Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Calm Before the Storm on the Floating Island
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"Nadei."
Somewhere in the dark outskirts.
A man dressed head to toe in black looked suspicious at first glance.
It was none other than Yaplno.
Yaplno was speaking with some man through a communication orb.
"So on that day, I just need to open the gate, right? Got it. I'll do as you say, so you keep your promise too."
Yaplno narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned off the communicator.
Images of Yedre and Mayal flashed through his mind one after another.
A young man and woman.
The thought that they could end up tangled together in an instant brought up a vivid fantasy of the two rolling around.
Bam!!
Yaplno stomped the ground hard and ground his teeth.
"Just you wait..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"......"
"H-how is it?"
Right now, I had the pinnacle of cuteness right in front of me.
The foul mood from White Horse Village, Kaits, and the rest melted away in an instant, replaced by pure bliss...
Lena, the stable owner's daughter and my servant, stood before my eyes.
I'd been worried since I hadn't seen her face for a while, but this was the surprise she'd been preparing.
Lena was already incredibly cute to begin with.
Even without much makeup, she'd been pampered by the maids here at the Hart Clan estate, receiving all sorts of care.
Her already fair skin had become even paler, almost ethereal, her hairstyle slightly changed with accessories that made her look ridiculously adorable.
Exaggerating a bit, she could rival the twelve most beautiful women in the kingdom.
The Lena before me... was wearing a maid outfit, no less.
Was she an angel?
How could a maid outfit be this dainty and cute?
It wasn't a traditional maid dress or some modified sexy version—it was custom-made just for Lena, specialized purely for maximum adorableness.
I felt an overwhelming urge to scoop her up, hug her tight, and rub my cheeks against hers.
But I'd probably get arrested, so I held back.
"I've learned how to serve you with utmost sincerity, Master. From now on, I'll do my very best... Kyaa!"
I couldn't help but roughly pat her head.
Restraining myself from hugging her was already a huge accomplishment.
The maids behind her flashed thumbs up, so I returned the gesture.
Properly trained ladies!
Lena looked flustered at first, then squeezed her eyes shut.
Her puppy-like expression made me want to pet her more, but I stopped so I wouldn't ruin her perfectly styled hair.
"Tomorrow... and the day after will be tough, but they say the festival is in three days. Let's go to the academy and the festival together."
"R-really? Is that okay, Master?"
She was clearly excited.
Lena might act mature like an adult, but she couldn't completely hide her childlike side.
Well, even adults get thrilled about festivals—what about someone her age?
"Can I really go to the academy...? Will I get to see the professors and instructors in person?"
"......"
She was excited about the academy, huh.
"Ah, s-sorry...!"
"No, it's fine."
Pat pat.
It felt just like petting a cat.
This was animal therapy!
My heart was healing.
If I could just solve this one nagging issue in my head, I'd be completely satisfied.
Before the festival—no, at least before the Demon King shows up—I'll reconcile with Asita.
She'll probably avoid me, but Mayal said she'd figure something out.
I'll trust my friend and focus on training.
I'd clearly felt my limits in the duel with Yaplno.
For the next hundred days, I'll hole up in the training hall and temper myself thoroughly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Don't worry, Flat! Dad said it's okay too!"
"...But."
Flat glanced at El with a dejected expression.
He had good reason to.
For someone who'd lived his whole life basking in others' goodwill, things had felt like hell lately.
Keeping an eye on his family. The knights. The servants.
El wanted to cheer up her lover, whose lack of confidence had become glaringly obvious lately.
How had her once proud boyfriend ended up like this?
She suddenly recalled the man who'd sliced a dragon apart and protected her.
'It's been a while since we talked.'
Would he have forgotten about her?
'I don't like that.'
Maybe she'd run into him by chance at the festival in three days?
A smile crept across her face unbidden as a retainer approached.
"Miss."
"Yes."
Marien, El's guard knight and one of the captains of the Seven Scales, handed her a communication orb.
"Who is it?"
"...It's from Love Yarte."
Her hesitant reply didn't faze El, who responded with delight.
"Mayal?"
Unlike the stiffened Marien, El eagerly took the orb.
Marien disliked that the heir leading them was keeping ties with the declining Love Yarte house, but she never showed it outwardly.
One idiot like Fred was enough.
"Yeah, yeah! Long time no see, Mayal... Huh? R-really? Is that okay? For real?"
The girl's beaming smile was heartwarming just to look at.
Marien smiled back, then gave a puzzled glance at Remi, who stood rigidly beside her.
'Why's she been so quiet lately...?'
More precisely, ever since meeting Dre, Remi had stopped her usual cheeky antics, which was suspicious.
Sometimes she looked at him with terrified eyes yet strangely flushed cheeks—it honestly rubbed Marien the wrong way.
Then El spoke up.
"Remi! Flat! Great news!"
"What is it, Lady El?"
"......?"
To the two who lifted their heads listlessly, El said with a bright smile.
"There's a festival in three days, right?"
"Yeees..."
"I think we can meet Dre there!"
At those words, Remi's face paled in terror with a blush, Flat wore an inscrutable expression, and Marien ground her teeth inwardly.
'Why him?!'
Why was that man's name coming up?
That monster's...
Marien had seen Dre at the qualification exam not long ago too.
He was... a monster.
A man who would become—or already was—one of those human-skinned monsters shaking the world.
Fred's defeat was inevitable.
'The family head doesn't approve of him.'
He was someone they'd have to deal with one way or another.
The young miss getting chummy with him...
And an even bigger problem existed.
'As far as I know, the family head has already taken some measures against Dre...?'
Marien racked her brain over what to do.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A blue mansion where chill seeped even into the rooms.
The Blija Clan.
"You've heard, haven't you, my daughter...?"
"Yes, Father."
A dim night.
The room lit only by faint glowstones felt inexplicably cold.
But... nothing was as cold as the father before her eyes.
Clarit stood demurely, lost in thought.
"The official notice from Hero Kaits Hiro has spread to the other clans too... Four of the Ten Great Clans have given up, two are too far or wiped out and can't participate. It's a contest between Graize, Hart, and us."
"Yes."
"Help the hero more than anyone and rack up achievements... That will light your path ahead brightly..."
"I'll keep it in mind."
Her sister Kalarit was away on another mission.
This was the perfect chance to vie for the successor position and score points with the family head.
Was it fatherly love?
He was telling her to seize this last chance.
'...I'm tired.'
Still, she had to do it.
About two weeks from now.
Help Kaits Hiro stop the Demon King's descent and exterminate the Murderers.
That was the first official notice from the newly born hero.
As one of the Ten Great Clans, they couldn't ignore the hero's decree—especially one tied to tradition and connections.
The Holy Kingdom had announced new heroes each time the previous died, but among all those, one truly worthy of the title "real hero" was a rarity.
An all-time great powerhouse of a hero.
How much preparation would it take to support such a Kaits?
Her stomach churned with tension and pressure, but Clarit bowed without a hint of it showing.
"You may go."
Back in her room, Clarit sat on her bed.
As she closed her eyes long in contemplation, a communication magic tool unique to Prynar Academy—the Smad—rang out.
"...Mayal?"
An old friend she'd kept ties with despite growing distant from the other childhood companions.
Clarit accepted the Smad.
She proposed something, and after hesitating, Clarit accepted.
'Such a good girl.'
Thinking of her own tough situation first yet still looking out for her friends.
Still trying to reconcile her with Elisia, even now.
'El's coming too! You have to come, okay?'
Recalling Mayal's words brought up a casual remark.
'Instructor Dre's coming too— that's okay, right? Your boyfriend won't get mad?'
Her boyfriend's reaction.
No reason to care about that.
Clarit couldn't understand Mayal's consideration.
But for some reason.
Clarit thought of that man.
A polite facade hiding the rudest, most antisocial person—and overwhelmingly powerful Outsider.
Kind when he chose to be, an endlessly benevolent soul.
"Hoo."
Fine.
'Festival soon. Time to blow off some stress.'
Imagining picking a fight with Dre, a natural smile curved the lips of Clarit, who hadn't smiled since they turned icy cold.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Two days until the festival.
Fifty days left in the training room.
The body I'd honed during that time now showed decent definition—not bad at all.
"Hah!"
"Hup... cha."
Mayal's sharp kick aimed for my temple.
I guarded with my arm and pushed back hard, but she retreated immediately.
"Haa... haa... whoo."
Mayal caught her breath and glared fiercely—it was hard to believe this was the same gentle girl; she looked like a seasoned warrior.
She kept work and play separate, that was for sure.
I extended my numb arm and grinned.
"That's enough for now, Mayal. My arm hurts."
"...Yeah! Let's stop!"
She approached with a hehe smile... then I caught her fist flying at my chin.
Grabbed the other one too and pulled her close.
A nice fragrance wafted over.
Our faces were inches apart.
"......"
Mayal's cheeks flushed pink.
Embarrassed? Adorable.
But my face reflected in her eyes was red too.
Even I could tell I looked pissed, so I let go immediately.
"Not falling for it anymore?"
"You've tricked me three times already. Hmph."
Mayal turned her head away like she was sulking.
Fair enough—I'd often say we were done sparring, she'd relax and approach with a bright smile, and I'd take her down with a surprise attack.
"At least now you won't get caught off guard fighting someone else, right?"
"If it wasn't you, I wouldn't have fallen for it anyway..."
Mayal grumbled, her gaze suddenly drifting to my body.
I was shirtless at the moment.
Her eyes on me made me tense.
Turned on?
Of course.
Sparring half-naked against Mayal in her tank top and hot pants—that insanely tempting outfit—meant social death was inevitable eventually.
But I was GodDre with an IQ of 800 million. I found the solution.
A preemptive strike!!
Masturbate before training!
It was a last resort, but it worked perfectly!!
The problem? My balls were getting absurdly productive— no matter how much I jerked off, they'd recover in no time...
Outsider body, maybe? Levels going up? What was it like in my old world?
As I tried to remember, Mayal exhaled sweetly while regulating her breathing.
"Asita's coming to the festival in two days too."
"Yeah? Thanks."
"You two have to make up then, okay?"
"Of course."
Asita never returned to the training room.
I trusted Mayal, and trusting her was the right call.
Anyway, without Asita, Mayal and I trained alone for about twenty days, and our friendship felt even stronger.
Eh?
Getting hard for a friendship buddy?
Shut up.
"Sparring's really over then."
"...For real this time?"
"Yeah. Really real."
"...Phew."
Only then did she sigh in relief and slump forward—I caught her as she collapsed chin-first.
It wasn't that bad, but I grabbed her in a panic.
Was it my imagination? Felt like she nuzzled my chest a bit.
Was she that exhausted?
Her stamina and fighting skills were shockingly good.
Maybe just nerves.
Mayal stayed in my arms for about three seconds before pushing away with a "Hyup!"
Just catching her breath, then.
"Alright, Mayal. Go get ready to enjoy the festival. I'll train solo from here."
"You sure that's okay?"
Mayal, paid yet mixing pro and friend vibes, worried about me.
I'd practically forced the compensation on her after she stubbornly refused.
Recalling that made me chuckle, and I answered smiling.
"Yeah. I picked the routine that suits me from what you taught, and now it's more about skill acquisition than building the body."
Truth was, I was already picking up skills in between.
Not lying—twenty hours a day on training, and my specs kept climbing daily.
Thinking of it as game stat-ups made it tough but fun.
"Mm... Got it! Then hit me up two days from now—you better come out!"
"Sure thing."
"I'll head out first then?"
"You could shower here, y'know?"
Teasing her mischievously got me a real whack on the shoulder with a "Seriously!"
Fun to tease.
Alright.
Once Mayal's gone: skill training and stat allocation.
Then think about how to apologize to Asita.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A day since Mayal's call.
Two days until the promised festival.
"Haa..."
Asita buried her face in the dorm bed, breathing in and out repeatedly.
Her breath warmed the pillow, heating her face.
It felt stifling.
This frustration was almost a relief now.
It let her forget, if only briefly, the something filling her chest.
Two days from now.
Mayal had organized the class to roam the festival together.
Asita had naturally been invited.
Dre too, of course.
Three weeks almost since she'd deliberately avoided him.
Maybe he'd already lost interest in her.
That thought made her chest tighten even as she knew he was the one at fault first.
'What should I say when I see his face?'
About what he's hiding from her?
Would hearing it ease her mind?
She dreaded meeting him.
Scared of what words might come from Dre—what he really thought of her.
What if he didn't even see her as a friend?
If so—though she truly hated it—her boyfriend had invited her to the festival together. Maybe go with him instead?
.....
'Come to think of it, that means just the two of them training.'
Mayal was, honestly, pretty even to another girl.
And sexy.
Great fashion sense, loads of charm—always popular.
Especially with guys, insanely so.
Even Asita, confident in her own beauty, sometimes felt intimidated by Mayal's ageless figure.
Unlike her, Mayal had a great personality, friendly and outgoing enough to put even someone like Dre at ease.
Such a Mayal, in her healthily alluring outfit, spending all that time alone with Dre...
"Aaaahhh!"
What did it matter if those two got together?
They were both single. Normal man and woman... She had a boyfriend.
'So... even if they did...'
Asita imagined it.
A gruff mutter burst out in the silence.
"...Mayal said she's not interested in that stuff. No way she is."
Her words were trustworthy.
Mayal wasn't the type to focus on romance right now.
Just recently, she'd thought this was her last shot at youth and wanted to date, but nothing came of it.
Asita figured that was natural.
Mayal might seem flighty, but no girl had a sharper eye for men.
Plus, just days ago, she'd declared no interest in dating.
So a guy like Dre, that jerk...
...Hadn't Mayal surprisingly said she liked bad boys who pretended not to be, like Dre?
'Huh. Which was it?'
Asita clutched her head, then steeled herself.
Two days from now, go to the meeting spot early and hide.
Watch how Dre acts, then decide what to do.
One thing was certain.
She wanted to make up too.
"R-really, Liyet?"
"Yes."
Liyet answered Ror's question with a firm voice.
"At the festival in two days, we'll mobilize everyone we've prepared and tarnish Instructor Yedre's reputation."
Can't beat him with force, so underhanded but effective methods it was.
Might look like petty misunderstandings—sexual harassment, picking fights, violence...
Not just at the festival; this reputation hit would continue afterward.
She'd made sure he couldn't guess Liyet was behind it.
No suitable enemy? He'd be stressed out.
'This is all your fault. For bringing up that man...'
Liyet squeezed her eyes shut.
She knew she was being cowardly.
Was there still a way to befriend him now?
Mayal had invited her to the festival just days ago, and Dre would be there too.
She'd apologized lightly last time— a proper one now might mend things...?
But those constructive feelings faded fast.
Recalling her boyfriend who couldn't join even for the festival due to business, Liyet bit her thumbnail.
'......Haa.'
Pathetic shame washed over her.
For the clan, for those who believed in her, she'd played the ideal self, clashed with powerhouses like El and Clarit... yet tried to stay positive...
'When did I become a girl who plots these slimy schemes?'
All because of one guy?
What was she even doing?
Liyet closed her eyes.
Rain pattered down at night.
Kizhier stared out the dark room's window with an enigmatic smile.
Alfred took out a pendant from his embrace in another dark room.
Leor listened to a report via communication orb with a magic circle active in a candlelit room.
Gold and Repelt discussed what to do for big bro at tomorrow's festival.
Lius pondered slyly crashing Mayal's party to see that damn teacher.
Dia meditated, recalling the sword that felled the dragon that day.
Inserth laughed, expecting entertaining spectacles.
Plauen whispered orders to a subordinate in the shadows.
Blurt pondered strengthening patrol familiars for the festival, then checked if Dre was still holed up in the training room.
Emily prepared festival events, thinking of a certain Outsider.
Queen Eniris received festival reports, glancing at the empty throne and hiding her fatigue.
And in the darkness, a massive rabbit shadow flickered...
Everyone's individual nights deepened.
Sers' gatehouse was no different.
"It's scary with Chief Denny gone."
"Yeah. We always prayed he'd take a vacation since he's so strict, but he's such a big shot—we want him here on creepy nights like this."
Kaboom!
Lightning flashed. The hallway blanched white for a moment.
Two staff patrolling Sers' first gatehouse chatted as they walked the corridor.
Their faces were bright despite mentioning fear.
Thunder rumbling across the sky wasn't that scary, apparently.
"Why'd the chief order heightened security, though?"
"Festival time—obvious some punk might target it, right?"
"This isn't the old days; war's been over forever. Who'd be crazy enough to storm the gatehouse..."
The man stopped mid-sentence.
Far off, at the corridor's end corner.
A bluish light leaked from there...
"......"
"......"
One boldly advanced; the other cautiously pulled out a magic communicator.
Both wrong choices.
Crack.
"Hey?"
A weird sound, then he blankly called his tumbling colleague.
Shining the flashlight—that moment. He saw it.
His familiar coworker, neck twisted around.
"Eek... mmph."
Someone clamped his scream.
"Shh."
"......"
"Told ya. During festivals, patrols get lazy."
Eyes met; recognizing his captor, the man gaped despite the gag.
Crack.
Bones shattered. Silence followed.
Kaboom!
Lightning struck.
Beside the man he'd thought alone stood several shadowy figures now.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Quest 'Sers Infiltration' completed. Experience points awarded. The man grinned satisfactorily at the system window.
A rosary dangled from his hand.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...Hoo."
The hundred days were over.
The room's mana—and Ryu Nar—was begging me to leave now.
I could force more time if I wanted, but no need.
Rest matters too.
Nothing much to clean up.
At day seventy, I'd cleared the equipment and focused on meditation and skills.
The training paid off.
Everything useful was complete.
"Stat window."
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 225 💨 Agility: 190 ✨ Magic Power: N/A 💪 Stamina: N/A 🍀 Luck: N/A 🛡️ Endurance: 232 Name: Yedre Race: Human Level: 58 HP: 800/800 MP: 4100/4500 Skill Points: 200 Willpower: 87 Resistance: 70 Stat Points: 0 Careful stat allocation.
Plus training bonuses—happy bonus.
Confidence swelled that I wouldn't get pushed around anywhere.
Stepping out, Blurt grandpa—who'd apparently pulled an all-nighter—clutched his nose.
"Eish. Sweat stink. Go wash quick."
"Yes, sir."
Considering the old man's kindness for sticking by all night in case of emergencies, I'd do as told.
Wash up, dress nice, buy flowers from the flower shop.
Apologize to Asita!
...Flowers for a girl with a boyfriend? Nah?
Still, Asita said she liked flowers.
Something told me good things would happen today.
Felt like the calm before the storm had ended.
Eh?
Isn't that bad?
......Whatever.
I could cut through anything now.
But I felt like I was forgetting something.
What was it... Something important I shouldn't forget, like a person... Hmm...
Eh, whatever.
I'll figure it out at the festival.
And so, festival day finally arrived.