“What do you mean? There’s more?”
Yuugo asked Hercus what he meant by that, and he nodded with a solemn tone.
And then he started talking about something that happened not too long ago.
“Yuugo, remember when you saved me? You found me lying on the side of the road after someone attacked me from behind, right?”
“Yes, that… Of course I do… Wait, do you mean…!?”
“Yes. I’m pretty sure it was Isaac.”
That was how they met. Hercus was attacked all of a sudden.
After his duel with Yuugo, he was robbed of his materials, and left in a hard to find place.
Hercus accused Isaac of that terrible crime, which surprised not just Yuugo, but everyone present.
“What do you mean? Do you have proof?”
“That’s not it, it’s that similar things have been happening a lot recently, always with people who refused to duel Isaac because he had nothing to threaten them with. How could we not suspect Isaac?”
“…That’s a gray that’s getting very close to black.”
“But what does he want with all those materials? Doesn’t he have more than enough already?”
Isaac was not only dragging people to duels, but also attacking them from behind to steal their materials. It all seemed too strange.
Both Hercus and Yuugo said what they thought of Melt’s question.
“I heard he’s been offering them to Neid in the technical department. Apparently those two villains have been getting pretty chummy.”
“…Could it be that he’s doing that to prevent other students from getting stronger? Phi said so earlier too, but without materials, they can’t make their weapons stronger or make new ones. And that just makes the gap between him and everyone else wider and wider.”
“That could be it. People in the technical department have been so tired that they’ve been collapsing, but Neid is just fine. That combined with his skills, mean his value and demand have been going up.
And with all the materials Isaac provides, he can make all the magic items he wants.”
“And if students have no materials, they have no choice but to pay what he demands. If you think about it as Isaac extorting materials and Neid money…”
“It’s brutal. Like, they’re going that far?”
The fact that Melt was not even angry, but rather appalled, said everything.
She was very put off by the fact that they were not trying hard to be stronger, and instead seemed to take joy in holding others back.
“In any case, we better be careful. That includes you, Melt, An, and Phi. Watch out for Isaac. He challenged me to a duel, so he might go after you. And even if he doesn’t, this situation means you can’t be too careful…”
“…What, Yuugo?”
Melt asked while tilting her head, because halfway through what he was saying, Yuugo turned his head away from them and towards the grass.
But then they heard footsteps, and also turned in the same direction.
Was Isaac coming to challenge Yuugo to a duel again… Everyone was cautious, but once it was clear who it was, everyone but Yuugo was surprised.
“…It’s been a while, Mister Yuugo.”
“Y-you…!?”
She had wavy blonde hair, fantastic proportions, and a face like an elf.
Everything about her screamed neat and beautiful, and she bowed respectfully with a somber expression.
Yuugo had never met her, but… Judging by his friends’ reactions, he felt he knew who she was.
“You’re… Claire?”
“…You remember me. I heard you lost your memory, but I am happy to see it is not as bad as I thought.”
There was no sarcasm to her, the blonde girl really did sound concerned… As a smile formed on the face of Claire Rouge.
She then sat down, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she spoke to a Yuugo who still had an expression of surprise and bewilderment.
“…Today I… Have come to you with a request. I know you might ridicule me and call me shameless, but… I have no one else to turn to… I will do anything I can, so please…”
She said as she pressed her forehead to the ground.
Everyone was surprised to see a noble, a young lady from a noted family throw down her pride like that, as she desperately pleaded with her head still down.
“Please… Save Mister Zenon.”
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
Hahahahahahaha… no
“The fact that Melt was not even angry, but rather *appealed*, said everything.”
I think you meant “appalled” here.
So after failing to challenge Yuugo to a duel, now he is going after Zenon for Claire? (I’ll admit I forgot about both of them, after they took a back seat for so long)
Thanks for the chapter.