Alicia was in high spirits after the banquet. As for the looks of contempt or disdain cast her way by others, she didn't care in the slightest. Yuui, however, quietly took note of each and every one of them.
Still, though the others' attitude toward Alicia wasn't exactly pleasant, no one dared to provoke her at this moment. After all, earlier that day, Alicia had defeated a formidable second-year student—Kexi Arce. Nearly every first-year student had witnessed that duel.
Yuui asked himself, how many of them could even last several turns under Kexi Arce's terrifying offensive, let alone defeat him?
So while most of the first-years didn't think kindly of Alicia, none of them dared actually to challenge her. After all, this was Saint Fusion Academy, a place where everything was judged by dueling strength. If you provoked someone, it was the same as declaring you wanted to duel them.
And if you challenged someone and lost, that would be humiliating.
The first-years didn't have the courage; meanwhile, the second- and third-year students found Alicia very intriguing.
As mentioned before, Kexi Arce was among the stronger second-years. So when the second and even third-years who had once lost to him heard that he'd been defeated by a first-year, they laughed and mocked his carelessness, but deep down, many were thinking—why not go teach that freshman a lesson? If we beat her, doesn't that mean we've beaten Kexi Arce by proxy?
And aside from such simple thoughts, some noble second and third-years were considering something else entirely—perhaps they could recruit Alicia into their family faction.
After all, even if Kexi had underestimated Alicia and lost because of it, that still proved that Alicia's strength ranked among the top of the first-years.
Having such a promising talent join their faction would certainly be advantageous to any noble family.
As for her being a "Nameless One," hmph… those second- and third-years, already thoroughly indoctrinated by Saint Fusion Academy's creed of "power above all," couldn't care less.
And if Alicia truly proved herself worth cultivating, they could always have her join their family later and be granted a surname by their head.
After all, that was one of the ways noble families drew commoners to their side; plus, doing so for a talented Nameless One was nothing unusual.
Amidst those countless gazes—curious, greedy, and malicious—Alicia kept happily nibbling away at her food like a squirrel.
However, though Alicia didn't notice these looks, Yuui certainly did.
As for their intentions, he couldn't care less. If anyone dared cause trouble, he'd simply crush them all.
After the banquet, Alicia patted her now slightly round belly and rather ungracefully made her way toward the freshmen dorms.
By now, the path back was empty—she was the only one left. Wanting to enjoy a few more bites of good food, she had lingered in the dining hall long after the others had left, and only when Yuui gave her a helpless look did she finally depart, reluctantly.
"Yuui-san, that fried shrimp was so good! I wonder if I'll ever get to eat it again! ￣﹃￣"
"You've already eaten plenty. Don't tell me you're still not full?" Yuui glanced at Alicia's belly, genuinely exasperated by the girl's appetite.
"I'm about ninety percent full… just right! Didn't you say it yourself, Yuui-san? You shouldn't eat too much at night or you'll sleep poorly!" Alicia said, rather smugly.
Hearing that, Yuui's mouth twitched. He was just about to say something when he sensed a wave of hostility from ahead, and quickly grabbed Alicia's arm.
"[・_・?] Yuui-san, what is it?"
"Someone's coming. Probably looking for trouble. Hand over the body to me."
Seeing the seriousness in Yuui's eyes, Alicia nodded, allowing him to take control of her body once more.
As Yuui assumed control, he was immediately hit by an overwhelming feeling of fullness. Looking down at Alicia's slightly bulging belly, one might've thought she was pregnant!
Floating beside him, Alicia's face flushed red as she sensed his thoughts.
Abruptly, then, both soon turned their gaze forward as three girls stepped out from the path leading to the dorms.
The one in front had rather plain looks and an average build—though her chest was anything but average, which caught Yuui's attention for a brief second before he thought to himself, 'Fifteen or sixteen and already that developed... she's got potential. Compared to that, Alicia…'
Alicia: "Yuui-san! Is this really the time for that!?"
"Uh, sorry, sorry!"
As Yuui apologized internally, the busty girl in front let out a light laugh. "You really made us wait, Alicia-chan."
Yuui eyed her and the two maids behind her coldly. "I don't know you. Don't act so familiar. If you've got something to say, say it straight."
This was obviously a setup, and Yuui wasn't about to be polite.
"Hmph, just another rude Nameless One!"
The woman sneered inwardly, while her crimson eyes flashed with amusement as she continued with a smirk. "I heard you defeated Kexi Arce during today's Duel Test. He and I have a bit of a personal grudge, so I wanted to see if that was true."
"It's true. So what do you want to do, senpai-whose-name-I-still-don't-know?" Yuui's tone was flat and indifferent, utterly unconcerned.
The woman blinked, then smiled apologetically. "Oh, pardon me. I was thinking about Kexi and forgot to introduce myself. My name is Emily Valentine, the eldest daughter of the Valentine Baron family. These two beside me are my personal maids—though they've both been accepted into Saint Fusion Academy as well."
'Even the maids got into Saint Fusion Academy, huh? The Valentine family's doing pretty well,' Yuui thought as he raised a brow, glancing at the two maids.
They looked identical—clearly twin sisters—and truth be told, both were far prettier than Emily herself. They didn't quite look like her servants at all.
After finishing her brief self-introduction, Emily smiled that same practiced noble smile. "Alicia-chan, defeating Kexi Arce right after entering the academy proves your excellence. So I'd like to invite you to join our faction; Become one of us."
"Your faction? What faction?" Yuui asked, curiosity piqued. After all, since he and Alicia would be spending the next three years here, it was better to understand the academy's power structure.
Pleased by the question, Emily spoke proudly. "The Valentine family serves the Rexus Viscount family, which in turn serves the Eresi Count family, which serves the Kik Marquis family, which serves one of the three ducal houses—the Babar family. And the Babar family is the strongest supporter of His Highness, Prince Zack. So if you join us, you'll become part of the Prince's faction."
Yuui's jaw dropped for a moment before he closed it again. '...Seriously? The noble circles are that convoluted?'
Back in his own era, Yuui had been so strong that even nobles needed qualifications to approach him. Unless they were of ducal rank or higher, they couldn't even get an audience. He'd known noble politics were messy… even so, this was beyond his expectations.
Beside him, Alicia was counting on her fingers, trying to work out just how distant the Valentine family actually was from the Prince.
When she finished her grand description, Emily proudly puffed out her chest. "So, Alicia-chan, what do you say? Will you join our faction?"
Yuui was silent for a moment, then asked, "If I join your faction, what do I get out of it? And what would I have to do?"
Emily's eyes flickered with mockery, though she smiled sweetly. "Of course, there are benefits.
"For a genius like you, once you join, we'll help you acquire knowledge about rare Duel Monster Spirits, so you'll have a better chance to contract them in the future. You'll also receive a monthly supply of credits to buy rare cards, and if you need any help in daily life, we can provide that too. As for what we'd need from you, it's simple—when the time comes, we might ask you to use your strength to help us defeat certain opponents."
"Sounds pretty mediocre to me. Sorry, but I'll have to decline." Yuui's tone was casual. "Anything else, Emily-senpai?"
Emily's brows knitted. "Why refuse? Are our terms not generous enough?"
"Not really." Yuui shook his head. "I already have my own knowledge of rare Duel Spirits. As for credits, earning them won't be too hard for me. And I don't exactly lack anything in daily life. As for 'helping you with your strength'... that's far too vague for my liking. So no, I'll pass."
Yuui wasn't lying. Although Alicia was a commoner—worse yet, a Nameless One—with him, the creator of Duel Cards, by her side, as long as she had enough mana, she could try summoning any Duel Spirit she wanted.
As for Spell and Trap Cards, the ones they currently had were sufficient for now. Once Yuui's mana recovered a bit more, he'd be able to craft new Spell and Trap Cards himself—no need to buy any.
And as for helping them deal with "certain opponents," that demand was far too vague. Who knew what sort of enemies they meant? If they dragged Alicia into a fight against someone far beyond what they could handle right now, the loss would be huge.
"I see." Emily's eyes narrowed. "It seems you don't really understand the power of our faction. In that case, don't blame your senpai for bullying her kouhai a little! I hope that once I defeat you, you'll obediently agree to join us. I'd really love to work alongside such a cute girl like you. And besides…"
Her gaze flicked toward Alicia's modest chest, then she proudly straightened her own curves with a smirk. "I can even teach you how to become like this, you know!"
Alicia: "Yuui-san, maybe we should join them!"
"Foolish girl. She just wants to use you as muscle. And you're still growing… things will naturally develop in time. No need to rush."
Alicia: "Really, Yuui-san? I'll grow like that too?"
Yuui glanced again at Emily's chest and, somewhat insincerely, said, "Of course. Once we get back, eat some papaya… you'll grow for sure. Now step aside. I'm not letting you become anyone's hired muscle. And besides, in your current state, you're no match for her. Leave this to me."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you, Yuui-san!"
On the other side, seeing Alicia ignore her completely, Emily snorted coldly. The bronze Duel Bracelet on her wrist suddenly unfolded, transforming into a turquoise-pink Duel Disk adorned with gemstones.
"If you won't drink a toast, then you'll have to drink a forfeit! Let me, your senpai, show you what true strength looks like!"
Seeing the chance for a duel, Yuui didn't hesitate either. He poured mana into his own Duel Bracelet, which shifted into a bronze Duel Disk as he replied coolly, "Sorry, but even with a body like that, I'm not interested in working with you."
"Then come on!" Emily sneered. Both of them took each other's Decks, shuffled, then inserted their Decks into their respective Duel Disks and stepped back to their starting positions.
At the same time, the twin maids behind Emily each took out a spherical crystal engraved with an eye-like pattern.
Yuui glanced at it, frowning slightly. "A Recording Eye, huh?"
The so-called Recording Eye was an alchemical device similar to a camera. By infusing it with mana, it could record moving images.
It seemed the two maids intended to record his duel with Emily. Which meant that even if he won, others might still come after him later.
In that case…
Yuui's eyes hardened as a certain thought flickered through his mind.
Then both he and Emily took their stances, glared at each other, and shouted in unison:
"Duel!!"
[Alicia, LP: 4000]
[Emily, LP: 4000]
As the duel began, the crystal display on each of their Duel Disks started flashing with the characters for "First Move."
That was how the turn priority was decided in this world. When a duel started, both Duel Disks resonated with each other, and whoever's crystal display continued to shine, "First Move" would go first.
After about five seconds of simultaneous flashing, the "First Move" on Yuui's Duel Disk dimmed, while Emily's remained lit.
Seeing this, Emily smiled triumphantly. "Heh, looks like I'll be going first. Don't blame your senpai for not giving you a chance, Alicia-chan!"
"You sure talk a lot. Come on, show me what you've got. Let me see how strong Kexi Arce's defeated subordinate really is."
"You—!" Emily's expression twisted in fury as she waved her hand sharply. "Fine then! I'll show you exactly how strong I am!"
...
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