As soon as the three people entered, I saw a girl caught between them.
Seia Ludvecia.
The girl who, the moment I possessed this body, kept trying to gaslight me with “You are destined to break away from your family.”
However, before I could properly attempt such gaslighting or hypnosis, we had to part ways, and as a result, she lost both her father and older brother.
‘Compared to the original story, she still has her mother and even is the daughter of a Marchioness, so should I consider this a good thing?’
In contrast to the original, she entered the Academy with a much better status, fully showcasing her skills and securing a spot as a member of the Azure Dragon Class, one of the special classes in the Old School Building.
And now, the way she entered—
“Evangeline.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“As long as her skirt is covered, it should be fine, right?”
“So, the title of Marchioness’s daughter means nothing now?”
“If I didn’t do this, she would keep resisting.”
Evangeline walked in, carrying Seia in a position that could only be described as something straight out of a hardcore Western film, using a teddy bear as large as I was to hold her in place.
That pose was certainly effective in keeping Seia immobilized.
Even the slightest movement of her body would cause her skirt to shift, risking exposure. Because of this, her face was flushed red with suppressed anger, unable to move.
“If she resists physically, shame prevents her from struggling too much, and magically, you put mana bands on her wrists and ankles. Miss Yunia, that was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“…”
“Miss Yunia?”
“Ah, yes…”
Yunia, lost in thought, responded hesitantly, tilting her head.
“What’s wrong, Miss Yunia?”
“Ludmila. Do you feel anything strange?”
“Something strange? Hmm….”
At Yunia’s question, Ludmila scanned the surroundings.
“Aside from Phoenix holding Instructor Esta and Senior Yurha, massaging their mana pockets, nothing seems particularly strange.”
“Ludmila, don’t you think that is strange? Maybe if it were an everyday occurrence.”
“If he’s going to do it, wouldn’t it be better to focus on one person at a time rather than dividing his attention?”
Mana-wise, Ludmila had a point.
The mana pockets I was massaging were sensitive areas for energy flow, and attempting to adjust mana for two people simultaneously reduced effectiveness.
“What do you think, Evangeline? Do you prefer receiving a mana pocket massage alone, or sharing it like this?”
“Either way is fine. It helps me grow faster. Hmm… ah, I see what’s strange.”
Evangeline snapped her fingers and nudged Yunia in the side.
“Miss Shuri isn’t here.”
“Oh, you’re right. Where is she?”
“Miss Shuri went to wash her hands.”
That wasn’t a lie.
But at the same time, I had to remain impartial, so I couldn’t reveal everything.
“Hmm, is that so?”
Yunia scanned the classroom.
“Then let’s declare victory. The goal was simply to bring her back and make her sit, and we did that within the hour.”
“Alright. Seia, stay still. You don’t want your skirt slipping up and letting Phoenix see, do you? Oh… wait, that might backfire.”
In the middle of the classroom, which hadn’t changed since we entered, a chair was prepared specifically for Seia. Evangeline placed her onto it, pressing her down with the teddy bear to keep her still.
“!!”
Seia panicked.
Her eyes wavered violently for a moment, sensing that something was off about the chair she had just been made to sit in.
“Ugh… urgh….”
But she didn’t say anything.
She merely gritted her teeth and observed the situation, occasionally glancing at Yurha or Instructor Esta for cues.
She deliberately avoided making eye contact with me.
I could roughly guess why, but because I understood, I didn’t tease her or provoke her further.
“Hey, Phoenix?”
“Yeah, Miss Yunia? What is it?”
“How much time is left?”
“Ten minutes.”
There was more time left than expected.
Yunia sighed in relief, Ludmila nodded smugly as if she had won, and Evangeline reached out to me with an expectant expression.
“Give it.”
“Give what?”
“The victory prize. Shouldn’t there be some kind of bonus for winning?”
“A bonus, huh….”
How could I respond in the most neutral way possible?
“Do you have anything in mind? If it’s within my ability, I’ll do whatever you want.”
“You just said whatever, right?”
“Yeah. What is it?”
“Deposit about 2 billion gold into my account. A clean amount, after taxes.”
“…”
It was a bold request, but I understood.
She was probably just throwing out an absurd number, but honestly, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
With the excessive supply of magic stones, the rapid depreciation in their value was already causing severe economic difficulties worldwide, especially within the Di Erci Empire. But regardless of the economic crisis, Princess Evangeline’s account would still hold 2 billion gold.
Even if a loaf of bread eventually cost 10 million gold, she would still have 2 billion gold sitting untouched.
“Ludmila, what do you want?”
“Hmm… ah, I’d like you to help me with home training.”
“Home training?”
“Yes. It’s one of the latest trends among women training their bodies for summer. If Phoenix could assist me during my indoor workouts, it would be really helpful. Or maybe with the new equipment in the Old School Building’s—”
“You mean the training room?”
At Yurha’s comment, Ludmila grinned and nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes.”
“Have you seen it yet?”
“I haven’t been there yet, but I did check what equipment was being brought in. It seems more serious than I expected?”
“We stocked up on plenty of machines that someone like you, Ludmila, would enjoy. Plus, security is in place so that only students and instructors from the Old School Building can enter. You can work out without worry—wear something comfortable.”
The training room.
It wasn’t quite at the level of a professional training center, but it was at least on par with a gym in an apartment complex or a hotel’s fitness center.
Ludmila might find it a little lacking, but true experts don’t blame their tools, and true fitness enthusiasts don’t complain about gym equipment.
And for someone like Ludmila, who loved using her body, Yurha had provided an environment where she could do just that—
“It’s not over yet.”
Yunia stated firmly.
“The match hasn’t been decided yet.”
With absolute certainty—no, with complete conviction—she walked up behind Seia and placed her hands on her shoulders.
“Even if Phoenix keeps talking so casually about all this, there’s always a point where he makes things clear when it matters.”
“I do?”
“Yes. You always speak decisively when it comes to things that make us react sensitively.”
Yunia infused mana into her hands, pressing down on Seia while continuing to scan the classroom.
“No matter how I look at it, something feels off.”
She checked the ceiling, the floor, and the windows.
“It doesn’t feel like fifty minutes have passed. More like… thirty.”
“Thirty minutes?”
“Yes. …You’re not stating your own opinion, you’re just repeating my words?”
Yunia grinned—and then—
Boom!
She stomped the floor hard.
The impact sent a ripple through the ground, and both Ludmila and Evangeline tensed up, their expressions hardening.
“As I thought.”
The floor, the chair Seia was sitting on—none of it matched what the Vermilion Bird Class had seen before leaving.
“Miss Shuri’s ability is—”
Shrrrk!
A shower of golden coins shot toward Yunia.
Ludmila immediately conjured a Wind Spear, intercepting the glowing mass and blocking the attack in front of Yunia.
“So, that’s why you were staying still.”
“Now that I’ve been found out, I guess there’s no choice.”
Yurha stepped forward, gripping her staff.
Around her, Magic Missiles in the form of golden coins floated and shimmered.
“This is a battle between the Vermilion Bird Class and the Azure Dragon Class, right? That means I can participate too, doesn’t it?”
“It was like that from the beginning.”
“I see. In that case—”
Boom!
“Seia! Run!”
The moment Yurha swung her staff, the chair Seia was sitting on exploded.
“Kuh, a mana detonation…! You anticipated this?!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
As Seia attempted to escape, Evangeline moved her teddy bear to block her.
But Seia didn’t run toward the entrance—she hurled herself toward the window instead.
Crash!!
The window shattered, instantly disrupting the illusion that had been cast over the classroom.
Like a hologram abruptly turning off, the room reverted to its original state—not the classroom where the Vermilion Bird Class had initially gathered, but the adjacent classroom.
“Don’t tell me… even the hallway…!”
[H-Hiiiek…!]
From the next room, a scream erupted—Shuri’s.
Seia had already landed effortlessly outside and was preparing to sprint toward the forest.
“It’s useless! If you want to catch me—”
“Honestly.”
Yunia extended her staff toward the broken window.
Then—
Grab.
She seized my hand, forcing me to clutch her mana pocket.
“!!”
Everyone was shocked—even me.
The others were startled by Yunia’s sudden, reckless move.
I, however, was stunned by the way she was manipulating my mana.
‘Reverse synchronization?’
Yunia pulled my mana into herself, forcing it through her body.
Instead of me guiding the mana’s flow, she directed it herself, drawing in my energy and compressing it into an explosive surge within her.
“Miss Seia?”
Vwoooom.
At the tip of Yunia’s staff—
“Shall we have a little chat?”
As her non-attribute magic condensed into an orb the size of a globe—
BOOOOOM!!!
A massive magic bombardment erupted, engulfing Seia and the Old School Building’s forest in an instant.
