Chapter 7: Consecutive Visits (2)
In quiet silence.
Seria slowly opened her mouth.
“You’re hurt quite badly.”
The wounds that remained there.
They weren’t that serious, but the dried blood made them look unsightly.
“I heard what happened. The delinquents came after you and attacked you…”
Her expression was very worried.
It seemed like she would caress my wounds at any moment.
“Actually… I wanted to see you.”
“———!!”
At those words…
Jace’s heart went wild.
Ah, I understand the feeling, but calm down a bit!
My heart pounding.
It’s awkward because it’s not my emotion.
Meanwhile, my mind was very confused.
Why, how come?
Seria had kept her distance until now.
So I judged that all affection had cooled off.
I had even expected a broken engagement, but now she’s acting like a proper fiancĂ©e.
“……”
Does she still have lingering feelings?
Maybe she’s trying to believe one last time…
Well, my behavior must have looked like I’d come to my senses.
What should I do about this?
I can’t say it’s not true…
It’s not like I particularly dislike her.
A well-matched handsome man and beautiful woman.
Just as Jace was a nobleman, Seria was lacking in nothing.
Appearance, character, ability, others’ evaluation.
The couple was perfect together.
That’s why it’s dangerous.
If we spend time close together, she’ll notice something.
Unless she has some dense attributes.
Seria’s image was very far from such things.
‘Someday she’ll feel something’s off…’
It might be an overreaction.
But still, keeping distance for now is safe.
No, but I’m a gentleman…
I can’t just coldly push away a girl who likes me!
First, I need to urgently change the subject.
I looked at the basket placed next to the girl.
“What’s that?”
“I brought some food. I prepared medicine too, and next time I should bring clothes.”
Ah, it’s already over!
How can I endure when she’s this kind and caring!
I haven’t been eating well lately.
Recently, I even suffered an attack from a wolf pack.
As if she had anticipated such things.
My fiancée had prepared everything.
The reason that’s possible is because she’s been thinking of her fiancĂ© all along…
“Thank you…”
There was no other choice.
If I threw away the basket here, I’d become a bastard’s child.
“May I examine your wounds for a moment?”
Somehow it’s becoming more and more burdensome.
At this rate, it seems like there’ll be no turning back.
But…
I don’t know how to resist.
In the end, as always, I left my body to instinct.
I am the patient.
Then I should quietly receive treatment.
Let me throw everything away and think simply.
“Please do…”
As if she had been waiting for those words.
She took out ointment and bandages and rolled up her sleeves.
Soon after, she casually held my body.
Given the situation, I didn’t feel any pain at all.
I felt like I’d die of awkwardness.
But I endured it firmly to avoid showing it.
“Take off your clothes.”
“———??”
“There are wounds on your back too.”
“……”
Huh? She wants to see my back too?
No matter that we’re engaged, that’s a bit…
“That’s not like you. Is there something between us…”
Between us? Just how close were we?
Soon Jace’s memories gradually surfaced.
“……”
Oh my goodness…
They did everything young people do, just didn’t cross the final line!
Right, they’ve been dating for over 10 years.
Their expressions of affection might be quite intense.
I gave up.
There was no way to refuse her touch.
The more strangely I acted, the more suspicious I’d become.
I had to avoid that at all costs.
A cold yet soft sensation.
I felt like I’d lose my mind from that dizzying feeling.
I’d rather just do a sudden quest…
I’d fight risking my life, but this is a bit much!
I screamed internally.
But Seria’s touch only became more caring.
I must smell bad from not washing.
With the same attitude, she wrapped bandages around my upper body.
Jace, you bad bastard…
You left such a girl behind and felt despair?
‘Maybe…’
His appearance, no different from a cripple.
Maybe he couldn’t bear it even more because he fell short of his devoted fiancĂ©e.
Anyway.
Since I’ve possessed this body, I have to clean up the mess he made.
“That’s enough now. So…”
“Try eating this.”
“……”
This is really driving me crazy.
A homemade lunch box popped out of the basket.
I can’t resist this.
How can I not eat it?
I happened to be hungry, and I desperately missed proper food.
From her actions so far.
I thought she might feed me, but she really didn’t do that.
She didn’t ask how it tasted either.
She just silently felt proud watching me eat well.
Should I say it’s subtly cute?
At this rate, I can’t help but develop feelings…
She’s even good at cooking.
It was so delicious I almost cried.
Truly first-class bride material.
The more she shined, the more difficult my position became.
How can I push away such a good girl?
Rather than taking risks, it might be better to go along with it…
“There are traces of Mana use.”
A somewhat serious voice.
I guessed this was the main topic from now on.
“You must have recovered your Dantian, right? I sincerely congratulate you.”
“I’m still far from it. My power is only…”
“It’s okay. You’ll definitely regain your former self.”
A firm attitude.
As if claiming absolute faith.
She gazes at me with unwavering eyes.
Avoiding the girl’s clear eyes, I secretly played my trump card.
“I’m sorry, but that seems a bit difficult.”
“What? Why…”
“Because I can’t guarantee it.”
“Ah…”
I subtly revealed that I’m scheduled to be different from before.
Some sense of discomfort should be covered by this.
“As expected… you’re being stubborn.”
Huh? When was I being stubborn?
When I felt the conversation was getting off track…
“I understand. I’ll respect your will.”
“……”
I don’t know well, but.
She was definitely seriously misunderstanding something.
“I’ll wait forever.”
Saying she believes in me no matter what.
A girl who wishes to be together forever.
Could there be anything more beautiful than her in this world?
For a moment, Jace’s body reacts intensely.
As if he had loved only her, the trembling won’t stop.
After barely catching my breath, I opened my mouth with difficulty.
“It will be very painful.”
“Compared to you… it’s nothing.”
“It might end futilely.”
“That’s fine too.”
No good.
No matter what I say, it doesn’t get through.
If the other person’s heart is this firm.
I had no choice but to change my mind too.
“Give me time. I’ll try my best.”
The current me is powerless.
I’m far from enough to embrace her.
At minimum, Jace’s prime…
No, I need to reach an even higher level.
Only then will I be qualified.
If I’m greedy without qualification, everyone becomes unhappy.
I’m unintentionally deceiving the world.
But it’s not my fault, so I felt no guilt.
There’s only one exception.
A relationship connected by love.
Today’s events make me feel sorry enough to die.
To shake off that pang of conscience.
I need to become strong enough to discuss being the strongest, worthy of her.
“Yes, I’ll gladly wait. Don’t worry about me and please take care of yourself…”
As if choked up, she can barely continue speaking.
Soon transparent beads formed in the girl’s eyes.
Then she leaned her head against my chest.
Before I could be flustered, my body reacted first.
“……”
A proper lovers’ embrace.
Our chests overlap and touch perfectly.
All anxiety disappears in her warm body temperature.
Well, this much should be okay…
I desperately needed healing right now.
I guess I don’t need to get a cat.
****
After Seria left.
I was lost in thought for a while.
“……”
Even though quite some time had passed.
The tender afterglow remained as it was.
First, I should reflect on my situation.
Just looking at the circumstances, it’s like I’ve fallen alone into a strange world.
It’s not particularly frightening.
But shouldn’t there be at least one person to rely on?
Through the affection Seria showed, I once again realized I was alive.
Now there’s no choice.
Even if I try to keep distance, my body reacts on its own.
Is it justified or not justified?
Like a civilized person, I should solve that problem logically first.
By possessing Jace’s body.
I’m in a position where I have to bear the karma he committed.
The delinquent teenagers are a good example.
That matter seemed to end well somehow.
But probably that was just the beginning.
“……”
I should have beaten those kids in moderation.
He even harassed powerless female students.
A thought that just occurred to me.
Even if he did terrible things to other women.
I pay my respects to our fiancée who believes in her fiancé.
Anyway, since he caused all kinds of trouble like a scoundrel.
There must be quite a few kids who harbor ill feelings toward Jace.
In other words, there’s a high probability I’ll face retaliation.
Unfortunately, Hero Academy is a place where violence is permitted.
Promotion matches and martial arts tournaments, of course.
Practice sparring and so on – there were plenty of opportunities to humiliate me.
“……”
Those who know will know, but kids are scarier.
More vicious, more cruel, and they cross lines when push comes to shove.
Ah, how unfair…
I didn’t commit any wrongdoing!
A situation where I can’t complain to anyone.
Then I have no choice but to balance the scales.
I’ll try to gain from the other side as much as I lose.
The position of family head that will become Jace’s.
Taking over the Crodaine family as heir.
And getting the fiancée too, only then will it be roughly fair.
“……”
Truly miraculous logic.
This time I won’t accept any rebuttals.
Anyway…
To claim all of that, I needed power.
Going round and round, in the end I had no choice but to become strong.
‘She said she’d wait…’
Seria said that, but.
No matter how I think about it, it wasn’t time to be leisurely.
My wounds have been treated too.
I’ve rested well, so all that’s left is to diligently train.
Exercise is exercise, but.
I particularly invested time in meditation.
The condition presented by the student council.
To return to the academy, I must demonstrate sword energy within one month.
If that’s not achieved, all plans will go awry.
“……”
It’s extremely difficult.
No, it’s close to impossible.
By controlling the Mana within my body.
Strengthening the body is relatively easy, but.
Manifesting sword energy is a much more advanced problem.
Jace achieved that level at thirteen.
Of course, that’s only by genius standards.
Even with talent, you need to be in your late teens.
But…
I’m a fresh newbie, so there’s no way to follow the veterans.
I’m quickly gathering the Mana that Jace had accumulated, but time is very tight.
By my calculation, it would take about half a year.
But only about two weeks remained.
“……”
Well, isn’t there some kind of opportunity?
If possible, I’d achieve it through effort alone.
But since there’s no hope at all, idle thoughts arise.
Should I look for a cliff even now?
Sigh, there probably aren’t any spiritual medicines in this forest…
Indeed, I shouldn’t depend on luck.
At this point, I’ll have to work hard even if it means reducing sleep.
As I was making a firm resolution.
An unexpected change occurred in my body.
“———??”
What on earth is happening?
The speed at which Mana gathers increases at an impossible rate.
In the blink of an eye, it’s 2 times… no, exceeding 3 times.
The speed itself was already very fast.
I was just gathering what was scattered throughout Jace’s body.
Based on an ordinary beginner.
What was 3 times faster has now exceeded another 3 times, reaching almost 10 times.
I was quite frightened.
At this rate, my energy channels might get twisted and go berserk…
“……”
I tried to maintain my composure.
No particular problems were detected right now.
I couldn’t stop it anyway.
Forcibly stopping would be much more dangerous.
‘First, I need to check the cause…’
Mana gathering toward the Dantian.
I traced that movement path in reverse.
How much time passed?
I barely managed to identify the cause.
It was truly no different from a fateful opportunity.
An unexpected truth.
Jace’s body itself was a lump of opportunity.
The Crodaine family’s influence is tremendous.
The heir of that place naturally received many benefits.
Having consumed all the hard-to-obtain spiritual medicines.
They were so high-grade and abundant that they’re still not fully digested.
The energy that had been clumped in corners of the body coincidentally gathers in the Dantian now.
Later, being able to claim one of the Four Heavenly Kings’ seats.
It must have been possible thanks to the power of spiritual medicines.
“……”
That makes sense?
That’s why it’s even more absurd!
Well, anyway, good.
I’ll always welcome something like this!
A smile naturally forms.
I can’t digest everything at this point.
But even if just part of it melts in, it’ll be enough to achieve the first goal.
A thrill swelling in my chest.
This much is more than enough to catch up with the front runners.
Sword energy, just wait!
It’s a bit early, but.
My heart was already looking toward Sword Saint.
