"Stay away from me!!!"
Felix scrambled backward in a panic, limbs flailing wildly, before he stumbled and fell face-first into the snow with a soft thud.
The silvery mercury gradually receded from Sigmund's body, his form shrinking steadily until he returned to the appearance of a small dragon.
He collapsed onto Charlotte's head, gazing wearily at the sky, his wings and tail drooping limply.
Charlotte herself stood panting heavily. The toll of wielding the 'Cursed Sword' was immense, and the magical energy within her was nearly depleted.
Despite her exhaustion, a triumphant smile spread across her face.
She gently patted the small dragon on her head—this battle had been a resounding success.
"Not bad at all."
A quiet word of praise came from behind her, causing Charlotte's brows to instantly relax as she continued to stroke Sigmund.
The bright moonlight illuminated her face, highlighting the enticing blush on the young girl's cheeks.
"Hmph, of course!" She crossed her arms and turned her face away.
A smug grin tugged at the corners of her lips as she looked aside. "That's the true extent of this young lady's power."
Her golden-haired silhouette swayed slightly, like a little puppy basking in its owner's praise.
Sigmund, perched on her head, gripped Charlotte's hat tightly and let out a soft, resigned chuckle.
Then, darkness suddenly fell as clouds drifted over, partially obscuring the moonlight.
Felix's frantic footsteps sounded again. He managed a few steps through the thick snow before slipping and falling once more.
His elbow was scraped by a stone hidden beneath the snow, and drops of crimson blood stained the pure white surface.
The battle was long over, but the lingering magical fluctuations behind him seemed to hint at something more.
Huff, huff, huff.
He sat slumped in the snow, breathing rapidly.
Felix, utterly disheveled and having lost all semblance of his usual composure, turned to look at the two girls. "I am the eldest son of the Kingsfort family! If you dare lay a hand on me, the Kingsforts will never let you go!"
Charlotte scoffed and turned her face away disdainfully, while Alice simply watched him in silence.
A quiet tension spread beneath the night sky.
The oppressive stillness filled Felix with dread. Trembling, he raised a hand. "I'll give you anything, everything I have—just spare my life!"
Even his pleas for mercy received no response.
Magical energy shimmered faintly as the giant bowed its head.
The black-haired girl stood beneath the giant's form, pure white snowflakes drifting around her.
A scene straight out of a fairy tale unfolded upon the snowy field.
"Go on, try to run."
The clouds parted, and moonlight illuminated the giant's body, its enormous shadow falling over Felix's face.
Alice's icy voice snapped him back to reality. He frantically turned and began sprinting into the distance.
One step, two steps.
Felix ran with all his might.
But no matter how hard he pumped his legs, the giant's shadow remained draped over him.
Felix glanced toward the horizon, and the seemingly endless shadow made his eyes widen in despair.
A gust of hurricane-force wind swept over him—a result of the colossal body moving.
Feeling the wind pressure bearing down from directly above, a scream tore from his throat.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Squelch.
The scream was cut short.
The giant had merely taken a single, light step, crushing Felix beneath its foot as though swatting a mosquito.
On the other side, the disciplinary committee members stared in stunned silence at the suddenly moving giant, but its massive arm blocked their view of what happened.
A fierce wind howled past.
Seeing Felix reduced to a bloody pulp, Charlotte seemed genuinely startled.
She clasped her hands tightly over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.
Watching her reaction, Sigmund let out a helpless sigh.
The small dragon leaned close to Charlotte's ear and whispered, "Just think about what would have happened if Felix's scheme had succeeded."
He gently patted her head with his wing, the soothing gesture seeming to calm Charlotte down.
"I was just surprised, that's all," she insisted stubbornly, her gaze meeting Alice's as if to say she wasn't bothered by the scene.
But her tightly clenched fists, gripping her skirt, betrayed her true feelings.
Alice shook her head faintly, then casually waved her fingers and began humming a soft tune.
The Giant of the Bridge began to crumble, its massive form scattering across the snowfield.
Suigintou slowly descended, crossing her arms as she watched the disciplinary committee members in the distance with disinterest.
Robin, meanwhile, glanced at the bloodstain far away, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. "Such a stubborn foe, choosing to end his own life rather than surrender."
End his own life?
The disciplinary committee members glanced at the distant... pulp, their lips twitching slightly.
That was suicide?
Noting their disbelief, Robin puffed out his chest proudly from his perch on Alice's shoulder. "Just submit your report. The academy will handle the rest."
And of course, the academy would handle it properly.
Robin flapped his wings triumphantly.
Only to be swatted away by Alice—who wanted no part of his wing-generated breeze on such a cold day.
Alice calmly brushed off her hands and began leading Charlotte back toward the dormitory.
After they had walked some distance, Charlotte glanced at Alice with concern. "The Kingsfort family holds considerable influence in Britain. What if...?"
"The academy is filled with spies from various nations, all operating in the shadows. The school itself has its own secrets it can't afford to expose."
Alice's calm voice soothed Charlotte's worries. "There's no way they'd allow the Kingsforts to come in and investigate."
"What we say is what they'll have to believe."
"At least on the surface, that's how it'll be. As for behind the scenes... Heh."
Alice rubbed her hands together, breathing a warm puff of air into them.
"The new combat style worked well."
Charlotte raised her head proudly, the necklace at her throat glinting softly. "I've still got others I haven't even used yet."
Mercury briefly coated her arm, then vanished in an instant.
"Then you'd better thank me," Suigintou declared, seated primly in mid-air with her legs crossed.
She rested her cheek on one hand, her crimson eyes fixed on Charlotte.
"Th... thank you?"
It was true that this tactic existed because of Suigintou, but having to thank her after being hit still felt a little strange.
Charlotte tilted her head in confusion.
"Charlotte spent days racking her brains, determined not to lose so badly next time," Sigmund said, wagging his tail and letting out a yawn.
"Sh-shut up, Sigmund!" Charlotte snatched him from her head and into her arms, giving his wings a light squeeze.
Her face flushed red as she glared at him. "For tomorrow's lunch, you can just have canned radishes!"
With that, she turned and ran ahead in a mix of embarrassment and irritation. "I'm going on ahead!"
Sigmund flapped helplessly in her grip as she ran. He managed a resigned wave of his wing toward Alice before being tugged back into Charlotte's embrace.
A faint smile touched Alice's lips as Robin, sticking out his tongue, returned to her shoulder.
"Such a tsundere," Suigintou remarked, lifting her chin as she watched Charlotte retreat into the distance, her feathers rustling softly.
It seemed being thanked had put her in a better mood.
"And you're one to talk?"
Alice shot her a sidelong glance before continuing forward.
"Hah?" Suigintou's eyes widened in disbelief. She spread her wings and flew right in front of Alice. "In what way am I tsundere?!"
"Every way."
"Nonsense! I am not tsundere!"
"If you aren't, then no one is."
"I am not tsundere!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.