I Became the Male Lead who was Clinging onto the Female Leads

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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"Wow, this is incredible…"

"Amazing…"

"Why does it keep exploding…?"

Students watching the test gazed with dazed expressions.

Bang! Boom!

The spectacle before them was like what one would imagine a magical duel to look like.

A magnificent display of fire and flames, powered by immense mana, collided repeatedly in mid-air.

It was as if they were watching a fireworks show.

'I expected as much from the teacher, but…'

'Tina is truly unbelievable…'

'How can a first-year student have such mana?'

While her impressive mana could be attributed to the potent elixirs and pills she had consumed since childhood, Tina's proficiency in magic was jaw-dropping on its own.

"Explosion!"

'Explosion' was five-star magic.

Tina unleashed it repeatedly, without pause.

‘She truly is incredible.’

The female teacher couldn’t hold back her admiration.

If Tina's only advantage had been her formidable mana, which she inherited from her privileged background, the teacher would have just dismissed it as a product of her upbringing.

'But that's not the case here…'

Incredible mana manipulation and precision.

Deploying magic with a keen sense of the battle's flow and casting spells exactly when needed.

'I don't recall ever seeing a first-year student like this…'

A magic prodigy with an impressive background who also put in significant effort.

The next leading figure in fire attribute magic was undoubtedly her.

Bang!

After several minutes of intense clashes between flames and fires, the female teacher noticed a slight decrease in the precision and power of Tina's spells.

'It seems she used too much strength in the beginning.'

If things continued like this, victory was within the teacher's grasp.

However.

The teacher didn't particularly want that.

She didn't want to hand Tina an ordinary defeat.

What's the educational philosophy of the Royal Academy?

It's the growth of the students.

Only their growth.

It would be better to provide such a genius with a greater motivation for growth rather than a mere defeat.

Infusing her voice with mana, the female teacher shouted,

"Tina von Elia!"

"Yes?"

Tina paused and looked puzzled. The teacher responded with a gentle smile.

"There's no need to continue this exam any further. From what you've shown so far, there's no competition at your grade level."

"Really?"

"However, are you satisfied with just that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember Eugene's test just a moment ago?"

Tina tilted her head, puzzled.

Why was Eugene's test being brought up suddenly?

"Eugene managed to create a crack in my fire barrier. With just four-star magic, he showed an incredible feat. That was undoubtedly impressive."

So…

"Considering your deeper expertise in fire magic, don't you think you could do more than just crack my fire barrier? Perhaps even destroy it?"

"You mean…"

"I'm changing the test. If you can break my fire barrier, you'll get a perfect score. If not, you'll fail. But the test should be fair, so I'll give you a choice."

If she accepts the change, a fire barrier will be formed.

Otherwise, the duel will continue as before.

“The choice is Tina’s.”

With that, the female teacher closed her mouth.

It was well-known among the faculty that Tina aspired to become the world's best fire mage, surpassing even the Royal Academy.

Now, she was being presented with the option to compete, instead of admitting a simple defeat.

This was a chance to outperform Eugene, the genius who appeared out of nowhere.

No greater motivation could be presented to her.

‘So, if I outperform Eugene, I’ll score full points...?’

A flame of determination ignited in Tina's heart.

She had always believed she was unparalleled in her mastery of fire.

Her skills dwarfed those of her peers.

Yet one day, an unassuming Eugene displayed talent equal to hers in fire magic, despite showing no previous effort or interest in it!

Every time, it left her dumbfounded, almost speechless.

But now,

‘It's about time I give him a surprise.’

In her palm, a flame danced; she had always been the best.

And she hoped that would never change.

“I accept the challenge!”

Tina declared, her voice fiery with determination.

“Very well.”

The female teacher smiled subtly and began her spell.

Whooooosh!

It was the same shield she had cast against Eugene.

Could Tina break through this?

The teacher crossed her arms, watching Tina intently.

‘Her spirit is burning hot, but her gaze is ice-cold.’

Tina observed the fire barrier with cold, calculating eyes.

Having witnessed Eugene's test, she knew that it took a hundred hits of four-star magic to even crack it.

Though it might be easier to crack with five-star magic, it would still require numerous attacks just to create a fissure.

However, Tina was aiming not for a mere crack, but complete destruction.

‘To achieve that...’

She had to unleash her most powerful spell.

She fully opened her magic circuit.

Like a rock that once blocked the flow of a river disappearing, mana surged throughout her body with unstoppable force.

Tina gathered all her mana and focused it on one point.

‘Just as Master Madreia taught me.’

Following the secret technique passed down by Madreia, she concentrated her mana and condensed the flames to a single point.

‘With this... I can do it!’

Tina shouted with all her might, releasing her magic.

“Flare!”

A superheated beam of fire shot out like a flash, colliding with the fire barrier.

It erupted like a volcanic explosion, sending thick plumes of smoke skyward.

A deafening boom resonated.

“Ah!”

“Eek!”

The tremendous force of the explosion caused the students to fall back in shock.

‘Whoa.’

Eugene stood calmly, watching the spectacle.

‘She said to watch, and it seems she had a good reason.’

In terms of fire magic, Tina's skills were slightly superior to Eugene’s.

Although with a little effort Eugene could surpass her, the mere fact that she held the upper hand for now was impressive.

'So, did she destroy the barrier?'

It would have been odd if it hadn't shattered against a spell of such immense power, even if it was of the five-star grade.

As the smoke cleared, the spot where the female teacher stood was revealed.

"It's... It's broken!"

"She actually broke it!"

"Tina's incredible!"

From the uproar of the surrounding students, it was clear the fire barrier had shattered.

Though there was an additional barrier inside it that remained intact.

The female teacher lightly smiled and spoke,

"Full marks. Truly impressive."

"I did it... I actually did..."

Tina grinned proudly, but then collapsed, having fainted.

She had overextended herself by maximizing 'Flare', her mana completely drained.

"Protect Tina!"

"Don't let the boys get close!"

"If they do, they'll regret it!"

The female students who admired Tina rushed over like they were on a mission.

"What the...?"

"As if we were going to do something."

The male students, who had intended to help move Tina to the infirmary to earn her favor, stood awkwardly, pretending they hadn’t really intended to approach.

Watching this comical scene, Eugene smiled faintly and discreetly turned to leave.

'I've seen all I needed to, it's time for me to take care of my own business.'

He had already taken two tests so far, but there were still exams left to tackle.

"Was life always this tiring?"

With no breaks due to his body's previous owner, he let out a sigh.

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Raei Translations

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Unlike Eugene, who enrolled in multiple magic practice courses, there was a student who returned home early.

It was Luna.

'I should probably head to the dormitory to study...'

But there was something even more pressing!

Instead of heading to the dormitory like most students, Luna headed home.

It was to repay the favor received from Eugene.

'No matter how much I think on my own, I can't find an answer...'

Throughout the day, Luna inquired about Eugene, gathered information, and contemplated ways to offer assistance.

Yet, no answer was found.

Still, Luna wanted to repay him.

Even though Eugene said there was nothing to repay.

'It's not something to take lightly...'

Recalling the events of that day still brought tears to Luna's eyes.

This favor had to be repaid, no matter what it took.

'If I ask my father, he'll surely have a good solution.'

Luna's father was Adrian, a deputy under Marshal, who leads the Luciana branch directly under the Florence Merchant Group.

Given his life-long experience in the merchant group, he could provide Luna with some wisdom.

Luna's home was a few hours' walk from the Royal Academy.

Walking without a break would get Luna there by dinner time.

Upon entering, Luna saw Adrian, who was in the midst of his meal.

"Luna? What brings you home all of a sudden?"

"Well..."

Until now, Luna had hidden the truth about being bullied to avoid worrying his family.

But now, he revealed everything.

By the end of the story,

Bang!

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"

Adrian's face turned beet red as he slammed the table in anger.

Luna, had shown a knack for finances from a young age.

Despite having no particular talent in swords or magic, he was encouraged to take the entrance exam for the prestigious Royal Academy.

Bringing home an acceptance letter, Adrian sent him off with a smile.

"Father... that's not the most important part..."

"If it's not about you being bullied, then what is more important?! I... I just can't believe..."

Adrian gasped, struggling to contain his fury.

Adrian had hoped Luna would learn a lot from the Royal Academy, but he hadn't expected it to come at the price of being tormented by cruel nobles.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner..."

"If anything like this happens again, I'll personally hunt down those who tormented you and give them a beating they'll never forget! Understood?"

Adrian's rage showed no sign of abating, and Luna kept apologizing, head bowed.

Only after the food had cooled considerably did Adrian's anger subside.

"So, who was this person that helped you?"

"It was Eugene."

"...Eugene?"

Adrian furrowed his brow.

"Yes. Do you know of him?"

"If I recall correctly... isn't he the heir of the fallen Barony of Grace?"

"How did you know that?"

"Well..."

Adrian began scratching the back of his head, sharing a story about Eugene.

It was about how Eugene had healed his higher-up's granddaughter.

“Wha... What?!”

Luna's eyes widened to their limits.

“He that strong...”

Strong enough to subdue bandits?

“Luna.”

“Yes?”

Adrian spoke with a serious expression.

“About the reward you mentioned... Contact a branch close to the Barony of Grace first. Also, inform the branch head that Eugene isn't just strong, but also possesses a noble character.”

“Th-thank you!”

“It's the least I can do. He saved my son*, so it's my responsibility to repay the favor. Leave the reward to me, and focus on your studies.”

Luna nodded vigorously, absorbing Adrian's words.

‘Father said he'd handle the favor, so that's settled.’

But!

That was something his father was doing.

Luna wanted to personally repay the favor as well.

An idea popped into his head.

‘If I spread the news about Eugene defeating those bandits at the academy...’

Luna had gathered information about Eugene and discovered that his reputation was severely tarnished.

Not only were there rumors about him being a man obsessed with women, but even mentioning his name darkened the expressions of the male students.

‘Eugene is being viewed much worse than he deserves...’

From his perspective, Eugene was a virtuous man who didn't turn away from the weak.

‘Leave it to me, Eugene. I'll make sure to spread good word about you.’

Luna was determined.

If things went as he planned, Eugene’s reputation would greatly improve.

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Raei Translations

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“Why are my ears so itchy?”

Eugene rubbed his ear.

He had been through a challenging day, especially during the wind magic exam.

Exhausted, he dragged himself along after the test.

Muttering unintelligible swears unfit for a 'virtuous man', he returned to the dorms.

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