Chris, unlike usual, stared blankly out the window even during class.
In the past few days, she had participated in the morning training sessions that Emil and Sierra conducted.
Perhaps her increased tendency to stare blankly started after she joined that training.
"…"
In her mind, as she stared into space, two figures came to mind.
Namely, Emil and Sierra.
"Hmph…"
For some reason, even when she thought of them, she ended up picturing them getting along well.
As she sat still, her fists clenched, trembling with force.
'What exactly is their relationship…?'
Chris, who had been trembling, released the tension and just slumped onto her desk.
And with a glum expression, she sought an answer to her question.
Sierra.
She had an appearance that anyone would call beautiful, and she was also very sociable.
Perhaps Emil too…
As that thought crossed her mind, her sharp eyes subtly trembled.
"…"
Why did she keep thinking like this?
For the past few days, she had continuously pondered the reason why.
Of course, the answer was simple.
Because she saw Emil as a man.
And one with whom she desired a rather good relationship.
"Ahem, Chris."
"…Yes."
"No matter how tired you are, during class…"
"…"
"Yikes! Ah, no… Ahem."
Having slumped over without thinking, she was called out by the Professor-nim who was teaching.
But the Professor-nim, who faced her, flinched and avoided her gaze.
A familiar reaction for Chris.
Emil was the same.
'Am I that scary?'
In truth, she hadn't even glared fiercely just now.
But both the Professor-nim and Emil had gotten scared preemptively and avoided her eyes.
"…"
Suddenly, she didn't like that fact.
. . .
Whoosh!
Thwack!
Tap-tap-tap!
Chris, who had lightly blocked my wooden sword, widened the distance with nimble steps.
"…"
And soon, she took a defensive stance, awaiting my attack.
'As expected, the favorability event worked.'
Chris's posture during the sparring had changed.
Before, she would unleash fast and strong attacks regardless of whether I got hurt.
However, after the last dungeon practical, she had become extremely defensive during sparring.
If things continued like this and the main event was properly achieved, the capture would end there.
But.
'My goal isn't just to finish the capture, but to receive a confession.'
To receive a confession, simply subduing her wouldn't be enough.
'So, I'll have to raise her favorability even more.'
Somehow, I had succeeded in getting Mari to confess.
In Chris's case, she had strong pride and was surprisingly shy.
Therefore, I had to make her think, 'I should confess,' as much as possible.
"Hey, Chris."
"Uh, huh? What is it?"
I subtly spoke to Chris, who was resting after the sparring ended.
"Isn't training like this every time a little boring?"
"…What?"
At my question, Chris momentarily wore a puzzled expression.
"Well… I guess so."
She replied with a somewhat sullen expression, her cheeks flushed.
'She's not getting angry.'
Normally, Chris would have sternly retorted, 'Does training to get stronger need to be fun?'
But she glanced at me and agreed with what I said.
It was a look of concern for my feelings over her own values.
'That's the side of her I fell for, you see.'
Chris wasn't a heroine to my liking, but after the capture, I felt a great attraction seeing this side of her.
Though I was betrayed later.
"Then, I mean."
Anyway.
I continued speaking to Chris, who was receptive to my question.
"How about we make a bet out of it?"
"…A bet?"
The bet that had forged a connection with her in this playthrough.
When I mentioned that bet, Chris reacted quite strongly.
Her eyes, which had been gently observing, widened and sparkled as she looked at me.
"Well, you know, Chris seems to have lost some motivation lately… Her proactiveness seems to have decreased."
"Ugh… N-not really."
"So, wouldn't it be more fun if we made a bet?"
"…What kind of bet?"
As if to accept my proposal, Chris asked about the terms of the bet.
To that, I replied with a bright smile.
"How about a wish bet?"
"…A w-wish?"
"The loser grants the winner's wish. Isn't that good?"
"…"
I saw Chris's eyes tremble greatly for a moment.
It seemed she was quite tempted.
What kind of wish did she think of?
It would be great if it were a confession.
"Hmph, bringing up such a silly proposal… Is training too easy for you?"
And Chris, blushing shyly, turned her head and spoke.
Though she said that.
"Fine…! I'll properly put you through your paces this time. Brace yourself if you lose."
"Haha, that's the spirit."
Chris spoke harshly, yet a slight smile lingered on her lips.
It seemed she was quite pleased with the bet proposal.
. . .
"I've been going easy on you lately, so you must have gotten confident."
"Well… I'm confident my skills have improved anyway."
"Hmph, I'll make you realize you're still just a pup."
Chris and Emil stood facing each other with wooden swords, exchanging those words.
Chris's eyes shone with a sharp, fierce gleam.
Her expression, as usual, just looked fierce.
However.
'A w-w-w-wish right…! A wish right…!'
Her heart was so excited, more than ever before, that she couldn't calm down and was shouting loudly.
The wish right.
Meaning, anything would be granted.
As long as it was something Emil could do.
Whoosh!
Thwack!
The two wooden swords clashed, signaling the start of the sparring match.
The two looked serious.
However, even amidst that, Chris couldn't calm her inner thoughts and kept chattering about something.
'What, what should I ask for…? What can he grant? How far can it go…?'
It was a rare opportunity, and given the skill difference between Emil and herself, winning was an absolute certainty for her.
Because the result of the match depended on who landed an attack first.
It was much more advantageous for Chris than the previous bet when she asked him to teach her swordsmanship.
Chris was simply thinking that she had secured the wish right.
'What wish should I make…?'
Even while swinging her wooden sword, she thought only about the wish she would make.
Not for a moment did she think she would lose.
And the very first wish that came to Chris's mind was.
Sierra.
Sierra, who seemed to be on good terms with Emil, came to mind.
'…like, what do you think of Sierra… or something.'
Or else.
'…like, keep some distance from Sierra… or something.'
Wishes of that kind.
"Ugh…!"
Whoosh!
Clack!
Receiving Emil's wooden sword, Chris flushed and squeezed her eyes shut.
'That's a bit too obvious…!'
It was a wish she thought of herself, but it was too direct.
At this rate, it was no different than outright confessing.
'Something else… Something a bit more natural…'
Chris lightly parried the countless sword strikes Emil threw, falling into thought.
A wish was a wish, but she wanted something that would satisfy her desires more, yet wouldn't reveal her feelings.
And then she remembered.
'A meal, perhaps… wouldn't that be okay?'
What people commonly called a date.
'Right, asking for a meal isn't that strange for a wish…'
She could have a new time with Emil, just the two of them, not for training.
Perhaps she might even get a chance to ask about Sierra during the meal.
Above all, it was natural.
'Good! This is it!'
Chris decided on her wish.
The wish was to have a meal with Emil at a nice restaurant.
That was the decision.
Thus, Chris ended her dilemma and now focused on the sparring to defeat Emil, but…
"Opening!"
"Yikes!"
Thwack!
In that fleeting moment.
Emil didn't miss the chance, swinging his wooden sword and landing a clean strike on the top of her head.
Then Chris clutched her head and fell to the ground.
With that, the bet was over.
"Sorry, you weren't even concentrating, but you were blocking too well. Without thinking, I just…"
"Ugh…"
Emil smiled apologetically at Chris, who was in pain.
Chris groaned in pain, but.
It wasn't her head that hurt.
The pain came from losing the bet.
'I let my guard down…!'
She had become arrogant, assuming she would naturally win, and thus revealed an opening.
"Sigh…"
"Did it hurt a lot? You're even sighing."
"No… it's not that…"
She couldn't help but sigh.
'My wish right…'
The feeling of losing something she thought she had.
That sense of emptiness brought quite dismal feelings to Chris.
She had finally thought of a good wish that wouldn't reveal her true feelings.
Did he know her feelings, or not?
Emil just wore a bright smile, having won.
"So, since I won, the wish right is mine, right?"
"…That's right."
What wish would he make?
Chris pondered for a moment.
'Like, no wooden swords in the next sparring match… Or carrying my bag…?'
What came to mind were trivial, prank-like wishes.
She couldn't really think of any other wishes Emil might make.
From the start, he never seemed to want anything in particular, nor did he ask anything of her.
All Emil ever wanted from her was swordsmanship lessons.
'…Does he not see me as a woman at all?'
Chris felt as if she was about to sigh again.
Just then.
"Then… shall we meet briefly this weekend?"
"…Yes."
"A wish right really pays off, doesn't it?"
"...…Wait, …what?"
Chris, who had answered without thinking, stared blankly at Emil, who was smiling brightly.
What wish did he just make?
"Meeting on the weekend. Is that okay?"
"…Is that, you want me to teach you swordsmanship on the weekend too?"
"What? Haha, of course not. Let's meet at the plaza in the city."
"…Plaza?"
After conveying that, Emil returned his and Chris's wooden swords to their places.
"Well, training for today is over. I'm going. See you tomorrow."
And he naturally returned to the dormitory.
But Chris watched his retreating figure for a while.
'This…'
After thinking for a long time, she finally.
Blushed and lowered her head.
'Is this a date…?'