Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: 10. The Dullard and the Genius (4)
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Warm streams of water washed away the sticky sweat from her skin.
The first time she bathed, she nearly passed out from Superbia's plumbing system, but Helena had adapted quickly.
"Phew..."
She swept the water up over her face, then touched her cheek again.
She was almost an adult, but the baby fat that hadn't faded yet still puffed out her cheeks.
She was smiling.
The sensation was unfamiliar to Helena.
She had often faked smiles in front of others.
But when she was alone, she rarely laughed.
Lately, though, she found herself smiling for real, more and more often.
Especially in front of Ian.
'I like it.'
Helena couldn't quite put her current emotions into words.
She had never felt anything like this before in her life, so she had nothing to compare it to.
So, she simply summed up her feelings with the word "good."
The pounding of her heart that surged up to her throat when she felt breathless.
The muscles that screamed with every movement, asserting their presence.
Even the way Ian watched her like that.
It was all just... good.
This was the first time in her life she had ever truly done something.
Back at the abbey, training had been a group activity, and they never pointed out exactly what she couldn't do.
If you did well, you did well. If not, just train harder.
That was the only kind of feedback she ever got.
Ian was different.
When he praised her, he specified exactly what she did well and how.
The same went for criticism—he guided her meticulously on how to improve.
It was impossible without delicate, objective observation and understanding, coupled with genuine affection for the subject.
What he liked, what he didn't.
What she should do going forward, what she shouldn't.
Ian had clear expectations for how he wanted to use Helena as a person.
'Yeah, expectations.'
For the first time in her life, someone actually expected something from her.
It wasn't a burden.
She just wanted to meet those expectations endlessly.
'I can follow him. He's the 1st Hero Party's manager, after all...'
This wasn't a divine revelation.
It was her revelation.
Her light shone upon him.
It was a blind yet well-founded trust.
Suddenly, she noticed a strand of red hair on the floor.
'Vivian...'
She was kind and good-hearted, but Helena found it hard to face her.
Vivian had shown clear, if subdued, fondness toward Helena.
Helena didn't dislike her in return, but it still felt strangely difficult.
It wasn't that she hated or disliked Vivian.
The problem was that Vivian was just too outstanding compared to her.
'When will I ever catch up to Vivian...?'
Ian praised Helena sometimes, but he pointed out her flaws far more often.
Vivian, on the other hand, got nothing but praise every time.
Whatever she did, she pulled it off effortlessly, and Ian was always satisfied.
It was only natural.
Vivian had been with Ian for months already, while Helena hadn't even hit two weeks.
She envied Vivian for that.
She wanted to prove her worth and value to Ian as soon as possible, to rise to that level.
She craved his acknowledgment more than his attention.
She didn't hate his attention.
She just wanted to keep showing him what he had seen in her.
'I can't have this mindset... I need to work harder and get closer to Vivian. She's a teammate I'll be with from now on.'
So that the expectations Ian had pinned on her wouldn't falter.
As a dullard with barely any time together, effort was Helena's only path to survival.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the afternoon, I went to find Helena.
Today was one of her days off from afternoon training.
"Helena. Got anything to do?"
"Nothing, sir!"
"Then come out with me for a bit."
"Yes, sir!"
Mercy shot me a side-eye for no reason.
"Listen, Helena... You shouldn't follow bad men like him around so easily."
"Ian's a good person!"
"Oh dear, she's already enchanted..."
"Cut the nonsense."
"It's been ages since we went out just the two of us, hasn't it? Your affection's cooled off."
"We're not going out to play."
"You're not?!"
"Ah."
Bickering with her would take all night.
I just grabbed Helena's wrist and led her along.
Mercy giggled behind us.
"Have a good trip."
As I opened the door to leave, I ran into Vivian coming in.
For a split second, Vivian's eyes flicked to my hand on Helena's wrist, then back up.
"Where are you headed?"
"To Taylor's. Time to buy some clothes."
"Oh..."
"What about you, Vivian? Isn't it training time?"
"I forgot something briefly."
"We'll head out first, then."
"Lady Vivian! Do your best!"
"...Yeah."
We passed Vivian and walked down the hall.
Something felt prickly from behind, so I glanced back—Vivian was still watching us.
Our eyes met, and she gave a small smile, waving lightly.
"Mr. Ian? What's wrong?"
"...Nothing. Let's go."
*
Taylor greeted us warmly, just like last time when I brought Vivian.
Her first comment upon seeing Helena?
"...What's with the tin can helmet?"
"Helena. I told you to take that off when I came in."
"Ah. Sorry...!"
When Helena removed her helmet, Taylor said in surprise,
"Where'd you find this kid?"
"...I'm 19!"
"Saying that just makes you sound more like a kid."
As Helena was dragged off to get measured, she kept glancing nervously at me.
Taylor laughed, finding it cute.
"She really does look like a kid."
But the smile didn't last.
She looked concerned.
"She seems a bit uneasy, though."
"That's what worries me too."
She was trying not to show it, but her anxiety was obvious.
The reasons were probably multifaceted.
She had to be apart from her only friend, Rachel.
Thrown into a new environment, challenging herself with fresh goals.
And feeling inferior to the superior Vivian.
Buying clothes wasn't the only reason I brought her out today.
Besides what happened in the abbey, I knew next to nothing about Helena.
"She'll do fine. If it's you, Ian."
"She has to."
"Compared to Sylvia, who flat-out refused to obey unless you waited right outside the changing room..."
Like Vivian, Helena ordered a total of twelve outfits before we left.
For combat gear, enchanted clothes like Vivian's would suffice.
Considering her role, plate armor would be needed eventually, but that could wait.
'Wonder if that blacksmith geezer's doing okay.'
We bought one ready-to-wear outfit for today and strolled along the walkways.
"Helena. How's the training going?"
"Hm... Honestly, it's tough!"
"I like your honesty."
"Thank you! But it's fun!"
"What part?"
"Hm... I don't know exactly, but every time I move intensely, I feel like my body's truly alive!"
She knew exactly what she liked, didn't she?
"And it feels even better when you praise me, Ian!"
"Hm... Too much praise isn't good. Guess I should hold back a bit."
"...I'll work harder to earn more praise!"
She took even my jokes so earnestly.
Helena was unmistakably a dullard.
To the point of stark contrast with the undeniably genius Vivian.
Still, her potential was ample, and her grit to work this hard made it fine.
"Getting along okay with Vivian?"
"Hm..."
I didn't expect hesitation there.
Neither had prickly personalities, right?
Vivian might be shy, so maybe they hadn't warmed up yet.
"Lady Vivian is kind and wonderful!"
"I said I like honesty. Should you dodge or not?"
"Well... It's a bit hard."
"You find Vivian hard to approach?"
"Hm... Lady Vivian excels in every way. Meanwhile, I still can't do anything properly... I worry I might be a burden!"
I figured as much.
"You're overthinking it. It's only been a few days of training. You can't say you're falling behind when you haven't even used miracles yet."
"True...!"
"She's a party member, so you'll care, but no need. Just focus on your own tasks, Helena."
"Got it!"
"Thanks for being honest, though."
Acknowledging the issue and letting her know I supported her was enough for now.
There wasn't more I could do right away.
All that was left was for Helena to overcome it herself.
Since we were out, I asked why she'd decided to become a hero.
Helena organized her thoughts briefly and answered right away.
As a child, she became superhuman but could do nothing while her family died far away.
In the end, revenge drove her to blindly pursue becoming a hero.
Revenge, huh...
One of the most common motivations that moved people.
Yet also a chain that bound one's life to nothing but vengeance.
Her past of cursing her own weakness felt just like looking at myself.
"Is following me an extension of that revenge?"
"No."
Helena answered without hesitation.
"You're the only one who's ever recognized my value and acknowledged it. For the first time, I felt like I had a place in the world."
Soon, Helena looked at me and beamed.
"I followed you because I want that acknowledgment and to meet your expectations!"
Seeking validation of her worth as motivation.
Pure? Or calculating...?
Whatever it was, as long as she followed well, it didn't matter.
"My expectations... More than Aria's?"
"Y-Yes! I'll do it!"
Her confidence was endearing.
*
Like Vivian, Helena would focus solely on meals, exercise, and rest for her first two weeks.
And today was the day Helena would use her miracle.
Helena was buzzing with excitement.
She'd heard from Vivian yesterday.
After saving it for 14 days, her first spell had erected an ice tower in the rear training grounds—or so the rumor went, straight from Vivian's mouth. No wonder she was hyped.
I was too.
Today, Helena wore the workout clothes Taylor had delivered.
"Hm..."
Taylor's tastes were all over it.
She'd called her a kid and loaded it with orange and pastel green for maximum cuteness.
The orange suit her well, though...
"Hmmm..."
Helena kept alternating glances between her body and Vivian, dissatisfied with something.
"What's..."
"My breasts got smaller!"
I shut my mouth before asking.
Helena prodded her chest with her palms.
They're not that small...
"Mercy, you explain."
"Hm? Why not you?"
"Just... Never mind, hurry up."
"Heh. When you run, jiggling is uncomfortable, right? That's why it's bound tight like this—to stop the bounce."
"Aha!"
Helena's gaze locked onto something aggressive on Vivian.
I instinctively followed, then squeezed my eyes shut.
"Lady Vivian's don't look smaller!"
"These got smaller tooo..."
...Should I give Helena some sex ed?
"There, all done."
I opened my eyes to Mercy shoving her grinning face right in mine.
"Back off, jerk."
Mercy had pulled stunts like this sporadically for a while.
"Tch. You don't even flinch anymore."
"Can't flinch every time."
"Hmph. Won't do it even if you beg later."
"Won't beg. Helena, you know what today is, right?"
"Yes!"
Her eyes sparkled with uncontainable excitement.
"Stay calm. Remember the order?"
"Yes!"
Protection, healing, scorching.
Most important: protection first.
As long as her protection met my expectations, neither would get hurt, making healing less critical.
Likewise, Vivian alone provided excess firepower, so scorching was lower priority.
"Here I go!"
Helena extended one hand forward and focused.
Fortunately, she'd quickly broken the habit of clasping hands, closing eyes, and praying.
A soft yellow light emanated from Helena's body, forming a hemispherical barrier ahead.
"Whoa..."
Vivian gasped unconsciously.
It deserved it.
The barrier extended upward and to the sides, towering over her height.
Not as majestic as Vivian's ice tower, but far beyond temporary hero level.
Hardness and elasticity seemed decent too, though testing would confirm.
"Th-this... I've never seen a barrier like this...!"
Even Helena stammered in shock.
It was more wall than barrier.
"Hm..."
"I-Ian? Not satisfied...?"
"Not unsatisfied, but..."
It was excellent, but only slightly larger than the max from memory correction.
Her mana flow suggested she could do better...
She'd grow, but I had to be clear.
"Helena."
"Yes...!"
"You did well. Definitely better than before. But honestly, it's a bit lacking. I think you can do more..."
"......"
Helena gave an awkward smile and bowed her head.
First time she'd been critiqued this harshly.
Vivian tensed up too.
"Is this your max right now?"
"...Yes. It is."
"Got it. It'll improve with training. Don't get too down."
"Yes..."
"And hey, it's only been two weeks. Who can guarantee instant mastery? You're keeping up with the schedule now, so you'll grow fast."
Couldn't just whip; tossed some carrot too.
Timing for balance was key.
"Got it...!"
Helena then showed scorching and healing.
Not quite up to expectations, but I hadn't banked on those anyway.
"It's fine. I said from the start I was looking for someone specialized in protection miracles. No need to feel down."
"Yes...!"
Vivian checked her spells too.
She handled all three I'd taught perfectly.
Lightning Bolt, Wind Cutter, Water Ball.
That covered her basic projectile spells.
"Heehee..."
That embarrassed laugh reminded me of Marie's words.
Humility is deception.
Her growth in scope and speed was insane.
Helena's expression as she watched—smiling, but not comfortably.
Pitiful, but unavoidable.
No matter my help, overcoming walls was her job.
She might feel something like inferiority toward Vivian.
Today called for extra praise.
"Checkup done. Time for training, but the schedule's changing slightly. Nothing major..."
Now they needed to sync up.
Helena restarting miracle practice today too.
"Vivian, you'll learn a new spell—I'll teach you separately."
"Okay."
"Helena, adding miracle training to your solo sessions starting today."
"Yes!"
One more person doubled the tasks.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Evening solo training time.
Helena headed to the training grounds alone.
Mercy had gone out with Kati to scout high-end restaurants to improve her cooking.
Vivian was studying, Ian adjusting future plans.
Solo time meant she could train alone, but she should inform Ian.
Kati had to monitor her status anyway.
Even that felt like a burden to her teammates, so Helena snuck out.
'I'm still not good enough...'
Talent aside, she lacked the sheer hours of efficient training.
Even matching Vivian's time didn't guarantee matching skill.
'More, harder...'
All Helena could do was effort.
Brutal, body-breaking effort.
'Ian must be disappointed...'
He'd said it fell short of expectations, not that he was disappointed.
Even comforted her that more effort would fix it.
But Helena couldn't relax.
'I have to work harder. I must satisfy Ian's expectations...'
Vivian had leaped in magic skill with just physical training and diet.
'Maybe I haven't matched the intensity of that training.'
So Helena ran.
Even as her choking breaths threatened to suffocate her, she didn't stop.
It wasn't just Ian's expectations.
She might drag Vivian down too.
'Can't let that happen... I have to work harder... No. Harder isn't enough. I have to be good. No matter what.'
Time lost meaning.
She could barely tell if her body was still moving.
That's when Helena collapsed, unconscious.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Master.]
'Yeah?'
[Helena is missing.]
'Missing? Since when?'
[From the tracks, she hasn't come back since after dinner. Vivian hasn't seen her either.]
"Hm..."
What was our overzealous nun up to?
'I'll look for her. Let me know if she returns.'
[Yes.]
Finding Helena was easy.
She was running laps along the rear training grounds' outskirts.
How frustrating must her weakness feel to push like that?
I didn't stop her right away.
Everyone needs a moment like this—crashing into their limits with raw will.
Stopping it would be pointless.
I just pondered how to comfort her later.
Then a thought struck.
'Mental issue, maybe...'
Her protection was genuinely below expectations.
I'd considered it possible, but it was odd.
Her physical condition had improved vastly since the abbey.
I'd confirmed her mana flow stabilizing daily.
Yet the output was lower than predicted.
Not a physical problem, then.
Mind or spirit in turmoil could affect the body.
Naturally hindering miracles.
'...Makes sense. I might not be fully trustworthy yet. Or she can't trust herself.'
What to say to ease her mind?
High chance her mental fragility was suppressing her potential.
Extremely, Sylvia's performance had differed hugely pre- and post-trauma recovery.
I was the key here.
Instill trust, comfort well.
'...But how long is she gonna run?'
Helena, flailing, finally crumpled to the ground.
No signs of getting up—she'd fainted.
'Too hardworking. Grateful, but heartbreaking.'
I organized my words in my head and approached her.