As the situation heated up between the two girls, and glances of hatred continuously passed between Clara and the girl standing beside Edmund, Sam managed to hear what happened and deduce the situation.
This was Melisha Montreal, Edmund's fiancée according to a contract with the Montreal family.
She had seen Clara standing in front of Edmund, talking to him and smiling while getting close.
Melisha felt jealous and ran straight towards them as if by accident, spilling the drinks she was carrying onto Clara's clothes.
The Montreal family was a lineage of knights whose noble standing was even lower than that of barons.
Therefore, they were considered commoners, not even true nobles.
However, because of Melisha's talents, which were crucial for confronting Clara at the end of the world, and because her family possessed many hidden treasures they knew nothing about, Edmund had decided to bind himself to Melisha with a contract—on paper only, not for love.
But Melisha did fall in love with this valiant hero and slept with him, becoming a harlot in every sense of the word.
Truthfully, Sam never liked Melisha Montreal in the novel. She wasn't even one of the Harem heroines; she was merely a plot device.
And guess what? She was completely aware of this and knew her fate.
She even helped Edmund, knowing she was nothing among all the other girls.
But she still surrendered everything to Edmund, just to feel, at the very least, that he would remember her, even if it was just a fleeting memory.
She felt she deserved nothing more than a single glance, even if it cost her everything she could possess.
In the end, despite all this, the hero failed to save the world, and all Sam could do was gloat over these two.
'You call me a dwarf... At least I'm not a slave to my lower half.'
"Look here, viper! You and your family can't even afford to buy one of these clothes! If I don't get compensation, your peaceful days here are over!"
Edmund stepped in front of Melisha, defending her like a gallant knight protecting his princess.
"Clara, don't up yourself. I will pay for the cost of your clothes."
"No, Edmund, I don't need your money! It's her fault; she must take responsibility for herself! You're not planning to cover her mistake, right"
Melisha finally opened her mouth:
"Why are you so upset? My darling has the right to buy things or even cover mistakes, and you have no right to order him around!"
She continued, smiling at Edmund:
"Isn't that right, darling?"
Edmund nodded at her.
"Yes, my babe."
She then pointed her finger at Clara:
"Besides, we are on a date, and you are now trying to intervene as a third party."
These words immediately sparked gossip among the onlookers watching their fight.
'Is Lady Clara truly trying to interfere as a third party in business that doesn't concern her?'
'I heard she's obsessed with Edmund. Are these rumors actually true?'
'She truly deserves the title, 'The Mad Princess of Smorgoth!''
This circulating gossip inflamed Clara's anger immensely. She felt like she wanted to kill the girl right there.
On the side, Sam remained silent, observing the heated exchanges.
An idea struck him.
He immediately took out his phone and snapped a picture of Edmund, Clara, and Melisha.
He sent the image to Rolf along with clear instructions to post it and include his personal bank account details for receiving funds.
He emphasized that they must not miss this chance to launch the club.
{Post this with the question: Who do you predict will win—Melisha Montreal or Clara Smorgoth—in their clash over the Scoundrel Prince?}
He had to exploit this drama to draw attention, which was exactly what they needed right now.
The betting system was based on the premise that an event would happen regardless of interference; if your prediction was correct, you won.
But as Sam was lost in thought, watching the drama unfold before him, a staff member in the store's official uniform suddenly emerged in front of everyone.
"Ladies and gentlemen... We apologize for the interruption, but the Luciferum Electronics Exhibition is hosting a competition for the latest gaming console released worldwide. This is the only remaining piece!"
Both girls instantly looked at the console in the man's hand, their eyes gleaming. Melisha glanced at Clara, then smiled, and looked into Edmund's eyes.
"Darling, I want that."
Edmund was formerly known as the Scoundrel Prince, but he was also the undisputed King of Gaming throughout the entire Academy. No one could compete with him.
"As you wish, my dear."
Clara couldn't hide her frustration. She had wanted that console to give it to Edmund, but damn that girl!
The competition, as was immediately apparent, was to be held on this year's newest fighting game: King Combat 4.
It was the most popular game at the time, and now there was a challenge that couldn't be missed.
The problem was, Clara didn't even know how to play the game.
When Sam looked at the game's logo, and realized the competition would be based on it, a wicked smile spread across his face, and a malicious spark ignited in his eyes.
For those who didn't know: Sam was invincible in this game in his past life. He was the undisputed king across nearly all iterations of this game series.
He even made a living occasionally by gambling on the outcomes of this game.
The version of the game was fundamentally ancient to Sam.
The strategies he possessed surpassed anyone present.
Therefore...
Sam raised his hand.
"I wish to participate as well!"
Five minutes passed.
All the participants for the competition had gathered.
The electronics exhibition had implemented a unique rule: participants were required to write their lover's or partner's name in the entry slot, effectively competing in their name.
In other words, you were representing her, playing for her sake, not your own. This was intended to strengthen the bonds between couples.
When Edmund looked at Melisha, who was smiling at him, he wrote her name in his slot:
[Melisha Montreal]
Melisha was instantly overjoyed.
Clara grew even angrier, but Sam intervened and wrote her name in his slot:
[Clara Smorgoth]
Now, he was the Villainess's representative. Clara was taken aback by Sam's sudden move.
She was about to scream at him but managed to calm herself, sensing that Sam was the only one trying to stand by her here.
Therefore, she let him do as he pleased, though she didn't expect much.
The competition began.
In Edmund's opening rounds, the effort he expended was negligible.
He swiftly eliminated five opponents.
When it came to Sam, the situation became utterly terrifying. None of the five players who went up against him managed to touch his red health bar, not even once.
Instead, all they could hear were the groans of their characters dying without them managing to do a single thing.
It was horrifying. His finger movements on the controller were so smooth, it was as if he were playing a Mozart concerto.
The two players were like unstoppable trains, consistently winning round after round.
They finally reached the finale, under the stunned gazes of the onlookers who couldn't believe the skill of these two pros.
It was simply incredible.
The final match was set between Sam and Edmund .
No, rather, it was between Clara Smorgoth and Melisha Montreal.
Clara was on the verge of disbelief regarding Sam.
She couldn't believe it. Did Sam even stand a chance of defeating Edmund, reclaiming her dignity, and allowing her to emerge victorious in the end?
As the finalists sat down side by side, everyone's eyes were locked on them, anticipating this massive clash.
Edmund grasped the controller at the exact same moment as Sam. He felt a flicker of anxiety under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
He knew Sam's preferred character: The Lava Man.
Therefore, he chose the character specifically designed to counter and defeat him: The Ruler's Arm.
But what he didn't expect was for Sam to choose the weakest, most universally known character.
"Look at this lunatic! Does this short guy really want to play as Little Mochi? They look alike; both are extremely small."
"He's definitely going to lose! That's just a joke character."
"What do you expect from Clara's servant? He's as crazy as she is!"
"I'm betting on his loss! Who's with me?"
The match consisted of three rounds.
The first player to win two consecutive rounds would be declared the winner.
After:
1
2
3
FIGHT!
The characters began to move on the screen.
The Ruler's Arm character attacked with a magical slash from the massive scepter in his hand.
But the small Mochi character dodged it with extreme speed, closed the distance, and fired her tiny darts using her small blowgun.
The Little Mochi character was a small girl, about nine years old..
She possessed a small blowgun that launched darts which reduced the opponent's health bar by a negligible amount.
Her biggest advantage was her extreme speed, but her health and damage output were minimal.
This was now the biggest problem facing Edmund..
His health was being reduced in an utterly provoking manner, yet he couldn't even touch sam once...
He could hear the sound of the gentle darts striking him, one after the other, and his character's health bar shrinking more and more.