Lushetia Maria Baltoria

“Natalie, go to the right fin and cut off the Leviathan’s fin!”

“Understood, Hero-nim!”

“Thomas, follow and assist her! You know what to do, right?!”

“Yeah, I know!”

A massive sea creature, the Abyssal Leviathan, had appeared on the beach.

Facing off against the gigantic marine beast covered in barnacles with its gaping maw was the Hero’s party.

…And naturally, Ethan and I were included in that group as well.

“Prince Ethan, could you handle the attacks from the left fin?!”

“…I should be able to buy some time. With Lilith’s support, I might even manage to sever it.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you! Go with Lady Rosewood and take care of the left fin!”

“Understood.”

“I’ll do my best too!”

“The Leviathan’s weakness is fire, so Agnes, prepare your strongest flame spells from now on! And Prince Antonio…”

At the forefront of the battle, Gyeotmwa Josyegigot was issuing commands to each party member.

Though I’d known him for quite some time, this was the first time I’d seen him directly commanding a battle like this.

In fact, this was also my first time formally joining the Hero’s party in combat.

‘Now’s not the time to be lost in thought.’

Since he’d follow my strategies in large-scale battles anyway, I didn’t need to worry about his troop allocations – he’d handle them well on his own.

Judging by how he’d managed the Hero’s party without Lilith until now, he seemed capable of taking calculated risks.

The fact that he was incorporating me, Ethan, and even Antonio – who normally weren’t part of the Hero’s party – into his strategy showed he had genuine leadership qualities.

“Lilith, Sharp Blade!”

“Yes, Young Master Ethan!”

As usual, I used Sharp Blade after Spirit Awakening to enhance Ethan’s weapon, then immediately prepared protective barriers and Arcane Arrows to deflect incoming attacks.

This was probably the strongest opponent I’d faced since reincarnating in this world, but I didn’t feel like we’d lose at all.

Ethan and I only had to handle one of the Leviathan’s fins – the main body would be taken care of by the Hero’s party including Agnes, their firepower specialist.

-Splash!

“Young Master Ethan, duck!”

-Whoosh!

A battle where simply fulfilling our assigned roles was enough.

『Lilith has reached level 35!』

『Lilith has reached level 36!』

After about thirty minutes of fighting, the Hero’s party – now including Ethan and me – successfully defeated the Abyssal Leviathan, concluding our Marine Biology Research class, the final course of our third-year first semester.

‘Just how many boss monsters have we defeated this semester alone…’

Whether heading to the same destination as the Hero or going somewhere completely different, encountering boss monsters seemed inevitable.

If we’re going to fight boss monsters wherever we go anyway, maybe next semester I should just tag along with Gyeotmwa’s party.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After completing the Marine Biology Research class, one of Luminor Academy’s first-semester exploration courses.

On Pliana Beach, now emptied of students, a single blonde woman quietly watched the sunset over the sea.

“I thought things might go wrong at one point, but I’m glad it ended safely~!”

The Marine Biology professor Lusieta, wearing a slingshot swimsuit so revealing it made onlookers unsure where to look, wore an expression of relief after overcoming several minor accidents and dangerous monster attacks.

“Wow, the Hero really is amazing~! To think he could calmly defeat even that suddenly appearing Leviathan without hesitation~.”

“…Why do you look so satisfied when you didn’t do anything?”

“……”

That was, until the Empire’s Third Princess Seraphine approached her, clearly having something to say.

“Hmm, what brings you here~? For the noble princess to come see me personally…”

“You’ve been exposed since the first day. How shameless can you be?”

“……”

“What exactly are you planning, Lushetia? Why are you, who should have no connection to the academy, suddenly teaching Marine Biology?”

That golden hair color, symbolic of the Argentian Imperial family.

Unlike other students who might think she simply dyed her hair gold (since doing so wasn’t illegal), Seraphine alone knew her true identity.

That she was her elder sister, the Second Princess of the Argentian Empire, Lushetia Maria Baltoria.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t care about me anymore~? That you wouldn’t care where I lived or died~?”

“That was when you weren’t right in front of me! Where did you hide the original Marine Biology professor?!”

“He willingly stepped aside when I pressed my chest against him~ Such a gentleman~.”

“Y-you… you’re really…!!”

Seraphine, who had grown up constantly disciplining herself with imperial education, believing she must lead the Empire.

To her, her sister Lushetia’s irresponsible, free-spirited personality was utterly intolerable.

Had Lushetia simply given up her claim to the throne, Seraphine might not have despised her so much, but her freedom always came at Seraphine’s expense.

“After squandering Mother’s fortune and running away, now you want to negatively influence academy students too?!”

“Negative influence~? I just substituted for the original professor to conduct the curriculum~?”

“Start by taking off that vulgar swimsuit before speaking!”

“If I take this off here, I’ll be naked~? Oh my, how lewd~.”

“Being naked would be better than that meaningless swimsuit!”

-Thud!

With an irritated shout, Seraphine threw a cloth bag at Lushetia.

A modest-sized T-shirt, skirt, and matching underwear set tumbled out onto the sand.

“Do you know how embarrassed I was because of you this whole week?! If you want to do something shameful, at least keep it to yourself! How much more do you want to disgrace the Argentian Imperial family?!”

“What are you talking about~? That’s why I used a pseudonym this time and tried so hard not to seem imperial~. Who would think a woman talking like this in such clothes is royalty~?”

“T-the Hero recognized you! And even if no one did, as a human being, at least have some shame…!”

“There you go again, Seraphine. As I always say, I didn’t choose to be born imperial, I just live as I please~.”

“Then do it where I can’t see you! Why get involved with the academy at all…”

“Because it’s fun~?”

“……”

Seraphine froze, at a loss for words at Lushetia’s absurd responses to her serious questions.

Completely ignoring her sister’s reaction, Lushetia smiled leisurely and revealed her reason for substituting at the academy.

“You saw them too, right~? The male students flocking around the pretty professor in her slightly revealing swimsuit~. Their desperate attempts were adorable~.

How they collected dozens of treasure-hunting beads or built elaborate sandcastles that would wash away in a day~. Nothing motivates men like lust, right~?”

“…You wore that vulgar outfit all week just to see that?”

“Don’t underestimate ‘just that’~. When properly directed, male lust can become fertilizer for self-improvement~?”

“…What you did was just a few days of amusement.”

“Maybe~? But perhaps someone saw me today and found new motivation~? Using the desire to hold a beautiful, voluptuous woman like their professor as drive for self-betterment~.”

“……”

“Don’t think so narrowly, Seraphine~. Why don’t you try it too~? The Hero might be the type to channel lust into self-improvement~?”

“T-the Hero would never do such things!”

“Hmm~? From what I saw, he didn’t seem entirely immune~. Have you never tried~?”

“……”

In truth, Seraphine couldn’t completely dismiss Lushetia’s words.

She couldn’t simply brush them off as nonsense because someone else had given her similar advice before.

‘Dan improved his swordsmanship like mad to defeat his father in sparring, and now he’s one of the academy’s top swordsmen. Of course, I never failed to reward him appropriately for his efforts.’

Ethan Richard Blackwood, now one of the academy’s top five swordsmen.

Having already experienced redirecting male lust into constructive channels, Seraphine’s reaction didn’t escape her sister’s notice.

“Want to borrow my swimsuit if you’re going to seduce someone~? It’s secondhand since it’s the one I’m wearing now~.”

“I-I don’t need it! Just change into the clothes I gave you and go somewhere else! At least don’t show that vulgar appearance to the Hero again!”

“Alright, Seraphine~. Have a lovely romance~. Not sure if it’ll work out though~.”

“None of your business!”

Lushetia took the clothing bag but showed no intention of changing, casually walking away with it in hand.

Meanwhile, Seraphine turned away with a scowl, as if hoping never to see her sister again.