Chapter 239

Here’s your translation with a comedic anime style:

Finally, I couldn’t pull my feet out of this beach anymore.

Even though I didn’t think I would lose the bet with Arshien…

If you don’t want to be suspected as a couple, you have to keep up the act of being lovers.

“Wait, isn’t Harinie not wearing a swimsuit?”

Crossing her arms and beckoning me to the beach, she was still wearing a one-piece unlike the others.

While I followed her blankly…

A cheer erupted from Harinie who had taken off her shoes and dipped her feet into the sea.

“Wow, so refreshing.”

“Harinie, is this your first time at the beach?”

“No way! I’ve been here quite often!”

Harinie flinched and gave a very predictable reaction.

“Yeah, right. Never been here. Not once.”

Really, she’s such an easy person to read.

Surprisingly, it seems obvious when you think about it.

Every time she’s been tied up with the merchant guild, thinking only about leaving the house, she probably hasn’t been to places like this.

…I might have been the same if I didn’t remember before possession.

Anyway.

I thought about letting it slide, but…

Should I play a prank?

“As expected, there’s no way you’ve never been to the beach before, right?”

“Hmph. Of course! What do you take me for…!”

“Right, right. We won’t just dip our feet and leave like rookies.”

“…”

“People who truly love the sea go inside to play, like those people over there.”

Harinie paused, blinked, and then seemed to realize something as she untangled my arm and walked towards deeper water.

“Who said I’d just dip my feet? Humph, I love the sea too!”

Geez, she’s so cute I could die.

But I should stop teasing her now.

“Let’s head back.”

“What?!”

I gently lifted the woman entering the sea.

“What are you doing? I’m going into the sea…”

“There’s a small game happening over there. It looks more fun.”

“…Huh?”

When Harinie turned her head,

“What did they say? They said the winner gets a prize, right? I want to join in.”

“…Fine, then put me down.”

Then Harinie pouted and turned away.

“Fine, if you want to join that game… we’ll have to postpone swimming.”

“Mm, thanks.”

“Ah, let’s hurry.”

She crossed her arms again and urged me to walk that way. It felt more like she was urging me rather than inviting me…

“Alright! Let’s not go into the water yet, but let’s check that out together!”

I found myself recalling her again.

“Ten left!”

“Oh, looks like it’s first come, first served! Carsein, hurry up!”

“Yes, let’s go quickly.”

Just like Ji-eun, Harinie also seemed scared of getting into the water. Maybe I should teach her how to swim later.

– Emergency mission can be executed.

– Will you proceed with the mission?

“This is something I wouldn’t normally touch.”

But since I can’t go back now,

Why not give it a try?

– The emergency mission has begun.

– Try to get the highest score possible.

It’s just an excuse anyway.

“Alright, there are quite a few people here. Shall we have a match?”

…Huh? A match?

– Whoosh!

Arshien threw a ball into the air.

“They were having fun throwing water at each other and playing catch. But what caught my eye was that you all seem to enjoy dodgeball. So I prepared this.”

The princess smiled and activated a magical tool.

– Flutter.

“…”

– Splash!

“Isn’t this supposed to be fatal if you get hit?!”

“A melon falling from the sky?!”

“Haha, don’t worry. That’s all an illusion.”

“Huh? An illusion…?”

Arshien explained to the confused nobles with a smirk.

“The rules are simple. Various objects will fly at you, and you must avoid them. If you suffer significant damage or become unable to move, you’ll automatically be ejected from the web. Easy, right?”

…Of course it’s not easy. You guys are crazy. Huh?

– Boom!

“Mom!”

“Aaaah!”

This isn’t just dodgeball!

“Your score will be determined by how long you last. We’ll run several rounds, so enjoy it. Oh, and here’s a tip: you can push objects away with your hands or kick them.”

– Thud!

“How am I supposed to push or kick these things?!”

“Run faster! Aaaah!”

– Emergency Mission I: Avoid Obstacles has started.

– Try to last as long as possible to earn points.

***

“Aaaah!”

“Ugh!”

Objects began flying around in the field in front of me.

Those who were eagerly looking forward to this just a moment ago focused on dodging them.

“Try harder to avoid them. Hahaha!”

Man, you’re wicked.

While everyone else is busy dodging, you’re just fanning yourself and enjoying it.

‘…Maybe I should just quit and get disqualified.’

That thought crossed my mind.

“Uh, uh! Don’t push me!”

This side too.

“Aaaah! Why only me, why meee!”

That side too.

“Aaaah!”

It was everywhere.

I could feel a faint trace of mana in the nobles.

No, it’s actually in their clothes.

Swimsuits have waterproof magic, but the royal family needed a check due to recent incidents.

That’s why I had to get my swimsuit checked too.

I felt weird from that point.

Even though the swimsuit had waterproof magic, it felt strange, like there was something extra.

Probably mixed in during the royal inspection process.

But why?

“Why did they put in meaningless mana like this?”

Actually, there’s nothing dangerous in it.

There’s no magic to tamper or interfere.

With such a simple game, affecting it would require an impossible amount of mana.

Why would someone do something useless like this?

‘…Should I widen my senses with mana?’

– Expanding senses with mana!

Sight is the most meaningful sense to expand here.

Closing and opening my eyes, I focused my mana delicately on my eyes.

– Vision expanded.

I could see the true nature of the magical objects falling from the sky.

Great, this should work.

I started carefully observing the people around me with my changed vision.

And…

I understood why they did this.

“Heh.”

“Carsein? Why all of a sudden…?”

Checking on Harinie with a hint of hope,

“Lucky you, we’re the same color.”

“Huh?”

I somehow thought they would suddenly start this game.

Each artificial mana has a color.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

‘Well, maybe that makes sense.’

Usually, teams are formed this way.

It’s not just obstacle avoidance.

It’s not just a game of endurance.

The essence of this game is…

Focusing on teamwork.

“Aaaah!”

A splash sounded as a woman fell.

She was knocked out by a doll and immediately ejected after being disqualified.

But…

If these objects are flying around…

– Smirk.

“It’s your turn next, Carsein? Hehe.”

They noticed on the other side too.

There’s no choice.

“Harinie, use your mana to grab and throw these objects.”

“Huh? What’s this…?”

“This isn’t just obstacle avoidance. This is magical dodgeball.”

“Magical… dodgeball?”

“It’s hard to explain. Men can only block, while women can pick up and throw. Want to give it a try?”

– Sneaky.

“Um… seems possible.”

“Yes, quickly throw them to knock out those guys.”

We need to win this.

***

From both sides noticing, all kinds of objects started flying between teams.

The red line restricts escape space.

Items hidden here and there can be used to hinder opponents.

Now it’s really turned into a dodgeball battlefield.

Except that eliminated players can’t attack from the opposite side, it’s exactly split in half with both sides throwing objects at each other.

However, we have fewer numbers.

We noticed later than the opposing team and lost many female allies, so we had less offensive power.

“…This is going to be tough.”

There’s a limit to blocking objects.

Even if we can prevent elimination, we have to use mana to block.

Since we need to block with a meticulous method, men will eventually exhaust their mana and be eliminated.

Without men to form barriers, women will use mana for defense, making us significantly disadvantaged against them.

…Actually, the disparity might be even greater.

“Yap!”

“Gak!”

Oh, damn.

That pink-haired lunatic is massacring our team from the other side.

Second, Claire is completely destroying balance.

That crazy girl has too much mana, leaving no one as an opponent.

But that’s not all.

“Suck!”

“Aaaah!”

There’s one more.

Another crazy girl with a red ponytail adding spin to the ball.

Damn. Even one is enough to disrupt balance, but having two from the Bargrand family here means what?

“Heh. Nothing special. Only four left?”

“God. Did we make a mistake in team formation… How did these two end up here?”

He looked hopelessly at the other side and immediately surrendered, leaving the field.

“Ye, Young Lady? Wait! If you go like that, what will happen to me… hic!”

During that time, a magical dodgeball flew toward her.

She couldn’t react to the ball coming through the strong wind and closed her eyes tightly.

Tsk. There’s no choice.

-Pang!

With a loud sound, a heavy mana grip landed in my hand.

Ugh, damn it. Claire, you crazy girl. You throw so hard.

I caught the ball and glanced behind me, nodding slightly.

“Let’s go. Before we get hit properly and get disqualified.”

“Th, thank you…”

The woman, who had been staring at me in confusion for a while, hurriedly stood up and left the field.

Phew. Now it’s just me and Harinie left.

Two of us. On the other hand, the opposing team still has plenty of members.

Honestly, there’s no chance. It’s better to surrender.

But when I turned to suggest surrendering to Harinie,

“…Hmm.”

She seemed angry.

As usual, I swallowed my saliva and asked,

“Why, why are you like this?”

“She seems really happy that you saved her. She’s just staring at you outside the field.”

“Uh… Is that so?”

…Isn’t that obvious?

No, this isn’t the time for this.

If I hesitate any longer, I’ll get hit by Claire and Arina.

“Harinie, let’s just surrender. We can’t win this.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“I don’t want to.”

“…What?”

“I just want to give it everything until the end.”

Why?

Why would someone do this when they know they’ll lose?

“Block everything. I won’t let them hit me.”

She answered and threw objects back with mana, countering.

…It’s obviously impossible for me to block both of them alone.

The fear of all kinds of objects flying at me is a little scary.

But…

The scariest thing right now is…

Harinie is smiling again like she did back then.

…Did I do something wrong again?