I Fucked Up My Image
I'm fucked.
Erde's arms tightened around me, her hands trembling violently. She was only holding me, yet the razor-sharp killing intent pierced straight through my body.
If I had to fight Erde in her current state, I was certain I'd lose a hundred times out of a hundred.
"...What did you just say?"
"Put Master down! You auntie...!"
Linea must have sensed the shift in the air too; her words came out in a stammer. Even then, she made sure to tack on the word auntie.
"Ethan. Is that girl one of yours?"
"She's not my woman, but she is my slave."
"Slave?"
Erde's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
Ah.
Come to think of it, Erde had no idea I'd turned both Linea and Isana into slaves. She'd attended the trial earlier, but the word "slave" had never been spoken outright.
And Isana only ever called me husband. She hadn't behaved like a slave at all.
I hadn't treated her like one either.
"Say that again?"
"C-could you put me down first, Master?"
At the word Master, Linea flinched hard.
"Y-yes. Auntie... slave..."
I slipped out of Erde's embrace as quickly as I could. My body was in no condition to move properly, so I staggered and slammed into the door.
"Husband!"
Isana rushed over to support me again.
"Sorry about that."
"It's fine..."
Isana pulled my head firmly against her chest and inhaled deeply, breathing in my scent. The situation was already mortifying enough to make my face burn, but this wasn't the time to show it.
"Everyone, please come inside for now," Seris said, finally poking her head out from behind the door.
This is a complete disaster.
We stepped into the dormitory. While Seris healed me with her holy power, I stole a glance at Erde.
She was simply waiting for my treatment to finish. Linea, meanwhile, had gone deathly pale and was fidgeting in place, stomping her feet anxiously.
"It's done."
Seris's announcement sounded to my ears like a prison guard's voice right before an execution.
"Ethan. Come here."
Erde beckoned with her hand.
"You too."
Linea hurried over and took her place right beside me.
"I have quite a lot to say to both of you. Yes."
With her hands clasped behind her back, Erde paced slowly around the dormitory before stopping abruptly.
She turned to face us.
"You both need a little punishment. Kneel, dears."
"Yes, ma'am."
Linea and I dropped to our knees at once.
"This will be over in a flash."
Erde raised both hands, ready to deliver forehead flicks.
BAM! BAM!
The flicks exploded against our foreheads simultaneously.
Urk!?
What the hell was that pain? It was on an entirely different level from the flick I'd received earlier. This was worse than the kicks I'd taken during training with Erde. It felt like my brain was ringing so hard it might actually burst.
"It'll only hurt for a moment. It won't damage your brain, so don't worry."
Worry my ass. I'm going to die, Master.
"Hic... sob..."
Linea clutched the spot where she'd been hit, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Linea, are you all right?"
"...Hic. I'm used to it... This feeling."
"What do you mean?"
"Now I know for sure that this auntie—no, this person—is Master's teacher. This pain has Master's exact flavor."
"Please choose your words more carefully."
"But it really does feel like your pain, Master. What am I supposed to do?"
Why did she have to phrase it like that? Did she want to get hit again?
Fortunately, Erde didn't seem to pay the comment any mind.
"Ethan. I believe I need an explanation."
Her attention had fully shifted to me now.
"Haha..."
"Don't laugh. Explain. What do you mean by slave? If you're planning to become a slave trader, I want you to stop immediately. I respect the path you've chosen, but I cannot respect slave trading."
"It's a misunderstanding."
I explained the full circumstances behind turning both Linea and Isana into my slaves.
"Hmm."
Erde listened with a low hum, sinking into thought. She seemed to accept the part about Isana easily enough, but her expression grew doubtful when I reached Linea's story.
That was understandable. Unlike Isana, whose case had a clear justification, I'd glossed over Linea's situation rather vaguely.
"Ethan, I have one question. That girl named Linea. There's another real reason you made her your slave, isn't there?"
"Huh?"
How had she figured it out? Had she inferred it from how flimsy my explanation was?
"It seems that way."
"...Just so we're clear, it wasn't because of some strange personal preference."
Linea clicked her tongue.
"I know that. If you had that kind of inclination, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed."
"Master. Even if someone has weird tastes, they usually don't express those desires toward their own teacher."
"So that's what it was...?"
Why did she sound so surprised? I hadn't done anything strange.
"Ethan, did you commit some offense against your master...?"
It was a misunderstanding, Seris. Please stop looking at me with that expression.
"Anyway, Ethan. There is a real reason, isn't there?"
Should I tell her? Linea was listening intently, and that made me hesitate.
Explaining the reason would mean revealing that I was a possessor. Or I'd have to lie and say I'd seen the future.
"Yes."
"And that's also why you can't explain it?"
"...Yes."
Erde shifted her gaze.
"Linea, what about you? I'd like to hear your thoughts. After all, you're the one who suffered directly because of Ethan."
"I-I'm fine with it. Master can tell me whenever he wants to. I already guessed there was a hidden reason..."
We had already had a serious conversation about this once before. Linea had let it slide back then out of consideration for me.
She was doing the same thing now.
"If Linea is all right with it, I won't force the issue. We both have plenty of secrets we're keeping from each other, don't we?"
"Thank you."
The gratitude was for Erde, but it was meant for Linea as well.
"I'll tell you everything one day."
"The same goes for me."
A heavy silence settled over the room. There were five of us here, yet no one spoke.
We needed to do something. This was the moment that required the courage to be hated.
That's right.
A topic suddenly came to mind.
"Master. Earlier you said you were officially invited by the academy. What exactly did you mean by that?"
"Ah, that? It's because of the White Night Festival. To be precise, Seah called me here saying you were in danger... but I figured I might as well help with the festival while I'm at it."
The White Night Festival.
The academy's grand annual festival, sponsored by the imperial family and featuring the undying sun. It was held only once a year.
It also served as the comprehensive exam for the second semester.
Every grade and every department was required to participate, and because several events were open to the public, massive crowds always gathered.
"Were you formally invited?"
"...Well. Not exactly, but I'll speak with the dean."
Would the dean even allow it? Given the other professors' reactions and Erde's infamous reputation, it seemed unlikely.
"But I thought the White Night Festival was still a month away."
As far as I remembered, it was scheduled for a month from now.
"A month is just about right. Coming too late would have been awkward. In the meantime, I'll polish your swordsmanship a bit more, Ethan. I can still see some immature areas."
"That sounds good. But before that, do you have somewhere to stay?"
If she hadn't been officially invited, she wouldn't have assigned quarters. My own dormitory was already full now that Isana had transferred in.
"I'll stay at Seah's lab. I should greet her properly too."
Erde rose from her chair.
"Are you leaving now?"
"Yes."
"I'll see you out."
I couldn't remain seated while my master was leaving. As someone from a Confucian background, that was simply unacceptable.
"Thank you."
My escort brought a soft curve to Erde's lips. We were just about to step out of the dormitory when she paused.
"One moment. I have something to say."
Erde turned to face Seris directly.
"Saintess of Purity."
"You called?"
"That necklace. Guard it well. There will come a time when you'll need it."
"Understood."
Seris stroked the necklace with the care one might give a priceless treasure.
"It's... truly a precious treasure to me."
"It will likely become even more precious."
With those words, Erde gave me a light pat on the back.
"Let's go."
Our destination was the research lab.
*****
A day passed.
By now, every student in the academy knew.
That Isana had become my slave.
"Husband. Please focus on me more."
"Master, it's so unfair. Why don't Isana's ears get blocked in the classroom? Mine stayed blocked for weeks."
"Oh my, Linea. Isn't this also a sign of Master's grace?"
"Isana, you do realize the opportunity for that grace came thanks to me, right?"
Since Isana had become a slave as well, Linea had dropped the formal speech with her.
"That's true. It was all thanks to Linea."
"If you know that, then get your hands off him? Master's arm belongs to me."
Why does my arm belong to you?
I swallowed the retort.
"Husband belongs to all of us. You shouldn't try to keep him all to yourself."
"That's right, Linea. Ethan belongs to me as well."
Seris spoke from above me. It wasn't the Bermuda Triangle, but the three of them had me completely surrounded.
Somebody save me.
The stares from every direction were scorching. The boys were especially bad.
They glared at me with eyes blazing like I'd betrayed a ten-year friendship. The pressure was so intense I felt like I might suffocate.
"Isana, want to sit with us?"
The group she usually hung out with approached.
"I'm fine, thank you."
"B-but..."
The girl who had volunteered as a witness during the trial looked at me with clear disgust. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding that had never been cleared up.
"...If you need any help, just say the word. I'll help you no matter what."
"No, really. I'm perfectly fine."
The girls swallowed their tears and returned to their original seats.
My image is completely ruined.
I let out a deep sigh and looked forward. My eyes met the professor's.
"H-hieeek!?"
I wasn't going to eat him. There was no need to look so terrified.
It was unfair, but I kept my mouth shut. The more I spoke, the more my image seemed to plunge straight into the abyss.
In the middle of this dizzying chaos, I diligently finished preparing for class. If I wanted to change how people saw me, I had to show it through actions.
This was how it started.
Then, at that moment—
"Hey, commoner."
Kalian called out to me. I wondered why he was suddenly speaking to me.
"I heard you subjugated Valterion all by yourself."
Every eye in the room snapped toward us at Kalian's words.
Please, no.
"My gratitude is late. Thank you. The reward for your achievement will be bestowed during the White Night Festival."
For some reason, the prince was showing me open goodwill. Had getting beaten by Erde scrambled his brain?
It was a bewildering situation, but that wasn't what mattered.
"The prince is thanking him personally?"
"N-no way. He's just a commoner!"
The thanks were appreciated, but why did it have to happen here? He could have called me aside privately.
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
"No. I wanted to ask how exactly you managed to subjugate Valterion."
"Because I'm just that talented."
Since I was that talented, he could just leave me alone. Every single word out of his mouth was destroying another person's life.
"Well, you are the disciple of the Sword Demon."
At Kalian's words, a sudden silence fell over the classroom.
I'm fucked.
"D-did he just say Sword Demon's disciple?"
"When our family head hears anything about the Sword Demon, he starts foaming at the mouth..."
"Our family had to pull out of several businesses because of the Sword Demon..."
The world began to blur. I squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I could.