For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Chapter 246: Second Semester (4)

“Iona has arrived!”

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this.

I wasn’t the only one thinking that. As soon as Iona struck a strange pose, small chuckles were heard from all around the classroom.

Iona, enjoying the attention, waved her hand dramatically and greeted everyone.

“Hello! Hello! It’s been a while, everyone! Well, not for everyone, but I haven’t seen most of you during the break!”

Iona threw a meaningful glance in my direction.

However, since it was well-known within the academy that I officially provided blood to Iona, everyone just accepted it as usual.

Seeing the students’ lukewarm reactions, Iona smacked her lips in disappointment and continued speaking.

“Starting today, the 2nd semester begins! Let me briefly explain the 2nd-semester classes! They’re a bit different from the 1st semester!”

As she said that, Iona lightly scattered her magic, engraving words into the air.

[Have a Fun Start to the 2nd Semester!]

The letters were round and oddly cute. In the corner, there was a chibi 2-head-tall character of Iona drawn as well.

What on earth is that?

Iona smiled proudly as laughter erupted from all around, then she waved her hand again, altering the image she had created.

This time, it was a table summarizing the changes in each subject… although there was still a mini Iona drawn in the corner.

“First of all, in my Magic Combat class, we won’t be having duels among ourselves anymore!”

The mini Iona walked cutely over and helped up another mini Iona that had been in opposition.

“Instead, we’ll be dueling with the Knight Department. We’ll have both individual and team matches, so look forward to it! The battles will be completely different from what you’ve experienced so far!”

Next to the two mini Ionas shaking hands amicably, two sinister, black mini Ionas appeared, grinning wickedly.

Holding toothpick-like swords, they must be representing the Knight Department. The adorable portrayal was quite charming.

However, it seemed the original mini Ionas didn’t find it as amusing; they appeared tense as they floated flames and ice above their hands.

Why is this so well made?

I was only able to admire it briefly. Just as the mini Ionas seemed ready to fight, they suddenly vanished, and new words appeared.

[Let’s Partner with the Crafting Department!]

Along with that phrase, two newly drawn mini Ionas shook hands seriously.

One held a staff, and the other a hammer, clearly representing the Magic and Crafting Departments.

“Everyone, everyone. You might know that the Crafting Department exists, but you probably don’t know exactly what they do, right? This is a chance to get to know each other better! Whether you’re a magician or a knight, equipment is important!”

The mini Iona holding the staff tilted its head, then spun around, pulling out a potion bottle with a confident expression.

“From the 2nd year, you’ll need to choose a major, right? There are quite a few overlaps with the Crafting Department, like enchantments or alchemy. Who knows? You might discover your true calling, so don’t neglect your connection with the Crafting Department!”

Iona continued to explain, adding cute drawings and clear text.

Pure academic subjects like mana manipulation and formula theory remained much the same as in the 1st semester.

However, most of the other subjects were expanded to connect with or have potential ties to other fields.

This was probably to give us various experiences in preparation for choosing our majors in the 2nd year, just as Iona mentioned.

Well… I’d already decided to major in Magic Combat with a minor in Elemental Magic, so I didn’t have to worry much.

I listened intently for a while, wondering if anything had changed, but when I realized it was just the same as I remembered, I started to tune out Iona’s explanation.

Instead, I couldn’t take my eyes off the mini Iona, who was continuously showing various adorable expressions—arguing, rejoicing, being disappointed, smirking mischievously, and even staring blankly.

Could I make something like that too? I might be able to write text or draw simple images, but making something that moves that vividly might be beyond me.

Still, I should give it a try.

The magic itself was basic. It was probably just light magic. The problem was having a firm grasp of the magic and a clear image…

I slipped my hand under the desk and tried projecting my mana.

Wooong.

It seemed impossible to succeed on the first try. The image I created looked fine when still, but as soon as it moved, it always distorted somewhere.

How many times did I pretend to listen to Iona’s lesson while secretly focusing on creating a mini Yandel?

Ding~ Ding~ Ding~

Before I knew it, the bell rang throughout the academy, signaling the end of class.

“Alright, alright. I timed it perfectly! It was nice seeing everyone again, and let’s work hard starting tomorrow! For today, go rest well! Oh, Yandel, drop by my lab before you go home!”

“Yes.”

I nodded indifferently at Iona’s words.

She probably wanted her daily dose of blood.

---

“You know, Yandel, you didn’t really listen to my explanation today, did you? I put in so much effort to prepare for this…”

“Weren’t you calling me for blood?”

“Of course, I am going to drink blood! But it’s so sad that you didn’t listen to my lesson properly, even if it was just the opening day! Sniff, sniff.”

Iona covered her eyes with her hands, making a clearly fake crying sound that anyone could recognize.

Scratching the back of my head awkwardly, I moved closer and sat right next to Iona.

Our shoulders touched. In other words, I was close enough to see the mischievous grin that had been playing on Iona’s lips earlier as I extended my finger into the air.

“It’s because of this.”

As I lightly drew upon my magic, a small light began to glow at my fingertip. Using it, I started to draw the chibi Yandel I had been practicing earlier, leaving a trace in the air as the image formed.

It was still difficult to shape it perfectly with a single wave of the hand, like Iona.

“Hmm? What’s this…?”

“Ta-da.”

As she stopped pretending to cry, I wiggled my finger toward Iona.

Although the image distorted as if someone had hit it, the chibi Yandel still managed to walk toward Iona and look up at her from below.

Then, as if startled, it fussed over Iona, going so far as to reach up and pretend to wipe her eyes.

Hmm… the movements were still awkward. And I haven’t figured out how to fix the distortion issue either.

But considering I only practiced for a little while today, wasn’t this pretty decent? I didn’t know how it would look to Iona, who was the original user, though.

As I waited with a nervous feeling, like a student awaiting their test results, Iona stared at me and the chibi Yandel in turn, her mouth slightly agape.

“Yandel… Did you imitate me?”

“Yes. It looked like fun.”

“Yandel, are you really interested in magic that’s neither sexy nor related to combat?”

“??? You’re making it sound like I’m obsessed with blood and women.”

I was so taken aback that my mouth fell open, but Iona, shaking her head as if she were the one more aggrieved, continued.

“But think about the magic you’ve used and the magic you know!”

“Aren’t they ordinary?”

“No, they’re not! The moment you became a Junior Magician, you were already slinging intermediate-level magic with ease. You’re an expert in combat magic, but you’re a novice in daily life magic.”

“I can use Clean, at least!”

“But that’s the only one you can use! And you even twisted it into some weird version you call Anal Clean!”

“It’s not weird! It’s an amazing spell!”

“Sure, sure. I’ve heard about it from Iris, so I have a rough idea! But besides Clean, is there any other daily life magic you know?”

“Telekin–”

“Don’t mention telekinesis! That’s a multipurpose spell intended for both combat and daily use.”

“…”

What else was there? I thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with an answer.

“Goodness, goodness. Do you really not know? Not even one? What about plant growth magic or charming magic?”

“Ah, I know the basics of the principles and where the visions lie for druids and tamers, but I can’t use them.”

“How do you even know that?! No, those two magics are different from what you think! They’re just for improving crops and seducing someone!”

“Oh.”

But those kinds of spells weren’t in H&A.

Thanks to my exceptional memory trait, I could recall a multitude of spells, but none of them fit the criteria.

There were some spells classified as non-combat, but those were mostly used indirectly in battles rather than directly.

Enchanting, after all, was a spell learned to create amazing magical tools to obliterate enemies, and spells like Sleep or Paralyze were meant to make combat easier by inducing status effects.

Now that I thought about it, it was obvious. H&A was faithful to combat content but completely lacked any life content.

The closest thing to it would be the Crafting Department route, but in the end, that was just about equipping party members or showering them with consumable items to achieve a gear-dependent ending.

No matter how you looked at it, calling a bomber playstyle a peaceful playthrough was impossible. So, that’s out too.

…Actually, there’s a reason for this.

The academy was created to completely clear out cultists and dungeons. Naturally, they focused on teaching combat-related skills.

In H&A, it must have been implemented so that only combat-related skills could be learned, which was why I didn’t remember any others.

More importantly, the person who brought me here and the one who created H&A likely intended for me to avoid the doomed future and reach a happy ending.

To achieve that, combat power was paramount, and any unnecessary parts were probably intentionally omitted.

For example, the hidden piece in the Cassis Valley, which was left only in the game code, was one such thing.

“…”

The thought that I was moving in a direction someone else had planned, regardless of my will, suddenly irritated me.

My face hardened without me realizing it. Iona, perhaps interpreting my expression in her own way, pulled me into a gentle embrace.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You can learn from now on. That’s what the academy is for, right?”

“Professor Iona…”

It sounded like a touching statement, but wasn’t she just treating me like a pitiful child?

While I was briefly caught in these mixed emotions, accepting Iona’s embrace, she suddenly declared…

“Then, then. I’ll drink your blood now!”

“Right now, at this timing?”

Despite letting out a helpless chuckle, I pulled my collar down to my shoulder.

Iona didn’t hesitate and immediately sank her teeth into my neck.

Crunch.