I became a member of a new party. (4)
I became a member of a new party. (4)
Catching Han Geon-woo was as easy as eating a piece of cake.
His eyes were blinded by obsession and jealousy, so he couldn't make proper judgments.
Was it because even Leisha, the top student in the grade, couldn't catch him? Or was it his pride as the number one Pathfinder in the first years?
He overconfidented himself and acted carelessly.
"What, what the hell!"
Han Geon-woo pointed at us and yelled.
"A-young-ah, that Cube Watch."
"Yeah."
As if she was thinking the same thing, A-young immediately caught my intent and called Wendy's name.
A strongly compressed gust of wind pressed the button on his Cube Watch, and the Cube Watch that fell from his wrist flew toward me on the wind.
No matter how many times I see it, it's always so amazing.
I wanted to learn Spirit Arts too, but I have no talent for it at all—the spirits seem to rate me pretty poorly.
"G-Give it back!"
He snarled, twisting his face viciously.
"It's nighttime—shut the fuck up, can't you see this photo?"
I manipulated the Cube Watch and shoved a photo I'd secretly taken of him secretly taking photos right in his face.
"G-Give it...!"
"Pick one or the other. Yours or mine?"
I shook the Cube Watch in both hands as I said it.
He glared at me trembling like he wanted to kill me, but it was just hilarious.
"Give it back...!"
He charged at me like he was about to snatch the Cube Watch right then and there.
But his wish didn't come true.
I no longer needed to spend BP on the Search Skill.
I reallocated the buffs to Bind and mana, and ropes of magical power wrapped around his body.
"This incident's going straight to the student records office. Just so you know. And I've got the perfect evidence all lined up."
Han Geon-woo's Cube Watch full of photos of Leisha and Chloe, plus the photo I took of Han Geon-woo in the act of secretly snapping pics.
That should be more than enough evidence.
Plus Leisha's testimony.
"You son of a...!"
"What's all this commotion?"
Han Geon-woo shut his mouth right as he was about to curse me out.
Behind him, Leisha and Chloe were looking down at the bound Han Geon-woo with eyes full of contempt, and he was trembling.
"Leisha...! This is...!"
"Quest complete. Here's the evidence."
I handed Leisha the photo from my Cube Watch and Han Geon-woo's Cube Watch as I spoke.
After checking the photo I'd shown her, Leisha started swiping through the photos on Han Geon-woo's Cube Watch, and both her and Chloe's expressions gradually hardened. Han Geon-woo's body started shaking violently, and cold sweat was now pouring down his forehead like a waterfall.
"...What the hell is this...?"
Leisha spoke in a hoarse voice, as if she hadn't even imagined he'd go this far.
"..."
But Han Geon-woo clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away, like he was exercising his right to remain silent.
"Answer her."
Chloe placed her hand on the sword at her waist as she said it.
In fact, academy students don't carry weapons around without special reason.
She carried a sword to fit her knight concept and protect Leisha.
For the record, Chloe's swordsmanship talent is abysmal.
From what I remember, her Shield Mastery is around A-rank?
"Urk..."
But as if that level of threat didn't faze him, Han Geon-woo kept his mouth shut.
"You...!"
"Wait a sec, Chloe."
Chloe was about to draw her sword, unable to hold back any longer, when Leisha stopped her.
"Geon-woo-nim. Why did you do this?"
Leisha looked straight into his eyes from in front of him as she said it.
But I didn't miss how his gaze flicked to her chest for a moment.
If even I noticed that, then Leisha and Chloe definitely did too.
You could tell just from Chloe's reaction right now. She looked like she wanted to draw her sword any second, but her hand trembled because of Leisha's order, unable to pull it.
"I thought we could resolve this through talking. We're in the same party, right?"
Leisha smiled sweetly at Han Geon-woo as she said it.
But was it just my imagination that her expression felt cunning?
"...Th-That was...! Leisha, you with that bastard...!"
Did he really think this could be resolved through talking? He glared at me like he hadn't done anything wrong and yelled. I just shrugged.
Beasts can't be reasoned with, after all.
"You're talking about Si-woo-nim, huh. So what exactly do you think I did with Si-woo-nim?"
"Th-That...! Sneaking into that fucker's room in the middle of the night...!"
"Does that mean you were stalking me?"
"St-Stocking? I was just watching from afar to protect you!"
Leisha smiled at Han Geon-woo's response.
He looked relieved, thinking she'd understood his feelings, but from where I stood, I could see it.
The red light on Leisha's Cube Watch flashed and then vanished.
She was recording right now.
"I see..."
"Yeah! I didn't do anything wrong! Hurry up and tell that fucker to let me go!"
He twisted his body mercilessly, like he was determined to show how much uglier he could get, and yelled.
"Hmm... I see. But that's not possible. The student records office will judge whether you're at fault, not me."
"Wh-What the...!"
"Oh, and Geon-woo-nim. Please leave the party now."
Did he realize Leisha's vibe had changed?
He looked shocked and tried to yell something at her, but her next words left him with his mouth hanging wide open.
"Leave the party...? Wh-What the hell...!"
"We don't need you anymore. You should actually leave the Garden altogether."
Heh heh, Leisha sneered at him as she said it.
"Ha, haha! If I leave, who's gonna be Pathfinder? No one measures up to me... D-Don't tell me...!"
Did he think Leisha couldn't abandon him? He burst out laughing mid-sentence, then lifted his head like he'd realized something.
"Yes, Si-woo-nim will be taking over as our party's Pathfinder from now on. We don't need you, so get lost."
Even if he wanted to disappear, he couldn't because of my Bind, but Leisha's words must've hit hard—his mouth was opening and closing repeatedly without a word.
"Abandoning me for another guy...! What do I lack compared to him...!"
"Pfft..."
A-young, standing next to me, nearly burst out laughing but held it in, and I felt my shoulders tense a bit.
Even Leisha couldn't just let that slide this time—she made an incredulous face before grinning like a kid who'd thought of something fun.
Leisha, who had been standing in front of Han Geon-woo, slowly approached me.
A-young, Chloe, and Han Geon-woo's eyes followed her.
And then Leisha wrapped her body around my right arm.
I could feel the soft sensation of her breasts pressing against my forearm.
"You're asking what he lacks?"
This time, she pressed her body against my arm.
"Everything."
At Leisha's bold declaration, Han Geon-woo trembled with shame, A-young looked at me in surprise, and Chloe glanced back and forth between me and A-young with a complicated expression.
And I... decided to legally enjoy the feel of a noble lady's breasts.
As he trembled, the white lace panties in his pocket fell out, and Leisha hurriedly picked them up, so I just pretended not to see.
∴
Everything after that proceeded smoothly.
Leisha gathered the photo I took of Han Geon-woo, her recording, and the photos in Han Geon-woo's Cube Watch, then reported it to the homeroom teacher.
The teacher immediately convened the disciplinary committee, and as expected, Han Geon-woo was expelled.
All in 3 days.
Leisha seemed pretty busy during that time, but I just showed up once as a witness and went back to my normal routine.
"...That's what happened. It was so ridiculous I couldn't even speak."
Leisha huffed as she told me what went down at Han Geon-woo's disciplinary committee.
She looked much more relaxed now that she'd vented about him.
"Yeah?"
[Favorability: 41]
Using the Incubus's Eye, her favorability had risen quite a bit from the previous incident.
"Hehe... I wonder why. Talking to you about it makes me feel so much better. Sorry for showing you my ugly side."
"Nah... No need to apologize or anything."
Just listening is no big deal.
As long as I'm free.
"Thanks so much for taking my request. It was making normal life impossible."
Leisha said brightly with a smile.
That Gold Sun prick from before whose name I can't even remember now, and now Han Geon-woo—two guys I'd gotten kicked out of the Garden already.
They totally deserved it, though.
"This is the completion reward I promised. Use it well."
Leisha handed me the glowing red Spirit Stone as she spoke.
To me, it just looked like a wish coupon usable on A-young.
"Thanks."
I took the Spirit Stone from Leisha and replied.
Unlike its fiery red glow, it wasn't hot at all.
"Then, let's get along well as party members from now on."
Leisha held out her hand like she was asking for a handshake.
"Yeah, let's do our best going forward."
I took Leisha's hand and shook it lightly.
Chloe came into view behind her.
[Favorability: 15]
Unlike Leisha, no real change.
∴
"Wow... So cool...?"
A-young admired the Spirit Stone I'd given her.
"Yeah, they call this a Spirit Stone?"
Her eyes tinted jade as she asked the air.
It was her consideration so even I, who couldn't hear the spirits, could follow.
One Spirit Stone is needed for a lesser spirit to evolve into an intermediate spirit.
And according to the game lore, spirits evolved via Spirit Stone are stronger than those naturally born as intermediate spirits.
That's why Spirit Stones are rare items, and I never imagined getting one like this.
But a worry cropped up.
A-young's Spirit Arts were still at the basic level; she hadn't reached the awakening stage needed to command intermediate spirits.
But my worry melted away like snow in no time.
"Yeah...? You don't need it yet?"
Lesser spirits are like human kids.
Impatient, innocent, super curious, no self-control.
By spirit nature, they instinctively crave Spirit Stones.
Especially lesser spirits, who are like kids that won't be satisfied until they get what they want.
But Pai, the fire spirit contracted to A-young, was exercising 'restraint.'
Suppressing her instincts out of worry that the contract with A-young might break—this alone showed Pai was different from other spirits.
"Hmm... Yeah? Got it."
The conversation with Pai must've ended—A-young nodded and her eyes returned to black.
Then she relayed what Pai had told her.
Though I already knew.
"Thanks anyway."
A-young said as she hugged my chest.
"No biggie."
I wrapped my arms around A-young's back.
"Hehe... Just one! I'll grant any wish, so think hard and tell me. I'll do anything possible."
A-young rubbed her face against my chest, grinning happily.
A wish coupon for anything.
How sweet and tempting those words sound.
"A-young-ah, actually, I already have a wish in mind."
I grabbed A-young's shoulders and gently pulled her back a bit as I said it.
"Already...? What wish?"
"I want to spend the night with you and Seo-in."
Even if she refuses, it'll suck, but it's fine.
I might be able to convince her with the excuse of efficient Vitality gain.
If not, I can just ask for something else.
"M-Me and Seo-in-unnie... all three...?"
A-young looked up at me with a shocked expression.
"Yeah."
I nodded.
A-young furrowed her brow, opened her mouth with a groan, went quiet, repeated it a few times, then finally spoke.
"O-Okay..."
A-young said, her face flushing red.
I'd finally gotten A-young's permission for a 3P.