The Weight of a Heavy Blow
When Fria’s crystal greatsword shattered, she asked, “Miss Eres? What exactly are you doing right now?”
“Mm. Lying down.”
“So why, exactly?”
“Mm… Fria’s attack was too strong. I couldn’t deflect it.”
It seemed she had mistaken her ally for an enemy. That was what Fria Ripelreus concluded.
That idiot Alto… What on earth was he thinking, falling for such a strange woman?!
She was supposed to be strong, upright, and outstanding. That was what Fria had heard. Her head was good, but she clearly lacked common sense and social norms. Watching how she dealt with Foelta, she seemed less upright and more stubbornly obstinate. And most decisively, she wasn’t even that strong.
‘I nearly lost to someone like her?’
Convinced that her skill would at least be outstanding, Fria had challenged her to a spar. The result was Fria’s overwhelming victory. Her strength was obviously lacking, and her speed was pathetically slow. Since then, Eres had not once requested a rematch. If it had been Fria, she would have challenged her dozens of times by now.
“Will that woman actually be any help in fighting Count Colwen…?”
Having fought her, Fria knew. The opponent was overwhelmingly powerful. They needed to devote every single day to training each other with all their might, yet would this Eres even be useful in that process? Right now, the only ones truly trying to grow stronger were herself and Alto.
“Eres, how long do I have to keep doing this…?”
“Mm. A little longer than the last time.”
Eres was currently supervising Arte in magic practice. It was fire magic—not a unique spell, just an ordinary one that anyone could use, merely the type that suited Arte’s aptitude best. From what she had heard, the goal was to create flames slightly hotter than her previous record.
“Is that even helpful? What’s the point of making Miss Arte fight?”
She wasn’t a unique magic user. Her level wasn’t high. She wasn’t even accustomed to combat. So why her? Instead of wasting time on someone like that, she should be focusing on raising Fria. Why squander time like this?
“Since Foelta and Count Colwen both disappeared, we need to prepare.”
“…Have you picked up a habit of eavesdropping now?”
“You’re the one speaking so openly. What’s your complaint?”
“Everything. Just like you said, those two suddenly vanished, so why are you all so relaxed? Aren’t there other allies besides them?”
Alto and Fria had been continuously trying to form an anti-Colwen alliance. However, the only people they could recruit were those from families already close to the Ripelreus. Even they were reluctant to directly confront Colwen for political reasons. No matter which faction one belonged to, openly picking a fight was naturally something to avoid. Moreover, the man in question had not shown any prominence since the skill evaluation.
Deliberately making an enemy of someone who caused no trouble was a disadvantageous move. And if that opponent was Count Colwen—renowned in both martial prowess and politics—then even the persuasive twins had nothing to say.
“As long as he remains hidden, there’s nothing we can do. …I don’t understand why a student isn’t attending classes, though.”
“It’s truly absurd… that Luke Colwen. A battle maniac who picked a fight with us first while we were just minding our own business. Do you really think someone like that will stay quiet?”
“This world doesn’t move on mere speculation.”
“Then…!”
Break the truce. The words rose to her throat but she swallowed them back down. They had no other allies. If even Alto abandoned them, there would be no one left to stand with her when Luke returned. Having fought him directly, she knew. She would not be able to win if she faced him again.
She had always placed herself at the very top and fixed everyone else beneath her. Just remembering that day’s miserable defeat made her hands tremble unconsciously.
“…Alto. Can Eres really be of any use?”
“Don’t say ‘use.’ Are you still suspicious of her?”
“Of course I am. She’s weak, sure, but is that woman truly enemies with Luke Colwen?”
In truth, this was the biggest reason. How could someone burning with vengeance be so leisurely and relaxed? It was also hard to read what she was thinking. Her everyday behavior didn’t look like that of someone harboring hostility toward another.
“Besides, when she was attacked by Foelta last time. I heard Luke’s maid called her ‘sister.’ Aren’t they actually on the same side?”
“Hmm… I’ve been wanting to ask that myself.”
“You’re just too scared to ask because you lack confidence. How pathetic.”
Fria left Alto behind and moved toward Eres and Arte. Wasn’t that the kind of thing you could just ask directly? Why was that fool hesitating after giving his heart to Eres?
If she really was an enemy, they should leave this place immediately and never return.
“Eres!”
“Mm?”
Alto, Tarle—Fria couldn’t understand what they saw in this woman whose thoughts were completely unreadable.
“What is it, Fria.”
“Ugh…!”
To this woman who was tall but had the insides of a child. Who was already an adult by age, knew a great deal, yet was strangely pure. To this woman whose harmless aura somehow drained the strength from anyone who faced her.
“…Wouldn’t it be better to have Arte focus on studying rather than combat practice?”
Fria couldn’t come on strong! It was like how an adult couldn’t easily scold a well-behaved child. The harmlessness radiating from Eres neutralized the hostile feelings Fria directed at her.
‘What is with this woman…?’
She had no right to criticize others when it came to Alto and Tarle! In another sense, it was also proof that Fria possessed the maturity to accept and respect that harmlessness.
“Mm. That’s…”
“No, Lady Fria! This is something I asked Eres to do.”
“You did? Why would you…”
“Mm. I…”
“Eres gave me a choice.”
Fria was looking properly at Arte’s face. She came to this dormitory every day to practice magic, and even now she had squeezed out power until she was exhausted. Yet she was smiling as if she were enjoying it.
“On the day Foelta came to apologize. Eres asked him why he was apologizing. She didn’t call him there because she wanted an apology. She simply wanted him to talk with me.”
“I don’t get it. What’s the meaning in that? You wanted an apology, didn’t you?”
“It’s different.”
Fria’s gaze shifted back to Eres. In that moment, the aura coming from her changed from harmlessness to something else, but Fria still didn’t know how to define it.
“Receiving and earning are different. If you can’t do it yourself, you’ll regret it someday.”
“…You speak as if you’re regretting something?”
“Yes. I regret it.”
No emotion could be felt from Eres. Fria didn’t think this relaxed woman had experienced anything worth regretting, but Luke Colwen, his maid, and his younger sister—why did she feel such an ominous foreboding? A sense that she shouldn’t speak carelessly from now on.
“So I hope the two of them decide for themselves how it ends.”
“What does that have to do with this training?”
“Building self-esteem.”
“…Ah.”
It wasn’t necessary to use force in conversation, but having a safety device—one that wasn’t a gun—in one’s pocket did provide some peace of mind.
“And they say magic training helps with mental discipline.”
“I feel a bit healthier!”
“I see… so it all had meaning. But what about your own training?”
“Me? I do it after you two leave.”
“In that time… ah, there’s no curfew here, is there. I’m jealous.”
There was no way an abandoned dormitory without a supervisor would have a curfew. Of course, some people in other dormitories either got permission or simply ignored the rules, but here there wasn’t even a need to try.
‘Then about two or three hours?’
‘Mm… six hours from eight o’clock.’
And Eres’s average daily sleep was four hours.
“Ughhh…”
“What’s wrong?”
Honestly, Fria felt ashamed. She had been so preoccupied with Foelta and Luke’s disappearance that she had grown terrified they would join forces and attack. Meanwhile, Eres—the very person she had looked down on—had not taken her eyes off the core issue of resolving the relationship between Foelta and Arte. She hadn’t even neglected her own training. In fact, there wasn’t even solid proof that the two who disappeared had any connection.
“Sorry, Eres. Fria’s just obsessed with fighting.”
“Alto!”
“Mm… Why? Was Fria thinking of fighting Foelta?”
“Ugh…!”
Pierced from both sides at her weak point, Fria couldn’t do anything. Realizing she had been the only one panicking made her feel even more pathetic.
“Uuu… Eres! Spar with me again!”
“Hey Fria. You can’t just solve embarrassment with violence.”
“Alto, stay out of this! Anyway, Eres does need to raise her skills! I’ll be her opponent, so come with me. Alto, who has time to spare, can watch over Arte’s training!”
“Are you telling me to leave or stay?”
“Agh, just do it!”
Fria kicked her increasingly cheeky older brother (he dodged) and dragged Eres away. In any case, it was true that Eres needed to become stronger to be useful. Right! She hadn’t said anything wrong, had she?
Eres didn’t seem to mind and obediently followed her.
“Yes! I wanted to train with Fria too.”
“…Huh?”
It seemed it wouldn’t end with simply following.
“W-with me?”
“Fria’s attacks are heavy, so there’s a lot to learn.”
“Ugh… Y-you’re teasing me! Even so, I’m still way weaker than Luke!”
“No. Speed is easy to imagine, but heavy attacks can’t be understood through thought alone, so it was difficult. I’m really glad Fria is helping me.”
“U-um, i-if you’re trying to flatter me…”
“Flatter? Fria really is strong.”
As a noble young lady. As a genius competing for the position of successor to a ducal house. Fria Ripelreus had seen many people bow and scrape to curry favor. She could tell at a glance whether the flattery was for some purpose or came from the heart.
‘What is this girl thinking, saying things like this…! I have no idea!’
She knew! That it was sincere! Moreover, Eres wasn’t even expressionless right now. There was no hint of falsehood in the girl who was genuinely looking forward to it and smiling with joy.
‘What is with her! She’s always spacing out, so why does she only smile at times like this?’
“And Luke fights bare-handed. Fria, who uses a sword, has things only Fria can teach.”
“R-really…?”
“Yes! I think it’s much more useful.”
After all, the only person who fought bare-handed was that guy. However, this natural shower of praise knocked against the firmly locked door of Fria’s heart.
As a result.
“T-then…”
“Mm?”
“Then why didn’t you ask to train with me!!”
She even spat out the words she had kept buried in her chest. Why. Why had she been ignored until she herself suggested it first? Why hadn’t she suggested training together even after their one spar? Why was she only training with Alto, Tarle, and Arte!
“If it were me, after losing once I would have challenged you hundreds of times! If there was so much to learn from me, why did you only ignore me!”
She got along well with everyone else, so why only with her! She had even been kind to Pih, who was her younger brother!
The reason was surprisingly simple.
“Fria was brought by Alto, so it felt awkward.”
“Huh?”
“I wanted to get close first. But after the spar, it seemed like you were keeping more distance.”
“You… you noticed that…”
“Mm?”
Then why did you act that way with Foelta? The thought occurred to her, but on the other hand, because Eres was so unreserved, the arrogant ducal lady’s attitude might have looked lofty. In reality, she had tried to evaluate her coldly as a fighting force, and being close to her younger brother Pih had been a negative in her eyes as an older sister.
In other words.
‘Is this all my own fault…?’
It was self-inflicted.
“Fria.”
“Y-yes…?”
And now that the conversation had removed any need for distance, Eres did not miss the opportunity. She took both of Fria’s hands. Since Eres was taller, she bent at the waist to meet her eyes. At such close range their faces drew nearer, but as long as they could see each other it was fine—a light misunderstanding on her part.
“Even if it’s hundreds of times… is that okay?”
She spoke in the most earnest voice possible, so that Fria could feel how much she wanted it.
“U-um, that’s…”
“I want to do it with Fria. As much as we haven’t been able to until now.”
“I-I also…”
“Mm. Never mind. I’ll retract the hundreds.”
“Huh?”
Was hundreds too many? Her heated mind cooled instantly. Fria tried to step back a little from their strange private space and calm herself with deep breaths, but somehow Eres seemed even closer than before she had retreated.
“Let’s do it ten thousand times.”
“Ah…”
It was truly without any ulterior motive. It was a pure-hearted suggestion to train together until they got sick of it. However, Fria was originally a narcissist. Her heart, which demanded enormous self-affirmation, had been in a state of affection deficiency ever since her defeat to Luke.
‘Ah, this is too much.’
Not thousands—ten thousand times. It was more than enough to rekindle a heart frozen in the ice age.
“Alto! Go to the dormitory right now and get me an overnight leave request!”
“We’re not brothers, we’re siblings. And what have you two been doing since earlier?”
“Just do it!”
“I can’t enter the girls’ dormitory.”
Fria decided to release the reins of reason by her own will. If Eres hadn’t been tightly holding both her hands, she didn’t want to imagine what might have happened in that moment. It was too horrifying to even think about.
“Eres… this is you seducing me, right…? You’ll take responsibility? You won’t send me away even if you get tired of me midway?”
“…? Yes. It’ll probably take a few months.”
“……!”
“Fria? Did you bite your tongue?”
And so the spar between the two ignited. The first to reach the limit of her stamina was, naturally, Fria.