Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Practical Training
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I sat blankly in the chair, letting the breeze wash over me.
The wind blowing from the nearby forest carried a refreshing fragrance.
As it tickled my cheeks, I couldn't help but recall the scent I'd caught from Philia that morning.
That naturally brought to mind her voluptuous figure and warm body heat from when she'd lain beside me.
And it didn't stop there.
The sudden proposal came flooding back, too, making my face heat up.
Even seeing it through the monitor had made my heart race, so experiencing it firsthand was bound to set my pulse pounding.
She was the kind of character I'd normally hesitate to approach, so my lack of intel played a part, too.
Dragging me straight into the woods like that.
Talk about bulldozing.
If I'd known, maybe I could've rushed to the ending and wrapped things up quickly.
The strictest-looking one turning out to be the easiest catch.
But even knowing wouldn't have guaranteed success, so I wasn't particularly regretful.
As I dazedly enjoyed the breeze, ruminating on last night, I reached up and fiddled with my forehead—the spot I suspected was responsible for turning Philia into that state.
Brushing my fingers over it, I felt no texture beyond my own skin, but a cool energy tingled through me.
Soon, a voice rang in my head, laced with mischievous cheer.
- That's a sensitive spot... so proactive...
What nonsense is this?
Philia developing those feelings... or rather, desires for me was likely due to whatever weird thing El had left on my forehead.
The iron-fisted Student Council President's one weakness was spirits, but I'd never handled any in the game.
From what I'd gathered, it all came down to talent, which explained why it never showed up in the game...
But even that talent didn't fully account for El, who seemed extraordinary and incredibly useful.
...It bugged me a little.
No, a lot.
"Regrettable" was the perfect word for that spirit.
She seemed to do it on purpose, but I lacked the info to gauge her true intentions.
Spirits were new to me altogether—let alone a spirit queen? Did they even have a country?
...Probably not.
Reacting to me fiddling with my forehead suggested she was called a queen but wasn't the regal type I imagined.
No queen would have that much free time.
Anyway.
She probably knew a ton, so I had plenty of questions, but that "price" rubbed me the wrong way.
I got that using energy like Undine's would dry me out like a mummy.
That alone made for incredibly generous terms.
I didn't know if she charged everyone that way, but a kiss had settled it.
Maybe it was my "first time," so she valued it highly.
...Still, knowing that upfront would've been kinda scary.
Thinking of the price conjured the image of El hugging me tight and showering me with literally passionate kisses.
Her touch had been soft, her skin human-like and yielding yet refreshingly cool. For all her weird talk, her face was sculpted perfection, and those kisses—unlike her cool body—were scorching hot...
Even the oddly plush texture of her tongue came back to me, and my face heated up again.
"What's wrong?"
Then the other reason I couldn't ask questions right now spoke up.
It was Evelyn, with her cotton-candy-sweet hair.
Looking at her flat chest calmed my mind, the heat draining from my flushed face.
That harmless, soothing vibe she radiated.
Honestly, I'd thought she was forcing herself to stay here, but who else fit the health committee role?
"Teacher? You look like you're thinking something rude."
"No?"
Ahem.
Evelyn, who'd been eyeing me suspiciously, kept her dubious expression but buried her face back in her book since I denied it.
Good, now behave. You're lounging here sucking up the perks thanks to me.
Glancing sideways, I spotted Charlotte as usual, face-planted on the folding table and dozing off.
She was here as a temp health committee member, too.
We'd come out for "practical training," but aside from the outdoor venue, nothing had changed.
In the game, cadets would've been hearing monster lectures by now.
Few actually got real combat experience.
Honestly, it was more camping than training.
The academy ran fine without a health teacher in the game, so my idleness was expected—but not entirely relaxing.
It was my first time hitting this event, but affinity events like this always hinged on that, right?
Heart-pounding encounters based on the shaky bridge effect were primed and waiting.
Without my meddling, wouldn't they build affinity on their own?
That'd be ideal.
But the lack of a "player" muddied things.
Events shifted by choices, so no player choosing might mean nothing happens.
That'd suck, but the worst case? Everything triggering at once.
Impossible to predict.
The game's omniscient view was worlds apart from seeing it firsthand.
If every event hit simultaneously?
Not much I could do.
I only had one body.
A far cry from fingertip-fiddling.
The instructors and professors tagging along would handle it.
I wasn't a scarecrow, after all.
So for now, nothing to do—unless someone stumbled in injured.
A few concerns nagged, but they wouldn't hit till nightfall.
Speaking of, what was Irene up to?
As a cadet, probably tussling with monsters.
Recalling her excited face made me yawn, tears pricking my eyes.
"Yawn..."
Gazing at the dense, verdant forest beyond lifted my spirits.
Eye candy, really. Glorious nature you couldn't see back home.
Stuff like this made it bearable.
And sure enough, my hunch held—nothing happened until dinner.
Until dinner.
The "practical training" spanned a tricky 2 nights and 3 days outdoors. Par for the academy course.
Even meals required gathering set groups to cook ourselves—no big deal, or so I'd thought.
"You can't always succeed at hunting, right? So I figured fruit would be best for today."
"That's just an excuse from the incompetent. Iris Teacher? Have some of this meat."
As Charlotte, Evelyn, and I pondered dinner, unexpected visitors arrived at our spot.
One was Philia, who'd roughly devoured me last night.
The other, Michelle, who looked oddly drained.
Michelle arrived first.
She hauled in a massive deer from who-knows-where, plopped it down, and started butchering, inviting us to share.
"Thanks to Iris Teacher, having water makes this easy."
"Is that so."
She dismantled it with expert skill and asked if I could provide running water. Without thinking, I summoned Undine.
Evelyn and Charlotte squealed at the initial blood spray but soon drooled as it took familiar shapes.
Watching Evelyn collect deer blood in a flask snapped me to attention—she was quite the character.
Soon, flames roared from Charlotte's magic tool, the sizzle of cooking meat filling the air.
Rustle rustle—then Philia appeared.
She set down fruits and said exactly that. Made sense, I thought, but Michelle suddenly growled.
The mood soured fast.
The two glared murderously before turning expectant eyes on me.
Forcing me to choose.
After a moment's thought, I cautiously spoke.
"Uh, um... Can't we just eat together?"
I'm hungry.
They seemed to realize something, faces slightly flushing as they nodded.
"...If that's how it's gonna be, why make a fuss?"
Evelyn muttered beside me, staring in disbelief.
Hey, why stare at me?
No clue why, but they clearly weren't on good terms.
Awkward, but inwardly I was salivating.
...Not from the meaty aroma.
In the yuri world, there's this "hate-love" dynamic relished by true gourmands.
Biting and clawing, yet tangled in twisted affection—sweet one moment, snarling the next.
Why are those girls like that? you'd wonder, but the flavor deepens with every bite.
In that sense, these two paired beautifully.
Fruit and meat.
Nature and hunter.
Water and oil.
Two who shouldn't mix, crafting something utterly... delectable.
Pair them up, and Philia might forget me for new love?
Nothing but upsides.
"...That look never bodes well."
I ignored Evelyn's mutter.
Nature was nice, but...
This was my favorite view.