Chapter 380. The Second Trial, The Blocking Sword Saint
「"Don't, don't, don't—don't look at me like that. You can't beat me, so don't try to break the rules. I really don't want to lay a hand on Master."」
「Seeing the gazes of Emilia and Crusch grow increasingly sharp, Shaula hurriedly waved her hands, though her words sounded more like she was intentionally adding fuel to the fire.」
「"The moment you break a rule, I'll sense it immediately. Even if you do it secretly in private, I'll still know."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman could only shake his head. This four-hundred-year-old child truly had no filter. If it weren't for the fact that every single person present had a decent temperament, they would have come to blows over her words.」
「"The way to leave the Sage's Tower freely without having to fight Shaula is to break through the trials one by one. This suits my intentions perfectly."」
「Taking back the lead in the conversation to stop Shaula from talking further, Hachiman spoke up: "Perhaps the second and first floors will have surprise rewards similar to the library. We might find a way to crack the authorities there."」
「Emilia nodded with determination. Beatrice, Crusch, Ram, Julius, and Meili all agreed as well. Anastasia, of course, had already been the first supporter since last night.」
「No one asked, "What if we can't pass all the trials by the time a month is up and our food runs out?"」
「Shaula was confident and indeed powerful, but if it truly came down to it, she would likely lose—Emilia, Beatrice, and Julius, three powerhouses joining forces against one enemy, would only lose to the likes of Reinhard or Regulus in the outside world.」
「Even if Shaula harbored a hidden power so great that the three of them combined couldn't defeat her, given her attitude toward Hachiman, there was always the option of having Hachiman order her to commit suicide before a rule was officially broken.」
「But that was the final trump card. Unless the lives of everyone were at stake, Hachiman would never do such a thing; he might not even do it even in that extremity.」
「...The third floor did not have a staircase leading to the second. That staircase was on the fourth floor, hidden in the room adjacent to the Green Room, and it was Emilia who found it.」
「Anastasia was not stingy with her praise: "Impressive, isn't it?"」
「"Because this tower was built by someone with an honest-to-god difficult personality, I thought to look there," Emilia said with a smile, happily accepting the compliment. She was thrilled to be able to take an action that benefited the conquest of the Sage's Tower.」
「"Even though this staircase is quite wide, we should still be careful not to fall—Julius, take good care of Miss Anastasia."」
「"It is my lifelong duty and honor."」
「Crusch used such pleasantries to firmly tether Anastasia to Julius's side, giving her no excuse to approach Hachiman. Her method wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it showed she was no longer being bewitched by Anastasia.」
「Anastasia glanced at Crusch and let out a light laugh. She didn't retaliate but instead obediently walked into the trap.」
「She had long expected that taking advantage of her Prime Minister for a whole night in the library would lead to being suspected by everyone.」
「She had done it knowing the side effects, because she didn't care.」
「What she valued was Hikigaya Hachiman. As for Crusch and Ram, no matter how much they were rivals or how much they ostracized her, it didn't matter. As long as she could obtain the affection of her Prime Minister, it was enough.」
「Love rivals are naturally enemies. If she sat by and watched a golden opportunity slip away out of fear of the traps Ram and Crusch might set later, that would be putting the cart before the horse.」
「"I am a merchant, after all. No matter how smooth a merchant is, they'll always offend other guilds by snatching away orders. But as long as the order snatched brings unique profit, I'll do it."」
「For now, she would simply lie low, curled up, waiting for the seed to sprout and for the next opportunity to arrive.」
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"Everything is looking great! Yay! ...But why does My Lady still look so unhappy?"
Inside the Hoshin Trading Company, Mimi bounced around before tilting her head and climbing onto Anastasia's lap, her eyes blinking with curiosity.
Anastasia sighed: "Because I'm a bit annoyed with myself."
"The 'Original History' version of me is a bit too calculating. Although that's because the presence of Miss Emilia and Miss Crusch means I can't just rely on direct approaches like I did in my exclusive timeline."
"But by comparison, I still prefer treating the Prime Minister without a single bit of calculation."
"That kind of love is purer, more comfortable, and it's what the Prime Minister likes more."
Being able to exhaust her mind with schemes just to obtain Hachiman actually highlighted the love the "Original History" version had for him. Nevertheless, Anastasia simply preferred the version of herself in the IF line. Because Hachiman would definitely prefer that one.
"And I've plotted so much, and it's all been broadcast. I'm worried whether Miss Crusch and the others will copy my ideas or gain insight into how to better deal with me after watching this."
Hearing this, Julius, who had just returned from the Sword Saint's estate, scratched his head, unable to say anything. From what he saw, it seemed even Lady Felt had grown somewhat from watching these futures, let alone Lady Crusch, Ram, and Rem.
But it didn't matter.
"No matter what heights Lady Crusch and Lady Emilia reach, for the sake of Lady Anastasia's wish—and my own selfish desire—I, Julius, will definitely give my all to bring Hachiman-kun to you!"
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「The stairs from the fourth floor to the second were not only wide but very long, making the walk rather tiring.」
「Upon entering the second floor, they saw a white space identical to the third floor, with a single sword thrust into the very center.」
「Julius took the lead, stepping up to grab the hilt and shoulder all the risk. In an instant, a voice rang out in everyone's minds: 'Seek the approval of the fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword.'」
「Appearing along with the voice was a man with long red hair and a brawny build.」
「A black patch covered the man's left eye. He wore a red Japanese-style casual robe, with his right arm and the right side of his torso intentionally exposed, and a white cloth wrapped around his waist.」
「The mechanical voice repeated 'Seek the approval of the fool who has reached the Heavenly Sword' several times before being suddenly interrupted—interrupted by the man himself.」
「As if waking from a deep slumber, his voice became natural, his eyes regained their soul, and his gaze swept over the crowd. Ignoring them as if they were nothing, he spoke:」
「"Good woman, good woman, good woman, vulgar woman, kid, kid, little brother—"」
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