THUD!
Before the majesty of the massive, powerful Magic Beam Cannon, that pet bastard's legs seemed to give out, and he collapsed to the floor.
Well, with the might of overtechnology looming right in front of him, I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't reacted like that.
The mana concentrated at the muzzle of the Magic Beam Cannon grew even more powerful, and just as its dangerous energy began to surge, Eilon's bright voice rang out.
"Professor! I think it's over?"
Following Eilon's gaze, I saw my pet collapsed on the floor, unconscious.
"I see."
A finale where he got blasted would have been better, but I'd clearly stipulated that 'whoever becomes unable to declare defeat loses.' If I didn't end it here, it could actually damage my image instead. Now I was in a position where I even had to manage my image because of Favorability grinding.
"Hey, you. Take this guy and dump him where he belongs."
I left the cleanup to Torres.
He'd already been fidgeting nervously, and the moment the words left my mouth, he carefully hoisted Jesse onto his back and hurried out of the classroom.
Silence settled over the room.
Eilon's Magic Beam Cannon certainly had been shocking. My precious meat shields...... no, my disciples seemed frozen stiff, so I should probably change the mood with a warm welcome first.
"......Good to meet you. I am Lucas von Kraus. I am the professor in charge of the course 'Everything About Combat.'"
For how nervous I was, that first greeting came out pretty smoothly. Good.
"'Everything About Combat' will consist of basic knowledge about combat and practical training. During your five years at Grasco, you will learn how to fight Demons, defeat them, and survive. This course fundamentally focuses on facing Demons, but its overarching premise is your own strength."
Huh? Was I always this good with words? The speech flowed so smoothly it almost felt like someone else was talking. Maybe I'm a genius at public speaking?
"You were chosen by me. I saw talent in you, and you will prove that my eyes were not mistaken."
"Yes!"
A thunderous response broke through the awkward air.
Maybe this feeling isn't so bad?
***
A blazing red light flicked its tongue before his eyes. An enormous force pressed down as though it would crush his entire body. Every gaze around him was mocking him.
He couldn't...... do anything.
"I-I lost.."
"...... ......."
"I-I'm s-sorry......."
"Y...... ......all right......"
"Please spare me!"
"Y-Young Master!"
Jesse Athlon violently jerked himself upright.
His body was drenched in cold sweat, and the smell of disinfectant mixed with a strange stench stabbed at his nose. Eilon and Professor Lucas were nowhere to be seen. Only Torres remained by his side.
"A-are you all right, Y-Young Master?"
Torres spoke while repeatedly wiping Jesse's cold sweat away with a wet towel.
"What...... is this?"
"W-well, Y-Young Master, y-you got n-nervous......"
"Stop stuttering and speak properly, you......"
A vicious curse surged all the way to the back of his throat, but he couldn't spit it out. As he remembered what had just happened, the humiliating memory circling through his mind instead made his inferiority toward Torres, who had been chosen by Lucas, surge up.
He swallowed the rest of his words and lowered his head.
'W-wait?'
M-my lower half...... His pants had been changed.
"Th-that, um, s-so......"
Ha.
Even without Torres explaining it, Jesse could guess.
The foul smell mixed with the disinfectant that had been stabbing at his nose for a while now.
It was coming from Torres.
More precisely, from Torres's back.
Torres's back and his own pants.
Humiliating.
"Get out."
It wasn't enough that he'd fainted. He'd even wet himself. And Torres, of all people, had been the one to clean it up!
His self-loathing swelled and swelled.
"Y-Young Master. I-I'm f-fine......"
"You fucking......"
THWACK—!
He grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it at Torres.
"Get out. I said get out. Do my words mean nothing to you? You were chosen by Professor Lucas and I wasn't, and on top of that I'm a cripple who pisses himself, is that it?"
"Th-that's n-not true, Y-Young Master. I-I......"
"Fuck off! I said fuck off!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Torres stood there at a loss, then simply bowed his head deeply and walked outside.
"Huff, huff, huff."
His anger wouldn't subside.
Was it because of Torres? Eilon? Or Professor Lucas?
No. It all stemmed from his hatred of his own weakness.
For the first time in his life, Jesse Athlon was sinking deep into a swamp of helplessness.
***
Torres didn't return even by the time orientation ended.
I'd told him to dump Jesse somewhere, but it seemed he'd ended up nursing him instead.
Well, on the bright side, I was satisfied that this commotion probably wouldn't leak outside.
There was nothing good about letting it get out.
As long as I'm the only one who knows how strong they are, that's enough.
'Hm?'
On my way back to the faculty residence, I spotted a figure in the corridor of , his head hanging low.
That radiance I could sense even from afar. It was Torres.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, P-Professor."
"I distinctly told you to dump him and come back."
"I-I......"
Of course he couldn't.
The biggest reason was that Jesse was the young master he'd served his entire life. And to Torres, Jesse Athlon was both the man who'd saved his life and his savior.
That was why he offered blind loyalty even after being beaten half to death and treated that way. If you measured it in Favorability, he'd probably broken past the maximum.
'Wait, then what's his Favorability toward me?'
The average Favorability of the disciples I'd checked during orientation had been around 5, while the lowest was that shadow bastard...... at 1.
Even so, shouldn't his be at least above 3?
Favorability: -12
Huh?
For a moment, I doubted my own eyes.
I squeezed them shut and opened them again. I even waved a hand in front of them, wondering if something was stuck there, but the minus sign was still clearly stamped before the number 12.
'Hey, even that pet bastard didn't go into the negatives, you bastard!'
The back of my neck began to throb.
At this rate, my blood pressure would spike and kill me before the invasion of Grasco ever happened.
[New notification received.]
[g9165_zxjdjjdj donated 500G.]
Phew. So soothing—!
Thanks to the reader's donation, my body and mind relaxed, and I could see the situation clearly.
Right. This bastard would drop dead for Jesse Athlon. Jesse had ended up like that because of me, so of course I'd look hateful to him. I understand! I'm benevolent right now.
But if things stayed that way, this guy's talent wouldn't be able to blossom.
More importantly, if his Favorability was negative, I couldn't use the Skills he had.
"P-Professor...... I-I'm sorry, but I-I don't want to t-take your c-class."
What? What kind of nonsense is that?
If you don't take my class, who's going to protect me when my life is in danger?! Absolutely not.
It seemed he was spouting this because he felt sorry for Jesse Athlon, but I couldn't allow that.
"Torres."
"Y-yes......"
He looked slightly surprised that I remembered his name.
At the same time, his Favorability rose by 1.
"When did your master start abusing you?"
"A-abuse? N-nothing of the s-sort."
"Of course. To you, it wouldn't have been abuse. Because you could see every path Jesse Athlon's sword would take."
FLINCH—!
"Then I will change the question. Does your master know that you have been deceiving him?"
"N-no!"
Torres sprang to his feet and shouted.
"You said you do not want to take my class. If so, you may leave. But starting with the next class, you will study at Grasco alongside your master. During those five years, can you deceive your master completely? No, before that, can you deceive everyone else as well? Can you do that while avoiding the worst possible outcome of failing?"
Torres's pupils began to tremble.
In truth, well, he probably could deceive them if he really tried, but there was no way Torres could think that far right now.
"This is the first reason I chose you. You are...... stronger than Jesse Athlon."
"N-no. I-I'm......"
"Second. Jesse Athlon is also one of the greatest talents. For both of your sakes, I had to separate you, and I merely chose the stronger one."
"Th-then, instead of m-me, Y-Young Master......"
"What would change if I switched you now?"
"Th-that......"
"If you wish to drag your master into an even deeper mire, fine. I will do so."
At the same time, I turned around and started walking.
One, two, three.
"W-wait!"
As expected.
"I-I was sh-short-sighted. I-I'll l-learn from you, P-Professor."
"I do not like people who reverse themselves."
Yeah, right. Welcome, Torres! But if I accepted him just like that, he wouldn't know to be grateful.
"P-Professor. I-I beg you."
"......."
I let a moment pass.
"I-I'll d-do anything. P-please give me a ch-chance!"
"Anything?"
I pretended to think again.
"Not for me."
"Y-yes?"
"Can you do anything for your master?"
"O-of course!"
His reaction was even more intense than before. Damn, that's annoying. I'm working you twice as hard now.
"Then become the wall that blocks your master's path."
"W-what do you m-mean......?"
"I mean that you must become the trial that makes your master, Jesse Athlon, stronger. So that by surpassing you, he can become the strongest in history, as he desires."
"......."
Torres's eyes suddenly sparkled as though he'd realized something.
He was a quick-witted bastard. He must have understood well enough.
['Torres' Favorability greatly increased! +12]
Oh, this works well?
"I-I understand. I-I'll g-get stronger for Y-Young Master."
Right. That's how it'll start, but eventually you'll get stronger for me.
"Oh, right. One more thing."
"W-what......?"
"We will fix that stutter as well."
Because talking to you is frustrating.