Pretending To Be God

Chapter 18: [Bonus chapter]Body Language

"Shoot… I knew I shouldn't have joined the academy! Maybe I should have just stayed in that damned room!" George's mind raced with regret, stretching his hand, even as he maintained a confident exterior.

While George's inner panic unfolded, the others couldn't help but be impressed, though they couldn't quite pinpoint why. There was something about his body language that resonated with them.

"He seems like an experienced Empire Guard," the Prince mused, observing George's stretches.

The rest of the prospects shared the same sentiment, and the reason for this was pretty simple, even though hard to execute, his body language.

The concept is a big factor in the world that he was in, and being one of the last human lawyers out there, he needed to make his customers feel that he was the best, and one of the easiest ways that one could do that is by showing a confident and a body language of what the everyday people would consider to be what the best would do.

And so he would watch television and see how lawyers in movies and tv shows would present themselves and even mimic their style, taking on a fictional personality of an unstoppable lawyer even though the lawyers in movies in tv shows would normally use it.

If he were to use the body language the real professional lawyers use, there would be no effect on clients as the real best lawyers would act normally compared to the professional lawyers in the movies.

In his whole week of planning, he realized that if he used the same technique in this world, could it work?

He read books about how the best fighters would fight and even their autobiography to know how they thought and how they spoke, but none of it helped since it wasn't visual, and there was also the fact that a lot of the people on this planet are illiterate.

Even among some nobles, reading would be just some extra ability.

Considering this fact, he stood up from the library and walked out for a while, still in his Detective disguise; he could see the Emerald City guards walking around while the commoner kids followed them as if they were looking at superheroes or pro-wrestling superstars.

With this newfound insight, George adopted the habits of the Emerald City guards, stretching his hands in a way that mimicked their daily weapon handling. Standing in a stationary position for prolonged periods had ingrained a distinctive back stretch in them. Additionally, their martial arts training emphasized efficient footwork, enabling swift transitions into combat stances.

Employing these adaptations, George exuded the aura of a seasoned member of the Emerald City Guards, even though he didn't possess any of their actual fighting ability. As he looked around, he noticed that instead of scaring people away, his act piqued their interest, making them more eager to face him in combat.

"I will now explain the rules of this fight," the instructor announced, capturing the attention of all the prospects in the tent. "To eliminate someone, you must either submit them until they give up or faint, or knock them out. No weapons are allowed. Given the competition level, if you manage to avoid elimination for five minutes, you will pass automatically."

Gideon interjected, "And the last prospect standing will receive personal training from me." He saw immense skill among the ten prospects, making it an opportune moment to choose a contender for the academy championship, where the non-magic sect could finally surpass the magic sect.

The prospects, except for George, who was already excited to engage in combat for the sheer thrill, now had even more reason and motivation to battle each other. Training under Gideon Cross meant learning from a contender in the World Championship. Since Gideon boasted an undefeated record and an impressive resume, anyone under his tutelage would gain invaluable experience.

Madrath clenched his fist, determined to reach his brother's level. "If I win, I'll be one step closer to matching you, brother."

George felt a shiver down his spine as he observed the glimmer in his competitors' eyes.

Gideon glanced back and noticed Donovan and Mason Wolfe standing outside, awaiting the spectacle. Accidents could occur, and they stood ready to intervene if needed.

"I must say… this plan is absolutely genius. Putting all ten of this kids in the same group has made our lives easier," Donovan remarked as he looked at the list of the 10 students that must be protected, all of them in the tent.

It was Mason's idea, and its success was evident from the lack of suspicion among the prospects. However, Mason cast a pitied look at Donovan. Most people would have deduced the same plan, as it was quite obvious. Donovan's proclamation of its genius showcased his lack of intellect.

Gideon rose to his feet, raising his right hand while holding a stopwatch in his left. The prospects assumed their stances, keeping their distance from one another, awaiting Gideon's signal.

George, still unsure of proper martial stances in this world, maintained the posture of the Emerald City Guards. His heart pounded as he contemplated ways to survive even a minute, let alone the full five minutes. "Should I just give up now?"

Before he could raise his hand to surrender, Gideon dropped his right hand, triggering a flurry of fights among the prospects. Caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, George froze in place, still sporting the confident facade he had worn just moments before.

As the fights unfolded, George realized they were more systematic than he had anticipated. He turned his back and witnessed the Barbarian Princess and her brother engaging in combat while her two companions faced off against the elves, their shared animosity evident.

Meanwhile, Madrath found himself confused amidst the chaos, unsure of whom to target.

In front of George, the Prince of the Empire adopted an imperial stance, while Bryne, lacking a sword, attempted an unfinished stance that required one. Nevertheless, it was better than no stance at all.

George instinctively turned away, opting to flee the immediate chaos. The Prince and Bryne exchanged perplexed glances. "Did we misjudge him?"

However, as they turned to the direction George had fled, their doubts were dispelled. George swiftly kicked the back of the knees of the barbarians and the elves, causing them to lose their balance. "Ah! Why fight against your own kind when you can fight against others!" Bryne remarked, joining forces with the Prince.

Unbeknownst to them, George's actions stemmed from a desire to appear engaged while passing the work onto others.