Three days since the trip ended.
I’ve been preparing for the lecture broadcast I’ve been putting off.
I originally planned to hold it right after the mock siege war, but the arrival of Sugarado delayed the schedule.
Plus, it feels like I’ve been on an unintended vacation for nearly three months.
Since I don’t have any special plans for a while, I guess it’s okay to do it now.
“…Oh?”
I checked the condensed stones I distributed.
Out of hundreds of condensed stones, 48 people have independently awakened mana.
Among them, 22 have completed up to the second assignment.
The last class had 7 people, so it’s almost a threefold increase.
There are quite a few rankers among them.
I thought the brief lecture I gave during Sugarado’s time might have provided a stepping stone.
‘Calling everyone is a bit over the top.’
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind calling everyone, but as I mentioned in the notice, participants must complete up to the third assignment to join the lecture.
The assignment is to fill at least 10% of the condensed stone with their own mana.
The previous 7 have all completed it, and both Black and Devil, who attended additional classes, have also finished their assignments.
These few are enough, so let’s call the 22 after they complete up to the third assignment.
‘More importantly, Yena. You finally succeeded.’
Both Black and Devil managed to achieve it just as I was about to leave on my trip.
Should I give them some praise when we meet?
Ugh.
“They say when you talk about a tiger, it appears.”
[Yena 11:30
-Please save me…]
■
I’m dying.
It’s truly hard to live.
On the third day, lying in bed, Yena, groaning, took a deep breath and stared blankly at the ceiling.
It’s not that she has a fever.
There’s no particular pain in her body, and nothing problematic inside.
‘It just hurts!’
Her whole body aches like she’s caught a cold.
She feels like she’s dying, and even when she goes to the hospital, they just prescribe her some medicine without giving her any real treatment.
“Hallocon…”
That’s the name the doctor mentioned.
Even taking the painkillers doesn’t help much.
The only remaining method is someone who understands this pain well.
Ding dong~
─Miss Yena?
It’s just calling Lady Lily.
“Ugh.”
Holding her trembling arms and legs, she walks to the door.
The house feels even bigger today.
Yena fiercely felt the downsides of living in an expensive apartment as she opened the door.
Clunk!
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Lady Lily, dressed in a black short-sleeve shirt and a black mask.
The culprit and the solution to this situation…
As she wants to vent the grudge of this pain, those thoughts slipped away as she saw Lady Lily’s pretty face the moment she took off the mask.
An unfair world.
I envy it.
“Ugh.”
“Are you okay?”
“It feels like I’m going to collapse…”
Falling over, Yena was supported by a pair of pure white arms.
“Huff…”
“How much did you do?”
“I don’t know… just used some techniques like usual…”
“How many times?”
“Three times…? I’ve been in pain for about three days…”
“I see.”
I see?
I thought you’d worry a bit more.
Instead, as if it was a perfectly normal situation, she casually lifted Yena and laid her back on the bed.
I’m really going to die.
“What did you eat?”
“Just takeaway…?”
“Hm.”
“Why? Is there something special I should eat?”
“No. I was just wondering if you were eating well.”
Lady Lily naturally went to the living room and brought something with a cup of water.
“You’re not supposed to eat this normally, but it seems too hard for you. I’ll give you some.”
“…Painkiller?”
“Yes. You’ve had it once before, right?”
“Yeah…”
A painkiller with suspiciously good effects.
It felt like I’d get completely wasted after taking it and having a drink, but there were no special side effects.
When I asked if it was a drug back then, Lady Lily laughed and said it wasn’t.
‘…But painkillers are kind of a type of drug, right?’
“It’s not strange. It’s just customized service.”
“I trust you, Lady Lily.”
Hmm.
Gulp. Gulp.
I swallowed the pill.
Five seconds after taking it, my body relaxed instantly as if by magic.
“Wow.”
“You feel alive, right?”
“Isn’t it really a drug?”
“I told you, it’s not.”
“Then how?”
I was completely out of my mind for the past three days when I was suffering, but now I feel like I could fly.
It felt like crawling out of the deep sea into the world.
Lady Lily smiled gently.
“It’s a technique I taught you. I also know how to counteract the side effects.”
“Are you an alien for real?”
“That part is true.”
Just when I was seriously pondering the credibility of the alien theory about Lily, she plopped down on a corner of the bed and looked at Yena.
“If it’s too hard, you can take it a little slower. I’m not forcing you to push yourself.”
“If I can’t do it within a month, I’ll lose the Green Hermit, right?”
That’s right.
Lady Lily proposed that in exchange for lending the mythical item, the Green Hermit, Yena must succeed in ‘Roar of the Spear’ within a month.
Even though there was a supreme assistance, I had succeeded once before and had some confidence, so I accepted, but…
‘I’m really going to die…’
The pain that penetrated this Deoen truly made me want to give up dozens of times a day.
The pain that affects me made me give up dozens of times a day.
Should I just not accept it?
Why am I doing this?
Isn’t this really going to kill me?
Amid all these thoughts, Lily shook her head.
“Since you’re working so hard, can we give you a little extension?”
“Really?!”
“Yes. Instead of a month, how about three months? That should be enough, right?”
“…Three months?”
“Yes. Three months.”
Three months… isn’t that possible?
Even if I’m still hurting since Sugarado’s time, I feel like I’m getting the hang of things every time I do something.
The real question is whether my mind can hold up during that time…
“That’s a bit much…”
“No.”
“Why?”
“If you eat too much of this, you’ll get addicted.”
“Isn’t that like drugging me? You scammer! Trying to make me a drug addict!”
“That’s not true.”
Anyway, that’s not the case.
Lily chuckled and shook her head while Yena, seized by a sudden urge, waved her hands to grab Lily.
Just a single hit at that annoying person. Just one!
“Ugh.”
Why is the world spinning?
Thud.
“You can’t move too much, patient. You need to take it easy.”
“…Wow. I just spun in the air.”
“Should I spin you around once more?”
“No.”
It is a valuable experience, though.
Grrr…
Right now, I’m more hungry.
“Want to eat before you go?”
“Sounds good.”
■
“I’m thinking of having a lecture soon.”
“What?!”
As Yena dramatically dropped her spoon, the chicken mayo rice I made tumbled down.
Was it such shocking news?
“R-Really?”
“Yes. I haven’t been able to do it lately because I’ve been busy. I think it’s time to start again.”
If we count the existing seven plus Black and Devil, that’ll make nine.
I’m not sure if everyone will come, but I think they probably will.
“So everyone will gather?”
“Maybe?” Those who are busy don’t necessarily have to come.”
“I’ll go!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes? Ah, my condition is a bit better in Deoen. I’ve taken my medicine, so there shouldn’t be an issue—”
“Not that. The class.”
“This class is a duel.”
“…Huh?”
It’s Professor Lil’s fourth lecture.
The topic of the class is one-on-one dueling.
■
[Lilha!]
[Lililarirara]
[Oh]
[Is today lecture day?]
[What?]
[Huh?]
[Take your seats]
[Professor Lily isn’t here yet]
[Lady Lily ㅇㄷ?]
[Kler submitted a super late entry lol]
[Looking forward to the lecture]
[Are we not picking new students?]
[What are we doing today?]
[Why are the kids glaring? lol]
Students hurriedly gathered for the fourth class.
Students rushed in for their class.
Despite looking just the same as before, the seven students in the lecture hall were tense, as if a storm was brewing.
The reason? A little announcement made by Lily before calling them here.
“Today’s class is a one-on-one duel. But don’t worry, there will be a special device applied, so come prepared.”
Ah, and by the way, the final victor will…
“Phew.”
“I’m going to win!!!”
“Shut it.”
“Noise, noise.”
“……”
Sigh.
Yena took a breath.
This fight. She absolutely had to win.
Of course, if it were pure one-on-one, she would definitely lose.
“Hehe.”
Yena looked to the front row.
There, sitting with a genuinely innocent smile and chatting with spirits, was a little child.
But that child was actually Leo, one of Deoen’s strongest who could topple kingdoms.
If everyone here jumped Leo at once, he would still win.
Leo was that powerful and invincible…
“Device.”
Lily clearly said a special device would be applied.
Though she couldn’t know exactly what, it was highly likely related to the damage reduction similar to what was used on the golem.
Perhaps whoever understands and breaks that damage reduction first will emerge victorious?
‘…But didn’t Leo figure it out first?’
“Hmm.”
It seemed hopeless after all.
‘But if I use it…’
If she could successfully unleash that roar just once, maybe she could aim for victory?
Of course, it was clear she would collapse after using it, so she had to reach the finals purely based on skill.
Crackle…
Thump.
“?”
An unusual sound came from the back.
Turning her head, she saw a large pink magic circle materializing in mid-air, through which a magical girl holding a giant candy appeared in the lecture hall.
Was that Candy Star?
She seemed to have hurriedly teleported inside rather than through the door.
Candy Star sat down and looked at Yena, who was staring at her.
“Clearly.”
“Eh?”
“Never mind. Just ignore me.”
Candy Star coldly turned her head, but her cheeks were red, perhaps embarrassed in that transformation state.
‘But… why does this feel so familiar?’
She was sure she had seen her before. Today just felt unusually familiar.
Where had they met?
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