Chapter 93: I Have Lots of Friends

Jealousy is a natural emotion that comes with being human.
Jealousy is not limited to romantic love.
First, there’s the jealousy a child feels when their parents’ affection is directed toward a younger sibling, sometimes even leading to harm toward the sibling.
Even in typical friendships, if a friend becomes closer to someone else, jealousy can arise.

At its core, jealousy stems from a basic desire to possess.

Iris Hyserion is the Third Imperial Princess.
She grew up in an environment where she had to fight for everything as a princess.
Once something was acquired, it could not be taken away.
If something she gained was taken, all the fame and achievements tied to it would be lost as well.
It was only natural for Iris to develop a strong sense of possessiveness.

Isabel Luna lost her most precious childhood friend half a year ago.
It’s only natural for humans to crave possession.
However, she had lost the thing she cherished most deeply in her heart.
Since then, she had been unable to find anything to fill that void.

But through a series of events, Isabel finally met someone who could fulfill her need for possession.
Even if it was love mixed with hatred, it became the target of her shattered possessiveness.

What does this all mean?
Iris and Isabel are both individuals with an unusually strong sense of possessiveness.

Love-hate and emotional attachment.
The possessiveness of these two, which had been somewhat balanced, came into conflict.
Eventually, they revealed their struggles to avoid losing what they considered theirs.

The main reason for their quarrels stemmed from this possessiveness.
Because of them, the situation had recently grown increasingly troublesome for me.
As a result, I had to warn them to restrain themselves.

Fortunately, their possessiveness had not yet reached its peak.
After hearing my warning, both of them managed to hold back in my presence.
‘So, I felt a bit relieved.’

But then, someone appeared who would reignite their possessiveness.

The Unyielding Azure Flame.
Eve.

The girl who suddenly approached me at a party where key figures from each academy had gathered.
I am not a romantic interest for Isabel and Iris.
However, because they are women and I am a man, they naturally feel possessiveness toward me.

And if a woman appears who could potentially fulfill the ultimate level of possessiveness—romantic love—it would inevitably push their possessiveness to the extreme.
Especially if that person is someone of the opposite sex with exceptional beauty and romantic appeal, the situation would escalate even further.

‘Damn it.’
I hate how clearly I can see the dynamics of human emotions.
I lost the kind of love that clouds rational judgment.
As a result, I’ve become incredibly adept at reading people’s psychology.
That’s why I instinctively understood just how dire this situation was.

‘If only I could act like the protagonist of some game or novel, surrounded by women and grinning stupidly.’
But the crisis looming before me was too obvious to ignore.

I could feel their piercing stares burning into my back.
It was as if Iris and Isabel’s gazes were about to drill holes into me.
It hurts.
It hurts so much I could die.

“Your name is Hanon Airei, right?”
But oblivious to my predicament, Eve spoke to me again.

My lips wouldn’t part easily.
The intensity of their stares made it impossible.

“Yes, how did you find me?”
But I couldn’t keep silent forever.
Doing my best to ignore the glares from behind, I forced a smile.

“I asked around and found out.”

For a moment, my shoulders flinched.
I quickly scanned the party hall.
Then, I heard murmurs as people glanced my way.

She said she asked around.
Which meant Eve had inquired about me from the people here at the party.

Eve wasn’t someone who normally interacted much with others.
The fact that she asked people about me—what could that possibly mean?

‘At an age where relationships are the hot topic…’
The conversations between these polished aristocrats were all too predictable.

“It seems the Azure Flame is interested.”
“I’m surprised. I never thought someone would catch the Azure Flame’s eye.”

Sure enough, bits of their chatter reached my ears.
If I could hear it, then the two behind me surely heard it as well.

“Eve, shall we step outside for a moment and talk?”
Continuing this conversation with Eve here wasn’t a good idea.
Out of sight, out of mind—it’s always better that way.
I decided to move us elsewhere.

The moment I turned to leave, Eve followed without a word.
Avoiding the prying eyes, I quickly slipped away.

A short while later, I stepped out onto the terrace of the party venue, where the cool air greeted me.
The stifling tension I’d felt eased, and I could finally breathe again.

I feared the aftermath, but for now, I had to handle this first.

“Snooping around isn’t ideal. How much did you hear?”
“That you’re the Third Princess’s cousin and that recently, at the academy, someone attempted to assassinate her using an elder dragon’s magic.”

She’d learned quite a bit in the meantime.
No doubt, once Eve began asking questions, those interested in her spilled all sorts of information.

“You’ve heard a lot. But I wasn’t the one who tried to assassinate Iris that day.”
Misunderstandings would be troublesome.

“I know. It was someone named Nikita Cynthia. And—”

Eve lifted her gaze to look me squarely in the eye.
“I also heard that the type of dragon magic she wielded was frost magic.”

She must have felt the cold aura emanating from me.
Eve’s blue eyes burned quietly with intensity.

“Are you planning to assassinate the Third Princess?”

So that’s the misunderstanding.
Though the starting point was different, it was a misunderstanding similar to the one I had with Isabel.

I mulled over everything she said and naturally let out a laugh.

“No? There’s no way I’d do such a thing.”

Would Eve believe my honest denial?

“……”
The answer was no.

“I don’t know what your circumstances are.”
Indeed, Eve had no idea about my situation.
That’s why she’d misunderstood and confronted me at the party.

“But I know what you’re planning is wrong.”

Assassinating a princess.
Such an act wouldn’t just shake the nation; it would also destroy my life.

Eve looked at me with clear, upright eyes.
“Stop. Nothing can be set right through actions like that.”

The misunderstanding continued to spiral.
By this point, no matter what I said, I couldn’t change her perception.

Oddly enough, I didn’t mind that.

“What do you think you know to be saying such things so freely?”

I showed my disbelief.
The question implied: What could someone who’s only met me a day ago possibly know?

“…It might just be my misunderstanding. But if it’s not, it could turn into the worst-case scenario.”
Of course, it is a misunderstanding.
I have no intention of harming Iris.
In fact, I wish for her to live peacefully, free from nightmares.

“So, what will you do? Are you planning to take me down?”
Of course, she wouldn’t…

“That’s right.”
Excuse me?

She lifted the hem of her dress.
From her long leg, she drew a dagger.

Clang!
The dagger extended, transforming instantly into the shape of a sword.
It was another type of magical artifact.

Fwoosh—
At the same time, blue flames ignited on her sword.

The Unyielding Azure Flame.
A fire most similar to the Flame of Determination.

“I’ll burn the elder dragon’s magic to ashes.”
Eve’s eyes were dead serious.
If letting me mess around with the dragon’s magic was an option, she’d rather destroy it outright.
I could feel her firm resolve radiating from her gaze.

Oh my god, this woman is crazy!

“Wait! At least give me a fair chance! I’m unarmed!”
“There’s no reason to accommodate you.”

Damn it.
I never thought she’d be so reckless.

The moment I quietly took a step toward the terrace door—

Fwoosh!
The flames from her sword blocked my path entirely.
The eerie blue fire roared along the floor, forming a barrier.

“Give up. I’ll just cleanly erase the elder dragon’s magic.”
“I’m pretty attached to the dragon’s magic, you know. Breaking up like this feels too sad.”
“Get over it.”

What a ruthless woman.
She doesn’t have an ounce of mercy.

Eve stomped the ground.

‘She’s coming.’
At this point, there’s no other way.

The moment my instincts flared, Eve disappeared from sight.

Just as my dynamic vision barely managed to track her—

CLAAANG!
My outstretched hand and Eve’s sword collided, producing a deafening sound.

Eve’s eyebrows twitched.
She hadn’t expected me to reach out with my bare hand.

In this situation, it wouldn’t have been surprising if my arm had been sliced clean off.

“I’ll ask the saintess to reattach it for you.”
Such a grim thing to say.

She seemed convinced that my arm had either been severed or completely shattered.
Fine by me.
This was the opening I needed.

I spread my hand.
At the same time, I grabbed hold of Eve’s sword with a firm grip.

As the blue flame burned my hand, an intense heat surged through me.
But the flame resistance I had built up over time allowed me to endure it.

“Huh?”
A voice of bewilderment escaped from Eve.
She hadn’t anticipated that I’d be able to grab her sword, even as the blue flame clung to it.

This moment of confusion was my only chance.
On top of my burning skin, steel layered itself.

Crunch!
In that instant, my fingers pierced through Eve’s blade.

As she failed to comprehend what had just happened and hesitated in shock, my eyes glinted sharply.

Sword Breaker.

Clang!
In a heartbeat, Eve’s sword shattered into pieces.

My hand swung toward her dazed face.
Just as my palm was about to make contact, Eve tilted her head back and simultaneously wrapped her arm around mine in a counterhold.

Even while caught off guard, her retaliation was sharp and flawless.
It was proof of the countless hours of training she had endured.

Whoosh!
I was lifted into the air and slammed down in an instant.

But I had no intention of letting it end like this.
Just before hitting the ground, I activated a magic seal in the palm of my hand.

Boom!
The explosion roared, and the blast force halted my fall mid-air.
Using the arm Eve had grabbed as a pivot, I swung my fist down toward her.

The magic seal etched into my elbow activated, boosting the speed and power of my punch.

Crash!
The terrace floor shattered under the force of my strike.

But Eve had evaded it.
I quickly raised my head through the cloud of smoke.

There she was, having retreated to a safe distance.
That had been a pretty serious blow, yet she had avoided it.

As expected of a side story protagonist.
‘The intensity of her training must be on a different level.’

I’ve trained rigorously myself, but Eve is still a protagonist of the story, even if only a side one.
From the beginning, her caliber was on an entirely different scale.

“What have you done to your body?”
Eve’s face showed disbelief as she stared at me.

She wasn’t wrong—my body was littered with tricks and modifications.
It was enough to appear abnormal, even to someone like her.

“It’s all for a purpose.”

I replied, brushing the soot off my palms as I stood.

By now, the sleeves of my clothes had completely burned away.
It was an outfit Iris had given me to wear, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry about it.

Clang!
At that moment, Eve reformed her shattered sword.

Magical Artifact: Infinite Blade.
It was a weapon capable of taking on any form of a sword, and even if it broke, it would regenerate.

This characteristic was what allowed it to withstand the heat of Eve’s unyielding blue flame.

“I’ll admit, you surprised me. But give up—you can’t beat me.”

I’ll fight seriously from now on.
Eve declared firmly.

“Sure.”

I replied.

As things stand, I know I can’t deal with Eve, a fully realized protagonist.
“But I’m not alone.”

Creeeeak—
At that moment, the terrace door creaked open.

Inside the party hall beyond the terrace, a heavy silence had settled.
Eve finally realized that we had caused quite the commotion.

The moment she saw the open door, a single woman stepped out, her footsteps echoing.

A woman with jet-black hair flowing around her strode forward, her ruby-red eyes gleaming ominously.
Shadows rippled and swirled behind her, following her every move.

“What is the meaning of this nonsense?”
The murderous intent in her voice reverberated through the air.
An overwhelming, pitch-black malice began to swirl violently around her.

The final villainess.
Iris Hyserion.

The atmosphere shifted in an instant upon her arrival.

But she wasn’t alone.

From the sky, a girl in a school uniform slowly descended.
In her hand was a staff glowing with an intense, pure white light.

The light radiated so fiercely that it distorted the space around it.
Even Eve seemed unsettled by its intensity.

“Wow, you’ve stirred up something really interesting.”
Said the girl, her tone playful.

Sharin Sazaris.
The daughter of the Blue Tower Master.

And finally, a honey-blonde-haired woman silently appeared by my side.
She gently wrapped her hands around my wrist, which had been burned.

Her gaze wasn’t directed at Eve.
But as she looked down at my injured hand, her expression revealed a quiet fury—one far removed from the usual brightness she exuded.

Isabel Luna, the main heroine of The Blazing Butterfly Arc.

With her arrival, the situation instantly shifted.

Even Eve couldn’t handle opponents of this caliber all at once.

Biting her lip in frustration, she glared at me.

I, unfazed, shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

If it bothers you so much, why don’t you call your friends too?