The Cradle of the Vaise family wasn't just a place for grooming children who were still learning; it was also for those who had learned enough and had nothing to accomplish anymore.
The Instructors in Cradle were more than ordinary teachers—they were veterans who had decided to take a break from everything.
They had reached the peak of their talent, or at least reached a point in life they wanted, and now, all they want is to impart all of their learning to someone else.
They wanted their lives, hard work, and techniques to live on in the new talents in Cradle. Some even tried to pass on their incomplete techniques so the next generation would complete them.
That was why, the Cradle was also a place for the children to try impressing someone whose technique they wanted to learn. They would try to show their talents to catch the eye of some of those veterans because just being their disciples meant a lot.
By becoming their disciples, they were under the protection of the said person, who would support them to the best of their capabilities.
After all, no one would want a person who had learned their techniques to die without being able to realize it to its full capabilities.
Because of this, the children start competing the moment they join the Cradle, everyone trying to get the recognition of the best—Damien Vance—in the Cradle.
But of course, he wasn't the type to take anyone as his disciple, so despite wanting to catch his recognition, not everyone does.
It was for that reason that children tried their luck with other instructors who had made great names for themselves.
Raven, who knew the whole plot, knew this, unlike his teammates, who were bastard children of the Vaise family.
So, unlike the original plot, he wanted them to shine so they could get recognition of some of the best in the Cradle.
That would ensure their smooth sailing life—without being bullied—in the Cradle.
Of course, people would still try to bully them, but at least the older generation wouldn't interfere, and although his teammates were... unique, Raven knew they wouldn't lose in scuffles between children.
Right now, as his teammates went out to fight again and again, racking up victories, Raven remained behind, listening in on the instructors' exchange.
........................
Some distance away.
"That guy, Alex," an instructor spoke, tapping his foot on the ground. "He has a special physique."
"Of course, he does," another scoffed. "How else can a bastard be that strong?"
"Are you saying you don't want him?" A lady instructor asked, her arms folded. "I was thinking of taking him in, anyway. He seemed perfect for completing my titanium body arts."
"I never said I won't take him—" The former tried to retort with a frown but someone else spoke, cutting the guy off.
"Could you all let me have him?" The voice was old yet carried weight, making every instructor tense. "I had my eyes on him from the start."
'The fuck you mean, start?! You were the last to arrive!'
The other instructors wanted to yell those thoughts but held them in as the guy before them, stroking his white beard, was no normal person.
That man was one of the few from the last patriarch's generation still alive, and although he was nearing his end, the guy was still stronger than them.
"Of course, Sir Hamilton..." The woman instructor nodded with a smile that she didn't mean.
Hamilton, however, could care less about that. He got what he wanted—a talent without any backing.
Some might think of bastards as a bad choice, but people like Hamilton didn't.
These people came to the Cradle to escape the family's politics, so for them, taking a bastard with no backing whatsoever as their disciple was the best choice.
'I'll be damned...' Raven, who was listening to the conversation, raised a brow as he saw who was going to take Alex as his disciple. 'That's the best teacher he could hope to get.'
His gaze turned toward Alex, who was returning after defeating another player.
'Once he becomes that guy's disciple, how many plot points will I get? 100? 200? 300?' A sleazy grin stretched on his lips as he imagined the scene. 'Am I going to get rich soon?'
"W-What?" The thickhead, on the other hand, almost stumbled as he met Raven's strange gaze.
"Hm? What?" Raven questioned back, now smiling.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alex looked scared, stepping back with his arms raised in defense.
Raven, however, just tilted his head. "Like what?"
"L-Like I'm some tasty meat...?" Alex replied, trying to describe what he felt in words.
"Haha, no way. You are no meat, man," Raven laughed, a wide smile marring his face as he walked closer to Alex, placing a hand on the scared guy. "You are my cash cow—cough—precious teammate."
"W-What was that just now—?" Alex, struggling to break free, shuttered, only to be cut off by Raven.
"Let's go cheer for Clara."
Jake, standing next to Raven the whole time followed along as Raven pulled Alex closer to the circle.
........................
After that, Raven kept an ear on all of the conversations, letting out strange giggles from time to time, scaring his teammates.
None of them knew what was happening since they couldn't hear the instructors' conversation. Raven, however, could, and as he saw how teachers were reacting to his team's performance, he couldn't help but feel happy.
Some of the instructors doubted him as well, wondering if he really was anything special or if all the rumors surrounding him were just rumors.
But Raven wasn't deterred.
He knew his time to shine was close and soon he would show who he was. After all, he didn't want to remain in the shadows.
He wanted to make a name for himself since he was the protagonist, and the more fame he gathered, the better it would be for him.
Raven wanted to avoid being looked down upon since most of the protagonist's problems originate from that.
The only way to do that was to get famous as people tend not to look down on famous people.
Back in the matches, his teammates kept getting attention, and although they weren't the only ones who stood out among the rest, they were still some of the top talents of this batch.
Everything, however, ended at some point, and so did the matches as Instructor Gale stepped forward.
"The first round of the matches has been concluded."
As soon as those words settled, murmurs rose among the children since everyone knew what would happen.
Instructor Gale, ignoring the murmurs, continued. "For the second round, all teams that haven't lost a match must send one representative."
The practical matches were the decider of the ranks among the teams, so it was natural that only one team came out on top. But with at least ten teams not losing a match until now, they couldn't choose one to be at the top.
The deciding factor for those ranks has always been the second round, also known as the Rite of Challenge.
Unlike the first round, only one person per team is allowed to participate. Most of the time, the strongest goes, and that's why, the moment the announcement was made, almost every person in the field turned toward Raven's group.
"Is he finally going to step up?"
"Wait—! Could he have been saving his strength for this round?"
"Was he that confident about making it to the second round?"
"What if he still doesn't come up, though?"
"If he doesn't come up, then we'll know that he's no big deal and that his team isn't making it into the top three."
Murmurs spread out as everyone, including the teachers, talked about it.
Raven could even feel the gazes of Instructor Gale, Damien, and Vaise.
This time, however, he wasn't going to stay behind.
"Hmmm~" He stretched his arms, yawning before he stepped forward. "I guess, it's time for me to get some action."
"Show them what you're made of, Raven." Clara's voice reached Raven's ears, making him smile, but before he could deliver a cool line, she added, "A beautiful girl like me is rooting for you!"
Raven almost stumbled as he heard those words. Instead of turning back, he sped up, reaching in front of Instructor Gale before other team leaders.
"You're beautiful—?" Alex, standing beside Clara, tilted his head, but before he could complete those words, Jake, with an alarmed expression, covered the guy's mouth.
Alex frowned, confused at Jake's actions, but as soon as he saw Clara turning to look at him, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"Did you say something, Alex?" Clara asked with a smile, referring to him as Alex when she usually calls him Thickhead or Buffoon.
With Jake's palm still covering his lips, Alex shook his head hysterically, realizing that Jake had just saved his life.
No matter how dumb he was, Alex had realized today that he must never question a girl about her beauty.