Chapter 48: Chapter 48

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: A Mysterious Letter

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Defeating the Iris team and securing first place in the team competition.

This sent massive ripples through Jerion Academy.

No one had ever imagined that Iris, hailed as the strongest, could possibly lose.

Of course, many on the other side argued that it was largely thanks to Sharin's presence.

However, what was discussed most frequently was the lightning strike that brought down the final Apostle, the Thunder Roc.

The sudden lightning bolt that struck the arena.

Some questioned whether defeating the Thunder Roc with a natural phenomenon was even possible, but those with sharp eyes had all vaguely caught on.

The fact that, just before the lightning struck, I had extended my hand toward the sky.

Thanks to that, after that day, I gained a new nickname.

Lightning Brat.

What a truly *brilliant* naming sense.

"Lightning Sweet Potato!"

And then there was one other person whose nickname for me had changed. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I saw Seron raising her hand high, waving it excitedly in my direction.

A radiant smile bloomed on Seron's face.

I'd never seen that kid smile so brightly in her life.

"Why are you smiling like that? It's unsettling."

"Heeheehee."

Even when I snapped at her as usual, Seron couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

"Of course I'm smiling! My allowance just doubled!"

It went up *that* much? Well, I suppose that explains the grin.

"Then you're treating today."

"Heh, alright! The cutest Seron in the entire world will treat you!"

Despite the strange self-adjectives, I didn't object when she offered to treat.

Gotta keep the patron happy.

"Oh, by the way, Lightning Sweet Potato, my dad said he wanted to have a word with you."

As I was pondering what to ask her to buy today, Seron dropped an unexpected bombshell.

"Your father? Me? Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to give you some allowance since you were on the same team for the competition."

Seron shrugged, as if she truly had no idea.

I recalled Seron's father, who had come to watch the team competition. He was the type of dad who'd even bring a pamphlet and cheer vigorously for Seron.

Anyone could see he was a doting father.

For some reason, an uneasy premonition settled over me. Surely he hadn't made some ridiculous misunderstanding?

"Seron, next time you see your father, tell him I don't even register as a man to you."

"Huh? So Lightning Sweet Potato is a girl? Should I start calling you Princess Sweet Potato again?"

This idiot clearly has no grasp of the situation.

"You."

As I was pondering the most effective way to give Seron a knuckle rap, a voice drifted from behind me.

I hadn't expected them to initiate conversation, so I wore a look of surprise.

"Isabelle."

Isabelle called out to me first, right there in the classroom. Naturally, the students' gazes began to drift our way.

Isabelle and I always clashed whenever we spoke, so they looked tense, wondering if we were about to start another fight.

But Isabelle simply gazed at me, her emotions largely unreadable.

"This time, I lost."

Isabelle's eyes, unlike before, burned with fierce intensity.

"...I won't lose next time."

Isabelle's team finished in 38 minutes and 23 seconds, placing them 3rd overall among second-year teams.

Considering that some other teams hadn't even reached the tenth Apostle, it was nothing short of a significant achievement.

But Isabelle was far from satisfied. I, her rival, had surpassed her.

I could feel the bright fervor burning in Isabelle's eyes.

'Little by little, but...'

Isabelle is clearly moving forward, one step at a time. The day she finally steps out from under Lucas's shadow and laughs brightly, just as she used to. On that day, I will no longer be necessary to her. And I look forward to that day more than anything.

"Y-you're smiling?"

At that moment, hearing Isabelle's words, I belatedly realized I was smiling. My fingers grazed my lips, confirming that the corners were indeed turned upwards.

Recalling Isabelle's future, I must have smiled inadvertently.

Isabelle stared at me with a somewhat vacant expression.

"Yes, I smiled."

I curved my lips even higher.

"I was scoffing. You'll never, ever beat me."

So for now, I must remain her rival.

Isabelle gazed at me for a moment, then let out a sigh.

"You're so cruel with your words."

With that, she turned away.

"Just like you."

Isabelle departed. For some reason, she didn't seem as bothered as she used to.

'Is she finally getting used to my provocations?'

Perhaps I'll need to research new ways to provoke her.

Lost in thought, I returned to my usual seat and settled in.

Seats were usually first-come, first-served, but the kids in the Combat Class never bothered to sit in the spots where Seron and I always sat.

It was almost as if we had assigned seats.

As I settled into my seat, I noticed something peeking out from inside the desk drawer. Not knowing what it was, I tilted my head and gently pulled it out.

It was a letter. Had someone mistakenly left it there?

"What is it? A letter?"

Seron, who had followed me to the desk, eyed the letter with curiosity.

"I don't know either."

Considering this was always my seat, it was unlikely anyone else would have mistakenly left a letter here.

I flipped the letter over, and there was a name written on it. My expression shifted to one of peculiar surprise when I saw it.

And why wouldn't it? The name 'Hanun Ailey' was scrawled across it. This letter was for *me*.

"Wh-what, seriously? Is it a love letter?"

Seron stared at me, her face flustered.

I was just as dumbfounded. I never thought someone nicknamed 'Lightning Brat' would ever receive a love letter.

'Then again, Hanun's base appearance isn't bad at all.'

He's not a duke's descendant for nothing. Perhaps someone fell for me after witnessing my performance in the team competition.

"...Seriously, why?"

And then Seron received a flick on the forehead from me. Seron, cradling her stinging forehead, then urged me to open the letter.

While the idea of reading a letter someone might have painstakingly written, with *her* peering over my shoulder, wasn't exactly appealing, I was too curious to simply ignore it.

I tore open the letter, and a single sheet of paper lay within.

It was a note asking me to meet them at the Sky Garden during lunch. Since the Sky Garden was on the rooftop, it was usually deserted during lunchtime.

It was clearly an invitation for a private conversation, just the two of us.

"So, what are you going to do?"

Seron asked, a hint of mischief in her tone.

"I'm going."

I received the letter, after all.

I don't know who it is, but if it's someone from the Combat Class, they would have seen me reading the letter. If I didn't show up, that would feel rude in its own way.

"Haa, so I guess I won't be able to hang out with Lightning Sweet Potato anymore."

Seron then muttered to herself, her face falling in disappointment. What was she talking about?

"Well, obviously. If you get a girlfriend, she'll see me glued to your side and get 100% jealous. I'm not interested in getting caught up in that kind of romantic drama."

My head tilted. What on earth was she talking about?

"Why would my girlfriend be jealous of *you*, Seron?"

"Are you an idiot? Of course a girlfriend would get jealous if an opposite-sex friend was constantly hanging around..."

Seron's eyebrows furrowed sharply. Oh, no, had she figured out what I was implying?

"I'm not treating today."

"Oh, she'd be jealous, alright. Absolutely."

My patron was displeased.

"And you don't need to worry about any of that. Even if someone were to confess, I have no intention of dating them."

"Instead of cherishing someone confessing to you, you'd refuse? Why?"

"It's not the time for me to be dating anyone."

I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no leisure for such things. Even progressing through the scenario is difficult enough, let alone dating.

"Hmm, well, that's convenient for me then."

Had being by my side become so comfortable for her? I was a little worried about Seron, who seemed to be losing her social skills more and more.

***

After morning classes, I handed Seron my card and sent her off to get some food.

Seron protested vehemently, but there was no one else for her to eat with. In the end, I saw the two of them bickering their way out, then headed towards the Sky Garden.

To be honest, I was a little curious about who had left that letter.

'Would it be someone I know?'

Lost in thought, I ascended the stairs until the Sky Garden's door came into view. As expected for lunchtime, it was incredibly quiet beyond it.

Creak—

The door creaked open with a groan of grinding hinges. As I poked my head inside, I saw a lone figure standing in the distance.

But for some reason, their back looked strangely familiar. The person standing there was the one I least expected.

"You came."

Short, chestnut-brown hair. Rings dangling from his fingers. Eyes that hinted at a fiery temper.

The second-ranked student in magic studies.

Dorara Korazin.

In other words.

It was a man.

I, who had been silently observing him, quietly turned around. Then, I closed the door once more.

"Wait, where are you going?!"

A startled Dorara rushed forward and firmly grabbed the door.

Trying to engage me in a tug-of-war? It seemed I'd have to demonstrate the results of the training I'd received from Aisha.

As I forcibly closed the door, Dorara was dragged along with it. Then, he yelled out in frustration.

"Why are you running away?!"

"I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no interest in men. I understand your preferences, but please don't include me in them."

"Are you insane?! What idiotic nonsense is that?!"

Then, as if finally comprehending what I'd just said, his eyes widened dramatically.

"Damn it! *I* like girls too! Who the hell would be interested in someone like *you*?!"

"Then why did you leave such an *implying* letter?"

"Damn it, I was just trying to call you out to talk!"

"Why with me?"

Dorara, who had absolutely no connection to me, fumed as I eyed him suspiciously.

"Isn't that what I've been waiting here to tell you?"

I conceded. The moment I yanked the door wide open, Dorara, overwhelmed by the force, tumbled to the floor.

He showed a hint of annoyance, perhaps his pride stung by being out-muscled by someone from a combat background. But he brushed himself off and stood up, seemingly acknowledging the undeniable.

"What do you want?"

My mood had soured considerably. I wished I hadn't bothered to come. All I wanted was to go eat lunch.

Dorara let out a breath, then asked me.

"What's your relationship with Sharin?"

"What do you mean, 'relationship'?"

"First, you were on the same team for the competition, and then you're always with Sharin in the evenings."

I'd been moving secretly enough not to be caught by Isabelle. How on earth did he manage to find that out?

"She's a friend."

I tilted my head as I answered.

"Is she?"

"...Why are you reacting like *you* don't even know?"

My relationship with Sharin was too ambiguous to simply call it friendship. After all, it was a transactional relationship, with Isabelle as the condition.

Given how capricious Sharin was, it was more likely she was merely helping me out of pure interest.

Because of that, I couldn't honestly say for sure.

"Hmph, right, so not even a friend. Then again, it's not like *that* woman would have any friends."

Sharp words then flowed from Dorara. He clearly harbored ill will towards Sharin.

"Alright. Then there's nothing more to discuss."

"What was the point of calling me out here? Just tell me."

This only made me more curious. When I pressed him on why he'd called me out, Dorara darted a glance at me.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards. His smile held a strange malice.

"I was just going to tell you one thing."

"What?"

"Just how lowly her lineage truly is."

Sure enough. The words I'd anticipated spilled from Dorara's lips.

"Do you know? That woman's mother was a prostitute. They say she died of syphilis."

Once he started speaking, Dorara continued as if he couldn't hold himself back.

"And yet, she hides this fact, living a life showered with praise. I can't stand to see that filthy woman, spreading syphilis. If you associate with her, you'll catch syphilis too..."

And then Dorara flew through the air. To be precise, I had driven my fist squarely into his jaw.

"Guh!"

CRASH!

Dorara tumbled roughly across the floor.

Whether in the game or in reality, he was truly, consistently, a pathetic bundle of inferiority complex.

Since there was no way he could ever beat Sharin in magic, he resorted to spreading rumors like this to boost his own pathetic self-esteem.

'So this is why rumors about Sharin spread in the game.'

This guy was the one spreading them all along.

"Y-you lunatic, what the hell was that?!"

Dorara yelled, his jaw visibly askew, trembling with fury. Looking at the resilient bastard, I rotated my fist, cracking my knuckles.

"Just."

Crack—

My hand loosened.

"Seeing as I'm being called out for such utterly useless chatter, it makes me wonder if my infamous reputation isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

My infamous reputation was quite widespread at Jerion Academy. To the point where I was even called 'Lightning Brat'.

Given such a nickname, it wasn't as if there weren't plenty of jerks who'd tried to pick a fight with me.

If they didn't cross the line, I rarely bothered them. But if they did, I always ensured they got a full-power fight.

Still, after that, I'd made quite a name for myself, and now I was even a formal member of the student council. So, recently, the number of people who dared to pick a fight with me had dwindled significantly.

"Now seems like a good time to defeat the second-ranked student in magic studies and further solidify my infamous reputation."

Let's see what a mage fight is like.