episode_0252

It wasn’t just me who was surprised by Ethan’s excessive interest in Liria. Other kids were also taken aback by Ethan casually mentioning Liria’s full name.

After all, Liria’s name was used as a device throughout the game as a ‘difficult-to-memorize name.’ It didn’t mean that it was hard to memorize just because you were a player, but rather that even the in-game characters found it hard to memorize.

Even though I had played ‘Luminor Academy’ 25 times, I had given up on memorizing Liria’s name early on. The fact that Ethan was able to memorize that long name after seeing it a few times during the sparring matches with the Spear Arts Club had only one reason.

‘…Is he interested in Liria?’

Honestly, no other reason came to mind. Especially when thinking about the route to capture Liria in ‘Luminor Academy.’

‘Since Liria is in the Spear Arts Club, it’s easier to enroll in the same club~.’ Many people who enroll in the Spear Arts Club think like that when considering the Liria route, but that was only partially true.

The Barbarous Tribe, where Liria was born and raised, were still wild people who made a living through hunting and gathering like true barbarians, and the most efficient means for bare barbarians to hunt wild monsters was still the spear.

Among them, the bow was difficult to make and maintain, so the Barbarous Tribe mostly used spears in battle. Naturally, Liria had grown up watching her grandfather, father, brothers, uncles, and friends all fight using only spears since she was young.

Therefore, while using the same weapon could be a source of familiarity, it sometimes became a stumbling block to forming deeper relationships. I could only feel less interested in the knowledge I already knew.

However, enrolling in the Sword Arts Club meant that while we might not meet as often as in the Spear Arts Club, we could still clash in the common classes in sword and spear duels, and, most importantly, Liria could be intrigued by using a different weapon other than the spear.

In other words, Ethan’s current position was the most suitable for teasing and getting involved with Liria. Moreover, the fact that Ethan knew Liria so well…

‘Indeed, he can only be interested in Liria…’

Liria’s appearance gave off the typical impression of a barbarian warrior, completely different from Lillis, but that didn’t mean she lacked charm.

Although her chest was slightly small, she had a well-toned slender figure, the second tallest among all heroines, and most importantly, she had the most solid abs among all heroines.

Moreover, she was a character who often loosened her uniform within the academy due to feeling stuffy, exposing her belly, so if Ethan really fell for Liria’s abs…

‘Should I start doing sit-ups or something…?’

Lillis’ body wasn’t lacking in attractiveness either. Right now, her abs were hidden under a moderate layer of fat, but if she lost a little weight, they would undoubtedly be revealed.

The problem was that you couldn’t just lose weight in specific areas, so naturally, her chest fat would also disappear, potentially losing Lillis’ biggest advantage. That’s why I thought Ethan’s interest might really shift to Liria if that happened. To prevent that, I needed to discipline myself a bit…

‘Wait, why am I even concerned about who Ethan likes or not?’

Why am I getting worked up about who Ethan likes, whether it’s Liria or Lillis? What does it matter to me?

Initially, Ethan and I were in a temporary relationship. It wasn’t really a serious relationship, and once we graduated from the academy, it could end at any time without looking back. If Ethan becomes interested in another girl in the middle, that’s just how it is.

When Ethan was blaming himself for worrying about unnecessary things in strange places, Agnes slyly hinted at him and asked, “When did you memorize that? That long name?”

“I didn’t memorize it, I just remembered the meanings. It’s easier to remember using Barbarian language.”

“Barbarian language?”

“‘Liria’ means ‘guardian of nature’ in Barbarian language. And ‘Marasendar’ means ‘sweet and beautiful flower’, ‘Galenhar Solaven’ means ‘full of fragrance’. And ‘Barbaracus’ refers to the tribe name of Liria, so ultimately, the only name you need to remember is ‘Pionis’, her surname.

In other words, when interpreted in Imperial language, her name means ‘the guardian of nature with the fragrance of a sweet and beautiful flower from the Barbaracus tribe named Pionis’. If you remember this, you can easily remember the name Liria Marasendar Galenhar Solaven Pionis Barbaracus. You won’t forget it now, will you, Blaze?”

“….”

“….”

“….”

Once again, the room fell silent at Ethan’s absurd explanation.

When did he learn Barbarian language? Well, was it really that easy to learn a language?

Fortunately, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as Agnes snapped at Ethan, “Isn’t that much harder than just memorizing a name! Are you kidding right now?!”

“Language is ultimately a system created for communication, so it’s one of the easiest subjects to learn. Even if the words are unfamiliar and the sentence structure is different, you can easily understand it after learning for about a week.”

“A week…? You learned in a week…?”

“…Even if it sounds a bit unbelievable, Ethan.”

“I sometimes have to use the protection of wisdom when talking to Liria…”

“….”

Not only Agnes but also Gethmjoshegiwat and Serista joined in, making it 3 against 1, so even Ethan could sense that he was acting strange.

“He didn’t memorize Liria’s name because he was interested in her, he just did it because he’s a genius.”

Come to think of it, his mother was the Archmage Tanasia.

She was a superhuman mage who could handle all five elemental magics, cast three of them simultaneously, and speak a total of six languages, including Imperial, solely based on her language abilities. Starting with learning magic language, she had to cram spells that felt like they would break her head, other than learning magic using skill points.

Even though he learned five magic languages, he learned another five foreign languages, so his understanding was at a non-human level.

Even though Ethan might seem slow compared to Tanasia or Harold, it was only because he was comparing himself to those two monsters. Objectively, Ethan was indeed a genius.

“…Lilith, am I weird?”

“Ethan, you’re not weird… we just haven’t been able to think outside the box.”

“No, it’s weird. Even if Barbarian language is simple, learning it in a week…”

“Agnes, Ethan’s mother is the Archmage Tanasia.”

“…I see.”

Agnes quickly changed the subject after hearing the name ‘Archmage Tanasia’.

He’s the son of the Archmage Tanasia. Yeah, that could be it.

Thinking about it, my father was also a Sword Master Harold. A genius born among geniuses. He must have understood things in this way.

No matter how much of a genius she was in flame magic and the owner of the next Crimson Witch’s Tower, when it came to Ethan’s lineage, there was no choice but to acknowledge her innate talent.

From the start, Ethan ended up as an early villain in the game because he didn’t have a chance to show this talent. So, when an opportunity like this arose, it was only natural to be acknowledged for the innate talent he possessed.

Well, anyway…

“I’m glad I wasn’t particularly interested in Liria.”

I mean, the guy who was excited about my underwear this morning is now going to be interested in another woman.

From the start, Lirice was unbeatable in the pure appearance vote, not lacking in anything from her face to her body.

It’s not that Liria is ugly or lacks charm. It’s just that the other person was me.

“Trying to confuse me. I worried for nothing.”

…Wait, why am I worried about Ethan being interested in Liria?

“Anyway, I’ll ask the three of you to take the Witch’s Test of Lala in the Witch’s Forest of the Southern Region. Let’s replace the ‘temporary companionship’ I mentioned earlier with that.”

“What’s the catch?”

“The catch?”

“I’m asking about the intention behind suddenly giving this errand to the one who tied my release with ‘temporary companionship’ as a reason. If this is to replace what you call ‘temporary companionship,’ isn’t it ultimately about proving the effectiveness of you and Lirice working together as partners?”

“Well, yes, but if I ask you to go to the Northeastern Great Plains alone while Lirice and I go to the Witch’s Forest, you’ll refuse, won’t you?”

“Of course you’re talking nonsense. You’re going against the third condition I mentioned. If you want to get your throat cut, try doing that.”

“…I won’t do that, so I’m doing this. According to the prophecy, if the events in the Northeastern Great Plains of the Empire and the events in the Witch’s Forest of the Southern Region are not resolved in time, it’s an important issue that must be resolved.

So, I’m asking you, the only ones I can trust, for help. Lirice can start working as my partner from the moment we arrive, right?”

“If you bring up the fact that we were only temporary companions and then say we were inadequate, then…”

“Don’t say that. Temporary companionship ends here. I’m not trying to confirm if Lirice is qualified as a partner, but it’s important to show what it looks like when she acts as my partner for a day or two.

If Lirice acts as my partner for even an hour or two and does something, this temporary companionship will end there. Don’t mention it again.”

From Ethan’s perspective, this proposal might seem suspicious no matter how you think about it, but knowing the truth, I was roughly guessing why he was acting like this.

From the start, Ethan never intended to take me as a party member. He just asked for my help to complete this event of ‘needing two bodies.’

It just felt a bit coercive, which made me feel uneasy, but now that I knew the truth, I was relieved in many ways.

“…Then, let me ask one last thing.”

“What is it?”

“If, before you arrive, we help this ‘Lala’ pass the Witch’s Test and the task disappears, what will you do then?”

“It’s okay, that won’t happen.”

“Huh?”

“…The Witch’s Test that Lala has to take is not the kind of test that can be passed in 1-2 weeks.”

…Well, that’s definitely true.