TFYSWG 02

Chapter 2

A beautiful and elegant noble lady.

The quiet and refined third daughter of House Kishiar.

Those were the words used to describe Olivia up until three years ago.

But in truth, there was another nickname that stood out far more—

“Laurencia’s Mad Dog.”

It was a rather unsuitable title for someone as small and gentle-looking as Olivia.

Yet Fanya felt she understood it perfectly now.

That nickname described Olivia better than anything else.

Resting her chin on the table, Fanya casually threw out a question to the woman sitting across from her.

“By the way, Olivia. Is that rumor true?”

“Which one?”

“I heard that after you catch your runaway fiancé, you’re planning to put him through a week of death matches, and once he loses consciousness, bury him upside down in the ground and send him back to God’s side.”

Olivia tilted her head.

Her expression was filled with genuine confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“No, wait. Do you even have a fiancé?”

“I do.”

“Then why have I never heard about it? We’re talking about Lady Kishiar’s engagement.”

There had never been any talk of an engagement ceremony held by House Kishiar.

Olivia answered as though it were nothing.

“You wouldn’t have known.”

“Why?”

“…Because three days after our engagement, my fiancé ran away.”

Oh dear.

Fanya instinctively realized one thing.

Don’t touch that topic carelessly.

“I-I see. Ah, Olivia, about our practical training—”

“That’s why I transferred departments. I’d finally thought I was getting engaged to him, and then three days later he declared the engagement broken and ran away.”

“Uh…”

“I wanted to talk things through, but he never showed himself. Honestly, I sometimes had violent impulses because of it…. Then I heard later that he’d escaped to a dispatched knight order.”

Too late.

Cold sweat ran down Fanya’s neck.

At least one thing was certain now.

The rumors circulating around Veritas Academy…

Apparently, they were true.

“So you really did come here to kill your traitorous fiancé…”

At that, Olivia tilted her head once more.

“For starters.”

“Hm? For starters?”

“You shouldn’t casually kill people, Fanya.”

No, you look perfectly capable of killing one or two people right now.

Wisely, Fanya swallowed those words.

Still, there was one thing she simply couldn’t hold back.

“By the way, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Why go so far to find a man like that? Why transfer departments because of him? Why not just let him go?”

In other words—

Why transfer departments just to find a fiancé who had only been engaged to her for three days?

Olivia had been an outstanding student in Monster Classification before transferring.

A noble lady with arms as thin as twigs who had never received martial training before…

Choosing to switch departments for the sake of a three-day fiancé?

Wasn’t that strange?

Fanya thought her question was perfectly reasonable.

Which was why she never imagined what nerve she had touched.

The uneasy feeling only came when she realized several minutes had passed without Olivia saying anything.

“W-Wait.”

“I suppose you’re right. If I let go, it would all be over.”

“No, I misspoke.”

Bang.

Contrary to her usual self, Olivia slammed the table.

Her lips were curved upward in a smile.

But her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“But, Fanya. Listen carefully.”

Should I run?

Instinctively, Fanya looked around and identified the nearest escape route.

Leaning closer, Olivia spoke.

“I have never once failed to obtain something I wanted.”

“R-Really?”

“If I throw something away, then I should be the one to throw it away first.”

“Right. Of course.”

“But someone else throws me away first?”

Having said that much, Olivia stopped and slowly raised the corners of her lips again.

It was undoubtedly a beautiful smile.

And yet something cold lurked within it.

“W-What are you thinking right now?”

“…Thoughts that would be troublesome if other people knew.”

Fanya decided not to ask any further.

She had a feeling something terrible would happen if she learned the truth.

After a brief silence, Olivia let out a long sigh and straightened her posture.

She had already returned to her usual calm self.

“And besides, he can’t live without me either. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true.”

No, it isn’t.

No matter how I think about it, that’s just your delusion, Olivia…

“So I’d appreciate it if you’d actively correct those rumors that I plan to kill my fiancé. What if he gets scared and runs away again?”

A strange gleam shone in Olivia’s jade-green eyes.

“U-Um, Olivia?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you think that’s kind of obse—”

Crack.

At that exact moment, the cookie Olivia had lifted split neatly into two pieces.

Fanya swallowed nervously and smiled.

“N-Nothing.”

“That’s right.”

No, not nothing. That’s obsession…

The words she couldn’t bring herself to say dissolved away inside her mouth.

Ignoring Fanya completely, Olivia smiled sweetly once more.

“Fanya, this isn’t—”

Now what?

Fanya was beginning to feel genuinely afraid of whatever might come out of Olivia’s mouth next.

Unaware—or perhaps uncaring—of her thoughts, Olivia took another bite of her cookie and declared:

“This isn’t obsession.”

“It’s love.”

She’s completely insane.

Fanya shook her head ever so slightly.

* * *

Veritas Academy had been bustling since early morning.

Today marked the beginning of the grand practical training period for the graduating students.

Having finished her preparations early, Olivia stood inside the Grand Training Hall, surveying her surroundings.

Thin bandages wrapped around her hands.

“You got hurt again?”

“Mhm. There was someone who wasn’t very easy to persuade.”

“Olivia, persuasion is usually done with words. Not by beating someone up…”

Olivia simply smiled.

What else was she supposed to do when words didn’t work?

Her thoughts drifted to the weapon she had left behind in her room—

Defensor.

She wasn’t yet its perfect master, but she would be soon enough.

“So why are you in such a good mood today? Something happen?”

“Today’s the day I’ve been waiting for.”

“The day you’ve been waiting for… Well, I guess you don’t have anything to worry about. Every knight order is probably dying to recruit you.”

Once again, Olivia merely smiled.

Every knight order?

She had no need for such things.

There was only one knight order she desired.

And today—

After three long years—

She would finally achieve the goal she had been longing for.

“Students, please return to your designated places! The ceremony will begin shortly!”

As announced, activity quickly picked up around the platform.

Not long afterward, the voice of the headmaster rang throughout the hall.

“Students of Veritas Academy, welcome. Beginning today, you will undergo three months of training before participating in your final practical exercise. It is there that the knight orders you will join shall be decided.”

But the speech itself didn’t matter.

Olivia only had one goal.

To find the fiancé who had run away three years ago.

Her eyes swept across the stage—

Then froze.

A man with golden hair was just stepping onto the platform.

“We will now introduce the special instructors invited to train you all.”

See? It was the right choice to transfer departments.

The corners of Olivia’s lips rose high.

Sensing her gaze, the man slowly turned his head toward her.

A blazing stare.

And another, calm and weary, as though utterly fed up.