"Th-th-this... how is this even possible?!"
The battle between the swordswoman, hastily trained in a fifteen-day crash course, and the IPC's mechs ended swiftly.
Scott, who had initially planned to hold back against March 7th, now stared in disbelief at the disabled IPC mechs littering the battlefield. He was plunged into a state of impossibility, incomprehension, improbability, and self-doubt.
"Y-y-you... you, you, you're all useless!"
"How could you lose to a complete novice?!"
Watching March 7th utterly and effortlessly defeat the IPC's mechs from start to finish, Scott was utterly stunned.
This left Scott, who had been relentlessly boasting about the IPC mechs' supposed invincibility, feeling both embarrassed and furious.
Ignoring Lumina's presence, he unleashed his rage on the IPC employees piloting the mechs.
Scott had considered both victory and defeat.
But he never imagined he would lose so utterly!
During the battle, the IPC mechs had shown no resistance whatsoever, falling before March 7th's casual sword strikes!
This... this couldn't be happening!
"Why are you so angry? Didn't you lose too?"
Having won the bet, March 7th stood with her hands on her hips, her head tilted skyward. Her pristine, adorable face radiated pride and the disdainful arrogance of a legendary hero, as if she looked down upon all living beings.
To be honest, this posture not only obscured Scott's current state but also made her feel rather uncomfortable. However, to project an image of overwhelming authority, March 7th forced herself to maintain it, no matter how awkward it felt.
It wasn't for her own sake, but to show Scott, the loser, what true strength and heroic bearing looked like!
But... with March 7th's endearingly naive and utterly clueless demeanor, this pose conveyed neither the aura of a powerful warrior nor the gravitas of a great hero. Instead, it made people think...
Whose adorable child is this? I want to take her home!
"No... no!"
"Why?! Why?!"
"How could some flimsy piece of Xianzhou metal so easily defeat the IPC's invincible mecha?!"
Even with Lumina present, Scott's face remained contorted with disbelief. He screamed with visceral anguish, his words dripping with incomprehension and suspicion.
Though Scott didn't explicitly mention Lumina's presence, his implication was crystal clear:
Did March 7th cheat?
In just fifteen days, she had transformed from a complete novice in swordsmanship into a prodigy capable of effortlessly defeating the IPC's invincible mecha. Scott simply couldn't believe it.
Does she think this is some kind of "Dragon Long" martial arts fantasy novel?
The only logical explanation was that March 7th had rigged the fight beforehand!
She must have sabotaged the IPC's mecha, or perhaps secretly applied some kind of positive buff to herself!
With Lady Lumina's power, subtly granting March 7th a buff without anyone noticing would be child's play!
Otherwise, Scott couldn't fathom how March 7th, a complete beginner in swordsmanship just fifteen days ago, could now effortlessly defeat the IPC's invincible mecha!
"Ha?" Though Scott hadn't said it outright, and despite March 7th's apparent cluelessness, she still grasped his implication:
He's saying I cheated, isn't he?
Pah! This girl would never cheat!
March 7th's proudly raised head lowered gradually, returning to its normal posture.
Her pure white, adorable face was now filled with displeasure as she planted her hands on her hips and stalked toward Scott, step by step.
Though significantly shorter than Scott, the oppressive aura March 7th exuded was undeniably real.
"You don't think I cheated, do you?" she challenged.
"What? If you're not convinced, why don't you take my blade and see for yourself whether it's my skill or cheating?!"
March 7th's aura surged violently. The intensity emanating from her petite frame astonished everyone present, earning her waves of praise.
"As expected, anyone who can befriend Lady Lumina is no ordinary person."
"This seemingly ditzy pink-haired girl is actually this formidable... I'm getting old; I've completely misjudged her."
"When have you ever judged correctly? When you first said the IPC's mecha would definitely win, I knew exactly how it would end."
"Lady Lumina, I'm your loyal dog!"
The murmurs of the surrounding crowd flooded March 7th's ears, causing her to puff out her chest even further. Her already overwhelming aura surged even more intensely under the relentless "praise."
However, amidst the compliments, a few odd remarks seemed to slip through...
"Mr. Scott, I guarantee it with my authority."
"The recent battle between March 7th and the IPC mechs was absolutely fair," Lumina declared, stepping forward to reassure Scott, who clearly harbored doubts.
If March 7th had genuinely struggled against the IPC mechs, Lumina would have intervened with subtle manipulations, shamelessly stepping forward at the end to vouch for fairness. After all, if you don't notice my interference, it's as good as if I didn't interfere at all, right?
However, Lumina was spared such unscrupulous tactics. March 7th had effortlessly crushed the supposedly invincible IPC mechs.
"Ah... I understand. I've lost," Scott conceded, knowing that challenging Lady Lumina's guarantee would be suicidal. He still had ambitions to climb the corporate ladder, to become a Lone Wolf standing atop the mountains, gazing down at the masses...
Besides, his earlier skepticism had merely been a momentary outburst of frustration.
After all, given Lady Lumina's renowned reputation throughout the Cosmos, how could she possibly resort to cheating in a fair battle agreed upon by both sides?
Her esteemed name echoed throughout the Cosmos. Even Scott himself couldn't believe that Lady Lumina would stoop to such petty tactics—the kind only a small-minded person would use—over such a trivial matter.
"Since you've conceded, it's time to fulfill your promise," Stelle said, waving her hand dismissively and offering a gentle reminder after Scott admitted defeat.
"Hmph! If you truly mean what you say, then I'll give you my respect!" March 7th chimed in, nodding sagely, her face practically radiating with self-proclaimed "wisdom."
"Enough!" Scott snorted coldly. "This isn't the first time. Do you honestly think I'd renege now?"
If this were the first time, Scott might have felt a flicker of apprehension, a hint of trepidation, and perhaps even entertained a faint possibility of cheating his way out.
But now, after multiple times through the same drill, what did Scott have to fear? What kind of nonsense could he pull?
Scott had always been a laughingstock in Aurum Alley, the butt of jokes during meals and idle chatter.
If he'd been the laughingstock once, twice wouldn't make much difference. Having already cemented his reputation as a laughingstock, what was another instance or two?
Once he'd grasped this, Scott's expression gradually returned to normal.
He apologized in a flat, emotionless tone: "Everyone, I want to apologize to the Proprietress of the Sleepless Earl.
"I caused trouble and deliberately picked on the young lady.
"I even frightened her... It's all my fault!"
"Don't you dare forget that," Stelle quickly added after Scott finished, waving her hand and gesturing toward Scott.
"I understand, I understand! Of course I know!"
"I, Scott, keep my word! I would never back down!"
Scott crossed his arms and let out a cold snort.
Then, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice, he continued: "This moment... it's just like that other moment.
"Before I formally learn how to oink like a pig, I have one more thing to say."
Scott paused dramatically, then shouted, "Only a pighead would want an IPC mech!"
Oink! Oink~ Oink! Oink!
"Good!"
"What a real man!"
"He's a man of his word! He might seem a bit despicable and not exactly a good person, but this alone makes him a Hero!"
The arena erupted in cheers, punctuated by Scott's incessant pig-like snorts and grunts.
"Damn... this guy's pig snorts actually sound like real pig snorts."
"He's not holding back at all..."
As Scott's loud, high-pitched snorts echoed through the arena, March 7th couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Sure, his character might be questionable, but his commitment to his word—saying he'd snort like a pig and actually doing it, without hesitation or half-measures—shows the kind of decisive spirit that can accomplish great things.
No wonder he became a leader. See? This is exactly why he's qualified to lead.
But... why does this Scott seem so familiar?
"Hmph, let's go!" After oinking like a pig for nearly a minute, Scott waved dismissively at the IPC employees resting on the ground, who had been watching his "performance." He signaled them to get up and leave.
"Wait, you're not going anywhere yet."
Just as the IPC employees were getting to their feet, ready to leave with Scott, Stelle suddenly called out, her arms crossed.
"W-what else is there?!" Hearing her voice, Scott forcefully suppressed the anger bubbling within him, took a deep breath to compose himself, and turned to glare at Stelle.
"I seem to recall you said more than just learning to oink," Stelle said, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "Someone here promised that if they lost, their pig squeals would echo throughout all of Aurum Alley."
"Ha? When did I ever say that?!" Scott froze in disbelief.
Seriously, lady, who do you think you are, some kind of martial arts hero?
I didn't even say that out loud! How did you know?!
Hmm...
That's right, I didn't say anything just now!
Hiss...
"I heard it with my ears," Stelle replied, first winking at the others beside her to give them a simple signal.
"Yeah, I heard it too," Lumina chimed in. Though she had no idea how Stelle had heard it, it didn't matter—she just needed to agree.
"Mhm, I... I heard it too! That sunglasses-wearing uncle said he was going to make his pig's oink echo through all of Aurum Alley!" Little Swarm might be naive, but she wasn't stupid. This was her big sister Stelle's statement, and with Sister Lumina's endorsement, she naturally joined the bandwagon immediately.
"Exactly, we heard it too!" Yanqing and Yunli exchanged glances before nodding in perfect unison.
"Uh... what's going on with everyone? Why are you all nodding?"
"Did Scott actually say that just now? I didn't hear it at all."
Among the group, only March 7th hadn't quite grasped the situation. Seeing everyone else nodding, she looked utterly bewildered.
Bewildered or not...
"Mm-hmm, me too! I heard it too!"
Bewildered or not, clueless or not, as long as she nodded along like everyone else, it would be fine.
"Y-you... y-you... y-you..." Scott wasn't a fool. Though he couldn't detect anything amiss in the faces of Stelle, Lumina, Little Swarm, Yanqing, Yunli, or the others, March 7th's reaction made everything clear. Yet he couldn't devise an effective countermeasure in such a short time.
"Exactly! We all heard it too!"
"Yeah, yeah! Lady Lumina would never lie! We all heard it too!"
"Make him squeal! Make him squeal! Make him squeal!"
For the surrounding crowd of onlookers, this grand spectacle had suddenly gained an encore performance. How could they not be thrilled?
As mere spectators, did the truth really matter?
All that mattered was their entertainment.
Besides, Scott had never been a good person to begin with. And the recording of his pig-like squeals had already spread far and wide. He probably wouldn't mind adding "having his pig squeals echo throughout Aurum Alley" to his list of infamous deeds...
Since that's the case, then squeal away!
"You... you... you Xianzhou people!"
"You're all ganging up to bully foreign tourists!"
Hearing the relentless jeers around him, Scott clutched his chest, desperately suppressing the urge to cough up blood. His chest heaved as he frantically regulated his breathing, trying to calm himself down.
"Fine... fine!"
"I'll squeal! I'll just squeal!"
"All of you, shut up!"
"I'll squeal!"
After a moment's consideration, Scott relented.
What difference would a third time make? After the first two, it's all just extra damage!
My name's already been dragged through the mud across Aurum Alley. So...
Squeal!
"Oink! Oink~ Oink, oink!!!"
That day, Scott's pig-like squeals echoed throughout Aurum Alley...