058 The First Trial

A blazing sun, white sand, and the deep blue sea.

I sat under something like a beach parasol, wearing something that resembled a pair of sunglasses. Next to me sat something like a tropical juice, and on a plate before me lay something like a watermelon.

The reason I kept adding "something like" to everything was simple: none of these things actually existed in this era. Well, whatever. Best not to overthink it. Noblesse Oblige is something you’re just supposed to feel.

Yeah—exactly like I was feeling right then.

"Weiss, shall we head out soon? It looks like we’ve finished our Sui-suika."

Cynthia spoke while clutching something like a beach ball. She was wearing a black swimsuit featuring flounces and back lace. Honestly, Cynthia’s bountiful jiggling was far more beautiful than the ocean waves.

"The water is cold and feels amazing, Weiss-sama!"

That was Lilith, wearing a pink swimsuit with a pareo. She had a moderate level of jiggle—not bad at all. In fact, hers was probably the most crowd-pleasing variety.

"True," I muttered, removing my something-like-sunglasses. "Maybe I’ll hop in for a bit."

But just as I stood up—

"Weiss-kun, Teacher Milk says it’s time for the match. Come on. You too, Cecil-san."

"Me? ...Well, I suppose I don't mind."

The next to appear was Carta, clad in a school swimsuit and sporting a quadruple-threat jiggle. Wait, did her jiggle count go up by one since I last saw her? Is she still in a growth spurt?

In contrast, Cecil looked quite mature in her one-piece. With her long, slender limbs, she looked like an elegant older sister. Even though, technically, we were in the same grade.

...Wait, a match? Already? This early?

I suppose this was another plot alteration. Fine then. If that was the case, I couldn't afford to hold back.

"Got it. Let’s go."

If Teacher Milk was calling, I had to move fast. Just then, Olynn came jogging over. For some reason, his top was extremely short, leaving his navel brazenly exposed. Wait... is that a hint of a jiggle on him? No, no way. Impossible.

"M-May I come too?" Olynn asked.

I started to answer, but Cynthia stepped in front of me. I felt a strange, overwhelming pressure radiating from her.

"You must be Olynn-san. It is a pleasure. I am Weiss Fancent’s fiancée, Cynthia Violetta. So, you’re the 'very cute, very lovely' Olynn-san I've heard about? Just so we’re clear, I am Weiss Fancent’s fiancée. Please do make sure you remember that."

"Y-Yes! Thank you for the formal introduction!"

I wasn't entirely sure why Cynthia felt the need to emphasize her status twice, but it felt a lot like she was marking her territory. But Olynn was a guy. Nah, I’m probably just imagining things.

"Weiss, shall we?"

Cynthia grabbed my arm. Her jiggle pressed firmly against my skin. The guys in the vicinity watched me with eyes full of pure envy. Most of the students still didn't have fiancées. They say that relationships during Nobless Academy—especially during this school trip—tend to deepen significantly.

"H-Hey, do you think I have a shot with Carta-chan?"

"Shut up, man. Weiss will kill you."

"Then... what about Cecil?"

"I heard if you beat her in Battle Universe, she’ll go on a date with you."

"Forget it. That's impossible..."

If I strained my ears, I could hear how restless everyone was. I guess for normal students, this was the event of the year. Personally, I felt like advising them to worry less about girls and more about surviving what was coming next.

Alright, time to focus. The match was about to begin.

---

"Weiss, I didn't think I'd get to have a serious contest with you again so soon."

"Likewise. But I don't plan on losing."

Standing before me on the sand was the Jiggle-Teacher herself. Surprisingly, she was sporting a pure white bikini. Her toned thighs were a testament to her status as a veteran warrior.

"Let's do our best, Weiss-kun."

"Yeah."

Olynn stood beside me. His thin arms were a bit worrying, but we were a team now. Behind us, Cynthia and Duke stood in reserve. On the opposing side, Teacher Milk was flanked by Allen, Shari, and Lilith.

It was an unusual joint-class battle. In a way, it was actually quite interesting.

"I won't lose, Weiss!" Allen shouted.

"Yeah? Then bring it on!"

Cecil blew the whistle.

—PEEP!

"Die."

That was hardly a line a teacher should say to her student at the start of a game, but Teacher Milk didn't care. She leapt high into the air. My vision was suddenly filled with a double-jiggle seen through a mesh pattern.

Wait, I didn't have time to look at that!

Teacher Milk struck the ball she had tossed upward, slamming it with incredible force. It was aimed directly at my face. The power was monstrous; if I hadn't used Flash (Time Lapse), I wouldn't have even seen it coming. Terrifyingly, she had clearly infused it with mana. The ball, encased in high-density energy, flew like a cannonball. It approached with a literal sonic boom.

She’s strong... no, she's too fast! Should I dodge?

No, impossible. There was no way I could catch that safely. So, I did the only logical thing: I grabbed the mountain of muscle—the Gorilla—standing next to me and swapped places.

"Eh? —GYAHHH-HA-HA-HA-HAA!"

The ball slammed into the Suntanned Black Gorilla’s face, sent him flying instantly. But, as expected of Duke, he bounced right back up and started barking at me.

"Hey, Weiss! Don't use me as a hf-jh-jrw-gw..."

His speech was slurred. The destructive power of that hit was truly horrific. I ignored Shishitsu's rambling and looked ahead.

"Isn't it a foul to use mana?!" I yelled.

"Don't be ridiculous. This isn't just a game; it's a match specifically designed for Mana Manipulation."

I see... I’d completely misunderstood. I thought this was just recreation, but I was wrong. This was a serious training exercise in enchanting physical objects with mana. If I hadn't realized that, I would have been looking at a Game Over right at the opening whistle.

Still, the match wasn't over. I decided to try and treasure my Gorilla shield a little more.

"Hey, Weiss! If that was anyone but me, they'd be dead!"

"Probably. But hey, you saved me. Thanks."

"Eh? R-Really? Haha! Well, I guess I can forgive you then!"

Simple-minded guys are so easy to handle in these situations. Regardless, I finally understood the rules. No more holding back. I was going to win this.

---

"0–20. Teacher Milk’s team is in the lead," Cecil announced in a cool, detached voice while holding a book. She didn't sound worried at all, but nobody dared complain.

Having blocked the ball with his face multiple times under the scorching sun, Shishitsu’s legendary stamina was finally hitting rock bottom.

"Huff... huff... this is brutal... it hurts... I mean, Shari! You! You've done this before, haven't you?!"

"I have not. Anyone should be able to do this much."

"Lilith, you're surprisingly good at this too," Cynthia noted.

"Thank you, Cynthia-san!"

Just as Shishitsu said, Shari was incredibly skilled at enchanting objects. It might have been the power of the spirits, but her spikes felt heavy and dense, unlike ours. Surprisingly, Lilith was just as capable.

Honestly, I’d underestimated them. This mana-ball showdown required a much higher level of magical finesse than I’d anticipated. Shari and Lilith were the clear standouts. Allen, Duke, and I were completely useless.

However, there was one more surprise.

"Hah!"

"1–20. A point for Olynn."

Olynn landed a spike while letting out a frail, delicate cry. She—no, he—also possessed high-level technical skills. Then again, considering Olynn's future potential, I suppose it made sense.

"Nice one, Olynn!" I cheered.

"Ehehe, I did it!"

Come to think of it, the other guys had gone quiet. Usually, they’d be hooting and hollering.

"Isn't Olynn... like, way too cute?"

"Yeah... I think I... love..."

"Don't say it! Don't you dare go over to the dark side! Hey!"

I guess they were just struggling to maintain their self-control. I decided to leave them to it.

I kept trying to land a hit, but things just weren't clicking. At the moment of the spike, I’d flood my palm with mana and try to transfer it to the ball. It sounded simple, but the execution was grueling.

Dammit...

"Weiss-kun."

"...What?" I snapped.

Olynn had approached me. The squirrel on his head was chirping a rhythmic pi-pi-pi. I felt like Cynthia was staring at me from a distance, but I told myself it was just my imagination.

"Um, I was thinking..."

"Yeah?"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"...No, my bad. I’m just a little on edge. What is it?"

"I think you're putting too much force into it. Oh, um, I don't mean your muscles, I mean your mana! Enchanting is just about moving the mana in your palm gently. You don't need raw power. It’s a lot like how I work with Pipis."

"Gently... huh?"

Now that he mentioned it, words like that weren't exactly in my vocabulary. I could see Shari and Lilith doing it, but was the Jiggle-Teacher really capable of being 'gentle'? No, I shouldn't doubt my master. I could already see a future where she killed me for thinking that.

Wait, so that squirrel on his head was named Pipis? Well, whatever.

"...I'll give it a shot."

I tossed the ball high. Just like before, I flooded my hand with mana as I prepped the spike. But right before impact, I consciously relaxed. To my amazement, the mana in my palm began to flow smoothly and quietly.

The moment the ball hit my hand, I let the mana slide into it with a gentle touch—and the ball blasted forward with terrifying velocity.

"Ho? Not bad."

Teacher Milk actually smiled. The power of the shot was immense, yet she still looked composed.

"Allen, I'll leave the rest to you!"

"Eh? E-Eh?! Fueeeeeeeee?! Wait—"

Just as I thought she was going to return it, she dodged with a light, graceful hop. The ball slammed directly into the face of Allen, who had been standing right behind her, and sent him flying.

As expected of the protagonist. He really knew how to nail a punchline.

...Wait, more importantly, if I could apply this technique to a sword, the results would be incredible.

"You did it, Weiss-kun!"

Olynn held out a hand toward me, his face glowing with a brilliant smile. Without thinking, I reflexively gave him a high-five. Man, what a great smile. I finally understood why he was a "brain-breaker" for so many men...

『Weiss, I am watching you.』

Cynthia didn't say a word, but her lips moved to form the warning.

...Yeah, Olynn was dangerous in more ways than one.

After that, Duke managed to get the hang of it thanks to Olynn’s advice, and Allen eventually followed suit. However, in the end, we still lost the match to Teacher Milk’s merciless, high-speed spikes.

The sun was blinding, and my back was drenched in sweat. But when I looked out, the blue sea was waiting for us.

"Weiss, shall we go for a swim?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan."

I was getting stronger, the scenery was fantastic, and I was actually having fun.

Damn. This thing called a school trip was the absolute best.