第２７０堀：後押しをしよう 全力で (Part1)
**Chapter 270: Let’s Give Him a Push. With Everything We’ve Got.**
**Side: Amanda**
……What on earth is he thinking?
I’ve spent the entire day agonizing over my childhood friend’s erratic behavior. Erratic behavior is nothing new for him, but this isn't about him knocking some woman over or peeking into a changing room.
A while back, some idiot noble who didn't like my high grades tried to pick a fight with me. Eoid, that fool, had jumped in and turned it into a full-blown duel. At the time, I could at least understand it. I knew he had done it for my sake. He managed to win, and in doing so, he was slowly shedding the "dropout" label he’d been branded with.
But this latest duel? It makes no sense.
Why on earth is he challenging a duel while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Yuki-san, the husband of my mentors?!
Moreover, after we finished our business in Roday and returned, while we were lying in the same room, his participation in this duel was somehow decided. I don't get it. And for some reason, Eoid himself is all fired up about it.
If the opponent were someone within his reach, it would be one thing. If he were just testing his strength because he’s been getting tutored by Yuki-san and Taiki-san like I have, I’d understand. But this opponent is leagues beyond his level.
The opponent is the 13th-ranked student, and the match will be against the team that the 13th-ranked student has assembled. Yes, the 13th rank of the Academy.
In the Magic Department of this academy, there are "Rankers"—numbers that signify the top-tier students. While these rankings fluctuate daily due to duels, the top 30 are generally considered immovable. For the record, I’m 34th, and there were whispers that I might break into the top tier, which is exactly why that noble tried to pick a fight with me. I left it to Eoid because the opponent was lower-ranked and I didn't think he’d lose, but this time, the opponent is far too dangerous.
Not only is the opponent a Ranker, but they are a high-ranking one, just like Samantha. Well, Samantha is 10th, so she’s called "Number 10," but anyone 15th or above is considered a top-tier Ranker, and they are undeniably strong. Even if Eoid had been training seriously for half a year, this isn't an opponent he could handle with less than a week of training.
……Especially since he doesn't have a wyvern following him like I do.
"……If I’m this anxious, why is he so eager to duel?"
In the end, I wasn't worried about whether Eoid would win or lose. I understand well enough that this duel is a result of being swept up by Yuki-san and the others, and that it’s part of his training. After all, the opponent is likely more interested in Yuki-san and the others than in Eoid. Eoid is just an extra; since his rank is at the bottom, he has nothing to lose. If anything, the fact that he fought a top-tier Ranker could even be a plus.
Normally, a high-ranking Ranker and a low-ranking student would never fight. There’s no benefit for either side. It’s expected for the Ranker to win, and if they lose, their rank plummets, and they gain almost no points. Since they came to the academy to master magic, fighting someone beneath them defeats the purpose. Low-ranking students don't want to pick fights they can't win; they prefer matches suited to their level.
So, perhaps I should be happy about Eoid’s duel. It might be the stage where he finally gets properly evaluated.
"Ughhh. I’m so selfish..."
I hug my pillow and roll around on the bed. That’s right—it’s a good stage for Eoid. And yet, I’m trying to criticize it just because I’m anxious.
"A Dragon Knight, huh..."
I mutter the problem I’m carrying. A Dragon Knight—a legendary knight who rides and commands dragons, said to have existed on this continent long ago. It’s a common enough story that even I’ve heard it in fairy tales. My teacher had once joked that perhaps I had the talent of a tamer, but now that I’m older and looking at things realistically, it makes sense. However...
"You don't just *become* a Dragon Knight out of nowhere!!"
And yet, before I knew it, I had become one. I don't really understand it, but the wyvern just started following me on its own. Was it because of that big black wolf? Well, the reason doesn't matter. Because of that, the Academy President immediately bestowed the title upon me. At first, I was thrilled, but as I was exposed to the strange looks from those around me, I gradually began to understand the situation I was in.
And when I went to Roday with Yuki-san and the others, Eris-san made me realize how precarious my position was. That because of my status, even those around me could end up unhappy. That at this rate, it might be difficult to stay with Eoid forever...
"Ughhh!! No, I don't want that!! We’ve been together for so long!!"
It’s impossible. I’m the only woman who would ever want to marry such a perverted, clumsy man. We’ve been childhood friends, always together. It was natural. I thought it would always be like that. That’s why I’m studying under Eris-san and Deryu-san—to gain the strength to make that wish a reality.
"Honestly, Eoid, you idiot."
He doesn't even know how I feel, just getting all excited about a duel.
……No, I know I’m being unreasonable. But I can’t help but think: if I hadn't come to this academy, would things have been different? If I had just fallen in love normally, married normally, and had children normally...
"Hehe... I wonder, would two girls and one boy be nice?"
"What are you daydreaming about?"
"Well, what’s wrong with that? We plan our families with our beloveds too, don't we?"
"True. But I won't be having children for a while. I honestly didn't think raising them would be this much work."
"Oh? I’m thinking I wouldn't mind having another one right away."
"You’re as tough as ever in the strangest ways, Eris..."
"You think so? Deryu, if Yuki-san told you he wanted another, could you really refuse?"
"Impossible. I’d gladly carry his child."
……Hm? Did I just hear someone else’s voice?
"Wait—Mentors?! Since when were you here?!"