Chapter 37: Divine Throws and Dirty Tactics
A Dull Turnaround
After I got knocked out, the game turned surprisingly dull.
David’s throws were fierce, but our team adapted to the speed, dodging better than expected.
Monica’s initial skeleton was long gone.
She summoned more, but Orphe pulled off trick shots, hitting both skeletons and players with two-bounce throws, neutralizing them quickly.
By the ninth shattered skeleton, Monica stopped summoning.
Judging by her scream when the last one broke, she couldn’t summon more.
“No! Krrung, not you too! Sob…”
Her naming sense, though.
Nine skeletons? Should’ve gone with girl group names.
Somehow, Orphe breaking skeletons made him the villain, but his efforts evened the score.
Plus, another student’s quick attack got caught spectacularly, letting Fifirel and me return to the court, giving us the numbers advantage.
In the end, only David could save Monica’s team.
“Hey, Orphe, can’t you go easy?”
“Coming from you, Count David? Weren’t you the embodiment of competitiveness back in the knight order?”
David scratched his head awkwardly at Orphe’s retort.
“Fair point. But you know something, Orphe?”
“What’s that?”
“People don’t change easily.”
As he spoke, David threw the ball from a much lower angle.
Orphe dodged it easily.
The problem? I was in its path again.
No way I could dodge that sudden shot.
Thud!
“Kyaa?!”
“Are you alright?!”
“It’s… fine…”
‘My ankle hurts like hell!’
The good news: the ball hit the ground first, so I wasn’t out.
The bad news: it smashed my exposed ankle under my skirt.
I told Theo I was okay, but my face must’ve betrayed me.
Orphe approached, his expression full of concern.
“Can you walk?”
“Uh… I think so…”
‘It hurts like crazy.’
“Excuse me.”
Orphe didn’t wait for my opinion.
He swiftly removed my black shoe.
Without pause, he pulled off the sock covering half my calf.
I winced as it brushed the injury.
“Hng…!”
“It’s swollen. How is this fine?”
“I can handle this much.”
‘It’s just a sprained ankle, chill.’
Orphe shook his head.
He turned my pale foot, checking it carefully.
After a while, he called out to Instructor Bella, who was watching silently.
“I’d like to pull Saintess Isidora from the match.”
“Denied.”
“Even with a sprained ankle?”
“You’re misunderstanding something, Orphe.”
Bella approached, unfazed by Orphe and Theo’s sharp glares.
“This is tactical training, not a game. Injuries are common in standoffs. Creating wounded is more advantageous than killing. Dead bodies can be left, but the injured need recovery, doubling the strain on resources.”
She finished and looked at David.
“You had that in mind, didn’t you, Count?”
“Me? No idea what you’re talking about.”
David shrugged.
“But the instructor’s got a point. Orphe, did I ever tell you how I earned the Giant Slayer nickname?”
“Not the time for stories.”
“Oh, come on.”
David grinned.
“The giants on the southern coast gave my father a headache.”
His smile had a vicious edge.
“Know their trait? Strong camaraderie. They retrieve their dead later and never abandon the injured. That made giant byproducts insanely valuable.”
He bounced a ball on the ground.
Orphe glared and cut in.
“Get to the point.”
“Same old temper. So, I thought: don’t kill, just wound. It cripples their forces. Like the saintess now.”
His gaze locked on me, predatory, sending chills down my spine.
Now I remember why he never joined the hero’s party.
Sure, he’s less versatile than Fifirel, but his cruelty was the real issue.
A man who treats the world as his target practice.
If Orphe’s a sociopath-lite, David’s the real-deal psychopath.
“I noticed you and the prince cherish the saintess. Didn’t we always say in the knight order? Don’t create weaknesses.”
“So you targeted her on purpose?”
“How’d you get there? Stop assuming.”
David smirked, glancing at Bella.
“Can we resume? Getting bored.”
“Alright. I’ll leave the court, and we start in ten seconds.”
Bella exited quickly.
David counted down with a sneer.
“10, 9, 8, 7…”
“Orphe, don’t worry about me. It’s not real combat.”
‘Don’t drag me down, move!’
“No way.”
Stubborn idiot.
Am I holding you back?
“You said David’s throws are too hard to catch. Better I take the hit and go out. It’s not my first—”
“After all that nosebleed?”
This clingy jerk.
Bringing that up?
“I’ll take the hit instead.”
“Don’t you want to win?”
‘We’ll lose like this!’
Orphe gently put my sock and shoe back on.
“What if I hate seeing you hurt more than winning?”
“Huh?!”
‘What’s that mean?’
“If I hadn’t dodged earlier, your face wouldn’t be scratched.”
David’s voice came over Orphe’s shoulder.
“3, 2, 1… See ya!”
Thud!
The ball hit Orphe’s back.
He didn’t flinch, smiling at me.
“Let this be my apology.”
“Out!”
Orphe stood and walked to the outfield at Bella’s call.
Erdike stormed over, glaring.
“Isidora, what did you do to Orphe—”
“Saintess Erdike.”
‘Hey.’
“Y-yes?”
I cut off her rant.
“Let’s call a truce for now.”
‘Come here.’
“…Why?”
This damn Orphe, pissing me off.
Thinks I’m some princess he has to protect?
I grabbed a nearby ball.
“To beat the count who hit Orphe.”
‘Let’s crush that jerk first.’
“Isidora, you’re… mad?”
Furious.
At David, smugly targeting ankles.
At Bella, dressing it up as tactics.
At Orphe, still seeing me as someone to shield.
‘They all piss me off.’
Erdike sighed.
“Fine, I’ll let it slide for Orphe.”
She muttered a brief prayer.
“You who lost all and gained all, your servant seeks to guide a fool. Grant your blessing and glory.”
A gray halo glowed around Erdike, the God of Jealousy’s emblem appearing behind her head.
I whispered softly.
“Divine Descent.”
[The Gods of Hunting, War, and Justice answer your call.]
Hunting would be nice.
[The God of Hunting descends upon you.]
Divine power surged through me.
The moment I descended, my ankle’s pain vanished.
Like Erdike said before, minor injuries heal fast.
[Child, you’re very angry.]
A man’s ageless voice echoed in my mind.
Yeah.
There’s this guy who thinks he’s always right.
I gripped the ball, staring at David.
“Erdike, bind his feet.”
‘Make that bastard immobile.’
“Am I your lackey?”
“Hurry.”
‘Now.’
“Ugh.”
Grumbling, Erdike used her power.
“Mark of Guidance.”
“Urgh…!”
David clutched his chest.
I know that feeling—stiffness that makes moving tough.
Got hit by it in the park.
[Child, what do you want?]
A lightning-fast ball.
[Swiftshot’s power is granted to the ball. Throw it.]
I raised my right arm over my shoulder.
My arm extended lightly.
The ball shot like an arrow.
“Argh!”
David, unable to move, took the hit and collapsed.
The ball bounced back to our court.
I picked it up silently.
[Hunting begins.]
The God of Hunting’s excited voice rang in my head.