༺ An Unexpected Attack ༻
The sun started to descend, signaling the onset of evening.
“Phew…”
In the Western Continent, Kania stared at the screen with tired eyes.
“Ms. Irina, what are you doing?”
“M-me?…”
With sunken dark circles, she looked at Irina on the screen and spoke. Irina seemed bewildered and surprised at the same time.
“Oh, just… some magical research?”
“It seems a bit too intense to be just magical research.”
The countless corpses of demonic monsters piled up behind her contradicted Irina’s claim.
“No, no, I’m supposed to do at least this much…”
“Keoooohh…!”
“Demonic bastards.”
She laughed awkwardly and scratched her head; suddenly, her expression changed. She unfolded a magic circle as a massive minotaur in the background stumbled and wailed.
– Clang! Crash…!
“Kuuuooooogh…!”
“Kyaackkkk…!”
A massive explosion and monstrous screams could be heard off-screen.
“Because of you all! The investigation team got attacked! Because of you! I had to come here so quickly for weeks!!!”
The explosion had given rise to a dust cloud. Irina had to restrain her temper with Frey, but now, she could finally reveal her true nature.
“Damn it… those fucking pests…”
“Krrshaaa…”
Her eyes glowed as she kicked the minotaur mercilessly. Her eyes rolled back; she now looked like her past self—someone with no regard for the nobles.
“Die already!”
– Kwakwangkwangkwang!!!
In the vast plain where only demonic monsters existed, she kicked the minotaur for quite a while. Irina then unleashed her specialty, area-of-effect magic, with various attributes. Finally, she put her magic to rest and calmly looked ahead.
– Goooo…
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Half of it was a sea of fire, while the other portion was plagued with her other attributes. Her power spun like a tornado in the hellish landscape. She looked at it with relief, then spoke quietly.
“As expected, area-of-effect magic is the best, right, Kania?”
“Uh, um…”
“Is it the best, you ambitious, little, thieving cat?”
“…What did you just say?”
Kania was dumbfounded. Irina, who had somehow reverted to her sleazy look from the first cycle, continued without backing down.
“Serena beat you to it, didn’t she?”
“……….”
Kania felt speechless. Suddenly, someone appeared on the turned-off screen beside Irina.
“But… I just started…”
“Princess Clana?”
“I… hadn’t even started yet, actually. It ended in an instant…”
On the screen was Clana, seated hunched in the corner of her room within the Imperial Palace, engrossed in paperwork.
“I tried to use money to make up for my lack of individuality, but Frey is already richer than me. And all the benefits of the vitality tonic I bought for him all went to Serena…”
“Hey…”
“I’m the only one busy, so I can’t get close to him… it’s really unfair.”
Clana seemed melancholic as she quietly made notes on the documents with a cold gaze.
– Isabel Luca Vernandez
[Change her sentence to life imprisonment]
(Assigning an appropriate charge)
– Ramie Solar Sunrise
[If possible, the death penalty]
(Avenging everything she had done to Mom)
– Rifael Solar Sunrise
[Life imprisonment] (Used her as a political weapon)
– Secret Lord
[On progress looking for a way to kill him]
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})– Vener Renee Hylin
[Her fatal weakness has been identified]
If Vener couldn’t be controlled, Frey suggested that they demote her to the position of 1st-year professor.
Might as well lend a helping hand while covering the eyes
That was a widely known magical list in the Empire from the previous cycle, rumored to make people disappear from the Empire as soon as their names appeared on it.
Of course, it wasn’t actual magic but the result of power and military force.
“I want to play with Frey too… not with paperwork, but… with Frey…”
After Serena and Frey had gone on their honeymoon, Irina had become a delinquent, and Clana seemed melancholic all the time. Kania couldn’t help but sigh.
“Please focus, everyone. We need a brief on the scenario for the opening of the next school year.”
“The 2nd-year school opening?”
“Now it’s still around December, so… don’t we still have about two months?”
When the two girls questioned Kania, she shook her head.
“I’m not talking about the 2nd-year right now. I’m talking about the 1st-year freshmen.”
“The freshmen?”
“We can potentially supplement the shortage in the Hero Party with them. The 3rd-year don’t have many talented individuals, and although we have a tight grip on the 2nd-year students… The same isn’t true for the incoming freshmen.”
Hearing that, Irina scratched her head.
“What’s her name again… Aishi? She seems easy to sway. I could even make her surrender by challenging her to a duel…”
“Ms. Irina, Princess Aishi is not a demonic monster…”
“How about using Clana’s influence?”
“Doing that might cause a backlash.”
“Hmm…”
Clana’s eyes suddenly lit up as Kania and Irina engaged in a rare, productive discussion.
“We don’t need to force, but we can turn at least one person on our side..”
“Pardon?”
“I know of a promising candidate. She is quite young. I plan to recommend her and admit her through a special exception… It’s perfect timing.”
Hearing this, Kania nodded quietly.
“If Princess Clana says so…”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Then, a brief silence ensued.
“Freshman orientation is in a week, right? That is part of the official scenario, as Young Master mentioned.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, the ‘2nd-year episode’ will practically kick off from that moment.”
With a gleam in her eyes, Kania turned the notebook pages and continued.
“Young Master is not a freshman, so there’s no obligation to participate. As a public figure, there’s even less reason for him. But still, we can participate, right?”
After looking at everyone, Kania closed the pocket notebook and concluded her speech.
“So, get ready, everyone. I’m looking for a ship to go back to the Empire. It should take a week at most.”
The two girls nodded quietly.
“Now, we just have to figure out Young Master’s admission to the 2nd year…”
“If Frey enrolls as is, won’t there be an uproar, considering that his official status right now is that of a commoner?”
“That’s right. There will surely be many retaliations and assaults.”
“I’ll take care of those bast—”
“Ms. Irina, the problem is not as simple as that.”
Since they didn’t want Frey to be attacked, the girls fell deep into contemplation.
“Then let’s discuss that in the next meeting… Let’s wrap up today’s meeting here.”
They failed to find a solution even after contemplating it for a while. Kania grasped her head and said.
“Um, what’s that… about our bet…”
“Serena, beat us to it, Clana.”
“D-don’t say ‘us.’ I haven’t even started…”
After the meeting, the girls resumed their bickering.
“Sigh, someone has to jump into action to stop her from getting his seeds. I also want Frey’s seeds… Wait, Kania, aren’t you also better at combat than intelligence?
“I-I, too, have only been doing paperwork these days… I can sit and hold it well but…”
“…Sigh.”
Watching Irina and Clana, Kania sighed and quietly turned off the screen.
– Thud…!
“Young Master…”
Then, Kania lay down on the bed, hugging a long pillow.
“I want to see you as soon as possible…”
She buried her face in the pillow, looking shy, and started to squirm.
.
.
.
.
“Huwah… Young Mast—”
– Beep, beep…!
“…Heik!?”
Rolling alone on the bed, Kania was startled as the screen suddenly lit up.
– Kania, what were you doing?
“I-I-I was exercising.”
As Frey appeared on the screen, Kania replied with a flushed face and then tilted her head, asking.
“Anyway, what’s up?”
– No, I was just wondering when you’d be coming.
“Huh?”
Kania calmly tilted her head again.
– It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so maybe I missed you…?
“……!”
Blushing uncontrollably, she unconsciously clutched the pillow with her legs.
“I-I’ll return to you within a week, Young Master.”
– …Alright.
After twisting around for a while, Kania quietly responded. Frey silently nodded and continued.
– But, by any chance, is there a curse that makes people turn evil?
“There are many curses like that. Do you have any specific information?”
Frey stiffened his face.
– For instance, a-a curse that is so powerful that even my mental strength is useless against it?
“……..”
Kania, who had frozen, quietly spoke.
“I will leave immediately.”
– No, there’s no need to do that. I’m fine. I mean, not that I’m not fine… I-it’s actually not about me
“……..”
Watching her Young Master blabbering, Kania said with a sad expression.
“At least… not to me. It would be better if you told me the truth instead of hiding it… Young Master.”
“……..”
Gazing at Kania, Frey sighed and started his explanation.
– It seems I’ve been cursed with something like ‘Villainization.’ I keep wanting to harm people just by looking at them.
“You, Young Master? But… such feelings are not…”
– Huh?
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
Blushing, Kania replied, then quietly turned her gaze and buried her face in the pillow.
– If this continues… I’m afraid of hurting people I care about… I want to find a solution as soon as possible.
“I will look for a solution. It might be ancient magic. I’ll need to see you to know more.”
– Okay, but don’t push yourself too hard. It’s okay to take your time coming here.
Frey said that with a grin; Kania hugged the pillow tightly again.
– Oh, and I forgot to mention…
“Yes?”
Staring at Frey’s face for a while, Kania attempted to lower the screen, but…
– I have to participate in the upcoming orientation.
“What did you say!?”
Hearing Frey, Kania widened her eyes and asked again.
“You’re going to participate in the orientation?”
– Yeah.
“No, why would you go there, Young Master…?”
She mumbled and hastily changed the plans she had scribbled in her pocket notebook.
– Huh!?
– Paga-gak…!
“…Young Master?”
Frey’s screen suddenly started shaking wildly; he also seemed bewildered.
“Agh!”
She felt a sharp pain in her side and bent over.
“Aghh…”
While clutching her side and breathing heavily, she slowly lifted her head.
– Iiiiiikkk…!
She could see Alice struggling wildly as she was pinned against the wall by Frey.
“Hmm…”
– L-let go of me! You monster…!
She stared blankly at the girl, screaming as if she were facing the devil. Kania’s expression turned cold, and she muttered.
“…I need to return to Young Master as soon as possible.”
The sun was setting beyond the horizon.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile…
“What… is this…?”
Aishi Winter Cloud, with a bewildered expression, stared at a newspaper.
[Breaking News] Frey Raon Starlight Confirmed Dead
It was a newspaper reporting Frey’s death.
“Th-this… this is a lie, right…?”
Her eyes trembled.
“Didn’t you come here to find a way to lift the curse…?”
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