I’ll Live My Second Life!
Chapter 74

TLN: Happy birthday, Lala!

Alright. There are the rules.

Apparently even this Manliness Rankings competition had some rules.

Fii took a seat and listened carefully.

The period for the competition is roughly a month. First, every participant starts with 500 points. During the month, you distribute those 500 points to people who you are manly. The person who ends up with the most points is the one who is accepted as the manliest man.

I see~

The rules were simple and clear.

In other words, you competed in manliness while getting others to acknowledge it.

The boy who explained things handed Fii some new paper.

It was different to the rankings paper from before.

Neat lines were drawn along the page, and there were two columns for names, and one for reasons, as well as various other details.

Use this paper when you want to hand points over. You dont have to write the reason, but its better to.

Why?

Because handing over points is also manly. Thats why if you give a manly reason, you can instead get manliness points from others.

(I see!)

Fii was impressed. So handing over points was a strategy as well.

She asked the boy a question.

Can you give yourself points?

In that case, it would be entirely easy to avoid the punishment game.

It isnt against the rules. But its not a manly thing to do. Youll stop getting points from the others. It would become impossible to aim for the top.

A guy who gives himself points because hes afraid of a punishment isnt manly at all.

A guy who gives points to someone else even though theres a risk of the punishment game is what real manliness is about.

I seee.

The two boys around her seemed to be boasting of their own manliness.

To be honest, Fii thought that the rules were full of holes, but to these manly boys, it was apparently not a problem.

Also, you can transfer the points youve gotten to someone else.

Transfer? Is there really anyone who would do that?

Fii couldnt think of any benefits at all.

No, transferring your points to someone else is pretty manly too. Even if it drops your rankings this time, you can expect your rankings to rise next round.

Transferring all your points to someone else, and waiting for the next round at the bottom. Its pretty damned manly!

I see

(It sounds like a plain idiot to me)

It sounded like a valid strategy to the boys.

But nobody has ever done it, so Ive been last every time

Unfortunately, Remi stated the reality.

In the end, it was just an interesting idea, and nobody had ever done it.

Whoa, whoa, contenting yourself with being last three times in a row is pretty manly too, yanno. Ill give you ten points.

Mn. Im impressed that you havent tried protecting yourself after three times in despair. Ill give you ten points as well.

With that, a number of boys wrote the lamenting Remis name on the Fourth Round paper.

T-, Thank youuu he said with moist eyes.

Perhaps he would finally be able to escape last place

By the way, Zerius has been 1st, three times in a row.

Right now everyone is saying that hes got the best chance of winning the Fourth Round too.

Zerius was often the topic of the maids discussions, but right now he wasnt in the break room.

That guy is seriously manly, after all.

Another apprentice knight folded his arms as he nodded to himself in thought.

Yeah. Even I have to acknowledge his manliness.

This time it was Gorms turn to fold his arms, and nod with a difficult expression.

Even the way he drinks milk is manly. I was freaking shocked

Hes the only one I think is impossible to beat.

Hes probably always gunna be 1st, so people have been saying that theyre aiming for 2nd instead.

Hes like the embodiment of manliness.

The boys all praised Zerius one by one.

Fii looked at the name sitting magnificently at first place.

Zerius, who Fii knew as well, was apparently the absolute king of the manliness rankings.

But well, even Fii could assent. That was simply how manly the boy named Zerius was.

He would definitely become a hindrance on Fiis path to the top.

Looking at the rest of the names, she found that Gorms was pretty high up at 5th place, as was Gheith who was at 6th. Slad was decent as well, at 12th place.

And Fii suddenly spotted Dougs ranking too.

Doug

The moment she called out this name, a boy began trembling behind her.

Why did you join in without telling me?

On the Round Three ranking sheet, Dougs name was clearly there. It was around 22nd place.

The reason people voted for him were things like

Hes got some dumb parts to him, but hes manly.

When he gets bossed around by Fii, he reminds me of my dad.

Hes strong.

Even though he joined the Northern Dormitory after Fii did, he had the gall to participate before she did.

And not only that, he kept it a secret from her.

The dark-skinned boy was glared at by the small onewho was a girl insideand blurted out in panic,

N-, No, I mean I thought it wouldnt have much to do you with I mean youre

She stopped him from blurting out her secret with a glare.

Naturally, Doug saw Fii as a girl. How could he have imagined that she would want to participate.

But Fii didnt understand his thoughts.

Fii glared viciously at Doug.

Ill punish you later.

A decisive declaration.

Yes

Doug simply dropped his shoulders and hung his head.