Chapter 93: Chapter 93

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: A Secret Revealed

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I revealed my surprise at her words.

"You've been affected by the Ancient Dragon's magic."

These words meant she had noticed the Ancient Dragon's remnant residing within me.

How?

I knew Eve because I'd played her before.

She didn't possess a Mirinae like Sharin.

So, there was no way she could have detected the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

Yet, Eve had noticed it and was now speaking to me.

My expression instantly became complicated.

At the same time, I quickly tried to read the emotions on Eve's face.

Eve was a very stoic character.

Perhaps because of that, her face was not easy to read.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I denied it for now.

Eve's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Her appearance was fitting for a protagonist, brimming with plausibility.

Perhaps that's why even such a small gesture looked picturesque.

Now I understood her emotions.

I could read Eve's emotions.

"Deny what can be denied."

With those words, Eve took a step closer to me.

Naturally, I took a step back.

A subtle light gleamed in Eve's eyes.

"…Why are you running away?"

"Because you're approaching me threateningly."

Her eyebrows furrowed even more deeply.

"Threatening? In what way?"

I'm sorry, but you're quite threatening.

Eve was one of the protagonists, along with Lucas.

Moreover, at this point, Eve was superior to Lucas in terms of raw power alone.

'She discovered the Ancient Dragon's magic on me.'

Although the Ancient Dragon's remnant I held wasn't widely known to the world.

However, powers related to Ancient Dragons were globally forbidden magic.

Even looking like this, I was quite flustered.

I never expected Eve to find out about the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

'What should I do?'

I had intended to talk to Eve in some way or another.

But I never imagined we'd get entangled like this.

"…Am I really that threatening?"

Just then, an unexpected answer came back.

Eve was hugging her arms, staring at her toes.

She was showing a passive side of herself.

My head tilted at this sight.

It was because Eve's greatest strength was her unyielding spirit, no matter what happened.

There was a reason her nickname was "The Unyielding Blue Flame."

'Did something happen to her over the past six months?'

I didn't know much about Eve's backstory.

Although Prelise was a fallen kingdom, it managed to endure until the current generation.

So, aside from her brief appearance in the International Individual Tournament, I never encountered Eve in the main story.

"Who said you were threatening?"

Perhaps it was the affection I felt for a protagonist I had played before.

I inadvertently asked back.

Eve then showed a flustered expression.

"…Sorry, don't mind it."

Seeing that expression, someone must have said something like that to her.

However, this was a chance to continue the conversation.

I bit Eve's bait without hesitation.

"If I had to say, yes, you are threatening."

Eve's shoulders twitched.

Her eyes trembled violently.

It seemed that the word "threatening" she had heard before had indeed wounded her.

To say something that could wound "The Unyielding Blue Flame" was truly a difficult feat.

"Ms. Eve, you're fundamentally expressionless, and your aura is sharp."

"Sharp aura? I'm not like that."

"Yes, regardless of your inner self, an aura is something you're born with."

Eve was beautiful.

But there were different kinds of beauty.

For example, Isabel was like a bright, cheerful Golden Retriever.

Her radiant face made anyone who met her feel she was harmless.

Eve was on the opposite end of the spectrum from Isabel.

She was beautiful, but in a fierce, strong-older-sister kind of way.

In reality, she'd have the kind of aura that would make her queen of the school's social hierarchy.

Moreover, her skill was outstanding enough to be among the Six Stars.

Her innate aura and her background.

When these two combined, she couldn't help but appear threatening.

"…I'm not unaware of that either."

Eve touched the ends of her hair with a slightly melancholic expression.

"I even grew out my hair so I wouldn't look like a tomboy."

Tomboy, well, she wasn't entirely without that vibe.

"…Even children are scared of me."

Now I understood who had called Eve threatening.

'She heard it from kids.'

She was the kind of person who wouldn't be hurt in the slightest by hearing such things from her peers.

But there was one thing.

Even Eve couldn't help but be hurt by what children said.

Eve loved children very much.

More precisely, she loved most small animals.

To hear the word "threatening" from the children she loved so much must have been a great shock.

"Then, how about smiling a little to change the atmosphere?"

A smile can easily change the aura of people who look intimidating.

"When I smiled, the children got even more scared."

"That's probably because you don't know how to smile properly. People surprisingly don't know how to use their own faces well."

With those words, I made various expressions.

"Children are especially sensitive to expressions. The more exaggerated the expression, the better the effect, in fact."

Eve's eyes widened.

"…You use your face incredibly well."

"I practiced."

To be precise, it was rehabilitation.

I had suffered facial paralysis as a sequela of an injury.

To treat it, I massaged my face in front of a mirror and diligently used my mouth, eyes, and nose.

In that process, I learned how to make expressions more distinctly.

Of course, my case was unusual.

I didn't think other facial paralysis patients would be like me.

Still, thanks to it, I managed to get out of various situations with my expressions even after entering the Flame Butterfly arc.

Especially, I used it very well in front of Isabel.

Isabel probably still couldn't distinguish my fake expressions.

…Though I'm not sure about recently.

"Shall I teach you?"

I asked as Eve glanced around.

She flinched her shoulders, then rolled her eyes.

The tips of her ears were slightly red, indicating she wanted to learn.

Then, as if something occurred to her, she looked back at me.

"Wait. This isn't the conversation I wanted to have."

Oh no, did she notice?

It seems my attempt to naturally change the subject failed.

"More importantly, the problem is the Ancient Dragon's magic. It's dangerous. If you don't resolve it immediately, you could be consumed by the Ancient Dragon."

Eve hadn't come to confront me about a wrongdoing.

She had approached me purely out of concern for me, a person she had just met today.

As expected of an extra-story protagonist.

She, too, possessed an innate goodness.

I slowly smiled at the kindness in her eyes.

"It is certainly dangerous."

"Exactly."

"But I need it."

Eve's body froze.

The moment Eve learned about the Ancient Dragon's remnant within me.

I had bought as much time as possible by spouting nonsense earlier.

And I made a decision.

I would tell her I intended to use the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

"I have something I need to do. So, could you keep it a secret?"

A smile played on my lips.

And that smile contained a faint hint of malice.

"Of course, if you don't keep it a secret…"

A subtle chill emanated from my body.

I had lightly touched and awakened the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

"I think I'll be in a great deal of trouble."

Eve's eyes narrowed.

At the same time, blue flames slowly began to rise from her body.

"So, you're trying to silence me now?"

My opponent was one of the Six Stars.

One of the strongest among her generation, within the top six.

No matter how much I possessed the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

It was the worst compatibility with Eve's Blue Flame.

If we fought, I would lose nine times out of ten.

"Yes, so I'll teach you expressions, and you'll keep it a secret?"

"What?"

"You want to learn how to make expressions, don't you? It's the price for your silence."

I smiled slyly.

"Or do you want money? I don't really have any, so that would be difficult."

"…I don't want money."

Eve stared at me with a look of utter incomprehension.

But I was sincere.

"How about it? It's a pretty good offer, right?"

"No, the Ancient Dragon's magic is dangerous!"

"Yes, I know, but I have to bear the risk."

Eve stared at me with a furrowed brow.

She seemed to want to know my true intentions, but she couldn't read anything.

Of course.

I had no immediate plans to do anything with the Ancient Dragon's remnant.

No matter how much Eve tried to probe my intentions, she wouldn't find anything.

"Well then, I'll teach you expressions later. I have things to do today."

I turned away without a moment's hesitation.

She looked flustered and tried to stop me, but it was too late.

I swiftly turned on my heel and returned to the Gerion Academy room.

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I never expected Eve to find out about the Ancient Dragon's magic.

But given Eve's personality, she wouldn't publicize the Ancient Dragon's magic.

She wasn't the type to recklessly do something without understanding my circumstances.

She would definitely try to resolve it herself.

As I quietly exhaled, I felt the calm atmosphere of the room.

There were two people watching me cautiously.

"Y-you're back?"

"Hanon, rest."

I blinked.

'Ah, right, I gave them a piece of my mind earlier.'

I had forgotten.

I should have waited a bit longer before returning.

I came back too soon.

It seems I'll have to pretend to be angry a little longer.

"Hanon, I'm hungry."

But soon, there was no need.

Just looking at Sharin made me angry.

Thanks to Sharin, I confirmed that my anger hadn't disappeared yet today.

***

The International Individual Tournament Conference.

The true value of the conference, as mentioned before, lay in the party that followed.

A party where everyone could freely converse.

As future global figures gathered, every conversation exchanged at the party became a connection and a future asset.

So, at the party, the children's eyes lit up as they sought out people to talk to.

They were nothing short of political hyenas.

Inside the party venue, where such children gathered.

A woman entered with confident strides.

The woman, whose black dress fluttered, was none other than the Third Imperial Princess of the Hysirion Empire.

Iris Hysirion.

Every step she took drew gazes.

Iris's unique alluring decadence instantly captivated the surrounding atmosphere.

The children, one after another, stared at her in a daze.

Iris was like a black rose.

Her beauty was irresistibly captivating, yet so dangerously alluring that one might be pricked by thorns if they dared to reach out.

That was Iris.

But the figures who followed behind her were no less formidable.

Unlike Iris, a woman with a languid face appeared in a school uniform instead of a dress.

Yet, precisely because of that, she instantly drew the attention of others.

The daughter of the Blue Mage Tower Lord.

Sharin Sazaris.

She yawned with a languid expression, her dark blue hair fluttering.

And beside her stood a woman with a radiant, sun-like appearance.

Dressed in a neat orange dress, her face was exceptionally bright.

Her brightness influenced those who saw her, making them inadvertently smile along.

The main heroine.

Isabel Luna.

As the three women appeared, the children began to whisper.

And following behind them was one boy!

'Oh, no one's looking at me.'

Allow me to introduce Hanon, master of concealment.

Of course, my face, disguised as Hanon, was decent, but it was overshadowed by the three.

For me, it was even better.

While everyone's attention was on the three, I intended to quickly slip away.

'Alright, then, just enough.'

Should I step back and observe the situation?

It was at that moment.

*Thump-thump-*

I heard footsteps.

I looked up with a surprised expression at the familiar sound of footsteps.

I hadn't expected anyone to approach me at such a moment, when all eyes were on them.

However, I had forgotten one thing.

The person in question didn't care about such things.

"Hanon Airay."

Having heard my name from somewhere, she accurately called out my name.

I inwardly swallowed a sigh and turned my head.

There, stood a woman with blue hair, wearing a vibrant blue dress.

The Unyielding Blue Flame.

Eve.

With everyone's gaze fixed on her, she once again stood before me.

I can't believe she'd act so openly.

As expected of an extra-story protagonist, she moves unpredictably.

Eve might be from the hood.

As Eve, who drew as much attention as the three people before, spoke to me, the children looked our way, one after another.

But it wasn't just them who looked at me.

I felt two stinging gazes on my face.

Isabel and Iris.

The two of them were glaring hard enough to bore holes through the back of my head.

The two of them seemed to be speaking directly into the back of my head.

"Did you go out and pick up a girl in that short time?"

And Sharin said it directly.

It's unfair!