The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War
Chapter 468: 16-year-old Inglis and the Knight Academy Seminar Festival (6-2)

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"For this event, we even got Mais and his group to help out. Seriously, we're using anything we can get our hands on~."

It seemed like the entire Knight Academy, the Royal Guard Order, the Holy Knight Order, and even the Highlanders from Illuminus were all cooperating.

"Yeah, it's lively. But still, they’ve managed to get the Mecha Dragons working properly, huh?"

"That's right. Mais is really doing his best, isn’t he~?"

Rafinha nodded enthusiastically.

"If they're moving that well, maybe it’s about time I get to spar with one of them… I can’t wait."

"No, stop it. Are you planning to break what Mais worked so hard to repair right away?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't do something so wasteful, you know? I’d just let them use me as a test subject to try out the Mecha Dragons’ performance and identify areas for improvement, see? That way, I get some good training, and Mais and his team get useful data—"

You could say it was a mutually beneficial relationship.

"I heard from Inglis and Rafinha that dragon meat is very delicious… I wonder if those can be eaten as well?"

Meltina seemed to be looking at the situation from an entirely different perspective.

"No, please don’t, Meltina. Those things are definitely not edible…!"

"Hahaha… Those poor Mecha Dragons, finally repaired and now facing more trouble."

"But, what exactly are they planning to do with the Mecha Dragons? This is supposed to be a Flygear race, isn’t it?"

Leone gave a wry smile, while Liselotte tilted her head in confusion.

Just then, Principal Miliera began explaining the details right on cue.

"In this Flygear Race, we’ll be getting the full cooperation of those Mecha Dragons! The race will be a relay style with five members per team. Each participant must retrieve a flag stuck in the body of a Mecha Dragon! Once they get the flag, they return and switch with the next teammate, repeating this until all five members have gone. The first team to complete all five rounds wins!"

As Principal Miliera explained, the three Mecha Dragons spread out numerous flags from their shoulders and necks for everyone to see.

“Ah, so the idea is to grab one of those flags and then switch to the next person.”

"However, the Mecha Dragons will be flying around the surface of the lake, trying to escape, and they’ll also attempt to prevent you from taking the flags! It’s a test of overall skill to outmaneuver them and snatch a flag~!"

"Heh… Sounds interesting."

Depending on the situation, there was a chance the Mecha Dragons would launch attacks. And the thought of receiving those attacks was rather appealing.

"Also, direct attacks against the Mecha Dragons or other teams are strictly prohibited! However, using Artifacts for other purposes is allowed, so feel free to get creative in how you capture those flags~."

"Am… Am I really going to be okay…?"

Meltina looked worried.

"It'll be fine. I'm sure it'll be good training and fun, you know? Right?"

"Well, compared to fighting hordes of Magic Stone Beasts or the Prisma…"

"It might actually be within the range of something enjoyable."

Leone and Liselotte both nodded at Inglis' words.

The two had traveled to various places and experienced real combat many times since enrolling in the Knight Academy. Their nerves were already steady enough that something of this level didn't faze them.

"You'll be fine! You've trained properly, right? Let's do our best, Meltina!"

"Kyah!? Y-Yes. I'll do my best…"

Rafinha gave Meltina a slap on the butt to fire her up.

Meltina wasn't chosen as a contestant out of mere favoritism. The Rune she possessed was a High Grade, just like Rafinha and Liselotte’s, making her a rare presence among the Knight Academy’s students.

Back when she was still in Venefique, she hadn’t received any special training as a princess, but at the Knight Academy, she had expressed her desire to become stronger in both body and mind. Though it hadn’t been long since she started, she was training diligently.

Principal Miliera must have appreciated her dedication, likely choosing her for this race with the hope of boosting her confidence.

"Alright, everyone! It's time to make your predictions! Purchase your voting tickets for the team you think will win!"

"Alright! I’m betting on the Holy Knight Order team, of course!"

"Me too! I mean, it's Sir Raphael and Lady Ripple we're talking about!"

"Same here! Our guardians can’t possibly lose!"

"I'm gonna place a small bet on the Instructor team, just in case…"

The audience began lining up at the stalls selling voting tickets.

As expected, Raphael and Ripple's popularity was immense, and most people were predicting the Holy Knight Order team would win.

"Wow! As expected of Brother! He's super popular! Right, Glis?"

Rafinha looked rather proud of herself.

"You look happy, Rani."

"Of course! We're siblings, after all!"

Seeing her smile like that makes Inglis feel happy, too.

"Heh heh heh… That's right, that's right. It's a good thing for everyone to know just how amazing Lady Ripple truly is." Silva grinned and nodded deeply.

"Haha, he looks pretty happy over there, too." Rafinha wore a slight, wry smile.

"Sir Raphael and Lady Ripple are both really popular, aren't they? If my brother Leon had stayed here as a Holy Knight, I wonder if he would be getting cheers like this, too." Leone gazed at Raphael and Ripple with a somewhat dazzled expression.

"Oh, sorry, Leone. I got all excited on my own."

"N-No, I should be the one apologizing for bringing it up…! Don’t worry about it. It’s just… seeing how much everyone appreciates the Holy Knights made me think… Maybe I can take my brother’s place somehow."

Leone touched the shining Special Grade Rune on her right hand and tried to smile. Lately, Leone no longer spoke with the same hostility toward her brother Leon, who had abandoned his position as a Holy Knight of Charalia to join the Ironblood Chain Brigade.

There’s no sign of her frantically trying to catch the trail of the Ironblood Chain Brigade. If anything, Inglis seems more concerned about their whereabouts than Leone herself.

Perhaps Leone’s mindset is shifting—not towards capturing Leon to clear the disgrace of the Olpha family, but towards achieving what Leon couldn’t.

"Are you thinking of becoming a Holy Knight in your brother’s place?"

"Watching Sir Raphael and the others made me think… maybe that wouldn’t be so bad."

With her Special Grade Rune, that’s now a realistic option for Leone.

"Leone. But if you do that…"

That would mean accepting the harsh fate of a Holy Knight and a Hyrule Menace…

"Well, well, why not just enjoy yourself for now? It’s a special day, after all, right?"

Today is meant to be enjoyed.

Besides, it’s not just today—Leone still has two years until her graduation from the Knight Academy. During that time, she’ll gain all kinds of experiences, and her thoughts will continue to change. Leone is still so young. There’s no need for her to rush anything.

Just as they were having that conversation, Principal Miliera approached them and called out cheerfully.

"Everyone, do your best and give it your all! As you can see, the most popular team is Sir Raphael and Lady Ripple’s, so if any other team wins, the profit for us, the organizers, will be… heeheeheehee—"

In a way, Principal Miliera looked like she was having the most fun of all.

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