Episode 463. School Starts (5)

‘This looks like an assassination attempt, after all.’

Lee Hoyeon checked Rebecca’s status window while looking at the bubbling beverage.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Rebecca]

• [ Affection : 100 ] ( + 0.9 )

• [ Lust : 60 ]

• [ Appetite : 40 ]

• [ Fatigue : 30 ]

Current State: I wonder if I can do it 5 times if I drink this? Wait a moment. Thinking about it, shouldn’t I be the one drinking it, not the baby daddy?

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, she will serve Lee Hoyeon as her husband and support him.]

‘…No wonder she helped so much with the magic research.’

So Rebecca had such admirable feelings.

But drinking this was another matter.

Lee Hoyeon requested, with a serious expression, “Rebecca-ssi. It seems best to just accept your kind intentions. You might die if you drink this.”

“No. You’ll get healthier if you drink it. Baby daddy.”

“… You’re always the one who collapses first anyway, Rebecca-ssi. Isn’t this exactly what you need?”

“… Is that so?”

“You knew that too, Rebecca-ssi, but pretended you didn’t, didn’t you?”

Rebecca frowned, looking at the drink in response to Lee Hoyeon’s remark.

She had made it herself, but how could a drink smell like this?

Perhaps the ingredients were a bit too much.

‘I put in everything good for men… but it should be okay for a woman to drink, right?’

Aren’t all human bodies basically the same?

Things good for stamina should also help with pregnancy.

Gulp. Gulp.

Rebecca shut her eyes tightly and swallowed the drink.

“How could you drink that….”

Lee Hoyeon averted his eyes as he watched Rebecca’s throat bob.

Is her determination that great?

“B-baby daddy. I finished it. Hoo. I’ll be able to last as long as you now, right?”

“… Yes. I suppose so.”

Ttak.

Lee Hoyeon only approached after casting Clean Magic on Rebecca.

He didn’t want to smell the scent of that drink from a woman’s mouth.

“Rebecca-ssi, is your work all done? Scarlet mentioned you had things to do too.”

“It wasn’t anything difficult, so it’s fine. Today, I spent more time on the special drink I was making for the baby daddy. Though I did drink it myself….”

Rebecca’s eyes were welling up with tears.

If she had drunk that, it would have been the opposite situation.

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

“Then please spar with me.”

“Why do you suddenly want to spar?”

“Yes. I have to spar with Professor Im Sol, but I don’t have a suitable training partner.”

“Aha. Then I should help.”

Since Rebecca was here, they could have a training session that felt like a real battle instead of the real thing.

Since she’s a mage like Im Sol, it would be very helpful.

Rebecca was also a fan of Im Sol, so she readily agreed. It was only natural to cheer for a sparring match between two people she liked.

Lee Hoyeon used Emotion Amplification while watching Rebecca nod.

What would happen if I increased the tension here?

Would she perhaps sweat more?

“Rebecca-ssi. How are you feeling right now?”

“Huh? About what?”

“Thoughts about the upcoming sparring match with me… or feelings about it.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know how long it’s been since I last properly saw the baby daddy’s magic.”

Rebecca smiled, imagining the sparring match, and Lee Hoyeon swallowed his disappointment.

…It seems she wasn’t feeling any tension at all.

She seemed to be looking forward to it, actually.

He wanted to test it a bit more, but decided against it, fearing he’d run out of magic power if he continued.

“It’s nothing. Let’s head down to the training ground.”

“Okay. Ugh, but my stomach feels a bit queasy.”

“That’s because I put in too many ingredients.”

“I’ll have to adjust next time… I learned something.”

“… You don’t need to make that kind of thing; I’ll treat you well anyway. Please don’t make it.”

Lee Hoyeon patted Rebecca’s back as they headed towards the training ground at home.

*

Rebecca is the last survivor of a minority race called the Rune Tribe.

The Rune Tribe uses only one type of magic.

The Rune Barrier.

The Rune Barrier is the best existing barrier magic, but using it solely for simple barriers means not even utilizing half of its capabilities.

In fact, Rebecca can accomplish most tasks using the Rune Barrier.

Seeing Lee Hoyeon slightly nervous, Rebecca poked his cheek with her finger.

“You’re nervous. Is this a very important sparring match?”

“Yes. I absolutely have to win against Professor Im Sol.”

“Seeing you so motivated, baby daddy, did the Professor prepare some amazing gift?”

“….”

Lee Hoyeon ignored Rebecca’s teasing and finished setting up the training ground.

She’d been stubborn, doing things her own way, ever since they first met. It was a shame this wasn’t a bed, where she might have been more obedient.

“Deploy Sky-Piercing Palace.”

Lee Hoyeon raised his combat sense as he saw the magic power shimmering around his body.

Rebecca, who was checking her magic power, was quite surprised seeing Lee Hoyeon’s extraordinary state.

“Baby daddy, you really want to go all out, huh.”

“Yes. I told you it’s an important sparring match. No holding back.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seriously fought you before, baby daddy, have I?”

“When we first met, I was completely overwhelmed. And you didn’t have any hostility towards me either.”

The memory of first meeting Rebecca is still vivid.

The sheer level of their magic power was different.

Just Rebecca walking towards him caused Lee Hoyeon’s Rune Barrier to collapse.

Literally an exceptional mage.

But how about now?

Lee Hoyeon’s Sky-Piercing Palace is similar to the Rune Barrier, yet different.

Sky-Piercing Palace is a magic that deploys a domain of magic power, exerting strong control over the magic within that area.

This control is so immense that it even applies to other people’s magic.

Meanwhile, Rebecca accomplishes the role of Sky-Piercing Palace with her Rune Barrier.

She creates a domain using the Rune Barrier, and accomplishes anything within it.

Literally the pinnacle of the Rune Barrier.

Originally, the very idea for Sky-Piercing Palace was derived from the Rune Barrier Rebecca showed him.

‘The matchup isn’t bad.’

Rune Barrier and Sky-Piercing Palace.

Both are undoubtedly outstanding magic, but the perfection of the magic itself is overwhelmingly superior in Sky-Piercing Palace.

Of course, whether that reaches Rebecca is another question.

‘Sol’s magic control doesn’t seem inferior to Rebecca-ssi’s.’

Im Sol and Rebecca are both exceptional mages.

However, Im Sol doesn’t feel inferior compared to Rebecca. It’s only right to think that if one can’t beat Rebecca, they can’t beat Im Sol either.

There’s no one better as a practice opponent.

Lee Hoyeon looked at Rebecca, who was standing opposite him with a grin.

Rebecca slowly released her magic power, creating the Rune Barrier, and stared intently at Lee Hoyeon.

A tense moment where the sparring match would begin the instant either of them moved.

Lee Hoyeon immediately unfolded Sky-Piercing Palace.

Because Lee Hoyeon knew the Rune Barrier, he also knew its weakness.

The moment Sky-Piercing Palace devours the Rune Barrier’s domain, Rebecca will become unable to do anything.

Creak-. Creak-

The Rune Barrier and Sky-Piercing Palace created a large barrier in the exact center between them.

Their magic powers, trying to devour each other’s domains, clashed, resulting in an exact tie.

‘… This is tricky.’

While it’s true that Sky-Piercing Palace is a superior magic to the Rune Barrier, it’s not a completely superior version.

This means someone with Rebecca’s level of proficiency can somehow exploit any opening.

It was like that even now.

Although it was still just the probing phase, contrary to Lee Hoyeon’s expectation that Sky-Piercing Palace would overwhelm, it was exactly half and half.

A state where neither knew who would win if they both went all out.

If Sky-Piercing Palace were pushed back, things would get very troublesome afterward.

‘… Should I try mixing in some Underworld magic right now?’

He was curious whether Underworld magic would work on a mage like Rebecca.

Lee Hoyeon sent the flow of Underworld magic into the stream of magic power controlling Sky-Piercing Palace.

A domain battle is about drawing the opponent’s magic power under your command.

If unfamiliar magic enters, it’s only natural for them to falter.

“… Huh?”

Lee Hoyeon felt Rebecca’s Rune Barrier tremble.

The agitation of her emotions was transmitting even into her magic.

The barrier standing where the Rune Barrier and Sky-Piercing Palace met began to move little by little towards Rebecca’s side.

‘This ominous magic is Liliana’s… How is the baby daddy using it?’

Underworld magic.

It, flowing from the suddenly appearing black pillar, slows down the magic power of living beings.

There was little time to think.

Rebecca tried desperately to block Lee Hoyeon’s encroaching domain, but once the barrier was breached, it was like a broken dam swept away by an unstoppable torrent.

Lee Hoyeon’s magic power dug into the everywhere-pierced holes.

‘… I’ll have to give up on the domain battle.’

Rebecca quickly made her decision.

She refined the Rune Barrier and stepped back to a place Sky-Piercing Palace couldn’t reach.

Direct confrontation was impossible. Therefore, she had to use another method.

If this were a real battle, she would have run away… but now, she had no choice but to use another method.

Rebecca spread the Rune Barrier out widely.

She enveloped most of the training ground with the Rune Barrier, so as to envelop Lee Hoyeon’s Sky-Piercing Palace.

“Rebecca-ssi, what are you thinking?”

Lee Hoyeon tilted his head at Rebecca’s movement.

Doing that wouldn’t change anything.

Since they had already been pushed back by Sky-Piercing Palace once, spreading the barrier wide like that wouldn’t change anything.

“Well… you think about it, baby daddy!”

Swoosh-

The magic power composing the Rune Barrier outside Sky-Piercing Palace split and flew towards Lee Hoyeon’s neck.

A sharp attack without a hint of hesitation.

Lee Hoyeon confirmed Rebecca’s appearance while blocking the magic power that entered Sky-Piercing Palace.

Rebecca was still smiling, enveloping Sky-Piercing Palace with the Rune Barrier.

He didn’t know what she was thinking, but there was no need to deal with her necessarily.

Increasing the size of Sky-Piercing Palace was quite burdensome and something he didn’t really want to do, but if she was going to act like this, he had no choice.

Lee Hoyeon slowly increased the range of Sky-Piercing Palace.

Even if Sky-Piercing Palace was burdensome, it could sufficiently cover the training ground.

The more Lee Hoyeon expanded Sky-Piercing Palace, the wider Rebecca spread the Rune Barrier, gradually stepping back from Lee Hoyeon.

Crackle-. Crackle-.

Beep. Beeeeep, Beeeeeeep.

The gradually enlarged Rune Barrier filled the training ground, and not even that was enough, as it was now touching the training ground’s magic circle.

An alarm indicating danger was sent from the training ground’s magic circle.

Seeing Rebecca’s momentum that threatened to destroy the training ground, Lee Hoyeon exclaimed in surprise.

“Rebecca-ssi! Stop! Are you planning to destroy the training ground?”

“Baby daddy. Think of this as a real battle. What do you think would have happened if there were no restrictions like the training ground?”

“… Ha. That’s really cheap of you. I asked for your help, so why are you trying so hard to win?”

“It’s not cheap, it’s kind. I’m doing this to help you, baby daddy. If this were a real battle, I’d run away like this and find a way to counter your magic.”

Rebecca smiled.

She didn’t want to go this far either. But opportunities to spar with Lee Hoyeon were few, and if she lost this time, she’d have to maintain that losing state for quite a while.

That was not something she wanted.

Obeying her husband was only for the bedroom. As a mage, she didn’t want to lose.

If it were a real battle now, Rebecca would have immediately run away.

Since a secret weapon appeared, the normal response would be for this side to regroup and think of a counter-strategy.

Rather, it was Lee Hoyeon who was being cheap, pulling out a secret weapon in a situation where she couldn’t escape, despite calling it a sparring match.

If Rebecca continued to keep her distance and expand the Rune Barrier like this, Lee Hoyeon would have no way to catch up.

Because any magic that went outside Sky-Piercing Palace would enter Rebecca’s domain.

Moreover, even though Sky-Piercing Palace is superior magic, it can be maintained for less time compared to the Rune Barrier.

Rebecca also knew from experience that such strong magic couldn’t be maintained for long.

But this was a sparring match. She couldn’t escape.

Therefore, she proposed a negotiation.

It was a show of force: she wouldn’t run away, so he should reduce the range of Sky-Piercing Palace.

“No wonder you weren’t just stepping back but doing strange things.”

“You like that too, baby daddy. Do you want the sparring match to end so futilely?”

“… That’s true. I guess I got too excited. Let’s make this round void and try again.”

“Okay. I’ll prepare.”

Lee Hoyeon reduced Sky-Piercing Palace back to normal and took a step forward.

He might have focused too much on winning the sparring match.

What he should gain from sparring with Rebecca wasn’t overwhelming the Rune Barrier, but practical experience fighting a mage and using Underworld magic.

Still, seeing Rebecca unable to cope with the Underworld magic was a result in itself.

‘Shall I move on to practicing strategic battles now?’

Pang-!

Lee Hoyeon summoned magic circles in both hands and fired them towards Rebecca.