Chapter 46: Shifting Dynamics and a Lingering Jealousy

After that day, things were a bit awkward between Sayo and Ahrin.

Or rather, Ahrin seemed to feel awkward and started avoiding Sayo. Given their lady-maid dynamic and the amount of time they spent together in Sayo’s room, Ahrin’s avoidance was limited to pretending to be busy and avoiding eye contact. But when Sayo acted as if nothing had happened, Ahrin gradually relaxed. The awkwardness faded, and they returned to normal soon enough.

To be honest, Sayo’s heart ached after that incident, and seeing Ahrin evoked complicated feelings. But she couldn’t let things continue like this, so she mustered her courage. Drawing on Sayoreinne’s poker face, she initiated conversations with Ahrin, acting more friendly, and making an effort to bridge the distance. Thankfully, her efforts paid off.

“It’s cold, isn’t it, My Lady?”

A soft, warm touch against her hand. As they stepped out of the dormitory into the winter air, Ahrin exhaled a puff of white breath, then smiled and took Sayo’s hand. The feeling of Ahrin’s warm, soft hand in the cold winter air was pleasant. But…

“Hmm…”

After that brief period of awkwardness, their relationship had not only returned to normal but seemed to have deepened. ‘What happened? Is it like the saying, “The ground hardens after the rain?”’ Ahrin only released Sayo’s hand and stepped back slightly when other people came into view, resuming her position behind Sayo. Sayo considered Ahrin a friend and didn’t care about their social status difference, so she didn’t see the need to be concerned about others’ opinions. But Ahrin felt differently, so Sayo didn’t say anything.

“Sayo-Sayo, hi~!”

Leia appeared suddenly, greeting Sayo with a cheerful wave, grabbing both her hands and shaking them vigorously before turning and heading back to her own classroom.

Lately, Leia had been visiting Sayo frequently during breaks, often hugging her from behind, nuzzling her face against Sayo, or touching her neck and arms. Leia’s uninhibited physical affection was one thing, but Sayo could also sense Nell and Euru’s growing irritation whenever Leia was around. ‘Why do they dislike her so much? Leia hasn’t done anything to them, has she?’

Sayo knew Leia would eventually join their group, so their animosity was a problem. If this continued, it would likely affect the party’s atmosphere and coordination. ‘I need to do something about this.’

As soon as Leia left, Nell and Euru closed in on Sayo, one on each side, and practically dragged her towards their classroom. ‘Being pulled along like this makes me feel like I’m being arrested.’ Still, it was nice to see Nell and Euru, who hadn’t seemed particularly close at first, working together so seamlessly. ‘Perhaps Leia will become close to them too, just like they did with each other. They’re still getting to know each other. Once that phase is over, they’ll surely become friends.’

“Shouldn’t you start spending less time here and more time with your classmates, building friendships?”

“Yes. You’ll be spending two more years with them, so we think it’s better for you to spend time with your classmates than with us.”

‘Is that it?’ Their gazes and words, directed at Leia, were still sharp. ‘Was I wrong? Do I really need to intervene?’

“Hmm? But~ my beloved Sayo-Sayo is here~, and I’ve already played plenty with the other kids before, and if I’m not with Sayo, I’m still with them anyway~”

Despite her eccentric speech and behavior, Leia was popular, thanks to her striking looks and the fact that her eccentricities were more endearing than off-putting. At least, that was the setting, and it seemed to be true. ‘She’s so dazzling…’ Out of the five of them, Euru was the only one who interacted with others regularly. Sayo, Nell, Soine, and Miner were all closer to the ‘loner’ type.

‘…Is this just my nature? Even after changing worlds, bodies, and genders, this part of me hasn’t changed.’ It was a sad realization.

All the second-year students were gathered in the training grounds for a sparring session. Unlike usual, today’s sparring was between Magicians and Reinforcement Magicians. This was also training to prepare them for facing Majin, humans corrupted by miasma.

Magicians in this world needed someone to protect them while they cast their spells. The traditional dynamic held true: Reinforcement Magicians specialized in close combat and crowd control, while Magicians excelled at dealing with large magical beasts and multiple enemies with their powerful attacks.

The purpose of the sparring session was to familiarize them with each other’s fighting styles and develop countermeasures, rather than determine a clear winner or loser. But with teenagers involved, it was inevitable that competitiveness would arise, and most students were determined to win.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

‘He didn’t even last three minutes.’

The match Sayo was watching in the third training area ended swiftly. The boy using Spirit Magic had tried to hold his own by casting haste on himself and slow on his opponent, using wind magic to push and levitate him, but he was quickly caught and defeated.

It wasn’t just a disadvantageous matchup; the Spirit Magician’s skills were lacking. He only seemed capable of summoning two spirits at a time, and their power was weak. He might have lasted longer if he had used earth or fire magic for defense, but he’d relied solely on wind, suggesting a limited repertoire of spirits.

No matter how hard they tried, it was difficult for a Magician to defeat a Reinforcement Magician in a one-on-one fight. Even in a sparring match like this, where they had some distance to prepare and cast spells, Magicians lost nine times out of ten. Still…

‘I can win.’

Victories and defeats were being decided all around, and the number of remaining participants dwindled. ‘I want to finish quickly and rest. Are they going to call my name soon?’

“Next, in the fourth training area, Sayoreinne Meirel! And…” Just as she thought it, her name was called. Waiting to be called was tiring, and Sayo was eager to finish and rest.

“Kierre Petualan!”

‘What…?’

Inhale, exhale. Sayo closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her nerves slightly. The pressure from the audience’s gazes lessened a bit. She focused her mind, eyes still closed. She needed to be at her best for this opponent.

She opened her eyes and looked at her opponent.

Neatly styled white hair. Amber eyes. And… ‘I don’t need to describe his features.’ He was simply handsome. Like Sayoreinne, Kierre’s character setting was that of exceptional beauty, and he was indeed incredibly handsome.

Sayoreinne was the rival and villain among the female heroines. Naturally, there was a male character in a similar position.

Kierre Petualan, the strongest Reinforcement Magician.

“Are you both ready?”

Sayo, her magic prepared, and Kierre, his sword raised and his stance ready, nodded simultaneously.

“Begin!”

The moment the instructor gave the signal, Kierre charged towards Sayo, who instantly covered the entire training area in a sheet of ice. This ice was much more slippery than normal ice; even Euru still struggled to maintain her balance on it, her mobility severely hampered. But Kierre, though slightly slowed, was still incredibly fast.

‘He’s already this close…!’ As Kierre approached, Sayo cast her next spell. First, she pushed him back. A powerful gust of wind slammed into Kierre, attempting to knock him off balance, while ice spikes erupted from the ice field beneath him.

Bang! Kierre, seemingly losing his balance from the wind, stomped his foot and dispelled the wind with a burst of mana from his hand. He effortlessly shattered the ice spikes with his sword.

‘Ugh.’ Two spells, and she hadn’t even made him stumble. He’d only paused for a second.

Sayo immediately conjured more ice spikes. Thanks to her excellent mana control, she could summon them instantly from the ice field beneath them, making it a useful distraction tactic… but it didn’t work on Kierre.

He effortlessly deflected the spikes with his hands, feet, and sword, closing the distance and swinging his sword at Sayo.

An ice pillar erupted beneath Sayo’s feet, launching her into the air. Without hesitation, Kierre slashed through the pillar.

Sayo stumbled as the pillar crumbled beneath her. Kierre stood below, ready to strike.

‘Now!’ Sayo shielded herself. Kierre’s mana-infused sword would pierce through it easily, but that wasn’t the shield’s purpose.

Boom!

The air exploded between them, the force pushing both Sayo and Kierre back, creating distance. Sayo attempted a clumsy landing but tumbled across the slippery ice, accumulating scrapes and bruises.

She didn’t have time to feel the pain. She needed to get up and cast another spell before Kierre recovered…

“Too late.” Before Sayo could react, Kierre was upon her again, his sword raised. Sayo managed to partially block the blow with her shield and attempted to dodge…

…but Kierre’s right arm wrapped around her waist, his left hand grabbed both her wrists, lifting them above her head, and his face was inches from hers.

“You lose.”

“…Let go of me.” Ignoring her words, Kierre pulled her closer, his arm tightening around her. ‘He’s doing this on purpose!’ Sayo glared at him.

Kierre chuckled and finally released her. ‘Creep…’

“Well, we’ll talk later.”

With those parting words, and without waiting for a reply, Kierre left the training grounds, leaving Sayo standing there, defeated. ‘I don’t want to talk to him! And he didn’t even wait for my answer. So arrogant!’

…A complete defeat. ‘So much for being different. Sigh…’ The entire match had lasted less than five minutes.