Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: As Long as It's Not Me
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I roughly laid the collapsed Eve on a nearby sofa and tucked her in before continuing my conversation with Laya Dia Frost.
"So, my ally Wolfram. What brings you here today?"
"I've come to take a commission. Lilia hasn't been around lately, so I came looking for her myself."
"Ah, I see. Lilia was helping me out for a bit."
"I get it. Does the queen need help from someone who's only mid-tier like Lilia?"
"Yes, indeed. What should I request for the next dish? Among our fairies, this child has eaten the most meals. Not just cooking—she's also gained a wealth of recent worldly experience."
Hm.
That made sense in its own way.
Anyway, so that's why Lilia was in the queen's audience chamber. The details in this game are spot on.
"War... A war will break out in Jefrin. A war that will burn and freeze everything..."
Eve was thrashing around behind me. It looked seriously ugly.
"My ally Wolfram. Is your sister... all right?"
"She's fine."
"Is she?"
I paused at Laya's question, lost in thought.
Eve intended to lead this Jefrin safely and ultimately become the empire's emperor.
But if two factions suddenly waged a massive war on the outskirts of Jefrin—beyond human reach—how shocking would that be?
If mishandled, the kid might snap.
And if Eve snapped, things would get way more tiring than expected.
She'd step back from student council duties, sleep like a log, skip soul changes, and rampage at full mana power of 22. That's why, in the Regina route, the 【Cornflower Staff Dyed in Twilight】 was essential to see the ending. How do you even beat that?
That thing was so strong that, at full gear and full power—not base Eve—it could block a Meteor with one hand.
No joke.
That was the pinnacle, more than anything else.
The Meteor Ninja deletion incident.
There was this worst DLC character in the game, the Ninja Girl, whose special skill was 【Theft】.
She steals one recently used skill from her opponent, and that stolen skill randomly triggers on her 【Normal Attacks】.
So some madman came up with this idea.
Get hit by Meteor from the Crimson Flame Empress Grand Felice, then activate Theft to create a 【Ninja who fires Meteors on normal attacks】!
The planner thought, "That's insane bullshit, gotta try it," took a Meteor hit, created the 【Meteor Ninja】, and tested it against Eve in a mock battle.
And got completely wiped clean.
Eve's Imperial Bloodline has an auto-magic counter called Demon God Descent, right? The motion is just brushing her hand, but it deleted the Meteor with a single gesture. Insane.
Anyway, a mana 22 monster is fun to mess with when she's in good shape, but if she's off, it backfires and she snaps. Best to go easy...
If she goes off the rails, it's a real hassle.
Hm.
"Laya Dia Frost. One favor."
"Yes. Tell me. I'll grant any request from you."
"Tear of the Ice Crystal. Could you spare one, even mid-grade?"
"Oh my... Hehe. Is this family love? Of course."
Tear of the Ice Crystal.
A recovery item useful even in Act 5... no, Act 6 of the game.
It guarantees recovery from all confusion-type status ailments and immediate HP restoration.
"Eve. Wake up and drink this."
"Ugh... Wolfram... drop dead..."
I'm trying to be nice, and she says something like that? Does this girl even have a moral compass?
'Wait, isn't this expensive? This is the worst... Just give it back. I never asked for it free!' Eve grumbled on the way back, then stayed silent, huffed, turned her head, and vanished.
I didn't say, 'Oh dear, what's that attitude toward your blood elder? No manners at all,' because a holy spear might impale my head.
Back at the convenience store, I sat in brief silence.
"This is rare."
The store had been pretty empty lately.
No, don't think about how there were never customers to begin with. That's too depressing.
Midterms were right around the corner, so everyone was busy studying.
Eve was the exception. In the story, she never worried about grades... well, except once or twice depending on the route.
That's why she joined the Frost Plains expedition. Normally, people are swamped with midterm prep.
"I should worry about my own midterms too..."
I'm not aiming for top of the year, so it doesn't matter much.
But... with everyone talking about classes, youth, midterms, and me just sitting alone in the store watching the world go by, I felt like a total NEET. It stung a little.
As I thought that...
"...Little brother. You're here?"
"Filtia sis?"
The three-hundred-year NEET sis opened the convenience store door and walked in.
Filtia started browsing the store.
"There's stuff like this? Magic Pen?"
"It's been here quite a while."
"...Ah, r-right?"
Filtia gave an awkward smile and kept wandering the store.
Ah... I know that type.
Customers who have nothing to buy but browse aimlessly from random thoughts.
Usually, for them, gum... or...
"Want a cold drink? My treat."
"Uh, no, sis is fine."
"Just something I want to drink. Join me if you have time."
"...Sure. Okay."
She sat quietly in the chair.
Yeah. Customers like that usually grab gum or a drink and leave.
So, for restless ones like her, solving it quick and sending them off clears my mind too.
"So, what's worrying you?"
"...Huh? No, sis isn't worried or anything."
"It's all over your face. If you won't talk properly, finish that and go."
"I am! I have worries. Yes!"
Well, yeah.
Of course she does.
"So, what's the worry?"
"...Sis is joining the faculty next year?"
"Yeah."
First day on the job in three hundred years—even Hark would cry and applaud. And as a full professor.
"But... now that lectures are coming, I'm nervous..."
"I see."
So obvious.
Hired, but no info on how to do it.
Ask around? They'll say she'll handle it fine.
Classic newbie anxiety.
Of course, I don't know newbie fears. I woke up already on the job site yelling "Country first!"
It's a full belly worry, but... also intriguing.
"Eve won't help much, no professor friends, and even hinting at who you are shuts everyone up?"
"H-how'd you know?"
"Even hiding you're the great ancestor's adopted daughter, it's a dragon lecturing. Who dares mentor you?"
"How do you know everything? Sis said nothing."
If Filtia's link to Hark got out, Jefrin would flip.
Conversations like: 'Next semester, when Lanticia Grace prof retires, which faction gets it?' 'Ours, the moderates...' 'No, Eve picks directly.' 'Faculty infringement?' 'Defy the imperial family?' 'No, but...' 'And the new prof is...' 'D-Dragon!?'
"S-so, I introduced myself, but no one talks to me... I even flared my mana to coexist, but they get scared or competitive... Humans are tough..."
So Filtia got isolated among profs too. Figures.
No faction was the point—Eve slotted her in. Unavoidable.
"Tough... yeah."
As she said before, before us, she was never really 'sis,' no teaching, no job. Her 'Ufufu, sis here' talk is just ideal sis-speak. She's a ditzy dragon underneath.
Shake her mentally a bit, and the speech vanishes, back to dumb mode.
"How about lecturing me?"
"Oh?"
"I'm top of third-year Magic Division. Mock lesson?"
"Y-yeah! Let's start with Intro to Magic and Combat! Thanks, bro!"
And so, my one-on-one with Filtia began.
At first, seeing ditzy Filtia in prof suit with a wooden pointer, I thought, 'What, fun cosplay?' But... the content was solid.
"What do you think of the theory that living beings in the Middle Realm max out inherent mana at 22?"
"Plausible, but with gear or enchantments, you can hit 23+. Founding emperor docs suggest 25 or more. Closing a dimensional gate solo? Impossible at 22."
Sometimes reminiscing three-hundred-year-old battlefields.
"Using mages as fixed artillery in combat—too inefficient, no?"
"Exactly. Cavalry and infantry are just shields for mages. Assassin shows up, mage drops dead. Needs reform."
Deep talks on modern magic warfare.
"Thus, curses and blessings diverge completely from mana—normal mana can't block them."
"Right. Realm Judgment only in Loengrins, so battles without... "
"Mana corruption needed."
We discussed combat if war engulfed the continent.
What.
This is.
Super fun...
We shared knowledge and debated deeply for two full hours.
By end, I was lecturing from the front, Filtia watching from seat.
"Thus, consistent supply lines via rail and convenience stores enable faster logistics. Leveling Magic Item Craft lets basic anti-magic gear for regular soldiers—changes the battlefield."
"I see. Logistics was lacking three hundred years ago."
When class ended, Filtia's eyes sparkled.
"Wow... Bro's amazing. Third-year Jefrin Magic?"
"No big deal."
"Right. So base classes on this convo! Yeah?"
She stared intently.
......
Honestly.
A bit much?
I know Jefrin classes—this intense?
Haha. That kind of class?
But... hard to say no to those sparkling otaku dragon eyes.
"Of course."
"As expected!"
"This was just foundational discussion for liberal arts, not major. Can go harder."
"R-really? Harder okay?"
"Yes. Students learn, but growth needs own opinions. Assignments without conviction, theme, intent—what's class?"
"...Ah, got it!"
"Understand?"
"Yeah. Sis thinks so too? Jefrin classes boring past three hundred years—sis'll make history. New perspectives, more assignments. Sis values teamwork—tons of group projects."
"Exactly. So, Filtia sis."
"Yes?"
"What was next year's lecture?"
"New one? Advanced Magic Studies Overview. Why?"
No.
I won't take it next year.
As long as it's not me!