Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Event is Going Smoothly!
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"Ughhhh..."
"Isihoon, you okay? You look wiped out today..."
The day after putting Isihoon through training.
Having reached a level of proficiency where he could use Super Acceleration yesterday, Isihoon was now slumped over his desk during break time like a soulless zombie.
Yume, worried about him, asked how he was doing.
"Ugh... Yesterday...! I trained with Rubelt, and it wrecked me... His training is seriously intense... Ughhh."
"R-Really?"
"Hmm~ That explains it~ I thought you smelled a bit stronger. So you trained with the priest, huh."
Chisaki, who happened to be nearby, grinned.
"Smelled stronger?"
"Strong people have this distinct scent~ Well, you're not that strong yet, Isihoon... but you smell like you've reached a certain level now. What kind of training was it? Huh? What'd you do with the priest?"
"Well..."
Isihoon gave a brief rundown of yesterday's training, whining a little as he did.
"Whoa! What the heck! That sounds fun! Priest~ Why didn't you call me too~? Huh?"
"Because if Chisaki joined, the training would've gone off the rails."
Partway through, she'd have ditched Isihoon and come at me like, "I'm your opponent now, stre~nger!"
"Tch. So that's how you learned a secret technique, huh~? Nice. Let's spar during practice matches then. I'm curious what kind of secret technique it is..."
"You're not gonna use secret techniques in practice matches, Chisaki."
"Oh, right."
Chisaki was still a total battle maniac.
"Rubelt-sama acting for his friend's sake is so cool!"
"Thanks, Eli."
I glanced over at Kim Yesle.
Kim Yesle was peeking at us from the back, or more precisely, around Isihoon.
She wanted to talk to him since he looked so drained.
But with me, Yume, and Chisaki around, she couldn't easily approach.
If you looked at it objectively, without knowing the situation.
In other words, from Kim Yesle's perspective, it wouldn't be easy to butt in.
The guy she likes, Isihoon.
But right next to him is his seemingly close childhood friend, Yume, and then there's Chisaki, who's always giggling and chatting him up.
As former heroines, both of them were stunning beauties.
She must be fretting, wondering if they're super tight with Isihoon, and the atmosphere around us makes it hard to join in, so all she can do is watch.
On top of that, Isihoon was mentally exhausted and hadn't even noticed Kim Yesle's gaze.
Time for me to lend a hand.
"Hey, Isihoon."
"What."
"Today..."
"Phew, I think training can wait for a bit!"
"I didn't say anything about training."
"You didn't?"
I cherish my time with my girls too—I'm not gonna keep babysitting you forever.
I've laid the foundation; you'll grow on your own from here.
"Can you make it to club today? You look beat."
"Huh? Well, yeah. My head's still fried, but... my body's fine thanks to that potion you gave me, Rubelt. Of course I'm going."
I glanced at Kim Yesle again, and she had her ears perked up, listening in on our conversation.
I whispered to Isihoon quietly.
"Then go tell Yesle you're doing club today."
"Huh? Why?"
"Dude, you ignoring Yesle over there? She's been worried since you looked out of it all morning."
"For real?"
Isihoon whipped his head toward her, and Kim Yesle quickly turned away.
"Saw that head turn, right? She's into you, so go reassure her you'll be at club. Seems like she... kinda likes you."
"Sh-She... does?"
He blinked, his face lighting up with joy but still processing the unbelievable fact.
This dense guy's romance needs a direct nudge from those around him to progress.
"You think I wouldn't notice something like that? Strike while the iron's hot—go now."
"Y-Yeah!"
The day after hearing from me and Rize in the limo that we'd actively help him hook up with Kim Yesle.
Of course he'd be shocked to hear she was interested.
The original protagonist would've brushed it off like, "Nah, no way..." and played it passive.
But...
"I'll be right back...!"
Having met me and awakened his longing for youth and romance, Isihoon jumped into action the moment I gave him a push.
The reason Isihoon had become so proactive about romance lately?
He'd been envious watching me, the awesome guy, being popular with girls back in high school.
Makes me feel a little bad now?
Go get 'em, Isihoon!
Isihoon approached Kim Yesle, told her he'd be at club activities today, and she looked thrilled.
Not a bad vibe at all.
Lunchtime.
Eli smiled as she asked Kagura,
"Kagura, are you free after school later?"
"Huh? Free?"
"Yes. When does student council end?"
"Uh... Probably around 5 today."
"Perfect. Then at 5, let's go to Yagitsune Shrine together with Rize."
"Huh? W-With Rize to our house?"
Kagura panicked at the sudden plan.
And then...
"Yes. There's something I want to discuss with Lady Ayame."
'Oh.'
Kagura broke into a cold sweat at the follow-up.
'This is it—establishing the pecking order!'
Kagura was an avid reader of romance novels.
And those often featured medieval or aristocratic modern settings.
In the novels she loved, with poor heroine protagonists, there were always rival noble ladies as antagonists.
She'd seen countless scenes where the villainess dragged the protagonist aside to put her in her place.
'Sh-She acts fine in front of Rubelt... but she's here with her mom to wa-warn me...!'
-How dare you flirt with Lord Rubelt... I won't forgive you! I'll tear down this pathetic shrine!
Shivering!
Kagura trembled at the ominous vision flashing through her mind.
"Kagura? You okay? You look pale..."
"N-No! I'm fine! Really!"
"Alright then. After student council, let's head to the shrine together."
"Y-Yeah!"
Kagura couldn't refuse.
She was scared of upsetting Eli and who-knows-what might happen.
She knew Eli was kind and magnanimous.
But when it came to the man they loved, women could change in an instant.
She wanted to trust Eli's past words, but thinking about her relationship with their mother-daughter duo still filled her with unease.
"Ah, w-wait, I gotta hit the bathroom real quick!"
"Huh? Class is about to start..."
"I-It's urgent!"
Kagura dashed out of the classroom and immediately pulled out her phone to call Ayame.
[Hello?]
"M-M-Mom!"
[Kagura? What's up at this hour? Aren't you at the academy?]
"E-E-E-Emergency!"
[What?]
After school.
Once student council wrapped up, Kagura headed to Yagitsune Shrine with Eli and Rize.
"W-W-Welcome to Yagitsune Shrine!"
Ayame greeted the three of them under the torii gate, stuttering nervously and visibly tense.
"Oh, hello, Lady Ayame. Nice to meet you."
"Greetings, Lady Ayame."
"I-I'm so glad to meet you too! L-Lady Eli! R-Rize too!"
Having gotten Kagura's call and harbored the same ominous thoughts, Ayame forced a smile as she welcomed them.
"P-Please, come in."
After entering the shrine's residence.
Eli and Rize sat in the tatami reception room.
Across the table, Kagura sat, and soon Ayame brought in tea and snacks, setting them down.
"I-It isn't much, but please enjoy."
'I rushed down and bought the finest rice cakes and green tea! Please, please let it suit their tastes...!'
"Oh, thank you."
Eli smiled, ate some rice cake, then sipped the green tea.
"Slurp... It's delicious."
"R-Really?!"
"Phew, good!"
The Yagitsune mother and daughter were stiff with awkwardness.
Rize saw right through it but didn't point it out.
"Sorry for dropping by unannounced."
"N-No, not at all!"
"C-Come anytime you want!"
"Heehee, thank you for saying that. Actually, the reason I visited the shrine today is..."
""Gulp!""
"I want to hold a sisterhood gathering! Ohohohoho!"
Kagura and Ayame gulped and simultaneously asked at her bold declaration with laughter,
""S-Sister... hood... gathering?""
"Yes! Everyone here is one of Lord Rubelt's women! We're the sisters who'll support him together—what you'd call my new sisters-in-law! So I want to get close with all of you! Oh, of course, Rize and I are already the closest!"
Eli beamed as she continued.
"I was going to invite you to the Glassner family villa, but I thought it'd be too intimidating, so I came here instead."
"I-I see."
"Sisterhood... Right, it was a sisterhood gathering."
"Yes! We'll be sisters-in-law from now on! Let's all get along! Ohohohoho!"
""Ahaha, haha."""
Kagura and Ayame sighed in relief and laughed along with Eli.
"To build bonds, we need conversation! Conversation! The topic... yes! Don't you both want to hear about Lord Rubelt's childhood? His cute moments or how cool he was even as a kid... I know tons!"
"I-I wanna hear!"
"Lord Husband's... childhood stories..."
"Lord Husband?"
"Eek! N-No, that's... um..."
"Ohohoho! Already resolved to serve Lord Rubelt as his wife! Wonderful, Lady Ayame!"
"A-Ahaha. R-Really?"
"Yes! Rize thinks so too, right?"
"Yes, Lady Eli."
"Then first up: the story of my fateful encounter with Lord Rubelt..."
At first, Kagura and Ayame were filled with tension, confusion, and anxiety.
But seeing Eli's bright smile as she cheerfully shared Rubelt's charms and memories with them, they relaxed.
And the two leaned in, listening to Eli's tales, chiming in with exclamations and thoughts here and there, building their bond with her.
At the same time.
"Rubelt? W-What'd you just say?"
[I'm saying, let's go shopping together this weekend, Yume.]
"Wh-Wha-whaaaa!?"
Seo Yume was utterly shocked by Rubelt's invitation.