༺ The Lord Is With Us (55) ༻
“…….Master!”
At the word Elsie shouted as she snuggled into the man’s arms, the temperature on the street suddenly turned cold.
The passersby were already paying attention to Ian. Perhaps because of the already spread rumors, everyone’s whispers were already making his ears itch.
Hearing how he killed dozens of demonic beasts was already shocking enough, but hearing that same person, an Academy student of only a couple of years, killing a demonic human was even more shocking.
It would not have been strange for Ian to become a hot topic. It was inevitable that he would become the object of everyone’s attention.
And Elsie decided to drop that bombshell of an exclamation at that very moment.
The whispering ceased once. The dozens of wide eyes conveyed the collective shock of everyone present at the moment.
Who was Elsie Rinella?
She was known to be extremely picky and have an ill-mannered personality. There were dozens of students who she bullied with her gang and she often spewed out aggressive words to anyone that got on her nerves, even if it was only the slightest bit.
Her gangster behavior betrayed her doll-like appearance.. That was the reason behind the nickname of ‘Loli Gangster’.
There were countless people within the Academy who held a grudge against her. It was to the point that the mere mention of her name made a few of them grind their teeth.
So, on the day Ian beat Elsie, the main reaction amongst the Academy students was that she got what she deserved.
She had karma that she accumulated up until now. There were many people who, if given the chance, would tear her apart
Even her reasoning was pathetic. A group of seniors ganged up against a junior to intimidate him, but they ended up humiliating themselves when the junior beat them by a long shot.
The rumor that Elsie cried and begged for her life spread quickly. The rumor worsened as it spread and it got to the point where Elsie had soon become a coward who was so frightened by her junior that she peed herself.
It was a malicious but truthful rumor.
In other words, Elsie had no choice but to overreact.
Everybody reacts aggressively when their hidden inner self is revealed. Elsie was known for her cruelty for a long time. Her punishment for her victims became more violent day by day.
Ian was the one who put the brakes on her rampage.
After Ian called Elsie out for the Hunting Festival, she calmed down like a leashed dog.
If Ian caught her fighting, she would be threatened with his hatchet, revealing to the world her pathetic side. Elsie had no choice but to hold herself back, even if it was just for the sake of her pride.
After winning the Hunting Festival, Elsie became even more arrogant but rarely used violence. It was because she was still walking on eggshells around Ian.
Up until then, the Academy students had merely snickered and made fun of her.
The fact that Elsie Rinella was begging on her knees after a single loss was the cause of the dramatic downfall to her long-held notorious title.
But the reaction Elsie was showing everyone today was beyond their imagination.
At most, two weeks must have passed, but Elsie calmed down substantially in that period.
Occasionally, she would put a dreamy expression on her face as if a certain person crossed her mind.. But she would soon just let out a heavy sigh.
Some people noticed how she was feeling and started whispering amongst themselves. Perhaps spring had finally come for Elsie Rinella.
It was an amazing discovery.
The fact that the cruel and arrogant ‘Loli Gangster’ could fall in love with someone was a popular topic of discussion amongst the students in the Magic Department for a while.
Elsie had been showing dramatic changes recently. Even so, no one at the Academy could have predicted the sight that would greet them.
Elsie was in Ian’s arms, nuzzling her face against him. If she had a tail, it would be wagging back and forth.
Her face was filled with happiness and her voice was mixed in with an abnormal amount of cuteness.
The people walking down the road were struck by a feeling of cognitive dissonance.
Trembling pupils and gaping mouths.
Each person had a different reaction, but their faces shared one common expression.
Shock.
On top of that, the man holding Elsie was sighing as if he was already used to it.
“Senior Elsie, everyone is watching…….”
Elsie, who seemed to snap back into reality at his words, looked startled and took a step back.
She then looked around with her signature frown and made a threat to the people around her.
“What are you looking at, you bitches! You guys having fun? Do you want Elsie Rinella to squeeze some tears out your eyes? Huh?”
People only came to their senses after Elsie’s threats.
Although they still looked a little dazed, Elsie’s reaction as her usual self made the scene they just saw in front of them feel like an illusion.
They began to walk with a look of relief on their faces only after hearing Elsie’s aggressive language.
It was impossible for the Elsie Rinella to act all cute and call her junior “master”. Everyone’s past experiences dictated their decision.
But the moment everyone turned away, Elsie immediately looked up at Ian with affection dripping from her eyes.
She looked like a puppy waiting for praise.
“O-okay, that’s good enough right?”
Instead of answering, Ian smacked his forehead with his palm. He then grabbed Elsie’s wrist and walked towards the quiet alley.
Elsie just tilted her head in confusion as she was being dragged away.
Once they reached the empty alley, Ian asked Elsie in bafflement.
“…….Senior Elsie. I can understand you calling me ‘Sir Ian’ to a certain extent but… ‘Master’?”
“H-huh? Oh, t-that?”
Elsie’s face turned bright red as if she was embarrassed; perhaps she said it inadvertently. She started flapping her hands to fan her face but it wasn’t enough to cool down her blush.
Stuttering, she spat out an excuse.
“O-Oh, I think it might have been that it remained in my subconscious because of my weird rivalry with that bitch Delphine? Ahahaha… D-don’t worry about it!”
“No, but if you call me that in front of everyone else…….”
When Ian expressed his discomfort, Elsie lowered her head in resignation.. She looked a little miserable as she hesitatingly glanced at Ian back and forth.
In the end, Ian had no choice but to sigh as if there was nothing else he could do.
His eyes slowly turned to his waist.
He knew that he would be able to correct her actions through force if he used his hatchet, but he had developed a bond with Senior Elsie by that point. He grew close enough with her, at least, to be reluctant to threaten her.
Maybe he would if using force was absolutely necessary, but that wasn’t the case.
The man was lost in thought for a moment, then placed his hand on top of the girl who was trembling in fear from the moment his gaze landed on his hatchet.
It was then followed by a gentle stroking motion.
Elsie’s trembling body slowly started to relax. In the next moment, she was smiling with a dazed look on her face.
She looked like a puppy who was just awarded.
Ian lowered his body and whispered to Elsie.
“Senior Elsie. You’re going to listen to me, right?”
“Y-yes… Ehehe…….”
“Then don’t call me master from here on out. It puts both of us in an awkward spot and it’s especially bad for you.”
Elsie just nodded vehemently at every single word that came out of Ian’s mouth. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the feeling of having her head stroked gently.
His gaze darkened. He tried to remember how he got himself to this point, but he realized that he didn’t necessarily do anything wrong.
At best, all he did was hit her a little bit with his hatchet when she threatened him with numbers. Wasn’t that it?
One never knew what the future held, wasn’t that right?
Ian spoke with a wry smile.
“You were born with such a pretty face, so there’s no need for you to ruin your reputation. I’m sure your family wouldn’t like it if they found out that you were following a man around like this either.”
He said it more like a greeting. At least for Ian, the phrase he said was more of a courtesy compliment that he threw out without a second thought.
But when Elsie heard him, her eyes widened in surprise.
It was the first time in a while that she didn’t have a dazed expression while her head was being stroked.
“…….H-huh? Y-You think I’m pretty?”
Ian looked at her with puzzled eyes when he heard her stutter in surprise.
“Yeah, you’re objectively pretty… Why?”
Elsie immediately blushed and hesitated with her head lowered once again.
Her wiggling fingers spoke on behalf of her pitter-pattering heart. She stood like that for a while before hesitantly stepping backwards.
“Oh, I-I see… I’m pretty, huh….. Well, uh… I have to go!”
As Ian watched Elsie walk away with an awkward gait, he tilted his head sideways.
While thinking, I still can’t seem to figure her out.
**
In the end, because I kept running into people I knew, I only ended up arriving at Senior Delphine’s room at night.
There was only one reason why I went to see her.
It was because she was the only person who didn’t visit me. There were many things I had to discuss with her, including her sword which I threw at the flesh nest that day, so I came to her room to meet her.
Aedalus Pavilion.
Her dormitory was named after the great conquering emperor.
In order to live in this magnificent building, one needed to have all of the above: wealth, power, and skill.
It was difficult to have just one of these things, but there were a few people in this world who possessed all of them.
And Senior Delphine was one of those people.
As the successor to the prestigious Yurdina family, she held both wealth and power. She stood out at the Academy, a school that gathered only the best of the best in terms of skill.
Her qualifications to move into the Aedalus Pavilion were more than sufficient.
This was my second visit. Since I came here in the past to meet Senior Delphine.
And just like my first visit here, there was a worker standing at the entrance to the Aedalus Pavilion.
When I told him that I came to visit Senior Delphine, the employee looked a little awkward.
“Well, the thing is… Miss Yurdina is refusing all visitors at the moment.”
It seemed like there was something else going on.
After holding my chin and thinking for a moment, I smiled leisurely as if I already expected that answer from him.
“It’s alright. Please just guide me to the door for now.”
The employee looked hesitant, but he had no choice but to helplessly take the lead after my insistence.
My reputation within the Academy had been skyrocketing as of recently.
I had not only won the Hunting Festival, but also succeeded in defeating a demonic human and hunting down a mythical monster after a fierce struggle.
And at the Academy, skill was everything.
In other words, even the employee at the Aedalus Pavilion could not just simply disregard my words.
Up until about two months ago, I could never have imagined this kind of treatment. In many ways, it still felt unreal.
As I walked with that thought going through my mind, I arrived in front of Senior Delphine’s room before I realized.
The employee still looked somewhat anxious.
I nodded at him to indicate that there was no need for him to be anxious. My hand rapped the door in a series of knocks and my lips let out a low voice.
“Senior Delphine, it’s me. I’m coming in?”
However, there was no answer from the other side of the door for a long time.
The only thing I heard after a long wait was a faint rejection.
“…….I want to be alone.”
It was a quiet reply, but clear enough to be understood through the door.
The employee’s eyes turned coldly towards me.
His eyes seemed to say I knew it. There was also a hint of emotion that seemed to say I guided him here for no reason.
But again, I smiled slightly to express to him not to worry.
And in that next moment.
The sound of my hatchet being pulled out like a thunderbolt and smashing the door open echoed in the hallway.
The door, which lost all strength to hold onto the handle, began to creak open. It was a high-speed, coordinated series of actions that left almost no time to stop it.
The employee’s eyes widened. His mouth gaped open.
He looked like he had something he wanted to say.
But before he could say anything, I interrupted him with a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, I’m close with Senior Delphine… And she would pay for the repairs, so you won’t have to worry about it. I think.”
With that, I gave him a wink to replace my goodbye.
And yeah, the employee who was looking at me about to enter Senior Delphine’s room.
He had eyes that seemed to scream he’s crazy.
Sadly, it was something I had become accustomed to at this point in life.
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