Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Person She Likes
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Clack!
Thwack!
The sharp clash of wooden swords echoed through the quiet forest.
"You've improved a lot compared to the beginning."
Unlike me—sweating buckets and swinging my sword with wild enthusiasm—my opponent blocked every attack with minimal movement and a perfectly composed face.
Siegfried wore a faint smile.
He seemed quite pleased with my progress.
"You even look like you've lost a little weight."
"Really... huff, really just a little..."
Just as Siegfried said, I'd dropped about five kilograms over the past while.
Our teacher's Spartan training must be helping a ton.
To think my weight was going down even on Rafne's diet.
"Hey, your hands stopped. Keep moving, Ken."
"Yes, sir!"
It had been about a week since we'd resolved Emily's time loop incident.
The bizarre woman who'd triggered the loop had been handed over to the academy's security department under hypnosis.
They'd probably figure out where she came from during interrogation.
Once they learned she was with the Demon King's forces, all sorts of commotions would start brewing.
Not that trying to stop it would do any good.
This time loop event was one of the Demon Army's random invasion events from the game.
Dredis Academy housed the children of high-ranking nobles from various nations, so its security was on par with a royal palace.
Even so, Demon Army operatives kept sneaking in secretly.
And every single one of those intruders was after the same thing.
The Child of Prophecy.
In the game, it was mentioned as one of the protagonist Emily's backstory elements, but for some reason, the Demon Army was desperately hunting for this Child of Prophecy.
The academy's defenses were ironclad, forcing them to slink in covertly.
Yet strangely, they showed zero interest in Emily herself—the actual Child of Prophecy.
The reason for that was some backstory that never came up in the game, so even I was curious about it.
"...Ken, here."
After our morning training session with Siegfried wrapped up, Emily—who'd come by to watch the swordplay duel—handed me a lemon-flavored drink.
"You don't have to bring one every time, you know."
"...S-still."
I said that, but I was grateful.
I took the drink from Emily and chugged it down.
The refreshing liquid soaked into my dehydrated, exhausted body from the workout.
A few days after the loop event ended, Emily had started showing up like this for morning training.
"At the academy, Mary's always by your side..."
As I drank, Emily muttered something softly beside me.
'Still, you don't have to go this far.'
I felt a little bad about it.
Coming out here every morning to take care of me like this couldn't be easy.
I figured she was doing it out of guilt toward me.
"Here, a towel. Good work today."
Emily didn't just hand me the towel—she wiped my face herself.
'Usually, you just hand these over, right...?'
For some reason, it felt less like wiping and more like kneading my cheeks.
Was it some kind of massage?
"Um, Ken..."
As she dabbed the sweat from my forehead with the towel, Emily spoke up.
"I'm a little curious... do you train like this every day because..."
Emily paused, hesitating before carefully opening her mouth.
"...B-because I used to bully you...?"
Her words brought back memories of her stepping on my head.
Looking back now, our relationship had changed so much.
Back then, Emily would often say things like:
'Lose some weight, you pig!'
Remembering it almost made me laugh.
But while I smiled, Emily gazed at me with an apologetic look.
"If that's the case, don't worry about it! B-back then, I was awful... You don't need to lose weight or anything... You're plenty attractive as is..."
She seemed to be misunderstanding a bit.
At the end there, she even said something nice she didn't mean, probably worried I'd be hurt.
As if this fatty could ever be attractive.
Emily was bad at lying—she couldn't even meet my eyes.
"Nah, it's not that. I just want to get stronger, so don't worry about it."
I took the towel from her hands and wiped my own head as I spoke.
I'd meant it to reassure her, but Emily looked somehow disappointed.
"You two get along well."
Siegfried, who'd been watching us, chimed in with his observation.
"S-Siegfried?! Wh-when did you...!"
"I've been here the whole time."
"You should say something if you're there!"
"...Hm. Got it. I'll do that next time."
Emily, thoroughly flustered, picked some contrived nit, and Siegfried responded indifferently.
"A-and another thing! I've been watching for days now...!"
Her cheeks flushing red, Emily pressed on with her complaint.
"Even if it's training, isn't this too much? Hitting people with wooden swords like that! Couldn't you go with something less violent?!"
"Hmm, well..."
"If it's just about getting stronger, you don't even need to take hits! Physical conditioning or sword form corrections would be plenty...!"
Emily laid into Siegfried fiercely.
She must've been unhappy with how brutal the training looked.
Even Siegfried seemed stumped this time, unable to keep his usual impassive expression.
Our troubled teacher.
As his student, it was only right to help him out.
"I'm fine, Emily."
"...Ken. B-but...!"
I stepped in front of the advancing Emily, pulling her away from Siegfried.
From her perspective, I must've looked pretty beat up, prompting the worry.
So all I had to do was reassure her.
"I'm used to getting hit! I've got confidence in my durability!"
After all, I had the gracious skill 'Physical Resistance'.
Beatings from wooden swords were more joy as experience points than pain.
That was meant to put her at ease.
"...Sorry, I'm sorry... Forgive me."
But instead, Emily grew even more downcast, bowing her head darkly.
Huh?
That wasn't the reaction I expected.
"Zeke~! Hurry up if you're done~! Breakfast's getting... Oh, uh? She's here again...?"
Just then, Elis arrived at her usual time and froze upon spotting Emily.
Drawing closer, she slyly positioned herself beside Siegfried, blocking his front.
"You come by a lot lately...? Heh, hehehe. Got some business or something...?"
Forcing an awkward smile, Elis asked Emily.
"...Th-that's."
Emily stammered, her face turning red, while Elis gasped in shock—"Eh?!"
Elis's eyes darted between the hesitant Emily and the oblivious Siegfried.
Her cat-like eyes narrowed as she scrutinized them closely.
She must be bothered by whatever was going on between Siegfried and Emily.
So this was how their rivalry played out.
"A-anyway, Zeke! The breakfast I made special is getting cold—let's head back quick...!"
"Ah, right..."
Elis grabbed Siegfried's arm and tugged.
She clearly wanted to drag him away from Emily ASAP.
Siegfried paused thoughtfully at her words.
"Since it's a special occasion, want to join us, Emily?"
He extended his usual invitation to her.
He often offered me too, but I'd always turned him down because of Rafne lately, so he'd stopped asking.
This was probably just a casual ask for Emily too.
But to Elis, it didn't look casual at all.
"Z-Zeke... N-no way."
Oblivious to his childhood friend's paling face, Siegfried remained impassive.
And Emily, who'd been invited...
...glanced awkwardly my way, looking troubled.
Hmm. I didn't know their current affection levels.
But I was a diehard fan of [Academy of Epiris].
If a couple I shipped was right in front of me in real life, how could I not root for them?
Time to side with Elis here.
"Sorry, Senior."
I grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her toward me.
"...E-eh?"
Emily stumbled over, flustered but compliant.
A bit forceful, but no choice.
"I've got business with Emily. Rain check on breakfast."
"Hm. Alright."
Siegfried replied nonchalantly to my words, while Elis's face lit up, gazing at me like a hero.
Heh, repay gratitude with the fruits of love.
"See you both later!"
Elis waved as she dragged Siegfried off.
Their voices faintly drifted back as they walked away.
"Z-Zeke...! Why'd you say that just now?! Are you into her or something...?"
"Her? Who do you mean?"
"Argh! Who do you think?! D-don't tell me you like her?!"
"I think Ken's a good guy."
"That's not what I...!"
Watching the two bicker amiably brought a warm smile to my face.
"...K-Ken."
"...Huh? Oh, whoa! S-sorry!"
Too caught up in their scene, I'd forgotten I was still holding Emily's arm.
I let go in a hurry and apologized.
"N-no, it's fine... More importantly, what was this 'business'?"
"Oh, that..."
Truth was, I had zero business.
I just didn't want to ruin Elis and Siegfried's cozy time.
No good excuse coming to mind, I decided to be honest.
"Sorry, that was a lie. No real business."
"Wh-what? Then why...?"
"Well... I just want those two to work out, y'know? Senior Elis looked troubled."
"Ah..."
Emily seemed to get what I meant.
Maybe that's why she looked a bit disappointed and down.
...No way. Did she actually want to eat with Siegfried, and I ruined it?
"Oh, wait—do you like Senior Siegfried too...? If so, then..."
"Wha?! N-no! What kinda nonsense is that?!"
About to apologize out of guilt.
But hearing that, Emily flew into a rare fiery rage.
Whoa, hold on—don't come at me so hard...
"I swear, zero interest in Siegfried! None at all, really!"
"Uh, uh-huh?"
Blushing furiously, she charged at me, leaving me backing up in confusion.
"And remember the festival? You got weird ideas about Adrian too! Adrian's just a friend!!"
"Really?"
"Yes! So don't get any funny ideas! We're nothing like that!"
She was even more heated than when she'd chewed out Siegfried over training.
Face red, eyes spinning in bewilderment.
I see. Was I mistaken?
...Wait a sec.
Not Siegfried, not Adrian—who the heck was her route heading toward...?
She had to have built up affection with one of the main capture targets by now.
But denying it this hard...
"Wait, Emily—do you not have anyone you like right now?"
"...Huh?"
This was serious business.
Depending on who Emily's romance route was with, the path to the ending changed slightly.
To prepare, I needed to know for sure.
"I-it's... well. N-not that there's no one..."
Emily looked down, eyes darting, flustered.
Looked like there was someone.
Damn—how did I, after all those playthroughs, miss this?
Chance was here; time to find out.
"Who is it? Same year? First-year? Or maybe fourth?"
"Wh-what?! I-I, uh...!"
"Tall? Glasses? Or kinda short?"
My survival was on the line, sorry, but I pressed hard.
Under the barrage, Emily stammered in panic.
"Y-you idiot, why do you even care!!"
She squeezed her eyes shut, yelled, and fled with her face beet red.
"...Tch. I'll figure it out no matter what."
I clenched my fist, staring after her retreating figure.