Male Lead, Don’t Push, Pull! - Chapter 23

Franz clearly thought that bullying Kyle wouldn’t backfire.

 

Even so, he only bullied him in ‘training’ to doubly ensure that he wouldn’t get in trouble later. If anyone questioned him afterwards, he would have the excuse of being a senior and teaching a junior the ways of the sword.

 

I shuddered at the barbarity of the opponent. My clenched fists trembled.

 

Even now, he was probably tormenting Kyle in subtle ways without my knowledge.

 

I was also angry at the other members of the Swordsmanship Department, who had seen everything around them but remained silent, as if it were nothing more than an amusing spectacle.

 

Stupid people. Give them a little time, a year, maybe, and they’ll realize that Kyle is a real genius.

 

Then they would regret it.

 

“But first, Franz Dyer….”

 

I didn’t know how to punish him to teach him a good lesson. I could use my family’s power to put pressure on him, but I didn’t think Kyle would like that.

 

After all, this was the same Kyle who would carry out even the most malicious of training instructions just because he didn’t want to lose.

 

As I pondered, I got a hint from an unexpected source.

 

“Courage training?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Kyle, whom I’d met briefly to give him some pills for his sore muscles, had told me.

 

“It’s something all new students in the Sword Department take part in, to help them adapt to new environments and develop the courage to face anything.”

 

So much for courage training.

 

In my previous life, it seemed that teachers only had the purpose of teasing students with the regular retreat classics like a “test of courage”.

 

I nodded modestly, replying, “I see. When is it?”

 

“This Friday, in the back mountains… ugh,” Kyle flinched, “Vivi, it’s cold.”

 

“Hold still, Kyle. I need to apply it here, too.”

 

Franz’s bullying of Kyle in the name of training was still going on. So, I got him some medication that was supposed to be good for sore muscles.

 

I applied the soothing, cold, clear gel to Kyle’s forearm, and the liquid quickly absorbed into his skin and disappeared. It really was surprisingly cold, and Kyle’s expression relaxed slightly.

 

“I don’t want to do your back now…. I’ll start with your arms first. Make sure you put it on everywhere you feel pain, every day. Okay?”

 

“Where did you get that?”

 

“Oh, Daniel gave me….”

 

At that moment, Kyle’s eyes narrowed.

 

Not this again! I slapped him on the arm.

 

He stuck his lips out in frustration.

 

“Come on, Vivi.”

 

“Kyle, let’s be nice to our friends.”

 

“Who the hell are my friends?”

 

“Daniel and you.”

 

“I’m not friends with him.”

 

“If you said hello, then you’re friends. Come on, be friendly.”

 

‘I hope he realizes how much I want him to have more good people in his life who can help him.’

 

I finished applying the medicine to Kyle’s arm as Kyle gave me a confused look. He didn’t like the fact that Daniel was the one who got it, but he seemed to like the way it worked.

 

That’s probably it.

 

I have no reason to doubt its efficacy. It’s not an off-the-shelf drug, it’s a specially made medicine for Kyle!

 

The person who made it was a graduate of the academy who runs the most prestigious magical pharmacy in the city of Arene.

 

When I told him that I was looking for a medicine for Kyle’s muscular pain, he asked a senior member of his faculty, and that’s how I was able to get the order through.

 

‘A private order? I don’t make things on demand.’

 

The owner of the pharmacy initially gave him a disapproving look.

 

‘Ten, ten gold…! I’ll have it made in no time, customer.’

 

With gold glittering in front of his eyes, there was no way he was going to let it go.

 

…Actually, I was the one who took the initiative to get the medicine.

 

But I had no regrets in saying that Daniel had brought it to me. Part of me wanted the two of them to get to know each other.

 

After all, someone needs to build the bridge.

 

“Do the seniors participate in the courage training? They used to, back in the old days,” I muttered absentmindedly.

 

“In the old days?” Kyle asked dubiously.

 

I stuttered. Sometimes the memories of my past life became mixed up like this. I quickly changed my words.

 

“No, I mean, I heard it used to be like that. The seniors and teachers would sneak around and surprise the contestants, of course, without telling them.”

 

“That’s not what I heard, but I think the seniors told me there was no other training that day.”

 

For a moment, I thought to myself.

 

I wondered if Franz, who loves to bully freshmen, would be part of this courage exercise.

 

I straightened up, sat down, and asked Kyle, “Tell me a little more. What time does the courage training start? Is it at night?”

 

“We all get together at eight o’clock after dinner.”

 

“I see. How many people are there in total? How many hours will it take?”

 

“There are twenty-seven new students in the School of Swords, so I’m not sure about the time. By the way, Vivi.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Why are you asking me so many details? What are you thinking right now?”

 

“What? Why all of a sudden?”

 

“Vivi’s got a weird look on her face.”

 

Kyle’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then he looked at me with a suspicious expression.

 

Whoa, what’s up with you?! Why are you looking at me like that?!

 

“I look exactly the same as usual!”

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

“Then what is my expression now?”

 

“You’re looking like you’re planning something.”

 

“What do you mean, I have nothing but righteous thoughts,” I huffed.

 

“Righteous thoughts?”

 

“Of course!”

 

It was absolutely true – I was only thinking of the righteousness of kicking Franz’s ass.

 

Kyle still looked suspicious, but he didn’t question me any further.

 

I suppressed a smirk.

 

Look forward to it, Kyle.

 

I’ll show you what the best revenge in the world is!

 

***

 

Kyle stiffened and sighed inwardly.

 

He had been troubled lately, and the cause of his troubles was none other than Vivian Rosiere.

 

His friend, his one and only dear one.

 

Vivian was the first person he had accepted into his world.

 

And just as she cared about him, he cared about her. Even though the other person didn’t seem to notice.

 

Vivian kept wanting to put someone by his side.

 

One minute she’s telling him to be nice to a nameless girl on the street, the next she’s telling him to be friendly with a boy he met at the academy.

 

He didn’t care, as long as he had Vivian.

 

Kyle felt more than a little resentful of Vivian.

 

Does Vivian want for him to be closer to someone besides her?

 

Kyle felt a tightness in his chest as he realized that Vivian wanted him to be closer to someone other than herself.

 

The best and closest person to her should be him.

 

These were all feelings he had never known before. Because he had always been the only one by her side.

 

But since entering the academy, Vivian was constantly being surrounded by new people, and Kyle was beginning to feel a sense of crisis.

 

“Stupid Vivi,” Kyle muttered softly as he stomped his foot.

 

Daniel wasn’t the only problem.

 

Vivian had seen Franz Dyer, an upperclassman in the swordsmanship department, bullying him.

 

It was something he tried not to show in front of her. Vivian disliked swordsmanship.

 

It wasn’t that she disliked the activity, she just didn’t like the fact that it required her to train under the hot sun.

 

So, Kyle hadn’t expected her to come to the School of Swordsmanship, much less to the training grounds.

 

The swordsmanship department was a hierarchical one. Whatever the seniors said, the juniors had to do. Even if it was an unjust order.

 

If he couldn’t stand it, there was only one option left.

 

No one would stop him from doing so.

 

‘That’s absolutely not possible.’

 

Kyle clenched his fists tightly. He had to succeed here.

 

If he didn’t show something of note, the emperor wouldn’t give him even a handful of attention.

 

He liked the fact that this was a professional environment where he could concentrate on his swordsmanship.

 

All he had to do was fulfil Franz’s idiotic demands.

 

He was just going to endure whatever came his way….

 

‘No scheming. I have only righteous thoughts.’

 

’Righteous thoughts?’

 

’Of course!’

 

It wasn’t enough for Vivian to know; she was planning something.

 

Vivian had always helped him in ways Kyle never imagined.

 

She took him through the academy entrance exams, freeing him from his mother’s rigid education, and if he needed something, she’d get it for him before anyone else.

 

Kyle trusted Vivian, and he knew she would go out of her way to help him again.

 

But what worried Kyle was that Vivian might get hurt in the process.

 

As an academic department with people who were always on the edge, there were more rough-and-tumble people than in other places.