[Barbarian Lilia (2)]

T/N: This bonus chapter is sponsored by Soothsayer (6/10).

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Our three heads turned simultaneously toward the sound of something collapsing loudly in one corner of the cafeteria.

It seemed like someone had accidentally spilled their tray.

Since such accidents were common in the cafeteria, I was about to turn my head back without paying much attention when a voice I couldn’t easily ignore reached my ears.

“…What was that about, Panoman?”

My head turned again at the voice that was clearly displeased.

First of all, it was a familiar voice that I had heard somewhere before, and a familiar voice to me meant it belonged to a character who had at least played a supporting role in Luminor Academy.

“Ah, sorry. My mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“Yes, that was by mistake.”

“That didn’t seem like a mistake. Why were you walking in front of me, anyway? You should have been more careful.”

In other words, it essentially meant, “Why did you disturb my mood?” 

The victim who heard those words was emitting an aura of anger that was visible to anyone.

The angry woman had very clear characteristics that anyone could recognize.

Tall, slender, muscular, with tanned skin, had a brown ponytail, and a ragged academy uniform so torn that it looked like it barely covered the essential parts, like a straw mat.

There was only one woman in Luminor Academy who would dress in such a barbaric manner. Barbarian Lilia.

‘Lilia Marasendar… anyway, that girl with the long name.’

There’s no need for me to memorize her full name. Everyone just calls her Lilia, anyway.

In any case, just looking at her physical attributes, she was not at all inferior to most adult men.

Of course, that didn’t mean she actually had a macho body with just a woman’s face attached.

If I had to compare, she was like a female bodybuilder but not too muscular, closer to a slim physique, and her healthy appearance was definitely eye-catching enough for anyone to notice.

She now glared at the man in front of her, who had spilled her tray, with anger.

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

“…Ha, weak?”

“Yes. So I’ll give you, a weakling, a chance to make up for your mistake.”

Swish.

“……?”

Lilia extended her arm and held out her hand to the noble young man she was arguing with.

Not understanding her intention, the man stared at her palm with a stupid expression.

“What, what is this? Are you going to hit me? As expected of a barbarian woman, your true nature wherever you go…”

“Give me your meal ticket. I’ll forgive you if you give me that.”

“……What?”

“I’ll forgive you for disrupting my mealtime because of you. However, since I haven’t eaten yet, I have no choice but to take your meal ticket.”

“…Ha, as expected of a muscle-brained barbarian, you only say stupid things. Why should I care about your meal?”

“……What did you say?”

“Are you like a guard dog that bites without recognizing its master? Haven’t you been taught not to bare your teeth at your master?”

“……”

Ah, I remember now.

This episode… I had seen it in my previous life while playing the game.

Specifically, it was a bonus scene that appeared after Lilia’s summer vacation event, ‘Lilia’s Land.’ 

It was about Lilia, who had gained rightful ownership of her land through victory in a territorial dispute, taking satisfying revenge against the second son of Count Ludens, the northeastern noble who had been tormenting her.

“So, you’re saying you can’t give it to me?”

“That’s right. Hasn’t a dog been taught not to bite the hand that feeds it?”

“A dog… I didn’t know you’ve been thinking of me that way all this time.”

“If you’re so desperate to eat, you can pick up the bread that’s fallen on the floor. Licking food off the ground is the most suitable for stray dogs…”

The Ludens count’s second son could only speak coherent words up to that point.

After that, exactly as I had expected, Lilia’s right arm grabbed the second son’s mouth and then lifted his body into the air while holding him by the face.

Grab!

“Mmph, mmph!!”

“Until now, I’ve put up with your rudeness because I thought of you as a friend… So that’s how you’ve been thinking…”

“Mmmmph, mmph!!”

“In that case, I don’t need to put up with it anymore from now on. No matter how I think about it, my rank doesn’t seem to be lower than yours.”

SLAM!

“AAAAAAAAGH! Wh-What are you doing?! I-I am Panoman, the second son of the Ludens Count family…”

“Yes. Since we rearranged the hierarchy during the vacation, from now on, you should follow my orders, Panoman. So first, start by picking up with your mouth all the noble blessings of the land that you’ve wasted.”

“D-Don’t mess with me, you fucking bitch! Once I return to the northeast, I’ll cut off your limbs and hang them at the entrance of the territory…”

“That’s a scary threat. If you can do it, go ahead and try.”

Grab!

“Mmph! Mmmmph!!”

As the disturbance continued, other students who had been focusing their attention on the two began to move. 

Some students quickly left their seats, not wanting to get involved, while others simply continued eating, thinking it wasn’t their business.

Some students were surprised to see a young noble with his face planted on the floor as soon as they entered the cafeteria, but it was largely unrelated to us.

“Seems like the Hero did a proper job in the northeast. At the beginning of the semester, the positions of these two were completely reversed.”

“Seems so. Shall we get going too?”

“…Yeah, sure.”

Neither the barbarian warrior woman with muscles for brains, nor the count’s second son, who was receiving a lesson for causing trouble due to his inability to accept defeat in the territorial dispute, were entities we particularly wanted to get involved with.

…If only I could avoid all involvements I didn’t want, my life in the academy wouldn’t have been this arduous.

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One day, about four weeks after the start of the second semester…

Since it was the midterm exam period and I had some free time, I was enjoying a leisurely coffee time with Lizzy at a cafe owned by the August Trading Company.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a relaxed conversation like this, Lilith.”

“Indeed, Lady August.”

“……”

Lizzy’s expression stiffened slightly, seemingly displeased with how I addressed her.

“That way of speaking… 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 right that I use honorifics when addressing nobles who are ranked higher than me.”

“You called me by my name just fine in the Witch’s Forest, Lilith.”

“That was only because Young Master Ethan allowed me to be a bit more relaxed temporarily. It’s proper to maintain a respectful attitude at the academy where many people can see me.”

“It’s only us at this table right now. Is it really that difficult to call me by my name, Lilith?”

“Only us? Lady August, Miss Lara is here with us too.”

“…U-Uh?! D-Did you call me…?!”

Lara, who had been quietly hiding her presence in the corner of the table, hurriedly responded in surprise when her name was called.

Perhaps due to the bond of them both being ‘witches,’ Lara had been seen sticking close to Lizzy quite often lately.

It wasn’t unusual at all for her to be attached as a bonus when meeting with Lizzy like this.

“L-Look now…! Y-You call Lara by her name, so why won’t you call me by mine?! I-I’ve known you for years longer than Lara has!”

“That’s because Miss Lara isn’t a noble. Although I’m merely a provisional baroness with only the shell of nobility, I thought there was no need to show excessive courtesy to those who aren’t nobles.”

“Th-That’s right…. L-Lilith can’t help it….”

“Eeeeek…!!”

Well, it’s not like I wasn’t uncomfortable with formally addressing her as ‘Lady August’ even in such a casual setting.

I would like to call her Lizzy comfortably, too. After all, I’ve known Lizzy for quite some time.

Still, it was right to maintain a slight distance just in case. 

I could probably get away with addressing Agnes by her name, but being disrespectful to Lizzy, a daughter of the August Margrave family, required quite a bit of courage.

“So, anyway, Lady August.”

“What is it, Provisional Baroness Rosewood?”

“Would it be possible to request potions for the Hunting Festival at the end of this semester, as I did last semester?”

“…You’re bringing this up in this atmosphere?”

“It’s because you’re the only one I can make such requests to, Lady August. Among the people I know in the Pharmacy Department, you’re the one I’ve known for the longest time.”

“…Hmm, hmmmm.”

Lizzy’s expression quickly softened at the mention of being my longest acquaintance. Looking at this, it’s surprisingly easy to convince her.

Well, if it weren’t for me, she’d have been lying under a grave with incense burning, so if Lizzy had any conscience, she would easily grant this much of a request.

“100 gold coins.”

“Pardon? I remember it was five when I asked you last time…”

“If you change how you address me to ‘Lady Lizzy,’ I’ll give you a 50% discount; if you change it to ‘Miss Lizzy,’ 80%; and if you change it to just ‘Lizzy’ and switch to a much more comfortable speech style, like in the Witch’s Forest, I’ll give you up to a 95% discount.”

“……Pardon?”

“Choose carefully, Lilith. It’s just a change in how you address me, not a change in our relationship, right? For your reference, as a merchant, I absolutely never lie…”

True to her merchant nature, Lizzy was proposing a deal using her form of address even in this situation.

As I was reluctantly considering whether I should loosen up my speech a bit, someone suddenly interrupted the conversation between Lizzy and me.

“Wh-What kind of potions do you need for the Hunting Festival Final, L-Lilith…?”

“Wait a moment, Lara. Right now, Lilith and I are in the middle of negotiations…”

“One Strength Enhancement potion, one Stamina Recovery potion, one Mana Recovery potion, and two Emergency Potions, Miss Lara.”

“Oh, I see…. Y-You just need them made by the Hunting Festival, right…? I-I can make them for you…. F-For three gold coins….”

“Wh-What are you saying, Lara?! Th-That barely covers the cost of materials! No matter how little concept of money you have, that’s not a deal, it’s just being taken advantage of…”

“B-But…. Lilith helped me once before…. F-Friends can do this much for each other, right…?”

“F-Friends, you say….”

“Thank you, Miss Lara. Then, this time I’ll ask you to…”

“T-Two gold coins! I’ll do it for two gold coins! B-But the conditions remain the same….”

“…One gold coin and 50 silver coins.”

“Lara…!!!”

At the end of the sudden reverse auction, it was finally decided that Lizzy would make them for one gold coin and 30 silver coins, not even half the cost of materials, and without the condition of changing how I address her.

That’s what friends are for. Seeing them both voluntarily trying to fulfill my request, I was truly moved.

…Since it seemed unfair to just keep taking advantage, by the time we left the café, I had changed my form of address for Lady August to ‘Miss Lizzy.’