—The expedition team, centered around the Enforcement Division, has successfully cleared the 100th floor.

When I heard the rumors, I was honestly relieved.

I planned to visit my childhood friend Airi later to say “congratulations”.

However…

—-One of the main combatants and aces of the Enforcement Division, Princess Airi, reportedly sustained serious injuries from a Divine Beast.

The moment I heard this, I took off running.

◇◇

Bang!

I swung open the infirmary door with force.

The room was crowded with people.

They were probably members of the expedition team that had challenged the 100th Floor’s Deus Discipline.

The infirmary was spacious since the Lykeion Magic Academy often had injured explorers brought in.

There were more than 50 beds available.

The beds in use were partitioned with curtains, making it impossible to see who was inside.

(Mana Detection…) (Eugene)

I searched for Airi’s mana.

With her unique possession of all seven types of mana, I quickly located her.

She was on the largest bed at the very back of the infirmary. One reserved for severe cases.

There she lay, bandaged around her arms, neck, head, and right eye. A painful sight.

“Airi!!” (Eugene)

As I rushed over, the infirmary doctor standing nearby turned toward me.

It was someone I recognized. Chloe-sensei, the female physician.

“Oh, Eugene-kun. You’ve come at the right time. I was about to use the elixir on Princess Airi, but she refuses and insists on prioritizing the other members instead. Honestly, I’d prefer to have the princess fully recovered first.” (Chloe)

“No special treatment! There are others with worse injuries than me, aren’t there?” (Airi)

“The other severe cases are in the intensive care unit. We can’t just use elixirs on everyone indiscriminately. While some treatment costs are covered by the academy, the elixir —the ultimate healing potion— requires partial payment from the injured themselves, so confirmation is necessary. That said, academy regulations dictate that Legendary Hero Department students are given top priority. So I really wish she’d just take the elixir…” (Chloe)

“I don’t need it!” (Airi)

Airi was refusing treatment.

The medical staff looked troubled.

It is fine as long as they don’t use the elixir then.

“I’ll heal Airi myself.” (Eugene)

“W-Wait! An amateur shouldn’t act recklessly…” 

A different doctor, one I hadn’t met before, stepped in to stop me.

“It’s fine. Eugene-kun is more than capable. I’ll leave it to you.” (Chloe) 

Chloe-sensei granted me permission. 

“Understood.” (Eugene)

I gave a small nod and began chanting, skipping part of the incantation.

“W-Wait, Eugy! I’m fine, really—” (Airi)

—Healing Magic: [Resurrection].

I activated the spell without waiting for her to finish.

A holy light enveloped Airi’s body.

Her injuries healed instantly. I used Mana Detection to confirm if there were no abnormalities in her condition.

“S-Saint Rank magic, Resurrection…? That’s a spell said to have only a few practitioners in the Holy Nation of Caldia, and a student is using it…?”

The unknown doctor looked wide-eyed in disbelief.

“See? I told you there’d be no problem. Honestly, I want Eugene-kun to become the academy’s physician after graduation.” (Chloe)

“No, no, this is absurd! Hey, you! Did you just simplify the incantation for that spell?” 

“Yes, it allows for quicker activation.” (Eugene)

“That’s Saint Rank magic! It’s impossible! No one can activate such a spell with such a short chant—”

“Principal Uther can use all Saint Rank spells without incantations.” (Eugene)

“Principal Uther can also perform double or triple castings of Saint Rank magic.” (Chloe)

Chloe-sensei and I retorted at the same time.

“…Huh?”

The doctor froze, mouth agape.

I see, this doctor must be new. If they knew Principal Uther, they’d understand my magic is nothing exceptional.

Chloe-sensei turned to me while the stunned doctor remained frozen.

“Well then, I’ve checked with diagnostic magic, and Princess Airi’s injuries are fully healed. You can leave when you’re ready. Eugene-kun, could you accompany her, just in case?” (Chloe)

“Understood. Airi, what do you want to do? Head back now or rest here for a bit?” (Eugene)

“…”

Airi didn’t respond.

Her lips were set in a pout, and she remained silent.

She seemed displeased.

Airi was healed now, so Chloe-sensei and the other doctor left to check on the other students.

Airi, still wordless, began unwrapping the bandages around her arms and head.

(I’ll wait until her mood improves…) (Eugene)

Just as I was about to sit on the edge of her bed…

“I’m leaving.” (Airi)

Airi suddenly jumped off the bed and strode quickly toward the infirmary exit.

What a capricious princess.

I hurried after her to avoid losing sight of her.

“Thank you, Chloe-sensei.” (Eugene)

“No problem. You were a big help, Eugene. How about becoming a health committee member next year?” (Chloe)

“I’m too busy with the animal club.” (Eugene)

“That’s a shame.” (Chloe)

I left the infirmary after declining Chloe-sensei’s usual offer.

“…”

Airi walked ahead without a word.

I thought she might head to her dorm or the Student Council building, but she chose neither.

She arrived at the second training ground.

Near the edge of the training ground stood several well-worn wooden swords and spears.

Airi picked one up and tossed another to me.

With a light snap, I caught the wooden sword mid-air.

“Airi?” (Eugene)

“Eugy, fight me.” (Airi)

She was already holding her wooden sword in a stance.

“You were seriously injured. You should take it easy…” (Eugene)

“I’m fine now. Come on! Just once!” (Airi)

The determination in her eyes made it clear she wouldn’t back down.

(Once she’s like this, there’s no reasoning with her…) (Eugene)

Having known her for so long, I knew resisting was futile. 

I decided to humor her without pushing too hard.

“Alright.” (Eugene)

As I started to slowly take my stance…

“Wind Form: [Swallow in Flight].” (Airi)

She caught me completely off guard.

It was the Twin Heavenly Resonance Style’s ranged wind-slash technique.

Wind blades were released from Airi’s wooden sword as she simultaneously charged toward me.

An attack from two directions at once.

Blocking one would leave me vulnerable to the other.

Using barrier magic recklessly would give her an opening for further attacks.

A tricky assault indeed, but thanks to angel magic’s [Foresight], I had already seen this sequence several seconds ago.

I deflected Airi’s supersonic thrust with my wooden sword and narrowly evaded the wind slash.

As a bonus, I tripped her with a slight hook of my right foot.

“Kya!” (Airi)

Airi let out a short cry and nearly fell face-first, but managed to deftly break her fall.

Still, it took her about two seconds to recover her stance… 

Not nearly fast enough.

“And that’s the end.” (Eugene)

I gently touched Airi’s cheek with the tip of my wooden sword.

And slowly, she looked up at me.

“…………”

A faint sound of teeth grinding reached my ears.

“Okay, Airi, let’s just head back to the dorm and rest—” (Eugene)

“One more time!” (Airi)

Airi quickly distanced herself from me and readied her stance.

Wasn’t it supposed to be just one round?

Oh man, this is one of those never-ending situations.

What should I do?

Should I let her win?

But in the past, every time I deliberately lost, she always saw right through it and got 100% angry at me…

“…………”

Even as I was lost in thought, Airi held her wooden sword in a stance lower than usual.

That stance looked familiar.

“Thunder Form: [Divine Wolf]!” (Airi)

One of the ultimate techniques of the Twin Heavenly Resonance Style.

It was a move my father often used and favored.

Airi’s full-force strike came straight at me.

This wasn’t something I could parry like before.

If I tried, my wooden sword and maybe even my arm would get shattered.

With no other choice, I released my wooden sword and freed both my hands.

I didn’t have time to activate any barrier magic, but out of habit from entering the 7th Sealed Prison, I always kept a faint barrier around my entire body.

(Well, I’ll manage somehow.) (Eugene)

As Airi’s sword approached me at lightning speed, I caught it between both hands with a sharp snap!

(Catching a blade with your bare hands? That’s quite the ballsy move, Eugene.)

I didn’t have the energy to respond to Eri’s commentary.

I twisted the wooden sword with both arms, and wrenched it away from Airi.

“Huh?”

Airi looked bewildered, realizing the sword had vanished from her hands.

Holding the sword I’d taken from her in my left hand, I quickly picked up the one I’d dropped with my right hand.

Now I held swords in both hands, while Airi was empty-handed.

“Match over. Is that alright?” (Eugene)

“…………”

I asked, but there was no reply.

Her teary eyes glared at me sharply.

“Airi…” (Eugene)

“!”

“Wait, hold—” (Eugene)

I grabbed her arm as she tried to run off.

“Let go of me, Eugy!” (Airi)

“If I let go, you’ll run away.” (Eugene)

“Just leave me alone!” (Airi)

“No, but…” (Airi)

I couldn’t just leave Airi, who’d been injured just moments ago, unattended, especially since the doctor asked me to watch over her.

While I was wondering what to do with my still-struggling childhood friend…

—What’s going on here?

—Is this a lover’s quarrel?

—Wait, aren’t those two from the Legendary Hero Department?

—That beauty’s the princess of the Grandflare Empire, isn’t she?

—And the guy… wasn’t he dating President Sara?

—No, no, his girlfriend is Sumire, that quiet and cute girl from another world.

—Don’t you know? He’s dating both of them. Explode, damn it!

—Seriously!? He should just die. And now he’s also going after the imperial princess?

—No self-restraint, huh?

—The guy’s insane.

People started gathering.

…Why was the gossip about me so awful?

(Really? Most of it’s true, isn’t it?) (Eri)

Shut up, Eri.

I wanted to leave before the crowd could grow any larger, but Airi was still resisting.

At that moment…

“Alright, Eugene-kun, I’ll take over from here. Airi-sama, let’s head back to the dorm.” 

Camilla, Airi’s bodyguard and intelligence agent, appeared out of nowhere.

I wasn’t sure how long she’d been watching, but she was a lifesaver.

“I’ll leave her to you.” (Eugene)

“Left to me.” (Camilla)

Camilla linked arms with Airi, and I released her hand.

Airi, now quiet, lets herself be taken back to the dorm by Camilla.

The onlookers dispersed.

(Ah, I forgot to congratulate her on clearing the 100th floor.) (Eugene)

Well, she’s a classmate in the Legendary Hero Department.

I can just say it tomorrow.

With that in mind, I returned to my own room.

◇◇

The next day, Airi didn’t come to the Legendary Hero Department class.

Apparently, she wasn’t feeling well.

Given that she had fought a Divine Beast and was seriously injured, it wasn’t entirely incorrect, but…

(I thought the resurrection magic healed her perfectly…) (Eugene)

I flipped through the pages of my magic history textbook while staring absentmindedly at Airi’s empty seat.

Normally, this would be a lecture by Principal Uther himself on dungeon history, but since he was busy, it was a self-study period.

Half of the classes Principal Uther taught ended up being self-study anyway, so this wasn’t unusual.

“I wonder if Airi-chan’s okay. She said she wasn’t feeling well…” (Sumire)

Sumire, seated behind me, spoke worriedly.

“I heard she got beaten up pretty badly after sparring with a certain someone in the training grounds post-Deus Discipline. Right, Eugene?” (Claude)

Claude, sitting in front of me, said something completely off the mark.

Hey, where did you even hear that?

“I heard rumors that Eugene and Airi were having a lover’s quarrel at the second training ground.” (Sara)

Sara, sitting next to Sumire, said, casting a glance at me.

“A lover’s quarrel?” (Sumire)

Sumire’s gaze sharpened.

“I was there at the scene.” (Liliy)

Even Lily Whitewind, seated a bit farther away, joined in.

You weren’t even seated close to us!

“Hey, what was it like, Lily?” (Sara)

“Well, Sara-sama, Princess Airi was seriously trying to spar, but Eugene was just playing around; tripping her and catching her strikes barehanded. In the end, she left crying while her maid consoled her.” (Lily)

“…………”

Sumire, Sara, and Claude stared at me, visibly unimpressed.

“Wait, hold on, Lily. That explanation’s misleading.” (Eugene)

“Is it?” (Lily)

Don’t give me that innocent look.

“I wasn’t playing around. She was injured, so I had to be careful—” (Eugene)

“But if you completely overpower her without even using your sword, wouldn’t that hurt Princess Airi’s pride as a swordsman?” (Lily)

“…………”

That might be true. But why did she suddenly challenge me in the first place?

Sara answered that question.

“Airi wanted to clear the 100th Floor’s Deus Discipline quickly so she could fight alongside you, Eugene. But she pushed herself too hard and got ahead of the rest of us against the Divine Beast. I wanted to support her too, but as a rearguard, I couldn’t step in…” (Sara)

Sara spoke apologetically.

“I see… So, Eugene, what did you say to Princess Airi after that?” (Claude)

Claude’s question left me speechless.

She had been in a terrible mood, and I couldn’t say anything at the time.

“Nothing in particular…” (Eugene)

“Eeeh?! You shouldn’t do that, Eugy-kun! You need to praise Airi-chan properly!” (Sumire)

Sumire leaned forward and shook my shoulders.

“Exactly. Making her feel even worse with swordsmanship after she was already down… Couldn’t you have been gentler?” (Sara)

“Oi, oi, Eugene. You’re not usually this cold, are you?” (Claude)

Even Sara and Claude sounded critical.

…Was this my fault?

Apparently, it was.

“Fine, I’ll go after class—” (Eugene)

“No, Eugy-kun! Go now!” (Sumire)

Sumire smacked me on the back.

“But Airi’s probably in the dorm, and I can’t just—” (Eugene)

“Leave it to me! I’ll coax Airi-sama out under the guise of a change of scenery. Eugene-kun, meet us at the garden bench in the courtyard in 30 minutes!” 

“Wait, why are you even here, Camilla?” (Eugene)

Camilla, who belonged to a different class, suddenly chimed in.

“Details, details. See you later!” (Camilla)

With a quick gesture, Camilla left the class.

Her ability to vanish without a trace… Maybe she really was an exceptional intelligence agent.

“Good luck, Eugy-kun.” (Sumire)

“We will explain everything to King Uther.” (Sara)

Is it really okay to skip class to cheer up my childhood friend? -is what I thought, but the students of the Legendary Hero Department have a lot of upper class connections, so it is allowed to leave class for political reasons.

It is probably okay if the reason is to fix my relationship with the soon to be Empress of the Grandflare Empire.

In the first place, Principal Utehr is the type of person to not worry about that at all.

“Alright, I’ll go.” (Eugene)

“Yeah, Eugene, go and gently hold her. While you’re at it, you could even f—ouch!” (Claude)

Sara and Sumire promptly kicked Claude for his idiotic remark.

What a fool.

“Eugy-kun, hugging is allowed. Anything beyond that is a no-go!” (Sumire)

“I’ll allow a kiss at most. Got it, Eugene?” (Sara)

“I’m not doing any of that.” (Eugene)

Ignoring the bizarre remarks from Sumire and Sara, I headed toward the garden courtyard, where Airi was supposed to be waiting.

…I still haven’t figured out what I should say to her.

■Comment Response:

>I bought Zero Attack Power’s 4th volume!

-You have my deepest gratitude!!

>So the next one to conquer is the Dungeon Master…

-Her affection points towards Eugene are decently high, you know…

■Author’s Comment:

This is Rita-san.

This applies to the mom of Eugene, Laila-san, but aren’t there a lot of loli-looking angels…?

This time it was a chapter of how Airi is a pain.

An aggravated childhood friend tends to become annoying.

What will happen now?!

Will Eugene f— Airi?!

Find out in the next episode.

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