I sat on the bench for a few minutes, pretending to stretch my "injured" ankle. A few of the students who saw the incident glanced at me with pity before going back to their business.
My reputation on day one: the clumsy kid who tripped over his own feet. Perfect. Being a laughingstock was much better than being a threat. It was the best camouflage for an extra.
After Lyra was out of sight, I dropped the act and stood up, walking normally without a hint of a limp. I returned my dirty tray, then stepped out of the noisy dining hall back into the fresh morning air.
The sun was higher now, its light warm on my skin. I needed a quiet place to think and plan my next move. I found an empty bench under a large, shady tree, far from the main crowd. I sat down and pulled Lyra's handkerchief out of my pocket.
The cloth was pure white and neatly ironed. In one corner, there was a small embroidery of a green leaf. A detail that was so very her. I brought it to my nose. It smelled like lilies and vanilla, a calming scent.
[Trophy verified. Congratulations, Host. You are one step closer to avoiding a humiliating title.]
'Don't remind me,' I grumbled internally, folding the handkerchief carefully and putting it away. 'Now, let's focus. Two targets left. Isolde and Kira.'
Both were significantly harder than Lyra. Lyra was kind-hearted and a bit naive, making her relatively easy to manipulate with a cheap trick like that. But Isolde? She was arrogant, wary, and had a temper as fierce as her fire magic. And Kira? As a Beastkin and a senior, her senses and combat experience would be light-years beyond mine.
I needed a plan. Not just a plan A, but a B and C too.
Target: Isolde von Brandt. Item: A strand of hair.
How do you get a strand of hair from someone without them noticing? Pulling it was obviously not an option. I'd be incinerated on the spot. Taking it from her comb or hairbrush? That would mean sneaking into her room in the girls' dorm. The risk of getting caught was too high.
My mind went back to our encounter in the hallway. She was angry. Easily provoked. Maybe... I could use that.
'System,' I called out. 'If I manage to provoke Isolde into attacking me, and in the process, I manage to get a strand of her hair, would that count?'
[Of course. The method is irrelevant; the result is what matters. But, I warn you, provoking a top-tier fire mage when your stamina stat is equivalent to an asthmatic grandfather's is a profoundly stupid strategy.]
'I know the risks. But it's the only idea I have right now. I could pretend to accidentally spill something on her, or make a sarcastic comment. Something that will really piss her off.'
The plan was still rough, but at least it was a starting point. I'd have to find the right moment, maybe when she was surrounded by a lot of people so she couldn't use overly powerful magic.
Target: Kira, the Beastkin senior. Item: One uniform button.
This was the bigger problem. I didn't even know what she looked like, other than that she was a Beastkin.
'System, I need intel. What's this Kira like? Where can I find her?'
[Kira is a third-year student and the captain of the Hand-to-Hand Combat Club. She is from the wolf tribe, with snow-white hair and golden eyes. She can usually be found in the training dojo behind the gymnasium. But approaching her will not be easy. Her sense of smell and hearing are ten times sharper than an ordinary human's.]
Captain of the combat club. Wolf tribe. Shit. This was getting worse. Getting a uniform button meant I had to get close and make a quick, precise hand movement without her noticing. With senses that sharp, the probability of success was close to zero.
I leaned back on the bench, massaging my temples. I needed a distraction. Something that could overwhelm all her senses, even for just a second. Something... shocking.
'What if...' I thought, another crazy idea forming. 'What if I challenge her to a duel?'
[...Host, did your embarrassing first death cause permanent brain damage? You, with a strength stat of 4, want to challenge a Beastkin martial arts master?]
'Hear me out first, you pessimistic text box!' I retorted. 'I don't intend to win. I'll challenge her, then get my ass kicked in five seconds. But in that defeat, when our bodies collide or when I fall, I'll have a split-second opportunity to grab her button. She'll be too focused on beating me to probably even notice a small touch.'
The plan was extremely dangerous. I'd probably end up with a few broken ribs. But it was better than walking around with the title [The Impotent Coward] above my head forever.
[A plan based on the hope that your target will be too busy beating the crap out of you to notice you're pickpocketing her... I have to admit, it's so stupid it might just work. Probability of success: 15%. Probability of you ending up in the nurse's office for a week: 85%.]
'I'll take those odds.'
I stood up. I had a plan, albeit a very crazy one for both targets. First, I'd find the dojo and observe Kira. I needed to know what I was up against. After that, I'd look for Isolde and try to piss her off.
I looked at the main academy building in the distance. Students were starting to head inside, probably towards the hall for the ceremony preparations. I didn't have much time.
With a new purpose, I started walking towards the gymnasium area, my heart pounding with a strange mix of fear and excitement.
This was my first day in a new world. And I was already planning to piss off a noble and challenge a monster to a duel.
The air felt heavier around the sports facilities. The hum of magic and spirited shouts replaced the casual chatter of the main courtyard. I passed a large field where some students were practicing basic elemental magic, creating small fireballs and thin ice walls. They all looked so talented and full of potential. Meanwhile, I had just mastered the art of peeking at panties.
[Don't sell yourself short, Host. Peeking is an art that requires finesse and courage. A skill far more useful in daily life than creating fireworks.]
'Whatever you say,' I replied, my eyes busy looking for the building the system described. 'An 85% chance of ending up in the nurse's office, huh? Did you pick out my favorite color for the bandages?'
[I recommend pink. It will contrast nicely with the look of agony on your face.]
I finally found it at the end of the complex, slightly separate from the other buildings. A dojo. But this was no simple wooden dojo like in Japan. This building was solid, made of giant dark wood beams with sturdy stone pillars at each corner. The roof curved elegantly like a temple, and above the large entrance, a symbol of a wolf's paw and a crossed fist was carved. From inside, I could hear the rhythmic sound of heavy impacts.
DOK! DOK! DOK!
Each impact was followed by a faint tremor I could feel in the ground. Whoever was in there was hitting something with monstrous strength. I swallowed. The courage that had been swelling up just moments ago now shrank to the size of a pea.
I snuck to the side of the building, looking for a window. I found one, a sliding window covered with thick, magic-reinforced shoji paper. I made a small hole with a spit-moistened finger an old trick from ninja movies and peeked inside.
The room inside was spacious, with a gleaming polished wood floor. There was no one there, except for one person in the center of the room.
A girl.
Thick, snow-white hair was tied in a high ponytail, swinging wildly with her every move. A pair of pointed, white-furred wolf ears stood erect on top of her head, twitching alertly. A bushy tail with a gray tip swayed behind her, looking alive and full of energy. She was only wearing a modified sleeveless top from her uniform and loose training pants, revealing toned arms and a ripped stomach. Sweat glistened on her slightly tanned skin, making it shine in the light.
And she was destroying a stack of thick stone blocks with her bare hands.
DOK!
She threw a straight punch. The top stone block shattered into pieces.
DOK!
A side kick. The next two blocks crumbled to dust.
DOK! DOK! DOK!
A rapid, brutal series of elbow and knee strikes reduced the rest of the stack to gravel.
I stared at the scene with my mouth agape. That power... She was a monster in the body of a super sexy high school girl. Kira. No doubt about it.
[Analysis: Kira. Race: Beastkin (Arctic Wolf Tribe). Level: Estimated 15. Main Attributes: Strength (45), Agility (38), Stamina (42). Threat: Extreme. Suggestion: Run.]
The comparison of her stats to mine was so vast it felt like a joke. My strength was 4, hers was 45. She could kill me with a finger flick.
But as my eyes fell on her tight-fitting top, I saw my target. The buttons on the front of her uniform looked strained, struggling to contain her large, firm tits. I only needed one.
'Okay, Eagle Eye,' I thought, focusing my mana.
Her clothes turned transparent. Underneath... holy shit. She wasn't wearing a bra. She had just wrapped her chest with a white sarashi (binding cloth), like fighters in a manga. It made her large tits look even more dense and compressed. The sight, a combination of brutal strength and wild sensuality, made my blood rush.
I had to do it. I had no other choice.
I took a deep breath, walked around to the front of the dojo, and pushed open one of the heavy sliding doors.
Krieeet...
The door opened with a loud creak. Kira, who was preparing to destroy a new stack of blocks, stopped instantly. Her movement froze mid-motion. Slowly, she turned her head towards me. Her sharp, golden eyes, like an eagle's, narrowed, pinning me in place. Her wolf ears twitched, and I swear I could see her nose slightly sniffing the air.
"Who are you?" her voice was husky and strong, not at all like a teenage girl's. "Are you lost, kid?"
I stepped into the dojo, letting the door slide shut behind me. I tried to look confident, even though my knees felt like jelly.
"I was looking for you, Kira-senpai," I said, my voice steadier than I expected.
She raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. Her tail swayed slowly from side to side, like a predator observing its prey.
"Oh? A freshman looking for me? What business do you have?"
This was it. The moment of truth.
I looked straight into her piercing golden eyes.
"I'm here to challenge you to a duel."
Silence. A silence so total I could hear my own frantic heartbeat.
Then, she laughed.
Not a small, elegant laugh. But a loud, booming laugh that echoed throughout the dojo. She clutched her stomach, her laughter so hard her body shook slightly.
"Hahahaha! A duel?! You... this scrawny kid... want to challenge me?!" She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, looking at me as if I were the funniest thing she had ever seen.
She walked closer, each step radiating an oppressive aura of power. She stopped right in front of me. She was much taller than me, and I had to look up slightly to meet her gaze.
"Alright, kid," she said, a wild grin playing on her lips, revealing slightly pointed canines. "I like your guts. It's rare for a freshman to have this much courage (or stupidity)."
She leaned forward, her face just inches from mine. I could feel her body heat and smell her sweat, which strangely wasn't unpleasant, but smelled like a pine forest after rain.
"I accept," she whispered, her voice like a low growl. "The welcoming ceremony is about to start. Meet me at the duel arena behind this dojo after it's over. I'll give you the honor... of being my first punching bag of the season."