Chapter 148: The Teacher Fails Before the Battle Begins, Instantly Transformed into a Super-Sized Cup
'Ughhhhh... What kind of wine is this? Why is it so spicy!'
'Darn it, does Cornelia even know how to drink... Should I act like nothing's wrong or show that it's too spicy?!!!'
"Cornelia" internally screamed.
After downing the cup, her facial expression instantly became wonderfully varied.
This "Cornelia" was actually Chelsea using the Gaea Foundation makeup to transform, aiming to get close to Mahiro and find an assassination opportunity.
Originally, the girl planned to intimately approach and sit close to the man, but his sudden offer of a bowl of wine completely disrupted her plans.
Thinking this, Chelsea suddenly looked up, indeed seeing Mahiro observing her with a smile.
As an Imperial Assassination Unit assassin, Cornelia would need to handle various situations, so she must know how to drink... Just act like everything's normal.
Sure enough, after Chelsea pretended to look like she wanted more, Mahiro's probing gaze noticeably weakened.
'Phew... thank goodness, managed to bluff through...'
Chelsea inwardly sighed in relief.
But as soon as her mind relaxed, the alcohol's effect crept up slightly, tinting her cheeks with a rosy flush.
Ugh... No, I need to find a way to complete the mission quickly, otherwise I won't be able to hold on for much longer...
Just as Chelsea was thinking this, in her slightly lowered line of sight, Mahiro magically produced another pot of wine and filled her bowl to the brim.
"Again?!" Chelsea couldn't help but exclaim.
"Hm? What's wrong? Don't you usually drink with me all night? Can't handle it during the day?"
"Ah, no... I mean, aren't you curious about what Taeko said to me?"
"I am a bit curious."
Mahiro smiled, pushing the sake cup in front of Cornelia, and said, "But drinking is more important. Come, whatever you have to say, finish this cup with me first."
"Ugh..."
Chelsea let out a small internal wail.
Watching the swirling liquid in the sake cup, the pungent aroma of alcohol stung her eyes, leaving her torn between drinking and not drinking.
If she didn't drink, she would give herself away.
'Forget it, if I die, I die! I'll go for it!'
Biting her lip hard to hold back tears, Chelsea lifted the cup, tilted her head back, and downed it in one go again.
"Cough, cough..."
After drinking, Chelsea coughed lightly a couple of times, as if she had choked, but this time she learned her lesson and placed the cup by her side, far away from Mahiro.
But it seemed a bit too late—she could feel her head starting to spin.
"Alright, let's hear it. What did Taeko say to you?"
Even though she was already quite drunk, Chelsea had no choice but to answer this infuriating man's question!
"Actually... it's nothing much."
Imitating Cornelia's tone, Chelsea put on a shy, embarrassed expression and whispered, "Taeko said... she greatly admires you, Mahiro-sama..."
"Oh, that's no surprise. Plenty of people admire me—probably enough to line up from the Imperial City all the way to the southern border," Mahiro said nonchalantly.
This jerk, he's so full of himself!
Though he is kind of handsome...
"But then again, weren't you one of those who admired me back then, Cornelia?"
"Mmm..."
Cornelia murmured softly in agreement.
But seeing him pick up the wine cup to drink again, her heart sank, and she felt like crying.
Please... I beg you, don't pour any more wine...
If she drank any more, she was afraid she would really pass out, though even now moving around was becoming difficult.
As if heaven had heard Chelsea's prayer, Mahiro stood up but didn't pour any more wine.
Thank goodness...
Just as Chelsea was about to breathe a sigh of relief, something even more shocking happened to the girl.
Mahiro actually started taking off his clothes right in front of her!
"Eh, eh, eh... Mahiro-sama, what are you doing?!" Chelsea stammered, her tongue starting to trip over her words.
"Hm? Doing what?" Mahiro untied the sash of his loose bathrobe and, still draped in it, walked over to stand before Cornelia, looking down at the extremely tense girl.
He gently lifted Cornelia's chin, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he said:
"Drop the 'what'!"
"W-Wait, please! I... I just walked a long way with Taeko and I'm still a bit tired, plus I've been sweating a lot..."
Chelsea tried to struggle, but how could someone as delicate as her be a match for Mahiro?
"Didn't you just go out for a walk and chat with Taeko? Tired already? That doesn't sound like you, Cornelia."
"Ahhh... It's... It's just that... I'm a little uncomfortable right now, Mahiro-sama. Could you wait until tonight... Ahhh—!"
Although she had used the Gaea Foundation to transform into Cornelia's appearance, this body was still essentially her own!
So, whether it was the feeling of being completely exposed or the chill from being uncovered, she felt every bit of it!
"So noisy... Cornelia, have you forgotten your place? Do I need to remind you again? You and those other girls are nothing but my toys—got it?!"
Pinning the girl's hands with one of his own, Mahiro looked into her eyes with a mocking grin.
'Ugh... What a pervert, beast, scumbag, trash... Someone like him deserves to die ten thousand times!'
'But before that, won't anyone save me? Waaaaah...'
Chelsea's heart was already completely flooded with tears.
She no longer had the mental capacity to worry about assassination matters—what lay before her now was the most critical maiden crisis!
Though she had once served as an aristocratic maid and was well aware of the depravity among the empire's nobles, she never expected the minister of the Imperial Assassination Unit to treat the assassination squad under his command as tools for his own gratification!
'How despicable!'
But upon reflection, it made sense. After all, the assassination squad members were orphans gathered by the empire. Even if they were trained to become tools, such exploitation wasn't entirely impossible.
Yet, if that were the case, perhaps this assassination unit held potential for recruitment...
However, in Chelsea's momentary distraction, that intense, scorching aura had already enveloped her completely.
'Ugh... This bastard, how could he... Eek?... Mmmph... No, stop...'
A silent scream echoed in Chelsea's heart.
The girl thought with profound sorrow—was she really going to sacrifice herself for the sake of an assassination?
But the arrow was already on the bowstring. No matter how she struggled, it was futile.
The man had completely restrained her body, leaving her unable to move an inch!
"You seem unusually stiff today, Cornelia."
He leaned down, pinning both of the girl's wrists with one hand, casting Cornelia entirely under his shadow.
"It's just... well... I already said I'm not feeling well today... Eeeek...!!!"
This time, he didn't give her any chance to explain.
'No... This is... Could you be any more impatient, you bastard? At least give me some time to prepare... Mmmph...!'
Gritting her teeth, forcing herself not to make any strange noises, Chelsea clenched her hands tightly, her slender body trembling uncontrollably.
'Waaah, such a loss... It hurts so much... Can this count as an occupational injury?... How are you going to compensate me, old lady... Ah!!!'
While inwardly wailing, Chelsea still had to obediently comply with his actions.
It was nothing short of torture.
Fortunately, during the process, Mahiro released her hands, giving Chelsea an opening.
Her nimble, delicate palms gently crept up Mahiro's back, appearing from a distance like a lover's caress, but in reality, she was searching for something.
When her fingers found a specific spot on his neck, Chelsea's tension reached its peak.
Losing her virginity didn't matter—at the very least, she had to eliminate this man...
Just as she thought this, as her palm twisted and a steel needle appeared, aimed at Mahiro's neck—
Their bodies suddenly collided violently.
Whether from the pain or shock, Chelsea's mouth fell open, her eyes widened, and her movements froze completely.
She looked just like a fish out of water!
To ensure this fish wouldn't suffocate, Mahiro kindly provided artificial mouth-to-mouth respiration.
Tears instantly welled up in Chelsea's eyes.
Waaah, not only did I lose my virginity, but now I've lost my first kiss too...
But the next second, she discovered that her wrist had been grabbed again, and with a thud, she was forcefully pinned against the tatami floor.
Fortunately, she had thrown the steel needle aside in time, so it went unnoticed.
"You're so sweet... I didn't expect you to have such a sweet tooth."
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Chelsea gasped for air, her face flushed as she looked at Mahiro.
But inwardly, she panicked.
Damn it, I forgot the target isn't supposed to have a habit of consuming sweets!
Yet what shocked and horrified her even more was his next sentence.
"Are you going to keep pretending?"
"!!!"
Chelsea's entire body froze instantly, and only two words echoed loudly in her mind—
"It's over."
How did he find out? She had cooperated the whole time, and her acting had been flawless!
"Hiss—Relax, just relax. You're clenching... oh no, I mean, your body is too tense."
Mahiro patted the girl in front of him reassuringly.
But seeing that she showed no signs of relaxing, Mahiro decided not to force it and simply began to enjoy himself, speaking softly:
"Honestly, your acting is pretty bad, really. And your intelligence work is lacking too. First of all, you made a grammatical error right from the start—Cornelia would never address me as Mahiro-sama. She would respectfully call me Lord Yotsuba."
"Secondly, Cornelia doesn't drink. Watching you down two large bowls in one go, do you have any idea how hard it was to hold back my laughter?"
"But besides that, there's one most important point—"
While mocking the girl's inadequate intelligence work, he leaned down and whispered in her ear:
"Cornelia... well, she's not a first-timer, you know~"
"You... you... you! So you knew I was a fake from the very beginning—Mph?!!"
"What did you think? But seeing you like this, not putting up any resistance, is quite amusing... And I have to say, you're not the least bit inferior to Cornelia~"
"Bas... bastard... Ugh!"
Chelsea wanted to resist, but the alcohol had gone to her head, leaving her without any strength.
"Be good, relax. I'll be gentle."
"Bastard! If you don't want Cornelia to die, let me go now! She's been taken away by Taeko! You don't want anything to happen to her, do you?!"
"Heh, I know Taeko is strong, but do you really think Cornelia is weak?"
Mahiro laughed arrogantly.
Ignoring her struggles, he simply treated the girl like an oversized cup.
Just as Chelsea's assassination attempt on Mahiro failed and she was in the midst of making cream-filled puffs,
Taeko had already brought Cornelia deep into the forest hundreds of meters away, to the site of an abandoned building. Verdant vines and thick roots coiled around the fragile, weathered walls.
It looked as if it had been deserted for decades.
"I... I say... Taeko? You brought me here saying you had something important to tell me...."
Cornelia instinctively surveyed her surroundings and asked, "You couldn't... possibly have feelings for Lord Yotsuba, could you?"
As soon as the words left her mouth.
Cornelia keenly detected the sound of falling leaves being sliced apart by a blade, followed immediately by an indescribably sharp murderous intent rushing toward her!
She instinctively retreated two steps, leaning her body slightly backward, just in time to see a fierce blade sweep past her throat, missing it by a hair's breadth.
"...So you dodged it."
Taeko murmured softly, slowly rising to her feet and sheathing her long sword. "I originally didn't want you to suffer too much in death..."
Cornelia planted her feet firmly on the ground to steady herself, her expression grave as she stared at the girl across from her, her pupils slightly constricted in shock.
"Taeko... just who are you?!"
"I am an assassin hired by the Revolutionary Army."
Taeko replied calmly, but her eyes were unlike their usual tranquility, brimming with intense killing intent!
"...Although at first, I thought it would be nice to become friends with you... but now it seems, this is the only way things can be between Cornelia and me."
"...!"
Cornelia was utterly shocked.
On one hand, she was stunned by the murderous intent and Taeko's identity.
On the other hand, she was deeply frustrated. Despite Lord Yotsuba repeatedly warning her to be careful, she had ended up befriending an assassin from the Revolutionary Army!
Recalling how Lord Yotsuba had been cautioning her to be careful over the past few days.
Thinking back now, perhaps Lord Yotsuba had known Taeko's identity all along.
Not wanting to hurt her, he had been reminding her in this indirect way all along.
Lord Yotsuba, you are truly too kind. Cornelia has failed you...
While feeling regret and self-blame in her heart, Cornelia's gaze gradually grew resolute.
"In that case... since you are an enemy who has come to my door, I will eliminate you!"
There was no hesitation in Cornelia's eyes. To her, nothing was more important than the elite group and Lord Yotsuba.
Even if there were, she could completely abandon it!
"Crushing King, equip!!!"
With a firm declaration-like cry, a metallic gauntlet materialized on Cornelia's right arm, completely encasing her hand, wrist, and forearm.
Seeing this, Taeko slowly raised her long sword into a stance, gradually lowering her body and center of gravity.
"I am the breath of the Death God Oberl, the impermanent wind that guides you to the underworld!"
Taeko's slender frame erupted with disproportionate strength as she instantly lunged toward Cornelia, a sharp blade light seen sweeping upward from below.
"Gale!"
The sword pressure carrying the chilling aura of wind rushed straight toward Cornelia's face!
So fast!
Cornelia's pupils contracted as she swiftly sidestepped, only to see a fissure appear where she had just been standing!
That nodachi with a blade longer than ordinary katana had easily sliced through the hard stone ground!
But if this is all you've got, I can handle it!
Cornelia's gaze was icy, as if she had discarded all emotions, then she lunged forward in a swift step, charging fiercely into Taeko's embrace.
"Flower Wind, Close-Range Slash!"
A swift and powerful slash came again, from a bizarre angle!
The sharp wind pressure brought by the sword technique scattered Cornelia's golden hair. Cornelia's eyes clearly tracked the trajectory, and she slightly raised the Crushing King on her arm to block the strike.
Then she abruptly spun around and delivered a counter-kick aimed at Taeko's abdomen.
Thud!
Taeko was instantly sent flying, but the kick had been blocked by her long sword.
"So strong..."
Cornelia felt surprised inwardly.
Even though her body had been enhanced and she was empowered by the Teigu modified by Lord Yotsuba—though she hadn't used her full strength—she hadn't expected her opponent to keep up with her speed!
In this first round of probing, the two could be said to be evenly matched.
However, it wasn't just Mahiro and Cornelia who were under attack.
Nahashu and Green, as the outer support team, were also targeted.
While the two were leisurely fishing by the shore, they suddenly noticed an elderly woman approaching unsteadily from a distance.
"Is she an old lady here to gather wild vegetables?"
Green voiced an incredibly naive remark, and Nahashu shot his companion a speechless look.
What a useless thing to say...
"No, this one is named Babara. I am the eyes of the Grim Reaper Oberl, the light of impermanence, awaiting your journey to the underworld."
The elderly woman, Babara, declared thus!