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Chapter 93: I Have Many Friends

Jealousy is a natural emotion that comes with being human.

It isn’t limited to romantic relationships.

For instance, a child may feel jealous when their parents’ love is directed toward a sibling, even resorting to mischief to reclaim attention.

Similarly, in friendships, jealousy may arise when one friend grows closer to someone else.

At its core, jealousy stems from a desire for possession.

Iris Hysirion is the third princess.

As a princess, she grew up in an environment where she had to fight for everything she wanted.

Once she claimed something, she could not afford to lose it.

Losing something she had attained meant losing the reputation and achievements tied to it.

It’s only natural that Iris’s desire for possession became exceptionally strong.

Isabel Luna lost her most precious childhood friend six months ago.

It’s only natural for humans to crave possession.

However, having lost the one thing she cherished most, she couldn’t find anything to replace that sense of possession.

Through a series of events, Isabel eventually found someone who could fill that void in her heart.

Even if it was a mix of love and hatred, it gave her a new target for her intense desire to possess.

What does this mean?

Both Iris and Isabel are people with extraordinarily strong possessive tendencies.

Love-hate relationships.

Attachment figures.

The possessive desires that were once manageable now clashed against each other.

Eventually, they began fighting to ensure they didn’t lose what they had.

The primary cause of their conflicts was this very possessiveness.

Because of them, my recent life had become increasingly complicated.

That’s why I had to step in and warn them to hold back.

Fortunately, their possessive urges hadn’t yet reached their peak.

After my warning, the two managed to restrain themselves in my presence.

‘For a while, I felt relieved.’

But then, someone appeared who reignited their possessiveness.

The unyielding azure flame—Eve.

A girl who walked up to me at a party where key figures from each academy had gathered.

I am certainly not someone Isabel or Iris sees as a romantic interest.

But as women, they feel possessiveness toward me, a man.

And as someone capable of realizing romantic relationships—possessiveness in its ultimate form—

The appearance of a woman would naturally drive their possessive urges to new heights.

Especially when the newcomer is an attractive woman with the allure of romantic superiority, it only worsens the situation.

‘Damn it.’

I despised how clearly I could see the dynamics of human emotions.

Having lost love, which disrupts rational judgment, I had grown adept at seeing through people’s psyches.

So, I instinctively recognized how dire this situation was.

‘I wish I could be like those harem protagonists in games or novels, surrounded by women and grinning like an idiot.’

But the crisis glaring me in the face was impossible to ignore.

I could feel intense gazes burning into my back.

Iris and Isabel’s stares felt like they could pierce through me at any moment.

It hurt.

It hurt like hell.

“Hanon Irey, that’s your name, right?”

Yet, unaware of my predicament, Eve spoke to me again.

I struggled to open my mouth, weighed down by the scorching gazes behind me.

“Yes, and how did you know?”

But I couldn’t stay silent forever.

I forced myself to ignore the pressure from behind and smiled as naturally as possible.

“I asked around.”

My shoulders flinched at her words.

I quickly scanned the party hall.

Whispers filled the air, some directed at me.

She said she asked around.

That meant she had inquired about me from the people here at the party.

Eve, who usually kept to herself, had gone around asking about me.

What did that mean?

‘Everyone here is at the age where romantic relationships are a hot topic.’

The conversations of a gathering of exceptional individuals were predictable.

“Looks like Eve has taken an interest.”

“I’m surprised. I didn’t think the Azure Flame would ever show romantic interest in anyone.”

Sure enough, I overheard such comments.

If I could hear them, so could the two people behind me.

“Eve, let’s step outside for a moment to talk.”

It wasn’t wise to continue this conversation with her here.

Out of sight, out of mind.

It would ease their nerves somewhat.

I decided to move first.

As I turned to leave, Eve followed me without protest.

Dodging the stares, I quickly escaped.

A moment later, we stepped onto the terrace of the party hall, where the cool air greeted us.

The stifling tension eased, and I could finally breathe.

I was terrified of what would happen later.

But first, I needed to handle this situation.

“Snooping around isn’t great. How much did you hear?”

“I know you’re the third princess’s cousin and that she was recently targeted for assassination using Ancient Dragon magic.”

She had learned quite a lot.

It was clear that people eager to impress Eve had eagerly shared whatever they knew.

“You’ve learned quite a bit. But I wasn’t the one who tried to assassinate Princess Iris that day.”

I couldn’t afford for her to misunderstand.

“I know. It was someone named Nikita Cynthia. And...”

Eve raised her gaze to meet mine directly.

“She used Ancient Dragon magic of the ice dragon variety.”

Eve had sensed the cold aura emanating from me.

Her blue eyes burned with quiet determination.

“Are you planning to assassinate the third princess?”

Is that what she thought?

Though the misunderstanding stemmed from a different place, it reminded me of Isabel’s misunderstanding.

I laughed naturally as I recalled everything.

“No, of course not.”

Would Eve believe my straightforward denial?

“……”

Her answer was no.

“I don’t know what your circumstances are.”

As she said, Eve didn’t know anything about my situation.

That’s why she had made such assumptions and confronted me at the party.

“But I know this much—what you’re planning is wrong.”

An assassination attempt on a princess.

Such an act would cause massive repercussions across the country, and my life would be ruined in the process.

Eve’s unyielding blue eyes fixed on me.

“Stop. Nothing good will come of it.”

Her misunderstanding had taken root.

At this point, nothing I said would change her mind.

In a way, that was fine by me.

“What do you think you know about me to say such things?”

I let my frustration show.

It was a question asking what someone who had only known me for a day could possibly understand.

“……Maybe it is my misunderstanding. But if it’s not, things could end terribly.”

Of course, it was a misunderstanding.

I had no intention of harming Iris.

In fact, I hoped she could live peacefully, free from nightmares.

“So, what will you do? Are you going to take me down?”

Surely, she wouldn’t—

“Yes.”

Excuse me?

She lifted the hem of her dress and revealed a long dagger strapped to her leg.

Clang!

The dagger extended, transforming instantly into the shape of a sword.

It was a relic weapon.

Whoosh—

At the same time, azure flames erupted from her sword.

The unyielding azure flame.

A force most akin to the Flame of Resolve.

“You’ll burn along with that Ancient Dragon magic of yours.”

Her eyes were deadly serious.

She was prepared to destroy me rather than let me misuse Ancient Dragon magic.

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Her resolute gaze conveyed her unwavering intent.

Oh, great.

She’s insane!

“Wait! At least let me have a fair chance! I’m unarmed!”

“There’s no reason to grant you such courtesy.”

Damn it.

I didn’t expect her to go this far, no matter what.

The moment I took a step toward the terrace door,

Fwoooosh!

Flames burst from her sword, blocking my path entirely.

The sinister blue fire flared along the ground.

“Give up. I’ll erase the dragon’s magic cleanly for you.”

“I’ve grown quite attached to the dragon’s magic. Breaking up like this would be too heartbreaking.”

“Deal with it.”

What a ruthless woman.

Not an ounce of mercy.

Eve stomped hard on the ground.

‘She’s coming.’

There’s no choice now.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, Eve disappeared from sight.

Barely able to track her with my vision, I caught her movements just in time.

Claaang!

The edge of my hand collided with Eve’s sword, and the resulting crash echoed through the air.

Eve’s eyebrows twitched.

She clearly didn’t expect me to reach out barehanded.

Given the circumstances, it wouldn’t have been surprising if my arm had been severed.

“I’ll ask the saintess to reattach it for you later.”

Such charming words.

She must’ve assumed my arm was either severed or broken already.

That worked in my favor.

This was my chance.

I spread my fingers wide and grabbed her sword with a firm grip.

The azure flames scorched my hand, the searing heat overwhelming.

But my built-up resistance to fire allowed me to endure it.

“What?”

Eve’s voice carried surprise, disbelief slipping out as she spoke.

She hadn’t anticipated I’d be able to grab hold of her sword, flames and all.

This moment of shock was my only opening.

My skin, now reddened from the heat, was reinforced with steel.

Crack!

In that instant, my fingers pierced through Eve’s blade, shattering it completely.

Eve froze in shock, unable to process what just happened.

My eyes gleamed.

Sword Breaker.

Crash!

Eve’s sword shattered into countless pieces in an instant.

And without hesitation, I swung my hand toward her stunned face.

Just before my hand could connect with her, Eve tilted her head back and countered by twisting my arm.

Despite her momentary surprise, her counterattack was flawless.

It was clear evidence of the rigorous training she’d undergone over the years.

Whoosh!

In a flash, she flipped me into the air and slammed me down.

But I wasn’t about to let her win that easily.

Just before hitting the ground, I activated the magic engraving in my grip.

Boom!

The explosion’s force stopped me mid-air.

Using the arm she still held onto as a pivot, I swung my fist down toward her.

The magic engraved on my elbow activated, amplifying the speed and force of my punch.

Crash!

The terrace floor shattered under the impact of my strike.

But Eve slipped away.

I quickly scanned through the smoke and spotted her retreating in the distance.

That had been a serious strike.

As expected of a side story’s protagonist.

‘She must have trained far harder than I have.’

I’d gone through my own intense training too.

But Eve, even if just a side character, was still a protagonist.

Her caliber was fundamentally on a different level.

“What on earth did you do to your body?”

Eve glared at me, her expression filled with disbelief.

She wasn’t wrong — I’d done plenty of tinkering with my body.

To her, it must’ve seemed utterly bizarre.

“It’s all useful in the end.”

I dusted off my hands as I stood.

My sleeves were now completely burned away.

I felt a pang of guilt, considering they were clothes Iris had given me.

Clang!

At that moment, Eve restored her shattered sword.

Divine Weapon

The Infinite Blade

A sword that could take any form and restore itself no matter how damaged.

It was thanks to these traits that her weapon could endure the unyielding heat of her azure flames.

“Though I was caught off guard, give up. You can’t defeat me.”

She declared her intent to fight seriously now.

“That’s true.”

As I was now, it would be impossible to handle Eve, a fully realized protagonist.

“But I’m not alone.”

Screeeech—

The terrace door creaked open.

The party inside had gone completely silent.

Eve belatedly realized how much chaos we’d caused.

As her gaze shifted to the open door, a woman walked out.

Her jet-black hair swayed, her ruby-red eyes glinting ominously.

Darkness followed her every step, rippling like shadows.

“What on earth are you two doing?”

The murderous intent in her voice reverberated through the air.

A swirling storm of black malice centered around her.

The Final Villainess.

Iris Hysirion.

Her appearance alone shifted the atmosphere instantly.

And she wasn’t the only one.

From above, a girl in a school uniform descended slowly.

The staff in her hand radiated pure white brilliance, the light so intense that even Eve felt uneasy.

“Wow, what fun you’re having here.”

Sharin Sazaris, the daughter of the Blue Tower Master.

Lastly—

A honey-blonde-haired woman appeared by my side, wrapping her hand around my scorched wrist.

Her gaze didn’t fall on Eve.

But as she looked down at my hand, her quiet fury was palpable.

It was unlike the brightness she normally exuded.

Isabel Luna, the main heroine of the Flame Butterfly arc.

With her arrival, the situation shifted entirely.

Even Eve couldn’t handle this many people at once.

She bit her lip and glared at me.

I shrugged with a smirk.

“If you’re so upset, why don’t you call your own friends?”

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