episode_0048

As intended, I defeated Garett moderately.

With a performance that would make talented individuals like Leon or Skada think, ‘He’s not even from the Imperial Family, but he’s quite good?’ while watching the match.

At the same time, it was just enough for them to think, ‘If he’s refined, he’d make a useful subordinate.’

In other words, it was important to perform just well enough for them to take an interest in me, but also still feel they could look down on me, and it seemed to have worked.

The skill I just displayed could also be easily performed by the current Imperial Family members.

No… considering that my combat power plummets when it’s not a fight to the death, Imperial Family members could put on a more elegant and easier performance than me in such a spar.

Because that’s what it means to inherit the blood of Conquering Emperor Richard.

Anyway, won’t Skada openly show interest in me now?

And sure enough.

“Oh…! I understand why Professor Isera-nim praised you so endlessly. Of course, it’s nothing compared to an unparalleled genius like myself.”

The boisterous voice of a strong-willed woman, a blend of arrogance and charisma, approached me.

Skada, who had been sitting in the stands, leaped over the barrier and rushed towards me.

She came closer, looking me over, once, twice…

This woman, much taller than Irha and nearly my height, soon shot me a look filled with immense interest.

However, in this woman’s interested gaze, there was not a grain of the affection I felt from the women who were softly entangled with me.

It was a look of pure curiosity, a desire to properly challenge me, and a peculiar mix of confidence that seemed to say, ‘Still, I think I’d win?’

A gaze that was the opposite of Leon’s always sly and uncomfortable looks, and in a different sense, incredibly tiresome.

Smack!

Suddenly, Skada stretched out her hand, grabbed my cheek, and pulled and stretched it as if playing with strange clay.

Sigh… Imperial Family members are tiresome because they always do whatever they want like this.

“Don’t do thaaat…”

“Hahaha! Your skin looked so chewy, I couldn’t help it. But… no matter how I look at it, this is Professor-nim’s overestimation because you’re handsome. You’re quite strong, but you’re nowhere near enough to surpass me…”

Professor Isera saw it correctly, that’s all.

As expected, no matter how much potential the Imperial Family members have, for now, Professor Isera’s skill is inherently superior to theirs, and her discernment is also better.

You goby-like young lady, acknowledge what someone stronger than you says.

Or so I almost said.

And the next moment, Skada leaned her head close and whispered, as if imparting a tremendous secret.

I thought, ‘Are they going to have a private conversation here?’ so I quickly leaned my ear closer, but…

“I’ve given it some thought, and there’s no doubt that Professor Isera-nim likes you, Ras. It’s truly a disgraceful thing at her age… Always be wary of Professor Isera-nim.”

“Ugh…!”

When I glared at Skada, who was spouting nonsense, as if exasperated, Skada guffawed brightly.

“Your gaze is good, at least. Anyway, consider yourself lucky. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to catch the eye of Skada Eisenstein da Sephiroth… Let’s meet after school on Friday. It’s an Imperial Princess’s order.”

“Alright.”

Without further ado, I accepted Skada’s offer, and the eccentric Imperial Princess waved goodbye to me before awkwardly climbing back into the stands.

Watching that large woman climb into the stands, I got the impression that she was a bit clumsy.

*

“Th-That’s impossible…! Ras… someone like Ras… It’s a lie, isn’t it?!”

Emma couldn’t close her mouth at the unbelievable sight unfolding before her eyes.

Garett losing… It was true that she had considered Garett might lose to Ras, who had recently become abnormally strong.

But to prevent such a mishap, she had even scouted a dark sorcerer, spending a huge amount of money.

To inflict the most miserable defeat possible on Ras, and as a bonus, to bring misery upon Irha.

Of course, Emma had already planned out the next step, which was why she had resorted to dark magic, pushing herself too far.

If, due to two disasters stemming from utterly inexplicable misfortune, one completely ruined a rather important evaluation and was confirmed to fail, what would their state be?

If, amidst full of injustice, resentment, and helplessness, they also received a high-level curse called ‘Decay’ and became physically debilitated?

Whether by provoking him or seeking him out… Emma was overflowing with confidence that she could frame the physically debilitated Ras as a ‘rapist.’

Though Emma herself didn’t remember, the pre-regression route where Emma falsely accused Ras wasn’t fundamentally different, only the details varied.

Back then, Emma had visited Ras, who was truly half-crippled and helpless, under the guise of a sick visit, then falsely accused him of rape, succeeding easily.

However, in the new game that unfolded after the regression, all moves made by Emma, and by extension Lizley, were completely blocked.

The mixed byproduct, created like an accident through ‘Succubus’s Tears’, transformed into a ‘spiritual elixir’ much faster than before the regression, as Ras, who regressed with enlightenment of the mindscape, consumed it in appropriately reduced quantities.

And this time, because the attempt to incapacitate Ras through dark magic failed from the start, all the blueprints she had drawn for afterward were completely derailed.

Instead, Ras displayed astonishing skill, utterly unthinkable for a first-year, and defeated Garett, one of the top five second-years, in a single blow.

Moreover, the remaining stragglers, whom she thought of as insignificant, also became full of vigor and clung to the second-years like leeches, securing victories.

‘From where… from where exactly?’

Emma couldn’t speak, and began retracing where the problem had originated.

The first variable that came to mind was Rosalie.

Had that woman, who was shamelessly showing vulgar aegyo to Ras just now, clung to Ras and healed him?

‘No… I monitored Ras almost all day today. That Rosalie woman only barely arrived right before the exam…’

Emma, concluding that the two couldn’t have met unless Ras had secretly met Rosalie in the men’s restroom, thought about the next variable.

‘Tsk… Could it be that it wasn’t a variable, but the ‘dark magic’ itself failed?’

Emma had clearly confirmed that ‘Decay’ was working well from Monday until just before the Wednesday exam.

‘The magic… didn’t work properly. Damn it…! That cursed person, after all his boasting…!!!’

As the thought that the swaggering dark sorcerer had miscalculated crossed her mind, Emma’s face turned beet red with rage.

A terrifying murderous intent, wishing to tear him apart and kill him right then and there, surged from Emma. (Of course, she had long forgotten the fact that she had completely bowed down to Lergo.)

However, there was something more important than Emma’s own feelings present in that place…

“Emma, see me in a bit.”

“…..!”

At Lizley’s icy voice, which Emma had never heard in her life, Emma’s rage not only extinguished but completely froze over.

Emma had lived for a long time, carefully observing Lizley’s various moods, but this level of overt coldness was new to her.

“Hmm… Lizley, you’re friends, so don’t be too harsh. Oh, Ras is doing exceptionally well… enough to already catch my sister’s eye. Goodness, I wonder if I should even arrange an introduction.”

At least Leon, instead of disappointment or anger, was looking down at Ras with a heartily laughing, somehow interested gaze.

The situation itself, where his elder sister Skada was directly approaching Ras, a commoner, and attempting to scout him, was undoubtedly a fun and entertaining sight for Leon.

But the atmosphere around Lizley, upon seeing that, was plummeting uncontrollably, to an extent that coldness alone couldn’t describe it.

Because Leon’s casually given instruction had made Emma like a mouse before a cat [a proverb about being completely helpless/at someone’s mercy], despite her utmost restraint and self-control.

It was indeed understandable that Lizley was extremely angry.

Ras was doing exceptionally well, and his surroundings were being filled with attractive women who could more than fill the void of Lizley’s absence many times over.

Watching Lizley’s chilling fury, Emma was simply anxious… she even wished to be summoned quickly and kneel before Lizley to beg for forgiveness.

‘What… what do I do? Ugh!’

Surprisingly, not a single grain of worry about the gold coins she had borrowed from Orca existed in Emma’s mind.

Well, Emma also didn’t have much of a sense for money, but at that time, Emma hadn’t considered the possibility of not receiving the penalty fee from Lergo.

If she had known how terrifying money problems could be, she wouldn’t have acted rashly in the first place, but most unfortunately… Emma’s head was a flower garden [a proverb about being naive or air-headed when it comes to a specific matter] when it came to such things.

Emma’s true tragedy was thus approaching her more and more closely, moment by moment.

*

After the victory, our team underwent a second doping test and then had a short break.

Afterward, to meet Rosalie-ssi who had returned, and to also see Garett who was resting in the infirmary, I immediately went to the infirmary.

Of course, along with my team members who were extremely exhausted from displaying the ‘ultimate obstruction’ combination that would be remembered forever at Leone.

Our kids, who looked utterly dead, received Rosalie-ssi’s divine power treatment and then all lay down on the infirmary beds and began to snore soundly.

I was fine, but I had external injuries from Garett, so I needed to get them treated.

Perhaps because the attack was quite effective, it was an injury that would need two more days to heal cleanly on its own.

“Oh my…! You’re more deeply hurt than I thought. Oh dear!! Why didn’t you tell me right away? What to do, on these pretty arms and legs…”

Our Rosalie-ssi immediately began gently applying divine power and ointment to my wounds.

In truth, it felt like the wound healed cleanly as soon as it was applied, but she seemed to want me to act spoiled, so I played along appropriately.

“Hehe… Ras, Teacher-nim will blow on it for you here~.”

The sight of her playfully blowing gently on the wounds on my arm and hand was truly beautiful.

Then, Rosalie-ssi slightly lowered her head.

Smooch!

“….!!”

On the back of my injured hand, Rosalie-ssi’s soft lips touched and then left, ever so slightly.

“I missed you, Ras.”

“Me too… I missed you a lot, Teacher-nim.”

Although it was an afternoon infirmary room filled with snoring, the touch of her lips was so sweet and soft that those sounds seemed like a sweet melody.

Enough to make me completely forget kisses like the ones I had with Lizley before the regression, where our lips merely rubbed together.

It seems that, as Pisces and Irha said, our Rosalie-ssi truly is a terrifying woman, like a dragon.