About a month had passed since I and Nike became acquainted.
A new main heroine added via DLC.
As someone who loved D&A as much as their first love, it was only natural for me to become interested.
But Nike seemed to have a lot of secrets and exuded an atmosphere that made it difficult to ask easily.
How she grew up in what environment.
And what made Nike endure homelessness in that forest, things like that.
Asking straightforwardly at times like this is the strategy of novices.
After all, waiting until they directly tell the hidden story is the way of the veterans.
So I waited.
I was too busy to pay attention to Nike in the first place.
And then Nike said.
“My dream is to take revenge on some people.”
It was a goal that didn’t quite clash with Nike’s usual cheerful and bright demeanor. But at the same time, I began to think it was plausible enough─
Why, I thought, there was a good reason why she remained in Ludens, even though she was sleeping in the forest where winter never ends, being exposed to cold rain, dew, and wind.
A desire for revenge.
Is there anything else as easily understandable as the firewood of life?
A moment of silence.
Then Enio spoke up.
“Is it because of the Leshgad Forest?”
Does she know something?
Enio continued.
“I heard that the Leshgad Forest belongs to the Count Winter’s domain, as mentioned earlier. I also heard that they’re indiscriminately developing and exploiting the forest.”
Was such a thing happening?
I don’t know much about what’s happening in the kingdom, the so-called “Mainland”.
After all, the stage of D&A is limited to the Ludens Island.
The protagonist, Luke, doesn’t go to the mainland in the game. It’s been over ten years since there was talk of adding an episode where he goes to the mainland during the vacation or something…
“Rebekah, Count Winter’s daughter, is that who Miss Nike wants to get revenge on?”
(TLN: Rebekah is basically older Hebrew version of Rebecca, if you guys want that changed to Rebecca, comment ig.)
Whether it was a reaction to the name or not, Nike, who had been serious until just now, relaxed her attitude and exclaimed in surprise, “Th-that’s a secret…!”
Count Winter’s daughter, Rebekah?
I’ve never heard that name before.
“Who is she?”
To my question, Enio vaguely replied, “Well…, I’ve only met her a few times at social gatherings. Miss Rebekah is also in Class B here at Ludens, so there’s hardly any chance to meet her face-to-face.”
Rebekah from Class B?
I wondered what story was entwined between Nike and her.
She’s a person who would make bright Nike to utter the word ‘revenge’ with that gusto.
Surely, she must be her main ‘villain’.
Like how in the Enio part, Victoria becomes the villain, and in the Victoria part, Enio becomes the villain.
“… Rebekah of the House of De Winter.”
It wouldn’t hurt to remember who she is.
As long as she doesn’t interfere with the dream of NVC.
Enio said.
“Maybe Miss Victoria knows? The Arkwright family of Victoria is close to the Count De Winter family. Besides, Rebekah is engaged to that Orca. If you’re Victor, you should know.”
Orca is Victoria’s older brother and the eldest son.
Did the setting of having a fiancée for Orca get added?
The story has been drastically revamped compared to what I knew from D&A.
Interesting.
At the same time, a formidable enemy for Nike seemed to be vaguely forming in my mind.
Orca Arkwright is a formidable opponent.
I’m sure of it.
He’s the one who defeated the protagonist Luke multiple times.
If Rebekah, the fiancée of Orca, the eldest son of the Arkwright family, is to be, then the prestige of the De Winter family must be extraordinary.
Can Nike, wearing the Mokemoke doll mask, defeat such an opponent?
Of course, she’ll win in the end.
Because that’s what a main story heroine is.
The protagonist is a being promised victory.
I just didn’t know how to reach that victory yet.
Nike said.
“Keep this a secret. It’s something I haven’t told anyone outside of the club members!”
“This Arnoy, even if it’s a mouth that eats, speaking is still a heavy burden…!”
Domina, who was listening to the conversation next to him, nodded.
“I, too, won’t divulge the secrets of the students I teach.”
What’s left is Enio and me, right?
Enio promised, “I’ll keep it a secret.”
Of course, you have to believe half and let the other half be ignored when it comes to Enio’s promise.
* * *
“Then it’s time to go home. Let everyone head back.”
As Teacher Domina spoke, the club members began to prepare to leave one by one. Perhaps it was because they had been chatting all day, but there was a sense of increased familiarity and understanding among them.
“I want to play a little more…! It’s been so long since something this fun happened in the eight years of school…!”
Arnoy seemed reluctant to leave the club room.
While we’re at it, wouldn’t it be nice to schedule a club retreat or something like that sometime in the future, under the supervision of the ‘advising teacher’?
After all, although cohabitation of male and female students is strictly prohibited in the club room, it’s allowed under the supervision of the ‘advising teacher’.
Now that we finally have an advising teacher in our club, we should make use of it, shouldn’t we?
Vacation retreat events.
Fair preparation events.
And so on.
There are plenty of opportunities to work late into the night legally.
I asked.
“Domina, do you have any news about the club fair?”
Club Fair.
It was also mentioned in the achievements of the management system earlier.
It would be good to know about events we can participate in.
“The club fair…? I heard there’s a schedule for it… But more importantly, Victor, call me Teacher Domina. Do you realize how much older I am than you?”
“Domina.”
“…These kids are really weird.”
With that feeling, we parted ways and headed to our respective rooms as the day drew to a close.
“Then, Victor, I’ll see you in the classroom tomorrow.”
As Enio, who was about to leave after putting on her shoes, I asked.
“Enio, did you bring up the topic on purpose?”
“What?”
“The De Winter family and Orca.”
“Well?”
Enio smiled as if she knew nothing.
But I couldn’t help but think that Enio intentionally brought up the conversation earlier.
If it’s the Enio I know, she’s more than capable of doing that.
“If you’re trying to meddle between Nike and Victoria, stop it.”
“Meddle? That sounds scary. I’m just trying to show that sometimes it’s good to get your revenge right.”
“Are you saying that the target of Nike’s revenge is the Arkwright family?”
“Do you think the De Winter Count family has been expanding its influence in the west? How do you think they’ve been able to develop so rapidly in the past few years?”
“Are you saying they had the backing of the Arkwright family?”
“Well, that’s subjective. But sometimes you can see it that way. Revenge requires thorough understanding of the opponent and their scale.”
Enio’s expression as she spoke seemed quite cold.
Probably because it’s not her business.
“You’re thinking about your brother’s death, aren’t you, Enio.”
“…”
Enio looked at me without saying a word.
Her eyes were redder than the setting sun.
Enio pursed her lips as if she was about to say something, then shook her head with a laugh that seemed to have escaped her.
“I didn’t expect Victor to know that much. Yes, I also plan to avenge my brother, Aidan. If you’re going to say revenge is a bad thing…”
“No, there’s nothing as sweet as revenge.”
Why am I even intervening?
It’s not my business.
However, as if Enio had not expected that as my answer, her cold expression turned into one of embarrassment.
“Is that… is that so?”
She asked.
“That revenge is sweet, by any chance, Victor?”
“You know it. The story of House Arkwright and me.”
“To some extent.”
“Don’t tell Victoria.”
“I can’t promise that.”
With a snort, Enio disappeared into the sunset.
Anyway, her personality is really strange.
Enio seems to act too freely.
Would it be a good idea to put her on a leash a bit?
It’s not impossible.
The subtitle of the Enio route is ‘Taming the Shrew’, after all.
* * *
━Kkong Kkong…!
As always, I woke up to the strange howling of Kongkong, the wolf spider.
Wake-up time 6 a.m.
“Right on time. Well done. Kongkong, I’ll increase your share by 0.1%. That should make you a ruthless hunter in the stock market.”
━Hiioong…!
After washing up and preparing the ingredients to be sold today, it’s already 7 o’clock in a flash.
Usually, by this time, it’s time to have a decent breakfast.
Should I tear open some leftover jerky to eat? But before I could decide, someone knocked on the door.
“Victor. I’m here.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at a teacher like that?”
“Well, I really didn’t expect you to come in the morning.”
“I brought ramen.”
Domina came to me with two ramen noodle packets.
Ramen sold in grocery stores.
The taste is bland and lacking in nutrition, so it’s called ‘human feed’ by students.
But with some special additives, it becomes edible.
Just by adding the jerky or 「Spring Sauce」 that I was going to eat, it becomes a labor of love.
“Wow, you cooked the ramen well.”
“I’ve cooked a lot of them.”
“I never thought I’d eat ramen again. You really cooked them well.”
Slurp-slurp – I’m already in the mood to eat tomorrow morning.
Since I’m going to make one more anyway while eating breakfast, it’s not inconvenient to go and come back, but isn’t it a social convention that if you’re going somewhere, you should bring something back as well?
“Did you come empty-handed?”
“I brought ramen.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Seriously, what’s wrong with you… Anyway, I did a little searching after work yesterday. This here is the schedule for the fair.”
Tap.
Domina handed me a piece of paper.
It contains the schedule and details of the 1st-semester Spring Club Fair.
She used to be a teacher who liked to harass students until yesterday, but after she found something to do herself after work, she’s a teacher who seeks work for herself.
But Domina was originally such a character.
That’s why she earned the nickname ‘Teacher Do’.
She’s helpful in many ways.
“In that sense, this week is club training camp.”
“… What do you mean?”
