Chapter 39: A sudden, unprovoked outburst

Alice’s vision was filled with nothing but a crimson hue.

It clouded her sight and eroded her mind.

In the night, with heavy steps, Alice walked along the academy streets.

Street lamps were placed at intervals throughout the academy, ensuring visibility even at night.

But between the dining areas, there was a narrow alleyway, neither long nor short, just enough that the light from the lamps could not reach its depths. Only at the two ends could faint traces of light be seen.

Alice stepped into it.

Her mind was in extreme turmoil, every nerve pulled taut by this agitation.

She struggled internally.

She knew she hadn’t done enough, hadn’t treated Simon well enough.

She had always hidden her feelings, never daring to speak them aloud. She couldn’t expect him to guess, could she?

Her feelings were neither honest nor passionate enough.

Yet she feared that if she were honest, it would destroy the fragile balance between them.

So she wasn’t wrong, was she?

It was all the shopkeeper’s fault, intruding so suddenly, saving Simon without permission. If it weren’t for her, if the one who showed unconditional kindness to Simon had always been herself.

Then Simon would have had no choice but her from beginning to end.

The more Alice thought this way, the more convinced she became of her own righteousness.

Her originally clear, azure eyes were now tainted with a murky dark red.

At some point, an ugly and evil seed had taken root in her heart. And after glimpsing that warm scene through the window.

Her inner conflict and jealousy became nourishment for that seed. It grew wildly within her once pure heart, its roots burrowing deep into her soul, further fueling the birth of extreme emotions.

Anger born from conflict, hatred born from jealousy, various negative emotions merged into a massive vortex. All of Alice’s rationality was swallowed by it, and in the end, the ever-expanding emotions took control of her thoughts.

The beast of emotion now ruled her actions.

Alice stood silently in the darkness, her gaze filled with determination and madness, a reckless obsession that cared nothing for consequences.

She had done nothing wrong.

So she was right. It was all because of that “thieving cat.”

The shopkeeper?

Alice no longer cared about anything, neither the job kindly given to her nor the small moments they had shared in daily life.

All she wanted now was to eliminate the unstable factor affecting her relationship with Simon.

She lay in ambush within the alley, secretly gathering a spell woven from three elements. The condensed mana was wrapped in ominous dark red threads, making it appear even more dangerous and mysterious.

Yet in Alice’s eyes, everything seemed normal. She was completely oblivious to those strange crimson threads.

It was common knowledge across the continent that clerics who used holy light could not use magic. Therefore, in any team with a cleric, even if unspoken, there was always one rule:

Protect the cleric at all costs.

Because of the unique healing power of holy light, as long as the cleric lived, injured teammates could be continuously healed.

But now, the only thing Alice cared about was that the shopkeeper could not use magic.

That meant, without protection, she was nothing more than a target.

Alice was certain she could kill her in a single strike.

It wouldn’t take long. She would have enough time to escape, then pretend nothing had happened, return to Simon’s side, restoring their lives to normal, as if the shopkeeper had never existed.

****

After watching Simon leave, Lira quickly paid the bill and hurried back toward the apartment.

Though Simon was injured, it wasn’t enough to significantly slow him down.

So Lila had to be faster.

After awakening her sword intent, her physical abilities had improved dramatically.

This was the world’s reward to those with unwavering will. Whether out of passion or persistence, those who pushed their mastery of a tool to the limit would naturally give birth to “intent.”

Their will would extend beyond technique, influencing reality itself. In turn, the limits of their bodies would be lifted, allowing them to grow stronger and tougher.

That was why weapon users without magical talent could still reach the pinnacle of the world.

With a light step, Lila leapt onto the wall along the street, running along it as if on flat ground, accelerating with continuous jumps.

By her calculations, she could reach the shop before Simon.

After making the necessary preparations, Lila transformed into Conflor and headed toward the restaurant.

The streets were silent and empty, illuminated only by magical street lamps.

Peaceful. Tranquil.

Perhaps that was how Lila would have seen it before awakening.

But now, she could see faint reddish, ominous particles floating in the air.

And there was also a subtle killing intent, a presence that any trained warrior could sense, emanating unrestrained from the alley ahead.

‘Who could it be?’

Logically, the shopkeeper identity hadn’t interacted with many people, no friendships, no enemies.

Lila slowed her steps, puzzled, though she continued pretending to notice nothing.

In truth, the moment she sensed danger, she had already activated her sword intent. Holy light quietly gathered in her hand in case of injury.

After all, it was another alley.

If she got ambushed in an alley again, she really would lose all dignity.

But who could harbor such intense hatred toward the shopkeeper?

If not that, then perhaps her disguise had been exposed, and the target was actually her identity as the villainous noble lady.

But even then, there were too many people who hated her.

To prevent the attacker from escaping, and to avoid exposing her secret, Lira had to make them stay.

So she chose to take a risk.

The attacker’s unrestrained killing intent suggested weakness. Someone who couldn’t conceal their presence likely posed little threat.

Thus, she decided to pretend ignorance, take the hit, feign injury, then hide in a blind spot and lure the attacker closer.

Even if she couldn’t capture or eliminate them, she would at least see their face.

With that plan, Lila moved forward, playing the part of an unaware girl.

Still silence.

The opponent was patient.

Lila stepped closer. Just as she was about to pass the alley…

The darkness within seemed to stir.

A spell formed instantly, an elemental vortex of different colors. Frost condensed and shot forward at incredible speed, icicles erupting from the ground.

Everything was proceeding exactly as Lila expected.

She was confident she could block it.

But…

“Shopkeeper!”

A sudden, urgent shout broke through.

Someone grabbed her hand, pulling her away with force.

Simon.

Her focus had been entirely on the ambusher, she hadn’t anticipated this.

Should she reveal her sword intent now?

The thought flashed through her mind.

After a brief moment of consideration, she chose not to.

She allowed Simon to pull her away.

Thanks to his quick reaction, they narrowly avoided the attack.

The storm-like frost magic grazed their clothes and slammed into the wall behind them, producing a sharp, grating sound. The wall was instantly frozen over, cracks spreading across its surface.

“Are you alright, shopkeeper?”

Simon’s chest rose and fell rapidly, clearly shaken.

Lira wanted to say that she would have been fine even without him, and that he had actually ruined her plan.

But seeing the concern on his face, and constrained by her role as the shopkeeper.

She simply shook her head gently.

“Thanks to you… I’m fine.”

Now, she could only hope the attacker wouldn’t flee after a single strike.