Chapter 35: Monster Dispatch, Part 1
THE Holy Maiden Evaluation was a series of tests designed to screen each candidate, and it was now officially underway. The first test measured each candidate’s knowledge of national history and other pertinent subjects. Next came a monster dispatch mission that tested both sword and magic ability. After that was a popularity contest among the townspeople. Then the evaluation ended with an interview with the current Holy Maiden.
To overcome these trials, HanaKoro’s player needed the help of the love interests: Prince Reseda for the knowledge test, Cytisus for magic skills, and Nigel for sword skills. Depending on how the player chose to interact with each character, the outcome of the story changed. For example, after the monster dispatch mission, the game took whoever Camille had the most affection points with and made them her assistant for the popularity contest. Cue the flirty, romance scenes.
The narrative was always presented from Camille’s perspective, so the player was only told whether they had outscored Iris or not. But the game wouldn’t proceed unless they did, so there was no outcome where Iris won. In every ending, both bad and happy-bad, Camille was always crowned the Holy Maiden. Her relationship would take a big step forward, and Iris was only ever a stepping stone.
My poor Iris… You tried so hard, but you were never good enough…
In the game, Iris was pressured to succeed to regain her place in fashionable society. But her efforts never paid off. In the end, she was just a scarred heretic who was punished by God and unworthy of being a Holy Maiden. She must have cursed her tragic fate a thousand times…
Me, though? I’m not worried. Everyone already knew Iris was damaged goods, and now both her father and Reseda knew she didn’t have any mana. Frankly, it was blatantly obvious who was going to win this.
In HanaKoro, the player was subjected to a series of mini-games and quests prior to the knowledge test. By helping the students, teachers, and librarians, Camille would learn little facts other students normally wouldn’t know. But this time around, Iris wasn’t going to take advantage of her meta-knowledge. Instead, in true gamer fashion, she was going to add her own handicap to make the game harder! The reason for this was simple: because she knew neither Reseda nor Nigel had offered to help Camille. And while it pained Iris to withhold information she already knew, if Camille didn’t have any hints to work off of, then it didn’t feel fair for Iris to have that knowledge.
In the end, Camille scored ninety points on the knowledge test, and Iris got seventy. This pleased Iris very much.
For the monster dispatch mission, Iris asked Nigel to train Camille, since she had very little fighting experience. Apparently, Cytisus was too busy with his still-living girlfriend to help, and Iris needed Camille to get assistance from someone. So, she chose Nigel, since he was the most trustworthy person she knew. Likewise, he readily accepted, since he was aware of just how deeply Iris did not want to be the Holy Maiden.
With his help, Camille was slowly but surely leveling up. Plus, her affection meter with him was rising, too. She never needed sword skills before, but she tried her very best regardless, and her work ethic impressed him.
Iris personally approved of the way things were going. Right now, Nigel had little desire to chain anyone down, so she had no reason to object to a relationship between the two of them. Plus, if Camille chose Nigel, the chances of a happy-bad ending were fairly low.
In HanaKoro, the training scenes were so cute and romantic…like the part where Nigel held Camille from behind so he could show her how to hold a sword… Are they recreating that CG right this very moment? I’m pretty sure there was some accidental fanservice during that scene too… Ugh, I’m so tempted to go spy on them… Hang in there, Nigel! I’m rooting for you!
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ON the day of the monster dispatch mission, the girls wore white horse-riding breeches in place of their uniform skirts, with bastard swords sheathed at their hips and black boots on their feet.
Their midsized target was located in the Dark Forest, past the quarantine cavern, inside the hollow of a large, long-dead camphor tree. Chrysanthème students came here for monster dispatch classes relatively often. Since Iris couldn’t use magic, she had to rely entirely on her sword skills to keep her safe. The fairies offered to help her countless times, but she always turned them down.
This time, however, the girls were going farther in. Cytisus and some other adults were stationed throughout the forest in case of an emergency.
“We will now begin the Test of Skill!” the headmaster announced, and a gunshot rang out, signaling the start of the evaluation.
While Iris did want Camille to win, she couldn’t let her guard down either. There was no telling what might happen in the forest, and she didn’t have any mana to protect herself. Even Nigel had learned to cast shield spells and strengthening spells, but with zero mana, Iris couldn’t even do that much. All she had were physical attacks.
As the girls progressed through the forest, they competed against each other to defeat as many small monsters as they could. But to Camille, this was no game. She wanted to win.
All this time, she lived her life never knowing who she truly was. Her mother had died when she was very young, and she had never met her father. Of course, her aunt and uncle were very kind people, but deep down, she knew they weren’t really her family. Supposedly, her camellia seed oil had special properties, or so the townspeople all said, but she didn’t understand why. All she did was press the seeds while silently repeating the words “Get well soon” just like her mother had taught her. She didn’t understand how the oil gained its power, and it frightened her.
Then one day, she was informed that she was a candidate for the position of Holy Maiden. Supposedly, she was the first commoner ever chosen. Then she was suddenly adopted by the Baron of Pont and told that noble blood ran in her veins. Now she could never go home to her aunt and uncle again. Meanwhile, all the townspeople gossiped about how they always knew she wasn’t one of them.
Even at school, everyone treated her with the same sentiment: You aren’t one of us. No matter where she went, she didn’t fit in anywhere. She had nowhere to belong.
What’s so different about me anyway? Camille wondered. Where am I supposed to go? If I become the Holy Maiden, will they finally accept me? What happens if I fail?
She loved magic, and she loved to learn, but fighting was scary. The sword at her hip felt heavy, and she didn’t want to use it.
If anyone deserves to win, it’s Iris, not me, she thought. Everyone knows it, and I know it, too. Maybe I should just give up…but if I do, will I get tossed out like yesterday’s trash?
As she thought that, a monster leaped out in front of her, and she froze up. Nigel had done his best to train her in sword fighting, but nevertheless, single combat frightened her. So, for the most part, she fought using magic; that way, she could paralyze her opponent instead of drawing blood. But this time, she didn’t have time to cast.
With a roar, the monster slashed its claws in Camille’s direction. All she could do was shield her head with her arms. The impact sent her flying, and she landed on her back so hard, it knocked the wind out of her.
Ugh, I’m sick of this! At least if I die, I won’t have to do this anymore…
But right as tears welled in Camille’s eyes, she saw a lone silhouette standing in front of her, ringlets fluttering in the wake of another roar.
It didn’t even faze Iris.
Her silver sword danced through the air as she slashed the monster, wordless and effortless, like drawing breath.