Chapter 3

CHAPTER_TITLE: A Fatal Slip of the Tongue

You're wearing them today?

Behind the Academy Main Building, in a lonely flower bed. Bathed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the warm noon sun, I was pulling weeds without even bothering with lunch.

"Goddamn it, why won't you come out already?!"

What I was after was the silver leaf growing like a weed in the corner of the flower bed. It was the wild herb used as the base for a Lesser Healing Potion. The kind of trash-picking grind broke players with no money and no backing had to go through to scrape together their first potions.

Like I'd do this shit because I wanted to. Siel's bank account balance was pathetic.

"Hup!"

The moment I put my weight into it and yanked on the stubborn stalk, it snapped with a jerk, and I landed flat on my ass. At the same time, a thorn bush hidden deeper in the flower bed scraped across the back of my hand.

"Damn it, that stings."

It was nothing more than a minor scratch, but for this cursed glass body of mine, it was a serious problem.

What the hell kind of garbage stats are these? How the fuck does getting pricked by a thorn apply a debuff?

I shoved the handful of silver leaves I'd gathered into my uniform pocket and got to my feet. I needed disinfectant.

The Infirmary in the Main Building.

When I opened the door and stepped inside, the school nurse was just finishing up her things and standing to leave.

"Oh my, student. What happened to your hand?"

"I fell in the flower bed. I just need to disinfect it."

"Did you? Well, wash it with water at the sink first, and there's red medicine and ointment in the second cabinet drawer. Apply those."

The nurse glanced at her wristwatch and added, "I need to go eat lunch now, so make sure you put everything away and close the door when you leave."

"Yes, ma'am."

Thanks to that, I got the entire empty infirmary to myself.

I turned on the faucet, washed the blood away, and opened the medicine cabinet to find the ointment.

Let's see... the ointment was— ah, here it is.

A pale green plastic container. The moment I popped the lid, a sharp garlic-like smell hit me. I scooped up a glob with my finger to spread it over the wound.

-Rrrrk!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The sliding door opened with a racket, and rough, ragged breathing spilled in.

"Haa, haa..."

I jerked my head around in surprise.

An silver-haired girl was leaning against the door. Her hair was poised to her forehead with cold sweat. Her thin ankles trembled uncontrollably.

Selah Krauss. The Ice Princess of the North who'd been doing those infuriating squats by the lakeside last night.

Shit. Why now of all times?

Selah's eyes locked onto me. Even through her deathly pale face, that familiar arrogant glare hadn't lost a shred of its edge.

"...Where is the nurse?"

"She went to eat."

At my answer, Selah frowned and tried to turn away.

But then—

"Ugh...!"

With a short gasp, her body lurched sideways. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor.

Before I could even rush over to catch her—

This fucking system.

[Time Limit: 9 minutes 45 seconds]

Selah was sitting on the floor, her legs trembling violently. She was trying hard to stand, but it didn't look like she had the strength.

I washed the ointment off my hand and walked over to her.

"...What are you doing?"

"Even now, her gaze was sharp."

I looked down at her with a calm expression.

"Upperclassman, I happen to be pretty good at massage."

"What? How dare you—ahh!"

The moment she twisted in protest, I slipped my arms behind her back and under the backs of her knees. Then I put some force into it and hoisted her up in one motion.

Either it worked or it didn't!

Princess carry!

"Y-you've lost your mind?! Put me down right this second!"

The Ice Princess thrashed wildly in my arms.

I threw her down onto the soft mattress-like bed.

Safe... I guess?

"Haa, haa... how dare you..."

Her legs stretched long across the bed. Without hesitation, I grabbed the stocking band wrapped around her thigh and dragged it down.

"...?"

Selah's eyes went round, unable to process what was happening. Then her face turned red as a tomato.

"Where do you think you're touching?!"

"The ointment has to be applied to bare skin for it to soak all the way into the fascia. Stay still, if you would."

Selah screamed and tried to kick me, but no chance. I grabbed her slender ankle and pinned it firmly to the bed.

Her bare thigh, white as fresh snow.

Wow... her skin's insanely pale... No, focus on the quest!

I shook off the stray thought and spread the muscle ointment over her skin.

I put my weight into my thumb and pressed hard, following the lines of the muscle.

"Ng...! It hurts...! Get your hands off me right now...!"

Selah screamed and thrashed, but it was a useless struggle. I mercilessly kneaded the knotted spots.

"Ah, ahhh! Y-you lunatic... hngh!"

My relentless massage loosened the hardened muscle and began opening up the blocked channels.

"Haa...! Hng, ah, n-no..."

The moment her pain changed into some other sensation, Selah's body shuddered hard.

Her resistance weakened. Both hands clutched the bedsheet tightly.

Her moans echoed through the infirmary.

[Condition achieved: extracted the target's suppressed cries.]

Good. If I keep squeezing her all the way to the end...!

-Step, step.

Footsteps came from the hallway.

"Oh dear, I left my wallet behind."

Shit.

It was the nurse's voice.

Why is she back already?

If she caught me massaging the princess's legs while she was panting like that? Just imagining it was horrifying.

-Rrrrk.

On reflex, I snatched the towel hanging from the bedpost.

"Then I forced it over Selah's mouth."

"Mph-?! Nnngh...!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

She thrashed around, breathing awkwardly.

"Oh my, she left the medicine cabinet open and just went off somewhere?"

I heard the nurse muttering from beyond the curtain.

"Mmmph! Hmphh...!"

Why does her face look like it's getting more and more lewd by the second...?

"Phew, there it is. My wallet."

Rrrrk. Thump.

The door closed, and the room fell silent again.

I pulled the towel away from Selah's mouth.

"Cough! Hack! Haa, haa...!"

Selah coughed violently, spitting out the breath that had been trapped in her chest. Her cheeks were flushed, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes.

[Time Limit: 3 minutes 04 seconds]

This was enough.

I slid my fingers deep into the inner side of her thigh. In the most sensitive, most fragile spot, I pressed my thumb slowly and insistently into the knotted fascia.

"Hah, ahhh...! T-that place..."

Hot breath burst from between Selah's parted lips. Her toes curled and trembled.

The sky is vast and clear in autumn—

I started singing the national anthem in my head and dug in harder with my hands.

This was a desperate, filthy effort to stay alive.

"Haa, ahhh...! S-stop... hngh, this is weird...!"

Yesss—!

The moment the success notice appeared, I pulled my hands away without a shred of hesitation.

But then a white finger clamped down hard on the cuff of my uniform.

"..."

Selah was staring up at me with a dazed expression.

There was a strange heat in those eyes, tangled together with sticky regret.

"J-just a little... more..."

Her voice was hazy, as if she didn't even realize what she was saying.

There was no doubt the fetish she'd awakened yesterday had completely chewed up what was left of her reason.

Dangerous.

If I got tangled up any deeper with a female in that state, who knew what kind of quest would pop out next?

"...The muscle is all loosened up now. Please get some rest, Upperclassman."

I firmly pulled my sleeve free.

Leaving behind Selah's hand drifting through empty air as if disappointed, I walked to the sink and washed my hands.

Now I just had to get out.

I wiped my hands with a towel and looked back.

Selah was sprawled out across the bed.

Her flushed cheeks. The tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. The lingerie that was carelessly visible on her body, like she had just been trained by me in the forest last night.

Maybe because the sight was so bizarre? Or maybe because my tension had finally broken? The words that slipped out of my mouth had clearly passed through no filter in my brain.

"You're wearing panties today?"

"...What?"

The air froze instantly.

Ah.

I realized my mistake and slapped a hand over my mouth, but it was already too late.

Her eyes went wide.

Rage, humiliation, and shock all flared at once.

"You..."

Selah's voice trembled violently.

She braced herself on the bed and tried to stagger to her feet.

Killing intent flooded the infirmary.

"It was you...! Last night, you..."

I need to run!

I launched myself at the door without looking back.

I sprinted at full speed, throwing in the extra Agility +1 I'd just gotten as if my life depended on it.

"Stop right there! I'll kill you! You perverted bastard!"

Selah's scream rang down the hallway.

At the same time, a chill wind spiraled up behind me.

Ice Spear. Selah's signature spell.

But who did she think I was?

Just by the angle of the gathering mana, I could already see the trajectory clearly.

Without the slightest hesitation, I rolled across the hallway floor.

BOOM!

The razor-sharp ice spear tore past where I'd been and slammed into the wall.

Shattered ice fragments rained down to the floor.

After one smooth roll, I was back on my feet.

Right before rounding the corner, I threw a glance over my shoulder.

Selah was trembling, her legs weak and useless beneath her.

"Too slow."

I spat out the one line that came to mind, then vanished completely from the hallway.

The desperate effort of a veteran just trying to survive had, in the worst possible way, given birth to a monster of obsession.