“Kyaaaa!”
“Who thought shooting a magic rifle with water would work?!”
“I’m dead! Kyaaah, my clothes are coming off!”
If there were a paradise, wouldn’t it be a place like this?
Just lying lazily on a sunbed, enjoying the view of a resort—doesn’t that seem close enough?
“Where are you looking?”
“I’m looking at Miss Yunia.”
“I can’t really tell since you’re wearing sunglasses.”
“But my head’s been turned toward Miss Yunia this whole time, hasn’t it?”
“Your head may be turned toward me, but are your eyes actually looking somewhere else?”
Yunia turned her body toward me on the sunbed, scrutinizing me.
Thanks to that, I had a full view of Yunia in her swimsuit, but I didn’t turn my head away.
“Does this work?”
“Yes.”
When I took off my sunglasses and looked only at Yunia, she finally smiled and curled up slightly on her sunbed.
She scooted a little closer toward me.
It felt like she might slip off her sunbed, which wasn’t attached to mine, with how close she tried to get.
“Well, do you like it?”
“You’re not asking about what I see with my eyes, are you?”
“You’re right. I’m talking about… those Vinyudan members—or rather, the ones we can’t even call Vinyudan anymore.”
Look at those women, having fun in their swimsuits at the resort.
Their outfits didn’t exactly highlight their curves, but they played with such carefree joy that it didn’t seem to matter.
“Those people might face retaliation, you know.”
“They must’ve prepared themselves for that already.”
The Vinyudan was like a gang.
While they didn’t go as far as chopping off pinkies, those who left would face lifelong public shaming.
“The Vinyudan is thorough when it comes to retaliating against defectors. They’re even angrier at traitors than at external enemies.”
They’d compile lists of those who left, forcing current members to memorize their faces and names, and would often resort to terrorism if they happened to encounter them.
“That’s why people rarely leave the Vinyudan unless they can guarantee their safety from retaliatory attacks.”
Leaving safely usually meant going to an entirely secure place or somewhere the Vinyudan couldn’t reach. Otherwise, getting out was almost impossible.
“There haven’t been many cases like this where so many people left at once, but there have been those who managed to leave before.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And that’s because… a mother is strong.”
“Oh my.”
Yunia’s eyes sparkled.
“Was it because she became a mother?”
“It’s not like Vinyudan members never fall in love. Even among women.”
With how society seemed to idolize ‘curvy women’ at places like Bread Academy, the world tended to focus on such appearances. But men, even Vinyudan men, couldn’t help but be drawn to beauty.
“If someone were to look past appearances, care for their wounded heart, and become their very own prince… could the Vinyudan really retaliate against someone like that?”
“…Probably not?”
“Exactly. Up until now, the Vinyudan has retaliated against defectors, even those like that. But things might change going forward.”
“Because someone extraordinary could support them?”
“Exactly.”
I pointed behind Yunia.
“Like someone who’s an exceptional mage, a powerful figure, and a sponsor with immense wealth.”
“Are you thinking of asking your mother for help?”
“Ah…?”
Marchioness Ludvecia gracefully sat down on Yunia’s sunbed.
“It’s fine, Yunia. Just stay where you are.”
Yunia tried to move aside, but the Marchioness gently patted her shoulder to keep her in place.
“I’d love to delve into magical theories with you, Yunia, but for now, it seems Phoenix has some thoughts about how to deal with those people. Shall we hear them?”
“It’s nothing grand. I simply propose hiring them as ‘employees’ of the Marquisate of Ludvecia’s estate.”
“Employees, you say…”
The Marchioness deliberately raised her voice.
The Vinyudan members, who had been enjoying the resort facilities, subtly perked up their ears.
“What kind of jobs would you have them do?”
“Anything. They could work as maids in the estate, hoteliers managing this resort, or even as members of the estate’s security forces.”
“To counter the Vinyudan’s retaliatory attacks?”
“That’s one option. But even just giving them stable jobs with high pay would have a significant impact, wouldn’t it?”
Yunia subtly invoked her mana.
Though our conversation was quiet and poised, the sound spread subtly across the entire resort through an application of sound amplification magic.
“Hmm… wouldn’t they just squander the sudden influx of money?”
“Spending money on self-care isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, if it’s done with the intention of marriage, even if they haven’t saved much from earning large sums, men naturally feel attracted to those who invest in themselves.”
The words had a curious quality.
It was hard to tell if I was concentrating on hearing them or if magic was making them more audible to me.
“So the goal is… to enhance one’s figure?”
“Not necessarily, but it’s not a bad direction for the Marquisate of Ludvecia, is it?”
“What about the problems that come with accepting former Vinyudan members?”
“Those will have to be addressed through their actions going forward. Being a former Vinyudan member is like an indelible tattoo… or a brand.”
In other words, it’s like having a criminal record.
No matter how much a man might love a woman and consider marriage, learning that she was a former Vinyudan member could change his perspective.
“But if someone is exceptionally beautiful, has invested in themselves, is devoted to building a family, and genuinely approaches a man, even knowing their past, the story might be different.”
“Hmm…”
“And ultimately, it all comes down to solving one key issue. Though it will take time.”
“One key issue?”
“Yes.”
I raised my voice slightly, making sure everyone could hear me.
“Vinyudan will be dismantled.”
The resort, which had been filled with cheerful laughter moments earlier, suddenly fell silent.
“…What exactly do you mean by that? Depending on how it’s interpreted, it could have different implications.”
“What do you think I meant?”
“It sounds like you’re saying you will dismantle the Vinyudan, Phoenix.”
“That’s correct.”
Both Marchioness Ludvecia and Yunia looked at me in surprise.
“When I look at the Vinyudan, the problem doesn’t seem to lie with the individual members. The real issue stems from the organization’s leaders and their most devoted lackeys, the so-called ‘maids’—the worst offenders among them.”
“… Are you seriously planning to declare war on Vinyudan?”
The Marchioness asked, her gaze serious.
“They’re not just ordinary criminals. Both the Empire and the Church of the Goddess have failed to eliminate them entirely. Vinyudan isn’t some organization that appeared overnight; it’s deeply rooted in history.”
“I’m aware.”
The name “Vinyudan” itself hasn’t been around for long.
But even before that, criminal organizations harboring resentment against mana-wielders have carried out hate crimes. This dark history has existed alongside the systemic flaws of Esdinas Academy for centuries.
“The first step will be to address the problems within Esdinas Academy itself.”
“…Are you suggesting you’ll change the Academy’s 500-year history and traditions?”
“Let me ask you, Marchioness Ludvecia, as an S-rank Grand Mage. The founders of Esdinas Academy—the Four Founders, who are revered as saints…”
There’s an issue buried within the layers of history and tradition spanning 500 years, one that people have avoided confronting.
“Do you really think they would’ve established a rule excluding students with small chests?”
“…Oh my.”
The Marchioness smiled, amused by the challenge.
“If I said yes, it would insult the Four Founders. If I said no, it would invalidate the current Academy’s policies, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m merely pointing out something everyone has felt uncomfortable about but chosen to ignore. And what I’m about to say next… is something only for us to know.”
Swoosh.
Yunia withdrew her magic.
The sound amplification spell that had spread our conversation across the resort was replaced by a barrier that confined it to our immediate area.
“Even if the Four Founders set a criterion of C-rank or above for admission, it would’ve been for safety reasons. Five hundred years ago, Esdinas Academy was essentially a training ground for warriors to ensure humanity’s survival.”
“…Ah!”
Yunia widened her eyes, as if realizing something.
“Don’t tell me…?”
“The C-rank requirement was simply a physical standard for those willing to risk their lives for others in that wild, untamed era. If someone lacked innate mana but could compensate with sufficient combat ability, the Academy during the Founders’ era likely accepted them—not just as students, but even as faculty.”
The idea of the so-called “Bread Academy” is a prejudice.
The real standard wasn’t about cup size, but combat rank—C-rank.
Over time, this evolved into the baseless policy excluding students below a certain cup size, but the true intent was always to ensure graduates had the minimum combat—or survival—skills needed in society.
“After all, one of the Four Founders, the Saint herself…”
“What?”
“Oops.”
I stopped myself, wearing a knowing smile as I glanced at the two in front of me—and at those quietly listening behind me.
Spoilers.
Among the secrets of the Four Founders, there’s a particular falsehood surrounding the Saint’s image.
