Episode 18: Queen of the Snowstorm (1)
Maryd, who was on the verge of a rampage, holding a Nobel record. However, stopping her turned out to be surprisingly easy.
In the midst of trying to restrain her excitement, I accidentally dropped the pudding I had hidden in my pocket.
It was something I had saved to eat later instead of drinking alcohol, but Maryd’s intentions changed as soon as she saw it.
“Pudding! Can I have some?”
“Yeah, but be quiet for a bit instead.”
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it!”
As Maryd picked up the fallen pudding while putting the record away, it felt like negotiating with a tyrant about to launch a nuclear missile with just a piece of food.
Come to think of it, Maryd shamelessly reveals her love for sweet things. Especially when it comes to pudding, she’s at a level where she’ll run to snatch it away in a frenzy.
Even in the character settings, it was written that sweet things like pudding were included in Maryd’s ‘favorite things’ category.
Thanks to that, we were able to peacefully pass by without any conflicts.
No matter how much I tried to reel her in with my fishing rod, it was impossible to handle her, so luckily, it was one relief after another.
“Mmm~ Sweet. You truly are a friend of friendship!”
Eek! Get away!
Maryd embraces me like a child.
It’s nice to be liked by a cute kid, but in this case, it’s a pass.
I wonder if, in my desperation, I gave her that cursed record to declare our friendship over.
The smile of a girl that could touch anyone’s heart… It’s the first time it looks so ghostly.
Entering the game, I finally realized the feelings that I couldn’t perceive from the player’s perspective.
“So, this is how the extras around me felt.”
Who would have known that the nobel record I gave as a parting gift would lead to this?
To make matters worse, it’s not just an eyesore, but it’s also like hugging a time bomb. Which doesn’t help in any way.
Oh well. You can keep it for life.
“Huh? Who painted that, anyway?”
Just being near the fountain in the student plaza offered a clear view of the outdoor training ground.
There was a large banner hanging at the entrance, which would look very peculiar in this world.
It was the picture I had drawn.
“How’s the picture?”
I asked, pretending to seek evaluation.
Even though Maryd can’t distinguish mud from soybean paste, she should be able to judge the picture at least.
Moreover, since I didn’t mention that I drew it, she probably won’t be overly enthusiastic.
“Hmm….”
After about three seconds of deliberation, Maryd spoke.
“It’s really good. Who actually drew it?”
Haha. Once I heard her, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
How long has it been since I received such praise? It made it impossible to maintain my poker face.
“Yeah. Why are you laughing? Did you draw it by any chance?”
“No. I can’t draw.”
“Aw. Really?”
“Really. If I had talent for that, I would have joined the art club instead. Why did I join the newspaper club?”
As you might expect, it’s a lie. There’s nothing good that would come from telling the truth.
If Maryd, who is such a chatterbox, were to go around like this, even the art club would be greatly excited.
Considering the personality of that bald guy, he would probably scout me out.
I absolutely detest troublesome things. I’m currently extending my livelihood through activities in the newspaper club, and it’s not worth it to parallel with drawing.
If that were to actually happen, wouldn’t I become a Jack of all trades? It would be a hellish experience that I’ve never even had while living on the Korean Peninsula.
That’s why I made sure to ask Crona to keep it a secret from others.
“But what does it represent? Is it Jenny and Crona?”
Maryd tilted her head as she looked at the picture. The composition of the picture looks quite unusual.
“Maybe it symbolically represents those two?”
“Is that so?”
It was more effective to depict them in a different form rather than drawing their faces themselves.
The icy messenger symbolizing Jenny and the fiery avatar symbolizing Crona clashing fists… It was like a depiction of a battle between absolute powers.
“That picture… The more I look at it, the more majestic it feels!”
“Hmm….”
In the original story, a poorly drawn picture, as if drawn by a child, makes everyone laugh.
But now, there’s a good evaluation coming out, asking if it was drawn by the art club.
“It’s about time to start.”
It’s already 9 o’clock. Until then, the students had been passing the time in the plaza reading books or playing music.
What makes this leisure time even more enjoyable is the spectacle. It is set up right next to the outdoor training ground.
In this era without TVs or screens.
Although there is a possibility to recreate it using magical tools, it seems it hasn’t been realized yet. In such an era, there’s no doubt that such substitutes would be welcomed.
“Oh? It’s out!”
Maryd was excited as she watched two students enter the outdoor training ground.
A girl with blue hair and a girl with blonde hair walked in and stood in their respective positions. As a result, the number of students gathering to watch them increased rapidly.
There’s nothing as enjoyable as the clash between Class A students.
Interestingly, the students at this moment seem to have more interest than during practical exams.
Should we call it a discrepancy between classes and free time? From my perspective, watching an exam that should be taken in the classroom outdoors feels no different from watching it indoors.
But well… Perhaps their interests are subtly different since their interests are their interests in the first place?
Bang! –
As expected, actions speak louder than words.
Already, a loud explosion echoed in the outdoor training ground. In the blink of an eye, several fireballs illuminated the dim night sky above Crona Delleware’s head.
And the staff she held in her hand was turning red as if it were burning fiercely.
True to the name of the Sunburst, Crona Delluware’s basic base is fire magic.
Unleashing flames that can melt metal in a single blow, she unleashes firepower that is no less than that of senior students.
In fact, when she appeared as a boss in the game, she boasted a vicious attack power that could cause a game over with just two hits from fireballs.
She was called the Burning Spear among users.
Bang! Bang! The fireballs relentlessly targeted Jenny Chainsilver, showering her. As someone who had experienced boss battles, Jenny must have had various thoughts.
“The speed of the fireballs seems faster than before.”
“It’s not easy to close the distance.”
“Her reflexes are also very fast. Did she improve her physical skills? Or did she apply agility using fire magic?”
Dialogue scripts that appear intermittently during boss battles. Continuous admiration and praise for Crona Delluware, who didn’t slack off in her performance.
Although they package it as if they were each other’s new rivals, in reality, they are closer to childhood friends. It’s just that their expressions of emotion are clumsy, making them look distorted to others’ eyes.
From what I’ve observed, it’s progressing in the same way as the original.
Although Jenny’s emotions may be twisted in various ways due to contact with me, in front of Crona, she is a character where all those emotions fly away.
No matter what negative influences she may have received, everything becomes equal in front of Crona. Thanks to this, emotions are well controlled, allowing her to fight in a state where the Silver Age is suppressed.
This is also one of the reasons why Jenny Chainsilver accepted this duel so smoothly.
Although her voice cannot be heard due to the distance and the noise, it overlaps with what she’s saying.
“Ahahaha~ You’re running around so frantically!”
“If you’re going to act so cocky, you must have cultivated enough skill to back it up, right?”
“It’s incomparable to before. Let me show you! The power I’ve accumulated over the years….”
In terms of content alone, they may seem like archrivals who met on a shaky bridge, but in reality, it’s a heartwarming situation when you think about their relationship.
Aura emanating from Jenny’s wooden sword splits the fireballs in half. However, consecutive attacks follow, making it difficult to bear, forcing her to step back.
Jenny seems to be struggling to keep up with the fireballs, but Crona is no pushover either.
She also has her limits in wielding such immense firepower. As she uses it, her breath becomes ragged, and she sweats profusely.
A tense situation where neither side can afford to give an inch. Although they are fighting with practice weapons, the urgency feels as real as in a real battle.
“You look like you’re having fun, Jenny.”
Maryd murmured from beside me. Her smile remained, but her expression wasn’t as eerie as it was a moment ago.
There hasn’t been any description in the game of Maryd’s reaction as she watched this situation. It’s just an idea that she’ll be frolicking or causing some crazy mischief somewhere.
I was one of the users who thought that way too, but now I know that isn’t the case.
As much as it’s related to her friends, Maryd is a perfectly normal person.
“Huh? Where are you going, Radon?”
“Bathroom.”
I wanted to watch a bit longer, but I had to leave my seat. The moment for that event to occur is approaching.
“Take care~”
“Yeah.”
I decided to watch the situation from the rooftop of the student union, far away. I had brought a telescope, knowing I could observe from that distance.
It wasn’t my place to intervene anymore. I can’t barge in and mess things up in the upcoming ‘affair.’
It’ll be fine since they can handle it with their power alone.
“In the game, I didn’t notice because of the graphics, but she really looks like she’s enjoying herself.”
I observed Jenny and Crona through the telescope.
The atmosphere of blazing friendship. It’s a good scene, very moving. However, unfortunately… their sacred duel will soon be aborted.
“Very soon, that monster will arrive.”
“Lycansroff.”
A monster in the form of a two-legged walking werewolf with a 10-meter physique. It always targets the blood of the strong and has fur tougher than steel.
And its specialty is stabbing enemies to death with the spikes protruding from its forearms.
This is the final boss of this part, a monster of the same kind as the one who killed Jenny’s mother. And it’s not just one monster, but two appear at a time.
One of them is marked by the surrounding students, while the other is dealt with by Jenny, Crona, and Maryd working together.
They are very strong. They are the same kind as the one who killed Jenny’s mother, a creature with the strength of a high-ranking knight.
Of course, they may be weaker as they are not the same individual, but they are not to be taken lightly.
As the students join forces to barely take down the two, that says it all.
“It’s going to be quite painful. Both physically and mentally.”
Seeing the monster that tainted her childhood again, Jenny is not able to keep her composure.
Her passionate demeanor just moments ago is quickly reversed, and she is filled with fear like a lamb abandoned in a storm.
This leads to a rampage of the Silver Age.
But from my perspective, it’s not surprising. It’s not much different from watching a story cutscene.
Awooooo! –
Finally, their cries are heard. They descend from the sky with howls like wolves.
The students are startled by the sudden loud animal cries. This means that soon…
“They’re here!”
Thud!
Through a tremendous leap, the massive creatures land in the outdoor training ground. They separate Jenny and Crona, who were about to clash.
Dust flies from the impact, obscuring the identity of the intruders. Only the silhouettes of the two entities can be seen through the dust, enough to realize they’re not human.
Eventually, with glowing red eyes, the creatures reveal themselves.
“This… this creature…!”
Jenny’s pupils dilate. Crona and Maryd also recognize them as Lycansroff, their mouths agape. The watching students are also shocked and flee.
And…
“Huh, why are there five of them?”
…I was also surprised.
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