Chapter 15
Chapter 15
After That
Lucia was not a bad practice partner.
I had been wondering how much strength I should use against someone at a student’s level, so watching Lucia swing her sword gave me a chance to practice matching her level.
She was the most outstanding first-year student in the academy, after all.
I wanted to understand what that level felt like, so I intentionally dragged out the fight as much as possible.
And while doing that, the things that had felt awkward at first slowly started to make sense.
Lucia’s movements were better than I had expected.
Trading blows with her was useful.
Still, there was an unavoidable difference between a sword infused with mana and one that wasn’t.
When two equal forces collided, the one that broke was mine.
So I ended it.
If my sword had stayed intact, I would have let it continue a little longer.
To be honest, I even seriously considered handing over the top rank to her.
But in the end, I changed my mind.
“Bow your head and lick my feet.”
Lucia had been far too arrogant for me to lose on purpose.
If this had happened in the back alleys, she would have already died.
The only reason she was still alive was because too many people were watching.
Anyway, for the time being, I would remain the top-ranked first-year.
It was not a position I had wanted, but defeating Lucia, the strongest candidate, had secured it.
It was not exactly welcome news.
Still, I hoped this would at least reduce the flood of challenge requests coming my way.
A world where nothing existed.
An endless horizon without an end in sight.
Lucia had fallen into that place.
Even the sense of time itself became dull there.
“Hah… haaah… please… please stop…”
Under endless black darkness, Lucia ran from something.
Behind her—
something with glowing red eyes was chasing her.
It was not fast.
It simply walked toward her, slowly.
But that made it even more terrifying.
And so Lucia ran.
And ran.
And ran.
She did not know for how long.
Even when her legs felt like they would break, the scenery never changed.
“Ahhh!”
In the end, she stumbled and fell.
Maybe her legs had simply given out.
And then—
“Lucia.”
“Hiiiii!”
The thing with red eyes finally reached her and grabbed her ankle.
Now that it was close, she could clearly see its face.
A cold gaze looking down from above.
An emotionless expression filled with contempt, as though looking at something insignificant.
Lucia understood instinctively.
This was not human.
It looked human.
But it was something different.
Something alien.
Iria asked her,
“Why did you do it?”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Iria… I was wrong… so please…”
“I’m not asking for an apology. I want to know why. Why did you do it?”
And so began her confession.
Iria stood there silently and waited.
Lucia trembled violently and crawled backward in fear.
But she knew.
This was a dream Iria had trapped her in.
And there was nowhere to run.
And—
if Iria did not let her out,
she would never leave.
So Lucia lowered her head at Iria’s feet.
And from that moment, she began pouring out all her sins.
“It was because… I was jealous of you. Hngh… seeing you holding the top rank while looking so empty… it made me angry…”
“……”
“It bothered me… seeing you sitting in the place everyone dreams of, acting like it meant nothing…”
The title of top student at the Imperial Academy carried far more weight than Iria realized.
It was an honorable seat.
A place only earned after defeating countless geniuses.
But Iria herself seemed not to understand what it meant.
She stood in the place everyone wanted—
and treated it like nothing.
While others had swung their swords until their bones ached to reach that spot.
While others had shed blood and sweat since childhood to build their mana.
To Lucia, it felt like all of that effort was being denied.
“Not everyone… is an emotionless doll like you…”
Everyone wanted acknowledgment.
Their talent.
Their effort.
Their life.
Lucia was no different.
She wanted to claim the top rank with her own strength and be recognized for it.
Not everyone was cold like Iria.
People felt jealousy.
Bitterness.
Inferiority.
That was what made them human.
And because Iria was not human—
she could never understand those emotions.
What Lucia felt toward her now—
this ugly, painfully real emotion—
was resentment toward someone above her.
That was the reason.
Lucia spoke honestly.
Throwing water at her.
Insulting her.
It had all come from jealousy.
It had taken her a long time to admit that.
Only after losing to Iria in the arena—
and running endlessly in the dream—
did she finally have time to face herself.
The dream Iria trapped her in made a single moment feel like eternity.
She did not know how much time had passed in reality.
But to her, it felt like days.
And at the very end of the dream, Lucia emptied everything out.
Only then—
was she allowed to return.
It had been a long dream.
The loser of a ranking match had to grant one request from the winner.
Of course, it was never anything too extreme.
Since it happened inside the academy, any request had to be approved by the supervising professor before it became valid.
Anything excessive was usually rejected.
The ranking match culture at the academy had started half a century ago, during the era when the Demon King ruled the continent.
Back then, the dominant belief had been to make students stronger at all costs.
It was a painful remnant of wartime culture.
Now that the Demon King was dead and temporary peace had returned, its significance had faded.
Compared to the past, it had become lighter.
But even so—
a loser was still a loser.
Lucia came to meet Iria with heavy steps.
“……”
“……”
Iria stayed silent for a while.
Lucia’s condition felt strange.
She trembled like someone terrified.
She could not even meet Iria’s eyes.
“What kind of dream did she even have?”
Iria scratched her cheek.
It was true she had trapped Lucia in a dream.
But she had not controlled what happened inside it.
It was a world made by Lucia’s own imagination and subconscious.
Iria was a little curious about what Lucia had seen.
She had even thought about peeking into her memories.
But Lucia refused to meet her eyes.
So there was no way.
Well, it didn’t matter.
“So, what can you give me?”
Iria asked.
This was the settlement after the confession.
At first, she had not thought much of it.
Lucia was the second daughter of a noble family.
Surely she could compensate with something material.
“Money…”
“I already have plenty.”
“Then… magic tools…”
“I don’t have mana.”
“Then what do you want…”
“How would I know?”
“…What?”
“What?”
The conversation did not flow well.
Iria had no greed for money.
If she needed it, she would take it.
But right now, she had more than enough.
So she thought for a moment.
It would be a waste to let this opportunity pass.
“Hm.”
Her decision did not take long.
Nothing came to mind that she particularly wanted.
So she decided on something else.
A small revenge for the humiliation she had suffered before.
She would make Lucia experience it herself.
Iria sat down and removed one shoe and sock.
Then she raised her foot in front of Lucia and waved it lightly.
“Bow your head and lick my foot. I’ll let it end there.”
The situation looked familiar.
Only their positions had reversed.
Just like before, there were many people watching.
She wondered if proud Lucia would really kneel in front of them.
It was pure curiosity.
Nothing more.
Lucia looked like she was on the verge of tears.
As the loser, she had no right to refuse.
“At least… somewhere private…”
“Do it here.”
“Hngh…”
As expected, Lucia hesitated, conscious of everyone watching.
Watching her struggle like this felt strangely thrilling.
In the end, Lucia slowly knelt in front of Iria.
Lowering herself.
Meeting Iria’s gaze from below.
Then she carefully lifted Iria’s pale bare foot.
But even after being given time, Lucia could not force herself to obey.
She held the small foot in both hands, trembling.
“Hng… hngh…”
It was probably her first time suffering humiliation like this.
Her eyes began to water.
But Iria showed no intention of sparing her.
“Hurry. Do you want another nightmare?”
“……”
Finally giving up, Lucia pressed her lips against Iria’s foot.
Not knowing how long she would have to continue, she even licked it with her tongue.
But apparently, that was not enough.
Iria pushed her toes into Lucia’s mouth.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Her reaction was more amusing than expected.
It was the afternoon of the day the duel had ended