Chapter 157: Ring (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: Ring (3)
“So, let me get this straight. The magic weapon you obtained from defeating the demon happened to be compatible with that stalker friend of yours, so you just… gave it to her?”
“Correct.”
“And it only works if it’s worn on the left ring finger?”
“That’s also correct.”
As I practiced the elemental magic I’d learned in class today, I told Dorothy the whole story. After all, I had nothing to hide from her. It was also easier to explain things to Dorothy since she knew more of my secrets than anyone else.
Besides, it was impossible to lie to her anyway, given her ability to read emotions.
“Luce will be a vital asset in the battle against the Evil God. Increasing her strength is extremely important.”
“I know. You’ve told me before. Well… it wasn’t that interesting of a story back then, either.”
Dorothy responded with a shrug of indifference.
I stole a glance at her as she leaned against a nearby tree. Her eyes were fixed on the book open in her lap. Starlight mana drifted around her like floating lanterns, illuminating her bored expression.
“…”
I didn’t really have anything else to say. Usually, Dorothy would pivot to a new topic to keep the conversation flowing, but an awkward tension hung between us today.
The air felt heavy and stifling. It was uncomfortable; there had never been a moment where the atmosphere felt this strained while I was with Dorothy.
Then, Dorothy closed her book. I heard the soft thud of the cover meeting the pages.
What’s going on?
I turned my head toward her. She stood up, brushed the bark and dirt off her dress where it had touched the tree, and looked at me with a playful, forced smile.
“Hey, President, I’m gonna head out now. Bye~!”
Already?
“Ah… Alright. Get back safely.”
“Keep up the hard work!”
As she walked away, Dorothy gave me a light wave.
“…”
It felt uncanny. A bead of cold sweat I hadn’t even noticed slid down my cheek. I stared blankly at Dorothy’s retreating figure as she disappeared into the trees.
In all my memory, I couldn’t recall a single day where Dorothy seemed this out of sorts.
“Ughhhhh…”
In Charles Hall, the dormitory for top-ranked students.
With only the moonlight filtering through the window to light the room, Dorothy collapsed onto her bed without even changing her clothes. A strange, muffled groan escaped her lips.
Ella, her white cat familiar perched on a shelf, smirked and flicked her tail from side to side.
[I’ll bet I can guess Dorothy’s current thoughts: ‘I thought I was the only one the President cared about. I let my guard down just because he said he was my fan.’]
“Shut up, you cat.”
[‘Luce should only wear that magic weapon when it’s absolutely necessary. Why is she flaunting it like that? And why is she staring at it every two seconds like it’s going to vanish, when she has a perfect memory and knows exactly what it looks like?’]
“Guh…”
Dorothy couldn’t muster a single retort.
“Hey, Ella.”
Dorothy turned her head, her cheek squished against the mattress like a steamed bun, and peered up at the cat. Whenever she thought about Luce and what she’d seen today, her chest tightened. It felt horrible.
“Logically, I understand what the President said, okay? But for some reason, I just feel so frustrated. I’ve never felt like this before. It feels like that chicken I ate isn't digesting, and I’m just… irritated…”
[Maybe you should cut back on the chicken then?]
Ella scolded her, though she could barely hide the twitch of an amused grin. Finally, a conflict had arrived that might actually jumpstart Dorothy’s dull love life.
Luce Eltania. The second-year top seat of the Magic Department. She had built a relationship with Isaac since their first year and was undeniably an elegant beauty. Now, every time Dorothy saw that ring on Luce's left ring finger, her stomach did somersaults.
Thanks to that, Dorothy was finally aware of her rival and had gone on high alert.
Then, today, she’d had a realization. Come to think of it, Luce and Isaac were quite bold with their physical contact. Whether it was resting their chins on each other’s shoulders or foreheads, or wrapping their arms around one another…
Moreover, they sometimes acted like actual lovers. The way they treated each other as close friends and peers felt incredibly intimate.
On the other hand, how did Dorothy and Isaac treat each other? Because she was his senior, Isaac still spoke to her with formal politeness. It meant that no matter how close they were, there was still a wall that didn't exist with Luce.
That realization stung.
[You’re jealous of Luce Eltania, aren’t you?]
“…No comment.”
Ella leaped down from the shelf and landed on the bed. She sat directly in front of Dorothy’s face, looking down at her.
[Dorothy. All Isaac did was give a magic weapon to Luce. Of course, that act alone has given their relationship a massive boost.]
“…Your point?”
[Are you just going to sit here and take it?]
“…”
Dorothy pushed herself up and sat cross-legged, looking back at Ella. “What would you do?”
[I would make progress. You have to make Isaac look at you,] Ella responded coyly.
‘Progress,’ she says.
With a short “hm,” Dorothy fell into deep thought. Though she had zero relationship experience, she had mustered the courage to do a few things with Isaac in the past. Recalling those memories, Dorothy straightened her back and placed a hand on her chest, regaining her usual confident posture.
“I don’t think you realize, but I’ve done plenty with the President. We’ve held hands, and we’ve even kissed. We’ve already made all the progress we can.”
[You kissed him while he was unconscious. He doesn’t even know it happened… and as for the hand-holding, you obviously made up some excuse to do it.]
“W-well, that’s true, but…”
[Not only that, but you usually don’t even go near him. You have to be bolder. Do something foxy, Dorothy.]
“Foxy? How?”
[For example, try putting your hand on his leg like this.]
Ella placed a front paw on Dorothy’s thigh.
[And try resting your chin on his shoulder like Luce Eltania does.]
Ella jumped onto Dorothy’s back and poked her face out next to her shoulder.
[Then, like this.]
“Eek…!”
Ella nibbled on Dorothy’s ear with her moist mouth, causing the girl to flinch and let out a soft moan. It was an electrifying sensation. Dorothy hurriedly turned her head and covered her ear protectively as Ella hopped back onto the bed.
Dorothy’s face was now a brilliant shade of crimson.
[Try being a little ‘playful’.]
“You…”
[You know, just pressing those big assets of yours against him would drive Isaac mad.]
“Assets?”
Ella gestured with her chin toward Dorothy’s chest. Dorothy glared back at her in horror.
[Let’s do this, Dorothy. Claim Isaac as yours. I like him. I wouldn’t mind handing you over if it’s to him.]
“I don’t even know who’s supposed to be the familiar anymore…”
Ella’s bright, mischievous smile was incredibly annoying. But eventually, Dorothy rested her chin on her fingers and sank into deep thought.
Following Ella’s advice and using this chance to make some real progress with Isaac… to make him fall for her… it didn’t sound like a bad idea at all.
Daytime. A corner of the Butterfly Garden.
Even though today was supposed to be a rest day, I planned to spend the entire day training. Due to the elemental magic I’d been practicing, a thick layer of frost covered the grass. I didn’t need to worry about the lawn, though; recovery magic was woven into the grounds, ensuring it would fully regrow unless it was completely uprooted.
I stepped away from my training area and consulted the book in the shade of a tree. My current goals were laid out right there.
‘[Frost Wave] and [Frost Glitter].’
I planned to master both of these 6-star spells. However, the difficulty of learning spells increased exponentially once you hit the 6-star rank. Of course, compared to that spike in difficulty, my own learning rate had accelerated significantly. At the very least, it was much easier than when I practiced [Frost Explosion], which had given me countless bloody noses.
When [Hunter] was activated, my skill tree expanded instantaneously. For the record, the skills I obtained from Frostscythe and the Obsidian Blade were separate from that expansion.
The skill tree was designed with a UI resembling a tree with spreading roots. Numbers unrelated to the skills were embedded in a square block on the right side of the screen. When the skill tree expanded due to [vs. Race Combat Power], that number served as the reference.
Among those, there was a difference of 10 between 7-star and 9-star spells. Since that number increased by 10 when [Hunter] was active, I would be able to use 9-star ice spells against demons once I mastered 7-star magic.
Which meant…
‘I’ll be able to use [Cocytus].’
[Cocytus] was a 9-star ice spell that transformed the surrounding area into a frozen, desolate wasteland of death. Because it was world-ending magic, it wasn't something I could just use at the academy. But there would be enemies in the future capable of creating their own domains—like Leafa the Illusive and her [Fictional Hell]. A spell like [Cocytus] would be the perfect hard counter.
In the end, my objective was to learn at least one 7-star spell, like [Icebolt] or [Perennial Snow], during the first semester of my second year. And since 6-star spells were the foundation for 7-star magic, I was focusing on mastering them first.
‘Anyway…’
As I read, a nagging worry surfaced in the back of my mind. It was Dorothy. She had seemed so down yesterday. Usually, I would have rushed to her side to cheer her up, but since I could guess the reason for her mood, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
‘I’m just not sure if it’s actually jealousy.’
Unlike in the past, I often felt that Dorothy was starting to treat me like a man. She would blush occasionally, so I couldn't rule out the possibility that she had feelings for me.
So, was she jealous that I gave Luce a ring to wear on her left ring finger? I had given her an honest explanation. There wasn't much more I could say. Ultimately, it was down to how she interpreted it.
‘At least, that’s how it should be…’
However, I couldn't help but feel worried, sensing that Dorothy had been hurt.
“Haa. Dorothy…”
A sigh escaped my lips. Just then, a lively voice rang out from behind my shoulder, as if she had been waiting for that exact moment.
“Boo!”
“Hu—!”
My shout died in my throat. I literally forgot how to breathe. My favorite character, with her light purple hair, had crouched down beside me, her face right next to my shoulder. Even in the shade, her beauty was radiant.
It looked like she had been hiding behind the tree, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
That scared the hell out of me…
“Nihihi! President, don’t forget to breathe.”
Only after Dorothy patted my shoulder did my lungs remember their job.
“Senior…”
“I didn’t think you’d be thinking about me while you were all alone~ You really do need me after all, don’t you?”
Pointing both index fingers at me, Dorothy teased me playfully. I could only respond with narrowed eyes, silently complaining about the heart attack she’d nearly given me.
“What’s this book? Oh, 6-star spells! Ah, the memories!”
Dorothy sat down beside me, leaning in close to read the book.
Wait, isn’t she a little too close?
The alluring scent of her hair and the nape of her neck tickled my nose.
“You know, I learned 6-star spells when I was twelve. Isn’t that amazing? You can call me a genius, it’s okay!”
“Ah, yes… that is amazing. You’re a genius, Senior.”
“Nihihi.”
She seemed like her usual self, boasting with her typical confidence… but something felt off.
‘Why is she…’
For some reason, she felt different today. First of all, Dorothy had placed her hand directly on my thigh. And the way she rested her chin on my shoulder was another thing entirely. This was the closest we’d been since the day I defeated the Floating Island. It wasn't like her to be this forward.
“If you find something hard to understand, just ask. Even though I don’t have the ice element, I’ve seen enough of it to help!”
“Thank you. I’ll do that.”
…However, a different question came to mind as I tried to focus on the text.
How am I supposed to concentrate when you’re doing this?
But I couldn't say anything, especially after yesterday. I figured I just had to endure it for now. I could see Dorothy’s face in the corner of my vision. Even from that angle, her beauty was undeniable.
…Well, because [Learning Efficiency] was maxed out, it surprisingly didn't hinder my reading too much. The words seemed to flow into my brain effortlessly.
Suddenly…
“…Hup.”
An unexpected action from Dorothy caused even my maxed [Learning Efficiency] to shatter.
“Ngh…!”
A soft, moist sensation suddenly brushed against the tip of my ear. My eyes snapped wide open. An electric jolt of pleasure raced through me like lightning, making my entire body flinch.
I whipped my head around to look at Dorothy. She hurriedly pulled her lips away and leaned back.
“Haa…”
A small, shaky sigh escaped her. Had she become flustered after realizing what she’d done? Her face was now a deep, burning red. She let out an awkward cough.
“Uh, Senior? What was that…?”
“I—I guess my teasing went a little too far, huh? Sorry, President…”
Avoiding my gaze, Dorothy slowly scooted away from me. I touched the ear she had just nibbled. A trace of moisture was left on my fingers.
When I looked back at her, she had turned her head away, trying in vain to hide her scarlet blush. An uncomfortable, heavy silence settled between us.
“…”
Seriously.
What is wrong with her today…?