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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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I waited nervously for Sylvia to speak.
A reward directly from Sylvia?
Honestly, I had almost forgotten about it.
“What kind of reward are we talking about?”
“You may address me by my name.”
What? That’s the reward?
I struggled to maintain a neutral expression.
If I showed even a hint of disappointment, Sylvia would notice.
“I said you may call me by my name.”
“Your name?”
At this point, I couldn’t help but sound stupid.
What was she even talking about?
Confusion filled my mind.
“No student has ever addressed me by my name alone. I believe it’s a special reward.”
No.
The special reward was permission to call her by her name?
I felt utterly cheated.
I bit my lower lip. Sylvia, however, seemed to have made up her mind.
“Say it after me: Sylvie.”
“How could I dare…?”
My protests were futile.
Even this sadist had a stubborn streak.
With a heavy heart, I accepted the reward.
“Say it after me: Sylvie.”
“Sylvie… ah… Master.”
“No! Just my name.”
What’s with the “No!”?
But Sylvia was even more serious now than she was during our training sessions.
Her eyes were gleaming with the intensity of a knight preparing for battle.
“Go on, Sylvie.”
“Sylvie…”
“Hmm, try saying it more casually.”
“Sylvie?”
I used the most casual tone I could muster, my mind wanting to escape to another dimension.
But my sadist of a master let out a satisfied chuckle.
“Good. Now tell me what you wanted to say.”
This time, I refused to play along with her strange penchant for teasing.
Oh, what the hell.
“Sylvie, every moment I’ve spent with you has been dazzling. Whether the day is good or not….”
Cut!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
To my surprise, Sylvia smiled warmly.
If there were a favorability system, I probably earned +5 points.
After reciting a cheesy drama line to my master, I struggled to my feet, grabbed my crutches, and headed out.
I wasn’t keen on entering a classroom mid-lesson.
It would definitely draw attention.
I decided to return to the dormitory.
I used the transfer stone in the lobby and teleported to my room, collapsing onto my bed.
I listlessly browsed through my skill window.
I had finally acquired “Linchester Swordsmanship – Modified”!
It would undoubtedly prove to be a valuable skill, especially in the early stages of the story.
And my “Swordsmanship (Lv4)” skill was gone.
It meant that “Linchester Swordsmanship” was a higher-level skill.
Linchester Swordsmanship.
It was practically a demon-slaying weapon in itself.
And the modified version, refined by Sylvia herself, was said to be one of the most powerful swordsmanship styles in existence.
At least according to the novel.
A smile spread across my face.
I couldn’t wait to test out my new skill.
But my body felt heavy, so I decided to rest.
Nothing beats resting when you’re injured.
I swallowed the medicine I had received from the infirmary.
I would be fine after a nap.
In the novel, everyone recovered after taking medicine and sleeping it off.
Ah, finally…
I drifted off to sleep, feeling a sense of peace I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Skipping class once in a while wasn’t so bad.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Sepia glanced at the empty seat beside Arthur.
Ethan should have been there.
What was going on?
She couldn’t focus on the lesson.
Ethan, known for his diligence, had skipped class?
Something was definitely wrong.
‘Who do you think you are….’
Why was she even concerned about a mere servant?
She couldn’t understand it.
She glanced at Tia. They weren’t skipping class for a date.
Sepia sent a message to Vivian.
―Find out what’s going on with Ethan.
Then she tried to focus on the lesson.
Vivian’s reply arrived shortly after.
―He’s been granted a leave of absence due to injuries.
Injuries?
Sepia frowned.
Back in her dormitory, Sepia searched through her books.
It was a book on potion brewing.
Her eyes stopped on the page about “Potion of Obedience,” just after the section on “Love Potion.”
A memory surfaced.
She had once used Ethan as a test subject for various potions.
She had even drawn his blood for experiments.
She had used her telekinesis to force him to his knees.
Of course, that was when she was younger.
She hadn’t done anything like that in recent years.
‘I suppose I could make a potion for my injured servant…’
Sepia began brewing a potion.
She opened a spatial pocket and retrieved the necessary ingredients.
‘It’s my duty as his master.’
Ethan might have been getting out of hand lately, but he was still her servant.
Soon, a fatigue-relieving potion was ready.
A special blend, crafted by Sepia herself.
She sent a message to Ethan.
―Grab an umbrella and come outside. We’re going shopping.
An idea for keeping Ethan by her side had come to mind.
A while later.
Ethan’s communication crystal buzzed.
He felt refreshed after three hours of sleep.
Ethan opened his eyes and looked around.
His injuries were gone, his fatigue completely vanished.
The people in this world seemed to have rapid recovery as a passive skill.
The stronger your mana, the faster you healed.
‘This is a fantasy world, after all.’
He felt relaxed and energized.
But his eyebrows furrowed as he read the message.
―Grab an umbrella and come outside. We’re going shopping.
―Are you going to sleep all day? Come out.
The messages were sent two hours apart.
Ethan sighed.
He felt a surge of annoyance whenever he had to deal with Sepia.
He had lived in 21st-century South Korea for twenty-five years.
He couldn’t relate to Ethan’s life for the past seventeen years.
He had been subtly trying to distance himself from her.
He was tempted to watch that haughty noblewoman descend into a spiral of regret, suffering, and despair, but there was no guarantee it would happen.
But Sepia had no intention of letting him go.
That yandere…
In the original story, Sepia had stalked Arthur on several occasions.
When Vivian developed a crush on Arthur, Sepia had secretly read Vivian’s messages and even given her nonsensical orders on weekends to keep her away from him.
It was one of the reasons Ethan dreaded his life in this world.
He sighed.
Ethan hesitated for a moment, then replied.
―Sorry, I just woke up.
―Good timing. Come down to the lobby.
A reply arrived within thirty seconds.
Ethan grabbed an umbrella and headed out.
Sepia was standing in the lobby, arms crossed.
As Ethan approached, she held out a potion.
“Drink this.”
“What is it?”
“Just drink it. It’s not poison.”
She wanted to sound more approachable, but she couldn’t bring herself to be nice to him.
Every time she closed her eyes, the scene from the siren’s song replayed in her mind.
‘My, my, the esteemed lady is spying on our family? Such a peculiar hobby.’
‘I’m not spying…’
‘Go away. I have no intention of taking you as a concubine.’
Ethan’s smug, arrogant expression.
And her own pathetic, trembling form.
It was like a video on repeat, tormenting her.
Sepia knew it was just a hallucination.
‘No intention of taking me as a concubine?’
But she couldn’t help but feel angry.
“Drink it. It’s a fatigue-relieving potion.”
“Thank you. I’ll drink it.”
Ethan downed the potion and followed Sepia out of the dormitory.
They stepped out into the open plaza.
Students, their classes over, were chatting and laughing.
Sepia walked ahead, and Ethan hurriedly opened the umbrella.
“Where are we going today?”
“You don’t need to know.”
She just wanted to spend money to relieve her stress.
Sepia swallowed the words.
Honestly, she had no destination in mind.
“…How are you feeling?”
“I’m completely healed.”
“How did you get injured?”
Ethan hesitated.
If he admitted it was from his training with Sylvia, he would have to answer a barrage of questions.
“I fell down the stairs.”
“…That’s clumsy.”
“……”
“Hey, Ethan.”
Sepia hesitated, then nodded resolutely.
“Don’t get injured again. It’s an order. I won’t tolerate my servant getting hurt carelessly.”
“……”
“Answer me.”
“Yes, I’ll be more careful.”
Sepia strode forward.
They exited the academy grounds.
A raven perched on a tree branch observed them.
It took flight, subtly following them.
“Hey, Sepia.”
“We’re going to the magic tool and alchemy shops first.”
Ethan was dumbfounded.
These were tasks usually assigned to Vivian.
Of course, Ethan hadn’t existed in the original story.
“If there’s anything you need from the shops… buy it. I’ll pay for it.”
“I’m fine….”
“Are you refusing your master’s offer? Why are you talking back so much these days?”
“…Thank you.”
Sepia continued walking.
People on the street turned to stare as she passed.
It was a familiar sight.
“Hold the umbrella properly.”
“Yes, of course.”
Sepia purchased various items from the magic tool shop.
My training with Sylvia was over for now.
It was effectively the end of my personal lessons.
Sylvia couldn’t provide private tutoring indefinitely.
Sepia loaded up her basket: beakers, potions, textbooks, beginner magic guides.
Ethan carried the shopping bags.
“Which one do you like better? This one or this one?”
Sepia asked, as if they were a couple on a date.
She was holding up two mana measurement devices.
Essential tools for mages.
The only difference between them was the color.
“I think the green one is better.”
“Really? I’ll get the red one then.”
“……”
Why even ask?
Finally, the shopping spree was over.
Ethan, following Sepia’s instructions, placed the baskets on the counter.
“Wow, you’re buying all of this?”
“Yes. Calculate the total, please. Separate the items into two bags.”
“Yes, of course. The total comes to 4,427,000 Elleh. We’ll give you a special academy student discount, bringing it down to 4,000,000 Elleh.”
The reason there were no mages among commoners?
Magic tools were expensive. How could ordinary people afford to learn magic?
Sepia pulled out a check.
“It’s a Logness family check. That’s fine, right?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Have a good day, Lady Sepia.”
By the time they stepped outside, the sun was setting.
Sepia stood beside Ethan.
She asked softly, her gaze fixed on the sunset.
“How’s academy life?”
“It’s fine.”
“Really?”
Sepia’s eyes suddenly narrowed.
She walked past Ethan, her steps brisk.
She looked up at a tree.
“We have a stalker.”
The raven perched on the branch took flight.
Sepia waved her hand dismissively.
The raven began to plummet.
As if it had been struck by a rock.
It quickly adjusted its course, landing gently in Sepia’s outstretched hand.
“A surveillance raven. Who sent you?”
“…Caw?”
“Tell me, or I’ll break your legs.”
The raven’s eyes widened in fear.
Sepia had been in a good mood, but now her annoyance flared.
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Sepia and Tia both spy on one another
Annoying girl, Tia and Anya are way better
Yikes…