The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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We seem to be flaunting our comfortable life a bit too openly, and during lunch while digging into venison, we were ambushed by another group.

Of course, it turned into a minor issue as Anastasia handled everything on her own.

The ambusher almost became the ambushed, but they teleported away just as her great sword split them halfway, so they probably didn’t die.

Georg assured me that there was no way he’d die, so I wasn’t worried.

Seriously, who told them to be greedy?

You can survive for three weeks just drinking water, but it was pitiful how they rushed in due to momentary hunger.

“…Is everyone okay?”

She, shaking off blood from her large sword, asked us.

“As you can see, we’re fine. Thanks, Anya.”

“…Anya, you were amazing.”

“Yeah, yup.”

Iris seemed unfamiliar with such scenes or perhaps just faint-hearted, so she was using formal speech towards Anya.

If Anya had been born in my hometown, the gods would surely have pointed her out as a warrior.

She might have even joined the royal guard and held a prestigious position, as her skills were on par with the captain of the guard.

As for Iris… well, she might just be a sacrificial offering or a courtesan. She’s pretty, but there’s nothing stand-out about her.

In my homeland, the gods determine how each person will grow from the moment they are born, so I wondered how things would have been if they were born in my hometown rather than this continent.

It seems on this continent, one can choose their own destiny, but that’s just a fantasy in my mind.

“Dokan, eat up. You got hurt.”

Just like Actaeon who turned into a deer after seeing Goddess Artemis naked, Dokan almost had his head crushed after seeing Anya and me naked.

If Anya had put in just a bit more strength, he’d probably be dead by now.

“…Uh, thanks for considering me.”

The old doe had given birth several times, so I couldn’t say the meat was in great condition. Maybe that’s why she approached calmly when called.

Having fulfilled her duty, she asked for the glory of becoming a great one’s blood and flesh, and I granted that request.

“Iris too.”

“Eep, m-me too…?”

She seemed hesitant around me, but since we were on the same team, one ought to embrace it all, even if the group project isn’t pleasing.

…Still, at least she’s cooperating. During university, I had to tackle four people’s worth on my own.

Though it didn’t help much, she showed some effort in clumsily assisting with the house-building. With that level of effort, she was deserving of the meat.

“Th-thank you…”

It was sad to see her so scared.

But even if I told her to smile, she wouldn’t do it, so I decided to leave her be.

Seeing her fiddle with her necklace, she seemed to be trying to calm herself in her own way.

Just then, Anya returned to her seat and was eating meat.

I didn’t like calling her ‘Anya’ since it felt off, so I decided to call her Anya as well.

She seemed a bit pleased by that.

“…Then I’ll go look for herbs that are good for wounds. Iris? Could you help me out?”

After finishing the deer, she said she would go gather herbs for Dokan’s injuries.

“Me? I… I can, but… uh, yeah. You’re not planning to cause any trouble while I’m gone… right?”

Iris seemed to mutter something quietly, probably not wanting Anya to hear, but I caught every word.

I had no idea what she meant but didn’t bother with it.

Once Iris and Anya left to look for herbs, it was just Dokan and me remaining.

“…So, Dokan, who’s bigger?”

I had punished Anya, but I hadn’t punished Dokan yet.

I could forgive him for seeing me naked, but I couldn’t let slide the fact that he stared at Anya’s nakedness. That’s just too cruel, even for a friend.

No, especially since we were friends, it was more infuriating.

So I thought about how to inflict the most pain on him and recalled a question I saw on the internet in my previous life.

“Brother, am I pretty, or is she pretty?”

It’s a follow-up question to “Do you like Mom, or Dad more?”

No matter who you say is pretty, either choice leads to a wrathful death.

If you say she’s pretty, it becomes a retort of why you’re looking at some lowlife instead of the pretty me. If you say I’m prettier, it’s a return of then go to her.

Though we’re in the realm of women now, it feels questionable to ask such a question since we’re not lovers…

But when my old friend faced this question, they replied without knowing how to respond, so it fit my aim of causing him pain.

“Um, that’s, uh… well…”

The effect was immediate.

Just a moment earlier, Dokan was petting his hurt wound, but now he was wildly waving his hands, desperately trying to articulate something.

Yet his efforts bore no fruit.

“So… um…”

He seemed caught in a loop, repeating the same words and trying hard to find an answer, but even my overbearing friend couldn’t dare to respond to that question.

I wasn’t sure how much he could take, but he certainly found himself in the same boat of inability to answer.

“…”

Eventually, he seemed to have given up on even repeating himself, falling completely silent.

“Why aren’t you answering? You saw it with your own eyes.”

I pressed him while looking up closely, close enough to feel our bodies touch and smell each other, yet he didn’t say anything.

I guess if there’s any guilt at all, it wouldn’t let him answer easily.

Thinking I’d had enough of this, I was about to broach the topic of forgiveness when Dokan finally spoke.

“Can I really be honest with you?”

“Uh, okay?”

Huh… this wasn’t the reaction I was expecting?

– – – –

After spending about a month with her, I’ve learned how to read emotions from her impassive face.

Right now, she’s just a bit miffed.

If she gets angrier, the pressure becomes quite serious.

Those fluttering eyes began seeming somewhat cute after seeing them a few times.

But the reason I felt immobile was not because of her pressure but because of the content of the question she had just asked.

Who’s bigger?

Being a woman, the question simply cannot go unanswered, so I was speechless.

It felt more like a punishment of her own for having seen the two of us naked.

She had a tendency to prefer mental punishment over physical ones.

I had witnessed her mercilessly berate Anya for her ignorance in math, insisting she’d ruin her family.

Next to being so close, it was the intensity of the question that made my heart race.

How could I avoid further angering her? After racking my brain, I came to a slightly bizarre conclusion.

Let’s just be straightforward then.

“Can I really speak honestly?”

“Uh, okay?”

“The size was bigger for Anya, but in shape, you were way prettier. The size was no contest either.”

While Ho-yeon craved compliments, she was so weak to praise that if you praised her, she’d likely beam with joy, so I figured adding genuine compliments to my honesty would be alright.

Even I thought I was being shameless, but I believed it would be fine if it was for Ho-yeon.

“…”

Ho-yeon was silent.

But as I saw her face getting more red, I had to wonder… was it a failure?

In this close position with Ho-yeon, it would be hard for her to hit me, so I took a few steps back and knelt.

“…I’m sorry. That’s all I have to say.”

There wasn’t anything more to say. I didn’t even remember that Byeolbi was watching.

I just wanted it to be as pain-free as possible.

“Um… I’ll think for a moment and come back.”

However, what I anticipated did not happen. Ho-yeon quietly left, saying she would think for a moment.

Left alone, I wondered how I was supposed to answer, but no response came to mind.

– – – –

“Ha…”

I felt a hunger pang. It might be the heat, but I couldn’t keep my sanity, so I needed to step away for a bit.

The beastly kid! Why make unnecessary remarks when just saying you messed up would suffice?

Saying I looked prettier? The size was bigger for Anya, wasn’t it?

I felt like I was going crazy.

But the crazier thing was that, despite hearing that almost harassing remark, I felt a momentary relief.

I swore I’d never make a mistake during this heat.

At least no one could see me; if someone had, I’d probably die from embarrassment.

“Hah…”

I took deep breaths to calm my heated body.

Even without the heat, hearing such shameful words gets you heated…!

“…Hehe.”

I managed to succeed in calming my heated body, but now I had no idea what to say to Dokan.

“Thanks for the compliment? You’re just a typical male, huh? Looks like I’m the only one worth anything? You degenerate?”

Ugh.

I didn’t feel bad, but I couldn’t rejoice in it either, so I racked my brain for a solution.

…Yeah, that’ll do.

I’ll match madness with madness.

Complaining and praising would complete the cycle, I thought.

With my mind set, I returned to the place. Dokan was still kneeling in the same position.

“…Um, thank you for saying I looked pretty. But…”

I wanted to say harassment is bad, but I couldn’t.

Because the divine presence of the gods blanketed the entire mountain in an instant.