Chapter 100

EP.100 Door

Dazed.

If I try to recall my hazy memory, I probably collapsed while training.

Thanks to my relentless physical training, I was confident in my stamina, but I ended up pushing myself to the limit.

‘Where am I now?’

Déjà vu. I feel a soft sensation at the back of my head. It seems I’m lying down in a safe place.

I remember when I tested the elemental bracelet that Eden gave me to increase resistance to specific elements.

I ended up fainting from accumulated damage and woke up in Lucie’s room.

It seems someone has brought my body somewhere this time too. Could it be Isaac’s older sister, who has been stalking me occasionally lately?

‘...Probably not.’

Before I fainted, I remember using [Third Eye] to check the surroundings. Isaac’s sister wasn’t there.

So, it must be someone else.

However, what I felt pressing against the back of my head was strangely smooth and soft. I thought it was a pillow, but what is this...?

My mind isn’t fully functioning yet, having just regained consciousness.

I slowly opened my eyes. I thought I might see an unfamiliar ceiling.

But I was nearly blinded by a brilliant light.

“President, you’re awake?”

Beyond her round chest, a smile as radiant as the stars shone in my eyes.

Her lavender hair cascaded down, and her eyes, which seemed to contain the universe with star-shaped pupils, met mine.

It was Dorothy’s face, full of smiles.

Sunset sky, a corner of the butterfly garden, under the oak tree.

The place where Dorothy would always sit and talk to me while I was training.

There, I was lying on Dorothy’s lap.

‘It’s Dorothy, huh.’

I shouldn’t get up.

I closed my eyes again and rolled to the side. My cheek touched the skin of my favorite character.

“Nihih, President. Isn’t that a bit too obvious?”

Dorothy smiled sweetly.

“I feel a bit embarrassed too.”

“I don’t think this kind of opportunity comes often. Is this fan service?”

“Of course. How do you feel? Happy?”

Absolutely.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re even giving me a lap pillow.”

“...Lately, President, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. Both mentally and physically.”

It’s almost impossible to hide my emotions from Dorothy.

She must have noticed that I was feeling anxious.

“How did you know?”

“Hehe, this big sister can know anything.”

Dorothy, with her hand on her chest, answered proudly.

“So, this big sister wanted to comfort President! Just in time, I found you unconscious here. You fainted at the perfect moment!”

I lost consciousness at the right time. Nice.

Of course, I can’t enjoy such a blissful moment indefinitely.

Even with my stamina restored from fainting, I felt my body was exhausted. I could sense that the mana within me wasn’t flowing smoothly.

It felt as if the cells in my body were on strike.

I guess I’m not a superhuman yet.

“...Then what.”

Dorothy’s touch was gentle and pleasant, making my body feel lazy and relaxed.

I quietly closed my eyes.

“I’ll rest for a bit.”

For the sake of training, I decided to take a short break.

“Okay.”

Dorothy smiled widely.

I fell asleep again.

* * *

Isaac was asleep.

Seeing him lying with his head on her lap, Dorothy couldn’t help but smile.

As the wind grew chilly, Dorothy took off her cape and covered Isaac.

She repeatedly stroked his head with her hand, infused with recovery magic.

“You’re quite a mystery, you know.”

Dorothy was well aware that she was revered as a once-in-a-lifetime genius, blessed by the goddess Manhala.

However, the man lying on her lap was overwhelmingly stronger than even Dorothy herself.

Perhaps it was an undeniable fact that only Dorothy could know through the power of [All-Seeing Eye].

Initially, Dorothy’s interest in Isaac was sparked by witnessing his hidden strength.

But it seems his power can only be used under certain conditions.

Dorothy speculated that training might affect the strength of his original power.

Even so... Isaac was pushing himself too hard.

“Even when pushing yourself, there’s a limit.”

Dorothy could feel how severely Isaac’s mana circuits were tangled.

Despite the intense fatigue, pain, and discomfort he must have felt,

he still used magic frantically to train. Well...

Dorothy gently rubbed Isaac’s cheek with her index finger.

He tilted his head towards Dorothy’s finger, looking like a puppy, which was adorable.

“Nihih.”

Dorothy maintains a friendly attitude towards others on the surface but always draws a line.

Because she is destined to die, she doesn’t let anyone into her heart.

To avoid developing any attachment to this life.

However, every time she used [Emotion Insight] to read Isaac’s mind, she saw boundless affection.

Initially, she came to Isaac out of curiosity, but seeing his warm feelings, she couldn’t help but soften her heart.

The sky gradually lost its light.

Dorothy, looking at Isaac, placed her hand on the center of his firm chest.

She needed to untangle his mana circuits. The work had been interrupted when Isaac woke up, so she needed to continue now.

Dorothy closed her eyes tightly and released her mana.

She began to heal Isaac’s tangled mana circuits, her starlight mana penetrating deep into his system.

With Dorothy’s starlight mana, it was entirely possible to reach the deepest part of Isaac’s mana source and fully restore his circuits from start to finish.

As Dorothy’s mana delved deeper into Isaac’s mana circuits, reaching the core,

“...!”

A desolate and pitch-black landscape appeared in Dorothy’s vision.

A massive black door stood in the middle of a black plain, with a cold blue aura flowing around it.

The overwhelming presence made a shiver run down Dorothy’s spine.

She opened her eyes wide, breathing heavily.

“What is this...?”

A drop of cold sweat trickled down her face.

This was something different from the unknown entity she had seen in Isaac’s essence through [All-Seeing Eye].

The thick mana flowing around the massive door was of a different dimension, a concentration that could only be achieved by reaching the pinnacle of ice magic.

Was the world-destroying magic he used in the first semester... not his full power?

“President, just how much power have you been hiding...?”

Dorothy was well aware that Isaac was far stronger than herself.

But this... was it too much, even for her?

Isaac was no longer a character this world could handle.

Now, beyond curiosity, she felt awe.

For a while, Dorothy stared blankly at Isaac. He was sleeping soundly with a peaceful expression.

...

[Sorry about last time! ─ Kaya Astraean]

“What is this...?”

In the upper-class dormitory, Elma Hall.

Iv Rophenheim stood in the hallway, dazed.

Next to her room door, there was a huge flower pot, various magical tools, expensive candy sets, and accessories.

How much gel must have been spent to order all this... Iv couldn’t even guess.

Recently, the green-haired girl, Kaya Astraean, has been approaching Iv occasionally.

She would massage Iv’s shoulders, saying they were tense. She would flatter Iv, calling her beautiful. She would ask nervously if Iv needed anything.

Iv had heard of Kaya Astraean’s reputation as the second-year vice president of the Magic Department. She was highly skilled and the daughter of Duke Gerald Astraean, the Sword Saint, and the genius magician Historia...

‘Why would someone like her...?’

How did her little brother manage to attract such a big shot?

While Iv felt a bit smug, it was clear that Kaya was trying to impress her as Isaac’s older sister.

So, Iv couldn’t treat Kaya casually. If things went wrong, it would be the end.

Feeling an immense burden, Iv left the dormitory.