Outdoor Practical Evaluation (9)
And so began Basil’s awkward, thoroughly bizarre joint bath.
Kado stood with his arms crossed, glaring at us with the ferocity of a father forced to entrust his only daughter to a complete stranger. I did my best to ignore his stare and kept submerging myself in the spring.
Once. Twice…
With every dip, the twisted mana inside me settled into calm, and the fatigue melted away like snow under sunlight. In equal measure, though, the awkward air between Basil and me grew heavier and heavier.
Basil couldn’t even meet my eyes properly; he just kept splashing the spring water aimlessly.
At last, when I finished the tenth immersion—
You have acquired the Hidden Trait <Silky Skin>.
Your skin has absorbed the vital energy of the Moonlight Spring, becoming incomparably clearer and smoother than before.
Due to the Hidden Trait <Silky Skin>, you receive a slight bonus to all ‘Charm’-related checks.
Finally got it.
The moment the trait activated, a strange sensation swept over me—as if every layer of skin on my body had peeled away and been reborn. Even to the naked eye, my complexion looked silk-smooth, with a faint luminous sheen.
I stepped out of the water wearing a satisfied smile. Moonlight poured down over my body, still beaded with droplets.
“Let’s get out now. We should wrap this up.”
Even though Basil had already completed the ten dips he’d aimed for, he stayed put, silently standing guard until I left the water. His face was flushed far redder than before; he stared at me as if he’d forgotten how to breathe.
Ugh… What’s with that look? It’s even worse than earlier.
“Sa-Saya… you… something’s… different. More…”
Just as Basil whispered, sounding completely entranced—
“Basil! There you are! We’ve been looking everywhere!”
Two male students burst through the bushes with lively voices. One was an academy boy with a sharp, intellectual air and glasses; the other was tall and skinny with a mischievous look. Basil’s teammates from before departure.
They spotted Basil and looked relieved—until their eyes landed on me standing beside him. Both of them fell silent at once.
“Uh…?”
“Uhhh…?”
The bespectacled student’s eyes widened to record-breaking size. He looked me up and down, then adjusted his glasses as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“That’s… the one who caused that huge scene at the entrance ceremony…”
The skinny guy next to him swallowed hard. His eyes glittered with a complicated mix of curiosity to confirm the rumors, wariness, and undisguised admiration.
The academy’s infamous “walking disaster,” always at the center of every unsavory incident. That was the sum total of what they knew about “Saya.”
“Basil, you okay? Finished bathing? But… th-this person’s attire is… ahem! Could you introduce us first?”
The glasses guy was still staring blankly at me. I didn’t miss the blatant admiration mixed with a tiny bit of calculating snobbery flickering in his gaze. It was written all over his face: Her reputation’s rock-bottom, but I still want to get involved somehow.
Not to be outdone, the skinny one took another step closer and grinned as he spoke.
“I’m Ranch! Same team as Basil! Were you in any trouble? We’ll help with anything!”
They were making desperate efforts to forge any kind of connection with the beauty standing in front of them. At their aggressive, obvious advances, Basil’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. Without realizing it, he stepped forward and shielded me behind his back, as if protecting something that belonged to him.
“Ah, this is Saya. I… got some help from her.”
“Help?”
The glasses student jumped into the conversation, eyes sparkling.
“Wow, really? I’m Caesar! Thank you so much for helping Basil! If it’s all right, we’d love to repay you somehow…”
Endless chatter and openly sparkling eyes. In the middle of this chaos, I let out a deep internal sigh.
Then Caesar raised his voice, pretending to speak to Basil while making sure I could hear.
“Oh, right, Basil—while we were looking around, we found something good.”
He carefully pulled a few blue leaves from his pocket.
“Look at this. ‘Three-Day Herb,’ soaked with forest dew. One of these clears away most fatigue and minor wounds. It’s rare—only blooms for three days before withering… Outdoor practice really needs someone with practical knowledge like me.”
He was talking to Basil, but his gaze and body angle were subtly angled toward me. Blatant showing-off, eager to flaunt his knowledge.
Three-Day Herb… Even in the game it was hard to find. Spotting that means he’s not just some simple extra. Might be able to get useful info out of him.
I immediately flipped the switch in my head—from “Iron Wall Mode” to “Information-Gathering Mode” for survival.
“Wow, how do you even tell rare herbs like that apart? This forest is as dangerous as it is beautiful, so I’d love to prepare ahead of time.”
At my question, Caesar’s face flushed bright red in an instant.
“H-huh? Ah, yes! How did you know? The Three-Day Herb has three-branched leaf veins… no, more importantly the root color… and around here there are also…”
Receiving my full attention, Caesar launched into an excited dump of everything he knew, like a scholar finally given the chance to present a lifetime of research. Ranch beside him glared with jealous eyes, desperately trying to wedge himself into the conversation.
“S-Saya! I-I’m strong in actual combat! I don’t know much about herbs, but if any dangerous magical beasts show up, I’ll take care of all of them…!”
Getting one piece of info is ridiculously hard.
I clicked my tongue inwardly while keeping an utterly gentle smile on my face and steering their chatter. Thanks to their childish rivalry, high-quality information about the forest’s ecosystem and dangers poured out freely.
But Basil’s expression, watching this mess, grew darker and darker. He said nothing, just clenched his fists and refused to look away from me. Clear anxiety, some inexplicable sense of loss, and… a faint something else directed at me as I soaked up the other guys’ attention—all mixed together in his eyes.
Okay, this is enough. Basil’s face is getting too bad, and there’s no need to get any deeper with those two.
Having achieved my goal, I was just about to wrap up the conversation.
“I learned a lot thanks to you two today. Really, thank you!”
The moment I shot both of them a simultaneous eye-smile full of gratitude—
Both their faces flushed as if they were about to explode.
“N-not at all! Anything for you, Saya!”
“O-of course! Ask us anything, anytime from now on!”
I took a step back, inwardly recoiling at their over-the-top reactions.
What the hell. I just wanted some info—why does it always end up with me charming guys?! My goal is to be the Cupid for Basil and the heroines, not to manage a whole fishing pond of men!!
Right then, a figure emerged from the bushes, breaking the forest’s stillness. Abo, who had gone off saying she’d look around for a bit.
With a faintly flushed expression, she glanced between the strange standoff here and Kado—who was glaring this way with clear discomfort—then trotted straight over to me.
Ah, finally. I can escape this suffocating situation.
Taking Abo’s appearance as my cue, I decided to leave this awkward spot. If I stayed any longer, there was no telling what schemes those two hyenas would try next.
I offered a soft smile to Basil and the still-dazed Caesar and Ranch.
“My teammate’s here, so I should get going.”
At my words, all three pairs of eyes locked onto me at once. Open regret showed on Caesar and Ranch’s faces; something far more complicated and deep flickered across Basil’s.
“Well then, I hope you all finish the practical safely. Hang in there… till the end.”
That last line I whispered quietly, looking only into Basil’s eyes.
Managing the protagonist’s mental state is a mandatory condition for a happy ending, after all.
At my sincere encouragement, Basil’s stiff expression loosened just a fraction, and a faint blush colored his cheeks again. With that image as my final view, I turned without lingering and headed toward my teammates.
As I approached, Kado—who had been watching the entire scene with arms crossed—snapped at me with a look of pure contempt.
“Hah. Done seducing other teams now? You’re a total fox.”
I snorted a laugh at his sarcasm and slowly turned to face him. Then, deliberately tucking my wet hair behind my ear, I met his eyes dead-on.
“A fox? Hmm~? Are you jealous because I only paid attention to the other team, our little Kado?”
“Wh-what are you saying?! You crazy woman!”
Kado’s face instantly turned as red as a perfectly ripe persimmon.
Yep. Teasing him is always worth it.