There's still a month before I can really starts my operation of joining the tournament and being recognized there as "THE MYSTERIOUS MAN IN BLACK". Hahahaha! After Lucille's high kick over my abdomen, there's nothing major happening in my daily life.
Today, the school exam result will be announced in the scoreboard. I'm not like any protagonist type character that'll show my true strength in public and announce the world who I am, so I keep it in moderation and, I placed like, 300th place. Not too high, not to low either. It's so-so. That's how a perfect mobs character scores are supposed to be.
Then I took a look at third years student scoreboard. There's no surprise, my sister get the 1st place. If she's not that same mad person that pampers and deluded by her own imagination of 'Cute Little Raye', then she's basically a being close to perfection. A beautiful girl, slim body with enough muscles in each respective area, jet black hair which's run down from our family and a pale blue sea eyes. Moreover, she's smart and has learnt powerful sword arts.
Who doesn't want to get along with her. Compare her with me, and you see heaven and earth. In just 1 or 2 years later it's not a surprise if I see her becoming a major figure in this world. You can say that she befitting of becoming a main heroines of some sort of light novel. Yes, she truly had it. If she didn't keep on rampaging and destroying anything that has something to do with me…
That's it...
But somehow she's now friend with Lucille's sister, Jeanne Sanctia. A senpai for me, with three years difference. She's in 4th years of this academy.
And as anyone can guess, she's ranked 1st in 4th years as well. It's a surprise that Lucille didn't take the 1st place but 3rd place. 1st place is Charlotte Niel (シャーロット・ニエル), a prodigy from Niella Kingdom (ニエラ 王国). While 2nd place is Steve Haven (スチフ・ハヴェン), from some sort of viscount family of the past Ariad Kingdom. They're sparkling with that 'Main Character' aura.
I'll have to make sure to have them remember that I'm no more than a mere mobs. But it's hard to perform well when someone like my sister and Jeanne Sanctia, with Lucille, sitting next to me in the cafeteria. Rena-nee is blabbering to Jeanne about my childhood again, while Jeanne listens with a gentle smile in her face. Lucille seems annoyed that she had to listen to all of that and is glaring at me with dark face.
"Good for you, huh? What a sister you have."
"More like, it's annoying."
"Hah! I bet you actually wanted to be pampered by her, don't you? Didn't know you have that kind of complex."
"You mean my sister, don't you?"
No matter who looks at us, it's crystal clear that my sister is the one that's been bothering me with her beginning and ending each of her sentence with "My cute little Raye".
"Yeah, I can see that. 'My cute little Raye'…"
Ughh. I hate her so much. It's fine. It's fine… All this useless things are good for once in a while. There's times when a mobs had to interacts with mc-like people after all.
So I'll just take this as one.
"And, and, you know? Even if he's really weak in sword arts, my sword arts are actually an improvisation from his arts! Every time we train with sword, I always learn something new and improved my arts. It's weird, right?"
"Is that so? Seems like your little brother do understands sword arts a bit, huh?"
"No, he didn't. That one time he met me in the library is to borrow some book about zweihander sword arts. With his physique, he's impossible to use that arts."
"Huh? But Raye didn't use zweihander, though?"
"E-ehh? I… I just got a bit interested in it, that's all."
"It's better for you to focus on one arts, Raye-kun. Some people learns many arts and becoming astray because of it."
"Thank you for your guidance, Jeanne-sama."
"It seems to me that you reacts differently toward my sister and me, Raye."
"It's because she deserves it."
"You!"
We are chitchatting for quite a long time there, and it took me awhile to realize that the gaze everyone giving to me is filled with killing intents.
Wow? When did I become source of jealousy? I mean, I'm just a mob doing some events that mc is having, and no more than that. I realized that it'll be dangerous if I keep this up, so I quickly finished my food and goes back to class. Along the way, whispers like 'it's that guy' or 'I'm going to kill him' and such is heard together with sharp gaze of eyes all over the hallway.
This isn't good. I'll need to reestablish my position here as a mob character. Just as I'm planning them in deep thought, someone comes at me and rudely speak in high notes.
"Hey! You're the guy that's been following Lucille-sama and Jeanne-sama, isn't it? Know your place, would you?!"
This guy… He's totally a genetic mob character!!!
How did he do that! Those word! Those presence! Those face! He's super fitting of being an evil mob character!!
We're both mob, so why did he looks for me? Just as I am about to response, the tutor came inside the classroom and that guy with his mob friends all scattered like birds in some love story background. What a fitting scene to use as 'extras'!!
He's a natural born mobs. I'll have to learn from him!
After that, not much happened and the classes ended with no issues. Even the afternoon classes ended without anything happened… See? What a masterclass mob performances he just put on show right now. When I took a glance at him, his face seems to get swelled and he's in pain. I don't know what happen to him, so I just smiled when he look at me, in which he respond it with his entire body shivering while screaming in high note.
"HIIIII!"
He ran away as fast as he could when the last classes ended... What's happening?
*****
This is a story far from what's happening in the present where Raye is immersed in his play of mob character.
It's about 5 years ago. He's just 10 at the time. He spend all his time training with her sister, losing in every single one of that training match with her.
At night, he would secretly go outside and train by himself. He never knew, but his sister is actually stalking him when he's training alone. From the look, his sister understands that her little brother is actually strong enough to defeat even their father and mother 1 on 2. He's always going easy on her when they train, which made her being called a genius since then. Never did anyone knows that she actually able to use the sword arts that run in the family, as well as improving them to be more effective, is all because she's stalking at her little brother each night pass after another. There's also times when his little brother used magic in his training. Those time are most precious for her. Because she can see that rare black mana that has been compressed to such degrees that the density of that mana is almost physically touchable. Such a high level compression skills.
Seeing that it was possible even for her little brother, she also secretly learning to compress her mana, to make it more effective when the magic is casted.
From what normal people sees, she's totally a natural gifted genius. Because of how she used magic differently from anyone. But for her, it's all actually because of her little brother, Raye. And even in her level, which's like heaven and hell compared to the level that Raye has reach, she's already recognized as a prodigy.
She knew that that cute little Raye is a genius. More than any that she could found. But there's a reason why she kept silent about it. It's because, for her, this is the precious memories that she spends alone with Raye. Even though it's means that everyone will look down at him. She doesn't care. All she wanted is to have all this stalking activities to continue and for her alone to see. A serious face that her little brother never showed in public. Yes. What a beautiful scene this is.
She then realized that, if someone forced him to actually used his real skills, then everyone will know about him. This little secret of him. And she will be unable to see him at night like this anymore.
So she put on a determination to grow strong, strong enough that she can take care of everything for him. To let him have his little play of being a normal kid in public.
Yes. She must succeed! In order to have this little secret together for his or her to spent together, in the night…
*****
It's a week before my "THE MYSTERIOUS MAN IN BLACK" events to take place in the coliseum. I've finished my registration and accepted as one of the contestants in the tournament.
"Huh? My eyes must be deceiving me right now."
So suddenly, that voice came to my ears. It's Lucille. She's also holding on a paper of acceptance from the tournament.
"I wonder who's judging you when you took the examination to join the tournament, but to think that's that judge let you pass it…"
"Didn't you also pass?"
"It's a given. It's me after all."
"Yeah. Its you, huh… I heard your sister also joins in the tournament."
"Yes. It's almost time."
She said it with a serious face. Like, she's been waiting for the tournament to starts. I guess someone like her, who always shadowed by the figures like her sister, also has something she wanted to achieve.
"I don't know what happens, but don't force yourself. And good luck in achieving what you wanted to."
She's dumbfounded by what I said. To be honest, I'm dumbfounded to what I said too… Its not very mob like, more like, it's a sentence that only those protags male characters will use. Why did I said that, I think.
"It's really rare for someone like you, who's being a real annoying guy, to say those. Anyway, see you."
"Well… You're welcome."
We parted away to different side. I seems to heard something like "Thank you" from her but considering her rude and always looking down on anyone weaker than her, as her main personality, I must be imagining it.
*****
Lucille is not a gifted genius like her sister. So she has trained herself by learning and combining a lot of sword arts to match her sister. She has a lot of worries. And painful past.
But no one cares for her before. No one could understand her. Even when she's receiving the acceptance form from the committee of tournament, people looking at her pitifully. Their eyes clearly reflected what they're thinking about.
Look at her. Trying to join the tournament just to show people that she's also a Sanctia.
She's just trying to prove herself, isn't it? It's useless though.
She's going to lose against her sister, again… How pitiful…
Such is what they're reflecting at. She's already fed up with those kind of expression since her early stage of learning sword arts. So she never heed those.
Even so, it still hurts a bit to see that no one here came to say some words like, "Congratulations" or "Good luck" and such… How sad. How pitiful. As she walked out of the registration hall, she met a face that she's familiar with. A boy of same age as her, who's surely weaker than her in sword arts as well. She's dumbfounded at what he's holding in his hand. Is it an acceptance letter like the one she has? Even though he can't even win against me? In what sense did he even think of joining the tournament?
Then she remembered something. His sister. He's also shadowed by her sister presence? Even if his sister is not well-known yet in this empire, but Rena Daschnel is really powerful. She's even able to put a good fight against Jeanne Sanctia, Lucille's sister, whose also seen as the strongest swordswoman at the academy right now. Without her knowing why, she speak up to him.
"Huh? My eyes must be deceiving me right now."
The boy twitch a bit, then turn around to look at her. It's Raye.
"I wonder who's judging you when you took the examination to join the tournament, but to think that's that judge let you pass it…"
"Didn't you also pass?"
"It's a given. It's me after all."
"Yeah. Its you, huh… I heard your sister also joins in the tournament."
He's also the same, that's what Lucille's think of him. He's also the same with other people, always mentioning her sister Jeanne whenever they met. She hate it. Really hate it. So, she put on a serious face, and a little dark aura showing up from her.
"Yes. It's almost time."
Yes. She's been patient up until now. Now, it's time to show everyone that her efforts isn't in vain. She'll beat her sister. And claim the thrones as the strongest in this empire.
"I don't know what happens, but don't force yourself. And good luck in achieving what you wanted to."
She's shocked by that last line from Raye. Did he just said, "good luck"? Being told that for the first time, she felt something snapped inside her heart. And suddenly, she could breath easily.
"It's really rare for someone like you, who's being a real annoying guy, to say those. Anyway, see you."
"Well… You're welcome."
She quickly turn herself from Raye to hide her red cheek. In small voice, she uttered, "Thank you."
For her, that "good luck" is something that hold a deep importance for her. Not because she wanted someone to cheer her. Not because she's worried about when she had to fight against her sister. It's because that "good luck" he just said didn't hold any meaning but just, a charm. She never knew that having someone concerned about her could make her feel this good and comfortable. Without him knowing it, it seems like she's fallen a bit for that attitude of him.
To be continued…