Chapter 13
Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Reason She Despises Me
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On the day I graduated from the academy, when I thought about what to do next, the most realistic option that came to mind was becoming a mercenary.
Joining any regular army would come with restrictions on my actions and a limited range of operations.
But I never expected the opportunity to come knocking like this. Not even as an official mercenary, but nominally as an investigation team.
The day before departing for the Fresia Mountains, Ravi, Elfin, and I gathered separately to discuss the investigation starting tomorrow.
First up was Ravi's briefing on the Fresia Mountains, which divided the Carrot Duchy from the Andras Empire. She knew the terrain well and had received direct updates on the situation from her father, Duke Liebv.
"The Fresia Mountains turn into rugged rock peaks starting from the mid-slopes, mostly sheer cliffs. The monsters that appear here are common ones like goblins and orcs down low, but up in the rocky heights, you've got griffons and gargoyles."
"Griffons dominate during the day, gargoyles at night. But this time, it's the gargoyles whose numbers have exploded. Reports of sightings even in broad daylight mean the balance is completely shattered."
Elfin rested her chin in her hand and furrowed her brow at Ravi's words.
"Gargoyles... Dark creatures. A massive surge like that is never a good sign. Has the Goddess truly abandoned this world? Is that why the holy sword has lost its light, and these anomalies are happening?"
"No way. The holy warrior is none other than Brayden himself—do you really think the Goddess would forsake the world? You know how devout and noble he is, Elfin."
"...Yeah, you're right. I've just been hearing all these weird rumors lately, and it's got me thinking the worst for no reason."
After that, we spent a good while discussing countermeasures for the anomalies in the Fresia Mountains.
As the talk wrapped up, Elfin summarized the briefing points in her notebook and snapped it shut.
"But that's beside the point..."
She crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and shifted her gaze toward me.
Pointing a finger straight at me, Elfin said with a displeased expression,
"Do we seriously have to travel with this guy?"
"Anyone overhearing that would think I'm dead weight. It hurts this guy's feelings, you know."
"Exactly, Elfin. Last time at the goblin camp when that freak incident happened, somehow Alvis took down that unidentified monster—"
"I'm not talking about his skills! It's his behavior! Ravi, how on earth did you manage to be alone with this creep in a dungeon and come out unscathed?"
"Ahahaha... It was such a frantic situation..."
"That was an anomaly! In a kiddie dungeon like the goblin camp with no freak events, what do you think this pervert molester did to you?! You should've kicked him in the balls the second you saw him!"
"Hey, there are things you can do to a guy and things you can't."
A chill ran down my spine just imagining it, but I was relieved that the one I'd met in the dungeon that day was Ravi—the most reasonable and kind among the defeated heroine trio.
Of course, Elfin had good reason to despise me this much.
"Hey, Elfin. You're not still sulking over last year, are you?"
It wasn't a memory I had, but thanks to the original Loveholic, I knew exactly what had gone down back then.
A super intense fanservice scene from midway through our second year.
Elfin reacted so sharply that a vein bulged at her temple, her pretty face twisting into a demonic scowl.
"Wh-what...? 'Still'? 'Sulking'???"
"Look, I said it was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen—"
"An accident? Acciiiident??? You pull that stunt and call it an accident? You really wanna die!!! Do you have any idea how humiliated I was? And in front of Bra-Bra-Brayden... My... my..."
Stammering from the sheer embarrassment, Elfin trailed off, so I finished for her.
"You mean when I yanked off your panties?"
"Aaaaaah!!!"
Elfin leaped up with a shriek, pulling sharp daggers from her sleeves and gripping them tight.
"I'm seriously gonna kill you!!!"
"E-Elfin! Calm down for a second!"
"Does this look like a calm-down situation!? Ravi, did you see that attitude just now? Talking like it's someone else's problem! You have no idea how mortified I was! Of all places, in front of Bra-Bra-Brayden... Even thinking back—"
It was one of the fanservice scenes from the original Loveholic.
A classic romcom panty-flash event, and Alvis indeed groped all four heroines, attempting big and small upskirts.
The problem was on a certain second-year day, while trying to sexually harass Elfin, he tripped and yanked her skirt and panties clean off.
Fortunately—or not—the original only depicted her rear end, but Elfin's bare butt was so vividly shown that the volume skyrocketed in collector value.
In the story, right after her lower half was fully exposed, Celine kicked Alvis unconscious, so Brayden was the only man who saw that paradise.
Elfin, who already didn't think much of Alvis, started genuinely despising him like subhuman trash after that event, and it had carried on to now.
But I did it, even though it wasn't me—what can you do? If I'd seen it with my own eyes, at least I wouldn't feel so wronged.
Tears welling from shame and humiliation, Elfin tried to shake off Ravi's desperate restraint and bellowed.
"You bastard! What? You did that to me and now 'still sulking'? I'm not letting you off!"
"E-Elfin! For now, we're on an investigation team, so we have to work together at least once—think of Arborness and our countries' positions and just bear it this time! If Alvis tries anything like that again, I won't stop you, okay?"
"Alvis! You apologize right now! I remember that incident too, and you have zero right to act so smug!"
In the end, Ravi mediated a truce between Elfin and me.
Even then, Elfin kept growling like she'd skin me alive at the slightest provocation, and when Ravi suggested a handshake, she just slapped my palm and stormed off.
After Elfin left first to rest, Ravi shot me a reproachful look.
"Alvis, how could you bring that up yourself?"
"She mentioned it first."
"Still, you shouldn't have said it. You passed out from Celine's kick so you don't know, but do you realize how much Elfin cried from the humiliation?"
Oh, I knew. Very well.
I deliberately brought up her trigger event in front of her not just to poke the bear for no reason.
In Loveholic, Elfin didn't like humans much. The only ones she opened up to were Brayden, Celine, Lenis, and Ravi from the Bunny tribe.
She rarely talked or interacted with anyone else, but there was one exception outside those she cared for: Alvis, whom she at least exchanged words with, however superficially.
Usually, it was Elfin snapping at Alvis's flirting or harassment, but that was their connection, however toxic.
And now, post-graduation, to keep any link with Elfin, I had to pull aggro like this.
With her personality, leaving her alone would've meant she'd treat me worse than dirt and cut all contact.
...Though I did have a bit of a mind to tease her since she was showing so much disgust.
Elfin would try to disband the team after this investigation because she couldn't stand me, but unfortunately, I had no intention of letting her go that easily.
Pressing her button was the way to maintain contact, proven by the fact that no backlash damage hit me once during this whole exchange.
As I pondered how to keep the connection after this mission, Ravi fidgeted with her fingers while staring at me from across the table.
I paused my thoughts and asked,
"What're you staring at? Something to say?"
"Ah."
Watching her rabbit ears twitch nonstop was adorable.
Ravi pondered her words before replying.
"Just... I wanted to say thank you."
"Out of the blue."
"You might think it's just some supplies, no big deal, but to us, every little bit is precious—it really helped a lot. Thank you for offering them to us. Honestly, with your personality, I half-expected some weird demand in return."
"You always gotta add that extra line."
"Ahem... Anyway. I can't say your academy behavior was anything good, even as flattery, but the way you talked to my dad today, how you treated the castle servants—truly accepting us Bunny tribe without prejudice and even helping—thank you."
"Struck by my charm and thoughtfulness all over again?"
"Wh-who's struck?!"
Her rabbit ears shot straight up as she jolted to her feet in shock.
"W-we're leaving early tomorrow morning, so I'm off to bed! You should sleep too, Alvis! Instead of spouting nonsense!"
And with that, she bolted from the meeting room without hearing me out.
...
Ravi raced back to her room at top speed, baffled by her own over-the-top reaction.
Lines like "struck by my charm and thoughtfulness" were standard nonsense Alvis spewed constantly at the academy.
And until now, Ravi had ignored them without a second thought.
It didn't matter if Brayden was around; there was no reason to react to such absurd drivel.
His words this time were no different...
'Why did I freak out like that?'
Just weeks ago, she'd have brushed it off without a ear twitch, but this time, they stuck.
'Have I gone soft from a few days together? No, snap out of it! Important investigation starts tomorrow!'
She slapped her cheeks to steel herself, but never quite figured out why she'd reacted so sensitively.