“How can you say something like that?”
Hearing Sylvia’s discouraged words, the purple-haired jellyfish-head onee-san instantly got a little angry and spoke up again.
She reasoned, “Keti-chan’s hopes of winning the championship are all on us. Didn’t we already promise her we’d help her? And now you’re just giving up because of something this small? That’s…”
Layla just couldn’t understand this kind of behavior; she felt that Sylvia was throwing a tantrum right now.
“Besides, isn’t the whole reason we’re participating in the freshmen competition because Keti-chan is relying on us? It’s just this once. Does Keti really have to come to you every single time something happens? Is it impossible for someone else to help her for a change?”
“Haa…That’s just because that guy Lynn is a teacher and can’t enter the freshmen competition.”
The green-haired elf quietly lowered her head and muttered softly, “Besides, I’m just saying… Keti winning the championship this time doesn’t really benefit me at all, isn’t that obvious?”
“How… how could that be?! If Keti-chan wins, she’ll earn a lot of teaching credits, and then she’ll be one step closer to entering the Magic Tower. She’ll definitely be happier! And when that happens, all of us who helped her will have a much better standing in her eyes!”
Layla confidently puffed out her chest and analyzed the situation, but the elven girl just sighed right away and shook her head pessimistically.
“Even if her favorability goes up, that’s not necessarily a good thing. If Keti really saves up enough teaching credits, it’s not just about getting into the Magic Tower. She’ll also become an official teacher at this school.”
“Uh… Y-yeah, that’s true, but isn’t that a good thing? Keti really wants to become a proper teacher now. Not only is the treatment better and the job more stable, but she also wouldn’t have to put up with people like Ebert bullying her anymore.”
The purple-haired jellyfish-head onee-san scratched her head, and as she kept talking, she suddenly felt a bit uncertain again.
Yeah, that’s true… but isn’t there a complicated problem here? If Keti really becomes an official teacher, wouldn’t she end up working at this school for her whole life until she retires?
Uh… Although that would be great for her, since it’d mean truly settling down in the imperial capital, but… If that happens, it wouldn’t be like before, when I could be with her as an adventurer, always together, inseparable.
Haa.
When it comes down to it, from the very beginning, it was the feeling of adventuring with Keti that made me fall for her in the first place. If things change now, even if the love in my heart can never change! But…
It feels like I’d lose so many, many chances for our relationship to go further.
“Do you get it now? We’re only at this school for a year. If we don’t win Keti over in this year, and she ends up staying at the school forever, how could we possibly compare to Lynn?”
“Like I’ve said a hundred times, our image in Keti’s heart isn’t as her mom or girlfriend. Except for Alice, who’s her childhood friend, the two of us are just her former teammates from our adventurer party!”
The elf girl looked at the stunned Layla and sighed in frustration.
The priestess fell silent, thinking things through. After a long moment, she finally spoke again:
“So… you still want Keti to come back to our party, right? Use this year to—”
“It’s… not exactly that. Whether she comes back or not doesn’t matter. I just want Keti to rely on me a bit more, not always handle everything herself or run to Lynn for help. If that keeps happening, I… I…”
The green-haired elf sighed again, then shook her head like a little, aggrieved wife. “If there’s really no other way, then I’ll just have to lock Keti-chan in the basement, hehe… kukuku~”
“Hiss—”
Layla sucked in a sharp breath right away, but after a moment, she still asked Sylvia worriedly, “Actually, I don’t think we need to worry that much.”
“We’ve got a whole year—plenty of time to do lots of things. Sylvia-chan, at least this time, let’s help Keti. Don’t let anything else crop up.”
“Hmph, are you worried I’ll throw the match on purpose?”
Sylvia slowly turned her head, then snorted coldly. “Impossible. Those little kids could never beat me, so… If I lost on purpose, it’d be way too obvious. I’d never do something that stupid.”
“But… As for the training grounds, I want to make sure Lynn can’t help Keti solve that problem… Wouldn’t that make her come to me instead?”
“Oh… That does sound like a plan?”
The purple-haired jellyfish-head onee-san pinched her chin. Yeah, if Keti keeps running to Lynn for help, then just make sure Lynn can’t help her.
Uh… Even though this gives Sylvia an advantage, but… Maybe I can also add a little of my own scheme on top of Sylvia’s, hmm~
A plan on top of another plan, layer after layer—this is what they call a mille-feuille… No, that’s not right, it’s ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.’
With that, the priestess nodded right away, her face full of excitement. “So, what should we do? You tell me… Mmm, I’m a dumb woman, not as clever as Sylvia-chan. Whatever you say, I’ll do!”
“Hmm… That’s not bad…”
The green-haired elf blinked, then took a deep breath. “But I’ll need to go back and work on that method. I’ll have to stay up all night tonight. Let’s go home.”
“Thanks for your hard work—!”
Hoo…
No more training grounds, huh.
When Keti got back to the dormitory, it was already almost half past midnight. She washed up quickly, then collapsed onto the bed and yawned in exhaustion.
So annoying. That Richard, I clearly handed in my application, but he never said anything.
The area’s already been taken by other classes, and he didn’t even say a word. It’s hard not to suspect he’s targeting me on purpose.
But there’s no use talking about it now. I’ll settle things with him when I get the chance. For now, there’s still the bet with Ebert, hmm…
Honestly, Keti only made that bet with such confidence because she thought she’d get the training grounds for sure, but now she’s lost them.
Without that equipment, Ximon and the others really might end up at the bottom.
No, I can’t let that happen. If we lose, it’ll be a huge problem. I sounded so confident, and all the students from both classes witnessed the bet. There’s no backing out!
The silver-haired beauty reached her hand down in frustration, unable to even sleep. So annoying, so annoying, ah… Mm~
Where am I supposed to find a training ground now? Are there really such good facilities outside the school?
Gulp…
What do I do now, could it be…
Do I have to go to my arch-nemesis again?
“Hey, little kitty, keep it down, you’ll wake everyone up~”