Pathetic Teacher
After a long time, I had a pretty happy dream. It was after escaping the café where I'd met Aisi, the dream of being swallowed up in Irina's mantle as she stripped naked to heal my frozen body.
"Ugh..."
It's just a hazy thought in my sleep, but it feels so damn good. A soft, warm, cozy energy swirls around my entire body. Is this what sunbathing feels like? I can't remember well since the last time I basked lazily like that was when I was a kid, but it must be something like this.
'...Time to get up.'
But I can't stay lost in delusions forever. Time to rise.
By the way, dreaming something like that... Is it because I've been getting jumped so much lately? I haven't had dreams like this in ages, so why now...
Squish...!
As I thought that and shifted my body, a familiar squishy sensation spread through me all at once.
"Hm...?"
This feeling, like plunging into soft slime. No matter how I think about it, there's only one thing it could mean.
The dream I had wasn't a dream at all...
".....!"
I cautiously opened my eyes and froze, my thoughts grinding to a halt.
Irina's body was blatantly filling my vision.
"Uh, w-wait... Ah?"
Panicking, I tried to pull back, but Irina's mantle blocked me. So I flailed around inside for a moment before carefully poking my head out from under the mantle.
"...Hehe."
There, right in front of my nose, was Irina lying on the bed, wearing a blissful smile.
"Sleep well? Frey?"
Whoosh...
Irina, with her soft smile, reached out and gently stroked my head peeking out from atop the mantle.
"I-Irina? What the hell is going on...?"
"Oh, that..."
Of course, Irina's body and mine were still overlapped inside the mantle, so when I asked with my face flushing a bit, she averted her gaze and answered.
"You had too much contact with Aisi, so the ice bird inside you activated way more than I thought."
"Uh, uh-huh."
"So I had to melt it all day."
"All day?"
I dazedly listened to her, then glanced at the clock in shock. Sure enough, it was morning.
That means a full day had passed since I'd been swallowed by Irina's mantle in the carriage yesterday?
"...So, how's your body feeling?"
As I reeled in surprise, Irina asked quietly.
"I did my best, but there might be side effects. If your body feels even a little cold..."
"So, you stayed up all night for me?"
"Eh? Y-Yeah?"
When I turned the question back on her, Irina nodded with a look like why are you asking something so obvious?
"...Thanks, Irina."
I thanked her for melting my body all night without sleep and nestled into her embrace.
".....!"
Her quickening heartbeat transmitted straight to me.
"F-Frey..."
"........"
I buried my face in her chest for a moment, then lifted my head and silently stared into Irina's blazing red eyes.
A strange silence flowed between us.
Scratch... Screeech...
"Irina... come out already... How long are you gonna stay in there...?"
Until Lulu's voice came, desperately clawing at the door.
"W-Wait...! Frey hasn't woken up yet..."
"You know I have Demon Eyes for a reason...?"
"I-I cast an anti-eavesdropping spell... Ah, no. Nothing."
Irina stammered in panic at Lulu's eerie tone.
"If you keep coming out like that... cooperation... Mmph!"
Lulu said something cryptic to her.
"A-Ahem! Anyway, treatment's done, so let's get up, Frey."
Irina urgently tapped the mantle with her finger and rose from the bed.
By the way, the mantle felt stiff until she tapped it... Was that my imagination?
"...Young Master Frey."
As I thought that, someone called from outside.
"Ariane? What's up?"
"I have a report... Gasp."
I threw on some clothes haphazardly and opened the door. Ariane, who had been about to report from behind it with a blank expression, froze at the sight inside the room.
"I-Irina..."
"...That's not the Irina you know, okay? Hurry up and report."
I urged her on, and she began her report with half despair, half a strange expression.
"R-Rosewin... wants to visit..."
"Refuse."
"She's so insistent, I don't know what to do..."
"I'm heading to Isolet's place today anyway, so I'll be out of the house. Don't tell her where."
I commanded coldly and tried to close the door, but Ariane quickly spoke up.
"A-And Aisi wants to see you too..."
"...Refuse that too. Say I'm feeling really sick today and can't play."
"Y-Yes... And the imperial palace contacted us."
"The palace?"
I thought Aisi's news was the end, but the palace? What's this about?
"Th-They want you to attend the upcoming Hero Verification Ceremony... As an advisor to the Hero Clan..."
From Ariane's follow-up, I understood why the palace had reached out.
I'd figured the 'main event' of winter break, the Verification Ceremony scenario, was approaching. And sure enough, the invitation came.
There, Ruby would truly soar, and I'd plummet...
Inviting me to such a place—truly cruel bastards.
"W-Well, then I'll be going..."
Ariane gave me the time and place, glanced at Irina now leaning against me with that strange expression, and left.
""........""
Silence began to flow.
"Frey, I'm heading to the Western Continent soon for rotation."
Irina broke the silence, whispering softly.
"By the time the 'Verification Ceremony' happens, Clana will probably be with you. She should arrive next week or so."
"...Yeah?"
"Yeah, so..."
As she dressed, subtly brushing against me, Irina...
"Remember this."
Blushed deeply and whispered in my ear.
"The one who feels the most bliss when you hold her is me."
"......."
"You can tell just by looking, and after a whole day imprinted... You know, right?"
With that, she softly kissed my lips and headed for the door.
"I'll wait at the entrance. Get ready and come out."
"...Yeah."
"Oh, right."
She suddenly stopped, glanced back slyly, and...
"...You're impressive down there."
Blushed as she eyed my lower half, then left the room.
"......Phew."
I hurriedly checked the Purity Ring—thankfully, it still glowed white.
No risk of Serena going berserk.
"....."
As I dressed, feeling tossed by waves from the moment I woke, Lulu peeked in from outside where she'd been waiting.
"M-Master..."
"Lulu?"
She scurried to my side, rubbing against me warily.
"...What're you doing?"
"I-I can warm you up too."
"Yeah?"
"A-And... as your pet, please mark me with your scent."
I dazedly stroked her head, then sighed and sank into thought.
'Now I just have to wait for the coronation...'
The first goal of this break, 'meet all sub-heroines,' was successfully cleared yesterday.
So until the second goal, 'attend the coronation,' time would fly by in a blink.
After that, prepping for war with the Church would make time vanish again, and before I knew it, second year would start.
And then, the grind begins anew...
"Sigh..."
I shook my head to shake off the gloom, crossed my arms, and stared into space.
Isolet's conquest progress had risen a whopping 5% in just a week.
What the hell did I even do for it to go up on its own?
I'd just answered a few of her calls and sexually harassed or insulted her.
Normally, that should've lowered it—truly bizarre.
'Should I just... conquer her?'
As I pondered deeply, the thought suddenly struck me.
For some reason, after the version update, that suspicious 'Affection System' was exuding a fishy vibe.
I'd been too busy to experiment until now, but it nagged at me.
If it hits 100% and conquest completes, there must be some perk, right?
'But that's a bit iffy...'
Not certain, but Lulu's conquest point was the day the servants left my house.
But her Demon Eyes changed when Miho attacked...
The timings differ slightly.
"...Lulu, when did your Demon Eyes change?"
"Ah, yes. Well... when I desperately wished to protect Master."
She answered my serious question in a quiet voice.
"How desperately?"
"...To the point I'd give my life."
I gazed at her clear, earnest eyes as she replied again, quietly deducing inwardly.
'Maybe when a trigger happens for heroines I've conquered... their latent abilities awaken?'
A compelling hypothesis.
Lulu's case fits, and sub-heroines each have unique powers or talents to awaken.
That 'hidden element' I mentioned in past loops during the third trial—could it be this?
If so, conquering Isolet definitely has value.
"Then... should I, like, seduce her?"
I muttered absentmindedly, face heating, and Lulu, fidgeting beside me, stared blankly.
"Master...? What're you gonna do...?"
"Nothing. Forget it."
"......."
I brushed it off casually, and Lulu, eyeing me anxiously, closed her eyes tightly and resumed rubbing against me.
'I do want to conquer her, but...'
Holding her hand as we left the room, I muttered inwardly.
'...Not right now.'
Seducing her now, who knows what she'd do to me.
And there's the long-awaited 'fourth trial.'
Already a headache with more people getting dragged in—if conquering her makes her 'worry' about me, disaster.
'But I can't stall forever...'
Her progress is already 95%.
One slip, and she's conquered.
'...Gotta take some measures.'
So I need to shave off progress before that. Any good ideas?
Sexual jokes or acts used to lower her favor, but now it's backfiring.
"What Isolet hates... What she hates..."
As I pondered deeply...
"...Aha!"
I clapped inwardly.
'Isolet hated Aisi the most among the students, right?'
My ancestor's prophecy book has a 'Character Relationship Chart' summarizing Blacktail Fantasy 2 relations.
Kania and Serena are polar opposites; Clana can't stand up to Rosewin pre-awakening but crushes her after; Ariane is Irina's bestie.
And Isolet-Aisi: worst possible.
Because as much as she hates promiscuity, she despises 'arrogance.'
Proven by my experience—she smashes haughty nobles and thugs daily.
"Perfect... Problem solved."
Having found my Isolet countermeasure, I smirked and reached the entrance.
"".......""
Lulu beside me, Irina waiting at the entrance, birds on her shoulder, cat doll peeking from my coat pocket—all tensed up.
"Let's go."
I strode out past them, muttering confidently.
"...Just imitate what Aisi did."
"Hey, sis?"
An hour later.
"Like always today too..."
Frey Raon Starlight, just like Aisi had done to him yesterday, covered his mouth with one hand, flashed an arrogant smirk, and...
"You're reeking of desperate spinster...?"
Placed a hand on Isolet's shoulder as she came to greet him, her face shadowing over in a daze, and...
"...You look so damn pathetic."
Stood on tiptoes, smiling with his eyes, and whispered right in her ear.
"Pathetic teacher."