episode_0062

duel.

duel… … .

“Duel? Are you going to a duel now?”

Hermel approached me and asked, his eyes sparkling as he heard the word duel fill the classroom.

“There was talk of a duel, but I don’t know exactly what happened.”

I pressed my temples against my throbbing head.

I vaguely knew that once you make a decision, you will move without hesitation, but I never thought it would be to this extent.

“Ha… … . Mel.”

“Yes. Miss.”

“Go and find out how things are going and come back.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I let Mel go and quietly closed my eyes. Should I intervene? Why? There are already a lot of things to worry about, but one more thing is adding up?

duel? And with second graders? Although Seria made it to the quarterfinals in the entrance exam, that was only because her opponents were all the same. As proof of that, didn’t he fall out as soon as he met Hermel?

Of course, Seria is not weak. It’s strong enough among first year students. But that’s just a story among first-year students; if you look at the academy as a whole, it’s like the bottom of the bottom.

The other person is a second year student, while Seria is a first year student who has just entered school. The difference comes from experience, so there is no way they can win.

Unless there are special cases like Hermel and the Crown Prince, a duel with a second year student is no different from a moth jumping into a fire.

At that time, when my thoughts were racing, what the cafe owner said came to mind.

‘Sometimes it’s better to just let things go as they go.’

Sometimes it’s better to just let things go… … .

okay. Let’s just let this happen as it goes. Is there any need for me to refuse when the biggest obstacle to my plan is to go into a fire pit and set myself on fire?

… … okay. It’s something I don’t have to refuse. Never mind.

As I was quietly closing my eyes and clearing my mind, Mel, who must have been there before I knew it, stood in front of me.

“Okay, what exactly happened?”

“Miss Seria, who ran out of the classroom, entered the second-year classroom and recklessly challenged her to a duel. Miss Seria’s condition was that if she won, she would not bother any more first-year students.”

“Huh.”

The absurd conditions left me speechless and all I could do was laugh.

Did you really say something like that from a shonen cartoon? And seriously?

“Did the other party accept it?”

“Yes. I accepted it on the spot, saying I would climb up to the level of a commoner.”

I pressed my temples and massaged them as my head throbbed.

Thinking that this would lead to chronic migraines, I covered my mouth with a fan and took a deep breath.

“What are the other party’s conditions?”

“… … It was to drop out of the academy and become her own maid.”

“What?”

At those words, I inadvertently felt bad and ended up glaring at Mel. Mel flinched, trembled, and lowered her head to avoid my gaze.

Why do I feel bad? Why on earth are you frowning like this when you can handle things without even touching them?

―If I support Seria, will I be punished for lese majeste? … ?

-When did you say the duel was supposed to be?

-They say it’s next month. I think the professor who was entering the classroom decided that after hearing the story.

-It’s still a long way away.

As I was looking at the students talking intently, a thought suddenly occurred to me and I burst into laughter.

“Charles?”

“Lady… … ?”

Ah, yes. i get it. Why do I feel bad?

‘How dare you covet what is mine without even knowing the subject… … ?’

For me, Ceria is something I have never gotten my hands on yet.

Somehow, this time an opportunity arose and I was looking forward to when I could get my hands on it.

But someone other than me gets it first? Ah, no, no. That doesn’t work. It’s my job to destroy Seria.

“You said the duel would be in a month, right?”

“Ah, yes. Yes.”

“Okay. I understand.”

As I was plotting Ceria’s training curriculum in my head, Hermel, who was sitting quietly, tugged on the hem of my clothes.

Ah, that’s right. Hermel was there too. I folded the fan, placed it between my chest, and looked at Hermel.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Charles, I’m asking just in case… … . You’re not planning on helping that commoner like Seria, are you?”

“Are you jealous, by any chance?”

When I smiled at those words and slightly tilted my head, Hermel took my hand.

“That’s not the story. I respect that it is your choice to have commoners by your side, but it is a different story when you step forward and help commoners.”

Hermel wasn’t just jealous; he was genuinely worried about me.

I sighed deeply, knowing full well what those words meant.

“… … I know what Hermel wants to say.”

“If you know, don’t move until the other side asks for help first. Going to the academy is only for a short time. I have to think about the future.”

It’s for the future… … . okay. Considering what will happen in the future, it would be a hundred times better for Ceria to be defeated here and become the opponent’s maid.

But, if you were planning on doing things that way. The moment he found the rebel’s younger sister, Mia, he would have torn her limbs apart on the spot and thrown them to the lust-starved pedophile noble.

No. To be more specific, it would be enough to kidnap the mother and throw it into the hands of an appropriate noble.

Haha, no. If you think about it, there’s no need to go that far. If they just kill everyone in the territory like they did then and perform large-scale human sacrifices, the kingdom could end up putting a curse on the entire continent.

But, but.

Then it wouldn’t be fun.

I already realized in the 14th episode how futile it is to simply kill and end it.

What I am pursuing now is to give everyone a level of despair that makes death feel like the most convenient option.

I want everyone who had hope to kneel before me and turn the country upside down in despair. I don’t want to simply destroy them all.

therefore.

“Thanks for the advice, Hermel.”

“Charle you… … .”

“But as I said last time, I’m not a person who acts conscious of someone else’s gaze.”

He grinned and ignored Hermel’s advice.

“… … I stopped him.”

“Hehe, don’t get upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

“While upset.”

“I’m not upset!!”

I smiled slightly as I saw Hermel showing a cute reaction.

okay… … . I just remembered what I wanted to do. The cafe owner’s words were definitely helpful.

There are things you have to take a step back to see… … . I am not saying that you should simply look at the forest, but that there are things you can see only if you look around as if you were taking a walk.

As I reconsidered my original goal, which had been worn down due to various incidents, I felt like my mind became clearer.

‘Now I know what to do.’

I took the fan out from between my chest and smiled as I looked down at Ceria coming in with the professor.

.

.

.

After school, when all classes are over. When I returned to the dormitory, I went straight to see Seria.

smart–

There was a knock on the wooden door, and soon after, a familiar voice came from inside.

[who are you?]

“It’s me.”

After saying that and waiting for a while, the door clicked open and a familiar silver-haired person stuck his head out.

“Why are you so guarded?”

“It’s me, I think I’m a fraud.”

I laughed and shook my head at Seria’s calm appearance even though she could have had to live as a maid for the rest of her life.

“You are so calm, too. Are you the person who went today to challenge a duel out of curiosity?”

“Hehe… … . Staying gloomy doesn’t help.”

“That’s right.”

Nodding, Ceria opened the door wide.

“Would you like to come in?”

“Okay. I think the story will be a bit long anyway.”

Excuse me. After saying that, I went into Seria and Sera’s room.

Perhaps because Sarah had once lived as my maid, the room was quite clean. It was also well organized.

I sat down on the bed, which at first glance looked like Sera’s bed, and Seria walked around the room, looking for something.

“Um… … . There’s nothing to treat… … . Shall I get you some water?”

“No. are you okay. Don’t worry, sit down.”

“Ah, yes.”

Ceria scratched her head and sat down on her bed opposite me.

He then showed a frantic appearance by wiggling his hands on his knees and lifting and lowering his toes.

On the outside, you may be acting calm, but on the inside, you may be anxious and worried. Because not knowing the future is so unsettling.

The way I was trying so hard to hide my true feelings felt like I was seeing my old self, so I burst into laughter.

Really, looking at it like this, it looks a lot like the old me. Will you eventually change like me?

… … No, isn’t it time to think about that? I put aside the random thoughts that came to mind and crossed my legs.

“If I say it for a long time, you won’t be able to listen properly in your current state, so I’ll tell you straight.”

“What is it?”

“I will train you until next month when the duel is held. So that you can win.”

“What?”

He looked at Seria who blinked and smiled.

“I will refuse rejection.”

Well, even if you refuse, they will force you out.