Chapter 21
Chapter 21
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Asura Field #02
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Claire Flauver had an incredibly exhilarating day.
She had been lucky enough to witness the duel between Arthin Ludwig and Rexton Wise—which had been the talk of the academy ever since right after the entrance ceremony—from a front-row seat.
"Amazing! Fighting on equal footing with an imperial knight, even though he's from the Bronze Dormitory!"
Arthin Ludwig, a fellow Bronze Dormitory student and a 1-circle mage, was the perfect figure for Claire—who had entered as the lowest-grade spirit user—to empathize with.
Moreover, her opponent was rumored to be a villainous noble!
The tale of how he bullied his fellow freshman Arthin on the very first day of school and got thoroughly thrashed for it was already legendary.
Of course, the noble-born students resented Arthin for pummeling the heir to a count's family, but commoners like Claire and those from lower noble houses had naturally started rooting for him.
"Will I ever be able to get that strong someday?"
Arthin looked small and skinny, just like her.
There were countless rumors swirling about how he'd grown so strong in such a short time, but to simple Claire, it was nothing more than a thrilling tale of a Bronze student delivering sweet justice.
"If I got that strong too~ I could give those bullying nobles a real lesson."
Claire let out a small sigh.
Right now, she was the one being tormented by a few noble kids from her class—all because she'd accidentally stepped on one's foot on the first day.
While everyone else stood by, either afraid of getting dragged in or figuring it wasn't their problem, the only person who'd helped her was Kaiyen.
"But I can't keep relying on Kaiyen forever!"
Claire vowed to herself that someday she'd grow strong like Arthin. And then she'd beat the crap out of those rotten nobles just like Rexton Wise!
Fists clenched tight, humming a cheerful tune as she headed toward the dormitory, Claire soon spotted a bizarre scene.
Coming slowly from the opposite direction—sneaking around the Bronze Dormitory area while glancing suspiciously about—were three shady figures.
And those shady three were carrying a sack stuffed full of something, hefting it together in a way that made them look just like thieves who'd made off with stolen goods.
Thieves in the sacred academy!
About to shout for the guards, Claire realized as they drew closer that they looked strangely familiar.
"Huh? Isn't that Vice Student Council President Agnes?"
Leading the shady trio was none other than the third-year Vice Student Council President Agnes—a face all too familiar to the school's students.
"And Lin Shaomei and Violet Purplecrow too?"
Walking beside her were the two freshmen geniuses who'd entered at the same time as Claire.
The empire's Second Imperial Princess, the daughter of the War God, and the granddaughter of the Grand Witch. Just looking at them made Claire shrink back in intimidation.
'I want to join that group someday!'
Those three must surely enjoy elegant tea times with wonderfully refined conversations.
'Furniture materials or politics or, uh... which desserts are the tastiest?'
Claire stretched her meager imagination of sophistication to the limit as she pictured herself fitting in with them—sneaking closer in hopes of at least exchanging greetings if their eyes met.
That's when a human head popped out from the sack they were amicably carrying together.
"Help! They're kidnapping me!"
"Damn, he's awake again! Shaomei, knock him out!"
"Ah, got it, sis!"
Incredibly, the one shrieking from inside the sack was Arthin Ludwig—the very center of the academy's attention just hours earlier and Claire's new role model.
At the sight, Violet whipped her head around in a panic and shouted. Shaomei then swung her foot expertly toward the sack containing Arthin.
Boom—!!
It sounded just like a flour sack bursting. Arthin—who'd stuck his head out yelling for help—lolled his tongue and passed out.
Watching them shove Arthin's head back into the sack, Claire froze in terror.
'Ki... kidnapping in progress...? Those three committing a major crime right in the middle of the academy...?!'
She had to run and tell someone.
The moment that thought crossed Claire's mind, her eyes met Agnes's—the woman who was scanning the surroundings while tidying up the scene.
"Witness over there! Handle her! Miss Violet!"
"Ah, sorry! Oblivion—!"
At Agnes's urgent shout, a purple flash erupted from Violet's fingertips.
It was the memory-erasure spell Oblivion—the same one she'd once used on the dormitory supervisor.
"Guh!"
Claire had no chance to dodge as she tried to call for the guards. Struck directly by the spell, she collapsed unceremoniously to the ground and lost consciousness.
Only once it was clear she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon did the three finally exhale in relief.
"How many is that now?"
"Already the twelfth! We'll get caught at this rate! Princess Agnes!"
"No helping it. Shaomei, can you carry Arthin by yourself? There's a student council warehouse nearby."
"Huh? Y-yeah...! Understood!"
Realizing they couldn't afford to waste any more time, Agnes unleashed her mana and bolted off at full speed. The other two followed in their own ways, hurtling after her at superhuman velocities.
All that remained in their wake were the poor, innocent victims who had stumbled upon the scene by chance and gotten spelled for their trouble.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When I came to, I was no longer inside the dirt-reeking sack.
Instead, my arms and legs were bound to a metal chair with rough ropes.
Ow.
My chest throbbed with agony. No need to check—I knew there'd be a massive blue bruise blooming across it.
I definitely remembered leaping out the window for that one-chance dive...
"How long was I out...?"
"You're awake, Arthin?"
Lifting my head, I saw Violet seated across from me—apparently keeping watch.
"Why am I tied up here, Violet?"
"...Because you suddenly jumped out the window like you were trying to kill yourself! Do you have any idea how scared we were?"
Right. After that, Violet and Shaomei had jumped after me and shouted something. Then Agnes had karate-chopped the back of my neck, knocking me out cold.
I vaguely recalled screaming for help after that, my mind all foggy.
What the hell.
Did that mean these three had straight-up kidnapped me?
"You guys are planning to do bad things to me too, just like Shaomei...!"
Still seething with humiliated rage from that shameful play earlier, I shot her a fierce glare. Violet frantically waved her hands.
"No!! We only tied you up so you wouldn't do anything crazy!"
Crazy? I'd only attempted the extreme option because I couldn't bear the shame.
Ah, now I remembered locking eyes with Violet earlier too.
"Just kill me instead..."
My first naughty deed had been such a humiliating act—and for Violet to catch me in it? I really wanted to die.
"Ah, no matter how embarrassing it was! You can't just throw around talk of dying like that, Arthin!"
Her gentle coaxing only made me feel more pathetic.
That's when Agnes and Shaomei—having overheard—pushed open the door to the dark room and stepped in.
"Huh, bro! You're up-ka!"
Seeing Shaomei back in her -ka speech pattern, I channeled my bubbling fury into a death glare.
Forcing yourself on a helpless person! And I trusted you!
"Wh-why are you looking at me like that, big brother...?"
Meeting my gaze, Shaomei cast her eyes downward and switched back to big-brother mode.
I couldn't even tell which speech pattern was the real Shaomei anyway.
"Arthin has every right to be mad! Just imagine if one of us did something like that to someone else!"
"...I-if it's big brother, I'd be okay with it, though..."
"That's from your perspective! Even with lovers, doing it without consent is a crime—a crime!"
Even Violet, who'd been soothingly petting me moments ago, was pissed now as she scolded Shaomei. The girl shrank further, shoulders slumping.
"...So, what exactly happened, you three?"
Agnes—the last one to arrive—was the only one clueless, glancing back and forth between me and the other two.
"..."
"..."
"...Shaomei did something very naughty to Arthin."
"Something naughty? What kind of naughty thing has that sweet Arthin Ludwig glaring daggers at Shaomei?"
"..."
Even Violet—who'd been trying to explain it mildly—had to clamp her mouth shut at that.
Whether victim, perp, or bystander, there was no mild way to describe this incident.
Forced a naughty act on him while his reason was downed by mana exhaustion and full-body muscle cramps?
Agnes—who prized her honor and uprightness—would demand a duel with Shaomei on the spot.
"...But you two still remember it too?"
I badly wanted to rip into Shaomei right then, but I had zero desire to get offed by Agnes here. So I forcibly changed the subject.
No, this was a critical issue in itself.
Shaomei remembering was one thing—but these two as well? That hadn't happened even up through the previous regression.
"Huh...? How'd you know I remember, Arthin?"
Violet gave me a puzzled look, wondering how I'd figured it out.
"When you were arguing with Shaomei, you remembered that I dated Agnes, right?"
"Y-you passed out then, didn't you?"
"...Not passed out. Just lost in a daze."
Agnes and I had dated in the 4th regression. In this one, she'd only shown up as student council rep to stop our duel—that was it.
A relationship only we could've known about without past-life memories.
"That's how I knew for sure that you remembered, Violet."
"...You're right. I've regained my memories too. But how'd you know about me? I didn't say much."
Agnes, who'd been quietly following my reasoning, chimed in curiously.
But this one was the easiest.
"You called me sweet, sure—but your gaze when you looked at me was different from last time."
"...Arthin, you really are sharp in the strangest ways."
Only then did Agnes drop the distant full-name address and call me just "Arthin."
Well, words aside—the biggest hint had been lodged in my memories too.
No matter how out of it she was, a proper lady like Agnes wouldn't meekly kidnap a guy who'd groped her chest.
As a princess to boot, she could've summarily executed me for insulting royalty—and the academy would've called it justified.
"So what naughty thing did Shaomei do, Arthin?"
"..."
I'd thought I'd deftly shifted the topic, but before I could continue, Agnes closed in and pressed me.
A quick glance back: Shaomei was frantically making an X with both hands.
Spilling the beans on this humiliating forced-milking-titty-play to anyone else was a fate worse than death. But what if someone had tried to rape my past-life lover, driving her to attempt suicide?
If I hadn't saved her, that lover would've died before we could reunite?
Screw honor—even a noble or commoner, I'd want them dead.
"...That"
"That?"
"Well, y'see."
"Tell me quick, Arthin."
Agnes fixed her burdensome, clear, beautiful red eyes on mine.
Those eyes I'd met confidently last time? Now I couldn't help averting my gaze.
"Wh-when I was asleep... she secretly kissed me..."
And so I dialed it way down to suit a proper lady's sensibilities.
"...Oh my goodness! Such an indecent deed!"
Agnes clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. Violet and Shaomei stared at her in utter disbelief.
Exactly.
Just as I harbored my own romantic ideals...
...this princess—my ex from a past life—was actually a ditzy young lady secretly obsessed with romance novels.
"I-I'm too embarrassed to go into details... Ask Shaomei..."
As I hung my head saying that, Agnes's romance-addled, thrilled gaze swung toward Shaomei.
Farewell, Shaomei. You clean up the rest.
'What a total shitshow, though.'
Three of them regaining their memories?
While Shaomei takes the heat, I'd better figure out how to handle this.