NOVEL NEXT Chapter 301 [Illustrations]
Chapter 301 [Illustrations]
There was no way he could show it.
—Show us! Show us!
Connor Lint felt like biting his tongue and ending it all as he listened to the crowd’s chants.
‘Why did I get myself into this mess?!’ he thought.
The host, unaware of the true nature of Connor’s supernatural power and believing that it was something impressive, was urging him on. The audience was excited, eager to see the Royal Class student demonstrate his teleportation ability.
If he suddenly teleported in just his underwear, the cross-dressing contest could turn into chaos at worst, or at best, he would become a laughingstock.
He knew he had to explain that his ability had a significant flaw and so he couldn’t demonstrate it. He was already embarrassed enough standing in front of everyone like this; he didn’t want to add to his humiliation.
People wanted to see a slick teleportation show, but what they would actually see was a nearly-naked pervert disappearing and appearing in a different place, which would be a very dangerous image!
He had to say it. But...
—Show us! Show us!
Connor Lint looked at the people shouting at him, at all the eyes that were fixed on him. Despite his current state, he saw the way they looked at him. They were looks of admiration.
He had never been the recipient of such looks before.
The subtle jealousy, envy, and admiration that came with being a Royal Class student—Connor had never experienced it.
Within the Royal Class, his ability had long been branded as useless.
—Wow! That’s amazing!
—Soon you’ll be able to teleport with your shirt too, right?
—C-Congratulations, Lint...
When he had managed to teleport with his underwear, his fellow superhuman classmates had celebrated with him. His ability was so pathetic that even a minor improvement was met with encouragement and praise.
He could never dream of doing the incredible things Reinhart did, achieving success after success.
Awakening his supernatural power in a fight with a senior, returning from the Dark Land after accomplishing something monumental, awakening Mana Reinforcement on his own after a fight, and winning the first-year tournament confidently...
Performing the kinds of feats that made everyone’s jaws drop—that wasn’t his role.
Now, though, people were seeing him. Just because he was a Royal Class student, just because he was a superhuman.
Some even whispered that he was cute.
For the first time in his life, he was receiving attention. What would happen if he told them that he couldn’t use his ability because it would strip him of his clothes?
Would their admiring gazes turn into looks of disdain?
The thought of their expectant gazes turning cold was unbearable.
His ability was useless.
No—it was an amazing ability with a critical flaw that made it impractical.
How long would he have to live like this? Waiting to see what he could teleport next after his underwear, living on while being satisfied by tiny improvements?
When would he become a useful person?
Connor Lint felt the crowd’s chants growing distant. The host’s urging sounded like a distant echo.
Amidst the countless eyes that were focused on him, Connor Lint felt utterly alone.
‘I don’t want to be like Reinhart. That reckless guy only seeks out dangerous situations and takes on risky challenges.
‘I don’t want to live like that. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. But even though I don’t want to go looking for trouble and hardships like that annoyingly handsome guy, I still wish...
‘I wish the world could be a little more lenient with me, just as it seems to be with him. How long do I have to live with this half-baked ability, introducing myself as a superhuman but never being able to show my power to anyone?
‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching Reinhart, it’s that recklessness sometimes leads to unexpected results. Recklessness doesn’t always lead to failure.
‘I believe the world has something prepared for me too. And I know that unless I try, it will never be within my grasp. If a tree bears fruit, that fruit will never be mine unless I take the risk of climbing the tree.’
—Show us!
Connor Lint, lost in his short but intense contemplation, returned to reality. He made a decision. His Royal Class classmates, who had been mocking him, turned pale as they read the resolve in his expression.
—No! Don’t do it!!
That was Riana de Granz, who had been enjoying herself the most. She had turned almost blue and was shaking her head frantically. While she enjoyed a good laugh at someone’s expense, she wasn’t inherently evil. Seeing Connor about to cross a point of no return, she tried desperately to stop him.
But Connor was beyond listening to anyone else now.
‘No. I’ve decided to do it. There are times when you must move forward, even if you might fail.’
—Show us, oppa!
It wasn’t because of the cute middle school girl squealing in the front row.
“Mr. Lint, if demonstrating your ability is difficult, you can use your presentation time for something else...”
It wasn’t because of the annoying host either.
—Show us!
It wasn’t because of the admiring cries of the crowd.
—I said don’t do it!
It wasn’t for anyone else.
It was for himself.
He was tired of this stagnation, tired of being stuck. He was fed up with himself. So, while he couldn’t live like Reinhart, he decided to take the path Reinhart had taken to reach his achievements so far.
There were situations in which one couldn’t back down, and this was one of them. He would push himself to the limit and make it to the next stage.
If he failed, it would be a huge embarrassment. But if he succeeded, he wouldn’t have to live as a half-baked superhuman anymore.
There was no more extreme situation than this.
He had to do it.
“I will show you something.”
—Yeahhhhh!
Connor Lint, wearing a dress, concentrated, his eyes filled with determination. He was going to teleport himself together with all his clothes, and finally step onto the path of a true superhuman.
The target coordinates were the right side of the stage. Using the ability itself was easy; it was overcoming the penalty that was the challenge. Though he still didn’t know how he would do it, he resolved to master teleportation in this extreme situation.
“Hup!”
Connor Lint clasped his hands together and let out a spirited shout.
Pop!
—Whoa!
In an instant, the auditorium fell silent. Connor Lint had successfully teleported.
—H-Huh...?
The audience was shocked.
“Uh...?”
The host was also shocked.
—What...?
—W-What’s going on...?
The Royal Class classmates who were looking on were equally stunned. Their expressions were not those of people seeing a predicted side effect; they were of people who had witnessed something completely unexpected.
“...?”
Connor Lint himself was just as bewildered. He had indeed succeeded in teleporting, but his body had remained in the same spot. It was his clothes that had teleported instead.
Connor Lint had teleported all his clothes, except for his underwear, to the right side of the stage. He was left in a daze, as were his classmates.
Connor Lint’s ability had evolved. What had just happened was unbelievable. Those in the know understood that Connor Lint’s ability had not just improved, but had undergone a miraculous transformation.
However, the host and the audience could only assume that this was how Connor Lint’s teleportation ability worked. Instead of teleporting himself, he had teleported his clothes.
“Is... Is this what teleportation is...?”
“Uh, no, th-that’s... Not exactly.”
Connor Lint had achieved a miraculous growth in his ability.
—Ahhhh!
But the result was the same: he was left nearly naked, clad in nothing but his underwear.
***
—W-Well ladies and gentlemen... T-That was contestant number 1, Mr. Connor Lint!
Of course, Connor Lint wasn’t arrested for public indecency or something similar. The fault lay primarily with the host for not finding out about the penalties associated with his ability.
Connor Lint, in his underwear, hastily gathered his clothes and fled backstage, leaving the audience and other students in a state of shock and confusion. It took some time for the chaos caused by the sudden visual assault to settle down.
“What... What did I just see...?” Riana de Granz muttered, still in a daze.
Her shock wasn’t just because of Connor Lint’s sudden near-nudity, but also because he had used a completely different ability than what they had known.
Heinrich, Kaier, and Erhi were equally stunned. While the audience, unfamiliar with Lint, reacted with bewilderment and disbelief, those who knew him were shocked by the significant evolution of his ability.
Connor Lint had always been able to teleport himself, but now he had managed to teleport other objects. Although it had resulted in a comical situation, with him teleporting his clothes away, the fact remained that his ability had advanced dramatically.
The audience, unaware of the true nature of his ability, were staring in shock and disbelief, although some found his panicked retreat endearing. However, the four who knew the truth were left speechless, their mouths agape.
***
—N-Now, let’s introduce contestant number 2!
The host tried to restore order by continuing with the programme. The four Royal Class students had initially come to see Connor Lint’s ridiculous performance, and now that it was over, they had no reason to stay.
Although there was still the audience voting and the announcement of the overall winner, their participation wasn’t considered essential. Despite the shocking turn of events, their main interest in the event had concluded, so there was no reason to remain.
However, the Royal Class students did not leave their seats, nor did the other audience members.
—What have you prepared for your appeal time?
—I’ll be dancing.
The antics of the contestants were amusing enough to keep everyone watching. Whether they were participating as a punishment or voluntarily, each provided their own brand of entertainment.
“Hey, what is that? What’s going on?”
“Ouch! Ouch! I get that it’s funny, but why are you hitting me?!”
The shock from Connor Lint’s performance was short-lived. Soon enough, Riana was laughing heartily and hitting Erhi de Raffaeli, who was sitting beside her.
“Shouldn’t they at least shave their leg hair? Haha!” Riana was the type to hit people when she found something funny. “This is hilarious... Oh, my stomach hurts from laughing so much!”
During the time allocated to each contestant to showcase their skills, some danced, some sang, and some even attempted martial arts demonstrations.
When a music major who looked surprisingly good in drag performed a powerful baritone solo, everyone was left in awe, clapping absentmindedly.
As the cross-dressing contest continued, Riana suddenly clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.
“That’s right!”
“What? What’s right... Are you going to hit me again?”
Erhi, seemingly conditioned to the abuse, flinched as Riana’s eyes lit up with an idea.
“That’s right! That’s right! I forgot about it!”
Whack! Whack! Whack!
Of course, she did hit him again.
“Why do you keep hitting me...”
Riana smacked Erhi’s shoulder a few more times before turning to the rest of the trio.
“Earlier on, in the waiting room, there was this really strange person,” Riana said.
“A strange person?” Erhi asked, while Kaier’s expression turned curious.
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if there wasn’t anyone weird in that room?” Kaier added.
That was true. In a waiting room filled with people engrossed in cross-dressing, it would be more unusual to find someone who didn’t seem out of place. In a room full of oddballs, the normal person would be the odd one out.
“No. I mean, there was someone who looked gorgeous,” Riana said, finally choosing a more blunt way to express it.
“...?”
For Riana to use such a strong expression like “gorgeous” was surprising.
Given the context, it was obviously a guy. Riana tilted her head as she recalled the strange person she had momentarily forgotten because of the earlier shock.
“I think it was number 40.”
Riana seemed determined to stay until the end to satisfy her curiosity, and her classmates were also intrigued by her description.
‘How pretty could he be?’ they wondered.
They were just curious. What did it mean for a guy in drag to be gorgeous? None of them understood why they were still sitting there, but none of them left.
—Now, let’s introduce contestant number 24, Richard Haulman!
“...”
“...”
“...”
The appearance of a giant over two meters tall wearing a dress made everyone want to cover their eyes. Even the host seemed taken aback.
“... I feel like leaving,” Riana said, her lips twitching slightly as if her eyes had been assaulted.
—Ahem, um... oh. Uh. Yes.
Seeing a muscular giant blushing while fiddling with the hem of his dress and crossing his legs was indeed a sight to behold.
After a painfully awkward exchange between the malfunctioning host and the embarrassed human tank, the host decided it was best to move on to the performance.
—What have you prepared to show us?
—I’ll be demonstrating squats.
Everyone watched in a daze as the human tank performed some heavy squats in a dress. It was a sight many wished they could unsee, leading to a number of people leaving the room.
Amidst this chaos and laughter, the cross-dressing contest continued, and it was quickly approaching the final act.
—Now, we have the last contestant of the 8th Annual Cross-Dressing Contest. This contestant is sure to surprise you in many ways. Due to a request for anonymity, we cannot reveal their real name. Please welcome contestant number 40!
It wasn’t unusual for some contestants to request anonymity, so this wasn’t particularly strange.
Riana had already seen this person once, and her description had piqued the interest of the other three who were with her.
The final contestant, the anonymous number 40, slowly walked onto the stage.
—Wow...
The audience could only utter awestruck exclamations as contestant number 40 walked into the spotlight.
“... What, what is this...?”
“No way...”
“What the... is this real?”
The reactions of the Royal Class students were no different. Even Riana, who had seen number 40 earlier on, was staring at him in a daze.
The silver hair, reflecting the light and shining brilliantly, looked too vibrant to be a wig. It seemed like it was the person’s actual hair. Golden eyes, alluring pink lips, a beautiful jawline and facial features, and a clean, delicate white neck.
The slender shoulders and the perfect waistline, though partially hidden by the dress, were evident. Finally, a gentle, kind smile made the appearance truly perfect.
Everyone had the same question in their minds. ‘Is that really a guy?’
It had to be a lie.
—Uh... I hesitate to ask, but... are you really a contestant in the cross-dressing contest?
—Yes.
There was the soft, ambiguous voice again, one that could belong to either gender. Instead of cheers or exclamations, the audience was left in a stunned silence. It seemed almost unbelievable.
—You requested anonymity. Is there a reason for that?
For a moment, a slight crack appeared in the otherwise impenetrable expression of participant number 40. But it was quickly replaced by the original serene smile.
The contestant paused before answering.
—Everyone has their secrets.
—I see... Do you often dress like this?
At the host’s provocative question, participant number 40 paused and looked at them. The audience sensed a fleeting glimpse of participant number 40’s true expression, but no one could catch it clearly.
The brilliant smile quickly returned.
—No, not at all.
—So this is your first time?
—Yes.
Though number 40 seemed composed, those watching closely could see the truth. While his expression was calm, his hands were gripping his dress tightly.
It was clear that number 40 was very nervous. His face was gradually turning a subtle shade of red.
It was evident that number 40 found the situation extremely embarrassing.