Gifts from Enya and Isabella
I yawned widely. “Haaam····”
I’d stayed up late into the early morning crafting equipment, so I ended up sleeping in. I rubbed my bleary eyes, checked the time, and saw it was already 8:30. The Class Selection Tournament was scheduled to begin at ten, which meant time was tight—if you wanted to call it that.
“Huuuup!”
But I stretched out lazily anyway. After all, I was staying in the lodging attached to the Academy’s forge, so I could reach the exam hall in just five minutes on foot. Even after showering, eating, and handling everything else, I’d still have time to spare.
Scratching my stomach, I ambled toward the shower room.
Shaaaaaaa····
The hot water poured down from above. There was something wonderful about standing under warm water and spacing out like this. It felt strangely healing.
I wiped the steam-covered mirror with a squeak until a handsome boy appeared in the reflection. Whether I swept my wet hair back, tied it in pigtails, or lathered it up into a mohawk, I still looked good. As expected, the face of the guy I’d possessed followed the national rule of being attractive. I was quite fond of how thoroughly this cliché was upheld.
“Hahaha! Ed! Did you sleep well? Even when our son is showering, he looks handsome!”
At that moment, James poked his head in and greeted me cheerfully. I’d grown so used to his doting antics by now that I simply chuckled and replied.
“You’re up already.”
“That’s right! Today’s an important day, isn’t it? I made your favorite kimchi stew, so just come out after you wash up!”
“Oh, kimchi stew? Got it.”
Kimchi stew. James knew how to make it because I’d taught him both how to prepare the cabbage and the recipe itself. One of the hardest things about being transported to this other world had been missing the food from my homeland, but I’d managed to perfectly recreate kimchi stew by drawing on every memory I had.
Bubble bubble bubble····
When I finally stepped out of the shower, a delicious aroma pierced my nose. It was kimchi stew made with a rich broth from Macbeth pork. Honestly, if I opened a restaurant with this, it would be a massive hit. James’s cooking skills were top-notch too.
“All cleaned up? Perfect timing! Come and eat!”
Steaming mounds of rice and various side dishes waited at each seat. James was in the middle of moving the pot of kimchi stew to the center of the table. I roughly towel-dried my hair, threw on underwear and a shirt, and sat down at the table.
Before picking up my spoon, I said, “Thank you for the meal,” then took a sip of the broth.
Slurp.
It was perfect. When I quietly raised my thumb, James burst into hearty laughter and puffed out his chest with pride.
“Hmm····”
As I ate, I prepared for the Class Selection Tournament. I was using the new derivative skill I’d gained when Engineering Thinking reached Level 3—Hologram.
Right now, a hologram modeled after my own body stood beside my soup bowl. Thirty-seven mana stones were embedded throughout its form, and I was carefully considering how much mana to allocate to each one.
“Kwaahaha! Ed, look at this! It’s all praise for our son!”
Despite the bizarre sight, James showed no particular reaction. He’d already seen me use holograms multiple times over the past week. Instead, he was completely absorbed in reading the newspaper article about me.
“Mmm… to increase output even more…”
“As expected! Of course. That’s how a proper article should be.”
“This part will reduce speed. I’ll need to improve it.”
“Krr. I wish I’d been there. To think you received a standing ovation from all those nobles.”
We were each broadcasting on our own channels. Our relationship was like that of best friends who simply wore the skins of father and son, so even if we did other things while eating or didn’t respond to each other’s words, it felt perfectly comfortable. It was the vibe of two close friends rooming together in a small ten-pyeong two-room apartment. We got along well—sometimes drinking together, debating engineering topics, or playing card games.
“Huh? Dad, I’ll head out now. It’s almost time.”
I must have been too relaxed. When I absentmindedly checked the clock, it was already 9:40. I hurriedly finished dressing and roughly styled my hair.
With James’s loud send-off—“Don’t get hurt and do your best!”—I left the house. Thanks to the hearty breakfast, my steps felt light.
The large auditorium in Hall 7 of the Basic Tactics Department was today’s gathering point. As Ed headed there, he received countless greetings from nobles. Yesterday’s speech had turned him into a celebrity at the Academy. There wasn’t a single noble who didn’t know of “Sir Fix.”
“Sir Fix. Your speech yesterday left quite an impression. I am Ishike, eldest son of House Brante.”
“Sir Fix is too much. Please just call me Ed.”
Despite receiving all that attention, Ed handled the conversations with practiced ease. After all, El Pandor Rune Terra was a relationship-focused simulation game. Having repeatedly practiced conversations with countless characters, drawing out their goodwill was second nature to him.
“Huh?”
Suddenly, someone let out a surprised exclamation and pointed. Following their finger, I saw someone cutting through the crowd like the Red Sea as they approached. It was the four ducal heirs.
“You there. Move aside. You too—don’t block the path. Yes, you. I’m talking to you.”
The one leading the way and clearing a path was Isabella, second daughter of the Graham Duchy. Most nobles recognized her immediately and hastily stepped aside. They had already heard of her infamous reputation. No one wanted to catch her eye and end up cursed by her sorcery.
“Haha. Sorry about that, friends.”
On the other hand, Lucas of House Elmar—who had given the freshman representative oath—was clearing the way while asking for understanding. Having lost all the spotlight to Ed, he seemed even more conscious of managing his public image.
“Sigh. Why are so many eyes on us? I told you I’d go alone, so why is everyone following…”
And at the center of their group, Enya looked uncomfortable with all the attention. She had wanted to give the gift she’d prepared to Ed when they were alone.
“Hm? Following? Who said they wanted to go with you?”
But when Isabella heard Enya’s complaint, she turned around and said that. Then she smirked, her lips curling in a provocative expression as she continued.
“I’m just going to meet that commoner. I have some personal business.”
“·····Personal business?”
“That’s right. I have something to give him. And well… he’s kind of cute, so I’m a little interested?”
Interested in Ed…?
Enya’s face, which had been tense the entire time, suddenly froze over with icy coldness.
Crackle—
The two girls’ gazes clashed in midair. Then Enya spoke.
“Interest? What interest. It feels suspicious.”
“Pfft. Interest is just interest. What else would it be?”
“I’m saying this because it’s you. If you do anything weird to Sir Ed, I won’t let it slide.”
“Whoa—. That’s unfair? What did I even do? I’m just trying to give him a present.”
“······.”
Enya stared at Isabella with deeply sunken eyes. She carefully examined her old friend, who had somehow become so strange. Just what was this girl thinking, trying to approach Sir Ed?
Eventually Isabella let out a small laugh and looked away.
“Anyway, I’m going ahead. You can give your gift later.”
With those words, Isabella strode forward. Enya quickly caught up, walking beside her, then glared at her and said,
“No. I’ll give mine first. It doesn’t look like we’ll get a chance to meet him separately anyway.”
Thanks to yesterday’s grand speech, Ed had become a celebrity. The moment he showed himself now, he was immediately surrounded by a crowd. Meeting him alone would clearly be difficult.
So, spurred on by Isabella’s provocation, Enya took the lead. Isabella watched her back and chuckled softly.
“Heh heh. So simple.”
Then she immediately followed behind her.
After pushing through the massive crowd, they finally reached Ed.
“······.”
Surrounded by countless people, the four ducal heirs and Ed now faced each other. The surrounding crowd buzzed with their own thoughts about the situation. Some said Ed’s path to success had opened since the ducal children had come to him first. Others speculated it might not be for a good reason. Especially that receiving the witch’s attention could only bring trouble. They consumed the scene as gossip, pouring out every sensational theory imaginable.
But none of that chatter reached Enya’s ears. The moment she stood before Ed, her heart pounded wildly and her mind became a mess.
Is it okay to come find him so suddenly? So many eyes are watching… What if Sir Ed refuses my gift? I’d be so embarrassed. And after I mistakenly called his family the Schneider house yesterday, is he still angry?
“What are you doing!”
At that moment, Claire from the Bernhardt Duchy slapped Enya on the back. Then she whispered loudly, “Just give it to him already.”
Pushed forward two steps by Claire’s urging, Enya swallowed hard and nodded. Behind them, Isabella—who had been watching the entire scene—mocked her in a way that was very much like her usual self.
“Puhaha! This is hilarious. She looks like such a loser.”
But rather than shrinking from Isabella’s taunt, Enya felt a surge of determination. She gathered her courage and stepped forward. With a face full of resolve, she stood before Ed and finally spoke her piece.
“U-um…”
“······?”
“L-later… could we meet… somewhere private?”
“······.”
“I-I have something to give you. You fixed my sword sheath yesterday, and… I also spread strange rumors after misunderstanding your family… So, as a token of apology…”
Originally, Enya had planned to give him the gift right there. But no matter how she thought about it, this wasn’t the place. That’s why she suggested meeting separately. Just making the suggestion itself was incredibly embarrassing. Her heart felt like it would burst.
Fortunately, Ed nodded without hesitation.
“Sure. After the Class Selection Tournament ends, I’ll come find you.”
At Ed’s reply that he would seek her out, Enya nodded vigorously, then spun around. With a face burning bright red, she dashed through the crowd. Claire watched her with a satisfied smile and followed, while Lucas—who had been shaking hands with the surrounding nobles—trailed after them as well.
Left alone, Isabella instead walked toward Ed. Everyone watched with tense expressions. When she finally stopped right in front of him, she stared at Ed with eyes that looked like they wanted to devour him whole. The pressure was so intense that even the onlookers felt suffocated.
“Whoa—.”
But with Isabella’s exclamation, the heavy tension snapped like a taut string. The oppressive atmosphere suddenly lightened.
She smiled eerily and continued.
“You don’t seem to be afraid of me, do you?”
Observing Ed’s unshaken face, Isabella’s eyes gleamed sharply. She took his right hand and spoke again.
“That makes me like you even more.”
With those words, she pulled something from her pocket and placed it in his right hand. Twisting her lips into a seductive smile, she said,
“I’ll give you special treatment. Even if you end up facing me as an enemy, as long as you have this, you won’t break.”
Ed looked down at the bizarre doll resting in his palm. It was a female doll with disheveled hair, shedding tears of blood.
“Heh heh. Good luck, then.”
With that, Isabella turned away. She floated after the other ducal heirs, her feet not touching the ground as she drifted through the crowd like a ghost. Of course, she was doing it to catch up with her group quickly. The bit of mischief was just a bonus.
But the nobles, who knew her reputation well, jumped in fright and frantically cleared a path. They kept their distance, not wanting to get involved with her in any way.
Once Isabella was out of sight, one of the nobles who had spoken to Ed earlier said in a urgent voice,
“T-that thing! You should throw it away immediately! You might get cursed by the witch!”
“···Witch?”
“Yes! Haven’t you heard the rumors about the witch Isabella?”
The Witch Isabella. Of course, Ed knew all about her long-standing nickname. It was a title earned by punishing others in the most terrifying ways imaginable. Every man who had tried to make a move on her had suffered horribly from her curses. One noble had laughed maniacally while smashing his forehead against a marble floor until he passed out. He repeated the act for three full days before losing his mind. The sight had been so horrifying and bizarre that the nickname “witch” spread openly.
“I know, but it’s fine.”
Despite knowing all that, Ed slipped the doll into his inner pocket. As everyone stared at him in disbelief, he opened his mouth.
“I can’t just carelessly throw away a gift I received.”
“·······.”
The nobles let out sighs at Ed’s statement. Murmurs began spreading everywhere. Sir Fix is too kind. He must already be under the witch’s spell. No, he’s just naive. Each of them added their own criticism of Ed for accepting Isabella’s doll.
So Isabella’s route has already begun.
But Ed paid no attention to their chatter. What mattered was that Isabella had shown interest in him much earlier than expected. Receiving this doll from her was the signal flare announcing the start of the event.
Clutching the doll inside his pocket, Ed muttered meaningfully to himself.
Isabella. This time, I will definitely save you.