that didn’t mean he liked the situation.

Perhaps sensing his displeasure, the Sword Queen tried to console him.

“Don’t be so uptight. It’s just for fun, right? It won’t even affect the preliminaries.”

Even in a Fixed Zone, no student could possibly defeat the Sword Queen.

The moment a match was set, the outcome was essentially decided.

Everyone understood this, so these secret matches were considered special events.

They were adjusted so they wouldn’t affect the student’s official record.

If by some miracle a student actually won, then it would count as a win. But otherwise, it wouldn’t matter.

Also, to prevent spectators from recognizing the Sword Queen, all her matches would be held in private.

Still, the principal remained visibly uncomfortable.

“It’s not about the win-loss record. What I’m worried about is crushing the kids’ spirits. What’s so fun about stomping on budding talent?”

“What are you talking about? That’s the most fun part—”

The Sword Queen tilted her head in confusion, and the principal realized there was no reasoning with her. He just shook his head in defeat.

“Good grief, this senile old lady…”

In that moment, her eyes narrowed sharply.

“You just thought ‘senile old lady’, didn’t you?”

“No.”

The principal feigned innocence, and the Sword Queen squinted at him for a while before snorting lightly.

“Well, whatever. I’m off.”

“Have fun.”

With a light wave of her hand, she blended in among the students lining up for the preliminaries.

As for the principal, he couldn’t help but worry.

Is this really okay…?

Had he made the right decision?

Should he have held firm against pressure?

Or was he just taking a silly event too seriously?

Either way, the water wasn’t just spilled; it had already soaked into the floor.

All he could do now was wait in silence.

And so, time passed…

The Sword Queen who had disappeared into the crowd reappeared, slowly trudging her way back toward the principal.

The principal checked the time and looked puzzled.

“Why are you back so soon? You’ve only had one match, haven’t you?”

“It wasn’t as fun as I thought.”

She replied in a bored tone.

The enthusiasm she had shown earlier was completely gone.

Without another word, she continued walking and passed the principal.

“Where are you going?”

“The dorms. The mood’s ruined, so I’m just going to rest.”

“Ah, yes. Rest well, then.”

The principal gave a polite bow.

However, he couldn’t take his eyes off her as she walked away, tilting his head in confusion.

How can her mood swing that fast? Seriously… that old lady’s whims are something else…

Meanwhile, though the Sword Queen didn’t show it on the surface, she was deeply shaken.

She still couldn’t believe what had just happened.

I… lost?

***

Did I wake up cursed or something today?

What was with this matchup luck?

First match: Namgong Chang-cheon.

Second match: Oh Se-hoon.

Now the third match had also been against someone with terrifying skill.

She didn’t have a necktie pin on, so it was unclear whether she was a second or third year student. But since it was an unfamiliar face, she was definitely a senior.

Having already received one loss from forfeiting, I had no choice but to participate. And after a hard-fought battle, I finally managed to win.

The difficulty? It felt even harder than Namgong-senior.

If this hadn’t been a Fixed Zone, I definitely would’ve lost.

She felt really similar to Han So-mi…

Their swordsmanship, movement technique, skill usage, and overall combat style….so many things overlapped.

Did that woman have a sister or something?

I’d have to ask her next time we meet.

Now I’ve got to queue for the next match.

For once, I felt worried.

What if I got matched with another club president?

It sounded improbable, but I’d already drawn three back-to-back monsters….so a fourth didn’t seem impossible.

Not sure I’ll be able to complete all the side quests at this rate.

To achieve the maximum reward, I had to make it to the main tournament.

But if I kept encountering elite opponents and exposing all my cards, even winning now might mean losing out in the long run.

Maybe I’d have to consider bowing out early.

While lost in thought, the queue advanced, and my turn came up again.

The moment I stepped into the circular arena, I checked the scoreboard and instantly grinned in delight.

Byeong-cheol, I’ve got this in the bag.

[Kim Ho vs Son Hyeong-taek]

After suffering streaks of bad luck, I was finally matched with a first-year student.

Even better, it was Son Hyeong-taek. Someone who frequently served as a training dummy.

Feeling much better, I waved brightly at my opponent on the other side.

“Hey, Hyeong-taek! Long time no see!”

“Shut up.”

Son Hyeong-taek’s face twisted in an instant.

***

Hong Yeom-baek had stepped out for a bit, then returned to the spectator stands.

Both arms were piled high with all sorts of snacks.

Since there were no reserved seats, he searched for an open spot and after spotting a familiar face, hr shouted loudly.

“Well, well!! If it isn’t the Topaz Tower Master!”

The crowd’s eyes all turned toward Hong Yeom-baek.

Among them, of course, was the Topaz Tower Master himself, Song Cheon-ho.

He too had received an invitation and had come to Dungeon Island to watch the Song siblings’ matches.

The moment Song Cheon-ho saw Hong Yeom-baek, his expression mixed fatigue with irritation.

“As noisy as ever, I see.”

“And you’re still stiff as a board!”

The two had been rivals since their school days, clashing countless times.

After fighting so often, they’d grown a sort of grudging bond. It was still close to friendship in the end.

Hong Yeom-baek jerked his chin toward the seat beside Song Cheon-ho.

“That one’s free, right?”

“This seat is—”

“Free, I see! I’ll just sit for a bit!”

And without waiting, he plopped down and began devouring the mountain of snacks he’d brought.

Then, noticing Song Cheon-ho’s uneasy glare, he gave an awkward grin.

“Guess I wasn’t being considerate. Popcorn?”

“No.”

“Hot dog? Dried squid?”

“I said no.”

Shrugging at the repeated refusals, Hong Yeom-baek turned his gaze back toward the stage.

“Which groups are Cheon-gi and Cheon-hye in?”

“Groups 3 and 4.”

“Oh, so with my kids. Might end up facing each other?”

“That’s what I’d like to see.”

The two fathers exchanged looks brimming with competitiveness.

If Song Cheon-gi went up against Hong Ye-hwa, the odds were clearly in Cheon-gi’s favor.

On the other hand, Song Cheon-hye and Hong Yeon-hwa had never officially fought since entering Dragon Slayer Academy.

This tournament might finally settle everyone’s curiosity.

But the Group 3 and 4 preliminaries wouldn’t take place until tomorrow.

With a grin, Hong Yeom-baek said,

“For now, let’s talk about Group 2. Who do you think will make it to the main rounds?”

“I hear the Namgong heir’s skill is outstanding. Supposedly already on par with the third-years.”

“I’ve heard the same.”

Right at that moment, Namgong Chang-cheon was in the middle of a match.

His opponent was Mok Jong-hwa, the Emerald Tower’s vice-president.

Two massive tree golems launched a joint attack, while various shapes sculpted from earth rained down like a storm.

Even so, Namgong Chang-cheon easily broke through the barrage and completely overwhelmed Mok Jong-hwa.

Then, Song Cheon-ho motioned toward one side of the stage with a glance.

There, Oh Se-hoon was skillfully controlling several glowing hammers.

“They say the Disciplinary Committee president isn’t someone to take lightly, according to Cheon-gi.”

“Apparently, if he puts his mind to it, he could win the whole thing.”

“Yeah, if he actually wanted to.”

Word was, he had no intention of making it to the finals. That effectively took him out of the running as a top contender.

The two fathers went on to mention a few more skilled competitors.

Then, with a sly grin, Hong Yeom-baek broke the rhythm.

“Actually, there’s one more kid I’ve been keeping an eye on.”

“Same here.”

Almost in sync, they turned their eyes to one side of the stage.

To Kim Ho, who was toying with his opponent using wind magic.

Their eyes met at the same time.

“…You too?”

“…Well, what are the odds.”

They fell silent for a moment and just quietly watched Kim Ho.

Then Song Cheon-ho spoke.

“His casting and control are excellent.”

“Right? He’s definitely good enough for the main rounds.”

Hong Yeom-baek readily agreed.

From the first time they met, he’d sensed something unusual about the boy. His actual skill surpassed even that impression.

But his thoughts soon started drifting in a different direction.

Doesn’t seem to have any rough edges, either… That’s a pass, so far.

It was obvious that Hong Yeon-hwa had taken a liking to Kim Ho.

She’d started acting modest and unusually gentle around him. This was something she’d never done in front of her father before.

From that moment on, Hong Yeom-baek quietly adjusted his goal for this trip to Dungeon Island.

Originally, he had planned to just watch the tournament comfortably, cheering for his daughters from the sidelines.

But now, he felt the need to determine whether Kim Ho was someone he could truly trust to take care of Hong Yeon-hwa.

He was the Master of one of the Magic Towers.

While his magical skill was undeniable, his political instincts were just as sharp.

Though he might seem reckless on the surface, every action was calculated and designed to unnerve his opponents psychologically.

Likewise, during their first encounter, he had occasionally thrown in probing remarks, watching Kim Ho’s reactions closely.

The boy’s responses were smoother and more composed than expected, so he hadn’t managed to learn much. But for now, it was enough to earn a passing grade.

The only problem is…

Hong Yeom-baek’s gaze shifted briefly to another part of the stage.

Seo Ye-in was unloading a barrage of mana bullets at her opponent.

Though she hadn’t been mentioned, her successive wins since the start of Group 2’s preliminary rounds made it almost certain she’d advance to the main rounds.

He had already exchanged greetings with Team Leader Ahn Jeong-mi and learned about Seo Ye-in’s background.

Hye-seong Group, huh…

In many ways, she looked to be a formidable rival for his daughter.