Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Lea (2)
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“Ah! I haven’t even introduced myself yet. My name’s Lea! Let’s be good friends!”
“Uh...? Yeah, nice to meet you, Lea.”
Lea extended her hand with a beaming smile.
What’s going on here?
It felt like friends kept popping up out of nowhere without me even realizing it.
“Ahaha, I can tell you’re wondering why I’m acting like this all of a sudden. It’s kinda embarrassing to say it myself, but... you’ve got a really nice scent about you, Rowen.”
“...I smell?”
I wasn’t the type to wear perfume or anything, so I couldn’t help but be puzzled.
Lea scratched her cheek shyly, letting out an awkward laugh.
“No, no! Not that kind of smell. Hmm, how should I put it... Argh! Just know it’s a good scent!”
“Pfft, what’s that supposed to mean?”
After hemming and hawing for a while, Lea’s fingers twitched, and she suddenly pointed at me with a whoosh.
Her face was a bit flushed, like she was embarrassed too.
Watching her, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, and Lea grinned widely, clearly enjoying the moment as much as I was.
“Hehe, truth is, you’re the first friend I’ve made since coming to the academy, Rowen.”
“Really? I figured you’d have tons of friends.”
“Hmm, I hadn’t found anyone whose personality clicked with mine yet. But now that I’ve met you, I’d say things worked out even better!”
To think someone with such a bright personality hadn’t made any friends yet.
Avillon Academy—what a terrifying place.
As I chuckled inwardly at the random thought, Serin’s voice called out the next pair of students.
“This is the final match. Lea and Hardin Bellot, please step up.”
I’d gotten so caught up chatting with Lea that her turn had arrived before I knew it.
She gripped her shield tightly, looking tense.
Lea was going to win anyway, but cheering her on couldn’t hurt.
“Lea! You’ve gotta win and come back. Fighting!”
“...Yeah! Thanks, Rowen!”
A brief moment of preparation time.
Lea stood there holding a massive shield that covered her upper body.
Oof, that thing looks heavy.
To think those slender arms were holding up a chunk of metal like that.
I could barely bench press 60kg yesterday...
An inexplicable sense of defeat washed over me.
She must still be pretty nervous...
Lea’s hands trembled slightly on the shield.
Her shoulders were tense, and the bright smile she’d worn earlier had turned into an anxious expression.
Seeing her like that brought the Lea from the game to mind.
After escaping the torment of those noble cliques and joining the Hero and his party.
Before every battle, you’d run into Lea, shaking just like this.
If you asked why she was trembling, she’d always say, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect everyone...”
The reason was never explained, but it was a glimpse into the human side of Lea, the one called the last bastion.
Lost in thought, I was snapped back by a disgusting voice.
“Not bad-looking for a commoner wench. Fine, I’ll allow you to be my concubine.”
Yeah. That guy. The root of all the trouble about to unfold.
Born the only son of the Bellot count family, spoiled rotten and convinced the world was at his feet.
A typical noble supremacist who didn’t see commoners as human—utter trash.
Watching him spew that filth at Lea made rage boil up from the depths of my heart.
“...Disgusting.”
Lea looked upset too, covering her nose with a handkerchief and frowning.
“Enough, Hardin Bellot. Daring to say that crap right in front of me? Looks like your guts have grown beyond your belly. You’d better prepare for disciplinary action after class.”
Even Serin’s expression hardened, clearly not expecting him to say something like that in her presence.
His skills were worse than Dores, yet his arrogance pierced the heavens.
I wanted to charge down there and break his nose right then and there.
“...Still, we can’t skip the match. Lea? Are you ready to proceed?”
Lea took a deep breath and nodded, and the duel began.
“Urgh, it’s all your fault I’m getting punished!”
From the start, Hardin unleashed a barrage of spells in a fit of rage.
Boom! Bang! Kaboom!
Screaming as he burned through his mana with reckless magic.
About a minute in, the onslaught stopped. Out of mana, Hardin collapsed in place, gasping for breath.
“Huff... huff... You worthless bitch, thinking you can climb over me...!”
Convinced of his victory, he spat nonsense with an arrogant sneer.
No way she’d falter against puny spells like that.
Was Lea called the last bastion for nothing?
She’d passed the first entrance exam with flying colors.
But in the second, some inexplicable hesitation led to her failing to protect her teammates, landing her low scores and a spot in Class D.
Proof was on the display board—Lea’s mana barrier hadn’t diminished at all.
As the dust cleared, Lea stood firm.
She’d been pushed back slightly by the blast’s recoil but quickly regained her stance.
Now it was her turn. She advanced step by step.
Her face was expressionless, seething with anger.
“N-No way! S-Stay back! Don’t come any closer!”
The closer she got, the more terrified he looked.
Desperate to flee, he crawled backward, abandoning all dignity.
But Lea reached him and gripped the top of her shield, slamming it down.
“H-Hiiiik! Please stop! Sorry, I’m sorry! I mean, I was wrong! Sp-Spare me!”
With each strike—crack, crunch—his mana barrier began to shatter.
Oof... is that shield okay?
Unable to withstand the impacts, the barrier fully broke. Yet Lea raised it for one more blow.
“Grrrrgh...”
Overcome by fear, Hardin fainted.
The arena fell deathly silent at the shocking scene.
Wait, he didn’t... soil himself, did he?
His pants were darkening noticeably.
The other students noticed too and started murmuring.
“Quiet! Class ends here today. Lea, you went a bit overboard. Be more careful next time. Alright, everyone’s dismissed.”
Serin hastily wrapped up the lesson to contain the situation.
As students poured out, a recovered Hardin bolted away in panic.
Ah, I had something to tell Lea.
After class, that jerk Hardin would call his senior buddies to threaten her.
To stop it, we needed to head to the Hero’s group together...
But in the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Why do these things always happen to me?
All I wanted was a normal, peaceful life.
This world never let me be happy.
“Why... why do these awful things only happen to me?”
I’d always smiled and tried my best to make friends with people.
Yet the miseries came crashing down, as if I didn’t deserve happiness.
“Sob... sniff... What did I do so wrong...?”
Because I’m a commoner? Because I’m too pretty for my station? Or was it punishment for failing to protect someone precious?
As the unbearable reality threatened to crush me,
an unbearable stench wafted from the alley opposite.
“Guys, that’s her. Fucking bitch got me in deep shit!”
The trash from class earlier approached.
Knowing he couldn’t handle it alone, he’d brought second-year seniors.
“Got it, Hardin. Can’t let my precious little bro get humiliated like that. Gotta step in as your big bro.”
“...What did I do wrong?”
“Hmm, mouthing off to a noble as a commoner, I suppose. Don’t hate us too much. We’ll make sure no scars are left.”
These so-called seniors felt no shame bullying a freshman, clubs in hand as they closed in on Lea.
And to cover their tracks, they even prepped healing spells.
I thought things couldn’t get worse.
But people’s malice seemed endless, dragging her deeper into the abyss.
“You filthy bitch. You’d better watch your back from now on. I’ll make you regret this.”
Still fuming from his crushing defeat, he spewed threats.
That disgusting stench again...
With that, Hardin roughly raised his club.
As she squeezed her eyes shut against the coming pain,
Crack!
The sound of a heavy strike rang out, followed by... pain?
No pain came. She opened her eyes to find Rowen holding her tight.
He’d blocked it in a rush, taking a direct hit to the head and bleeding.
“Lea, you okay?”
For some reason, his words carried no stench.