The Result of Aggro (5)

So meeting the health professor would solve everything.

It was a sudden suggestion I never would have expected.

I didn't need to ask what she meant by it. Hino, reading the question on my face, added a short, blunt remark of her own.

"I don't know either. She said I'd understand once I went."

Hmm.

How incredibly helpful.

Still, it wasn't as though I had any better options, so I had no choice but to take it as it was.

"Thanks."

It was time to part ways. Whatever else, I had broken the ice with Hino and confirmed she didn't regard me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with the same wariness she showed other students — so the time hadn't been entirely wasted.

Connections like this, stacking one by one, would eventually become the key that unlocked her heart.

Consoling myself with that thought, I shook Hino's hand one last time, left the cemetery, and headed back toward the lecture hall.

—Grrrrumble

My empty stomach was screaming bloody murder from skipping meals, but my mood wasn't bad at all.

…Guess I'll go drink some lukewarm water.

After Adel had gone.

Hino, who had been staring blankly at her retreating figure with an empty expression, suddenly shifted her gaze.

The old trees planted throughout the cemetery — artificially placed to block the direct sunlight and for landscaping — had been giving off a presence behind them for a while now. She hadn't been imagining it.

A red-haired woman emerged naturally from behind one of the old trees, as if she had been tailing Adel all along.

"…Are you a lesbian?"

Unable to simply stand by and watch her stalk Adel, Hino raised her voice in a way that was unlike her, putting the brakes on the creepy stalker's footsteps.

Their eyes met — Hino and Novena.

"Haa. None of your business, so stay out of it?"

"You're creepy."

"That's rich coming from someone who was dozing off planted in a cemetery. I don't get why you're suddenly taking an interest in other people."

Hino flinched.

She couldn't hide her displeasure at Novena's words, which sounded as if she already knew who Hino really was.

Of course…

Just like that creepy stalking, the woman's insides were pitch-black too.

As Hino raised her guard another notch and blocked Novena from chasing after Adel, Novena finally gave up the pursuit and approached Hino instead.

"You know me?"

"I know you well. You're the daughter of the Military State's deranged spokesman. Specializes in illusion magic, or so I hear?"

Her tone carried irritation and hostility — and yet every piece of information she offered was true.

Watching Hino subtly begin to draw up her mana, Novena curled the corner of her mouth.

Just how coddled has she been her whole life, to get this rattled by a little provocation?

"Alright. I answered you, so now it's your turn. Why is a dangerous specimen like you taking an interest in Adel? What were you doing just now? Trying to brainwash her?"

The momentum had already shifted.

If the person being stalked had been present, it might have been different — but Hino, who remembered her father's ugly true nature, couldn't easily push back.

Even if a fight broke out here, her father would only be delighted: Well done, securing a legitimate casus belli.

Rather than wreck her Academy life for nothing, she judged it better to keep a careful eye on Adel's safety.

So Hino, still not lowering her guard, answered Novena's questions one by one.

"I was asked to. And I used illusion magic."

"If not brainwashing, then were you trying to read her memories?"

"Now it's my turn to ask."

At Novena's probing words, a certain memory suddenly surfaced in Hino's mind.

Whether it was an illusion, reality, or feedback from a failed spell, she couldn't be sure — but Hino had clearly seen, inside Adel's memories, the scene of her dying horribly.

It had been only a fleeting glimpse.

Memories of Adel being murdered again and again, in different ways.

And among those who had killed her, there had definitely been the kingdom's prince — and the red-haired woman standing across from her now.

…I was stuck in the mansion after attending the funeral, so I have no idea what the hell has been going on — but either way, this red-haired woman is clearly watching Adel for no good reason.

"Why are you tailing Adel?"

At Hino's blunt question, Novena narrowed her eyes in open displeasure.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Tailing?"

"You were following her."

"Evidence?"

She was impossible to reason with.

—Crack!

A spark of mana, born of a flash of irritation, blackened and incinerated the weeds at Hino's feet.

"The evidence is whatever I dig out of your memories."

This time, it was Novena's miscalculation.

Hino might hate fighting and people, but that didn't mean she herself was weak.

She was the daughter of Bels, the Military State's bloodless, tearless spokesman. Naturally, for all her delicate appearance, Hino was thoroughly familiar with blood, combat, political intrigue, and torture.

In fact, she kept drawing up crackling mana as if she were about to cast illusion magic at any second — and Novena had no choice but to concede her mistake.

"Haa… You know the real culprit behind last week's terrorist attack was never caught, right? Under the investigation committee's judgment, I'm monitoring individuals of circumstantial suspicion. Happy?"

Hino snorted.

The idea that Adel — who had gone out to stop the terrorists — was now suspected as their backer was so absurd it was almost funny.

She had poured out tears in front of Lutera's grave and looked so broken. Where, in that harmless face, was there anything to suspect?

They needed someone to take the fall and die, so they picked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a girl with no backing as their scapegoat.

Filthy political animals.

No wonder those people she'd never seen before had approached with killing intent the moment Adel entered the cemetery.

In that case… as creepy and unpleasant as the unsolicited surveillance was, having Novena's eyes on her might actually be safer.

So Hino forced down her disgust.

In a situation like this, letting Novena go would do more to protect Adel's safety.

"I'd prefer we never see each other again."

"Ha. Mutual, trust me. And if we're ranking creepiness, you're in no position to talk — hiding in a cemetery."

The two of them kept their blades pointed at each other until Novena shot Hino a sidelong glare and finally went after Adel. Only then did the confrontation end.

But—

Hino had no intention of being satisfied with simply sending Novena away.

There was the request she'd been given, and more than that, the fact that her illusion magic hadn't worked on Adel nagged at her. If she stood by and let Adel get hurt by someone else, the chance of uncovering that truth would only slip further away.

So she decided to keep Novena in check — and to watch her.

If she monitored Adel's every move, she might uncover the secret the girl was hiding.

And she could protect her while she was at it. So this wasn't mere stalking.

The time for the duel was approaching.

Thanks to Professor Enut being out all day, I'd been able to hide in the infirmary and sleep instead of camping outdoors — a genuine stroke of luck.

Warm air, a soft bed and blanket.

Honestly… it was heaven itself.

Who knew lying down to sleep could feel this good.

"Haa. I wish I had a home of my own."

Regrettable as it was, for now I had to focus entirely on winning the duel.

I'd run into Burgain in passing, and to my surprise, he had prepared for our fight with almost obsessive thoroughness.

From gleaming enchanted armor that looked like some family heirloom, to rings and a necklace that were clearly magic tools, to recovery potions at his belt — he looked ready to ride out on a monster subjugation. Not just me, but Novena and the other students were clicking their tongues at the sight.

What an absolute bastard.

It was grotesque, of course — and the way he was grinding his teeth to beat me was so petty it was almost pathetic.

He looked more like a little girl than I did, and I was the one who'd become a woman.

Well. Didn't really matter.

I already hated the way he kept hitting on Novena — and seeing how disgusting his behavior was only hardened my resolve to give him a proper education in the duel.

Alright then. How do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I make that stiff-necked bastard hang his head like a fully ripened stalk of rice?

After some thought—

"Heh. Simple, isn't it?"

What is the most important thing in noble society?

If you ask, the answer is only human nature.

It's the dick.

That's right!

It's already the most important thing a man has — and for nobles especially, the ability to continue the bloodline is worth more than life itself, for men and women alike.

So what if I cleanly blew off Burgain's balls and made him a eunuch?

Not only would he never hit on Novena again — he might even have to drop out of the Academy.

Heh. I'm a genius.

So I'd made a few preparations of my own.

First: a dagger blade I'd stolen from a scrap pile at the forge and fixed to the tip of my shoe. That was the important piece that would cleanly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pop Burgain's balls when it was time to finish things.

Next: the various elixirs I'd carefully stockpiled while waiting for Academy lectures to end.

Now it was time to take those drugs and check the effects.

I'd planned to mix four kinds of elixir and swallow them together — but of course I didn't have a mortar and pestle, or a pouch that could hold them all without spilling.

"Ahem. Mixing them in my mouth should give roughly the same effect, right?"

I had no choice but to go with the next-best option.

Hmm.

Looking at the stat-boosting powder that so closely resembled actual drugs, I felt a twinge of guilt.

Like I was committing some naughty act of delinquency?

Because of that, I sat on the training-ground bench and swiveled my head around, checking whether anyone was watching me.

As expected of me — as expected.

There didn't seem to be any students staring at me, a beautiful girl, in that creepy, perverted way.

Safe to take them now.

First up was the powder most critical for shooting a gun and dodging enemy attacks: Agility Growth Powder.

I tore open the packet and dumped every last grain into my mouth, not leaving a single speck behind.

"Ugh…!!"

It wasn't as intense as Growth Powder, but the taste hit with a uniquely shocking force.

It spread in an instant, numbing my tongue, making my whole body shudder and squeezing a tear from my eye.

But!

I couldn't give in to the urge and swallow it!

If I swallowed now, I'd only get the agility boost — I had to dump in the other stat powders, mix them, and see what kind of effect appeared!

To satisfy that curiosity, I kept the melted powder in my mouth without swallowing and dumped in the Intelligence Growth Powder and Mana Growth Powder all at once.

"Hnnngh…!!"

Once again, a shock slammed through my tongue, the roof of my mouth, my throat, my nose — my entire body. I had to bow my head and lock my mind in place just to keep from collapsing.

My hands and feet were trembling so hard I couldn't even tear open the Strength Growth Powder and add it in that state.

Only after the agonizing taste finally faded did I try to open the last packet — and that was the moment.

The melted powder mixed thickly with my saliva.

Ziiing!

The taste that had been fading surged back, fierce, and the shock seemed to drive straight into my brain.

What… what is this addictive taste…

Ugh, I can't hold it—!

—Gulp.

In the end, unable to add the Strength powder, I failed to resist the physiological urge and swallowed the mixture.

Ah.

The world in front of me began to glow bright white.

…