Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Preparation
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That disgustingly long weekend was finally over.
The crazy succubus had made the dorm feel a bit cramped, but since she looked pretty on the outside, she wasn't bad as ornamental decor.
Was this what it felt like to raise a bonsai? No, maybe not quite.
Id delivered and set up the broadcasting equipment that arrived this morning, so shed handle the stream on her own just fine, right?
Id even let her try gaming last night, and after just an hour, she was already adapted enough to curse out the jungler, so I wasnt worried.
"Ah, damn, come to think of it, I didnt go to the orphanage."
Well, skipping once in a week or so was fine.
Baek A-young said shed be doing dungeon helper duty this week anyway, so I could just say I had something come up.
"Had a good weekend?"
"Yeah, good morning. Hey."
Kim Young-han approached me in the lecture hall.
Since I couldnt hang out with Lucy and Lumi, Kim Young-han was the only friend I had left.
"Still havent made up with Lucy? I told you, didnt I? Shes the type with strong pride, so you should apologize first."
"…."
I knew that, you bastard. But I couldnt exactly tell him I was deliberately lowering her favorability to build momentum later. Sigh.
I glanced at Lucy, who was sitting in the corner.
★ Heroine Status Window ★ [Lucy] Favorability: 17 Lust: 10 Appetite: 40 Fatigue: 20 It was steadily dropping, but still not low enough.
I needed to let it hit rock bottom before bumping it up just a little at the end.
[Whats his deal? Am I overthinking it? No way. That guys just a psycho.]
This was exactly the state I wanted.
The Lucy who couldnt trust me getting betrayed by the person she did trust, then saved by me again.
It was clichéd, but from the victims perspective, it wouldnt feel that way.
Id already laid out the plan.
Lucy wasnt even looking my way, while Lumi, tidying her books, met my eyes and flinched in surprise.
★ Heroine Status Window ★ [Lumi] Favorability: 65 Lust: 68 Appetite: 30 Fatigue: 25 Her cute reaction made me smile faintly as I checked Lumis status window.
Something was off. Last time, her lust was a bit lower than her favorability, but now it had surpassed it.
Was something really going on?
Id have to probe her about it later.
I winked at Lumi, who was blinking at me, then turned my head forward.
"Anyway, Ill drop it now. You must have your own plans."
"Thanks."
He considered my position and never crossed the line.
He really was a good guy. So why was he a blond delinquent? I was still curious about the creators intentions.
"Class is starting soon. Lets sit."
"Okay."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The boring morning theory classes ended, and in the afternoon came mage-specialized instruction.
The professor in charge of mages was Im Sol.
Seeing her in class felt strange since our relationship had changed so much since the first lesson.
"Ah…. Come on in."
Im Sol was sitting at the front of the lecture hall, casually acknowledging the cadets greetings.
Unlike the previous class, this one was held in the lecture hall.
There had been complaints about practical instructors just handling training and feedback on their own, so theyd switched it up like this.
Ignorant fools who didnt know how crucial a professors feedback was. Tsk.
Anyway, this was the exact situation Im Sol would hate most.
She seemed like the my-way-or-the-highway type who despised anything bothersome.
"Alright, nice to see you all. No need for introductionsyou know who I am. The academy insisted on a theory class today, so I had to drag you here. Hmm, todays topic is barriers."
Thin layers of mana began stacking atop Im Sols hand.
"Barriers need to be efficient at their core. They only become worthwhile when you block the opponents mana expenditure with less of your own."
Trueif not, Id just counter with attack magic instead of bothering with a barrier.
"Just so you know, this is different from the defensive shields you manifest against ambushes. Those pull out a massive burst of mana in an instant, so the cost is huge."
The mana layers stacking on Im Sols hand merged into one, transforming into a single defensive shield.
"This form is the easiest for beginners…. But Ive experimented with other variations myself."
The assistant handed out papers to each student.
The papers listed various barrier magic circles.
From beginner to advanced, neatly organized by difficulty. Surprisingly thorough preparation.
The explanations of the circles and formulas were detailed enough for cadets to understand.
Shed put more effort into this than I expected. Class prep like this? Impressive.
But spotting the dark circles creeping under the assistants eyes as she distributed the handouts changed my mind.
Yeah, no way shed do that.
"Looks like youve all skimmed them, so shall we practice? Wait, no. Then itll be just like practical class. Cant do this twice."
I focused on the magic circle for the beginner barrier Im Sol had demonstrated.
Imagining the mana layers stacking up with a whoosh to form a barrier.
My high mana control, stemming from [Mana Sensitivity], turned the image into reality.
Mana flowed from my hand without special control, forming thin layers that piled up and soon became a barrier.
Easy.
The vivid blue mana and thick layers signaled its solidity.
Skipping intermediate, I examined the advanced circle.
Advanced wasnt just stacking thin layers.
You drew out mana thinly in a double-helix structure, then wove them together like fabric.
More efficient and sturdy than simple stacking, absorbing shocks to grow even tougher.
This ones gonna be tough.
I could replicate the structure with [Mana Sensitivity],
but even drawing it in double-helix form felt like it wouldnt function as a proper barrier.
"Hmm, looks like one decent one here. You therewhat was your name? Cadet Lumi? Come up?"
Im Sol met my eyes, then averted hers and called Lumis name.
Shed seen my barrier but reacted like thatprobably wanted to hide my talent.
"Y-yes! Mmph!"
Lumi, startled by the sudden call, seemed to bite her tongue, her face crumpling.
"I looked around once, and yours was the best. Show the others."
"Ah, y-yes."
Lumi nervously glanced around, then drew double-helix mana from her hand.
What? Shed played weak, but now pulled off an advanced barrier.
Lumi somehow completed it, and Im Sol gave a passable evaluation.
Now I got it.
Using barriers well hinged on the intent infused in the mana.
As barriers were made to block attacks, imagining them fixed, solid, and impregnable made the mana more efficient.
"Good job. Back to your seat."
Lumi scurried back.
"You did great, Lumi~! Best as always."
"Hehe, thanks, Lucy."
I heard Lucy and Lumi chatting from behind.
Glancing back, Lucys face was bright.
But it was about time she came looking for me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After class, Lucy and Lumi were chatting with girls from the same class.
"Ugh~ Im exhausted for real. Barriers just dont suit me~. No matter how hard I try, it wont form."
"Right? Lumis the exception, huh? Barriers are top-year level, arent they?"
Lucy nodded along with Lee Ji-eun, her closest same-sex friend.
"Obviously. How amazing is our Lumi? You saw her pull off that double-helix in class, right?"
"S-stop it, Lucy!"
Lumis face flushed at the praise from Lucy and Lee Ji-eun.
"Aw, why~? Its true."
"Hey, girls."
"Oh, Felix, class over?"
"Yeah, just finished."
Felix had gotten close enough to text Lucy casually even over the weekend.
"Hi, Felix."
"Hey, Ji-eun."
"Perfect timing! We were heading to a cafe. Wanna join? Lumis coming too, right?"
"Uh, yeah. Lets go together."
Lumi still seemed wary of Felix, but went along with the momentum since Lucy liked it.
"Hey, wait. Speaking of, Felix, werent you dragged off by Lee Ho-yeon on Friday? You okay?"
Lee Ji-eun, lover of gossip, covered her mouth and asked Felix.
"Nah, it wasnt like that. Nothing to worry about."
"Wait, what? Why would Lee Ho-yeon drag you off?"
Lucy reacted sensitively to the name Lee Ho-yeon.
"I said it wasnt anything. Really, no big deal, Lucy."
"No big deal still means something happened, right?"
"Uhmm."
Felix pondered how to phrase it for Lucy.
Hed built considerable intimacy with her already.
How he spoke now could sway her image of Lee Ho-yeon entirely.
The deliberation was brief.
Hed agreed to a fake alliance with Lee Ho-yeon, but it was disposable anytime.
No need to praise another guy in front of Lucy.
"Be honest. What did he say to you?"
Felix sighed deeply as if he really didnt want to say, trembling like a scared puppy.
"Actually… he threatened to kill me if I approached you or Lumi."
"What did you say?"
"H-Ho-yeon wouldnt do that!"
Lumi shouted in rebuttal, but Felixs acting was top-tier even among demons.
"But its true. Right after class, he came to B-Class, dragged me off by force. Then in some empty spot, he threatened me not to approach you two. Said you were… his. Told me not to covet you."
"That bastard. Is he insane?!"
"Lucy, calm down. Dont get worked up! Its not confirmed yet!"
"Does this look like a moment not to get worked up?!"
A core trait of Lucy, the heroine of the original Sex Academy, that she could never escape.
Strong pride, never apologizing first to someone shed fought with.
Shed find their flaws, tear them down, and position herself as right.
The reason shed warmed to Felix so quickly was partly his magic, but also her unconscious defense mechanism: denying Lee Ho-yeon by overly affirming the Felix that Lee Ho-yeon rejected.
Of course, the Felix incident would later temper that trait and spur growth… but not yet.
"Its fine. I dont care about that stuff. As long as I have you two, Im good."
"No, its not fine. Ill go warn him myself."
"Wha? No, you dont have to…."
"No. I have to."
Lucy ditched the cafe plans, grabbed her bag, and dashed off somewhere.
"…."
Felix regretted saying too much, but Lucy was already far away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hmm."
I wondered if my Lilia was doing well.
Id swing by the dorm to check on Lilia, then head to the training hall.
I figured I could evolve the barrier Id learned earlier.
Mixing some original flair into the advanced barrier magic might skill it up quickly.
"Ah~ Subs and likes. Hit that bell too~."
"Hey! Lee Ho-yeon!"
Feeling good, I muttered reactions to myself while walking, when someone called my name.
Turning around, Lucy was glaring at me, panting.
Shed finally come.
Id expected it after openly calling out Felix like that.
Weekend at latest, first thing Monday at earliestbut shed just heard now, apparently.
…She didnt overhear my sub and like bit, did she?
"What did you say to Felix on Friday?"
Good, things were going as planned.
Time to set the stage.
"Why do you wanna know? Nothing much."
"Last chance. Be honest."
Shed gotten really pissed.
★ Heroine Status Window ★ [Lucy] Favorability: 9 Lust: 15 Appetite: 25 Fatigue: 35 Favorability had dropped to single digits.
Shed clearly heard some massive slander from Felix.
Pretending to be angry, I continued.
"I told him to stay away from you and Lumi. Happy?"
"Why the hell? What gives you the right?"
[Hes a demon, thats why?]I couldnt say that, which was frustrating.
"Everything I do is for your sake…"
"If it was for me, you wouldnt have gone to Felix first!"
Lucy was on the verge of losing it.
Pushing further would make talk impossible, so time to bend a little.
"…Lucy. Do you trust Felix?"
"Yeah. Obviously. Felix is my friend."
I asked carefully; she answered confidently.
"I dont know what rumors you heard. But is there proof?"
"Proof… no, but! You definitely dragged Felix off!"
"You believe everything Felix says, but not me? Doesnt that seem weird?"
"Thats because Felix… urgh."
Lucys strong pride mixed with Felixs insinuations created her abnormal mental state.
Just nudge one fact, and shed realize something was offbut I had no intention of letting that happen.
Lucy had a trait: when angry, she lost all reason.
An innate heroine setting she couldnt escape.
Based on that, her magic resistance plummeted when furious.
Ligar de Ennui
"Ligar de Ennui" ⟨ Hatreds Glare ⟩
Mana spread from my feet, turning to magic that seeped into Lucys toes.
Her eyes filled with hatred.
The spell to make the target hate the first person they saw.
"Lucy. Everything I do is for you. Think it over once more…."
I spoke to the ensnared Lucy, slowly reaching out.
"Get lost!"
Smack!
Lucy slapped my hand away, shooting me a venomous glare.
"I know everything. That youre after me and Lumis bodies, that you threatened to kill FelixI know it all! I wont fall for a guys lies anymore. I wont let it happen!"
"…Lucy."
The spell had landed perfectly.
Itd persist unless she got mentally shocked or I released it.
"Good thing I cut ties with trash like you now. Dont ever show up in front of me again."
Lucy spat venomously, shoved me, and stormed off.
"Lucy! Just know this: Ive always seen you two as good friends, and that hasnt changed!"
"…Get lost."
Lucy ground her teeth, cursed fiercely, and vanished.
Once Lucy was out of sight, tension drained from me as I exhaled heavily.
"Whew, what kind of spell is this strong? Scary as hell."
Hatreds Glare? Should rename it Murderous Glare.
"Well, it worked out great."
When Lucy got betrayed by Felix, Id be the first one she thought of.
Id even faked pure goodwill at the end, so now I just waited for the harvest.
I looked forward to the day shed reap salvation from the bad guy, Lee Ho-yeon.