Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Remnants of the Previous Life
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rike hurried home from the academy as usual.
Creak—
"Oppa~ What are you doing all by yourself?"
There he was, sitting in a chair with a grave expression.
It was a look she'd never seen before, so she tensed up, wondering if something had happened.
"Rike... I'm sorry..."
"Huh? Why are you saying that all of a sudden...?"
His sudden, heartfelt apology made a sharp glint flash in her eyes as her mind raced wildly.
Roman apologizing to her? No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't even imagine a scenario where that would happen.
She knew better than anyone that it wasn't a joke, so she froze in tension, unable to move.
"The truth is..."
Her lover's stiff expression didn't fade as his lips slowly parted.
Oppa always cringes when I call him cute.
He says "cute" doesn't feel great coming from a guy.
But that's just how I feel, so it's not teasing—it's sincere, slipping out unconsciously.
Compared to me, he's towering in height, solid in build, and in the empire, when it comes to raw power, he's like a spike bursting through a sack or a peak piercing the heavens.
But in my eyes...
"Oppa, you're so cute~!!"
Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!
She peppered his cheeks with light kisses before cradling his face against her breasts.
His breath tickled her skin.
Oppa chuckled helplessly, stroking the small of her back.
The moment he'd gotten home and she'd heard his story, she'd dragged him straight to the bathroom—no cleanup required—and after an intense romp, they'd ended up in bed, skin pressed tight against skin.
"Haa... I really thought it was something serious... My heart's still pounding..."
"...I was plenty serious and earnest about it."
After declaring he'd help someone, he realized he had to tell her first since she was a woman.
Didn't it sound just like some delusionary tale spun by clueless girls?
His emotions were so finely nuanced, incomparable to the rough men of the empire.
If noble young ladies hooked on romance novels heard this, they'd shred their handkerchiefs in jealous envy.
He already dominated every aspect overwhelmingly.
And here he was, prioritizing her feelings first. It stirred an irresistible urge within her.
What was even more astonishing was that his offer to help wasn't aimed at seducing her.
Oppa had genuinely felt frustrated by her story.
'But if it's Eclair Dreitna, isn't she Chloe's sister...?'
No imperial citizen wouldn't know Eclair, even if they didn't know Chloe.
Lately, she'd been seeing Chloe around the academy often—what a twist of fate.
She'd never seen Eclair up close, but rumors said the sisters were all stunning beauties. Still, Oppa seemed to regard her only as a fellow warrior, nothing more.
If she resembled Chloe, she must be more than ordinarily beautiful.
'Maybe her personality or behavior isn't his type? Or...'
Did she not want to monopolize Oppa?
As if.
Honestly, she'd love to keep him all to herself forever.
Her feelings were heavier and more sincere than anyone's, holding their own against any dramatic love story floating around.
That's why his ideals mattered more than her petty desires.
If he held back on something he wanted to do because of her... she couldn't bear that.
-
To a girl covered in wounds, the emotion called love was as sudden as a message in a glass bottle washed ashore on salty waves.
It was like a sailboat gliding silently on a fair wind.
On that day when rain poured down as if to wash the world away.
The day she'd first shared her body with Oppa and their relationship had skyrocketed. She'd clearly given him permission for other women.
It wasn't empty words just to feign obedience and win his favor.
Her lover wanting that wasn't something to condemn, and given his Platinum status, it was only natural.
She wasn't one of those shouting, "I want polygamy!!!" while flaunting their desires—that would be unusual.
In the empire, polygamy was common and accepted among men of sufficient rank and ability.
If she weren't Bright and still bore the loathsome name Skadi while living as nobility, she'd have assumed she'd end up as some noble's nth woman.
Whether man or woman, it all depended on one's own capabilities.
'Is it because his childhood was so harsh...?'
Her lover sometimes had views and values that didn't mesh with the world at all.
"The vibe was so serious, I got really scared! I thought maybe you'd gotten someone else pregnant before me..."
"I'm taking contraceptives every morning like vitamins. No way."
Relieved by her reaction, Oppa laughed heartily at the joke.
"...Oppa."
"Yeah?"
She had no intention of going against Oppa's wishes, and he wouldn't force burdensome choices on her.
"If some girl ends up clinging to you and you like her, bring her to me first."
Whether in the empire or the federation, the dictionary meaning of "marriage" was one thing.
But depending on status and position, the real implications of marriage varied.
For most nobles, marriage was about forging links and channels with total stranger clans.
For peasants, it was often about popping out kids en masse to secure labor.
All of it was taken for granted.
In this era where malice tainted even goodwill, a union based solely on "love" was something grander than the word "blessing" could capture.
That's how rare it was.
Anyone trying to insert themselves into a relationship with marriage in mind needed nothing but pure love.
A love so deep and profound they'd gladly lay down their life for their beloved.
Confirming and judging that was her role as the "first."
'It'd be great if she had good stamina and a sturdy body too...
With her mana increasing and physical abilities improving, she was trying harder to satisfy his lust, but she still had a ways to go.
She knew he regulated himself, not fully sating his desires to avoid harming her body.
For an ordinary person without mana, it'd end in sudden death after one day.
Looking into Oppa's thoughtful eyes, she spoke.
"Promise me! If she's even a little iffy, just bring her to me. Got it?"
Everyone's different, but the lump of values and common sense from my previous life—etched into me like a tattoo—would take a lifetime to melt away, and remnants still linger.
I've lived in this world so long, yet memories from my past life still ambush me out of nowhere with a brutal tackle.
With her permission, I could just chase the polygamous fantasies I'd dreamed of since my old life without worry.
But my love and feelings for Rike spread like an uncontrollable wildfire.
And then the thought crept in: wasn't it a terrible thing to have even one truly beloved woman and still go chasing others?
'Another woman...'
Of course, I knew what Rike meant by bringing one to her.
A woman who'd like me? Who could that be?
'...This isn't the time to think about women.'
That could wait until some woman actually got involved—then we'd talk and figure it out together.
-Screeech!!!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I dodged the icy claws aimed at my throat and assumed a stance.
Ice spikes formed in their wake, hurtling toward me.
Shing—!
The blade sliced cleanly through the incoming spikes, flowing like water.
-Grrr... Kk...
Unlike a translucent regular banshee, this one had a vivid form—and it forgot its concept after one thrust of Raksha, letting out a pathetic wail.
Now, with proficiency up, Raksha wouldn't deactivate after just one or two swings.
The banshee's mouth tore open, swelling grotesquely.
-Kiyaaaaah!!!
Rumble!!
Crackle—
I hopped aside to evade its shrieking charge, which pulverized a dust-covered tombstone into powder.
Bam—!
The instant my shoe sole hit the ground, I stomped hard, launching my body like an arrow and plunging the sword back in.
-Gulk...!
An impure monster with no organs or blood—hit the right matchup, and anywhere was a vital spot.
Without this power, I'd be suffering like I did not long ago.
Pffft—
The banshee stood frozen, crumbling into white powder on the spot.
"Hmm."
Shaaaa—
A decent amount flowed into the sword, but still nowhere near enough.
What mattered most to me right now wasn't women—it was this.
"This'll take forever like this. What a headache—"
I grumbled as I exited the abandoned graveyard in these sunless wild hills.
While Rike was at the academy, I slipped out alone like this, hopping gates to unlock the second form.
Mastering one proper skill to the pinnacle trumped some half-baked hidden piece.
But harsh reality struck.
Even rewinding time, my memory couldn't catalog every spot with undead named bosses.
The notes from my past life had limits, so I wandered the empire, dredging up my quirky recollections.
Miss after miss—who knew if I'd come to the wrong place, if the named had just vanished, or never appeared?
Barring a few monsters, it was hard to link them directly to the meteor shower before enrollment...
...No matter how I racked my brain, this had no answer.
'Time to head back and plan the class.'
No rest for the weary.
From now on, shelve the adventurer thinking—time to focus on academy instructor duties.
Overnight field camping.
Rike was excited, missing me too, but most cadets weren't thrilled about camping.
'...Their faces when they first heard were priceless.'
Over half wore blatant "no way" expressions, but excluding Rike, some actually looked forward to it.
With academy support, all gear would be prepped—luxurious for camping, but with no experience, they'd barely tell comfort from hardship.
'Gotta tell that blockhead to grab the day off.'
Fiddling with an item in hand, I reviewed my full-of-holes plan once more.