014. Too Much Stimulation
Mana surged along the pristine white blade, spewing a starry trail into the empty air. A dazzling yet ferocious flow. The white light, born and forged to annihilate demons, shimmered as it dwelled within the Holy Sword.
The Goddess beams with a radiant smile at the hero's form, reunited after so long.
Replica. A mock Holy Sword that existed only within this game. Still, its durability held up against my mana, and the flashy gleam felt remarkably similar. I hadn't drawn the real Holy Sword lately, and facing a familiar monster got my blood pumping a bit before I knew it.
─Grrrrowl.
Trolls were a personal favorite once upon a time. Not their grotesque looks, of course. Who could love that green skin like goblins and orcs, complete with bumpy acne? And the especially dumb ones just let their junk flop around freely. Even with my near-dead aesthetic sense, a troll's appearance was nightmare fuel.
Clank. If they had one redeeming quality, it was their stubborn tenacity and tankiness. Surviving blow after blow and charging back in with grit.
'Perfect for a warm-up.'
Yeah, I liked that they didn't die easily. So hold out as long as you can.
"May the blessings of the gods be with you."
I gripped my sword as the troll charged, eyes half-rolled back, club raised high.
By nature, a mage's movements were static, devastating the battlefield with a single spell, while a swordsman seized tactical victory with superior speed. Before mages could dominate, the founder of the renowned Alavad mage family─one of the world's elite─had this thought.
If mages were vulnerable up close, defenseless against breaches through their barriers, why not create their own warriors as a counter?
A mage who was also a warrior. By mimicking their natural predators and achieving seamless offense and defense, that mage alone could claim tactical and strategic dominance.
The Alavad line began that way, infusing mana into metal lumps to shape them and manipulate them like puppets. The puppet Alavads.
Sepine Alavad, hailed as a prodigy in that lineage, took pride in her abilities. Barely twenty now, she believed that with a bit more time, she could command everything effortlessly─no desperate struggles needed.
Not that she dreamed of becoming some dark overlord, but mastering her metal puppets freely was within reach. Just one epiphany away, not impossible at all.
She stood alone, yet could mimic anything: warriors, shieldbearers, mages, secretaries, even carriages for transport.
Boredom kept her holed up in her room most days, but she had confidence. Her genius senses and mimicry aptitude turned metal puppets into elite warriors. She could wield a sword more skillfully than most students.
Slash─
That confidence shattered.
A wooden club larger than her spun through the air, cleaved in half. The troll's arm severed in one stroke.
'Huh?'
Sepine Alavad blinked wide, mana gathering at her staff's fireball tip. She'd tracked the hero's movements fine─or so she thought─until the scene flipped.
The club poised to crush the hero's head became mere splinters in an instant. The savage arm followed suit.
Had she missed something?
……No, that wasn't it.
Her mage's sharp eyes and instincts screamed. This wasn't some laughable male or average student swordsman. Even if she couldn't name the profound technique, the innate dread etched into every mage's heart rang the alarm.
A monster stood right there, before her eyes.
"GRRROOOOAR─!"
As the troll swung its remaining arm─cauterized stump flying─the hero stepped forward.
Slipping the trajectory like a mirage, diving inside. The strike missed.
The sword tip dipped low, then rose─severing the ankle tendon. The troll staggered, knee slamming the ground.
Thud─.
Simultaneously, the fist it'd just swung shattered into fragments.
Did even this beast find the phenomenon fearsome? Its eyes bulged, massive frame trembling.
Dragging its severed arm, it began retreating.
─Huuu… GRROO…!
The monster fled.
Sepine Alavad stared blankly until she noticed her staff's fireball glowing at full charge.
Ah, the ten seconds were up.
Aiming at the limping troll's back, she shook her head and lowered it.
The hero, standing still as if awaiting her finish, looked puzzled. But even with his friendly gaze, Sepine replayed the memory in a daze.
'……Ah.'
That radiant motion, like a galaxy unfurling, lingered in her vision.
"……Ugh."
After the magic game lesson ended, I gained a bit of insight. So unexpected it left my mind blank. Even some time later, I just sat there blinking, unable to leave.
"Goddess."
Why are you calling?
"Assuming I'm a bit brutal in hunts, do the women here think it's too much when they grab monsters or demons the same way?"
The Goddess ponders the tricky question, unsure how to respond.
Brutality in monster hunting meant nothing anyway. Just kill efficiently─what standards were there? Even if any existed, I burned with mana (no blood) and sliced only necessary parts optimally. My sword was innocent!
I wanted to protest my innocence, but…
Why worry about "brutality" from that world? Because my friend─the mood had been great─bolted right after class.
Sepine Alavad. My golden goblin buddy gave me the cold shoulder.
'Why?'
Weren't we pals? Hungry for lunch, urgent bathroom break, tight schedule─sure, excuses existed. But that friendly gaze shifted oddly at the end. Hard to meet my eyes, then fled.
……So something wrong in the final hunt? The vibe was fine before, so it had to be.
'My swordplay too sloppy?'
I didn't want to believe that. If true, it'd hurt more than "too brutal." Disappointment in my skill over the fight's aesthetics? Nah, probably the combat bothered her…
No way that's it, she says.
'What do you know, Goddess.'
[……?]
"Sigh."
No answers without asking her directly. I stood, troubled but done dwelling. The end soured a bit, but the lesson wasn't fruitless.
Magic Research Dept. Maho
Hunter Support Dept. Imir
No share from goblin buddy in-game, but two new names in my nearly empty phone contacts. And decent rewards too.
◈ Reveals the target's true form.
After felling the troll, two Truth Elixirs popped from the treasure chest─one for goblin buddy, one for me. High-level magic made it feel real, but it was just a game, so no big deal.
'Special prize for top player!' The prof shoved the real things at me as prizes.
Calls forth the target's true appearance.
A small glass vial fit neatly in my palm, red-tinged liquid sloshing inside. I couldn't cast spells, but fighting demons honed my gauge for such levels.
"Goddess, this seems legit good, right?"
The Goddess scowls, claiming she knows nothing.
Sulky goddess aside, I knew. Top-tier item─sellable for big bucks. High enough that even I'd feel partial effects.
'Effect probably short-lived, though.'
Implementing this for real? The prof was way more impressive than I thought.
"Scored big."
Back in her private room in the academy's special district, Sepine Alavad clutched her pounding chest, gasping for breath.
……Hah, hah, haa.
Her face burned apple-red, far from her usual pallor.
Yeah, not like her at all. Not as the iron-willed mage, nor the steady human.
Undeniably, excessively aroused.
Sepine grabbed her feverish cheeks, replaying the memory. As a vanguard-puppet mage, and as a woman.
The hero's motions were thrillingly beautiful.
"……Ugh, too much stimulation."
Her heart was in real danger.