Author’s note: I hope you’ll discern the irony in our MC’s actions.
Tell me if you like the impromptu tables.
I’ll try to get my head around real ones, but it will take some time.
There’s still the map of the continent I need to prepare…
Anyways, enjoy the read.
The sun was setting, making the entire area bathe in its last orange-red rays of light.
After the update, even the air itself feels somewhat more real.
Sound of wind in the air makes my ears flutter a little.
Enjoying the fresh air and the high-speed we were travelling at, I was called out by Zetra.
Zetra: I think we’re close, Master. There’s a person in these mountain woods ahead of us.
Icicle: Listen up, Zetra. Fly up high, then make a sudden nosedive and snatch her! Make it seem like a kidnapping!
Zetra: Are you sure you want to spice things up, Master? You may get beaten up…
Icicle: Don’t worry about me, do as I said.
Zetra: Alright, don’t blame me…
*whoosh* *whoosh*
Zetra’s wings spread to their full wingspan of 5 meters and with a *whoosh* sound we were ascending to a high-altitude.
Getting high enough, Zetra took a kamikaze-like nosedive.
Gripping his plumage tightly, only one thought came to my mind.
If this overgrown crow doesn’t have enough control, we’re going to crash and fail miserably!
Being a gambler I am, this thought made things even more interesting!
*swooooooooooooooooosh*
I discerned Vilenne in the woods, she was meditating.
When Zetra was about to snatch her, she turned, shocked.
That didn’t help her.
Vilenne was taken by her shoulders and lifted up high, all in a matter of a second.
Vilenne: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
I was surprised while hearing this peculiar sound.
Icicle: Someone’s lively… not to mention girly all of a sudden!
Vilenne: It was you?! Let me down, you twerp!
Icicle: I don’t think this would be appropriate, look down below…
Vilenne: Will you just let me handle here like this?!
Icicle: Of course not, here you go.
Reaching out with my right arm, Vilenne was not willing to grab it.
Icicle; I see. Well then, you leave me no choice.
Grabbing Vilenne’s arm myself, I told Zetra to let her go.
Suddenly, I felt myself almost falling off the Griffon.
Jesus, I didn’t think she would weigh this much…
Icicle: *Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh* Here you go.
Landing on top of my laps, sitting face to face, Vilenne just looked at me.
Icicle: Have you been eating well? It seems that you have gained some pounds, haven’t yo-
With a sudden twist of her body, Vilenne was behind me, setting up a triangle choke.
Icicle: I know we haven’t seen each other for quite a long time, but don’t you think it’s too tight of a hug, honey~?
The strength I was choked with only increased.
I suppose Vilenne didn’t get accustomed to being called like that.
Maybe she needs some more time…
You are probably wondering why I didn’t bother escaping this death grip…
Well, it was enjoyable, laying like that, with Vilenne clinging to me, that is.
Some time passed and my oxygen reserve was running out.
Making a sudden body twist, I managed to turn.
Staring into Vilenne’s beautiful blue eyes, I felt confident, empowered!
Icicle: This position is definitely better, don’t you think, sweetheart?
Vilenne: Getting ahead of yourself again, aren’t you kid?
Icicle: That’s rude to say to someone your age…
Vilenne: I don’t like the way you’re trying to play me. Get off me.
So that’s why she was so reluctant!
Icicle: Is it really so hard to believe that man such as myself harbors feelings for a beautiful maiden like you?
Vilenne: What a cheesy line. You should work on those. Get off, now!
Icicle: Okay then, what do you want me to do to prove that I am serious?
Vilenne: Let’s see… how about you jump off the Griffon…? Right now.
Icicle: *Oi, Zetra.*
Zetra: *What is it, Master?*
Icicle: *You had better catch me.*
Zetra: *Huh?*
Icicle: Alright.
Standing up, I embraced Vilenne with my right hand and jumped off, making her unwillingly follow suit.
Vilenne: Why the hell did you drag me along too?! Goddamn twerp, I am no adventurer! I can’t revive!
Icicle: Come on, it wouldn’t be romantic if I just jumped solo…
Vilenne: Romantic?! We’re about to die, you idiot! You can respawn, sure, but what about me, HUH?!
Looking down below, it was indeed quite high.
Without any flight magic, we were surely done for.
Icicle: Hmm, that’s indeed quite a peril.
Vilenne: How did I get mixed up with an idiot like you again…?
Icicle: It was fate.
Vilenne: Fate my ass! I could die in million different ways, but fate has chosen me to die in such a stupid, not-even-suicide way?!
Just when we were about to hit the ground, Zetra came in, some kind of tornado propelling him.
Icicle: Is that a new skill?
Zetra: Yup, I called it [Wind surge]!
Icicle: Not bad, seems useful.
Zetra: It is, but the problem is, there’s a long cooldown time after I use it…
Vilenne: Y-You little…! I was scared shitless and you had it all planned!
Zetra was still flying low, over some kind of clearing.
Vilenne grabbed me by the neck and threw me off the Griffon, then jumped off herself to follow my soon-to-be-corpse.
Vilenne: I want to see you being smug now, I-c-i-c-l-e!
I made a somersault to stop the momentum.
Landing unsteadily, Vilenne was about to cut right through me, but [Water step] to the side prevented that from happening.
…
Vilenne’s POV
During the days Icicle left, I was in charge of the small group of students.
After learning the basics, they didn’t stay for long.
Some of the boys, probably enamored, tried to hit it off with me, but after gruesome and arduous training, that was only a fraction of what Icicle has undergone, they left as well.
Two weeks.
That’s how long I was able to enjoy being a teacher after that twerp left.
I have no idea if Cindy sent everyone else away, or if no one wanted to become a Water Mage, but there were no new students.
However, with two new house members of house Whitesnow, that I was forced into, I had someone to practice with!
These two women, Haruno and Vanessa, although inexperienced, decided to join the Assassin Guild.
Why? I have no idea.
They told me that their ancestry had great results in being assassins, ones that were using poison to defeat their enemies.
There were bits and pieces of the opponents of their clan dying instantly or after a period of excruciating pain…
All in all, they were deadly.
The kind of training I had undergone was… different.
I never encountered someone who focuses only on speed.
One hit of their dagger meant death for me.
My [Cure poison] was on a level high enough to survive any poison they may have thrown at me, however, for the purpose of the training, we were acting as if these poison were one hit-a-kill.
Hell, they could definitely have gotten a stronger concoction, so it was a reasonable condition.
Thus, with that assumption, we trained.
Haruno and Vanessa were getting training against a swordsman, by practicing with me, while I was getting training in speed and reaction time duking it out against two nimble assassins.
Three weeks passed like this.
These blue-haired women told me that they will practice according to their guidebook and need some time in private.
I’m not someone who’s nosy, nor did I want to force them to train with me, so I wished them good luck and focused on mage aspects of my class, Ice Mage Apprentice.
As a mage, I knew there was no reason to hurry, knowledge is one thing, but proper delivery, that is skill, is the other.
Focusing on meditating, I tried to reach a level where I could use some other ice spells, apart from the one I had, called [Ice coating].
This aura was still somewhat unstable, not really acting according to my wishes.
Although I don’t mind training in seclusion for a long period of time, I was troubled.
My own student who barely trained whooped my ass!
He was inferior in swordsmanship, yet just by using ice, Icicle was able to completely overwhelm me, his teacher!
I couldn’t let go of something like that!
Instead of looking for a breakthrough to be able to cast new spells, I decided to invent one of my own!
I called it [Ice comet]!
It was a spell that used a combo attack.
In a shell of ice, shaped like a comet, I kept water at 1 degree Celsius.
When [Ice comet] reached the target and splashed cold water all over it, I instantly froze it, making it unable to act!
I wonder how this twerp will react to this new skill of mine!
The success rate is about 85%, let’s hope that I’ll luck out during our next encounter!
…
Icicle’s POV
Vilenne was relentless.
Slashes were coming at me from the left and right.
*swoosh*
I just barely dodged an overhead swing.
Damn, it’s getting dark, it’s hard to see anything!
Vilenne was faster than before.
However, to me, it seemed as if she has gotten slower.
I guess I need to be thankful to the increased agility.
Dodging few more hacks and slashes, I felt relaxed and at ease.
It was hard to see anything, sure, but with [Sense presense] that wasn’t a problem.
I could just feel where Vilenne and her sword is.
Vilenne: Why are you only dodging?! Fight back, coward!
Icicle: How can I hit my woman? I’m not like that…
Vilenne: Your w-woman?! Dream on kid!
This time it was an easy to dodge slash coming from the right.
Too much power.
Vilenne was full of openings during that strike.
Vilenne: Listen well, twerp. If you win against me without using any freezing skills, just pure swordsmanship, I’ll become your l-l-l-lover! However, if you lose… fufufufufu, you’ll have to-
Icicle: Fine, whatever you want, I’ll do it. Just swordsmanship and no freezing skills? Let’s do this!
This was once in a lifetime chance.
Courting a beautiful woman is fun, I won’t say it isn’t, well it isn’t if you get rejected in the end, but, if you can win one like that, it’s not so bad.
Especially one in the game, hell, if it was real life, I would have tried harder.
Here, in Loiterous, it doesn’t really matter that much.
Still, seeing a beauty like that before me, that in this very world was real, I had to get her!
I was the first to make a move.
Trying to cut through Vilenne from the right, she easily dodged it.
My next swing from the left and the one from the right, dodged, no effort whatsoever.
What’s going on?
That’s when I saw it.
Her [Status]!
That little vixen… she tricked me!
Vilenne was stronger than me this whole time!
Fuck…!
Vilenne: What are you acting so surprised for, hmm? If you don’t want to attack, then I will!
I knew I could use [Water step], but there was too much on the line.
Why would I risk being called a cheater…
Because of this stupid pride of mine, I had to use my utmost to even dodge Vilenne’s attacks!
It was like a little child trying to beat an adult.
Unfortunately, I was the child.
*sigh* Focused only on defense, there was no way I could win.
Vilenne: What, has your dick gone flaccid or something? Who’s going to be who’s woman, huh?
Attention to all females.
There are some things you just shouldn’t say to a man.
Men shouldn’t say things like: “I liked you better 10 years ago.” “Even your mother looks better in that.” or “Why did I even marry you…”
But, there’s this one little thing you shouldn’t say to a man…
That his wee-wee looks… small, or in my case, flaccid.
Remember, it’s a no-no.
Something inside me snapped.
I probably wouldn’t even mind this remark if it came from a male, but from a beauty like that?!
Being told off by Vilenne, that hurt like hell!
There was no longer woman, beauty, nor potential love interest in front of me.
All I could see was prey!
At this point of time, there was no going back.
…
Vilenne’s POV
I duped Icicle into thinking that he’s stronger.
There was no way in hell I would lose to that twerp in pure physical related duel!
All he had were these overpowered freezing abilities, making me unable to act.
Now, that I’ve trained with Haruno and Vanessa, that made me up my speed by a lot, he had no chance!
This perfect kind of a trap, I’ve been waiting for you patiently, twerp!
Toying with the young man in front of me, I made him careless.
That’s when the bet part came in.
Hmph, being a woman of some weakling?!
No way!
Icicle accepted readily, so I set my plan in motion.
After a while of mindless attacking, Icicle suddenly stopped, as if he realized something.
It was high time for the last push!
Insult his male’s pride!
Ahh, what a joy it was!
I could finally get back at him for this stolen kiss!
What I didn’t expect, is that something changed…
His eyes were savage, completely unlike him.
Wild beast in man’s clothing looked at me.
There was no kindness, nor love.
Pure killing intent started coming off him, making his moves predictable…
Yeah, I wish they were…
One erratic dash after the other, Icicle targeted all of my openings.
Not that there were many, but still, he had some success.
To think I’ll have to go all out!
Oh well, that twerp deserves it!
Feigning a slash from the right, I saw his sword moving in that direction to intercept it.
That was the opening I waited for!
[Ice comet]!
My left hand made the ice spell splash directly on Icicle.
Feeling the joy of victory, I hastily froze it.
… that’s when I lost.
Icicle’s sword landed next to my throat.
His eyes turned back to his usual ice cold look.
Next words were ones I didn’t want to utter…
Vilenne: I-I lost, I’m now officially your lov-
Icicle: Hmph, like I can accept such a loss. Winning only due to my class…
…what?
Vilenne: What do you mean?
Icicle: So you don’t remember… Thanks to being an Ice Lord, I am immune to cold, thus, to being frozen as well. It’s my loss.
Cheater always stays a cheater…
*sigh* I should’ve remembered…
Vilenne: Do you really expect me to accept a victory just like that?!
Icicle: Stop trying to act proudly. You won, dumbass woman. *sigh* I may have my skills disabled for now, but when I come back, you had better prepare the bed sheets. I swear I’ll make you mine.
His skills disabled?
Did someone seal him or something?
Vilenne: Pffft! Why are you so obsessed with making me yours? Don’t you have any other women around?
Icicle: Sure I do, but… you’ve caught my fancy. And, well, you’re pure, unsullied. If you know what I mean… fufufu. Let’s go Zetra, there’s not much time left.
Zetra: Understood Master. Goodbye young lady.
Icicle mounted his Griffon.
Did I really hear it right…?
He wants me because I-I’m… a V-VIRGIN?!
Icicle: One more thing. I expect you to train. There’s no point in winning you over if you’re weak. Until then.
You little twerp, stepping on a fragile girl’s pride like that!
I admire your courage…!
What you don’t know, is that you’ve woken up a sleeping lion!
Winning me over, you say?
Trust me, even if hell freezes over I won’t let you do as you please!
Rebirth Online World 