Pleasure

"What... do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what I said. You lot are far too honest for your own good. You never even thought to doubt me because you assumed I was 'good.' You figured that since I’m your teacher, I’d never actually kill you."

"Well, yeah! Isn't that just common sense?"

"Is it? Then tell me... is this common sense too?"

The very next instant, Teacher Milk produced a sword out of thin air and slashed right at me.

If I hadn't moved, I would’ve been sliced clean in half... Wait, did I actually dodge that, or did she let me? I thought I could dodge... right? Please tell me I’m that fast.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I shrieked.

"Ha! You're hilarious. You really think that just because I’m the teacher and you’re the students, you’re safe from harm?"

"Well... yes!"

"Then let me ask the musclehead and the tomboy. Do you honestly believe that the people you trust will never, ever betray you?"

I shot a panicked look at the other two. They both seemed choked up, but eventually, Shari found her voice.

"...I feel like those are two very different things."

"You’re nobles; you should know better than anyone how flimsy things like 'credit' and 'trust' really are. But you’ve grown soft, leaning on them like crutches. Weiss, now... he knows me. If he’d come up to this rooftop, he would’ve been on high alert, expecting a knife in his back. Unlike you lot."

I opened my mouth to shout back at her, but surprisingly, Duke beat me to the punch.

"What’s your point? He and we are different, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing!"

"Oh, you’re certainly different. And as a result, you’ve suffered total defeat at his hands every single time, haven't you? But from where I'm standing, the problem isn't your talent. What you lack is—mindset."

"...We’re always working toward Victory! This time is no different! So—"

"No. You don't understand the essence of it. That’s not what a real fight is about."

"Then what is it about?"

"—Pleasure."

"...Wait, what?" we chimed in unison, completely baffled.

While we stood there wearing identical expressions of confusion, Teacher Milk pressed on.

"It’s the same for hobbies or anything else. You kids are way too serious. Weiss is strong because he knows how to enjoy himself. Somewhere deep down, he finds combat, this world, and even magic to be fun. That mental flexibility is exactly what leads to Victory. Eva is the same way."

She’s right. Now that I think about it, Weiss always does seem like he’s having the time of his life. And Eva-san is the exact same. But is 'having fun' really the secret ingredient to winning? I... I don't know.

"Mulling it over yourself won't give you the answer. This isn't something I can just lecture you on. However, there is a way to loosen up you stiff-necked brats just a little bit."

"Please! Tell us how!" Duke shouted.

"Biting a bit early there, Duke... but honestly, I want to know too," Shari added.

"...Me too," I muttered.

Teacher Milk’s lips curled into a wicked smirk. Then, before I could even blink, she was holding... a water balloon?!

"Your target is that hateful Weiss Fancent. The objective is simple: you’re going to take this balloon... and nail him with it."

"...Huh?"

————————————————

【Important Notice】

A water balloon at Weiss... he might actually die (/・ω・)/

If you post on Twitter with the hashtag #AkujokuKizoku, you can enter a lottery to win an illustration board signed by me and Teacher Kuwashima!

The competition is pretty low right now, so I highly recommend entering!

I look forward to your continued support! ('ω')!!!!

"I Reincarnated as a Lazy and Evil Noble, and After I Destroyed the Scenario, I Became the Strongest with Extraordinary Magic Power"

Release Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2024 (Scheduled for both print and digital)

【Amazon Link & with Illustrations】 https://twitter.com/Kikuchikaisei/status/1755186344601804896