If I Accept Your Confession, Will You Stop Getting in My Way?
If I Accept Your Confession, Will You Stop Getting in My Way?
[ The other party is typing a message... ]
A message appeared on Ian's terminal.
Even after waiting a moment, Sylvia's reply still didn't arrive.
[ Ian ] : Hey. You're not thinking of fobbing me off with some Kirtos terminal, are you?
[ Sylvia ] : What?
[ Sylvia ] : Of course not! I was trying to figure out exactly how much it's worth!
"That's quite the deliberation."
Ian considered a sarcastic jab, then let it go.
Teasing her was entertaining, but if he accidentally wounded Sylvia's pride, their relationship might sour.
Sylvia wasn't the type to enjoy being on the receiving end without giving back. She was, in fact, the type who insisted on thoroughly repaying any favor. She'd probably delayed because she was genuinely calculating the value of the information he'd given her.
Still.
[ Ian ] : There's nothing to deliberate.
[ Sylvia ] : ...What do you mean nothing? A Frost Bear is a Grade 5 Hazard-class. A high-tier hazard species. And you didn't just give me an average strategy; you gave me a weakness.
[ Sylvia ] : And that's not all. It was information I absolutely needed. The result was good, too. And to Emilia, that fox-like, detestable wench—
[ Sylvia ] : Please pretend you didn't see that last chat. A stray alley cat must have walked across my keyboard. I hold Miss Emilia in the highest regard as a rival, of course. If this ever gets out, I'll just assume you're the culprit and bury you. Understood? Anyway. It was essential information, so I will compensate you properly.
As expected.
She repays exactly what she receives.
Whether that meant gratitude or a grudge, it was a value system he respected.
[ Ian ] : I know.
[ Sylvia ] : ...Excuse me?
[ Ian ] : I know what matters to you.
[ Sylvia ] : How? I've never told anyone.
Though when she started angling for a battle of wits, he had to be careful.
[ Ian ] : Don't try to subtly pump your informant, alright?
[ Sylvia ] : Tch.
[ Ian ] : Anyway, the compensation can be something I need.
[ Sylvia ] : Something you need?
He'd already flipped through the Laurent Trading Company's pamphlets for exactly this moment.
Lunar. A mineral that offered performance similar to materials two grades higher, despite its own low grade. The fact that it was a mineral formed under the moon's influence made it a perfect match for the approaching main scenario.
What Ian needed was raw Lunar ore.
[ Sylvia ] : Lunar... You want refined mineral?
[ Ian ] : The highest purity you can manage, with as much size and weight as I can carry around.
For a while, Sylvia sent no reply.
She was probably wondering what the hell he intended to use it for.
[ Sylvia ] : If you need a weapon, I could give it to you as a weapon.
[ Ian ] : No. That'll suffice. As soon as possible, please.
Heh.
A grin crept up the corner of Ian's mouth.
◆
Afternoon.
Combat training practice was, as inevitable as ever, on the schedule.
These practice sessions had been arranged practically every day without fail.
That meant the full-scale Combat Training exercise wasn't far off.
The actual fieldwork for 'Combat Training' required students to enter a zone where monsters had actually appeared and subjugate them.
Even in an environment pre-regulated to some degree by the professors, it was still dangerous.
This was an exercise that routinely produced numerous minor injuries and a few serious ones.
Lichten Academy was deeply committed to cultivating real combat capability in its cadets, so naturally, 'Combat Training' was the core course of the semester.
From that perspective, it made sense to keep the cadets in a constant state of alert.
And so the practice session began.
Today's topic was various terrain features and ambushes.
In a training ground that made you wonder if mana puppets could really construct such things, he navigated the obstacles at a decent pace again.
"This way! I smell something from over here this time, meow— I mean, I smell it!"
The truth was, Danya's contributions had been significant today.
As the session difficulty increased, Everidge, who handled the team's scouting, had begun to lose efficiency. Given that most of his stats were close to average, it was probably inevitable.
"I'm sorry. I'm in the Reconnaissance Department, and I'm completely useless."
"Hmph. No need to worry so much. It's simply that I, the great Danya, am extraordinary!"
Danya, clearly enjoying her moment, swished her tail gently back and forth.
He'd noticed it lately: her tail seemed to be developing a glossier sheen.
'But isn't that a little too fluffy for a cat's tail?'
If he had to guess, was it more of a Persian cat sort of thing? Or maybe it was a bit fox-like?
Watching that swaying tail made him suddenly feel like reaching out to stroke it at least once.
He was walking along with that thought when Danya glanced back, and their eyes briefly met.
— Swish. Swish-swish.
After that, oddly, Danya's tail kept lightly brushing against his face, tickling him.
"Danya. Lower your tail."
In lieu of a reply, Danya's eyes curved into thin crescents.
She glanced back at him and stuck her tongue out slightly—the very picture of a fire fox.
And so, today's practice ended with decent results once more.
Instructor Hwatonghwan's voice boomed out.
"Team 13! Not bad again today. You placed 7th!"
Hearing the instructor's assessment, then resting and exchanging praise, had become a sort of routine.
Most of Team 13's praise was usually directed at Ian. This time, thanks to her scouting performance, Danya earned a portion of the credit too.
Ian leaned against the wall and caught his breath.
No matter how capable he was, tanking hits in a mage's body was no easy task.
As he stood there, Yulan sidled up to him—white on the outside, pitch-black within.
"Ahaha. It's a little disappointing, I must say."
Yulan, expressing regret.
At this unexpected windfall, Ian spoke up with unprecedented kindness.
"If you're unhappy, you're free to join another team. Shall I ask the instructor about it for you?"
"No, no. That's not what I meant. Please don't misunderstand, Sir Ian! My point is merely that I would appreciate an opportunity to display my abilities a little more proactively..."
'Tch.'
Ian clicked his tongue inwardly.
He was being treated as Team 13's de facto leader now, without ever asking for it.
And that was precisely why he was suppressing Yulan's ability to unleash his divine power.
"I told you. You're our team's hidden trump card. It's best to keep your abilities hidden for as long as possible."
"Ahaha. Is that so."
This was the bastard who'd tried to activate a brainwashing trigger through a handshake. There was no telling what lurked behind divine power that looked like healing.
As a result, between tanking and cleaning up with purification, it felt like his body was being ripped down the middle into two separate jobs.
'People only grow stronger the more they're torn apart.'
He was satisfied because he could feel his growth accelerating.
He was just dealing with the Blood Rock cultist's complaint when—
"Team 7! You seem to be getting slower. Don't let your focus lapse!"
Rina's team arrived late.
As always, she would probably just glare at him once and go her own way, wouldn't she? Ever since the speedrun, Rina had passed him by without a word.
But.
This time, she walked straight toward him.
Ian deliberately turned his head away.
"Ian."
Yet two sharp syllables precisely naming him.
He couldn't ignore them entirely.
When he turned his head back, Rina was looking at him with a narrowed brow.
'What a sour face.'
The Rina he saw on the screen and the Rina standing before him were unmistakably different.
Above all, this Rina had a cutting edge to her.
This was another side to Rina Rosewell, the girl who'd always been kind, caring, and popular as the so-called 'nice heroine.'
The suspicion that had begun with the way Rina treated Pongpongi had been steadily snowballing.
She spoke, her voice sharp.
"Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"Did you hate my rejecting you that much?"
There was no warmth or kindness in her voice.
"No. Haven't I already said? I have no interest in you."
"Then why do you keep blocking my path? Did you change tactics? You thought if you were enough of an obstacle, I'd finally be forced to look at you?"
What had pushed her kindness aside was something else now: open hostility.
Bloodlust surfaced for an instant, then vanished again.
Step, step.
Rina walked up until she stopped right in front of his face.
She whispered.
"You know what, Ian? I don't believe you've changed."
"......"
"Changed? You? That Ian? Impossible."
"......"
"If I were to accept your confession right now, would you stop this?"
A soft laugh escaped Rina's lips.
It was a sneer.
The stark change in her made him shiver involuntarily.
Was this Rina Rosewell's true face?
Where had the universally beloved Rina gone?
Had everything he'd seen on the screen been an act?
Ian swallowed dryly.
And in that moment, he realized:
If this continued, simply avoiding and ignoring her wouldn't be enough to resolve this.
"Rina."
Ian opened his mouth.
The voice that came out surprised even him—infinitely cold and flat.
"Since you don't seem to understand, I'll spell it out for you clearly."
But he didn't bother to stop the words.
Rina's eyes, widening slightly in what looked like shock, didn't deter him.
It was only then that Ian fully grasped it.
The heroine of Fanta X Aca he'd admired from beyond the screen, the girl beloved by all and nothing but sunny—Rina Rosewell—didn't exist here.
The moment he'd possessed this game, this place had become nothing but reality.
That was why his voice had come out so cold it left his own throat parched.
"The Ian Blackangus you're thinking of isn't here. I won't have any reason to be interested in you in the future either, so spare me your misunderstandings and go your own way."
Whatever happened next.
The die was cast.
◆
Late night.
The academy's female dormitory.
Rina collapsed onto her desk.
A few gifts from friends tumbled off, but she paid them no mind.
Ian's cold voice echoed in her ears.
'Why are you doing this to me? You're the one who did wrong.'
She felt wronged.
It was Ian who kept blocking her path.
In training, in practice.
He always managed a score just slightly ahead of hers.
'You know if I don't get the scholarship, I'll be in trouble.'
She knew it was Ian who had quietly supplied the materials she needed for her desk. She'd secretly eaten the packed lunches he prepared. She'd hated it, but she'd also felt grateful at the same time.
But those feelings were no longer there.
Now, all she felt was resentment.
'All of that care was just him waiting for this moment.'
There was an obvious reason why he'd suddenly stopped providing lunches or supplies.
He'd been waiting for a chance to shake her like this someday.
He'd made her dependent on him, just so he could rattle her at a critical moment.
- Scrape.
Rina shoved the various gifts decorating her desk to one corner. They were tokens of friendship, but right now, she didn't care.
Instead, she unfolded a paper she'd received not long ago.
— Analysis Report: Ian Blackangus
— The subject is an earth-attribute mage who appears primarily to collect metallic elements from his surroundings and utilize them for physical enhancement... (abridged)... Potential weaknesses are as follows.
— < Highly susceptible to the proportional composition of elements in the surrounding environment. >
— < Areas with high humidity, large bodies of water such as seas, rivers, or marshlands are recommended engagement zones for the subject. >
Tap, tap.
Rina drummed her fingers on the desk.
The location for the final 'Combat Training' fieldwork was top secret, known only to a few professors. But she had already received information about it.
Conveniently, the area included some marshland.
"......"
There had been a few reasons she'd started to dislike Ian.
But now, she couldn't seem to remember them.
Now he was simply an obstacle placed in her way.
Rina murmured softly.
"It would have been better if you'd just disappeared like you were supposed to."
Under the cold moonlight, the tips of her hair glimmered blue.