Chapter 79. < 32. This Man, Not Easy (2) >
Boomer wore a gloomy expression.
If it were up to him, he wanted to argue.
That he could definitely manage it if he put his mind to it. It was just that his standards were a bit higher than others, and he'd been focusing on swordsmanship lately—that was all.
But his opponent was Karl Krone.
The Academy's most popular man, a presence so magnificent that people came from outside just to see him.
'If only I could compete with him in swordsmanship......'
The gap between them regarding women was far greater than that.
It was a sad reality.
Even the normally cold Teoro looked at Boomer with pity.
'This guy's a real bastard.'
Fortunately, Karl Krone's attack stopped there.
He offered comfort to Lumian, who was just as despondent as Boomer, if not more so.
"It's okay. These things happen."
"Huuu......"
"It's a common saying, but it's not like there's only one woman in the world. And it's not like you lack ability, right? You can meet someone better."
"Right."
Teoro also expressed his agreement.
He had never thought highly of Layton Wino from the beginning.
While she possessed a face beautiful enough to be rare on the continent and a sensual figure...... there was something twisted about her. The rumors that reached his ears said as much.
And now, having heard Lumian's story, Teoro became certain that the rumors were true.
With a firm expression, he said.
"Actually, it's for the best. No matter how I think about it, that woman isn't right for you. You're worth far more."
"......."
"I'm not saying this to be nice. If she simply had a bad personality, that would be one thing, but if what you say is true, that woman is seriously strange. You should keep your distance from now on."
"......."
"......Of course, you'll keep thinking about it and it'll be hard. Hmm, um."
Teoro, who had been speaking, glanced at Lumian's reaction.
Having finally said what he'd been holding back, his words had come out too strongly. Realizing this belatedly, he wore an apologetic expression.
He had plenty of dating experience. Despite his young age, he'd met various women, been rejected, and done the rejecting. Through that, he'd developed some tolerance for breakups and heartbreak.
But Lumian was different.
Everything was his first.
Becoming intimately involved with someone, feeling explosive happiness because of it, and ending up in a situation like this.
'Naturally, it won't go well. He won't even hear my words.'
In the end, time was needed. That was the answer.
With a slight sigh, he spoke to everyone.
"Let's go eat."
"Huh? It's still a bit early......"
"Just eat now."
Karl Krone cut off Boomer's words. Boomer wore a dissatisfied expression.
But belatedly grasping the atmosphere, he quietly followed behind the three of them.
And one person who had been secretly watching them.
Tanya Eloyse lowered the sword she had been swinging.
From the moment Lumian visited the training ground until now, she had kept her ears wide open, gradually closing the distance without being noticeable.
As a result, she was able to overhear most of the conversation the four men had. She had also taken in the fact that Lumian and Layton Wino's relationship had gone awry.
However, Tanya's expression was not very good.
It was strange. She certainly hated Layton Wino, and she hated Lumian getting involved with her even more.
Therefore, hearing this news now should have put a smile on her face, but she couldn't manage that.
Instead, she let out a heavy sigh.
Whoosh
Thud-
"......."
Tanya swung her sword again. To drive away her distracting thoughts.
But it was in vain. Eventually, she frowned, shook her head, and left the scholarship student training ground.
As she walked toward the dormitory, Lumian's words kept circling in her head.
'How could he do that in that situation?'
She was a woman.
But she could roughly guess how strong the sexual desire of young men their age was.
It was probably greater than her own ambition for success and rising in the world—if anything, certainly not less.
'If it were the situation Lumian was in yesterday, there'd be no comparison.'
Being in the same place as the woman he had so desired.
In bed, lying together, no less.
It would be normal for nothing to come to mind but sex.
Saying a brief lie for one's purpose—no one would find that strange.
'And yet...... Lumian didn't nod along to Layton's words.'
"Hehe."
Tanya, having thought this far, let out a low laugh.
It was absurd.
To keep his beliefs, to keep his virtues as a knight...... even in that situation, inflexibly saying no when he meant no?
It was ridiculous. It was something even a real knight wouldn't do—foolishness.
What could a single light word possibly matter in such a situation? She couldn't understand.
But that was why he seemed remarkable.
Tanya stopped walking.
'If it were me...... if I could whisper one lie to achieve what I desired.'
Then what choice would she make?
Could she act like Lumian, so upright that it shone all the more brightly?
She couldn't say for certain.
Even though she was still young and unblemished.
"......Good grief, what am I even thinking right now."
She shook her head.
Eavesdropping on such an embarrassing story and then getting moved and self-reproachful on her own. What was she even doing?
She would stop thinking about this. Tanya finally freed herself from her worries.
But immediately, another concern sprang to mind.
This time, it was a slightly softer subject.
'I should comfort Lumian...... when would be okay?'
If it were up to her, she wanted to approach him right now.
But the timing didn't seem good.
Right now, he probably wouldn't hear anything she said. Lumian needed time to collect himself.
'......I should think of something that might cheer him up. For a junior I care about.'
Tanya had become more honest about her feelings compared to before, but she still had a long way to go. She still thought she was paying attention to Lumian for the sake of networking.
If she were being a bit more generous, it was the heart of a senior who couldn't just watch a precious junior suffer.
But unlike her mind, her expression couldn't lie. Her footsteps couldn't lie either.
She headed toward the dormitory with a much lighter gait than before.
It was only natural that a smile hung on her lips.
However, several days later.
The situation reversed.
Lumian, who had not yet fully escaped the pain of heartbreak—before him, Layton Wino appeared once more.
***
"Let's follow him."
"What? You mean tail him?"
Boomer asked back in surprise at Teoro's words.
The implication was that it was excessive.
Karl Krone also showed a negative reaction.
"Of course, I don't think getting involved with that woman again will end well......"
He recalled the situation from just moments ago.
The four of them were eating lunch together when Layton Wino suddenly appeared.
Naturally, Lumian welcomed her with a bright expression. He understood her excuse that she had been momentarily upset and made a mistake. And they made plans for the evening.
'This isn't a normal situation.'
But giving advice was one thing—tailing him?
That was crossing a line. Karl Krone said to Teoro.
"Still, no. Let's just comfort him later when he gets rejected again."
"......."
Cold bastard, Boomer muttered quietly.
But he agreed as well. Getting more deeply involved in the relationship between the two wasn't desirable.
However, Teoro thought differently.
In a stronger tone, he said.
"It just feels too strange to let it pass."
"Hmm......"
"I told you before. Layton Wino has dirty rumors. It's not just about switching between this man and that man. If we leave it as is, something will definitely happen to Lumian."
Teoro genuinely believed that.
Even the question she had asked last time was like that.
At the time, he had been focused on the fact that Lumian was rejected and let it pass, but thinking about it carefully, it was a bit chilling. It wasn't something an ordinary woman would say.
'She definitely has malicious intent.'
Teoro explained his reasoning coherently to the two of them.
"Even if that's possible, what are you going to do if we follow him? If something happens, are you going to run in and cause a scene?"
"I don't know. Let's just go first. If we don't, I'll go alone even if I have to."
"Reckless guy. Haha."
Karl Krone burst out laughing.
It felt strange seeing Teoro, who was usually indifferent to others, showing this side of himself.
"Alright, let's go together."
"Huh, uh? You're going too?"
"Seems like it'll be interesting. If something actually does happen, well, that too."
Karl Krone recalled the incident from the first semester.
That guy Lumian helped him when he was deep in despair. Despite that, he hadn't even properly thanked him.
'Let's call it repaying that debt.'
Of course, it would be best if nothing happened, but still.
"Boomer, you've got nothing to do, right? Just come along."
"Sure. Let's go together. At least it seems like it'll be entertaining."
"......Fine."
Boomer nodded reluctantly.
In truth, the current situation didn't resonate much with him.
He didn't think some girl could do anything to a guy as strong as a proper knight, and more than that, he didn't want to be around these two when it came to matters involving women.
When he held a sword, confidence surged as if it could cover the sky, but not right now.
'Lumian, I hope you just get rejected and that's the end of it!'
He was sincere.
Of course, he didn't say this out loud. That would look too pathetic.
'Damn it, I can't even date, and now I have to follow around watching someone else's love life.'
"Good. Then let's go to the meeting place early."
"We won't get caught, right?"
"Hmm...... If it were the usual Lumian, maybe, but he's in front of a woman, so probably fine?"
"True, that makes sense."
'Bastards. They said let's go together but they're only talking among themselves.'
Boomer grumbled internally once more. The two still didn't pay attention to him.
And after a brief moment.
Finally, the tailing began.
***
"Hmm. It's definitely strange."
"I thought they'd go to her place or get dinner, but this is......"
Karl Krone and Teoro wore serious expressions.
Even Boomer was the same.
He scratched his cheek while looking at the gray building in the corner of the alley that Lumian Callad and Layton Wino had entered.
'Something about this building looks really shabby.'
When they first started tailing them, he had been full of complaints.
The still-beautiful Layton Wino, and Lumian standing beside her with a happy face.
Every time they whispered sweet words and made physical contact, his insides felt twisted. If it were up to him, he wanted to forget about tailing and just scream.
But such thoughts gradually changed as time passed.
The number of passersby decreased, the streets became complicated, and the location grew farther from the center.
It felt like they were entering an increasingly secret and dangerous place.
Lumian, drowning in Layton's smile, didn't seem to notice, but the three of them including Boomer definitely felt something was off.
Karl Krone said.
"......What are you going to do? Go in?"
"We have to go in."
"It could be dangerous."
"Then we have to go in even more."
There was no hesitation on Teoro Shutgarne's face.
Seeing this, Karl Krone let out a scoff of laughter.
He felt envious. He hadn't built that kind of friendship yet.
"Alright, let's go. Who would dare try anything against the eldest son of a marquis family?"
Karl Krone walked toward the building entrance with a confident expression. Boomer and Teoro followed behind him.
However, there was a completely unexpected person with them.
"I-I'll go too."
"Senior Tanya? Since when......"
"Is that important right now? Hurry, let's go inside!"
Tanya urged the three of them.
For the past several days, she had been watching for the right timing to comfort Lumian.
That was why she noticed immediately when Layton Wino approached him again.
'That bitch!'
This time she couldn't bear it.
She had no intention of returning to the dormitory dejectedly like last time.
Follow them first!
She didn't know what might happen, she didn't know how she should act if something did, but for now—tail them!
With those thoughts, she had followed in Lumian's footsteps. Then she had just discovered Teoro's group.
"You came because you were worried about Lumian, right?"
"Y-That's right."
"Then let's go inside quickly!"
"That's right. Let's go!"
"Hey, what's going on over there!"
Perhaps because their voices had grown loud.
A guard stationed in front of the building walked over with a menacing expression.
It was the complete opposite of the attitude he had shown Layton Wino. He spat out threatening words once more.
"You lot look like you don't have tickets, so stop loitering and get lost!"
"......What should we do?"
"If we say we're just going in to see someone we know, he won't let us, right?"
Teoro shook his head.
There was no way he would. In the end, to get inside, they would have to knock out the guard.
Of course, he was already prepared for that.
He exchanged glances with Karl Krone. The two of them nodded and strode forward.
Having raised their aura to the brim.
"Y-You brats!"
The guard flinched.
He had yelled at them because they looked like mere kids, but they seemed like tough customers. He would need to call his colleagues inside.
He stepped backward and quickly grabbed the whistle hanging around his neck.
Seeing this, Karl Krone put strength in his feet to charge.
However, he couldn't achieve his goal.
A beautiful woman who appeared suddenly had knocked out the guard first.
Thud!
"Grrk......"
"Hello?"
"......Professor? What are you doing here?"
Boomer asked with a surprised expression.
Irene Curtis answered with a bright smile.
"I came to discipline students who are wandering around improper places."
She showed no such sign whatsoever.
It felt much more like she had come out looking for something entertaining.
Teoro quickly spoke up.
"Do you know anything about this place?"
"No, I don't. But it's obvious, isn't it? Probably a playground for perverts. It reeks of illegality."
"P-perverts!"
"......."
Boomer exclaimed in shock, and Tanya wore an expression of disgust.
Paying no mind to their reactions, Teoro said.
"Will you be going in with us?"
"Of course. I said I came to discipline them, didn't I?"
"If you mean Lumian, he just followed along without knowing anything......"
"I was just joking, Teoro. It's not fun if you talk so seriously."
Having finished speaking, Irene Curtis entered without hesitation.
Her figure looked quite reliable. The four followed her with somewhat eased minds.
With a dispatched professor from the Academy—and a proper knight from the powerful nation of Rodizia—no major incident would occur.
The problem was Lumian.
'The professor says that, but if Lumian has already been swept up in the atmosphere inside......'
Teoro wore a worried expression.
Of course, there was nothing he could do right now.
He could only hope that nothing happened to Lumian.
'Please just be completely oblivious. Standing there dumbfounded, unable to adapt to the atmosphere!'
His worries deepened as time passed. The location changed accordingly.
Finally, the stairs ended and a door came into view.
There was another guard, but with a wave of Irene's hand, he collapsed without even opening his mouth. She dusted off her hands and pushed. The door creaked open.
And immediately after.
Thwack!
"......!"
"......!"
The sight of Lumian flicking Layton Wino's forehead came into everyone's view.
Boomer's eyes went wide as he thought.
'Lumian of all people, hit a woman?'
And it wasn't even a weak hit.
Seeing her head snap down, it seemed quite a bit of force had been put into it.
It was nothing short of shocking.