The Secret of the Affection System
"What's with that look on your face?"
The expression on Isolet, who was gazing down at me, began to sour bit by bit.
"Don't tell me you're actually offended? For real?"
"......."
"Or... did I hit a nerve?"
Stuck right by her side like that, I began mimicking—as closely as possible—what Aishi had done to me in that freezing cafe.
"Right? That's it, isn't it? Yeah, you dumb big sis."
For instance, smiling up at her with crinkled eyes while poking her side with my finger: poke, poke.
"You always breathe so heavy on the phone, growling like that—how do you expect to train anyone?"
Or circling around her with my hands behind my back.
"Why not just go look for a marriage prospect?"
Then standing right in front of her, whispering with a face full of mockery.
"...Grk."
As I kept it up, Isolet's face kept twisting until she quietly started grinding her teeth.
Judging by that, it was working like a charm.
According to the records in the Prophecy Book, Isolet and Aishi's relationship never improves, no matter how close you get to the ending after surviving countless trials.
Her upright, justice-driven, stubborn personality could never accept someone as flighty and ill-mannered as that.
Like water and oil, you know?
Anyway, that's what I was exploiting.
Since I'd already disappointed her with all sorts of villainy, if my usual behavior solidified like this, she'd surely start recoiling just from looking at me.
Right now, she was glaring down at me coldly, even radiating killing intent.
Was I about to get hit?
No, actually, that might be for the best.
Her affection level would drop for sure.
Swish...
As that thought crossed my mind, Isolet—who'd been staring me down coldly—reached out a trembling hand toward my neck.
"What? You gonna hit me or—"
I braced myself inwardly, thinking she might actually strike.
"Ah, hello...!"
"We're coming in!!"
But then Lulu and Irina grabbed both my arms and hurriedly dragged me inside the mansion.
Thanks to them, I was yanked away cluelessly, and I dazedly reached out into empty air while staring back at Isolet, who quietly turned her head toward me.
"........."
She kept staring at me with those eerie eyes, hand outstretched, until the front door finally shut.
"Uh, hey... where are we going?"
""........""
I was inwardly toasting my successful ploy when I realized the silent girls were leading me somewhere odd.
"Why the bathroom...?"
They were dragging me to the mansion's bathroom.
Click.
Shaaaa...
We stepped into the bathroom with bewildered expressions, and Irina quickly locked the door before layering on some magic.
"Master, why are you doing that?"
Lulu looked at me with a panicked face and asked.
"Doing what?"
"Why are you suddenly seducing Professor Isolet? Is there a reason you have to?"
".....?"
I tilted my head at that, and Irina nodded quietly beside her in agreement.
I quietly recalled my plan in my head.
"...Ha."
She let out a hollow laugh after I explained.
'You know how much Professor Isolet hates Aishi. You saw it in the previous loops, right?'
'Her affection didn't go up. If it looked like I was seducing her, it'd shoot right up. It's the type that rises even if you leave it alone.'
But as I laid it out logically, her expression started twisting.
"W-What...? You're sending telepathy to someone else besides me...?"
'If her affection rises even a little, I'll call off the plan right away. That work?'
"Haa... Fine, but..."
As I gauged her reaction and said that, Irina sighed, about to respond—
Knock knock knock...!
"Anyone in there?"
"I'll go out. You two come later."
A holy knight knocked from outside, so I said that, opened the door, and muttered to the birds on my shoulder as I left.
"Be ready to jump in anytime."
Now it was just me and Lulu.
"Master..."
She pouted sulkily and rubbed her cheek against my chest.
Watching her, a sudden thought struck me.
...Can I revert a fully conquered heroine back to pre-conquest state?
Even if Isolet was fully conquered and worried about me, resetting her conquest status would solve it, right?
"Lulu, what if I abandoned you?"
So, I decided to run a test.
"Huh?"
"Say I lost interest in you? Wanted to toss you aside? What would you do?"
To see if I could shake off Lulu, who was already fully conquered.
"........"
"Uh, Lulu?"
Problem was, her eyes went dead for the first time in ages.
"...Then I wouldn't feel any meaning in life."
"What?"
"So I'd just die. Quietly, somewhere remote, so I don't tarnish Master's reputation..."
"Ah..."
I'd forgotten amid her recent bright, cute antics.
Lulu was the type who died without love.
"Have I become boring, Master?"
She buried her face in my chest and asked in a trembling voice.
"I-I'll go anytime you say. I don't want to burden Master..."
Gazing at her terrified expression, I—
Flick...!
—pulled out the brooch for the first time in a while and quietly infused it with mana.
Shaaaa...
Black smoke rose from the brooch.
"You know what this is, right Lulu?"
"T-This is..."
The Death Oath was banned but so infamous that even Lulu knew it well.
"I'll keep you by my side until I die."
".....!"
That made things even easier, I thought, whispering it close.
"Until I die, you're my pet."
Adding that as I watched her, her face flushed beet red as she stammered.
"I-I... I'm..."
"It's fine, Lulu."
Crackle...!
"Eh? Wha—?"
I sealed her mouth and ended the oath.
"I-I didn't set conditions! Why only Master...!"
"You just accept it. No need to do anything."
I stroked her head.
"...Just stay by my side until I die."
Saying that, I pinned the brooch back to my chest.
"Master....."
Lulu stared dazedly, nestled in my arms.
"...Ngh."
Then suddenly, her eyes darkened.
"U-Until you die... Until death... No. Scary. Don't wanna..."
"Lulu?"
"M-Masterrr..."
Soon, sniffling and clinging tight, she whimpered.
"When Master dies, I'll die too. Life without Master has no meaning anyway."
"......."
"No, I'll extend your lifespan somehow. I'll find a way, so somehow..."
She mumbled into my neck.
"Let's go, Lulu."
"...Woof."
We'd been in the bathroom ages, so I grabbed her hand—as she full-on dog-licked my face with barks—and headed out.
""......."
We ran into my cold-faced little brother and the holy knight.
"I sensed a sinister, dark aura from the bathroom."
"Me too."
"What exactly did you do to Lulu in there?"
At their icy interrogation.
"You don't even know and—"
Lulu quietly bared her teeth.
"Looks like we need to investigate."
"......."
They approached me with cold stares.
"You lot, there."
But Isolet appeared beside us suddenly, averting the crisis.
"It's mealtime."
She crooked a finger, beckoning us.
"To the dining hall."
"Yaaawn..."
""........."
Everyone at the table stared at Frey.
"Who made this food?"
In that atmosphere, Frey poked around his plate, leg crossed, and asked.
"I did. Got a complaint?"
"Pfft, figures. No wonder it tastes like shit—old maid cooking."
Responding to Isolet like that.
"Total crap. If you got nothing else, at least cook well."
Everyone at the table flinched, but inwardly agreed.
Isolet was awful at cooking.
The holy knight even saw eating it as training.
"Frey."
"Want me to cook instead?"
"Don't test my patience..."
"I cook pretty good. You don't wanna see me in an apron?"
In the weird tension, Frey kept provoking the stone-faced Isolet.
"...Bluff."
Then, smirking, he drove it home.
"I wouldn't marry a spinster teacher in a million years."
Silence fell.
"...Come out, Frey."
"Huh?"
"Mealtime's over. One-on-one training now."
Breaking the quiet, Isolet stood and left the dining hall.
'No affection rise, and mind-reading skill shows nothing but hate and disappointment. No issue.'
Frey's eyes flashed briefly. He winked quietly at the sour-faced Irina, then followed Isolet.
Step, step...
They walked silently through the mansion for a while before stopping at the training grounds together.
"We use practice wooden swords. Grab one from that rack over there, Frey."
Isolet pointed to the distant storage.
"Hmph, all worn out. Just like someone..."
"Once you've got it, place your hand on the scroll beside it."
Raising her wooden sword, she cut off his cheeky remark and commanded.
"What's this for...?"
Frey tilted his head and touched the scroll—light spread everywhere.
"...Huh?"
Moments later, a powerful barrier formed around him.
"Hey, why a barrier for training...?"
-BOOM!!
"...Eek!!"
At that instant, Isolet charged at terrifying speed and slashed him.
"...Urk!"
He flew back several meters, slamming into the wall. Thanks to the barrier, unharmed but dumbfounded.
"Brat..."
Panting roughly at him, Isolet.
"...Today, I'll teach you."
She whispered coldly.
-KABOOM!!!
Soon, terrifying roars echoed through the training grounds.
Crack...! Crumble...!
"Ugh..."
Frey huddled, gasping, looking up at Isolet in shock.
"Listen well, Frey."
Isolet thrust her sword hard at him and began sternly.
"First, I am not incompetent."
"...Urgh."
She stomped on the downed Frey, drawing a small groan.
"Second, I am your master. Not someone you can insult lightly."
She swung again; his barrier nearly shattered.
"Third, the incompetent one is you."
-Shatter...!
She delivered the final blow, smashing the barrier to pieces.
"Hoo..."
Straddling and pinning the collapsed Frey.
"Submit."
She whispered, reaching for his neck.
"You've lost to me. Your life and death are mine. No one would complain if I did anything to you here."
Gripping his neck, she spoke coldly.
"This is reality, Frey. Wake up. Face it and stop dreaming..."
She started as a stern educator lecturing the pinned Frey.
"........"
"A-Anyway... take today's defeat... as a lesson... strive harder..."
Her earlier arrogance gone, seeing him collapsed from her attacks—his pristine white clothes dirtied by the training ground dust—she began to stutter.
"M-My whole body feels hot... Why, why is this...?"
Then, head drooping, hand still on his neck.
"...Sis?"
Frey, frowning at the unchanged affection—thinking the plan failed—asked softly.
"What's wrong?"
The sudden "sis" mixed with pure curiosity made her tremble.
"...Barrier's gone, and sure enough, I can't attack you."
She spoke in a quivering voice.
"I want to punish you, beat you back to sense... but I can't."
"Uh, hey..."
"Was teasing me like that fun, Frey?"
"What?"
Her grip softened; her eyes too.
"...Forget what I just said, Frey."
"Huh?"
"Forget all the lecturing too. I don't deserve to say that to you."
Continuing shakily.
"I lack the qualifications of a knight."
"Hey..."
"No teacher qualifications either. Nor as your master, or noble lady."
"What are you talking about...?"
"Ngh..."
Seeing his frightened face, she nearly lost control.
"Urk..."
Biting her tongue, eyes squeezed shut, she mustered superhuman will to restrain herself.
'Doesn't matter anymore.'
Gazing down at him—pinned beneath her, confused—with trembling eyes.
'As long as I can make this fragile boy family... I don't care what happens.'
She swallowed dryly, murmuring inwardly.
'That's been my wish since I was little.'
Ding!
A system window popped up before Frey.
Frey stared blankly at it.
[Awakening of the heroine's potential, and...]
"Eh...?"
His eyes widened.
[...19+ Event Unlocked (Conditions Not Met)]
That's what floated before him.
"Grrr..."
"Knew it. Head in."
"Blacktail Fantasy 2 is..."
Irina dragged in the demon-eyed glaring Lulu.
"...Rated 15+ from what I heard?"
Frey muttered hoarsely.
The sun had already climbed to midday.