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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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El Pandor Runterra
This damn game is basically a tower defense game in disguise.
The objective: develop the player and heroines to their fullest potential to protect the Empire from the inevitable demonic invasion.
“Teach me. How can I become stronger?”
Charlotte’s request was practically a scripted event.
In these types of games, heroines often experienced significant growth after hitting a plateau, usually triggered by interacting with the player.
“Let’s go to the lab.”
Ed, stepping into the player role, led Charlotte to his lab and offered her a refreshing drink.
Once she’d calmed down a bit, she returned to her usual nervous self, glancing at him anxiously.
“S-Sorry to bother you with this…”
Her apology, and the evident struggle in her expression, told Ed that this was something she’d been wrestling with for a while.
She’d clearly tried to handle it on her own.
‘If she’s coming to me…’
It must be something serious.
Ed asked her to explain what had happened.
Charlotte recounted the events, and Ed quickly grasped the situation.
Cardmos Kratz, that punk, had been threatening her.
“That must have been rough.”
“……”
“But it’s alright. It’s nothing to worry about.”
From Ed’s perspective, it was a minor inconvenience.
Cardmos might seem intimidating to Charlotte, but to Ed, he was a sandcastle waiting to be kicked over.
“First, I’ll take care of that loan Cardmos gave your family.”
The 30 million Orden loan was a joke.
Ed earned billions each month from his air conditioner subscriptions and mosquito nets.
30 million?
That was pocket change.
“B-But… I can’t let you do that…”
Charlotte’s hesitation was clear.
“Pay me back later.”
“…Huh?”
“Just pay me back later. With interest.”
He framed it as a business transaction, easing her discomfort.
Charlotte nodded, with a flicker of relief in her eyes.
“…Okay.”
She fidgeted with her clothes, her head bowed, clearly feeling the weight of the favor.
But Ed knew Charlotte would find a way to repay him.
She had a good head for business, having come up with the Nightbloom idea on her own.
“So, the money’s handled. Now, about getting even with that creep…?”
“…R-Right… but… I’m only C-rank…”
“Don’t sweat it. He’ll be easy to take down.”
“He’s not going to be easy… Wait, what?”
Charlotte looked at him, stunned.
“D-Did you just…?”
“I said he’s easy to beat. You can handle Cardmos with no problem.”
“……?”
She stared at him, utterly bewildered, as if he’d just claimed the sky was green. Ed elaborated.
“Charlotte, you’re not really C-rank material. You should be at least A-rank.”
“……?”
Charlotte’s biggest weakness wasn’t her physical attributes, her mana control, or even her family’s specialized formula.
It was her mental state, the generations of ingrained pacifism that had shackled House Verdian.
“Charlotte, you’re holding yourself back. Your entire family has a tendency to suppress any aggressive instincts. You can’t fight effectively like that.”
House Verdian had always prioritized peace and cooperation, a philosophy that clashed with the Empire’s cutthroat culture.
This had led to their decline, leaving them struggling to even afford academy tuition.
‘It’s the influence of their elven ancestor.’
Their founder had been an elf who fell in love with humans and chose to live among them.
Over centuries of intermarriage, the Verdians had become human in appearance, but the elven aversion to conflict remained deeply rooted in their psyche.
“Charlotte, your Nature Creation formula is incredibly versatile. Especially when applied to… lethal applications.”
Ed’s goal was to help her break free from those mental constraints, to awaken her dormant aggression.
“M-My formula… l-l-lethal…?”
The word “lethal” made her pale.
This girl needed a serious attitude adjustment.
With such a gentle heart, it was no surprise she was using a top-tier specialized formula to make hot pot ingredients.
“Yeah. There are a lot of incredibly dangerous plants in this world, you know.”
“D-Dangerous? Plants…?”
“Yup. Curious? Want a field trip? Let’s take a little stroll through the Forest of Death.”
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Four days flew by, and finally, the day of the selection matches arrived.
The massive circular arena was packed with students and spectators.
– Arsen, you got this!
– Fintel, don’t you dare lose!
The energy in the arena was palpable.
The chance to join the expedition to the Sea Wall, one of the world’s three great magical anomaly zones, had attracted considerable attention from nobles and the press.
– Waaaaaaaaaah!
The matches were fierce and exciting, full of dramatic moments and close calls.
The crowd roared its approval, and reporters frantically snapped photos.
– When is the Fix versus Elmar match?
– It’s the last one.
– Man, this is going to be a long wait.
But despite the thrilling displays of skill and power, the audience was holding its breath, waiting for the main event: Edgar Fix versus Lucas Elmar.
Who would win, the second-ranked formula user or the blacksmith rumored to be a divine incarnation?
It was anyone’s guess.
While Ed’s constantly upgrading equipment was a factor, Lucas, touted as the future of House Elmar, was a formidable opponent.
“The next match is Cardmos Kratz of House Kratz versus Charlotte Verdian of House Verdian.”
The announcement was met with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Cardmos was A-rank, 6th place, a powerhouse.
Charlotte, on the other hand, was barely scraping by at the bottom of C-rank.
And everyone knew she only got that far because Ed had carried her team during the first evaluation.
– This match is going to be a joke.
– Well, at least it’ll be over quickly. Three-second knockout, anyone?
– She’s gotten a lot prettier, though. Even if she’s weak, she could snag a good marriage. Just graduating from the academy is a decent accomplishment.
The audience had little interest in the fight itself, more concerned with how quickly it would end or discussing Charlotte’s recent glow-up.
Almost everyone assumed Cardmos would crush her.
‘We’ll see about that.’
But one person was betting on Charlotte: Edgar Fix.
He’d spent the last four days putting her through rigorous training, and he was confident she could pull off an upset.
‘It’s a bit of a cheat, though.’
His methods were a bit… unorthodox.
A bottom-tier C-rank beating a top-tier A-rank was practically impossible under normal circumstances.
To achieve the impossible, he had to change Charlotte, not just her skills, but her entire being.
“So, what’s your answer?”
While Ed was pondering this, Charlotte and Cardmos stood facing each other in the center of the arena.
Cardmos, smirking, taunted her.
Charlotte kept her head down, silent, her face shrouded in shadow.
“Hehehe…”
Cardmos took her silence as fear.
She was trying to maintain a shred of dignity, but she was clearly terrified.
“C-C-C-Cat got your t-t-tongue? Hehehe…”
He mocked her mercilessly, mimicking her stutter with a cruel, exaggerated expression.
Charlotte lifted her head.
Her gaze was steady, devoid of her usual timidity.
“No matter how much I think about it… I can’t forgive you.”
“…?”
Cardmos blinked, clearly stunned.
Forgive him?
He scoffed.
“What the hell are you talking about? Have you finally snapped?”
“You should have left it at me… but you tried to take everything from my family, too.”
Charlotte’s voice was clear and strong.
Cardmos stared at her, dumbfounded.
“Prepare to begin!”
The referee’s voice cut through the tension, signaling the start of the countdown.
“Worthless little bitch.”
Cardmos cracked his knuckles, getting ready to charge.
He’d show her what a real fight was like.
Charlotte pulled a strange object from her pocket: the mask Ed had given her.
It was sleek, black metal.
She put it on and pressed a button.
Pssssshhh…
Black smoke hissed from the mask, filling her lungs.
It seeped into her system, activating her mana receptors, stimulating her nervous system, and rewiring her emotional responses.
It suppressed her empathy and compassion.
And then, it amplified other, darker emotions: arrogance, cruelty, a thirst for violence.
Hormones, carefully selected by Ed for the purpose of demon slaying, surged through her.
Her demeanor shifted, her usually soft eyes hardening, turning black.
The skin around her eyes darkened, like smoky eyeshadow.
“Begin!”
As Cardmos stared at her in stunned silence, the referee announced the start of the match.
Cardmos, snapping out of his daze, lunged forward.
At the same instant, Charlotte activated her formula.
Bang!
A massive boulder slammed into the ground, blocking his path.
Cardmos roared with laughter.
“Hahaha! That’s the best you can do?!”
He pulverized the boulder, confident he could smash a hundred, a thousand more.
But Charlotte’s formula wasn’t just about summoning rocks.
As the dust settled, the arena had transformed.
Cardmos found himself in an alien landscape.
“…W-What the…?”
Charlotte’s new formula, a fusion of illusion and nature manipulation, had transformed the arena into a replica of the Forest of Death, a domain of decay and danger under her complete control.
[Hehehehehe…]
An ominous red glow permeated the forest, and a sinister laugh echoed through the gnarled trees, the embodiment of Charlotte’s newfound malice.
Cardmos, trapped in this nightmarish landscape, gasped for breath and his eyes darted nervously.
The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the twisted trees and plants exhaled toxic fumes.
Whoosh!
A dark shape blurred past him, followed by a chilling laugh he instantly recognized as Charlotte’s.
“Gasp… Gasp… Gasp…”
Cardmos’s breath came in ragged gasps.
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[T/N: This chapter includes an illustration. Check Discord for it.]
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Baron Verdian, let’s just say that you did your daughter a bit of disservice. Of course, peace is a good thing but one must know how to fight back.
Of course, we’re going to enjoy seeing Charlotte’s dark personage as she beats the ever loving shit out of Cardmos and strip him of his dignity and honor.