“……Do you want me to touch it?”
“Yes.”
My response was immediate.
It was a natural reaction for a man. No, anyone regardless of gender would likely react the same way.
With such a voluminous and elastic mass of flesh, it would be natural to feel some pure curiosity to touch it. So the fault wasn’t mine, but rather that of the Lady Virgin Saint.
Whispering in a voice as sweet as temptation, who wouldn’t fall for it?
The Lady Virgin Saint, possessed of such a lewd form, was greatly at fault. Not just the curves from her neck down to her chest, but even the perfect arc flowing from her waist to her hips and down to her thighs was too much.
And so, I silently made the sign of the holy cross in the air, offering up a prayer of repentance to the Heavenly Deity Aulus.
Forgive this sinful flesh, Emmanuel.
Yet, the Lady Virgin Saint didn’t seem to notice my inner turmoil, only bursting into a clear laugh.
“Well, there’s no particular reason I couldn’t let you touch it…”
Her voice was suggestive.
I knew it was a trap, yet I couldn’t help but ask, reflexively like a spinal response.
“…Really?”
“I don’t let just anyone touch it. Only you.”
Her tone was hot and moist, making my heart race without me even realizing it.
Her light pink eyes, slightly opened, were unusually alluring. The Lady continued whispering in my ear.
“B-but… in exchange, w-wouldn’t it be nice to visit the Holy Kingdom during the break? W-we could do some pilgrim tourism… T-there are so many things to see!”
Her smooth flow of words broke apart at that moment of suggestion.
My gaze blankly turned to her. Her cheeks were already tinged with a blush, mixing with her sweet scent to become irresistibly charming.
This was an invitation from such a beautiful woman.
And as a bonus, I would also be able to touch her ‘spiritual pouch.’
It was an opportunity any man would dream of. I felt my heart pounding rapidly.
My response was faster than thought.
“…No, it’s not possible.”
Now, it was the Lady Virgin Saint’s turn to have a stunned expression.
She looked as if she had misheard, her eyes resembling those of a fisherman who had accidentally let a fish escape from the net.
However, my stance was firm.
“I have to return promptly after the break. If I don’t, my little sister gets upset.”
Maintaining family harmony was a matter of great importance.
Her mouth opened and closed for a while, but she couldn’t find any words.
A sound, “Phek,” echoed as a scream burst forth.
A male student, having been struck by a sheath on his chest, stumbled backward, determined to endure despite his wounded pride.
But that was a mistake.
With a sharper sound of impact, “Pak,” the sheath struck his temple, sending shockwaves through his senses.
Unable even to scream, the male student crumpled to the ground.
This was the final act; it was time to conclude the moonlit sword dance.
The clearing where few people ventured was now the scene of mayhem. Already, four or five individuals were writhing on the ground.
Though they weren’t bleeding, their groans indicated something serious—most likely a fracture in one or two places.
Standing on this earth alone was but one being.
In the moonlit darkness, grey hair flowed down, while aquamarine-like blue eyes seemed to float upward into the void.
The woman wore her usual unfeeling and cold expression.
Like a machine, she swung and struck down her opponents, subduing them without any visible emotion. Therefore, those who had attacked were all the more consumed by fear.
Excessive fear sometimes evokes frantic resistance.
The cry from one of the fallen could only be understood as such.
“…You, you!”
The woman’s cold gaze fixated on the man who shouted.
His face paled momentarily, but now he had no choice. He began yelling.
“A, do you think you can mess with us and get away with it just because you’re Yuridina?! Especially for the sake of Her Imperial Highness Princess…”
“I put food waste in Senior Ian’s mailbox.”
The man’s frantic rant was cut short instantly.
The woman mumbled this as she took a step forward.
It was a measured step, a movement only those trained in orthodox swordsmanship could exhibit.
Like a ghost, her step closed the distance unnoticed.
The sound of her clothes swishing was faintly heard.
“Besides, I heard you cursing Senior Ian loudly? And threatening those who conversed with Senior Ian? You people always do something so cowardly, don’t you?”
“…Y-you were watching all this time?”
Now the male student seemed bewildered, but the girl remained silent.
She merely slid her step and approached him.
And the next moment…
“G-gaaaaaaaaaah!”
Calmly, the girl’s foot crushed the hand of the man sprawled on the ground. Despite her delicate appearance, the power enhanced by magic made her strength indiscernible from outward looks.
Proof of this was the crack of the joint as his muscles and skin tore, blood flowing profusely within seconds.
A cruel scene unfolded. The sight of the human body being crushed like this elicited vivid panic.
Yet, the girl merely muttered with a sigh.
“I’ve tolerated much so far. Even when they called me ‘Yuridina’s lack of manners’ or insulted my mother, I didn’t respond.”
With a sharp sound, the man’s wrist was released.
The man, gripping his bloodied wrist tightly, gritted his teeth to endure the pain, glaring at the grey-haired girl.
“G-guh… Crazy… woman…”
Though he wanted to hurl worse insults out of his pain and fear, his courage faltered.
The girl showed no change in expression hearing this insult. She simply bent her knees slightly, aligning her gaze with his, her expression unchanged.
As soon as he met her gaze, the man trembled with even greater fear.
Her eyes had no shadows.
Her pupils had lost all depth, confirming that she was not normal.
This meant she was someone you shouldn’t mess with.
“That’s right, I’m a crazy woman… So don’t mess with Senior Ian. I mean it, as I constantly surveil him because I’m a crazy woman.”
Memories of what the girl had just said flashed in the student’s mind.
It was true; the kind of stories one could only learn by following someone all day were accurate indicators of her sincerity.
“Anyone who teases Senior Ian, or anyone who insults him, and also, how could I help Senior Ian…”
Each word she spoke was calm.
There was no sign of excitement or anger. That made her even scarier.
The girl in front of him was as beautiful as a piece of art. The canvas of her porcelain skin featured aquamarine-like eyes and shimmering grey hair.
A beauty that would make anyone’s heart race upon a close encounter.
In fact, the student’s heart was racing wildly now.
Only the cause was different.
The man inhaled heavily, tears welling at the corners of his eyes.
“Go ahead and mess with me. I’m a lowborn, only know how to wield a sword, and there’s much to criticize about me anyway. But…”
The girl’s face moved closer to the man’s ear.
That icy, clear whisper.
“…Don’t you dare touch Senior Ian. If you care about living, that is.”
Lightning-fast, the sword pierced into the man’s thigh.
It happened in a blink. Just in the time he blinked, a flash of light erupted in the void, and suddenly the sword’s tip was buried in his thigh.
Unable to bear the sudden sharp pain, the man screamed again.
“Ggghh… K-k-kkkaaaa!!!”
Lying down, writhing in agony, the girl looked silently upon the man as she stood.
Some students who witnessed their friend’s thigh being pierced chose to close their eyes.
The convulsions of their bodies reflected their feelings.
The grey-haired woman, namely Ceria, surveyed her surroundings with an expressionless look.
No witnesses, none.
Self-defense; given that she let a few punches land on her, if needed, she could argue.
Though pulling out her real sword at the final moment concerned her, she could ask her elder sister if required.
If forced, she could say it was due to a minor dispute that she used her sword.
Surely, her elder sister would handle it. Whether through negotiation between families or compensating monetarily, it would be resolved.
Ceria thought quietly, moving without sound.
It was worth it to learn these tricks from Senior Elsi just in case.
Ceria crossed paths with Ian the next morning.
Seeing Ian walking from far away, Ceria froze in her steps.
She immediately started fidgeting, hurriedly fixing her hair and adjusting her clothes, worried they might look disheveled.
With a somewhat tense face, she made a few cute, false coughs.
It was right after that Ian noticed Ceria.
“Hello, Ceria. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Ye, yessir! Um… Yes, I’ve been busy lately…”
As always, fumbling with her words, Ceria avoided Ian’s gaze, keeping a demure posture. She couldn’t figure out why her face heated up every time they ran into each other.
Ian carefully observed Ceria’s complexion for a while, then smiled faintly.
“It shows. You look pretty exhausted. Having trouble sleeping these days?”
“Ah, yes… yes!”
Actually, it was because she spent the nights pursuing and punishing anyone daring to trouble Senior Ian. But she couldn’t possibly say that, so she gave an affirmative reply.
It seemed Ian took her words in a different way.
He wore an even deeper, bitter smile as he patted Ceria on the shoulder.
“…I’m sorry for worrying you, Ceria. But I’ll resolve it soon.”
Facing Ian saying this, Ceria’s aquamarine eyes became dreamy.
A sweet gaze. Looking at her, anyone could tell she was a girl hopelessly in love.
Senior Ian was too kind.
That’s why she had to step in to chase away bugs that disturbed Senior Ian.
The person Ceria had most admired so far was Delphine. Her admiration was so immense that naturally, feelings of rivalry also grew large.
But the man who had defeated the previously untouchable Delphine was none other than Ian.
Now deep within Ceria’s heart, the person she looked up to most was Ian. Then Delphine followed, and if instructed by the words of those two people, Ceria was confident she’d follow any command.
So Ceria was completely unaware.
That the respected older sister she adored might have turned into someone willing to be a slave to her beloved Senior Ian, craving punishment.
That Senior Elsi was in conflict with the very useful mentor who had taught her things.
And that Ian’s path would soon lead to where the two of them were waiting—this Ceria didn’t realize.
She only dreamily muttered internally.
Senior Ian was indeed kind.
“Master, please punish this impious slave…”
“W-w-what the hell, pal! Covertly rounding off your thighs and even sticking your butt out?! A woman with an unnecessarily wide booty is really… Master! Please don’t abandon me here because of this pervert… right?”
Facing both seniors, I silently swept my face with both hands.
What are both of you even saying, seriously?
