episode_0020

Chapter 20 – Surveillance

Inside the bathtub, filled with steam, the girl leaned into a warm embrace and let out a sigh. “Haa… it’s warm.”

This warmth transmitted through her skin could not be replaced by anything else. The girl buried herself deeper, enjoying the caressing touch.

She wished she could stay like this forever. But people must exercise self-control.

Splash— Shaking off the hands that had warmly enveloped her entire body, the girl stood before the mirror.

As she wiped away the foggy surface with a hand, a pure, innocent face was revealed. Her appearance, radiating even a sense of youthful freshness, would have left those who knew her ordinarily utterly astonished.

The girl’s name was Deborah. Having lost her parents at a young age, she was taken in by Roxana Sprause, the Gray Magic Tower Master, and was one who glimpsed the future with her innate foresight.

She looked into her purple eyes and recalled what had happened in the afternoon.

“What was that?” Ruan Friuli. While on her way to find that notorious scoundrel, she became entangled in an unexpected incident.

The fact that the Saint was hanging outside the window was surprising enough, but what was more problematic was the future she accidentally glimpsed when her lens fell off. And of all things, it was her own future.

– You really don’t like rape, right? You mustn’t like it? – I hate it! I said I hate it! I hate rape! – Good. Stay still. I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt.

In the future, she was being raped by Ruan Friuli. In a damp space shrouded in unknown darkness, she was pinned beneath Ruan Friuli, constantly screaming her refusal, enduring the rough stimulation with tears in her eyes.

The emotions and sensations she felt then remained vividly in Deborah’s memory. While she was calmly analyzing it now, at the time, it had been a huge shock. That’s why, without thinking deeply, she had half-unconsciously blurted out that strange remark about liking to be raped.

It was an instinctive struggle, wanting at all costs to avoid being violated by him. Will such a future truly come to pass?

‘I don’t want to make Teacher-nim sad.’ To have sex with the man her Teacher-nim admires, and moreover, to be raped by him. How could she explain this to make her understand?

No matter how much she thought about it, such a method seemed impossible to exist in the world. Then, is the only way to change the future?

‘But how?’ She had tried to change it in the past, but had already failed once. If she were to face the same result this time, she would truly be distraught.

Deborah, who had been wearing a glum expression as her mood instantly turned melancholic, slapped her own cheeks. Slap! Slap!

“It’s okay. It’s not certain yet that Teacher-nim has fallen in love.” This might all just be her vain delusions, and in truth, Teacher-nim might only have a casual interest.

‘Right. I overthought it.’ Even if a future where she is raped comes to pass, if only she gets hurt and it ends there, she would be satisfied.

Deborah, clenching her fists, shifted her thoughts to a different topic this time.

“By the way, that man. I couldn’t see his future.” Until now, no one had resisted her foresight in an unguarded state, without a single exception, but it was impossible to glimpse that man’s future.

Of course, it might have been because the time was too short, but she didn’t want to conclude it as such. Something… there’s something special about that man.

“He even knew about my foresight.” Aside from her deceased parents from when she was young and her Teacher, Roxana Sprause, no one else knew about it, so where on earth did he get that information?

The more she dwelled on it, the more convinced she became that Ruan Friuli was a dangerous person. She needed to stay away from him.

“From now on, I shouldn’t even go near him.” To be honest, she was startled when Ruan Friuli first caught her.

She had brushed him off, saying they met by chance, but the truth was, she had gone to him with the thought, ‘Since things are like this anyway, should I try shadowing him?’

It was fortunate that she had unintentionally discovered a talent for acting on this occasion.

‘Should I leave now?’ While she deliberated, the water that had warmed her entire body was cooling down.

She needed to get out before this warmth completely turned into cold. Deborah tidied up the bathtub and quickly headed to the dressing room.

*

Ruan Friuli Level – 34 (+4) Strength: 34 (+3) Stamina: 29 (+4) Durability: 36 (+5) Sense: 26 (+4) Magic Power: 27 (+3)

*

Growth was going smoothly. Having diligently overexerted my body, I lay myself down on the floor, feeling like a fish spread out on a drying rack.

A cold chill spread through me. “Haa… I’m going to die.”

Had I ever been this diligent? The extreme training I hadn’t skipped even a single day since possessing this body made me realize that I was quite a tenacious guy.

My body was gradually growing stronger, and the feeling of my mind hardening along with it wasn’t bad.

Click! “Get up. Get up! What do you mean you’re already sprawled out?”

“Ah, Professor-nim.” Sara, who had nonchalantly unlocked the door and entered, approached, shouting boisterously, and forcibly pulled me to my feet.

For some reason, this kind of thing had been happening a lot lately. She placed me upright on the ground, then slapped my broad back.

Smack! “Wow, your body’s gotten much firmer, hasn’t it? Growing this much in just a week. Youth really is good, isn’t it?”

“……” “Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to say?”

“I just felt it anew. There’s quite a big generation gap between you, Professor-nim, and me—” “How dare you bring up age? How impudent!”

Sara put me in a headlock. It wasn’t a serious headlock, though. If it had been, my head would have been ripped off in an instant. Thanks to that, I just had to enjoy the feeling of her ample breasts.

“Take that back right now! I’m still young too. Got it?” “Yes, yes. I understand. You certainly seem young in physical age.”

As I subtly rubbed my head against her lower chest, Sara, startled, pulled back.

“Th-this guy, he’s really so brazen.” “Aren’t you too conservative, Professor-nim? Reacting like a teenage girl after turning thirty….”

“I’m not thirty yet, you know? Anyway! Today I came to teach you unarmed combat.” “Oh, really?”

Unfortunately, Solias Academy has no professor who teaches unarmed combat. One might find that strange.

How could the continent’s best educational institution exclude unarmed combat? But it was merely a problem that arose for very practical reasons.

That is, too few students wanted to take the lectures! Last year and the year before, for two consecutive years, there had oddly been not a single student who used unarmed combat. I heard there were some this year, but finding a professor isn’t easy, so even if one were to be found, we’d have to look towards next year.

Therefore, I had not yet properly learned even the basics.

“Right. You’ll need it too, won’t you? Looking at your body, it seems you’ve made at least minimal preparations.” It seems that earlier, when she put me in a headlock, she hadn’t completely let go of her strength, but had applied pressure just enough for me to withstand it, and seemed to have been testing how much I had grown.

Sara, seemingly satisfied that the topic of conversation had shifted, grinned and took a stance. It was a form similar to kickboxing.

“First, I’ll state that all the techniques I’ve learned are practical-oriented. I don’t know about the ‘depth’ or whatever martial arts masters talk about, these are just techniques focused on how efficiently you can kill an opponent. So don’t think about reaching a high level with these. Understood?”

“Of course. Am I in a position to be picky about such things right now? Besides, though I don’t remember well, the Friuli family also has basic unarmed combat techniques, so I can somehow look them up later.”

“Good. Then come at me. It’ll be easier to experience it directly than just talk. You’ve been beaten up a lot by Alisa lately, so your endurance must have gotten stronger, right?” “Of course. You’d better be prepared, you know? I’ll stick to you like a leech!”

Giving impact to my final words, I kicked off the ground and charged at Sara. Dashing forward, mixing in some weaving!

Wham! And Sara’s fist obscured my vision.

“Huh?” No matter how fast Sara was, I should have been able to see at least her preparatory movements, but I didn’t notice anything at all.

This was a realm of technique unrelated to speed.

“How was it? Did you see?” “Yes. You came in the moment I blinked.”

“Right. You saw well. This is an application of what I taught in class. But this isn’t important. Remember the shift in my center of gravity when I just swung my fist. Just this one thing makes a huge difference in power.” “Understood!”

Afterward, I began to receive various techniques from Sara. All of this would become my flesh and blood.

‘I’ll absorb it all.’

*

“Pant… pant!” “Well done. For now, this is it for today. Practice it on your own in the afternoon. Rest.”

“Th-thank you.” “Right, right. You’re so polite when it’s like this. How nice it is when you’re well-behaved.”

Sara brought the towel provided and rubbed it roughly against my head. The subtle affection in her rough touch warmed my heart.

I felt like… I might harbor some inappropriate feelings. I firmly suppressed those feelings and asked Sara, who was about to leave.

“By the way, do you have any plans this afternoon?” “Huh? Oh, was it that obvious? Actually, I’m having dinner with Professor-nim Verdan today. Hehe! Aren’t you jealous?”

“Not at all. I’m not gay.” “That’s not what I meant! Ugh… what can I even say to you? Anyway, since that’s settled, I’ll get going first. Let’s grab a meal together sometime later, too.”

Sara, who had made a promise that would never come true, turned her back and walked away. I hesitated, then stopped her.

“Professor-nim! Just a moment!” “Why? Do you have more to say?”

“……Please don’t put on those strange airs for no reason. Men hate that.” “Airs? What airs?”

“You know, that strange laugh of yours, like an old lady. Just act like your usual self. Because that’s more charming for you, Professor-nim.”

At my sincere advice, Sara’s face, which had been looking at me as if thinking ‘What is this guy going to say now?’, was now tinged with surprise. Then, seemingly embarrassed, she gave an awkward laugh and suddenly frowned.

“What old lady? I never did that, you know?” “Really? Should I reenact it? Don’t be stubborn for no reason and listen to me.”

“If I do as you say and it goes wrong, you’re dead, got it?” “That won’t happen, I assure you. I’m confident. If things go well with Professor-nim Verdan, it’ll all be thanks to me, okay?”

“Alright. If it goes well, I’ll treat you. Then see you on Monday!” Sara, leaving a promise, waved her hands casually from side to side, as if indicating gratitude, and disappeared.

Somehow, my energy drained strangely. “…Let’s go wash up and grab some lunch.”

There’s no time to waste on useless things. In order to become stronger even one day sooner, and in order to see the ending, return to Earth, and take revenge, I couldn’t stay still for a single moment.

That day, I relentlessly pushed myself. More than usual.