Episode 209
"What is it? Why are you making that face?"
Isollet's expression, as she looked down at me, began to gradually sour.
"Don't tell me you're sulking? Seriously?"
"......."
"Or perhaps... I hit the mark?"
Beside her, clinging to her side, I began to imitate Aishi's actions as exactly as possible in the freezing cold café.
"Right? Isn't it? Yeah, stupid sister."
For instance, looking up at her with a smile while poking her side with my finger. Poke, poke.
"When you talked to me on the phone, you were always breathing roughly. How do you plan to train anyone while wheezing like that?"
Or walking around her with my hands behind my back.
"How about just going around looking for a husband instead?"
Then standing in front of her and whispering with a mocking expression.
"...Grr."
As I did those things, Isollet, whose face had been twisting continuously, began to quietly grind her teeth.
Seeing that, it seems the effect was immediate.
According to the records left in the Book of Prophecy, the relationship between Isollet and Aishi never improves even near the ending after going through every possible trial.
Because her upright and justice-seeking, honest personality could never accept such a flighty and ill-mannered character.
Like, water and oil?
Anyway, I used that relationship.
Having already disappointed her with various misdeeds, if my usual conduct became fixed like this as well, she would surely detest the very sight of me.
Right now, she's looking down at me coldly while radiating killing intent. Will I get hit at this rate? No, rather I hope so.
That would definitely lower my favorability.
- Swish...
While I was thinking that, Isollet, who had been looking down at me coldly, began to reach her trembling hand toward my neck.
"What? Don't tell me she's going to hit..."
Thinking she might really hit me, I steeled myself internally.
"Ah, hello...!"
"We're going in!!"
Lulu and Irina, grabbing both my arms and urgently entering the mansion.
Thanks to them, I was instantly dragged away without understanding what was happening, and I watched Isollet, who quietly extended her hand to the empty air and turned her head toward me.
"........."
She continued to look at me with sinister eyes, her hand extended toward the empty air until the front door closed.
"Uh, um... where are we going?"
""........""
While I was internally celebrating the success of my plan, the place the two silent girls were taking me was strange.
"Why the bathroom...?"
They were dragging me to the mansion's bathroom.
- Click...!
- Hiss...
Entering the bathroom together with puzzled expressions, Irina urgently locked the bathroom door and even cast magic.
"Master, why are you doing that?"
Lulu asked while looking at me with a flustered expression.
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you suddenly seduce Professor Isollet? Is there a reason you had to do that?"
".....?"
When I tilted my head at her words, Irina next to me quietly nodded with an empathetic expression.
- Did a sudden quest pop up? You said you don't do those. Why are you acting like that?
Soon, receiving such a telepathic message from Irina, I began to recall my plan in my mind.
"...Ha."
Upon conveying my plan, she let out a hollow laugh.
- This is crazy, you think that would work...
'You know too, right? That Professor Isollet hates Aishi. You must have seen it in the previous iteration?'
- But...
'The favorability didn't go up. If I had appeared to be seducing her, the favorability would have gone up immediately. It's at a level where it goes up even if I leave it alone.'
However, as I explained logically, her expression began to distort more and more.
"W-what is it...? Telepathy excluding me again..."
'If the favorability goes up even a little, I'll stop the operation immediately. That works, right?'
"Haa... still..."
While I said that while watching her reaction, Irina, who was about to say something with a sigh...
- Knock, knock, knock...!
"Is anyone in there?"
"I'll go out. You two come out a little later."
When a knight knocked from outside, I said that and opened the door to leave, murmuring to the birds perched on my shoulder.
"Be ready to come out at any time."
With that, the door closed, leaving only Lulu and me.
"Master..."
For some reason, she had a slightly hurt expression as she rubbed her cheek against my chest.
Looking at her like that, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
'...Can an already conquered heroine be returned to pre-conquest status?'
If Isollet's conquest is completed and she starts worrying about me, wouldn't resetting the conquest status solve everything?
"Lulu, what do you think would happen if I abandoned you?"
So, I decided to conduct an experiment.
"Yes?"
"For example, if I no longer felt interest in you? And wanted to abandon you? What would you do?"
Whether there's a possibility or not of separating Lulu, whose conquest is already complete, from me.
"............"
"Uh, Lulu?"
But then, a problem arose.
Lulu's eyes died for the first time in a while.
"...Then, I don't think I would feel any meaning in living."
"What?"
"So I would just die. So as not to harm Master's reputation, I'd go somewhere secluded and quietly..."
"Ah..."
I had forgotten because she had only shown bright and cute appearances recently. That Lulu was a child who would die immediately if she wasn't loved.
"Did you get tired of me? Master?"
After saying that, she buried her face in my chest and asked in a trembling voice.
"If, if that's the case, please tell me anytime. I have no intention of causing you any trouble..."
Soon, looking at Lulu speaking with a terrified expression...
- Fwoosh...!
After taking out the brooch for the first time in a while, I quietly infused mana into it.
- Hiss...
Then, black smoke began to rise from the brooch.
"You know what this is, right? Lulu?"
"T-this is..."
Though the Oath of Death was prohibited, it was such a well-known magic that Lulu seemed to know it well too.
"Until I die, I'll keep you by my side."
".....!"
Thinking this would make things easier, I whispered that, and Lulu, who had been clinging close to me, froze.
"Until I die, you're my pet."
Looking at her as I added that, her face turned bright red as she stammered.
"I, I am... I-I am..."
"Enough, Lulu."
- Crackling...!
Blocking her mouth, I ended the oath.
"I, I didn't set any conditions! Why only Master...!"
"You just need to receive. You don't need to do anything."
Patting her head...
"...Just stay by my side until I die. That's all."
Saying that, I pinned the brooch back to my chest.
"Master....."
Lulu, held in my arms, looking at me blankly.
"...Mmm."
But suddenly, her eyes darkened.
"U-until death... Until death... I don't like that. Scary. No..."
"Lulu?"
"M-Master..."
Soon, she began whimpering and nestled in my arms.
"When Master dies, I'll die too too. A life without Master has no meaning anyway."
"......."
"No, I'll somehow extend your lifespan. I'll find a way, somehow..."
With her face buried in my neck, she began mumbling.
"Let's go out, Lulu."
"...Daze."
Having been in the bathroom for quite a while, she was making dog-like whining sounds while licking my face wildly, so I took her hand and stepped outside.
"".......""
I faced my younger sister and the knight, both wearing cold expressions.
"Sinister and dark energy was felt from the bathroom."
"Me as well."
"Just what did you do to Lulu inside there?"
Facing their cold interrogation.
"Without knowing anything..."
Lulu quietly bared her teeth.
"I suppose we need to investigate."
"......."
The two approached me with cold expressions.
"Hey, you two."
But thanks to Isollet who suddenly appeared beside us, the feared situation didn't happen.
"It's meal time."
Isollet said that, beckoning with her finger to call us over.
"Come to the dining hall."
.
"Yawn..."
"".........""
Everyone's gaze at the dining table was focused on Frey.
"Who made this food?"
In that situation, Frey, who was pushing the food around here and there, crossed his legs and asked.
"I made it, but do you have a complaint?"
"Pfft, no wonder. It tastes bad because an old maid made it."
Soon, Frey responded to Isollet's words like that.
"Seriously terrible. If you have nothing to appeal with, you should at least cook well."
At those words, everyone at the table flinched, but internally they quietly agreed with his words.
Because in reality, Isollet was terrible at cooking.
The knight had even thought that eating such tasteless food was part of training.
"Frey."
"Want me to cook instead?"
"Don't test my patience..."
"I'm pretty good at cooking. Do you want to make me wear an apron?"
Thanks to that, in the strange atmosphere that developed, Frey continued to provoke Isollet, who maintained an expressionless face.
"...Just kidding."
Then, Frey, who said that while smiling, drove the wedge in.
"I have absolutely no intention of marrying an old maid teacher."
After that, silence flowed for a moment.
"...Follow me outside, Frey."
"Huh?"
"Meal time is over. We're starting 1-on-1 training immediately."
Soon, breaking the silence and rising from her seat, Isollet said that and left the dining hall.
'See? I told you she'd take the bait.'
- No, she might really bite!!
'The favorability didn't go up, and the mind-reading skill is all filled with hatred and disappointment. So there's no problem.'
Frey, whose eyes flashed momentarily, looked at Irina with a rotten expression, quietly winked, and then followed Isollet out.
- Thud, thud...
The two walked out of the mansion without speaking for a while, and upon reaching the training ground, they stopped walking simultaneously.
"Training uses practice wooden swords. Draw a sword from over there, Frey."
Soon, Isollet pointed to the cabinet in the distance and said that.
"Hmph, it's all worn out. Just like someone..."
"After you've drawn one, place your hand on the scroll next to it."
Cutting off Frey's insolent words while holding up his wooden sword, she gave that command.
"What is this? Why..."
When Frey tilted his head and placed his hand on the scroll, light spread in all directions.
"...Huh?"
After a moment, a powerful protective barrier formed around him.
"Hey, why a protective barrier during training..."
- BOOM!!
"...Hieek!!"
And at that moment, Isollet, rushing toward Frey at an incredible speed, struck him with a sword strike.
"...Ugh!"
Thanks to that, he was sent flying back several meters and crashed into the wall. Though he was uninjured thanks to the protective barrier, he had a dazed expression.
"Kid..."
Isollet, who was breathing roughly while looking at him...
"...Today, I'll educate you."
She whispered in a cold voice.
- BOOOOM!!!
Soon, a tremendous roar began to echo through the training ground.
.
"Crash...! Crackle...!"
"Mmm..."
Frey, crouching on the ground and panting heavily, looked up at Isollet standing before him with a frightened expression.
- Bzzzing...!
"Etch this clearly into your mind, Frey."
Isollet, who had thrust her sword with all her might at Frey, began speaking in a stern voice.
"First, I am not incompetent."
"...Ugh."
As she said that and trampled on the lying Frey, he let out a small groan.
"Second, I am your master. Not someone you can dishonor as you please."
Looking at him, Isollet opened her mouth and struck with her sword again, causing the defensive barrier around Frey to nearly shatter into pieces.
"Third, the incompetent one is you."
- CRASH...!
Isollet, who finally delivered the last blow to that barrier, shattering it completely.
"Hoo..."
Then, climbing on top of Frey, who had fallen to the ground, and crushing him beneath her.
"Surrender."
She whispered quietly while extending her hand to Frey's neck.
"You've been defeated by me. Your life is in my hands. No one would say anything no matter what I do to you here."
Soon, Isollet, wrapping her hand around Frey's neck, spoke in a cold voice.
"This is reality, Frey. So wake up. Wake from your dream, face reality..."
At first, Isollet was admonishing Frey, who lay beneath her, with the expression of a strict educator.
"........"
"A-anyway... take today's defeat... as a lesson... and strive further..."
But the insolent appearance from earlier was completely gone, and seeing Frey, who had fallen to the ground due to her attacks, his pure white clothes dirtied by the dust of the training ground he had used his whole life, she suddenly began to stammer.
"M-my whole body is hot... why, why is this happening..."
Then, with her hand still wrapped around Frey's neck, she lowered her head deeply.
"...Sister?"
Frey, who had been frowning thinking the operation had failed due to the unchanged favorability, asked her in a quiet voice.
"What's wrong?"
That question, mixed with the suddenly spoken word 'sister' and pure curiosity, became the catalyst that made Isollet begin to tremble.
"...When the barrier broke, I couldn't attack you after all."
Soon, Isollet opened her mouth with a trembling voice.
"I want to punish you, I want to beat some sense into you, but... I can't bring myself to attack you."
"Uh, um..."
"Was it fun constantly seducing me? Frey?"
"What?"
The hand that had been applying force to his body became softer, and her eyes also softened.
"...Forget what I just said, Frey."
"Huh?"
"Forget all the words I said under the pretext of admonishment. I don't think I have the right to say such things to you."
Soon, she continued speaking in a trembling voice.
"I don't... I don't think I'm qualified to be a knight."
"Hey..."
"I don't think I'm qualified as a teacher either. Nor as your master, nor as a noble lady."
"What are you talking about...?"
"Mmm..."
Seeing Frey speak with a terrified expression, Isollet, who had almost lost her reason for a moment...
"Ugh..."
Bit her tongue, closed her eyes tightly, and exerted superhuman mental strength to control herself.
'That doesn't matter anymore.'
Looking down at him with trembling eyes as he lay beneath her body with a puzzled expression.
'As long as I can make this fragile child my family... nothing else matters.'
Swallowing dry saliva, she quietly muttered internally.
'That's... that's been my wish since I was young.'
- Ding!
At that moment, a system window appeared before Frey.
Isollet Arham Baiwork [Conquest Complete]
[Affection System Notification: 'Details' function has been added!]
Frey, who had been staring blankly at the system window...
[Reward: Awakening of the heroine's potential ability, and...]
"Huh...?"
Soon, his eyes went wide.
[...19+ Event Unlocked (Conditions not met)]
Because such a system window was floating before his eyes.
[Total heroines meeting current conditions: 1]
"Grr..."
"I knew it would be like this. Entering."
"Blacktail Fantasy 2 is..."
Irina, leading Lulu whose magic eye was flashing, urgently entered the training ground.
"...I heard the age rating was 15?"
Frey muttered in a hollow voice.
Before he knew it, the sun had risen high in the sky.