I hadn't seen him in a while, and he was about ten times better looking than I expected.
　No, he looked better than I expected. I don't know.

　Ever since I heard that that guy was coming to Gurutham, my heart kept pounding in my chest. When I finally met him, instead of subsiding, my heart beat faster.

　I asked him out with the lines as per the imprecation that I repeated over and over again, and we decided to have lunch together.
　That was fine up to that point, but ...... that's where he was acting so suspicious that it was laughable.

　Apparently, when I'm in front of a second, my mind goes blank and I don't know what I'm saying.
　The more I think about it, the wackier I get, and the more I try to be the same as usual. It was so awful. It was definitely weird.

　She's just smiling at me all the time, like I'm really funny and she's just smiling at me. His friends are so fast-paced and unreliable. He's that guy, and he hasn't changed at all in six months.

　It was that lunchtime, when I felt angry, but at the same time comfortable.


　Then I heard about a girl who looked like me.
　She was named Cheri, a slightly shorter girl than me with round black hair like a Kokeshi doll, apparently the ace of the First Court Magical Division.

　Rebellion against the Second. Rebellion. Anger. Pride. Jealousy. The heightened awareness, the desperation, the lack of room to spare. ...... To my chagrin, the more I listened to her, the more I thought she was just like the "old me".

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. No, she has gone to the front of the line.
　I want to admit it, but I can't. She's fighting her own dilemma.

　I see ...... that's why the second dared to talk to me about it. I was just like her, so I thought I could understand her pain.

　Okay, I'll leave it to you.
　This is Cherie Lumberjack, a woman who pays her debts handsomely.


　.............

　What a zest I had for it.

　I didn't think I'd be able to hit a girl as hard as I could with goo. ......

　She's blown up to the point of being a donkey, and you're bleeding your nose out and white-eyed. I think that's worse than me getting punched by Mithril Golem.

It's too much! And. I was going to accuse him of that.

　But when I saw the profile of that guy, those thoughts flew away.

　The sad face ...... is an analogy for the protagonist of the novel I read the other day. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of the situation.

　That's right, that guy Ailee must be Cheri's best friend. That's why that guy dared to take on the role of a villain to prevent her from raising her hand to her best friend in a moment of emotion.

　After being beaten up so flagrantly, the members of Team 4 and 16 would not be able to say anything to Cheri, and her heart would surely be "broken".

　I'm not sure how kind he is to protect the relationships between his best friends and the members of his squad, and lead her to the right path. And he's not just a caring person, he's also a caring person. She's also fulfilling her responsibilities as an instructor, and she's doing something extra. And I'm amazed at the clear mind that can think so much in such a short amount of time.

　Such an insanely good looking, super strong, kind and smart guy, you're going to have to be my son-in-law ......!


Eco, fix him up.

　He sighed one sigh, asked that kitty to recover, and slipped away.

　Okay, I get it. "I'll take care of the rest," right?
　Yeah, sure, I'll do it. "Like" me.

"You're such a good girl. Well, just don't let me take care of it.

　I said that to that guy as he was leaving, with a lot of confidence. I think I said it in a fairly normal way, but I think my voice might have been a little upbeat.

'Yeah,'

　A short word, a little smile, and a little sorrow, and that guy nodded. That deep, neat face and clear, beautiful voice made me let out a strange "oohhhh". This is a permanent fixture: ...... I could fight for a week just by remembering it.

　As I was looking away from the figure afterwards with a pooh-pooh, Terra muttered something to me.

"Abata Moekubo", have you heard of that~ Master?



　　　* * *



U...... ......?

　When I woke up, I found myself in a dimly lit inn room.
　Oh, I was beaten up and ......

Hey, are you awake?
What?

　I can't believe my eyes. It was that Cherie Lumberjack right beside my futon.
　I immediately jumped up and straightened up my residence. You can't show your disrespect in front of the countess.

'Fine, no need to be polite. But I'm glad to see that you are in good health. It's all thanks to her recovery magic.
What?

　If you ask me, my body is light. It's hard to believe that I passed out after taking that stupid shocking fist to my face.

''It was his team member, the Beastman, who cured me.
"...... Um. No, I'm afraid she's not.
'Yes. Minna, you'd think she was a shield-user: ......

　When I tried to deny it, Master Cherie looked dumbfounded and then stood up.

'If you're feeling well, please come and join me for a little walk.
Yeah, no problem.

　They left the room together.
　As we walk down the tasteful boarded-up corridor, we hear a buzzing, joyful bustle in the distance. The sun has already set. It's probably time for everyone to get ready for the party.

　...... Suddenly, I remembered. I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

　I'm not going to be able to show up at the banquet or even enjoy a meal with them anymore.

　There's a part of me that thinks it's okay, and another part that feels sad.

　What is this feeling? While I was struggling with my unanswerable questions, Sherry-sama had stopped walking before I knew it.

''This inn, your father brought me here once before.

　The place is in the courtyard. Master Sherry sits on the porch and invites, "You should come too.

Isn't it a nice place?
...... Yeah.

　The courtyard, dimly lit by lanterns, was unrealistically beautiful, and even had a mysterious atmosphere. The sound of water trickling down, the sound of plants and trees rustling in the wind, the sound of dishes and people's voices echoing softly in the distance, the chill of the night wind, and the smell of the earth. Everything seeps into the depths of my body.

　It's a strange feeling, as if I was in a dream somehow. ...... For five or ten minutes, vaguely, I passed the time without thinking about it.


"I'm sorry ...... I gave that guy a hell of a lot of trouble before.

　Suddenly, Sherry-sama starts talking about such things.
　I immediately knew who that 'that guy' was.

''That guy had some expertise in attacking the Prolin dungeon, and my father liked it. So he made a big deal. Like tens of billions of CLs or something. ...... I was so frustrated by it.
Plotting ......!

　I am shocked. I had heard that Prolin was one of the top difficulty levels in the B grade dungeons and that no one had come up with a conqueror.

　No, no. It was a long time ago, but I heard that a team that conquered everything alone has appeared ...... No way!

Oh, you didn't know that?　Well, I'm not surprised they don't look up information on the people they don't like. Not only did these guys conquer the city alone, they circled it several times a day. The adventurers called them "pro-Kichi" and said they were so scared that no one approached them. By the way, the team was made up of 4 people, but only 3 of them were involved in the attack.
............

　I'm raptured.
　It's insane to have three people running laps in a place like that every day.

'So, back to the point. I didn't know he was such a bad guy at the time, so that's why I was biting him so hard. 'I don't like it, I don't like it, I don't like it, I don't like it!　Like.
...... Yeah, right.

　Suddenly I feel sympathy for him. I didn't like that man either, and he was biting me at every turn.

'Huh. He was worse than you, huh?　After all, I'm a countess. It's not as tricky as it sounds.
Yeah, you're right.

　It's not something to be proud of. But it might be true.

I was ...... jealous. How could a man like that man be liked by your father, and I was ...... jealous. And after a day, the flames of jealousy couldn't be extinguished anymore.
What have they done to you?
"I'm going to take on Prolin before he does!　Then your father and everyone around you would accept me!　I got delirious like that and sneaked out in the middle of the night to assault Prolin.
It's .......

　Obviously, it's reckless. First of all, you can see that it is definitely an act of death. However, Master Sherry is alive like this now. I had a hunch as to why.

'He came to me while I was dying from a Mithril Golem's blow. Up until then I thought he was a sorcerer, but he had a sword. Then, moving so fast that I couldn't follow it with my eyes, I overwhelmed Mithril Golem with a forceful attack, not letting him give me a hand or a foot, one-sidedly beating him to a pulp ...... I guess it didn't take me more than two minutes to settle the matter.
Oh, no, you don't.
'I saw it with my own eyes. Besides, now I know what that thing was. That thing is a spirit possession ...... advanced skill that is released at the fourth level of spirit summoning.
"I'm ......, four steps, so .......

　Yeah, I'm dizzy. So you're saying that--

''He's a top-notch spiritist and a top-notch swordsman. He's a top-notch swordsman. I found out afterwards that he's a top-notch archer and magician as well. Besides, he must have some other trump card.

　-- different dimensions. That's such a clichéd impression. But that's all I could say. Because it can't be. Are we really the same person?　I can't help but wonder. What's the difference between that man and me?

'That's true for his team members too. That bow and shield duo, how many rounds of glutam do you think they've done today?
Now that you mention it, I've seen you many times.
128 rounds.
What the--?

　...... crazy. I thought so.
　A dungeon that we could barely get 16 laps in after so much pain and suffering, 128 laps?　Strange. If this isn't crazy, then what is.

　I'm not going to be able to get the same kind of results as the others. I'm not sure if this is normal for them, but I'm afraid it is. It's a dimension of normality that is not so difficult to achieve when you're doing laps around the glutam.

That cat-beast man's eco-leaflet isn't just about shielding, it's also about recovery magic. I'm sure he's more skilled at recovery magic than most. That's why you're still alive and well after all the beatings.
I see, that's why: ......

　The wounds from that man's beating are gone as if they never existed.

　Still, ...... my, until that tirade, has not been able to pretend that it never happened.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time with us. I'm not going to be able to get rid of any of the wounds that were inflicted on the team members.


You already know that, don't you?　What did I do wrong?

　The thoughts were on my face, Master Sherry looked into my face and said admonishingly.

　I've known ...... it or not, I've known it for a long time now. That man's words were right.

　Still, I wanted to leave the results on my own. Otherwise, I couldn't help but feel that all my previous efforts would be in vain.

　Using the weapon of hard work, I would use the weapon of hard work to win the unanimous approval and make that man guffaw. Such reckless behavior failed as a matter of course. And I blamed others and ran away.

That's what I failed to realize ...... was a denial of my past and future efforts.

　My petty pride was protected. Instead, I lost my trust.

　Why couldn't I be honest? Why did I become jealous? I should have thought more deeply, not gotten angry, not rushed, acted calmly and rationally. Regret would come to me without a second thought. There is no way I can take it back if I think about it now.

　Now that I've calmed down, I finally understand. The cost of being jealous and out of control is staggering.


I understand. I know what it's like, I know what it's like to think that he's cheating, that he's not working as hard as I am.
-Oh!

　I was a figurehead.
　I had worked so hard to become a court magician, and that aloof man passed me in an instant with a spare face. I just didn't like that, I just didn't like it.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the best out of your own personal life.

　Sherry-sama began to talk while her cheeks turned a light shade of red. Her flushed appearance was cute, like a girl of her age, and I was a little curious about what she was talking about.

Listen to me. He's making a lot of effort. Surprisingly, he's making an effort. You don't usually show that kind of attitude for even a second. But behind the scenes, he works hard. The way he strove to get around the Prolin dungeon was so stoic that it was exhausting to watch.

............

　I wondered if I had ever made an effort to go around the dungeons of grade B. I wondered if I had ever made the "effort" of going around the dungeons of grade B. I wondered how many times I had done that every day, many times a day. Many rounds a day, every day.

　There's no way I've ever done that. Even in grade C, there were hardly any. The only thing I can think of is hunting demons in a shallow forest.

　I was the one who didn't ...... make the effort.


''Those guys are making an effort without effort. We're struggling without trying. I can't help but be jealous of the difference.

　Master Sherry's analysis makes sense to me in a stoned way.

　Indeed it does. When I look at him, he always seems to be comfortable and somehow easy. Hence, I assume that he doesn't work harder than me, and I'm jealous of him.

'Maybe they're making unimaginable efforts at far greater heights that we can't even imagine. Yeah, like, say, a grade A dungeon, for example.

　Maybe so. No, it must be.

　.............

　Okay. I've been beaten up by people like that.

　A hysterical woman who is rebellious because she doesn't like it, doesn't listen to anyone, is jealous of herself for failing to try, and is jealous of her own lack of effort, and then rubs the blame on others after doing stupid imitations with stupid ideas. Maybe she deserved to be beaten up.

'Oh, I see. ......'

　The little bit of justification and pride I had inside me crumbled fragilely at this moment.

　I don't know why I was so jealous of who I was being so weirdly stubborn with, but I can't help but laugh dryly.

　Oh, this would have happened so much sooner--.


How's that?　It's pretty easy once you admit it, right?
"!　...... Yeah, really.

　I felt lighter as if it was a lie.

　...... But that's not the only problem.

　Once a spell has been shot, it can never be undone.


You may think you're done with it, but you're not. It's not what you've done, it's what you're going to do in the future that will determine your true value.
However, I said something that I would never have said as a court wizard: ......
Think about what he was hitting you for.

　What was it for?

　At first, I thought it was for Ailey.
　I wonder what would have happened if Ailie had slapped me in the face like that. First of all, without a doubt, our friendship would have fallen apart. I would have been able to say something awful in a sales pitch, and I would have hurt her deeply.
　That's why he would have stopped Ailey.

　But then it occurred to me. Then he should have just stopped her. There was no need to hit him.


　Could it be that you helped me ......?

　No way - a ridiculous reasoning that I would have denied without pause in the past.

　But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

　As a result, my head cooled down, and in addition, the people who were there lowered their spirits, which in no small part helped me to redeem myself. It also gave me a chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with Master Cherie. Some people might think, "Since I was beaten up so loudly, I must have felt sorry for myself. Perhaps the snack of the banquet will be replaced with "his brutality" instead of "my outburst".

　Did he make me look bad?　Maybe I'm overthinking it. But you may be right.

　...... Unexpectedly, my eyes are burning.

　I thought it was all over. But I'm still ...... me.


...... Um, Master Sherry failed ...... and then what did you do?
'I apologized, thanked him, and ran away anyway. I was too embarrassed to face him seriously.
Yeah?

　I might have done the same if he was the only one I was dealing with. But he's not the only one I have to apologize to.

"You'd be great if you didn't run away from me here. You need to show some guts.

　Master Sherry smiled happily.
　Somehow I understood. That's what true strength is all about.


'It doesn't matter if you're a burnout or a torn-up, you'll never get a chance like this again. You won't get a chance like this again. This is the place to be. Don't you think?

　That's right. This is the last and greatest chance he's given me.

　I clenched my fists tightly, and then I was able to ...... stand up.

'Hmm!　Well, let's go then.

　I can rely on Lady Cherie to follow me next to her and make me cry.
　If I could, I would be as strong as she is. With that in mind, I stepped out into the banquet hall where everyone was present.



　　　* * * *



I'm sorry, sir.

　After completing the Gultum lap, it is night. A grand banquet was being held by the First Court Wizardry Division.
　I was sitting on the top seat that stood out the most in the banquet hall of the inn, drinking and eating with great fanfare.

''I'm sorry.''

　However, if there is one thing different from a normal banquet, it is my appearance.

　The group members who come to serve me drinks are almost always carrying "go-fuda" (money tags), and they put them on me as if they were serving me drinks.

　Whenever I did so, I would shout, "I'm sorry! Then everyone in the banquet hall laughed. What was this?

I'll be sorry.

　The tag that says "I punched a girl in the face" is now posted. It's on my forehead. Hmmm, noticeable.

　Oh, the tag on my shoulder "Come and get it, you f*cking femme fatale" has been removed. Who wrote this. Okay, this is a bit extreme, so they won't complain if I take it off.

No!

　Apparently not. d*mn, Sylvia's being closely monitored. This guy has a strong sense of justice. ...... He was so angry in the room right before the banquet, and now he's still angry.

　Oh shit, it's hard to eat!　I don't usually put it on my forehead. It's not a kiosk. ......

'Yo, you're doing the general?'
"Not even a noodle shop!　Don't turn around!

　I'm getting more and more annoyed. It's good that these guys have broken the ice with the court wizards, but they're becoming too familiar, or perhaps too flippant. It's even more depressing because of the alcohol in the air.

'Sendo, fun!　That would be fun!
It's no fun, so don't do that.

　When I learned that eco-friendly is no fun, I gave him a cheeky look and went on another trip to collect food. After another few minutes, he'd be back with a plate full of rice that everyone gave him. It's time to stop him, or he'll probably fall over again from eating too much, so I'll make eye contact with Sylvia. Sylvia seemed to have figured it out and nodded to me to leave it to her.



　A rustle--and. Suddenly, a corner of the banquet hall was throbbing.

　It's Cheri. She appears to be slightly downcast and shrinking. Behind her was Cherie.

　When I met eyes with Cherie, that guy gave me an embarrassed thumbs-up. I don't know what that means, but that's not the point now.

　I greeted Cherie sitting upright as she quietly walked over to me.

　I'm sure she's angry ...... and I look at her fearful expression as she gets to the front of me.


'............'

　She looked at me and was pouting.

　Why?　I was about to think, and immediately realized. It's a bill.

　I tipped off my forehead tag and the "Second S is Sad's S" and "Agony Girl's Exclusive Shit Instructor" tags and smiled as I mended them.

'Cheri, honestly, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you.

　She bowed her head and apologized.
　Cheri stood there in silence, rolling her eyes.


'Sendo, I'll give you this.

　And there you go. Eco comes back from rambling and puts a "Natural Born Shit" tag on my cheek, which is who gave it to me.

'I'm sorry!'

　I couldn't help but shout out in a conditional reflex.

　After a few tenths of a second, the banquet hall erupted into a whirlwind of laughter.


"...... ......!

　Cheri, too, was holding her mouth with both hands and trembling a little.

　Thank goodness she doesn't seem to be angry ...... I thought, the next thing I know.







　It was serious crying.

'Yeah!'

　Quite unexpected!
　Which ...... what to do!

　I get up impatiently and look around. Sherry is smug and thumbs up again for some reason. Ailie and the rest of the adulterated group are smiling like "I can't help it". Sylvia is looking at us with white eyes and Eco is engrossed in her food.

''I'm sorry. I'm sorry. What's the matter ...... oh!

　As I panicked, Cheri slowly fell into my chest. I catch her with a pop, and she cries out, clinging to me. I'm confused. The outside world heckles at me, Sylvia gives me a murderous look, Cherie glares at me for some reason, and Eco just eats her food.

　Thus, the noisy night went on in a topsy-turvy manner--