Mikaris's Change

The day before the preliminary rounds of the Comprehensive Evaluation. I was currently facing a massive crisis. The source of my distress was twofold: Mikaris was sleeping in the very next room, and sleeping on the sofa was surprisingly uncomfortable.

Actually, the uncomfortable sofa was just an excuse. In reality, the sheer knowledge that Mikaris was sleeping right next door was driving me out of my mind. The fact that my absolute favorite character—my ideal type—was sleeping completely defenseless was far too stimulating for the hot-blooded, seventeen-year-old body of Hound.

"..." I couldn't shake these worldly desires.

"Whew..." I exhaled slowly, trying to maintain my composure. I had to stay calm. I wasn't just a seventeen-year-old boy named Hound; I was Kim Geundae, a twenty-six-year-old man.

In an attempt to banish the impure thoughts deeply rooted in my mind, I began chanting Buddhist sutras under my breath. But right in the middle of my prayers, the door to Mikaris's room creaked open.

Out stepped Mikaris, wearing nothing but a slip of white lace. The wavy locks of her hair cascading down her bare shoulders were utterly mesmerizing. It was a sight more than dangerous enough to push Hound's adolescent hormones over the edge.

"Are you asleep?"

"..." My brow furrowed. My mind was already a battlefield of temptation, and now she was wandering out dressed like that? I had no idea what this young lady was thinking. Was she doing this on purpose?

Step, step. I heard the soft patter of her footsteps drawing closer. I desperately kept my eyes shut, but maintaining a neutral expression was proving to be an impossible task. In the end, I had no choice but to open my eyes.

"Lady Mika? Is something the matter?"

"I just couldn't sleep."

Mikaris slowly approached and sat down right next to me. My pupils began to shake like a localized earthquake.

"What are you thinking about that's making you so restless...?"

"M-me? Restless?"

"You won't even look me in the eye."

She was entirely correct. My posture was as stiff as a raw recruit on his first day of military training, frozen solid from sheer tension. My eyes darted around frantically, my eyelids fluttering without pause. I couldn't control myself. Yes, I was currently being consumed by shameful, primal desires.

"Tell me, Hound. What were you thinking when you did that at the entrance ceremony party?"

"I-I told you, didn't I? I was just in a bad mood."

"That's different from what you said before. Didn't you tell me you made that reckless decision to draw all the attention away from me and onto yourself?"

Come to think of it, I did say something like that. But how could I tell her the truth? That if I left things as they were, she would descend into madness as a villainess, dragging the entire novel down into a pitch-black tragedy.

"That is also true. After all, I like you best, my lady."

"..." Mikaris gently stroked my thigh with her right hand.

"What is it about me that you like? My looks? Or the power of the Marquisate?"

"I don't care about any of that. Does one really need a reason to fall in love...?"

Mikaris's hand slid up from my thigh, tracing a path all the way to my shoulder.

"Then why did you act that way with Ronia and the Princess? Are you a playboy, Hound?"

"How did you know about...?"

"Because I'm always watching you."

Watching me? Why on earth is everyone in this world so obsessed with keeping tabs on me...? Mikaris caressed my neck as she spoke.

"Hey. Won't you prove to me that you actually like me?"

Since when was this girl so bold? Isn't this a complete character collapse? Is it because we're alone? I answered in a trembling voice.

"How... would you like me to prove it?"

"Kiss me. Right here, right now."

"What?!" Startled by her sudden, zero-to-sixty acceleration, I blurted out the word far too loudly.

"Shh! What if someone hears you!"

"I'm sorry. It was just so sudden..."

"Then hurry up. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Don't make me anxious..." Mikaris's lips drew closer and closer.

I wanted to do it. I wanted to take things all the way right then and there. But it was too early for that. Still, a simple kiss should be fine, right?

"Then, Lady Mika... please close your eyes."

Mikaris closed her eyes and leaned forward. I pressed my lips against hers. Her cherry-like lips were incredibly soft. To think my first kiss—something I hadn't even experienced before my transmigration—would happen like this! What a jackpot! Was this my reward for sponsoring the author with a whopping thousand coins? I was absolutely overwhelmed with emotion.

After all, I've never once sent a fifty-seven-hundred-character hate mail or left a malicious comment in my entire life.

As I gently pulled my lips away, Mikaris whispered.

"Once isn't enough..." With those words, she pulled me back down. Our lips met once more. But this time... she began to slip her tongue inside. My vision blurred, and I was on the absolute brink of losing all rationality.

"Kissing is sweet."

"It really is..." As I sat there completely dazed, Mikaris pushed me down onto the sofa. But I couldn't let things go any further. I hadn't even had my coming-of-age ceremony yet...

"Lady Mika, any further than this is..."

"Just call me Mika. It's fine when it's just the two of us."

"Mika, we really can't do this..."

"..." A shadow of disappointment fell over Mikaris's face. "I see. What a shame."

I was disappointed too. Madly, desperately disappointed! If only Hound were already nineteen and had passed his coming-of-age ceremony! Mikaris turned around and began walking back to her room. Perhaps it was due to the red glow of the candles illuminating the room, but her earlobes were flushed a deep crimson. My heart rate soared past normal levels. My hands wouldn't stop shaking, and the sensation of that first kiss lingered vividly on my lips.

"Ah, that was the best..." I was completely spellbound. Lying back down on the sofa, I drifted off to sleep with nothing but the sweet sensation of my first kiss on my mind.

Morning arrived. I washed up using a water-generating magic tool and slipped into my uniform. Now, it was time to wake her.

"Mika? It's time to wake up." The moment I knocked, the door opened. Mikaris had clearly been awake for a while; she was already fully prepared and dressed in her uniform.

"..." Mikaris remained silent. Perhaps she was self-conscious about last night, as she pointedly avoided my gaze.

"Mika?"

"...Let's go," she replied curtly, stepping past me and out of the room.

Today was the preliminary round of the Comprehensive Evaluation, which was why we had left earlier than usual. Naturally, I didn't have to participate in the preliminaries. The same went for Mikaris and Ronia. Given our outstanding track records, it was only natural that we were seeded directly into the main tournament. Even so, Mikaris had set out early to spectate the matches. I didn't particularly care to watch, but if she was going, my duty was to remain by her side.

Just then, Ronia blocked our path. "Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

"..."

"Why are you two so quiet?" I offered Ronia an awkward laugh.

"Haha, it's nothing. Lady Mika just had a bit of trouble sleeping because of my snoring."

"You snore? That's the first I've heard of it..."

"Anyway, Lady Mika is heading over to watch the preliminaries. Will you be joining us, Lady Ronia?"

"Hmm... I wasn't planning on it, but if Mika and Sir Hound are going, I'll tag along too."

And so, the three of us—Mikaris, Ronia, and I—headed off to spectate the preliminaries.

The tournament itself would begin with the Round of 32. However, the number of participating students was far greater than that. Thus, the preliminaries served to filter out those worthy of competing in the main bracket. It was essentially a screening ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠process, much like in real-world sports. The reason Mikaris wanted to watch was to size up her potential opponents. She was meticulous to a fault, after all.

When we arrived at the arena, the stands were already packed. There were travelers, knights, and even members of the Magic Tower. They had all gathered to witness the rising talents of the empire's premier training ground, Estrada Academy.

"There are so many people here, even though it's just the preliminaries," Ronia remarked.

"Well, Young ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Master Edelian and Young Master Arcadia are both starting from the preliminaries, after all."

The reason those powerhouses had to crawl up from the very bottom was entirely because of me. I had gotten them disqualified during the Dungeon Practice. I didn't feel a shred of guilt. If they were stronger than me, they wouldn't have been eliminated in the first place.

We settled in to watch. The first match ended in an effortless victory for Lutera Edelian. From the second match onward, there wasn't much worth paying attention to. To my eyes, the level of play was simply too low.

Just as I was beginning to yawn from sheer boredom, Winston Arcadia's match began. His opponent, however, was... that nameless student who had picked a fight with me at the training grounds. Since I didn't know his name, I'll just call him "Arrogant Extra 1."

The moment the match started, Winston began spamming the same Ice Magazine spell he had used against me. Arrogant Extra 1 struggled desperately to close the distance with his sword, but he was utterly helpless. After taking a barrage of ice chunks to the face, he had no choice but to forfeit.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

The next match featured Lauren Heinir. His opponent was Nameless Student 2, an archery major. True to his background as a member of a vassal family to a prestigious swordsmanship house, Lauren Heinir dominated the match. He constantly closed the distance, using his Aura to deflect incoming arrows, showcasing quite a decent level of skill.

He seems stronger than before. Perhaps the humiliation I dealt him had served as a catalyst for his growth. Not that it would make a difference against me, of course.

The preliminaries dragged on. Eventually, Mikaris shook my shoulder. "Hound? Hound."

"Y-yes?"

"Did you fall asleep while watching?"

"Ah, I must have dozed off..." I really had fallen asleep. Well, the matches were just too boring to stay awake for.

Ronia giggled, covering her mouth. "Hehe, you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Haha, Lady Ronia, please..." If she knew, she should have woken me. I scratched my head in embarrassment.

Once the dull and tedious preliminaries finally concluded, we returned to the dormitory. I turned to Mikaris. "Mika, what did you think of today's matches?"

"I didn't really gather any useful information." That was fair. The expected victors had won, and those who deserved to advance had advanced.

Perhaps because I had fallen asleep on those hard arena benches, my entire body felt stiff and sore. As I was stretching to ease the tension, Mikaris quietly sat down beside me.

"Say, Hound. What do you plan to do after graduating from the academy?"

"Is something on your mind?"

"I'm just curious."

"Well... I'll probably go on an adventure to hunt down a dragon."

"You always dream big, don't you?"

I grinned broadly. "Of course. If you dream big, your achievements will rise to match."

"..." Mikaris looked at me earnestly. "Won't you take me with you?"

"On the adventure?"

"Yes. I want to go with you."

"But Mika, you're the daughter of a Marquis..."

"None of that matters. I've already fallen out of favor with my family anyway. My brother will inherit the Marquisate. If I tell them I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going to stop the Contamination, they'll grant me permission."

Ah, right. There was indeed such a concept in this world. Contamination—the malevolent force that ravaged the land and drained the life from living things. That was the very reason the Holy Magic major existed.

"Traveling together doesn't sound bad at all."

"Right?"

"I'm already looking forward to it." Mikaris smiled shyly. She seemed to be growing more and more honest with her feelings. Watching her, a soft chuckle escaped my lips. Well, that was a story for the distant future. For now, the Comprehensive Evaluation took priority.

The tournament bracket was being drawn. Familiar names echoed through the venue: Winston Arcadia, Lutera Edelian, and so on. Judging by the relaxed expressions on Mikaris's and Ronia's faces, they had both drawn relatively easy opponents. And then, the announcement came.

It was finally here. Time to beat up that Rori-something.

I haven't forgotten what happened during the Dungeon Practice.