Chapter 56
There was a time to recover stamina before the final game began.
"Thank you for this food!"
The trainees ate the chicken, which was obviously PPL, deliciously.
The blue team trainees who couldn't eat the patbingsu rushed in like wolves, and they quickly left only bones.
After lunch, filming took place outdoors as planned.
"We're about to start shooting outdoors! Everyone, please come outside! "
The trainees, who always went back and forth between the dorm, practice room, and set, let out a gasp of excitement when they set foot on the lawn.
"Wow, the air is nice."
"It feels like it's been a long time since I've stepped on grass! "
"But what are we going to do on such a wide lawn... ?"
There was nothing installed on the wide lawn.
All we see is Choi Sia waiting for us in the center, and a white box stands next to her.
"Everyone, please line up and come this way! "
Inside the white box were balls numbered 1 to 5.
I sat down with the trainees, who had drawn the same number as me in order of line.
"What on earth are we going to do? "
"Well...?"
"I have a feeling that whatever it is, it's going to be a lot of fun!"
Among the trainees who were in the same group as me, the faces I recognized were Song Hyeong-bin, Oh Tae-young, and Yoo Min-ha.
Yoo Min-ha couldn't sit still and was wiggling his butt.
On the other hand, I, who already knew what game was coming out, was maintaining a displeased expression.
"Karis nim, what do you think will come out? "
"No matter what, I'll have to put in some effort. I've been doing those kinds of things all day."
"Then isn't it advantageous for Karis nim? Our team will win again! "
Yes, it is a sport that requires strength.
But there was a reason I was making that face.
"Did you all sit with your teammates, who all picked the same number? "
"Yes!"
"Then, please select one representative within one minute! "
"Yes?"
Everyone looked bewildered at the sudden instruction to elect a representative.
I wanted to sit as still as possible, but the Crown Prince's bloated ego immediately reacted to the gazes that gathered one by one.
"Is it Karis after all? "
"He did a great job today."
"We should also send out the final boss since the order may be determined by the pre-game."
"Go and sweep everything away, Karis nim!"
"Haha."
Please, I don't want to look so confident and arrogant.
"There is no better representative than this body. I will return soon with news of victory."
"That's cool, Karis!"
I hate my teammates even more for applauding such uselessly pompous comments.
'Is it because I already know what kind of future will unfold? Rather, I don't care.'
Many of the representatives who were pushed out were familiar faces.
"Oh, I don't want to fight Karis."
"Are you backing down before you even hear the name of the game?"
"I was just thinking about riding the bus quietly behind you."
Kang Si-yoon had a gloomy expression and a pouting mouth.
"It feels like the second round came too quickly?"
"The tug-of-war was quite disappointing; I wonder how it will be this time."
"I'm the oldest here, so please go easy on me. Haha."
Chae Eun-gyu scratches his head and laughs.
And.
"...."
Even Ji Yoon-cheol is looking at me with soulless eyes.
It feels like they've sent out all the famous people as representatives.
"Now, I'm sure you're all curious as to why you were asked to elect a representative?"
"Yes!"
"Unfortunately, I will reveal the reason in a little while! First, the representatives, please come this way!"
Following the staff's instructions, we moved to a place where a makeshift tent was pitched.
The moment I saw the props spread out on the table,.
"Ah."
"Wow."
"Is it ruined?"
Desperate sighs filled the air.
A wig in a variety of colors.
A tiara studded with sparkling jewels.
Fairy wings are suitable for magical girls to wear.
There's even a magic wand with flashy effects.
A variety of tools for princess makeup greeted us.
"The final game is to protect the princess. Each of you who are selected as representatives will become the princess of your group."
"Please, can we just go normally? Okay?"
The assistant director who had been giving us the notice didn't even listen to Kang Si-yoon's earnest words.
"Please come out dressed up as a princess of your choice for 10 minutes."
"Really? Do I really have to put on makeup?"
"...Can I give up my representative position?"
Ji Yoon-cheol, who had maintained a blank expression, was also considerably shaken.
Meanwhile, Chae Eun-gyu smiled as if he had already given up.
"Let's just make up for what's already happened and move on."
"There's no way this kind of dark history can happen, hyung!"
"Haha, but it's okay since we all get along together."
Everyone quickly chose their items and finished their makeup.
When we transformed into princesses and went outside together, arm in arm, we received a huge response.
"You're crazy, you're crazy!"
"No, why are you so serious about putting on makeup!"
"Why did you use wings and a magic wand!"
"Kids, you are so pretty!"
Kang Si-yoon, standing next to me, blushed.
It seems that the guy who just lets most things go is very vulnerable to this kind of makeup.
"Then let's start the final game, protecting the princess! The rules are simple. You become a knight who protects the princess of each country. The moment the wig worn by the princess falls, everyone in that country is eliminated! The princess can run away until the end or fight with the knights. The country that survives until the end wins."
Choi Sia blew the whistle with a brief explanation.
As soon as the game started, the trainees quickly put some distance between themselves.
"Strangely, it seems like our princess doesn't need to be protected?"
Song Hyeong-bin smiled brightly as he stood close to me.
Then Yoo Min-ha nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"I think Princess Karis will be able to defeat all the approaching knights!"
"I'll just stand guard behind Karis."
"But don't be too discouraged, Tae-young. I might need your strength when I attack."
My confident tone greatly boosted the morale of our team members.
I honestly like to take action as the situation arises.
So, in this game, I wanted to observe the opponents' movements before starting the attack.
Perhaps due to the effects of the abnormal status, this body charged straight ahead without any operational plan.
"Let's go! Front right, annihilate the enemies trying to escape!"
"Ohhh!"
"Annihilation, annihilation!"
The hot heat engulfed my whole body, and my legs raced across the lawn faster than anyone else.
"Hey, stop it!"
"He's heading straight for Yoon-cheol!"
The prey that entered my sight was Princess Ji Yoon-cheol.
Ji Yoon-cheol, who was standing there blankly while holding the magic wand, was very flustered when he saw Karis von Walden rushing at him like a lion.
Song Hyeong-bin and Yoo Min-ha, who had been following me closely, stopped Princess Ji Yoon-cheol's knights.
"Karis, go quickly and catch Princess Yoon-cheol!"
"Princess, let's go!"
It felt incredibly strange to hear these words, but my body reacted immediately.
With nimble movements, I overtook the other two knights and charged towards Ji Yoon-cheol with brisk strides.
One of the trainees who fell at my feet cried out pitifully.
"Yoon-cheol, run away!"
However, contrary to their wishes, Ji Yoon-cheol was not very athletic.
Generally, guys who are good at dancing tend to be good at sports as well, but Ji Yoon-cheol's normal reaction speed is quite slow.
That's why, the moment he takes his feet off, he tries to run away from me.
His foot got caught on the bottom of the flowing princess dress, and he fell face first.
"...."
Those were terrible words.
Ji Yoon-cheol, whose earlobes were red, was so embarrassed that he didn't even think about getting up.
I felt a little sorry for him, so I showed him a little mercy.
"If you give me the wig, I will turn around and leave."
"... Take it quickly."
It was a moment that felt like a deja vu of name tag removal.
Ji Yoon-cheol, whose face was dead, obediently handed over his black wig.
"Yeah!"
"Now we just have to get rid of the three princesses! "
As my teammates cheered and hugged me, the other princesses began to gather around one by one.
"Hey, honestly, Karis is too strong."
"Eun-gyu hyung, should we join forces and get rid of Princess Karis first?"
"I think that would be best."
In this way, the Great Karis Alliance was formed in just one breath.
As a whopping 15 people slowly surrounded us, I, who was used to fighting multiple people, had no choice but to take a step back.
"I had a feeling it would turn out like this."
"What do we do now? "
"That's better. I've shown my offensive ability so far, so now I just need to show my defense."
Even in this tense situation, the corners of my mouth went up, wondering what was so enjoyable about it.
And this confidence has been proven.
"Whoa!"
"Eun-gyu hyung, you have to keep being careful with your wig! Karis is targeting you from places you can't see! "
"Isn't that guy a real monster? "
Using Song Hyeong-bin and Yoo Min-ha as shields, I attack and defend at the same time at a fast pace from behind.
One of the hand-to-hand combat techniques that Crown Prince Karis von Walden has trained in since childhood.
I didn't know I would end up doing this in
As it took longer to catch me, the gap between the trainees became narrower and narrower.
Now, there are more than twenty people entangled together.
"Karis nim! Is your wig still okay? "
"I'm fine, so just look ahead."
"Yes!"
In the midst of the chaos, Yoo Min-ha turned her head toward me and asked if I was okay.
Right then.
A trainee who had been confronting him from the front came in with a gleaming look in his eyes and nudged his shoulder.
'Baek Si-hwa!'
My eyes sparkled instinctively.
Even though the surroundings were so noisy and chaotic, my gaze was fixed solely on Baek Si-hwa's eyes.
It was as if everything was in slow motion.
Baek Si-hwa took advantage of the opportunity and rushed towards Yoo Min-ha, extending both arms.
If things continue like this, he will end up in a head-on collision with Yoo Min-ha.
If they fall and get entangled in this mess,.
'It doesn't end with just getting his foot stepped on, but there is a very high chance that it will lead to a major injury, such as a broken ankle or wrist.'
A mess with many trainees entangled together.
No matter how many cameras they have, they can't capture everything.
Baek Si-hwa's movements to take advantage of the gap were so transparent.
A bad feeling I've had for a while now.
Baek Si-hwa's attitude of keeping Yoo Min-ha in check.
Strange behavior was also observed during the tug-of-war.
As all those memories came back to me, the only thought that filled my head was how to prevent Yoo Min-ha from getting injured.
'If I give up my defensive stance, I will definitely lose the game.'
If I quickly run forward in front of Song Hyeong-bin and Yoo Min-ha here, my rear will be completely empty in this chaotic situation.
Even if Oh Tae-young is guarding from behind, it is obvious that he will not be able to keep up if I make a sudden move.
If that happens, one of the trainees surrounding us will easily snatch my wig.
'But does that matter? '
Suddenly, my head got cold.
It doesn't matter whether I win or lose the game.
There is something more important than winning at hand.
Even if I lose one battle, it doesn't mean I have ultimately lost the war.
It is only natural that I burn this body for my comrades who fought for me.
'This isn't a real battlefield. It's different from the place where we had to just watch our comrades get hurt. Our lives aren't in danger if a wig falls off here. So catch him!'
I leapt forward at incredible speed.
As if I were a leopard waiting in ambush, I grabbed Baek Si-hwa's arms precisely and rolled together on the ground.
"What a surprise!"
"Karis, where are you!"
I heard my teammates gasp in shock behind me.
But the burning, hot vision was fixed only on Baek Si-hwa's pale face.
"Ugh!"
Rolled one lap, two laps.
I barely managed to stop myself after repeatedly hitting the trainees' legs.
And then I whispered very quietly into Baek Si-hwa's ear.
"What do you mean when you come to me so openly and boast about your desire to live? "
"What, what did you say―?"
"Let's let it go for now, but if you try to harm my friend again next time,"
The low and mid-tones coming out of my throat have become lower.
"Be prepared, because at that time, I will kill you immediately without warning."
I could feel the hardness of Baek Si-hwa's body under my palm.
Fear was forming in his pupils.
Soon, I felt someone's hand on my head.
"I took, I took it!"
Since I was quite far away from my teammates, it seems that other countries' knights were able to take off my wig without much difficulty.
Hearing Choi Sia's whistle blow, I sat up.
"Ka, Karis!"
"It's okay. Well, it wasn't a bad game, so I'm satisfied."
"I'm sorry! I think I let my guard down and left an opening."
"It's okay, though."
I stroked Yoo Minha's head, but despair immediately began to creep into my head.
'Wait a minute. The system clearly says to win every match. Does this mean I have to keep having the abnormal status activated?'
Nothing could be more dizzying than this.
It's nearly impossible to film a survival show with an arrogant and ego-inflated crown prince.
[You have met the Emergent Mission clear conditions.]
Suddenly, a system notification popped up.
At the same time, the hot burning sensation in my body disappeared.
I looked at the notification in disbelief.
'The mission was clearly a failure. But why on earth was the abnormal status lifted?'
As if answering that question, a red message was created.
[Karis von Walden was very pleased to see that you threw your whole body into saving your comrade. He was impressed that you had demonstrated the spirit of sacrifice, which is the virtue that a crown prince should cherish the most.]
I stared quietly at the message the system was sending.
[Although we unfortunately lost the last match, we proved something more valuable than winning or losing the match, so the hidden condition of the emergency mission has been met.]
[Status abnormality is removed.]
[See you again next time, possessor-nim.]
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