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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It wasn't difficult.

Eugene had exceptional eyes when it came to swords.

With just a few glimpses of the opponent's sword, he could discern the type of swordsmanship they practiced and anticipate their next moves.

The moment Fritz's gaze turned serious, Eugene had already read the entire flow of the duel.

Everything after that was straightforward.

He feigned being caught off guard by Fritz's feints, only to exploit an opening and determine the outcome of the match.

Matching Fritz's astonishing speed meant that even in that short duel, he consumed a considerable amount of mana...

But he achieved victory.

Fritz, his opponent, lay sprawled before him.

His eyes rolled back, and blood seeped from a wound on his side, staining his clothes.

He needed to be taken to the infirmary immediately.

"Why isn't anyone coming up?"

No one was approaching the dueling platform.

Even teachers who had finished overseeing their respective exams that had come to spectate some of the duels.

What were they all doing?

Eugene scanned his surroundings.

"Oh."

He realized why no one was approaching.

Every single one of them had their eyes wide open, mouths agape as if they had turned into goldfish.

'I understand why they're shocked, but...'

Despite the limitations on his mana, was it really that surprising?

Eugene sheathed his sword and hoisted Fritz onto his shoulders.

Since everyone seemed too stunned to approach the platform, he decided to take Fritz to the infirmary himself.

Step by step,

In the stillness that enveloped the dueling grounds, Eugene walked alone.

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Raei Translations

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In the swordsmanship exam, a first-year student emerged victorious.

The crowd couldn't contain their astonishment at this unbelievable outcome.

"What on earth... How is this even possible?"

Someone finally broke the extended silence.

The situation truly was beyond belief.

It wasn’t simply because Eugene, a first-year, overcame the magical prowess of a teacher at the level of a third-year student.

Magic was only one of the many factors in a duel.

Swordsmanship, physical strength, experience, mental fortitude... considering all these aspects, the gap between a first-year and a teacher was as wide as that between a child and an adult.

The swordsmanship teachers at the Royal Academy of Lucia were well-respected figures outside the academy walls.

Fritz was no exception.

Even if his skills were considered slightly below average among the teachers, his decades of honed swordsmanship were no joke.

The notion of a first-year student defeating him would be dismissed as an impossible tale even by a passing dog.

Yet, it happened.

Eugene, who now was effortlessly carrying Fritz on his shoulders, had won.

‘Does he even realize what he's done?’

‘How can he look so composed after all that?’

Those who observed the calm Eugene were baffled.

The three main female leads felt the same.

‘This is completely unprecedented...’

Tina, with her stunned expression, felt drained of energy.

She had simply trusted her merchant intuition and sided with Eugene, a seemingly reckless gamble.

What if Eugene hadn't proven himself in this test?

The potential repercussions for her would've been unthinkable.

Yet, Eugene exceeded her expectations.

Defeating bandits?

Curing incurable diseases?

No one was thinking about those accomplishments anymore.

They were no longer the primary concern.

Hadn’t everyone just seen Eugene's duel?

His astonishing skills proved that defeating a group of bandits was barely a challenge for him.

The real question now was this: How did a man, who had taken up the sword less than two months ago, possess the capability to defeat a seasoned instructor?

If this was the result of innate talent, how incredible was that talent?

It wasn't an easy question to answer through mere speculation.

Tina couldn’t reach a conclusion either.

But one thing she was certain about: siding with Eugene was a decision she would never regret.

“Whew…”

Tina let out a sigh of relief and brushed her face.

While there would be a lot to think about once things settled, for now, she felt elated just knowing she was right.

It felt as if she had narrowly escaped a brush with death.

Such joy needed to be shared with a friend.

“Celine!”

Tina beamed at Celine and said,

“You saw that, right? Eugene, he's truly…”

“...”

“...Celine?”

However, Celine was left speechless.

"It's unbelievable..."

She was utterly taken aback.

As someone with a high level of swordsmanship, Celine recognized it.

During that brief spar, Eugene had anticipated every move of Fritz's blade.

He had read and deciphered every intent, every swing, every nuance of Fritz's swordplay.

Celine was certain of it.

Otherwise, Eugene's extraordinary movements couldn't be explained.

'To understand an opponent's sword after just a few swings...'

And it wasn't just any ordinary technique, but one of a teacher's caliber.

Even Celine, hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy, could never achieve such a feat.

'Not my level... maybe higher...'

Whether it was due to her pride as a swordsman or her obsession of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, she found it hard to admit.

But she had no choice but to acknowledge it.

Eugene's talent surpassed hers.

It was in a league of its own.

Turning her head, she saw a similarly stiff expression on Cillian's face.

'As a swordsman, he must be thinking the same.'

"Did you see that?"

"I did."

"What do you think?"

"...I think it's unbelievable."

Cillian summed up his lengthy contemplation in a single phrase.

"He's truly a genius of the sword."

Now, there was only one thing for Cillian to do.

"I need to speak to Eugene."

"Why?"

"I must invite him to join the Swordsmanship Club."

"..."

Although his talent was slightly inferior to his younger sister's, he's still a swordsman who has dedicated his life to the sword.

"Having a junior with such exceptional talent in the Swordsmanship Club would undoubtedly inspire the others..."

They couldn't leave out a junior of such talent.

"Let's get him first and see how he does."

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Raei Translations

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"Leave it to us!"

"We'll take him to the infirmary!"

"No, I can handle it on my own..."

"Come on! Don't say such nonsense!"

"You must be exhausted from the test. You shouldn't strain yourself further!"

"..."

Some students appeared, snatched Fritz away, and ran off.

They faced him and smiled brightly, as if asking him to remember their faces.

'Why are they acting like this all of a sudden?'

For a moment, he was dumbfounded.

Then, something even more astonishing happened.

"Eugene! What was that during the test?"

"How on earth did you do that?"

"Your swordsmanship was incredible!"

"When did you become so skilled with a sword?"

"Wait... Hold on a moment."

The students crowded around him, vying for his attention.

Their usual indifferent looks were replaced by sparkling eyes filled with curiosity and admiration.

"If it's okay, would you like to be friends?"

"Move over! I approached him first!"

"Who says there's a turn in making friends? If you feel like it, you just do it!"

"Who would want to be friends with someone like you!"

"You little...!"

"...Excuse me."

Eugene's words were drowned out, the heated atmosphere showing no signs of cooling.

Their eyes burned with an intense desire; all determined to form a connection with him.

'If you wanted to be friends with me, you should've come forward earlier.'

Eugene found their sudden interest baffling.

He had always felt the importance of having friends, having often been left alone during group assignments and magic practice.

Though he'd grown indifferent to solitude due to its frequency.

'I don't really need friends anymore.'

Eugene had resigned himself to being a loner.

The students though, showed no intention of leaving him alone.

'This is the perfect opportunity!'

'We need to befriend him now!'

The conclusion drawn by those who had witnessed Eugene's test was crystal clear.

Eugene's value was soaring, with no sign of plateauing.

As a first-year, he had defeated a teacher.

It didn't matter that the teacher's mana was restricted.

He had achieved something unprecedented in the history of the Royal Academy.

He had demonstrated his current worth and immense potential.

'Without connections, a noble is nothing!'

'Connections from the Royal Academy last a lifetime!'

They were determined to form a bond with Eugene, a connection that would shine in the future.

"Could you juniors please make way for a moment?"

Then, a voice came from the back.

"Make way?"

"Who the hell is that!"

In the midst of their struggle to win a valuable connection, being asked to step aside wasn't well-received.

The students growled as they turned their gaze to the rear.

As they did, their mouths clamped shut and their postures involuntarily lowered.

"Oh, Senior..."

"You've arrived, Senior."

It was Cillian von Luberuta, the prestigious heir of the Duke of Luberuta.

Regardless of rank or grade difference, there was an undeniable difference that forced them to bow down.

As the students naturally made way, Cillian stood in front of Eugene.

"Junior."

"Yes?"

"Join the Swordsmanship Club. You're qualified."

'The Swordsmanship Club?'

'Amazing!'

The moment those words were uttered, the surrounding students' eyes lit up.

What exactly was the Swordsmanship Club?

Merely liking swords wasn't enough to enter.

That was a given.

One had to demonstrate exceptional talent with the sword and gain recognition from its existing members.

Given the challenge of this task, those who managed to join benefited from the advice of their seniors, friendly duels, and enjoyed rapid growth.

Rumors even said that if one managed to impress the seniors from powerful families, they could receive an elixir that could increase mana.

Any swordsman who cherished the art would yearn to join this exclusive club.

And Eugene, with just one duel, proved he was worthy.

'He snagged such a great opportunity.'

'He's bound to soar even higher.'

Eugene's reputation was skyrocketing in real-time.

"I'm not interested."

If only Eugene hadn't said that.

'Why wouldn't he join?'

'Why on earth not?'

Students stared, jaws dropping in disbelief.

Even Cillian, unable to understand, wore a serious expression as he spoke.

"May I ask why?"

"...Well, it's just a waste of time."

With that, Eugene turned away.

Time was of the essence for him.

Having recently developed the Lightning Sword technique, it was now more important than ever to have personal training time.

In such a situation, joining the Swordsmanship Club?

Joining would mean using up his time, and he saw no reason to step in willingly.

Of course, Cillian wasn't going to give up that easily.

'Waste of time, he says.'

I don't know the details of Eugene's situation, but isn't it just a matter of making the time?

A talented swordsman like Eugene would be a great help to the members.

Others surely thought they could improve their sword skills by dueling with Eugene.

Determined, Cillian trailed behind Eugene.

"Well, I haven't finished speaking yet. The Swordsmanship Club is pretty laid-back. You don't have to attend the weekly training sessions. You can just come whenever you feel like it!"

There were hardly any members who actually did that.

"Is that okay?"

"I'm not really interested..."

"Well, I'll talk to the club head and ensure you're granted this freedom. Usually, members must attend the occasional group activity, but I'll ensure you won't have to."

"..."

Freedom even from group activities?

Hearing this, Eugene was slightly swayed.

If training and group activities were optional, there wouldn't be any problems with securing personal time.

If he ever wished to duel someone in the future, being a member would make it easier to find an opponent.

'But even with such freedom guaranteed...'

If he joined and didn't show up, people might wonder about his motives.

'I should still decline.'

"I still decline."

"I haven't finished yet!"

"What else is there?"

"Of course, there's more!"

Cillian stated confidently.

“I may not have mentioned this to you, but there's a special privilege for newcomers who join us these days.”

“A privilege?”

I had never heard of such a thing.

“Yes. Just for joining, one is gifted a mana elixir from the continent’s top swordsmanship house, the Ducal House of Luberuta.”

“What?”

Mana elixir?

“How about it? With this incentive, are you…”

“I'm in.”

There was no need to hear the rest.

A mana elixir from the Luberuta House?

Though there were different grades to elixirs, even the lowest-grade elixir would bring a significant boost to one's mana.

‘His eyes are suddenly intense.’

Something shifted in Cillian's gaze.

Should I have led with the elixir from the start?

Offering an elixir was just a desperate pitch Cillian had concocted on the spot.

Giving a family elixir to a new member?

Such a lavish privilege doesn't actually exist.

He's already brought it up, but there was a need to slightly modify the offer.

‘I shouldn't be too greedy now.’

Being too ambitious might scare away the catch one already has.

After a brief contemplation, Cillian spoke up.

“There are, however, conditions.”

“What are they?”

“One, you must keep the elixir a secret. The other, you must occasionally participate in our group activities.”

“...”

Group activities varied depending on the club's nature, but they often took place once or twice during the holidays.

‘There's still quite some time until the holiday...’

It wasn't a bad trade-off for the value of an elixir.

“That's reasonable enough. I'm fine with it.”

“I welcome you to our swordsmanship club.”

With a bright smile, Cillian extended his hand for a handshake.

And so, Eugene's admission to the swordsmanship club was settled.

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