episode_0050

“Ras! Hello~ What a great morning.”

“You were really cool yesterday. But is it true that you broke up with Lizley?”

“Will you sign for me? Like, right now!”

Phew…

It seems my rough and skillful fighting performance yesterday left a deep impression, especially on the female students.

As soon as I arrived at school, Angela, Ersha, Ruby… and two or three other girls whose names I couldn’t quite remember, were all gathered around my desk.

Who exactly is this girl asking for an autograph? She has excellent taste, recognizing a superstar…

Anyway, the one feeling flustered by this strange phenomenon was none other than my minion.

“Grrr… You guys… go… go away…!”

Irha, with a panicked expression, timidly threatened the girls, but as expected, she wasn’t threatening at all, so she had no presence.

“Ahem. Ras-gun, and, um… fellow classmates…?”

“Oh my. It’s the Princess-nim.”

“We’ll get going~ See you later!”

And the one who instantly brought order to this noisy chaos was our polite Princess-nim.

Marisa tries to be friendly to her fellow classmates, but because of her extremely high status, ordinary students don’t even dare to approach her, fearing they might make a mistake.

On top of that, she’s Leon’s fiancée, excessively beautiful, and incredibly capable, which tends to make people keep their distance even more.

It was safe to say there were almost no commoners like Irha or me who freely associated with Marisa.

Perhaps that’s why Marisa cherished me and Irha, who she felt comfortable treating informally, even more.

“Phew… It seems I’m not the kind of person who can win over others. To think they avoid me so much.”

“That’s what happens when you go around eating things like asparagus mayonnaise bread. Avoiding weirdos is just a normal human habit.”

I was trying to find something that would amuse the slightly gloomy girl, then I just blurted it out, and she blushed.

“Ugh… Ras-gun seems to know me too well. This helplessness, like I’m laid bare on your palm… That’s right. I actually bought one on my way to school…”

Ah! So it was the green truth, the color of asparagus!

“On the right, the asparagus weirdo; on the left, the mint chocolate weirdo… My school days are stained with friendships with such weirdos…!”

As I sighed at the unbelievable situation, Marisa chuckled softly, but Irha, on the other hand, whimpered pitifully.

“Weirdo…! Ras, I’m not a weirdo, I’m your minion! Hmph… And you specifically call it friendship… What even is friendship?”

The way she fidgeted and grumbled was petty, but it was cute, so it was fine.

As I gently stroked Irha’s round head, she forgot she was sulking and quickly started giggling.

Marisa, who had been watching the peculiar scene with a strange gaze, continued speaking as if remembering her purpose.

“Oh, right… Well, honestly, the reason I came all the way here so early in the morning is because I wanted to ask about yesterday’s match.”

“What about it?”

“That perfect Geumnasu from yesterday. You seemed just like the protagonist of a novel I recently read called ‘Joint Crusher.’ ‘Joint Crusher’ is about Eastern martial artists…”

Marisa, excitedly chattering, was a girl perfectly her age, despite her slightly peculiar tastes.

I will definitely protect that innocent smile this time.

I’ll build my foundation, and gradually cut off Leon’s limbs so he can’t wield absolute power… That’s how I’ll free you from your cage…

For a moment, I realized I might have been staring at Marisa too intently without saying anything, so I pulled myself together and vaguely replied to her words.

“Yeah, what you were going to do to me. I got some serious inspiration from seeing that, you know.”

“As expected…! The stories about Eastern martial arts were certainly not fiction. I’m very happy that it was helpful to a classmate.”

Just then, a slightly whimpering voice came from beside me.

“Ugh… Ras… Stroking is nice, but the top of my head is getting hot…!”

“Oops.”

I must have been unconsciously continuously touching Irha’s round head.

Marisa looked at us, licking her lips, then carefully asked.

“Excuse me… Ras-gun, is it really that good to stroke Irha’s head? When I see you, you’re really uninhibited with physical contact between genders.”

Since it was customary to give a natural answer to a natural question, I shrugged and replied.

“You’ll get addicted too; you won’t be able to escape. When you stroke it, you’ll feel peace like a river flowing through your mind and body.”

“Is it that much? Irha, excuse my forwardness, but just once…”

Marisa feigned hesitation for a moment, then quickly imitated me. After a short while…

“……!!!!!”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

Marisa, who was stroking Irha with a deeply profound expression, seemed happy, but Irha, conversely, looked like she was about to cry.

“Hmph! I’m not a marble, guys!”

No, you are. You’re a marble boy, you little rascal.

*

Anyway, school life from Thursday to this Friday afternoon has been quite fun.

There were some kids who actually came to get autographs, and upperclassmen would come to talk to me or just to see who I was.

It was a natural scene, as skilled commoners usually get scouted by nobles beforehand.

Of course, after seeing the name Etgard, they’d leave, saying, ‘Ah, he’s just going to be a merchant anyway.’

Lizley sometimes bit her lip and secretly glared at me, and Leon nonchalantly came to find me and threw a few oily compliments my way.

And… our foolish Emma, who will experience true hell this weekend, is currently in front of me.

“Garett… ha… Have you no pride? You lost and you’re just smiling happily to his face? What humiliation did I suffer because Oppa lost…”

She was throwing a tantrum at her own boyfriend, to boot.

*

The incident roughly started like this.

On Wednesday, when I went to the infirmary, I thought I’d drop by and greet Garett, whom I had beaten.

But when I arrived at the infirmary with my teammates, Garett was already gone, having received a short treatment and feeling better.

The next day, it felt a bit awkward to go seek him out in the upperclassmen’s classroom after having thrashed him, and with my sudden popularity, I was a bit distracted and even forgot about it.

But today, Friday, as I was packing my bag after school, this man came to find me and asked to talk for a moment.

Since he was a Senior calling me, and it didn’t seem like he was trying to pick a fight, I obediently followed him out.

What followed was a short thank you and a gesture of respect for giving him a good experience.

“Haha. I learned a harsh lesson, but I was a bit embarrassed to seek you out first. Don’t think I’m petty; I actually mustered up some courage.”

The talented prospect, who spoke so refreshingly with a relieved expression, was such a good-natured person it was hard to believe he was Emma’s boyfriend.

“Phew… Actually, Emma asked me to stomp you and your team members as hard as possible. From what I saw at the cafe last time too… I was a bit worried, thinking your relationship must be really bad.”

“Since I broke up with Lizley, she must be in a bad mood too. Since Emma is Lizley’s best friend, she probably wouldn’t hear anything good about me from Lizley.”

Anyway, I hesitated to openly badmouth Emma to this kind person who was concerned, so I just vaguely skirted around the topic.

By the way… I had expected it, but hearing directly that she told him to stomp us hard was truly absurd.

She even tried to subtly steal my belongings, and gave weird orders to her own boyfriend… Emma really is a massive psychopath.

The part where she asked him to stomp not just me but my team members too was truly venomous.

At least… in my life before regression, thankfully, Garett didn’t marry Emma.

Both Garett and Emma were people who died by my hand, but they had already broken up at that time.

Emma had married a Count with a higher peerage and had become a Countess.

It was certainly a scenario where Garett, a scion of a Viscount family, must have been dumped by Emma.

“Anyway… Did anything troublesome happen to you because I won? If she was nagging you that much, consequences surely would have fallen on you…”

Garett replied with a faint smile to my question. It was a very bitter expression.

“I thought I’d get an earful, but she just ignored me. She didn’t answer my calls, and when I went to see her, her expression was really bad…”

Indeed, Emma must have been scolded almost to death by Lizley, so she wouldn’t have had the energy to scold someone beneath her right now.

“Senior, why do you like Emma? She’s pretty, but someone like you could easily find someone kinder, prettier, and more virtuous.”

When I suddenly felt sorry for him and asked, Garett said, “Is that so?” then laughed heartily.

“It’s just… well, our families are close, so the relationship has lasted quite a long time… It’s love, affection, and responsibility… things like that. Emma and I are tied by our families, you see. To be honest, it’s often difficult.”

Seeing the face of such a magnanimous person, I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

He must have been enduring the unpleasantness that came with each moment based on responsibility and trust, but what he got in return in the life before regression was a cruel betrayal.

“Senior. Well, I don’t enjoy giving advice on other people’s relationships, but… I think love itself is the most important thing. Otherwise, you just end up unhappy.”

“Heh heh. But more importantly, you have a lot of girls around you… They’re not all your girlfriends, are they?”

And just as we were exchanging a few more words, Emma suddenly ambushed us.

“Garett… ha… Have you no pride? You lost and you’re just smiling happily to his face? What humiliation did I suffer because Oppa lost…”

“Pride, humiliation… Emma, why are you speaking like that? Of course one can lose, and Ras was simply stronger than me. In fact, I gained an opportunity to grow even more.”

“Right! That lousy spear technique. It didn’t even work on a commoner from a vulgar merchant family, so what good is growing for that?”

“Emma! How dare you call his family a ‘vulgar merchant family.’ Apologize to Ras right now. What kind of behavior is this to his face!”

I was excitedly watching Garett and Emma’s argument, and sure enough, Emma started resorting to personal attacks, bringing up my family again.

I was thinking, ‘Should I just let the guy, who’s soon to be a debtor anyway, just keep running his mouth?’ when Garett, surprisingly, sternly demanded an apology from Emma.

Of course, like the hellish woman she was, she didn’t apologize but merely barked viciously.

“That’s enough. I’m sick of it. You, who act so conceited and gentlemanly. And that obnoxious bastard too! A boyfriend who’s utterly useless…”

I was watching how far this hysterical girl would go, when Garett sighed deeply and spoke to Emma.

“This isn’t going to work. Emma, honestly, I had a bad feeling ever since you kept making unreasonable demands… I can’t be with you anymore. This isn’t a matter of understanding; it’s a matter of who you are as a person.”

Senior, the real man, delivered a sharp revelation! I couldn’t help but admire that blunt breakup notice.

“Apologize to Ras sincerely right now. Otherwise, I will not reverse my decision.”

His tone was calm but firm and decisive; he was not the good-natured person from just a moment ago.

“Ha! You… you’re going to side with that commoner too, aren’t you? Apologize? I wouldn’t even if a knife were at my throat. A Viscount family son like you, I wasn’t satisfied with you anyway. Go ahead and play nice with a commoner…!”

She’s lying. She’s the kind of person who’d apologize a hundred times if a knife were at her throat, so her acting like that was just comical.

Anyway, Emma trembled and whirled around, running off, but Garett didn’t chase after her like an idiot.

However, Garett, wearing a rather sorrowful smile, looked extremely exhausted.

“Haha… Well, it happened so suddenly, but… I actually haven’t thought about breaking up for the first time. Anyway, it’s a family matter, so who knows how it will turn out.”

“Why are you thinking so complicatedly? Whether it’s a man or a woman, their heart must be beautiful first. Only then can they understand, give, and receive love.”

Right now, his feelings might be complicated and confused due to the sudden situation, but in just three days, he’ll feel how his life has changed.

“And one more thing, if your partner ever disregards you, confront them about it right away. Even regarding what just happened, instead of demanding an apology for me, you should have stood up for yourself, Senior.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, coming from you, who always has beautiful women around. Ha… I feel a bit restless, would you like to have a drink? My treat.”

He was smiling, but listening to Garett’s words, filled with emptiness and exhaustion, how could I refuse?

“Ah. Well, I can, but… I have a companion with me, is that alright? I have a prior engagement…”

“Companion…? Well, if you have a prior engagement, there’s nothing for it. I probably don’t know them anyway.”

“You probably do know them? You’re both in the student council.”

I told Garett, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression, about the person I had an appointment with.

“Princess Skada. I’m meeting her this evening. There won’t be much to talk about, so why don’t you come along? You won’t tell a fellow student council member to leave, will you?”

“Uh… The Princess-nim…?”

Anyway, the purpose of today’s meeting isn’t some secret conspiracy.

It’s more like a test for me to gauge whether she’s someone worth helping and following.

Thinking this situation with Garett involved was actually more welcome, I headed with the Senior, who had escaped from hell, to where Skada was waiting.

Unintentionally, I saved a man today.

Come to think of it, saving a man seemed to be the first time for me, both before and after regression.