Episode 37. Preparation (2)

After finishing the preparations to save Lucy, I returned to the dormitory.

Liliana must be doing fine, right? I wonder if she’s starving. I’m a little worried.

Ttiriring-

As I scanned my smartwatch on the door to enter, I heard no sound from inside.

“Is she sleeping?”

She wouldn’t have run away after the rough time she had outside…

“Ah~ Fuck. Why isn’t Jungle, you son of a bitch, coming already! That tool bastard and butcher bastard keep just pushing the top lane!”

As if to quell my worries, foul language in a cute voice echoed from the room.

I peeked into the room through the gap in the open door.

Liliana was streaming a game.

She was so focused that she didn’t even know I had arrived.

“Ah, I lost this. You fucking bastards, seriously. Quit the game, you cum-guzzling assholes!”

“…”

“Ah, the Ace of the Magic Research Club-nim. A 50,000 won donation~. Thanks.”

“My reaction is cheap, you say? If you don’t like it, get lost, you motherfucker.”

Liliana was streaming while wearing a succubus cosplay outfit and swaying her tail.

I realized that succubi are adaptable creatures.

I became curious about what Liliana’s stream was about.

I logged in to check if it had been posted on EveryDay.

As soon as I entered, there was a post at the top.

[No matter how I look at it, isn’t this our dormitory?]

The post contained a screenshot from Liliana’s stream, and it explained that the room’s layout was identical to the Victoria Academy dormitory, citing various reasons.

Since the stream’s name was also mentioned in the post, I searched for it and entered.

The stream’s name was ‘SexySuccubus’.

Calling herself ‘SexySuccubus’ when she doesn’t even look like a succubus.

• Noona, curse more.

• I’m a student at Victoria Academy, and this is definitely the dorm. This is legendary.

• Wow, a Victoria Academy student is doing a cam girl stream.

• From how much donation do you start cursing while calling names?

“Hmm… They’ve definitely lost their minds.”

There are so many crazy people in the world.

Still, seeing her diligently working from the first day made me feel good.

They’re misunderstanding things in a good way, just as I intended. Hmm, good, good.

By the time I get back from the training building, the stream should be over, so I’ll talk to her then.

I changed into my cadet uniform and headed to the training building.

There were a moderate number of people in the shared training room since it was Monday.

Unlike the private rooms, the shared training room is a place where people train in groups of two or three.

In other words, it’s the ‘popular kids’ space.

Ignoring the gazes directed at me, I headed towards the corner with the hologram monitor.

[This is the Victoria Academy Class Management System. How may I help you?]

“Show me the materials Professor Im Sol distributed in today’s 1st-year Class A lecture, and the barrier materials.”

Chwaaak-

The AI, hearing my request, projected the handouts Professor Im Sol gave out during class onto the hologram monitor.

Not only that, but it also listed all the barrier magic circles Victoria Academy had made public for the cadets so far.

“Whoa, that’s too many. Show me only advanced level or higher.”

Eight magic circles appeared before my eyes.

Among them, five were barrier magic circles utilizing double helices to prepare against enemy attacks.

Three were lightweight magic circles designed for use in urgent situations.

Of course, what I wanted was the former.

“Exclude the lightweight magic circles.”

Seureureuk.

Now it was time to analyze these.

First off, the commonality among these magic circles is that they bind mana using double helices to increase strength.

Any other differences are merely variations in which magic types they are more effective at blocking, or whether they are effective against physical attacks or magical attacks.

Simply put, the overall framework is the same.

However, there were subtle differences in the details.

‘Oh, arranging it to spread mana from the center improves its effectiveness against fire magic.’

‘This magic circle’s finishing stroke is lacking. If just a little more mana had been allocated at the end, the efficiency would have been better.’

I managed to find points for improvement while analyzing the barriers.

Actually, it’s absurd for a mere cadet to find improvements in barrier magic circles, but it’s possible thanks to [Mana Sensitivity].

“Hoyeon-ssi, what are you doing?”

Ah, fuck, you scared me.

Before I knew it, Lumi had approached me.

“Hey, you should announce yourself when you approach. What do you mean sneaking up like that?”

“Hehe… Sorry.”

If it were the first time, she probably would have squeaked ‘Sorry’ and run away, but she’s grown a lot.

But is it okay to talk to me? She’ll get scolded if Lucy finds out.

“Is it okay to be here? Uh, Lucy will get angry if she sees.”

“It’s fine. Once Lucy falls asleep, she won’t even know if someone carries her away. She said she was tired earlier and would sleep first. Uh, but were you practicing barriers?”

“Yeah, the class I took this time was quite interesting, so I was practicing alone.”

“Then! Will you train with me?!”

Lumi’s eyes sparkled brightly.

---

『Sub Quest Transmitted.』

[Train in the Popular Kids’ Space!]

Lumi longs for training with a friend!

Have a fun barrier training session with Lumi!

• Reward: Mana Stat +1

---

A quest after a long time. There was no reason to refuse.

“Hmm, I’d like that, but you won’t gain anything from training with me.”

“That’s not true. Helping each other with our weaknesses is what friends… do!”

Flick. It’s quite cute how she hesitates and looks at me when talking about friends.

“Right, because we’re friends.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Cute. Look how happy she gets over something like being called a friend.

Lumi is talented in defensive magic. Yet, she’s willing to train with me for my sake; I feel bad.

“You were practicing barrier magic, right? Let me show you an example.”

“Okay.”

I still vividly remembered Lumi’s magic from the last class, but there was no need to refuse.

Lumi glanced at me as if to say ‘watch this,’ and slowly began creating a barrier.

Mana in a double helix form intersected, overlapped, and transformed into a solid shield.

‘Wow, she’s really good.’

It was a level that could be called the highest realm a cadet could reach.

Especially notable was the defensive attribute imbued in the mana. Lumi’s warm will was contained within.

“Maybe it’s because Hoyeon-ssi is watching? It turned out well. Would you like to try it too, Hoyeon-ssi?”

“Alright. I’m a bit nervous though. Hng.”

“It’s okay. Nobody is perfect from the start. I’ll help you with the parts you’re lacking.”

Seeing her perform so well makes me feel unnecessarily pressured.

The magic circles I’d seen so far replayed like a panorama in my mind.

I firmly imprinted the mana attribute of the barrier Lumi had just cast into my memory.

My talent allowed me to gather the strengths of the magic circles and incorporate the mana attribute I learned from Lumi.

Chajajajak-

Mana twisted into double helices, overlapping each other.

Stronger. Stronger.

This isn’t enough.

Hoo. I took a breath and started again.

‘Awakening’

Jiing-

I observed the gaps in the barrier I was creating.

Stronger still. To fill even the microscopic gaps, I needed to make the mana’s form denser. The double helix structure couldn’t fill the minute gaps.

Flash. An idea struck me.

‘If the double helix is the problem, then I just need to make it more densely packed.’

A stroke was added to the doubly rotating helix.

The mana, rotating in a triple helix, eliminated the microscopic gaps and intersected beautifully.

I imbued it with the mana attribute learned from Lumi.

The will to defend against everything manifested in the magic circle.

Although it didn’t contain as strong a will as Lumi’s, my [Mana Sensitivity] compensated for the lack.

Finally, a wall formed before my body.

A barrier completely different in form from Lumi’s or Im Sol’s.

However, both Lumi and I could feel it.

A work of art that transcended beauty, too exquisite to be used as a mere barrier.

If Professor Im Sol were here, she would have screamed and tried to rip my pants off to study it.

Before my eyes was a barrier so beautiful, elegant, and perfect.

“….”

“….”

Lumi, who had demonstrated first, wore a dumbfounded expression at the barrier’s beauty, making her own demonstration feel embarrassing.

───――「 Cotton Guard 」───――

▶ Unique Skill

▶ A magic imbued with complete understanding of barriers and unwavering will.

Can be used in a lightweight form according to the user’s will.

───――───――───――───――

Cotton Guard.

It was even registered as a unique skill.

Lumi’s face, still gazing at its beautiful form, slowly flushed.

“Ah, ah… Uh, yes… That’s amazing. Uh, could you perhaps teach me too…?”

“Oh, uh. Yeah. Of course. Helping each other with our weaknesses is what friends do, right?”

“……Yes. That’s right.”

She seemed embarrassed about having offered to point out my weaknesses.

There’s no need to be that embarrassed.

*

After finishing training with Lumi, I returned to the dormitory.

We agreed to meet periodically from now on to help each other train.

At first, I was the one receiving help, but getting closer to a heroine is always welcome, so it’s fine.

Even setting that aside, there must be some research somewhere proving that training with a pretty girl increases training efficiency.

As I entered the dormitory, I saw Liliana tearing into chicken at the table, presumably after her stream had ended.

“Hey, you done?”

“Huh? Oh, Contractor-nim. If you mean the stream, it’s over. I made a lot of money today, so I ordered chicken, is that okay?”

“That’s fine, but… Do you happen to not know my name?”

Come to think of it, I know Liliana’s name, but I don’t think I ever told her mine.

If she had a system window like mine, she wouldn’t call me ‘Contractor-nim’.

“Wha-!? Uh, well. You didn’t tell me, so of course I wouldn’t know, right?”

She’s blaming this on me?

“Hey, you should have at least asked first. I just assumed you knew.”

“Ah, whatever. Are you going to be petty like a guy? So, what’s your name?”

“Call me Lee Hoyeon.”

“What kind of name is ‘Lee Hoyeon’ anyway? What’s so great about it that you’re telling me?”

“What did you say?”

“It’s nothing~. Anyway, aren’t you curious how much money I made today?”

Seriously. I’m speechless. She became so cheeky in just one day. I miss the Liliana who was whimpering after getting beaten up by thugs yesterday.

“So, how much did you make?”

“Tada~ It’s 800,000 won.”

“What?”

“Did you stick a dick in your ear? I said 800,000 won! Isn’t that a lot? A single chicken costs 15,000 won.”

I heard it clearly, but even when I asked again just in case I misheard, it was 800,000 won.

This isn’t just ‘a lot’; it’s fucking a lot.

If only I had been reincarnated as a woman, I could have just copied money doing cam girl streams.

Fucking gods!

“That aside, there’s actually a serious problem.”

Just then, Liliana’s playful expression hardened, and she whispered to me.

“A problem? What is it?”

Actually, I have too many things to feel guilty about, so it’s a problem.

Don’t tell me she’s been discovered by others?

I told her so many times to set the delivery instructions to ‘Leave it outside my door’!

“I’m bored.”

“What?”

“I said I’m bored!”

“What free time do you have to be bored! You need to make money streaming!”

Where is this bitch getting off refusing to work?!

“You can’t stream during academy classes anyway! That way, you can do what you said, being a student by day and a perverted succubus cosplayer by night!”

…She’s surprisingly smart?

“How about watching other streams to improve your streaming skills, or practicing games?”

“I’m already good at games, so I don’t want to practice. And if I watch other streams, they’ll see who I am if I chat, so I can’t chat. Streams without chat are pointless!”

This bastard is truly malicious. Why does she have so many demands when she could just watch quietly?

Listening to her, it sounds like she wants something, and I hate dealing with whining and indirect requests.

“So, what do you want to do? Just say it.”

“I want to tag along too.”

Huh? Did I hear that wrong?

“I want to go around and see the world too.”

“How are you going to do that? Is there a way?”

Liliana’s appearance is unmistakably that of a succubus. Her heart-tipped tail swayed coquettishly.

Of course, if she wore proper clothes and hid the horns on her head, she’d look similar to a human, but a passing priest might sense the demonic aura and smash her head in with a cross.

Just kidding.

Who knows what could happen to her if she wandered off alone without me. I’m the one who’d have to take responsibility.

I’ll never let her out of my sight.

“Yeah. I do have a way.”

Pung!

With a playful sound, smoke billowed around Liliana.