Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Diana's Challenge
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My relationship with Stia was progressing with heavenly assistance,
but Diana seemed like she'd been fated to have her life twisted because of me.
What the hell was this situation?
I was holding wrapped loaves of bread in both hands, facing off against an furious young lady surrounded by her noble house's private soldiers.
People were starting to gather, drawn by curiosity.
"Didn't you hear? She challenged me to a duel!"
"You... you came without your sister's permission, didn't you?"
"What's it to you? This is a duel to settle the insult I suffered."
"Diana."
I deliberately pronounced her name clearly, syllable by syllable.
Diana flinched, her shoulders trembling with rage.
"That matter ended there.
You've paid the price, and I was satisfied. There's nothing left to get revenge for."
"That's your opinion!!"
Diana stomped her feet.
"I've suffered an insult and wound I can never wash away. Because of you!"
"So you're challenging me to a duel over that?"
"I know I can't beat Lord Veil Noah or the Lofty Hunter! You probably can't beat my sister either. It's a duel between you and me. If I win, I'll take your life!"
No, I was wondering what she was staking on this duel, and she wants my head?
Talk about incoherent.
"Then you need to stake something equivalent."
"I'm a daughter of the Vanguard family! If I can't wash away that insult after what happened, I'd rather die!"
"Sigh... So, you want to duel?"
"Yes!!"
Honestly, I was tired of it.
Not physically, but I just didn't feel like being dragged around by Diana anymore.
"How about we just eat this and get along?"
"Shut up! Eat that filthy bread yourself."
No sign of remorse whatsoever.
For once, I was genuinely pissed.
"I get that the more you dwell on it, the angrier you get. But if I'd wanted to, you and your whole family would be dead."
"Then you'd die too. You think you could get away with doing something like that to the Vanguard family?"
Diana was so furious she ground her teeth as she shot back.
"Dying wouldn't be so simple. I'm not afraid of revenge from your family. You know that, right?
I could've raped you and your sister right there, stripped you both, tied you to cart wheels, and paraded you all the way to the capital."
"......"
The blood drained from Diana's face.
Beyond the provocative words, it probably sank in.
That if things had gone really wrong, I was the kind of person who would've done exactly that.
"So you're saying I should be grateful? That it ended cheaply! For something as trivial as spilling some fruit...."
"Yeah. It did end cheaply."
Diana was speechless.
"It's true that we both tried to take more than what the incidents warranted.
The fact that you can complain about the unfair outcome after the duel is only because I let it slide."
"Urk...!"
"And now you want another duel? Fine."
My sudden shift in attitude made Diana's shoulders twitch.
I pulled a single gold coin from my personal inventory—one of the few I had.
"Let's flip this coin. Heads or tails decides the duel."
"...What?"
"If you win, you get my head."
"......"
"But if I win, I'll give you an experience that'll make you think dying would've been better."
"I, I..."
Diana finally looked terrified.
She must've realized she'd picked the wrong opponent.
In the end, like Tillia, she was just pretending to be bold, but Diana wasn't the type who could pull it off.
When she truly sensed disaster, she froze—a mere spoiled girl.
I said to her,
"I'll give you a chance to cancel the duel and back off quietly."
A glimmer of hope appeared on Diana's pale face.
"But. Since you've annoyed me, you'll apologize properly."
"N-No! You're going to make me do that again?"
"No. Hmm... How about a few spanks on the butt to end it."
"My butt...?"
"You know, like when a kid messes up and bends over their parent's knee for a paddling."
"Urk...!!"
Diana's face flushed bright red.
Ignoring the spears and swords thrust toward me by her soldiers, I walked off in another direction.
"W-Wait!!"
I picked out a bench by the front gate of Melbritt and sat down.
People glanced back and forth between me and Diana, wondering what was going on.
"Come here. Diana."
I patted my knee.
"Wh-Who would do something like that...!"
"Then, shall we duel?"
"Eek...!"
"Heads or tails on the coin. My life, your horrific future. How about it?"
"...Hic. Hic... Don't underestimate me!! I'll do it. I'll take your head. Not with some coin flip—we'll fight right now and..."
"You'll lose..."
Diana was cornered.
Maybe because of our first impressions, her cocky attitude crumbling into terrified trembling was just too cute.
"Okay. Flip? Heads? Tails?"
"T-T-Tails...!"
"Got it."
As I prepared to flip the coin, Diana suddenly rushed over and grabbed my hand tightly.
"What?"
Diana was on the verge of tears.
"Cancel... the duel..."
"What? I didn't hear that?"
"I was wrong... Please cancel the duel... Hic..."
"Did you hear that? You all go back."
"Lady Diana..."
"I-It's nothing! I don't need your help. Go back now."
"But..."
"I said go! Are you trying to embarrass me?"
The Vanguard family soldiers reluctantly turned and left at their master's firm command.
"Time to pay up? Diana."
"......"
Diana draped herself over my lap.
Everyone peeked over, wondering what was happening.
"Say 'Sorry for picking fights with you' every time I spank. Got it?"
"Wh-Who agreed to that much?"
I swatted Diana's butt.
I didn't hit hard. I knew spanking her lightly, like disciplining a child, would maximize her humiliation.
Smack!
"Hic...! S-Sorry for picking fights... with you."
"Who are you sorry to?"
Smack! I swatted her cute butt again.
"To you, sorry for picking fights... with Decal!"
Smaack!
"Hic... Hic... Sorry for picking fights..."
Diana sniffled as she took ten swats on the butt.
"Good girl."
Diana stood up, clutching her skirt and breathing raggedly.
"You okay?"
"Shut up...!"
"Heh..."
Snap.
I snapped my fingers.
Her hand clutching the skirt slowly slid down.
With Diana in a trance, I pondered briefly.
I'd thought she was like Bella—arrogant and prideful. But Bella had actually tried to blackmail me even staking Esty's life, so she had real guts,
and submission hypnosis had been fun in its own way.
But the same submission hypnosis wouldn't suit Diana.
Because Diana's true nature was that of a spoiled girl.
Raised seeing only her talented strong sister and the glory of her noble house, she'd talked big about staking her life but had no real resolve.
So, what would be good for correcting a twisted child like that?
Showering her with affection. Rewards making her feel superior?
"Diana. What do you think about being praised?"
"It's only natural. As a lady of the Vanguard family... Doing well is expected. Failing... is unacceptable."
Just as I'd imagined, she was binding herself with perfectionism.
"But you've received quite a few punishments from me so far."
"......"
"What am I to you?"
"I wish you'd just die... Everything's messed up because of you, Decal..."
Perfect. Let's start here.
"Diana. You're sick of receiving these humiliating punishments now, right?"
"Yeah..."
"No one in your life is as hateful as me."
"...Right."
"So, as a lady of the Vanguard family, you need to earn recognition even from someone like me.
「Receiving my recognition is the most joyful thing for you.」"
It might seem weaker than submission hypnosis, but this was one truly chilling, terrifying suggestion.
I chose it to reverse the disgust Diana had felt toward me.
Humans have an incredibly strong desire for recognition.
The moment the suggestion ripens and she thinks she must have my approval... Diana will be beyond saving.
And I layered on one more fatal suggestion.
"「All your pain is compensated when you receive the rewards I give.」"
"Compensation..."
Recognition, plus the rewards I give—something as small as a word of praise. A pat on the head.
Or grander: a gift I prepare myself. Everything I call a reward will hold meaning for Diana.
It might seem excessive for a spoiled girl.
But I felt no guilt.
Clap.
I clapped to wake Diana.
"I'll get you next time... This isn't the end."
Even after her soldiers left and she bent over my lap saying sorry, sorry, and got her butt spanked,
she couldn't resist leaving a clichéd villain line before departing.
I'd planted the trigger.
It would activate with the slightest prompt anytime.
I bit into my share of the bread.
"Tasty."
"Oppa!"
Karen spotted me and came running.
"How'd it go?"
Her bright face suggested it went well.
"Yeah! I did great. The interview felt good too!"
"The interviewers weren't just staring at your chest?"
"Oh come on, Oppa..."
I handed Karen the wrapped bread I'd bought.
"Eat. Got it for you."
"For me?"
Karen blinked, then quickly sat beside me and pressed her body close.
"I'll eat well. Oppa!"
"Finish it and let's go."
"Yeah!"
Having aced the exam, Karen seemed in high spirits.
"Tasty."
As she munched on the bread, Karen seemed to remember something.
"That boom sound—it was you, right, Oppa! I figured it was your magic."
"Yep. My Overcharge Fireball."
"Amazing! As expected from Oppa. The mage who took down the Scene Wolf is different."
"You helped catch it too."
"I just assisted. Oh, Oppa. Hold still."
What?
Karen took the bread crumb from my mouth and popped it into hers.
"It was on your mouth, Oppa."
"Urk...!"
D-Damn. I'm not used to this at all.
It was so cringey I wanted to die.
Setting up perception block in the interview room and brazenly having sex was fine, but this kind of sentiment was too foreign to me.
This wasn't some old romance flick. Ugh, damn. I feel like I'm burning up.
Karen smirked, noticing.
"Huh? Oppa, are you embarrassed?"
"Q-Quiet."
"Oppa's weak to this cheesy stuff? Hehe~. So innocent."
No way.
First time in my life a girl called me innocent.
"I discovered a new side of Oppa before Esty did."
"You little slut..."
"You're hiding your embarrassment, right? I know. Normally you'd grab my tits first. Pfft♥"
"Kh...!!"
I lost...!
Realizing I'd only dig myself deeper by talking, I shut up and ate my bread.
"They said results tomorrow. Then straight to enrollment?"
"I asked—there's a three-day prep period. You can enroll right away.
Then you're put in the prep class for basic training first. Ranks get decided there."
"Ranks... Got more details?"
"Melbritt's evaluation is mainly two things: martial prowess and intellect. Plus various utility skills helpful for adventures.
Like scouting, cooking, camp setup, portering."
"So even applicants not used to combat were there."
"Yeah. Not everyone enjoys fighting. Only about a third of Melbritt students focus on martial prowess."
Karen had gathered a ton of info from applicants and examiners.
We spent the same time in the same place, yet so different. What did I do?
One blowjob received, one creampie given...
...That was plenty productive. Yeah.
"So that third is how many people?"
"Hmm... Around 500?"
What?
With facilities this size, total students are just over a thousand?
The chronic manpower shortage was real.
"So Melbritt rankings go from 1 to 500. They update periodically, and top ranks get privileges."
"Just combat for the numbers game?"
"Probably written exams like today too? Grade rankings! But combat rankings always steal the spotlight.
Since it's for selecting hero candidates, not just top students."
Makes sense.
Brains help for sure, but the key is frontline support for heroes.
Melbritt's ideal student: solid in utilities, top grades, exceptional combat.
...Thinking that way, the selection competition must be fierce.
Wonder what rank I'll get?
Saw 5th place fight, so not aiming higher. Top 100 would be nice.
"Shall we head back?"
No telling when Esty would finish.
"Yeah."
We returned to Elrin's inn, the Elf's Haven, a step ahead.