1.
Bob, bob.
Cradled in Dolores’s arms, I returned to the room.
Since it was Tuesday, Ruby was sleeping at the academy, leaving only Dolores and me on the bed today.
I lay there for a while, lost in thought.
Isabella had definitely said she was anorgasmic.
The completed deck... No, honestly, calling it a deck was a little ambiguous.
It was a bracelet... It would probably be easier to think of it as a bracelet exclusively for cards.
Anorgasmia....
"...Then do you think she’ll be able to handle this too?"
Clink....
I raised the bracelet before my eyes.
It looked like nothing more than a bracelet set with a softly iridescent gemstone, but when mana was poured into it, wings would snap open, creating slots for cards.
Honestly, I had not used it myself, so I had no idea what its actual performance was like....
But just looking at that insane ability to appeal to a knight’s sense of chivalry, it was clearly no ordinary thing....
I just hoped Isabella would be able to feel as much as she wanted.
Besides, the equipment was four and a half stars.
If Dolores’s [Primordial Flower Garden] had not been a divine artifact, they would be on the same level. Does that mean my skills have improved by quite a lot?
"...Where is Isabella?"
Knead....
Dolores, who had been kneading my upper arm beside me, briefly stopped her hand and smiled.
"Ah, Isabella delivered the minerals to Lionel... and she’s gone back home now."
"What about Yeomhwa?"
She still had not come home. Had she not returned from her family estate yet?
Since I had been holed up in my little room, I had not even heard how Yeomhwa had been doing.
I thought I should fix that habit... but once my flow was interrupted, it was hard to focus again, so it was complicated.
"Yeomhwa has recovered quite a bit by now... She’ll probably return with Isabella."
"I see."
Knead... knead....
Perhaps thinking my questions were over, Dolores’s hand began moving again.
After kneading my upper arm, Dolores pressed the same spot a couple of times with her index finger.
"Lionel, have you put on a little muscle, by any chance?"
"Have I?"
I had been doing push-ups whenever I had time lately... Maybe it had worked.
It was not that strange, honestly. I was at an age when secondary sex characteristics were in full swing, so it was about time exercise started showing.
As expected, Doctor Camilla had been right. Do what you want, and muscle builds up.
I looked down at myself... but honestly, I could not tell what had changed.
Was it because I saw myself every day?
For no reason, I bent my arm and flexed a little.
"Hngh... Do I look manly?"
"...Hehe."
Smiling with amusement at the corner of her lips, Dolores gently stroked my upper arm once and added,
"Cute."
Hmm....
Cute....
For now... hmm... I would take it as a compliment.
2.
Not having to go straight to the workshop as soon as I woke up was nice.
Honestly, I wondered if it was okay to live like this, but when I was not working, lying around and resting all day was basically my entire routine.
Eat, lie down, roll around a little, then sip some juice when I got thirsty.
If the room started feeling stuffy, I would go lie down in the garden.
Dolores was not here either, so this was the best I could do.
"...Ahh, this is nice."
Lying in the garden and soaking up the sun felt pretty damn good.
I stretched my arms out wide on the mat.
I had focused on making equipment for over a month, so taking this much of a break should be fine.
Then, at that moment—
"Lionel."
"Huh?"
When I turned my head, Sebas was standing beside the mat.
"Isabella and Yeomhwa have arrived."
"Ooooh!?"
At the thought that this boredom could finally end, I sprang to my feet.
"I’ll go greet them—"
"We’re already here!"
A bouncy voice, a voice that flooded my brain with dopamine just by hearing it.
It was Yeomhwa.
The red-haired woman waved her hand, with Bella beside her.
"Have you been well?"
"Yes. Are you feeling better, Yeomhwa?"
"Yeah, thanks to you."
Oh? She had said it was a coastal city, right?
Maybe the sunlight was strong there, because she looked a little... tanned?
Of course, that was exactly my type. I liked tanned Yeomhwa.
I rose from my spot and dusted myself off.
"Then I’ll go get the equipment I prepared right—"
But Yeomhwa approached first and held out her hand.
"Shall we... go out?"
"...Pardon?"
"I think you’ll want to try the equipment as soon as you receive it."
This time, Isabella spoke up.
"Dolores isn’t here right now, so there’s no one to put up a barrier. It’s kind of... difficult to test it here."
"Ah."
That was true.
If we held a showcase at the estate and our Jewel Guardians ended up blowing up the workshop, that would be a problem.
"There’s a training ground by the lakeside that we used to use. Let’s go there."
"We used to use it?"
"Ah, the Dawn Apostles. We haven’t gone there in a while... but it should still be in the same place."
It was probably fairly spacious.
It did seem like a better place to check the equipment’s specs.
"Then I’ll just go grab my things."
I wrapped the Jewel Guardians in cloth, put them in a box, and headed out... Then we took a carriage to the lakeside.
The lake within the duchy was not as far away as I had expected.
Once we got off and I saw the scenery, though....
"Hmm...."
It felt less like a lakeside and more like an actual open field.
"All right, then. The presentation ceremony will now begin~"
Yeomhwa clapped her hands and stepped far back.
Before I knew it, I was standing face-to-face with Isabella.
Her face seemed a little red too.
I cleared my throat once and held out the box.
"...Thank you for waiting so long, Isabella."
"...Yeah, it’s fine, disciple."
Disciple... Hmm....
Fine. Okay.
Let’s not ruin the mood.
I opened the lid of the box and pulled away the cloth.
The silver bracelet and the iridescent gemstone set in its center glittered in the sunlight.
"...Wow."
"......"
"I-Is this... a weapon?"
"Yes."
Isabella lowered her head toward the box.
"It’s pretty...."
Women really were something else....
It was true that I did not know a fucking thing about a woman’s heart, but if something was pretty, you were already halfway there.
I had not even mentioned its performance yet.
Tap, tap....
Isabella started fidgeting with her feet, her expressions changing by the second....
Unlike Yeomhwa, she was not the type to physically cling to someone and hug them, but perhaps her body was honest; she was reacting with every bit of strength she had in her own subtle way.
That was kind of cute too.
"...But, disciple, what about the cards...?"
"I’ll explain that now."
I took out the Jewel Guardians from inside and held them out to Isabella.
"...It’s a bracelet."
"Yes."
Slide....
Isabella slipped her hand through the bracelet.
Once the bracelet passed over the back of her hand and reached her wrist, it contracted.
Click.
It snugly adhered to her wrist, tight enough that it would not slip off.
Isabella raised her arm and rotated her wrist this way and that....
"......"
Just that alone seemed to please her enough to make the corners of her lips twitch.
"You can wear it like that normally."
"Uh... I like it. It’s so pretty...."
"And... could you try pouring mana into it?"
"Into the gemstone?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Isabella nodded.
Before long, purple light began to glow within the gemstone.
The light spread along the rim toward the outside of her wrist....
Clack.
One of the overlapping plates unfolded into a wing beside her wrist.
"...Ah."
This was where the cards would be inserted.
"...But... where are the cards...?"
"I have a question first."
"Okay."
"Do you prefer going first or second, Isabella?"
First, I wanted to know what her usual inclinations were.
"...I prefer going first. I like setting everything up beforehand and watching my opponent panic...."
"Hmm."
That was a little different.
Though I had now become someone who completely destroyed those opening moves....
"This weapon is exclusively for going second."
"Going second... Yeah, that’s okay. It’s not like I hate going second."
I continued my explanation calmly.
From now on, she would have to make and use her own cards.
By enchanting cards based on the gemstone’s properties, knights with armaments and fighting styles suited to those enchantments would appear.
When she deployed a card, the knight would materialize... and the knight’s capabilities were proportional to Isabella’s own.
Isabella looked down at her wrist and gave a small nod.
Next came [Lucky Draw].
When an opponent’s opening move was detected, the card most suited to responding to that action would fly out from the deck.
It did not matter whether it was at the very bottom of the deck or buried in the middle.
Of course, if there was a card she wanted separately, she could call for it herself.
Once I had explained that much, Isabella stared straight at me.
"...?"
"What is it?"
"Is that really true?"
"Yes, it’s true."
I had not even told her the decisive part yet.
"The standard for recognizing an opening move is rather low."
"But it’s not like there’s some set standard for that...? It’s more like a law of nature."
"I don’t know about that."
I did not know either, woman.
"...Then what counts as an opening move?"
"...Breathing?"
Isabella’s mouth fell slightly open.
She blinked once, looked at my face, then lowered her gaze to her wrist.
"...Huh."
I had been the same at first.
As I opened my mouth to explain more, Yeomhwa cut in from behind us.
"Wait, wait."
Yeomhwa walked over to us and peered at the bracelet once.
"We came all this way to try this thing out, you know? I’ve been dying to see it too."
That was true.
"Can’t you learn about it while using it?"
With a smile, Yeomhwa pointed toward the open field.
"Sounds good."
"...All right."
The expression Isabella had right now was basically—
‘What did I just hear?’
That kind of expression.
Still, seeing her walk toward the field, she apparently did want to try it.
"Lionel, watch from over there."
"Okay."
"Come at me. Hehe."
"......"
After playfully provoking Isabella, Yeomhwa walked into the open field.
I thought she was going to stand beside Isabella, but she passed right by her and kept walking quite a distance.
Then she turned around and looked this way.
She was now facing Isabella....
"...?"
Wait, they were not just going to test it on empty air.
"Are you going to test it yourself?!"
"Yeah! That’s the only way to know properly!"
"What if you get hurt?!"
"We always fight ready to kill each other!"
Hmm... I see.
Because they were so far apart, they had to raise their voices to talk.
And Yeomhwa became Isabella’s sparring partner.
"And Lionel! You know!"
"Yes!"
"That Isabella girl! She’s actually a little crazy!"
"...Pardon?"
"You’ll understand what I mean soon enough!"
What was that supposed to mean all of a sudden?
To be honest, my image of Isabella up until now was that she could be a little oblivious and awkward.
But calling her crazy felt like a bit of a stretch....
I turned to look at Isabella.
She did not deny it or anything... Whether she had heard or not, she was merely fiddling with the wing unfolded from her wrist.
Then her fingertips brushed over the iridescent gemstone.
Hummm....
The purple glow gathered within the response stone deepened.
Shrrr....
Mana flowed out from Isabella’s wrist into the air.
And then—
"Cards?"
Dozens of cards formed in midair.
Isabella seemed to look over the details of the cards floating in the air....
"Huh...?"
"...Eh?"
"Really...? An effect like this...?"
Her mouth gradually fell open as she began reading the effects of the cards that had formed.
The corners of her mouth lifted.
Pinch.
She suddenly tugged at her cheek and let out a snicker.
"So this is what it is...."
She muttered, then laughed; muttered, then laughed.
...Maybe she really was a little crazy.
"Can I start now?!"
Yeomhwa waved a hand from afar.
Isabella lifted her head.
"Go ahead!!"
"I’ll take the first move!"
At those words, Isabella’s lips curled into a broad grin.
The cards spread through the air all flipped over at once....
Shrrrk....
They settled atop Isabella’s wing.
Across from her, Yeomhwa’s rose floated into the air.
But that thing was pretty damn powerful too... Would Isabella be all right?
I was thinking that when—
"My turn, draw!"
Ignoring the whole first move thing, Isabella suddenly launched a surprise draw.
"What are you talking about?!"
Bang!
Purple light burst from the middle of the deck.
Then... a single card lodged itself between Isabella’s index and middle fingers.
Something streamed into view before my eyes.
─────────────────
[The designated target’s opening move has been detected.]
[Detected action: Breathing]
[Greatest current threat: Yeomhwa’s [Rose Bloom Finale]]
[Threat level: Preparing to fire]
─────────────────
[Lucky Draw]
[Searching for a card capable of responding.]
[Top Priority: Third Knight Topaz — [Killchain Plasma]]
[Response objective: Kill before firing.]
[Second Priority: Fourth Knight Opal — [Miratic Guardian]]
[Response objective: Block line of fire; neutralize opening move.]
─────────────────
[Top-priority card summoned.]
─────────────────
K-Kill before firing?
"Wait...."
"Setup."
When Isabella twisted her wrist, the card flew into the air and scattered.
Lines drew themselves through the air....
Crackle.
A massive rift opened, and something burst out from it.
A knight clad from head to toe in golden armor....
Yellow light gleamed through the gap in its helmet, and then—
Krrrroooom...!
It became a yellow flash and tore across the open field....
"W-W-Waittt!!"
Along with Yeomhwa’s startled scream—
KABOOOM!!
My vision flashed, and lightning tore across the clearing before striking down.
"...Huh?"
I was too shocked to speak.
As I stood there motionless, the dust cloud cleared, and someone’s voice came through.
"Y-You said it was for going second...."
"Did you think you were fighting a saint?"
"You crazy... woman...."
Isabella swept back her disheveled hair with both hands.
It was a relaxed gesture, and combined with what she had just said, it would have looked extremely cool, but....
"...?"
Tremble, tremble.
Her knees were shaking.
She started moving as though she wanted to come to me....
Thud.
Then her legs gave out, and she collapsed where she stood.
"Isabella?"
I hurried over to her.
Thinking she might have been hurt, I checked her face first, but....
...Her expression was kind of strange....
The tension had loosened slightly from her lips....
Her eyes had gone a little soft as she looked at me strangely. Her cheeks were flushed too, and she did not seem to realize she was smiling.
"You’re all right, aren’t you?"
Squeeze....
Instead of answering, Isabella took my hand.
I thought she wanted me to pull her up and was about to put strength into it, but instead, she tugged my hand a little closer to herself.
"...Th-this...."
Her gaze went back and forth between the bracelet and my face.
She looked like she was trying to say something... but eventually gave up, smiled weakly, and said,
"It’s equipment...."
"......"
"Hngh... This was equipment...."
Her voice was so sweet and soft that I became embarrassed for no reason.
I scratched my cheek with my free hand.
"Do you like it?"
Isabella nodded.
Once was apparently not enough, so she nodded three more times.
Then, still holding my hand in both of hers, she muttered quietly.
"Hnghh... I’ve been missing out on life all this time...."
It seemed that Isabella, who had been anorgasmic....
Had finally felt it properly today.
Doctor Lionel, another successful treatment.
I had successfully raised her sensitivity.
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