Lucia was not a bad practice partner at all. Swish!
I was curious about how much strength to adjust to the student level, so I practiced matching her level while watching Lucia swing her sword. Whoosh!
Among the first-year students at the Academy, Lucia was the top student, so I wanted to reference how it felt and tried to drag out the fight as much as possible. Tick-tock!
At first, it was tough, but as I kept going, I started to get the hang of it. I had a sparring match against Lucia, whose movements weren’t as bad as I expected. Thud!
But there’s always a difference in strength between a sword engraved with mana and one that isn’t. Clang!
When we blocked swords at the same level, it was me whose sword broke. Crash!
So I ended it. I was ready to go a bit longer if only my sword had held up. Sigh…
I seriously considered handing the top position over to her, but in the end, I decided against it. Hmm…
Bow down and lick my feet!
Lucia was so full of herself after I let her win that duel. Ha-ha!
If it were the back alley, I might have already killed her. I just couldn’t do that with so many eyes around! Gulp!
Anyway, for the time being, I became the top first-year student. It wasn’t something I wanted, but by defeating Lucia, the strongest contender, I secured my position. Ta-da!
Not exactly cheerful news, but I hoped this would cut down on the duel requests coming my way. Fingers crossed!
*
A world where nothing exists. Nothing!
A seemingly endless horizon. Wooooosh…
Lucia fell into such a place. It’s where the sense of time dulls. Tick-tock…
“Ugh, ugh… Please, please make it stop…” Cough!
In that pitch-black darkness, Lucia was running away from something. Pitter-patter!
Something was chasing her with shining red eyes. Gasp!
It wasn’t fast, but there it was, slowly walking towards Lucia. Step, step…
Fear gripped her, and so she ran endlessly to escape that being. She had no idea how long she had been running. No matter how hard her legs worked, only the same scenery greeted her. Run, run!
“AAAH!” Screech!
Eventually, she tripped and fell. Maybe her legs just gave out. Thud!
And then…
“Lucia.” Echooooo…
“EEEK!” Yikes!
The red-eyed being finally reached her and grabbed her ankle. Grab!
As it came closer, its expression became visible—cold eyes looking down on her with a nearly contemptuous blankness. Chill…
Lucia instinctively realized: it was a being unlike any human. It was something different, something alien. Dun dun dun…
Iria asked Lucia, “Why did you do that?” Curious gaze!
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Iria… I messed up, so please…” Sniffle!
“I’m not asking for an apology; I’m curious about your reasons. Why did you do that?” Probe!
Thus began the time of confession. Tick-tock!
Iria stood still, waiting, while Lucia trembled in fear, pulling back her body. Shiver!
But she knew too. This was the dream that Iria trapped her in. So she couldn’t escape from Iria. Eek!
And if Iria didn’t let her out, she wouldn’t leave this place. Facepalm!
That’s why Lucia bowed her head before Iria. Defeated…
From that point on, she began to spill her mistakes like a desperate plea. Gulp!
“Y-yeah, I was jealous of you. Ugh, seeing you look vacant even with the top position annoyed me… So, that’s why I did it.” Hiccup!
“……” Silence!
“You were bothersome… You, sitting there in a place everyone aims for, acting unworthy of it…” Fume!
The value of being top student at the Imperial Academy is higher than Iria realizes. It’s a prestigious spot you earn after defeating fierce competitors. Clap!
Yet it seemed like Iria didn’t know what that position truly meant. Huh?
She sat in a desired spot, yet looked down on it as if it was nothing. Roll eyes!
Someone had swung a sword tirelessly to reach that place! Swing!
Having trained hard to harness her mana since childhood, it felt like it was all being disregarded. Burn!
“Not everyone is like you, that emotionless puppet…” Groan!
Every human wants recognition: their talents, their efforts, the lives they’ve built. Yup!
Lucia was no different. She too wanted to seize the top position proudly through her skills. Go, go!
Not everyone is like Iria, cold as ice. Feeling jealous of those who are better is human. Oh boy!
It’s because we can’t be perfect that we are human. Exactly!
So Iria, as a being that is not human, will never understand these feelings. And it’s the painfully realistic feeling Lucia now has for her. Boom!
Resentment directed upwards. Grrr!
That was the cause. Lucia poured out her honest feelings, letting them flow out. Let it all out!
The water she threw, the insulting words, all came from her jealousy. Eek!
It took her a long time to finally admit that. Phew!
After losing to Iria in the dueling arena and running endlessly in this never-ending dream, she finally had the chance to reflect on herself. Think, think!
The dream Iria trapped her in felt like an eternity. No idea how long it had been in the real world, but it felt like she’d been stuck in the dream for days. Help!
In the end, in the last scene of the dream, Lucia stripped herself of everything, and only after that could she return to reality. Whoosh!
What a long dream it was. Yawn!
*
Once someone fails a ranking match, they must fulfill one request from the winner. Gulp!
It’s not that big of a deal, though. Since it happens at the Academy, it only takes a professor’s approval for it to have real weight. Stamp!
If the request is too outrageous, the professors often cut it down. Cut!
The ranking match culture at the Academy has its origins in the era when the Demon King ruled the continent, nearly half a century ago. Old times!
Back then, the main idea was to make students stronger. Get fit!
But this painful culture rooted in war times remains, and now, with the Demon King dead and a temporary peace, it has lost much of its former prestige. Peace!
That said, a loser remains a loser. Lucia approached Iria with heavy steps. Step, step!
“……” Gaze!
“……” More gazing!
Iria didn’t say a word for a while. Lucia’s odd state made her suspicious. Hmm…
She seemed terrified, trembling, and couldn’t meet Iria’s gaze. Eyes down!
‘What kind of dream did she have?’ Ponder!
Iria scratched her cheek, confused by Lucia’s behavior. Huh?
Sure, she trapped Lucia in her dream, but she hadn’t directly manipulated the contents of that dream. Whoosh!
Ultimately, it was just a space created by her imagination and unconsciousness. Dreamy!
Curiously, she wanted to peek into what Lucia had seen inside that dream, but since Lucia wouldn’t meet her eyes, she couldn’t look. Peep!
Not that it mattered much. Eh!
“So, what can you give me?” Curiosity!
Iria asked Lucia, marking the time for settlement after the confession. Tick-tock!
But she didn’t overthink it. After all, Lucia was the daughter of a noble family. Noble!
Iria thought they could transition to a material request. Hmm…
“Money…” Cash!
“I already have plenty.” Rich!
“Then how about magic tools…” Ponder!
“I have no mana.” Boo-hoo!
“Then whatever you want…” Scratching head!
“I have no idea what I want.” Confusion!
“……?” Head tilt!
“What?” Surprise!
The conversation didn’t flow smoothly. Awkward!
Iria wasn’t greedy for money. She had plenty of it if necessary; at the moment, she was practically swimming in cash. Thousands!
So she pondered for a moment. This was an opportunity, after all, and she wouldn’t just let it slip away. Think, think!
“Hmm.” Scratch!
The hesitation didn’t last long; something suitable came to mind. Ding!
She didn’t really want anything in particular, so she decided to get a little petty revenge for the humiliation she suffered earlier. Ah-ha!
She figured she’d let Lucia feel how annoying it is from the position of being humiliated. Take that!
After taking a suitable seat, Iria removed one shoe and sock. Off they go!
Then she raised her foot in front of Lucia and started to sway it. Swing, swing!
“Bend down and lick my feet. If you do that, I’ll let it go this time.” Evil laugh!
It seemed like a scene she had seen somewhere before. Just the positions were reversed. Flip!
And just like before, there were many watching. I was so curious to see if the proud Lucia would kneel before them. Excitement!
It was pure curiosity. She held no ill will. All good!
Lucia looked like she was about to cry. From the position of a loser, she couldn’t refuse Iria’s demand. Crying!
“At least let’s go somewhere else…” Whine!
“Do it here.” Mean!
“Guh…” Sigh!
Sure enough, Lucia hesitated, fully aware of her surroundings. Panic!
The thrill of observing from the perspective of the perpetrator was electrifying. Zap!
Ultimately, Lucia slowly knelt before Iria. She lowered her posture, aligning her gaze with Iria’s legs. Kneel!
Then she lifted Iria’s pristine leg. But even when given time, Lucia couldn’t execute the command. Timid!
With both hands clutching Iria’s small foot, she trembled. Shake!
“Ugh, ugh…” Sniff!
This must have been her first time experiencing such humiliation. A glimmer of moisture appeared in Lucia’s eyes. Sadness!
Iria, however, sounded like she had no intention of being forgiving. No mercy!
“Do it quickly. Do you want to have another nightmare?” Tease!
“……” Fume!
Defeated, Lucia kissed the extended foot of Iria. Unsure how long it would satisfy her, she even tried licking it with her tongue. Lick!
But maybe Lucia’s attitude wasn’t what Iria desired because… Hmm?
Iria shoved her toes into Lucia’s mouth. Eek!
“Ugh! Mmmpfh!” Surprise!
The reaction was more amusing than she expected. Ha-ha!
It was the afternoon of the day the duel ended. Peaceful…
