"Hmph, haa…"
Early morning.
I had woken up earlier than usual and was running near the dormitory.
The reason for running was basic physical training.
Because of Mari's capture target route until recently, I hadn't done any physical exercise.
So, I had to hastily start moving my body now.
Of course, it wasn't too late.
*Ding!*
*[Due to the effect of 'Blooming Talent', training efficiency is maximized!]*
Thanks to the special privilege of Easy Mode, the effects of physical training were excellent.
It had only been a week since I finished Mari's route and started this morning training.
Though it was just a week, I could already feel my stamina improving due to the effect of this trait.
In a way, I had grown more now, even though I started later than in the 4th playthrough of Hard Mode.
"98… Hmph, 99, ugh…! 100!"
After running, I continued to build muscle with light bodyweight exercises.
With the goal of 100 push-ups complete, all morning training was finished.
"Haa… I'm tired…"
It was tough, but not bad.
The advantage of exercising was that the difficulty made extraneous thoughts disappear.
"..."
Still, after exercising, those extraneous thoughts stealthily resurfaced.
'Mari… I'm glad she seems better than I expected…'
The most frequent topic of my recent thoughts was, undoubtedly, Mari.
A week ago.
Mari had confessed to me once again.
That day, I cleanly rejected her confession.
Naturally, I had no intention of becoming her lover.
However, a part of me was also a little uneasy.
After all, Mari's state that day was considerably, no, very much gloomier than usual.
I was worried that after rejecting her confession, she might do something extreme.
'…She was fine, better than I thought.'
The next day.
Mari, whom I encountered in the hallway, hesitated before greeting me.
And we chatted comfortably, just like before, parting ways cleanly.
She didn't cry and cling, nor did she wear a dark expression again.
'Did she give up?'
Conversely, she might not have given up.
But it didn't matter.
As long as Mari didn't do anything extreme, I could simply stop worrying about her and focus on my subsequent goals.
"..."
Lost in thought, I had lost some time.
I rose from the grass, preparing to head back.
"Shall I get going…"
"Where to?"
"Agh—!"
At that moment.
Startled by someone's voice, which had approached without me noticing, I looked behind me.
"Si-Sierra…?"
"Hello, working hard from morning, are we?"
"..."
"Hehe, by the way, aren't you too surprised? Scaredy-cat~."
At her playful teasing once again, I gave her a sharp glare and silently watched her.
Scaredy-cat.
It couldn't be helped.
Honestly, I had encountered Mari like that just a week ago.
Even now, I was surprised for a moment, thinking Mari had shown up.
It wasn't that I was a scaredy-cat.
"What have you been doing lately? You keep training every morning."
As I looked at Sierra with that feeling of injustice, she smiled amiably and asked.
"Just as you saw. Training. …More importantly, how did you know I train at this time?"
"Well, I wake up at this time. A cup of morning tea makes me feel super refreshed to start the day."
"…So you saw me while drinking tea?"
"Yeah, I was watching, wondering what he was doing, and since you kept at it for a week, I got curious and came out."
Saying that, Sierra smiled bashfully.
Her pretty face, smiling innocently, made my heart pound without me realizing it, and I subtly averted my gaze.
"So? Why are you training every morning lately? Dieting?"
"Are you serious…?"
"Ahaha, just kidding, just kidding."
Dieting?
That wouldn't happen unless I got stronger as much as I lost weight.
I was already at a normal weight anyway.
Sierra, who had known that and joked, chuckled to herself at her own jest.
"Just. I'm preparing for the practical exam later."
"Practical exam? …Ah! You mean the final exams."
At my answer, Sierra slapped her palm as if realizing something.
"Wow… No way, are you already preparing for the finals? …Seriously, this is why nerds are like this."
"Who are you calling a nerd?"
"I'm serious about exams too, but I don't prepare for the finals just a week after midterms end."
"..."
Indeed, listening to Sierra, it made sense that I would look like an exam-crazed lunatic.
But in reality, I had no interest in exams and only thought about capturing heroines.
It was unfair, but since there was nothing I could do, I quietly shut my mouth.
However, Sierra, who had been observing me closely, then gave a playful smile and said, "Ah, perhaps~."
"Is it because of that thing last time?"
"What thing?"
"You know, when you were carried off after sparring with Malcolm."
"Ah…"
"Hehe, you must have been quite embarrassed. Trying to make up for it with this practical exam?"
"It's not like that…"
"Ahaha, don't be embarrassed. Guys can be weak sometimes, right? You know how they say, 'Heaven is fair'? Honestly, if you're good at studying *and* good at fighting, that's just unfair."
"..."
…What is this kid saying?
Sierra chuckled as if she understood, patting my shoulder.
Teasing disguised as comfort.
Receiving such a touch, I bristled with indignation.
'I let myself get hit on purpose back then.'
If I told her the truth, this injustice would be resolved.
However, that might reveal the fact that I had used Malcolm to eventually capture Mari.
So, even though it was unfair and embarrassing.
"Yeah, I'm a weakling, so I'm trying to get stronger. Happy now?"
I reluctantly pushed away Sierra's hand, which was patting my shoulder, and replied.
"..."
"...Why, what?"
Then Sierra, who had been chuckling, stared at me blankly for some reason.
Soon, she smiled sweetly.
"What, you're more straightforward than I expected? I thought you'd make a huge excuse."
"Are you disappointed that you didn't get the reaction you wanted?"
"No, hehe."
At my glaring question, Sierra smiled bashfully again, looking at me with a peculiar expression.
Because her beauty was already overwhelming.
Facing Sierra's innocent smile, I momentarily held my breath.
"I don't dislike confident people."
"..."
"Besides, trying to overcome your weaknesses is a cool thing to do, isn't it?"
Sierra, who had been teasing me just moments ago, said that in a calm voice.
…What on earth was this?
I thought she had just come over to play a prank, but suddenly she was acknowledging my efforts and looking at me with a strange expression.
A different kind of embarrassment, unlike the indignation that had flared up just moments before, filled my head.
"Alright, then I should do it too!"
"What…?"
While I silently tried to calm my mind for a moment.
Suddenly, Sierra rose from her spot and exclaimed that.
"What else, of course, it's practical training for real combat!"
And looking at me, still sitting, she smiled playfully again.
"I'll come out starting tomorrow morning too. Please take care of me."
"…Huh?"
"Be prepared. I couldn't get first place in the midterms, but for the finals, I'm definitely taking the top spot."
"No, what do you mean, unilaterally…"
"Alright then! See you at the academy in a bit."
She made a declaration unilaterally, then bid farewell just as unilaterally, and left.
At her sudden and arbitrary actions, I couldn't even think to stop her.
I watched Sierra's retreating back.
"…She's coming out starting tomorrow morning?"
For some reason, in this playthrough.
My connection with Sierra just wouldn't break.
. . .
Later, time passed, and after school arrived.
'She's coming starting tomorrow… Why on earth…'
To me, already complicated with worries about Chris and Mari, Sierra had thrown yet another concern.
For some reason, in this playthrough, I kept getting tangled with the original protagonist.
'What on earth changed…?'
In all previous playthroughs, I had never approached Sierra on my own.
After all, her partners were already assigned five people.
Aside from that, since this playthrough was dedicated solely to revenge, there was even less reason for me to approach Sierra.
But strangely, my points of contact with Sierra had increased.
'Is being the top student in the grade really that much of a merit?'
No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only reason Sierra would approach me.
Other than that, there were no clues.
'…This is a drawback that must be accounted for, just as much as it is an advantage.'
Thanks to being the top student, Mari's capture target route was very smooth.
As a bonus, my words also held more weight when I confronted Damien.
But on the flip side, I often got entangled with Sierra, the protagonist of the original story.
'Well, it's not that I dislike her…'
I didn't dislike her.
Still, I couldn't help but be concerned, as I didn't know what variables she might introduce to achieving my goals.
'No, for now, let's focus on my immediate goal.'
I walked past students heading home, shaking my head slightly to clear extraneous thoughts.
And no longer thinking of Sierra or Mari.
My current goal.
I walked down the hallway, thinking of Chris's capture target route.
'It's about time to start.'
It had been a week since I began my personal morning training.
The effect of the special privilege was better than expected, allowing me to reach my target strength and stamina earlier.
Therefore, today, I immediately headed to where Chris was.
The location was the private training ground in the corner of the sports field.
No one visited that place after school, and she was always there.
And today too.
As I approached the training ground, the sounds of Chris's training reached my ears.
"Hyaap!"
*Thwack—!!*
The sound of a blunt wooden sword hitting something blunt.
She was probably practicing her sword skills alone against a scarecrow in the training ground.
'It's been a while…'
A place I had almost never visited outside of the 4th playthrough.
As I approached the training ground, the painful memories from the 4th playthrough slowly crept up.
'Use your feet, not your hands—!!'
'Aghhh—!!'
'You idiot—! Your feet stopped—!!'
'W-wait, wait…!! Just a moment…!!'
'Do you think an enemy will wait for you in a real fight?!'
'Kyaaaah—!!'
Looking back, they weren't fond memories.
At least, most of my memories with Mari were affectionate and intimate.
But most of my memories with Chris were pain and terror.
'Seriously… for a Hard Mode extra, my motivation was amazing…'
Thinking about it now, I don't know how I endured that hellish training without any special privileges.
Well, thanks to it, Chris's capture target route became possible.
"..."
I recalled those memories as I cautiously peered inside the training ground.
What immediately met my eyes was her shimmering blonde hair.
And alluring droplets of sweat, sparkling.
"Hyaa—!!"
*Thunk! Thwack—!!*
Chris, alone in the training ground, was swinging her wooden sword with a serious expression.
'Contrary to her appearance, she's incredibly diligent…'
Though her looks and personality were like a delinquent.
Her diligent and upright side was Chris's unexpected charm.
While delinquent characters weren't my preference, that was the part I could truly love about her.
Of course…
'Let's break up…'
'Ugh… Shut up, it's just that I'm not serious about you anymore.'
'Just… forget about what happened between us…'
Even so, she still went to another guy.
Diligence didn't mean she wouldn't cheat.
I had painfully realized that in the 4th playthrough.
'No, let's not recall bad memories before starting the capture route.'
I suppressed the despairing memories as much as possible.
Currently, Chris and I were only acquainted by face.
Now, I needed to approach her with the most favorable feelings possible.
After all, she reacted sharply to others' emotions, just as her appearance suggested.
'Okay, she's almost done…'
Just then.
Chris, who had been striking the scarecrow with her wooden sword, put it down and sat nearby to drink water.
*Gulp, gulp.*
As she tilted her head back to drink, her neck and cleavage, glistening with sweat, were alluringly revealed.
While I was waiting for an opportunity, concentrating on that captivating sight, unable to tear my eyes away.
"Phew… So, how long are you going to stay there?"
"Ah."
I was caught.
"Sorry, I was about to talk to you, but you were too focused. …How long have you known?"
"I heard your footsteps when you came near."
She had noticed my presence earlier than I expected.
Not knowing that, and thinking I had hidden well, I felt a slight sense of shame.
But Chris didn't seem to care about that at all.
She still spoke with a sharp, indifferent expression.
"Emil, …was it?"
"U-uh, yeah."
As if remembering me, she said my name.
"So? What's the matter? Do you need something from me?"
And Chris, skipping the trivial greetings, straightforwardly asked my purpose.
That was typical of her.
'I wish she would accept my request just as straightforwardly.'
Of course, to capture a heroine, building a rapport with her is the most important thing.
Certainly, there are events in between that grant a large amount of favorability.
But for those events to occur, there must first be a rapport.
In Mari's case, that was the midterm exam study group.
However.
In Chris's case, I had to approach her a little differently from Mari.
In Mari's case, I approached her with a dynamic where I helped her.
"I have a favor to ask you. …Chris."
"Me?"
This time, it was the opposite.
"Teach me swordsmanship!"
I bowed my head confidently to Chris with a serious expression.
This was what made this capture route different from Mari's.
In this route, I would rely on Chris in every way.
"...Swordsmanship?"
"Yes, please. I really want to learn swordsmanship from you."
Because of this, a problem arose that was the exact opposite of Mari's case.
In Mari's case, if I was at a level where I could help her, it would be very easy to create a point of contact with her.
However, in Chris's case.
"I don't want to. Why would I?"
"I thought so, yeah?"
The problem was that creating a point of contact could fail depending on her mood.
If that wasn't resolved.
The start of the capture route would be impossible.