episode_0130

After the monster attack was quelled, our squad returned to the barracks, received their assignments, organized their belongings, and then had lunch at the soldiers’ mess hall.

“Everyone heard earlier, right? This afternoon, we’ll be introduced to our Squad Leader-nim. They say he’s a veteran knight, so let’s be careful.”

Being a veteran meant he had served for at least three years. While it might not mean much in another profession, three years on the battlefield meant an enormous difference in experience compared to us.

No matter that Isis and Regina were the student council president and a princess respectively, they still had to respect him.

Moreover, if he was taking on the role of our squad leader, it meant he was from the same academy, so technically, we should view him as our Senior-nim.

Amidst various pieces of advice, the meal was finished quickly, and we decided to rest individually.

I went out for a walk, to aid digestion.

And then I regretted it.

‘Ah, damn it. Why are there so many couples?’

And it wasn’t just holding hands and walking; I wouldn’t even complain about that. Every time they spoke, a barrage of kisses was the norm, and if there weren’t any onlookers, they looked ready to have sex right then and there.

That’s why I understood it even less.

From the rules I heard earlier, there was no mention of not bringing members of the opposite sex into the barracks, so I didn’t understand why they were causing a fuss here instead of just going to have sex.

Just as I was grumbling alone, a voice called out to me from behind.

“Oh? Ruan! You’re also out for a walk! What a coincidence.”

It was Abel.

He approached me naturally, as if dressed up but not, along with the stylish Uni.

‘You two as well?’

It seemed like the events at the festival had made their relationship even closer.

If Sara hadn’t been there, Uni would probably have been looking at me with hateful eyes, without any progress in her relationship with Abel.

My feelings became complicated.

“Are you two dating?”

“Uh, huh? W-what do you mean by that?”

“Look around. It’s all just couples. Everyone who comes here thinks the same thing.”

“Ah… you’re right. But Ruan, you’re alone.”

Why are you here, being single?

Abel probably didn’t mean it that way, but that’s exactly how it sounded to me.

So, let’s just make the single person exit.

“Indeed. I don’t know why I came. I’ll get going. See you later.”

“Ah, okay! See you later!”

“Goodbye, Ruan!”

Abel and Uni waved their hands, seeing me off.

Uni, who hadn’t thought highly of me since I betrayed Abel and ran away during the end-of-semester evaluation, seemed to have gained quite a few good points by saving Abel at the festival.

Her eyes, full of goodwill, overlapped with Sara’s gaze, which had poured out contempt and rage.

I left the walking path right then.

And on my way back to the barracks, I was passing through a secluded alley.

“Ah! Aah… Nooo…”

“Stay still. You like it too.”

“B-but… Ugh!? N-not there!”

I was faced with a very familiar situation.

‘This sucks.’

Despite wanting to ignore the voices that triggered my trauma, I still thought about simply ignoring them, but I moved towards their source.

Because the woman’s and man’s voices were also too familiar.

Indeed, as I stepped into the alley, I saw Yas harassing Serlin Madres.

“Ahhn! Aaahn! S-stop it!”

“You like it too, don’t you?”

A pink protrusion danced on Yas’s red tongue.

While greedily sucking on her breast, one hand delved into her panties, caressing her vulva.

There was a shimmer of moisture at Serlin’s eyes.

‘One hundred percent.’

If that cool and collected noblewoman was showing tears, it was hard to see this as a consensual relationship.

Intervening in such situations was not my preference at all, but I couldn’t let the idiot who first approached me and became my friend turn into a criminal.

If it was now, I could still reverse it….

‘Or not?’

Still, I had to stop it, for now.

“Yas. Stop!”

The moment my shout echoed through the alley, Yas flinched and turned to look in my direction.

Serlin also widened her eyes in surprise.

“Oh, huh!? Ruan?”

“Ah!”

He was so engrossed in the act that he didn’t notice me coming this close. At this rate, even if it wasn’t me, he would have been discovered by others soon enough.

I sighed and gestured.

“First, let go of Professor Serlin-nim.”

“…Uh, oh! Alright!”

Yas, flustered but seemingly aware of the gravity of the situation, quickly pulled away from Serlin.

Serlin hastily covered herself and turned her back.

“Yas. No matter what, this isn’t right.”

“…Sorry.”

“You said things were going well with Professor Serlin-nim, so I thought that’s what was happening. What is this then? Were you going to go as far as rape if I hadn’t come?”

He had often boasted about such things when we had lunch together, making me think even a guy like him had a partner, but I never imagined something like this would happen.

As I shook my head, Yas tilted his head.

“…What? What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Think about what you were doing.”

As I pointed at Serlin and the surrounding background, Yas slowly looked around, following my finger, and then exclaimed.

“Oh? Ah, ah! Aha? So that’s what you mean. Hey, it’s not like that.”

“It’s not like that?”

“It’s not rape. Would I really do something like that? Rape is something only scumbags do. I’m not that kind of person.”

Is this bastard taking a jab at me?

At his biting words, which made my eyes snap open, I narrowed my eyes.

However, Yas, unaware of my discomfort, calmly continued speaking.

“I’m disappointed you saw me that way.”

“Then why were you doing that on the street?”

“Well, that was just… playing.”

“Playing?”

“Yeah. You know, like outdoor play. To be precise, it was because it’s hard to get back to the barracks.”

……

So, he wanted to have sex even a second faster, and since there was no one around, he was just going to do it, but then I showed up.

Somehow, I felt even more disgusted.

‘No, damn it, why did she make those noises then?’

Serlin could have easily cast a sound-blocking spell, so I couldn’t understand why she didn’t.

When I looked at Serlin, who had somehow already adjusted her clothing, she opened her mouth with a reluctant expression.

“I… I forgot to cast the spell. I remembered halfway through and asked Yas to stop, but he wouldn’t listen… I felt so good that I couldn’t cast it.”

“So that’s what it was? Our Professor-nim is cute, as expected!”

Yas lightly pinched her cheek.

His grinning face made me feel the urge to punch him right then.

I was an idiot for worrying.

“Damn it, I’m leaving.”

“Oh? You’re going?”

“Yeah. If I see you again, I’ll punch you first, so be careful.”

“Hahaha! You cheer up too. You’ll get a girlfriend someday.”

“Shut up!”

I always thought it would be better if someone just dated that guy when he was always singing about women, but now that it’s actually happening, it couldn’t be more disgusting.

I muttered all sorts of curses to myself as I left the alley and returned to the barracks.

*

“Hello everyone. I am Serdic, who will be serving as your Squad Leader. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

In the afternoon, with the sun high in the sky, we met our Squad Leader on the training ground.

Serdic was a man in his mid-twenties, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

His level was probably on par with Isis and Regina.

Since he had spent three years on the front line, it was highly probable that he finished with middle-tier grades upon graduating from the academy.

Given that he kept glancing at Isis and Regina without rest, he seemed to be the type to be honest about his feelings.

His behavior was so obvious that it actually lowered my guard.

Should I say he at least didn’t look like a member of the Dark Cult? Anyway, that’s how it was.

“Starting tomorrow, you will be operating as a squad under my command. As you’ll be moving through dangerous areas, you’ll encounter many monsters. Therefore, there must be no room for even a single mistake. First, I will teach you the basic signals.”

Serdic, despite showing a somewhat awkward demeanor, continued his explanation without faltering.

He was indeed a capable individual, fit to be chosen as a squad leader.

After all explanations were finished, we began practical training using a simulator together.

We had already done it for a week until we were sick of it, so there were no particular mistakes. Serdic, too, coordinated with us based on his numerous practical experiences.

Ultimately, before two hours had passed, everything that needed to be done immediately was finished.

“You all are excellent, as expected. Let’s end the training here. It would be best for you to recover your stamina for tomorrow.”

“Yes. You worked hard, Squad Leader-nim.”

“Not at all. I’ve also received guidance from Senior Knights, and back then, my juniors were much better than I was. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Serdic, leaving his greetings, departed first, and we headed to the bathhouse.

For reference, this place uses a public bathhouse.

In fact, it was natural, given it was a military camp. Providing a separate shower space for every single soldier would have been too inefficient.

That’s why I was slightly worried about Isis.

‘She wouldn’t do anything strange, would she?’

It was already a well-known fact that Regina loved Isis. There was no telling what she might do to Isis, using the excuse of being the same gender.

As I was deep in thought, Isis seemed to notice my gaze and met my eyes.

“Ruan. What’s wrong? Are you worried about something?”

“…No. It’s nothing like that. But I’ve heard that homosexuality is popular in the military these days. They say you need to be especially careful in the bathhouse.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So, Older Sister-nim, if anyone tries to touch your body inappropriately, you must refuse them. You shouldn’t even trust them if they say they’re also a woman.”

“I see. I understand.”

Isis nodded innocently.

Not a shred of suspicion towards me could be found in her.

Instead, Regina glared at me menacingly.

As expected, she must have been planning to touch Isis in the bathhouse, using the excuse of being the same gender.

I, instead, sneered at her.

‘What, what are you going to do if you glare?’

Even so, that was all Regina could do. If she didn’t want to reveal she was a lesbian, she couldn’t show any resistance.

As I was having a staring contest with Regina, I spotted Deborah about to pass by.

“Deborah? What a coincidence. Are you also going to the bathhouse?”

“…Yes. I finished a bit early.”

I remember the mages were supposed to be analyzing magic circuits in the afternoon, but she must have finished it quickly, as expected of an honor student.

I subtly pointed to my companions and made a suggestion.

“Oh, really? That works out well. Want to come with us? We’re also heading to the bathhouse.”

“…Together?”

“Yeah. Is something wrong?”

When I took a step back at her passive reaction, Deborah bowed her head and apologized, as if she had been waiting to do so.

“I’m sorry. Actually, I have someone I promised to meet.”

“A promise? You just finished? Who?”

If she had promised to meet someone in front of the bathhouse, it would surely be someone I knew. I asked to satisfy my curiosity, but the answer I received was completely different from what I had imagined.

“You probably wouldn’t know them. I only recently became close with them. Anyway, I don’t have much time left, so I’ll get going. I’m sorry!”

“Huh? Hey! Deborah!”

Deborah disappeared beyond the alleyway at full speed, without giving me a chance to stop her.

Did she have to rush that much?

As I stood frozen in embarrassment, Regina, who had been glaring fiercely at me, came closer and scoffed.

“Oh my? What’s this? Did you two perhaps fight?”

……

“Since you’re not saying anything, I guess that’s how it is? Surely you didn’t confess, did you? Girls don’t like it when things happen suddenly. Relationships are something you get to know gradually.”

It was really annoying how she was lecturing me when she had never even dated anyone herself. As I was holding back the urge to punch her in the gut, Isis interjected.

“Ruan. Is what she said true? Did you confess?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Then? Did you fight?”

“Well, I don’t particularly recall anything like that.”

“Is that so? That’s really strange.”

Saying that, Isis’s eyes sparkled.

As I felt a strange sense of bewilderment at her subtly happy expression, this time, Regina, who had been teasing me, had her expression stiffen.

‘What the? Do those two know something?’

I looked back and forth between them, wondering if they might know why Deborah was avoiding me, but I soon realized that couldn’t be the case and turned my head towards the path where Deborah had disappeared.

‘I’ll have to have a serious talk with her soon.’

This can’t go on like this.