#362
Everyone’s Love and Affection
The sound of the gavel being pounded made the heroines’ expressions serious.
“Ahem. The reason we’re gathered here today is to prepare for the Valentine’s Day Surprise Party.”
Eri spoke up in place of Olivia.
Yes, the one and only reason they left everything behind to gather in the cramped clubroom was for Valentine’s Day.
February 14th, Valentine’s Day. A day when girls confess their love by gifting chocolates to boys.
“Originally, I was supposed to secretly hide handmade chocolates filled with my love in the master’s desk drawer, shoe cabinet, or locker, but…”
Eri trailed off.
Just like during Pepero Day, that’s how it’s usually done.
“But right now, it’s an emergency. The next day is the day of the decisive battle.”
Rin chimed in on Eri’s words, speaking calmly with her arms crossed.
Rin’s serious tone made the atmosphere in the clubroom grow heavy.
February 15th. The day of the showdown as announced by the League Master.
Coincidentally, it was the day after Valentine’s Day.
“So that’s why we’re gathered here, right? To ease the little one’s tension the night before the battle.”
It was Seira who broke the tense silence.
She elegantly spread her fan and said, “Exactly. Valentine’s Day… Can’t give up on it…”
The Undertaker, sitting next to Seira, spoke in a low voice.
Just because it’s the night before the decisive battle didn’t mean they had to be overly tense.
In fact, it might be better to loosen up the tension in preparation for the upcoming fight.
That was the intention behind this meeting.
The moment Seira and the Undertaker finished speaking,
“Hehehe…”
A cocky laugh echoed from somewhere.
Everyone turned to see where the laughter came from.
There stood Kurosawa Haru, a beautiful girl with two-tone hair dyed crimson at the tips, sporting a side ponytail.
“So, sisters, have you made specific plans for the surprise party? I hate these formalities! Can’t we just hand over the chocolate? The ultra-cute JK gal bride, Haru, has already prepared a love-filled lovey-dovey♥ chocolate for Duksung oppa! Hehehe.”
Haru laughed. As she narrowed her red eyes, Aris, sitting next to her, spoke to Haru.
As I narrowed my red eyes, Aris sitting next to me spoke to Haru.
“Kurosawa-san, finishing chocolate making already? That’s cheating!”
“You’re right, President! Kurosawa! I think it’s so rude! Total sneaky cat!”
At Aris’s words, Eri jumped up and shouted at Haru.
Haru, caught between their dual attacks, laughed.
“Hehehe. But not all brides of Deok-Sung oppa are the same, right? Haru, I will definitely become Deok-Sung’s favorite character, the number one heroine, his legitimate wife. If I want to become his legitimate wife, I should move quickly! Hehehe.”
Haru provocatively grinned.
Legitimate wife.
The resonance of the word that slipped from Haru’s lips struck the hearts of almost all the heroines present.
“Eri can settle for second best, but… I can’t allow Kurosawa-san to be the first for our master! I will definitely stop that!”
The first to react to Haru’s words was Eri.
She touched the collar around her neck and shouted.
If it were Her Highness, Olivia, I might let her have the first place, but I can’t give it to the cheeky junior Haru.
Eri thought so.
“Hehehe. Eri-nee, you’re still wearing that collar? That’s super funny. You look like a puppy. Well, since Eri-nee’s chest is smaller than mine, you won’t become Deok-Sung’s legitimate wife. You’re just a pet.”
Haru placed her hand on her chest and stared at Eri.
Eri’s gaze shifted to Haru’s chest.
Despite being a year younger, the clearly bigger chest size entered her sight.
Feeling Eri’s gaze, Haru puffed her chest out proudly.
“And I’m still growing! Hehehe. Every day my chest is getting bigger, just as Deok-Sung oppa likes it. It’s totally different from Eri-nee’s flat chest.”
As Haru spoke with a smug voice, Eri’s face turned red.
Her cheeks quivered.
“Y-y-yikes! Eri-nee is also drinking milk every day! Eri-nee is still growing! My chest will definitely grow no matter what?!”
“Hehehe. Eri-nee, even if your flat chest gets bigger, it’s still a flat chest, right? Just like multiplying any number by 0 is still 0. Hehehe.”
“Shut up! Uuugh! I can’t let this go on! To check on Kurosawa, Eri-nee also has to make homemade chocolate to give to our master…!”
“Me too! I want to make some too, Eri-chan!”
At Eri’s words, Makoto raised her hand, grinning.
“Hmm. Then I’ll also make homemade chocolate for the junior…”
Upon hearing Makoto’s words, Kasumi’s eyes sparkled as she clenched her fists.
“Teachers too, as late bloomers, must work harder with Hoshino-san!”
Mayuzumi Mayu, who was next to Kasumi, shouted.
“Hmm. A race for the legitimate wife, huh? Then my future wife, Shinozaki Rin, cannot be left out! With Shinozaki-style vision chocolate-making, I’ll do it in one go…”
Hearing Mayuzumi’s words, Rin spoke seriously.
The atmosphere in the clubroom began to get lively.
Watching the room turn into a market, Olivia’s eyebrows twitched.
Olivia’s eyebrows twitched as she looked on.
She crossed her arms and shouted at everyone.
“Can you all just be quiet?!”
At Olivia’s words, everyone immediately fell silent.
Despite all the talk about the main wife race, they all knew the truth.
If there was anyone who was close to being number one, it was implicitly acknowledged that it was the French Knight Princess.
As the room became eerily quiet, Olivia brushed her platinum hair aside and spoke.
“Ah, finally a bit quieter. Of course, the chocolates we’re making are important, but now is not the time for that!”
Olivia yelled with a serious expression.
“Our role, mine and everyone here, is to help that fool relax before the upcoming battle! Therefore, rather than personal chocolates… we need to create a chocolate dish filled with everyone’s love and affection to host a surprise party on the eve of the battle!”
Olivia pounded the gavel dramatically.
“Did everyone understand?!”
Everyone nodded silently at Olivia’s words.
They already knew it too, even Haru, who had spoken first.
“Alright then. As that fool’s personal maid, I command you! From now on, under the supervision of me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, the personal maid, we will prepare a surprise party that will shock that fool! Ohohohohohohoho! Of course, we can’t skip the practice!”
Having finished her speech, Olivia covered her mouth with her hand and let out a girlish giggle.
It was the moment when the last heroine meeting came to a close.
*
Shuo Hero Academy.
Training Building.
Originally a spacious training ground used for private lessons with Aris.
There were neither Aris nor Ichihara, but Yuji and Ishihara.
“Haah. Haa. Great job, Kim.”
Thud.
Yuji, who had been my training partner, collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.
The gold-haired tanning delinquent, Ishihara Daiki, had long since sprawled out in one corner of the training ground.
The training room was already a mess from the aftermath of the sparring session.
“To think you could withstand our simultaneous attack, Kim. You’re really something.”
Yuji, with a towel around his neck, looked up at me with starry eyes while drinking an electrolyte drink.
Something? Really?
As expected of a light novel protagonist, he casually threw around such embarrassing compliments.
I turned my head away and replied.
“What’s so great? You’re the real monster here.”
“A monster? I’m not that impressive, you know. Hahaha.”
Yuji scratched his head with a laugh after hearing my words.
He really was the embodiment of what it means to be a light novel protagonist, with skills in the art of deception as his passive ability.
It’s ridiculous.
With colorless magic and talent surpassing that of a sword saint, just as the original setting said, Yuji was rapidly improving with every sparring session.
Yuji one minute ago and Yuji one minute later looked like completely different people.
He was truly not your average munchkin protagonist.
[Wow. Kurosawa-kun. Your talent is no joke. Honestly, I think you’re stronger than Akira.]
The Black Prince remarked while watching Yuji’s sparring.
Although he hadn’t reached EX rank like in the original yet, if this continued, he might just awaken his unique abilities.
Yuuji’s awakening was an important issue.
I had planned to face Messiah myself, but just in case, I needed a backup.
That backup was none other than the protagonist right in front of me.
If Yuuji, being the protagonist, has the ability to counter Messiah’s powers and the skill of visualization, then he could potentially defeat Messiah just like in the original work.
Of course, without his awakening, if he fought Messiah now, it would be a guaranteed loss.
Originally, Yuuji was supposed to roll in front while I tucked away like a lazy bum in the back.
I couldn’t understand how the roles had flipped like this.
Damn this light novel world.
A sigh escaped me.
“Are we going to keep training like this until the day of the final showdown?”
“Of course.”
I nodded at Yuuji’s question.
“Take Ishihara and get out for now. From now on, it’s personal training time.”
“Got it. Kim, hang in there.”
Yuuji slung Ishihara over his shoulder, patted me on the back, and flashed a thumbs-up.
I accepted his thumbs-up with a gesture.
Zing. Thud.
As Yuuji left, the automatic door closed behind him.
[Oh, now it’s just the two of us, partner.]
As Yuuji exited, the Black Prince spoke.
I sat down in silence and closed my eyes.
Heaven and Earth Sword Technique.
A skill that manifests a sword made of belief through the fusion of light and darkness.
I had to master that technique properly.
[Once I master the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique, I won’t have to envy the colorless mana anymore. I was on the same level as the Sword Master in Five Crowns! Hahaha!]
The Black Prince laughed in a cheerful voice.
His words were true.
The setting book mentioned that the Black Prince was a swordsman of comparable skill.
Of course, that didn’t mean he was as strong as the Sword Master; if I put it in martial arts novel terms, the Black Prince was a half-step below the Sword Master.
[Furthermore, I never completed the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique in my lifetime.]
The Black Prince was right again.
The Heaven and Earth Sword Technique was an incomplete technique.
In the original work, the technique used by Olivia was also not fully completed.
To put it another way, if I could complete a perfected version of the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique that didn’t appear in the original work, I would be able to counter Messiah’s abilities.
That was how it was explained in the setting book.
The real question was whether I could complete the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique, which both the genius Black Prince and Olivia had not mastered.
[Partner, I’ll help you. Let’s complete it together. As a swordsman, not just your partner, I want to see the completion of the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique too.]
“Let’s start.”
[Alright.]
As the Black Prince spoke, my consciousness sank deeply into meditation.
Flash.
With a blinding light, the realm of visualization unfolded before my eyes.
Stars, nebulas, and galaxies sparkled in the vastness of the universe.
In the midst of it stood the Black Knight, wielding a black sword.
“Hello, partner.”
The Black Prince greeted me as I entered the realm of visualization.
“Shall we begin the real transfer of the Heaven and Earth Sword Technique?”
The Black Prince smiled and charged toward me, sword in hand.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The black mana erupting from his entire body shook the turquoise universe around us.
It was the moment the true training began.
