Spicy Relief and the Elite Squad's Trial
As Ian had promised—to help her unwind from the group training stress—eating something spicy really did melt away all the pent-up tension in waves.
After Ian left, Stella sat there dazed for a moment before snapping to. I've got to clean up before Nelia gets back, she thought, bustling around to tidy things up.
It wasn't long before Nelia arrived.
"...Miss."
"Uh, yeah? What is it?"
Sniff sniff.
Nelia had stopped by the academy to handle Stella's sick leave for her, then picked up all sorts of ingredients from the market along with some desserts for Stella to enjoy. But now, catching the spicy aroma wafting through the house, she wrinkled her nose.
"Did you perhaps... consummate while I was out?"
"W-what!?"
Stella jumped in shock, whipping around to stare at her. Consummate? As if I'd ever do something like that with Ian!
"What are you talking about? No way, that's impossible!"
"My apologies. It's just... there's blood on your nightgown."
"Blood...?"
Only then did Stella look down at her lower abdomen. Her chest had hidden it, but she hadn't even noticed the red sauce smeared right around her crotch area. No doubt when it had dripped—obvious without asking.
That time...!
It must have spilled when Ian was feeding her earlier. Recalling the moment made her cheeks flush again without warning.
"Th-this is just sauce I spilled!"
"I know."
"Uh, you do?"
A professional maid like Nelia could easily tell blood from sauce. She could distinguish it just from the sticky residue left on the fabric. Realizing it was Nelia's mischievous prank, Stella puffed out her cheeks and glared.
"Anyway, you asked me to buy sweets, but I see you've already eaten... Looks like you had a guest."
"Y-yeah, that's right..."
"Who was it? Miss Noah, your friend?"
"...Yeah. Noah came by."
"I see. Miss Noah... I thought maybe it was Master Ian."
"Wh-why would I meet up with him!"
Hit right on the mark. Stella denied it with a shrill yelp before she could stop herself, but Nelia—who had served her for over a decade—knew instantly from that alone she was lying.
"Ah, of course. By the way, Miss, did a rat sneak in or something?"
"...A rat?"
"There was fur on the floor."
Nelia said this while picking up a strand of gray hair. It was unmistakably human hair— the distinctive color unique to Ian at the academy.
"......"
"It's fine. I won't tell the master."
"...Thanks."
"Just make sure to use protection properly. It'd be trouble if you got pregnant."
"I told you! Ian and I aren't like that!"
"So it was Master Ian who visited."
"Ah."
Utterly played. Stella had just admitted with her own mouth that Ian had been in her room. Nelia grinned ear to ear, as if she'd snagged another weakness. The only reason she didn't chuckle outright was her maid training.
...This is bad.
Stella couldn't even guess how many months of teasing this would earn her. All she could do was hope for Nelia's mercy.
Sensing Stella's gloom over her grim future, Nelia asked,
"Miss, would you like some sweets?"
"...Yeah."
"I'll prepare them right away."
Soon, savoring the hot chocolate Nelia had brought, Stella felt her spirits lift.
There was a rumor back in school days: if your class produced the top student overall, the homeroom teacher got a bonus.
I hadn't believed it then, but now that I'd landed in this other world, it felt all too real.
"Ahahaha! Good morning!"
Our homeroom teacher Oliver approached with a muscle-bound grin plastered across his face. The kids eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he'd eaten something weird.
Ignoring them, he beamed especially at me and Sheera.
"Ahem, as you all know, our class produced the top two students."
So that's it. I sighed pityingly, realizing why he was so thrilled.
I had zero interest, and Sheera had tuned out ages ago. But the other kids? They were thrilled, acting like they were the aces just because top rankers came from their class.
Fueled by their excitement, Oliver poured on more.
"Now that midterms are done, you should have a sense of how to handle your summons."
The kids fell silent at his sudden shift. Someone gulped nervously, anticipating what came next. Oliver smirked and dropped it.
"Starting today, we're going into practical combat."
With that, he led the class up the mountain behind the academy.
The academy's ultimate goal: graduate students ready to fend off invading demons everywhere.
Demons were ferocious monsters that charged with raw savagery. Pit a newbie summoner fresh off summoning against them head-on, and nine times out of ten, fear alone would make them lose.
Even if their specs were theoretically solid on paper, the world didn't roll that smoothly.
That's why the academy's core curriculum was to make demons seem like no big deal.
"Scared?"
"...No, sir."
A few terrified kids spat back defiantly on pride alone. But their trembling voices betrayed them. Oliver chuckled, scanning the group.
"Don't worry. You won't die."
He pointed at the forest ahead—a familiar spot.
This is...
A dark woods where demonic energy warped the trees, earth, and even the air. One of the stages from the main story.
Ridiculous that something like this is right by the academy.
They'd made such a fuss about monsters breaching the grounds, yet here was a whole mountain stocked with them just behind. Laughable.
This peak was sealed by the emperor himself with a barrier no mere noble-rank demon could scratch. Regular patrols made its security tighter than the academy's.
"Form groups of six."
The kids started clustering. Some made a beeline for me and Sheera—safety first with 3-star summoners around, teacher guarantees or not.
But.
"Ian Clark, Sheera Acacia. You're benched."
"...Why?"
"Just wait."
Sheera grumbled about being a mere 1-star summoner, but excuses didn't fly. Once the kids formed their six-person parties on their own, Sheera and I stood there awkwardly awaiting orders.
"Hmm, they'll be here soon."
Oliver waited, and sure enough, other homeroom teachers arrived with their top students.
He scowled at them. "You're late."
"One kid botched tanking, and the injury's throbbing."
"Bull. All injuries are healed by now."
"Ahaha, you two, no fighting in front of the students..."
Oliver immediately bickered with next-door's teacher, Flaina. Clara, from the other class, stepped in to mediate.
Watching Oliver and Flaina squabble, I realized they were made for each other. How else could they click so well mid-fight? They'd freak if they heard, but that's how it goes with those types—endless gossip fodder.
"Hey, Ian!"
"...It's Ian."
While the teachers argued, their students spotted me and approached. That's when I got why Oliver had sidelined us.
Six 3-star summoners exactly.
Study with peers at your level. All six here were 3-stars.
"You all know each other, right?"
The kids nodded at Oliver's question. They'd vied for top spot during midterms, so they were acquainted—and talented enough to grasp why they'd been pulled aside.
"This mountain's got mostly low-grade demons... perfect for 1- and 2-star kids, but way too easy for you 3-stars."
To 3-stars, low-grades were pushovers—huntable with a mere brush.
Match curriculum to level. That was education's golden rule.
"So we've placed mid-grade demons at the summit for you. Wasn't easy to procure."
"...Teacher, you mean."
"Yep. You're a team now. Hunt that mid-grade by end of day—your homework."
The kids exchanged glances. Worry already brewing. Could these ego-heavy nobles even cooperate?
Once the teachers left to oversee the others, our six eyed each other warily.
Then Elton—the earl's kid I vaguely recalled—stood with casual confidence.
"No need for intros, right? We all know each other."
Stella, Sheera, and Marquis kid Kapi nodded agreement. Noah didn't know their backgrounds but nodded along smartly. I stayed silent, uninterested in the guys' intros.
Feeling like he'd seized control, Elton addressed the group.
"One thing: you lot stay put."
"...What?"
"Need six 3-stars for a mere mid-grade? Especially you—top ranker. Just sit here and twiddle your thumbs."
Elton left, Kapi trailing after a glance. Two gone in a flash, but the rest didn't budge.
Because...
"Those idiots aren't total morons, are they?"
"Whoa, Ian. Harem with flowers in both hands? Impressive."
"Uh, y-yeah?"
We'd already built solid rapport with the remaining crew.