I Am The Villainess With A Maxed-Out Luck Stat - Chapter 122



Only Noblemtl

122. Don’t cry, you’ll lose muscle mass

I was led by Perwin’s hand to the stands.

Even before the game started, the stands were already filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

The seat next to me was taken as a given by Perwin. The Emperor and Lady Shiloh sat at the highest level.

I paid a formal greeting to the Emperor and chatted with Perwin, but inside I felt uneasy.

‘I wonder if Seraphine is okay.’

I turned my head and saw Seraphine sitting not far from me.

She was still wiping away tears miserably.

‘You must have been really surprised because you were just standing there and then suddenly got slapped in the face.’

No matter how hard I try, why can’t I change Roselia’s personality, which has fallen into the abyss?

While she was thinking about it, several young men gathered around Seraphine, who was sobbing.

They were the knights of the Duke’s family who had been helping Seraphine with her training.

They patted Seraphine’s shoulder with rough hands.

‘Thank goodness. I guess the knights will comfort me.’

“Stop it, apprentice. A knight can only shed sweat, not tears.”

“If you cry, you will lose muscle mass. Why not cry while running on the field?”

“… … ?”

Did you come to me to harass me rather than comfort me?

As Seraphine’s tears continued to flow, thunderous cheers poured out from the stadium.

“Wow—”

“It looks like the game is about to start.”

Perwin looked down at the stadium.

The players were out in the stadium warming up.

Hunting festival.

A competition to test the bravery of knights and determine the best martial artist in the empire.

It is a competition to defeat monsters in a dangerous forest and retrieve the sword, a symbol of victory.

The competition involves the imperial guards, the country’s best knights, and even street martial artists who have not yet been promoted.

Within the tournament, free duels between participants are permitted, and sometimes bloody fights between knights take place for the championship.

The winner is the one who defeats the monsters and competitors, safely retrieves the treasure, and brings it to the finish line.

If the Imperial Guard wins, they will be given a chance at promotion, and if a non-Imperial Guard participant wins, they will be given a huge reward.

‘Well, it seems more like a treasure hunt than a hunting festival.’

At first, it was a competition where people formed a hunting party and hunted monsters, as the name suggests.

However, as casualties continued to mount every year, the organizers came up with an alternative.

The targets of the hunt are no longer actual monsters that inhabit the Demon Land, but rather low-level demons summoned by the palace magicians.

The location of the competition was changed from the rugged north to the forests near the capital.

After going through several variations, the recent hunting ritual has become much milder in taste, but it has also given rise to a special culture.

The winner presents the token of victory to the woman he loves.

Who would become that lucky woman often became a matter of great interest.

‘From my perspective, it just looks like a public confession attack.’

In any case, thanks to its endlessly romantic tradition, the hunting festival was in the spotlight regardless of gender and social status.

‘Of course, the honor of winning went only to the original protagonists.’

Since it is a world view that is very protagonist-friendly, there won’t be any major changes this time either.

Then Perwin stood up from his seat.

“I guess I should get moving now too.”

He smiled confidently.

“Wait for me. I will bring the token of victory to the princess.”

… … There’s nothing unusual, right?

* * *

Bam bam bam!

As Perwin left, a fanfare erupted before our eyes and congratulatory messages appeared.

【SYSTEM: You can choose a partner by achieving the affinity conditions.】

【Who would you choose as your partner for Episode 2?】

[▶Perwin]

[Cayenne]

[Ikart]

[Brecht]

‘Choosing a partner.’

It wasn’t that surprising since it was a familiar situation from the original.

The male protagonist chosen here will be the winner of this competition.

The development will be that the winning male protagonist comes with a token of victory and presents it to the female protagonist.

‘… …Can a villainess accept something like that?’

Glance.

When I looked at Seraphine, she was sitting there with a sullen look on her face, her eyes swollen shut.

‘Fortunately, I didn’t have to run on the field,’

I feel bad because it seems like they’ve drained all the water out of me to the point of muscle loss.

I took my eyes off her and looked at each male character.

[Ikart]

[The target has left the area!]

Ikart is not selectable.

[Brecht]

[The target’s favorability is too low!]

Brecht is also impossible.

‘In reality, there are only two people you can choose from: Perwin and Cayenne.’

Although Perwin boasted that he would bring home the winning prize, I was more interested in the Cayenne.

‘Now that I think about it, I don’t see Cayenne.’

The second episode has also started, so the access ban penalty should have been lifted.

No matter how much I looked around, Cayenne was nowhere to be seen.

Normally, Cayenne would have followed me and said she would accompany me even without being asked.

This time, will the system’s coercive power stand between him and me?

‘hmm.’

If you tell yourself not to do something, you’ll want to do it more.

[Would you like to choose ‘Cayenne’ as your partner?]

of course.

Paat-

When I selected ‘Confirm’, a bright light appeared before my eyes.

* * *

“Here… … .”

When Cayenne came to, she was surrounded by an unfamiliar forest.

Trees swaying in the eerie wind, mossy rocks, and moist soil.

In contrast to the peaceful nature, the sound of metallic weapons skimming across the ground could be heard here and there.

Around him, armed men were preparing to go into battle.

From afar, I could see people looking this way with interest, as if they were watching animals locked in cages.

When I looked down at my body, I too was wearing a black cloak. My face was covered with a mask-like mask.

‘Why am I here?’

But the more I tried to recall my memories, the more a splitting headache came over me.

‘Why on earth… … .’

Unresolved questions lingered in my mind.

But, one thing.

【ª□YS???: ?? ‘The Mark of Chivalry, the Master of Gloryញ□’】

[Who is the real □□□ of the hunting festival?

Defeat monsters and rivals, find treasures, and win the hunting festival. ♥]

[□□ City □□: ???

In case of failure □□□: Death □ □□]

An illusive, translucent window appeared before my eyes.

I had never properly learned to read and write in my entire life, and the letters were so messy and broken that I couldn’t read them at all.

“… … If you fail, you die?”

Still, some letters seemed to be imprinted on my brain and I could read their meanings naturally.

Am I finally going crazy?

My head was spinning as if I was drunk on drugs.

The cheers of the crowd echoed like tinnitus.

“Wow—”

At that moment, a celebratory gun went off to signal the start of the competition.

* * *

‘I can’t even see who’s who.’

Looking down at the stadium from the stands, the participants looked like cotton swabs.

Once the game starts and the contestants enter the forest, even this won’t be visible.

Here and there, the audience’s expectant chatter could be heard.

“This time, His Highness the Crown Prince will also be participating?”

“Could it be that Your Majesty will defeat the imperial guards and win?”

Karrr, joyful laughter erupted.

“No way. No matter what, the winner will come from among the imperial guards.”

“By the way, where are the captains of the imperial guards? I can’t recognize them because they’re all covering their faces.”

Each participant had their face covered with a mask, helmet, robe, etc.

The Hunting Festival is a competition in which anyone can participate and is purely a matter of skill.

Therefore, there was a special rule that participants had to keep their identities hidden.

‘That must mean they value fairness that much.’

But even with their faces covered, some people stood out.

‘Oh, there it is.’

The original characters appeared one by one.

Perwin wore a magnificent golden mask decorated with feathers.

It was a decorative design more likely to be worn at a masquerade ball than at a hunting festival.

‘Anyway, your taste really stands out.’

When I turned my gaze, I saw a group of imperial guards in silver armor.

They were all wearing the same armor and helmets.

Apart from the insignia indicating that they were members of the Imperial Guard, the individuals were completely unrecognizable.

Brecht would be among them.

‘I guess this is roughly the number of familiar contestants.’

“I guess it’s time to start!”

A celebratory gun went off to signal the start of the competition. The participants ran like deer into the forest.

As everyone set out to find the treasure, one person in particular caught my eye.

“Oh my, who is that?”

“I’m not leaving alone.”

A man with his face covered by a black bird beak mask and a black cloak covering his entire body.

A man whose appearance and identity were completely indeterminate was staggering as if he were drunk.

He was wrapped tightly in a black cloak, so he stood out.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like that in my past life.’

Do I not remember?

‘Or maybe that guy―’

【SYSTEM: You have designated ‘Cayenne’ as your partner.】

【SYSTEM: A male protagonist-specific event will occur!】

‘……no way?’