Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The Heroine of the 1st Playthrough Remembers My Training.

Episode 55: Mesugaki + Training = M’sugaki (4).

I sat on the dormitory bed and held my face.

Nothing ever went as planned.

No, it did go as planned.

I did expect Vivian to win.

…But not like this.

What I wanted was to see Vivian overcome her timid personality and grow mentally through the duel, not to overwhelmingly blow the opponent away.

“Yujin… Did I… d-did I do well?”

Look at Vivian now.

Instead of mental growth, she regressed and somehow learned sneaky tricks like ‘coordinate designation’ or ‘sensory synchronization,’ increasing only her magic skills.

‘Why did it turn out like this?’

Vivian approached me with eyes sparkling like a puppy in front of a snack, not knowing my complicated feelings at all.

In fact, from Vivian’s perspective, she didn’t do anything wrong.

She just won as I instructed.

But, being human, I couldn’t help feeling annoyed.

‘….’

When I didn’t say anything and just stared at her, Vivian’s expression darkened rapidly, and she started trembling and bowing her head.

“….S-sorry.. I, I didn’t mean to ask for Yujin’s praise… Sorry. Sorry..”

…Today, Vivian’s self-esteem seemed particularly low.

It looked like she was mentally pressured because of her upcoming meeting with Bianca in the evening.

“…Sorry. Sorry. Sorry for being born. I’ll never ask such an impudent question again. Sorry.”

Vivian’s trembling intensified, and the light in her eyes slowly faded away.

If this continued, the ‘dark awakening’ I had barely suppressed might start again.

‘Just hold on a bit…’

I sighed inwardly.

If I could get through today, Vivian’s unstable mental state would calm down a lot.

I just had to endure until then.

“…No, you did well.”

I couldn’t let Vivian’s mentality deteriorate any further, so I patted her head as a stopgap measure.

“Sniff… Huh…? Ah… Th-thank you.. Yujin…”

Vivian smiled happily, looking like she would wag her tail if she had one.

…Though she was still crying, I wondered if human emotions could change so drastically.

As I was patting Vivian’s head, Lucia opened the dormitory door and entered.

“…Oh?”

As soon as Vivian saw Lucia, she snapped to attention and straightened up.

It was like seeing a private who had been lounging and watching TV suddenly straightening up when a senior appeared.

“…Vivian, were you being praised by the master?”

Lucia said with the kindest smile in the world.

“Well, that…”

“…Vivian won against a second-year in the grade competition today, so I was praising her.”

“Oh, well done, Vivian… By the way, master, Lucia also won today.”

Lucia said this as she sat beside me and leaned her head on me.

It seemed she wanted me to pet her, so I did, and Lucia purred like a cat.

“Hmm.. hmm.. haang..”

When I tried to stop petting her after a while…

“…Now that I think about it, my opponent was the top of the second-year, master.”

…I petted her a lot more.

“Huaa… Thank you, master.”

As I petted Lucia, who stretched against me, I felt strange.

‘…Something… something is… different.’

I was definitely the master.

The initiative was mine, and I was the one giving praise.

But as I felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort rising in my chest, Lucia spoke up.

“…Master, I saw Bianca Beatrice during the competition today.”

“Hic…”

At the mention of Bianca’s name, Vivian let out a small scream.

‘….’

I was worried if she would be okay, just hearing the name made her scream.

“…How was she?”

“Hmm… She was very fierce. Almost like a beast.”

Lucia continued with a bright smile.

“She kept hitting her opponent’s neck to prevent them from surrendering, while staying within a grey area where the professor couldn’t intervene.”

As expected of Bianca Beatrice.

A classic example of personality trash from ‘Academy Trainer.’

It was definitely not a review filled with resentment over my defeat.

“And even after the match was decided, she humiliated them… like this…”

Lucia cleared her throat and whispered in my ear with a honey-dripping voice.

“Fool♥ Trash♥ Weakling~♥… It was like that, master.”

I didn’t think I had such a taste, but hearing it from Lucia made my lower body twitch with each whisper.

“Oh… Master… if you wish… anytime… anywhere, just command Lucia…♥”

…Lucia caressed her thigh gently, smiling seductively like a little devil tempting me.

It was as if winter had arrived; there wasn’t a single light visible outside the window.

“…Hoo…”

Bianca Beatrice, who had been training alone in the training ground late into the night, sighed and wiped off her sweat.

Even the students who usually used the training ground with her took a break or went out to celebrate the end of the grade competition today, but Bianca didn’t skip her training.

“…Tsk.”

Reflecting on what happened today, Bianca clicked her tongue.

Despite her desperate training, she felt a wall of talent blocking her path.

Bianca ranked 7th in the second year.

But she thought she could compete with the 2nd place if she fought with a do-or-die determination.

…However, 1st place was different.

The talent of the 1st place Bianca envisioned was at a level that couldn’t be overcome with effort.

A gem shining brilliantly under the blessing of talent.

That was the 1st place in Bianca’s mind.

…But even that belief crumbled today.

‘Lucia Uruella.’

She was the true gem.

Even the second-year’s 1st place, whom Bianca considered a gem, was nothing more than a stone compared to Lucia.

As the faculty’s evaluation suggested, Lucia, despite being a first-year, showed magical skills that seemed to surpass the second year.

But more than anything, what made Bianca despair was her battle sense, as if she had rolled around in real combat for decades.

Genius.

The sight of Lucia today could only be described in one way.

‘How annoying.’

Bianca gritted her teeth.

She envied Lucia’s talent, which easily secured the 1st place that she could never reach despite her desperate efforts, and she was even angrier at herself for envying it.

As the anger building up inside grew larger, not knowing how to be released…

Thud─

The door to the training ground opened, and someone entered.

“Hello, senior.”

I greeted Bianca with a cheerful smile.

“You… last time…”

“Oh! You remember me.”

Bianca, who was looking me up and down, opened her mouth.

“…Hmph, so what brings you here?”

“Well… I do have business with you, senior, but there’s someone you should meet first before me.”

I pushed the trembling Vivian from behind.

“Hic… Huh… Sniff…”

“Vivian?”

“Sniff… Sis…”

Bianca’s eyes widened for a moment upon seeing Vivian, then quickly turned sharp.

“Hm… I’ve been wondering when you’d come to see me… you’re quite late. Come here, Vivian.”

To Bianca, she wouldn’t even be aware that her words were an order.

To Bianca, it was natural for Vivian to obey when spoken to.

When I lightly poked Vivian’s side, she responded in a misaligned tone.

“Hic… No…”

“…?”

When Vivian refused, Bianca’s face momentarily showed an expression of ‘…Vivian is talking back?’ and then quickly twisted with anger.

“Vivian… do you know who you’re talking back to?”

As Bianca sharply shot back, Vivian clung tightly to my hand with tears in her eyes.

“Sniff… Even if you threaten me… Y-Yujin will protect me.”

“Yujin…?”

Bianca’s eyes narrowed upon hearing my name.

As the eldest daughter of the Beatrice family, which dreams of revival, she seemed to be well-informed about the major families.

“Oh, come to think of it, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Yujin Calliope, senior.”

“…So, what does the young master of the Calliope family want?”

Bianca’s tone changed.

No matter how senior she was, it would be difficult to speak recklessly to a member of a major family that held real power in the empire.

“It was practice last time, but this time I want a proper match with you, senior.”

“Ha, sorry, but I don’t have time to play with young masters. Be satisfied with our last match… And Vivian, this is your last warning. Come here.”

“Sniff… Sniff… Ugh…”

A fear built up over many years doesn’t disappear easily.

As Vivian instinctively tried to move at Bianca’s command…

“…Sorry, but that won’t do. ‘This’ belongs to me.”

I put my arm around Vivian’s shoulder and pulled her into my embrace.

We looked too close to be just classmates.

And with words that couldn’t be easily dismissed, Bianca’s face contorted.

“…What do you mean…”

“Exactly what it sounds like. This is my property.”

I smiled brightly while squeezing the large magic pouch of Vivian.