Barbarian Lilia (2)

The heads of our trio turned simultaneously at the loud crashing sound of something collapsing from one corner of the student cafeteria.

It seemed someone had accidentally dropped their tray, a common enough occurrence in the cafeteria, so I was about to ignore it when an unmistakably irritated voice reached my ears.

“…What do you think you’re doing, Panoman?”

Even from that brief snippet, the displeasure in the voice was palpable, making me turn my head again.

For one, it was a voice I vaguely recognized-familiar enough to indicate this was a character who had at least a supporting role in Luminor Academy.

“Ah, sorry. It was an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yeah, an accident.”

“It didn’t look like an accident.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have walked in front of me then. You should’ve been more careful.”

In other words, it was a blatant “Why did you provoke me?” kind of remark, and the victim-clearly furious-was radiating anger so intensely it was visible to anyone watching.

The angry woman had features distinct enough to be unmistakable at a glance.

Tall, slender, muscular, with tanned skin, a brown ponytail, and an academy uniform so tattered it barely covered her vital areas, looking more like a shredded rag than proper clothing.

There was only one woman in Luminor Academy who dressed so barbarically-Barbarian Lilia.

‘Lilia Marasendar… or whatever her full name is.’

No need to memorize the whole thing. Everyone just calls her Lilia anyway.

Physically speaking, she didn’t lose out to most grown men. Not that she looked like a muscle-bound brute with a woman’s face slapped on-more like a female bodybuilder with a lean, toned build. Her healthy aura was impossible to miss.

Right now, she was glaring at the man who had spilled her tray with a furious expression.

“Fine, I’ll forgive you. I don’t have a habit of bullying the weak.”

“…Hah, the weak?”

“Yeah. So, as the weak one here, I’ll give you a chance to make up for your mistake.”

-Swish.

“……?”

Lilia extended her hand toward the nobleman she’d been arguing with, palm up. The confused man stared blankly at it.

“Wh-what? You wanna fight? Figures a savage like you would resort to violence-“

“Hand over your meal ticket. That’ll be my compensation.”

“…What?”

“I’ll forgive you for interrupting my meal time. But since I haven’t eaten yet, I’ll just take your ticket instead.”

“…Hah, of course a muscle-brained barbarian like you would say something so stupid. Why should I care about your meal situation?”

“…What did you say?”

“Didn’t your master teach you not to bare your fangs at your betters, you mutt? Or were you too busy guarding some backwater hut to learn manners?”

“……”

Ah, now I remember.

This episode-I’d seen it before in my past life playthrough. Specifically, it was a bonus scene after Lilia’s summer break event, Lilia’s Land. After winning the territory battle and securing rightful ownership of her people’s land, Lilia gets her revenge on the second son of House Rudens, a northeastern noble family that had oppressed her.

“So, you’re saying you won’t hand it over?”

“That’s right. Didn’t anyone teach you mutts not to beg for your master’s food?”

“Calling me a mutt… I had no idea you thought of me that way.”

“If you’re so hungry, why don’t you pick the bread off the floor and eat it? Licking scraps off the ground suits a stray like you-“

The second son of Count Rudens didn’t get to finish his sentence.

Just as I expected, Lilia’s right hand seized his jaw, lifting him clean off the ground by his face.

-Thud!

“Ghk! Ughhk!”

“I thought of you as a friend until now, so I let your rudeness slide… But it seems you saw things differently.”

“Guhh! Ughhk!”

“Then I don’t need to hold back anymore. I doubt I’m below you in the hierarchy.”

-Crash!

“Wh-what the hell are you doing?! I-I’m Panoman, the second son of Count Rudens-“

“Right. Since we’ve settled the hierarchy over break, from now on, you follow my orders, Panoman. So first, you’re going to pick up every last crumb of that ‘noble land’s bounty’ you wasted-with your mouth.”

“D-don’t fuck with me, you bitch! Once I get back to the northeast, I’ll have your limbs chopped off and hung at the territory’s entrance-“

“What a scary threat. Go ahead and try-if you can.”

“Ghk! Guhhk!”

As the commotion dragged on, the other students who had been watching began moving away. Some hurried to leave, not wanting to get involved, while others simply continued their meals, treating it as none of their business.

Though a few were startled to see a nobleman’s son faceplanted on the floor right after entering, it wasn’t really our concern.

“Seems the Hero has been busy in the northeast. Their positions were completely reversed at the start of the semester.”

“Indeed. Should we get going too?”

“…Yeah, sure.”

Neither the muscle-brained barbarian warrior nor the count’s son throwing a tantrum over losing a territory battle were people I particularly wanted to get involved with.

…Though if avoiding trouble were that easy, my academy life wouldn’t have been so turbulent in the first place.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About four weeks into the second semester-roughly halfway through the academic year-on a certain day during midterms…

With some free time on my hands, I was enjoying a rare leisurely coffee break with Lizzie at a café owned by the August Trading Company.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had such a relaxed chat, Lillith.”

“Indeed, Lady August.”

“……”

Lizzie’s expression stiffened slightly, clearly displeased with the formal title I’d used.

“Can’t you… at least change how you address me? I even bought you coffee…”

“No. As a servant of Young Master Ethan, it’s only proper for me to use honorifics with nobles of higher standing.”

“But you called me by name just fine in the Witch’s Forest, Lillith.”

“That was a temporary exception with Young Master Ethan’s permission. In the academy, where many eyes are upon us, it’s proper to maintain decorum.”

“There’s no one else at this table. Is it really so hard to call me by name, Lillith?”

“No one else? Lady August, Lara is right here with us.”

“…H-huh?! D-did someone call me?!”

Lara, who had been quietly fading into the background at the corner of the table, startled at the sound of her name.

Lately, she’d been sticking close to Lizzie, likely due to the bond they’d formed as fellow “witches.” It wasn’t unusual for her to tag along on days like this.

“S-see?! You call Lara by name, so why not me?! I’ve known you for years longer than she has!”

“Lara isn’t a noble. I may only be a nominal baronet, but I see no need for excessive formality with non-nobles.”

“S-see?! Lillith says it’s fine…”

“Eeeek…!!”

Honestly, even I found it awkward to keep calling her “Lady August” in casual settings.

I’d much rather just call her Lizzie. We’d known each other long enough for that.

Still, keeping some distance was the safer choice. While I could get away with first-name terms with Agnes, a viscount’s daughter, being too familiar with Lizzie-a margrave’s daughter-required more courage than one might think.

“Speaking of which, Lady August.”

“Yes, Lady Rosewood?”

“About the potions for this semester’s hunting festival… May I trouble you again this time?”

“…You’re bringing that up now?”

“You’re the only one I can ask, Lady August. Among my acquaintances in the Pharmacy Department, you’re the one I’ve known the longest.”

“…Hmm, hmmm.”

The “longest-known acquaintance” remark visibly softened Lizzie’s expression. She was surprisingly easy to handle.

Well, if not for me, she’d be six feet under by now. Surely she’d oblige a simple request like this.

“A hundred gold coins.”

“Huh? Last time, it was only five…”

“If you change how you address me to ‘Lady Lizzie,’ I’ll give you a 50% discount. ‘Miss Lizzie’ gets you 80%, and just ‘Lizzie’ with the same casual tone as in the Witch’s Forest? 95% off.”

“……What?”

“Choose wisely, Lillith. It’s just a title-our relationship won’t change. And as a merchant, I never lie about…”

True to her merchant nature, Lizzie was haggling over how I addressed her.

Just as I was reluctantly considering giving in, someone abruptly cut into our conversation.

“Wh-what potions do you need for the hunting festival, Lillith…?”

“Wait, Lara. Lillith and I are in the middle of negotiating-“

“One Stamina Enhancement Potion, one Energy Recovery Potion, one Mana Recovery Potion, and two Emergency Potions, Lara.”

“O-okay… J-just need them before the festival, right…? I-I can make those… F-for three gold coins…”

“Wh-what are you saying, Lara?! That barely covers the ingredients! Even if you don’t understand money, that’s practically getting scammed-“

“B-but… Lillith helped me last time… F-friends do stuff like this for each other, right…?”

“F-friends…?!”

“Thank you, Lara. Then I’ll leave it to you this time-“

“T-two gold coins! I’ll do it for two! B-but the condition stays the same…”

“…One gold coin and fifty silver coins.”

“Lara…!!!”

After a sudden reverse auction, Lizzie ended up agreeing to make them for one gold and thirty silver-less than half the ingredient cost. And without any conditions about changing how I addressed her.

This was what friendship was all about. Seeing them compete to help me was genuinely touching.

…Feeling a bit guilty about taking advantage, I did upgrade Lizzie’s title to “Miss Lizzie” by the time we left the café.