I Don't Even Know How to Get Stronger!
I don't even know how to get stronger myself!
She was asking me how someone becomes as strong as I am, but honestly, I was curious about that too.
Judging by what Lora had said, I'd apparently been a lost cause since childhood. Maybe I should just be grateful I'd spent all that strength thrashing monsters instead of anything worse.
If I'd been born into a knight or warrior family, I probably would have dominated an entire era.
In short, it wasn't like I'd put in any particular effort. I was just born this way. That was all I could say.
And looking at Lunel's reaction, kicking a goblin to death with one foot was clearly something no ordinary person could do. There was no other explanation for a response like that. If it had been some monster you could drop with a single cheap spell, people would just tell you to stop showing off over a goblin kill...
Frankly, it left me speechless.
"W-well... maybe just eat a balanced diet and get plenty of sleep...?"
That was all I could manage to spit out—some empty platitude about eating well and sleeping well. Honestly, she had every right to find it ridiculous.
"I see! I think I understand. If I exercise hard, eat well, and sleep well, I can become as strong as you, Unni!"
And yet Lunel took it completely at face value. Listening to her, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
"No, that's not what I—"
"A moment, my lady. May I speak?"
"Ah, uh... go ahead, Lora."
While I was still fretting over what to say, Lora slipped in and smoothly took over. For a split second, Lunel's eyes seemed to flash with something chilling...
Nah. I must have imagined it.
There was no way Lunel harbored any feelings for me. For one thing, I was a woman. And in this world, it wasn't a voluptuous figure like mine that sold—it was the underripe, delicate look Lunel had. Her gaze was probably no different from anyone else's.
Honestly, even setting aside Eriana's personality in the game, she'd never been popular with the other characters. Looking at fan reception outside the game, too—if it wasn't memes about her body, her personality alone was enough to tank her popularity.
While I stood there stammering, Lora stepped forward. With Lora handling things, she'd probably say something appropriate and send the girl packing... though I supposed building up a little goodwill was inevitable at this point.
And if it was already certain I wouldn't get so much as a scrap of support from my family, getting a little friendlier couldn't hurt.
Of course, I'd end up banished eventually. Until then, though, I could afford to show her a tiny bit of kindness.
Thinking that, I gave a small nod and glanced over at Lora. But something felt off. Why did this girl's eyes look so cold?
"Forgive me, but what business do you have with my lady?"
"Oh my... and who might you be, Unni?"
No matter how I looked at it, the atmosphere was strange. Not quite hatred—more like the two of them were locking horns with jealousy carved deep into their chests.
Honestly, watching from the sidelines was getting a little scary. What? What was happening here?! Why were they suddenly like this?!
While I stood there bewildered, Lora opened her mouth.
"How rude. You look like a commoner. Have you been chasing after a young lady of a noble house without permission?"
Huh...?
Out of nowhere came a line so perfectly villainess-adjacent it was almost textbook. Or rather, the kind of thing a villainess's attendant would say? Even I was thrown off hearing it.
Lunel seemed just as stunned. Her eyes went wide, and she stared at Lora in pure disbelief.
"Th-that's—why would you suddenly—"
"Are you not a commoner? Your clothes certainly suggest as much. You don't appear to be a young lady of any noble house."
"That much is true, but... we're not that poor!"
"Oh my. Whether you have money, whether you're rich—none of that has anything to do with this. What matters is that you are of the lower class. Do you truly not understand the difference?"
Whoa, whoa, hold on. Lora, were you the villainess this whole time? Come to think of it, Lora was a young lady too... She just came from a lower-ranking house than mine. She was a proper noble in her own right.
I'd completely forgotten because of the maid uniform. That was why she could step up so boldly.
As she kept tearing into Lunel over the class difference, Lunel started to tear up. Ah—she looked like she was about to cry any second.
"Ugh... hic... and what about you, huh?! Like you're from some amazing family! Aren't we basically in the same boat?!"
Ah. That was just her throwing a tantrum. The problem was that Lora actually was from a fairly distinguished house...
"Oh dear. As Lady Eriana's maid, I carry rather fine blood myself. Unlike a commoner such as yourself."
"Grr..."
Haa... At this rate, they were going to throw down. Judging by the atmosphere, Lunel looked ready to cast a spell any second. The problem was that Lora came from the same family as me.
I might have been talentless at magic by main-house standards, but Lora—branch family or not—was about as skilled as any ordinary mage.
In fact, right now, she was already forming a fireball in the hand she held behind her back.
If things went south, she was definitely going to throw that thing. Sure, it'd be a harmless prank version... but still. This had gone far enough.
"That's enough, Lora. Stop."
"Pardon? But—"
I let out a long sigh and gently pushed Lora—who was still seething—out of the way. I had no idea why she was so angry. Was there some kind of problem?
She was furious as if Lunel speaking to me at all was the offense itself. I couldn't make sense of it.
"Leave it. Anyone watching would think you were about to attack me."
"....."
Lora fixed me with a cold look, then finally gave a single nod and stepped back.
Lunel's expression brightened considerably. She seemed to think I was taking her side. I had no such intention, though.
After all, my goal was to get myself banished.
Thinking that, I stepped closer to Lunel and bent my knees so our eyes could meet. Those eyes, sparkling with pure admiration, were almost unfairly beautiful.
Truly enough to make someone jealous.
"I'm sorry, Lunel, but that wasn't a good thing to do. Have you been following me?"
"Ah—uh..."
Oh no. So I was right. It had been far too convenient to be a coincidence. I had no idea how she'd managed to track me. The girl nodded meekly, looking up at me with pitiful eyes—as if begging for forgiveness.
Well, now I had a few things to say myself. So Lora hadn't been overreacting for nothing. Stalking was a serious crime, after all.
"Haa... Please stop following me around. I may not look it, but I come from a rather powerful family. It could end up affecting you."
"Huh...?"
She tilted her head, wearing a puzzled look as if she had no idea what I was talking about. But it was the truth, whether she understood or not. In the game, Eriana had gotten involved with Lunel directly—but without that, Eriana came from a family so powerful Lunel never would have dared approach her.
Sure, I'd been cast aside by my family, but blood didn't scatter that easily. If Lunel got caught up in something by accident, it could become genuinely dangerous for her—unlike when I'd picked fights myself.
This girl, a full head shorter than me, had probably followed me out of nothing but pure admiration, without knowing any of that. It was almost heartbreaking.
Lunel kept looking up at me without answering—and then her eyes slowly began to brighten. It was as if something new had mixed into her earlier admiration and set it blazing without limit.
Huh...? W-wait, why?
Flustered, I started to edge backward—only for the girl to suddenly grab my hand and pull herself closer.
Then, meeting my eyes with the brightest gaze imaginable, she said:
"I see... So Unni comes from a noble family, and yet you're worried about a commoner like me. Now I understand!"
No, no, hold on—what are you even saying right now?!
She was being absurdly self-serving. From where I stood, it was nothing short of mortifying. I tried to tell her that wasn't it at all, but her energy was so overwhelming I couldn't get a word out.
"Thank you, Unni. But I still want to become as strong as you. So I'll probably keep following you for a while. I'm... really sorry!"
What on earth was even happening. Having freely misunderstood everything and dumped it all out in one breath, she spun around before I could say a thing and vanished straight into the underbrush.
"Well then, goodbye! I'll see you again next time!"
That parting greeting, tossed over her shoulder as she slipped away, was the final touch.
"Huh..."
I could only tilt my head at whatever mess this was supposed to be—when Lora, who had somehow drawn close again, settled in right behind me. She looked at me quietly and said:
"She seems thoroughly smitten. More than that, though—that commoner is rather bold."
"Tell me about it... What did I even do wrong?"
I'd basically begged her to stay away from me, and she'd taken it as me worrying about her. It made no sense at all.
"Haa... Never mind, my lady."
Lora let out a heavy sigh. I had a feeling she was feeling roughly the same way I was.