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The next day at midnight.

Ed came to the back mountain of the Academy to meet Isabella.

At the very spot where Isabella had seen his true form that day.

And Isabella was gasping for breath, just as she had back then, wearing a pained expression.

Eventually, sensing Ed’s presence, Isabella forced a smile as she welcomed him.

“You’ve come. Just a moment… I still have some aftereffects…”

Isabella, struggling to breathe, was shouldering all negative emotions.

Ed approached her silently and sat by her side.

He stayed with her until her control technique returned.

Just remaining beside her without a word.

How much time had passed like that?

“I want to go somewhere.”

Finally, once Isabella had regained her stability, she spoke with a faint smile.

When Ed asked, “Somewhere you want to go?” Isabella nodded in response.

“Your dormitory.”

“······.”

…her dormitory, huh.

Ed smiled as he nodded in agreement.

Come to think of it, Isabella had never once been to her own dormitory.

Ed extended his hand to the nearly exhausted Isabella.

It was because she looked like it was hard for her to stand up on her own, having sweated profusely.

“Hah…!”

Holding Ed’s hand, Isabella managed to lift herself up.

But during the process, her legs wobbled, causing her to sway unsteadily.

Fortunately, Ed quickly turned and caught her in his arms, preventing her from crashing to the floor.

“······.”

But somehow, they ended up in a close embrace.

Isabella’s soft and plump chest pressed against Ed’s torso, spreading a delightful sensation all over his body.

It sent electric tingles from his scalp down to his toes, as if he had been shocked.

“······.”

At the same time, Isabella’s heart started racing.

Perhaps due to the control technique not being fully restored, raw emotions completely overtook her.

Attraction and affection for Ed. And all the feelings she had built up surged wildly, causing her body to flush with warmth.

After all, it had been 49 days since she had longed to embrace Ed.

“I’ll rest for a moment…”

Isabella, using the excuse of recovering her body, savored this moment.

After every day feeling as if she was barely scraping by, today was the day she chose to fully enjoy the embrace of the Ed she had missed so much.

She had suppressed that longing for so long and barely held on.

“I’m going crazy…”

However, Ed was in a dire situation.

His body was too healthy, causing blood to rush downward.

And indeed, the soft and plump sensation felt incredibly vivid.

Additionally, Isabella’s warmth, leaning her face against his shoulder and neck, was intensely felt.

Even her intermittent warm breaths were too much of a temptation.

Ed felt compelled to hum the national anthem of his homeland for the first time in this other world.

– Swish.

At that moment, Isabella glanced at Ed with sidelong eyes.

Her flushed face looked simply adorable.

The way she would clench and unclench her fists was also incredibly endearing.

Was Ed feeling the same flutter and tension in his heart?

“······”

Simultaneously, he felt her subtly withdrawing her lower body.

He wasn’t naive enough not to understand why Ed was acting that way.

His face flushed with heat, and thoughts he normally wouldn’t entertain began to fill his head.

His heart raced faster, and his breath grew shallow.

‘…So cute.’

Yes, she was indeed cute.

The way she seemed unable to decide what to do, pulling her lower body back.

Eventually, with a playful spirit, Isabella pressed her body closer.

She turned her forehead from where she rested it on his shoulder to face his neck.

She let out a hot breath and subtly nudged her lips to his collarbone.

“Hah… Hah…”

How long had they been in this unintentional embrace?

Feeling pity for Ed, who was desperately trying to hold on, Isabella finally pulled away, saying it was okay.

Seeing Ed, who had always seemed perfect, reveal a human side, she flashed a bright smile at him.

Ed, in contrast to his usual cynical demeanor, couldn’t help but smile back at Isabella, who looked so childlike and joyful.

“Shall we go?”

In that way, Ed and Isabella headed toward the dormitory.

However, Ed subtly placed Isabella in front and walked a little behind her.

Only after suppressing as many comical thoughts as he could and calming his nerves was he able to walk alongside Isabella.

“Take your time looking around. I’ll whip up some snacks.”

Finally, the two arrived at Ed’s dormitory.

Ed told Isabella to feel free to explore, then began cooking.

Isabella gazed around Ed’s modernized living space with curiosity.

It was indeed as stylish, clean, and pleasant as it appeared.

‘This is Ed’s bedroom…’

As she marveled about the house.

At last, Isabella found Ed’s bedroom.

A plush bed set in soft lighting.

Isabella blushed and plopped herself down onto it.

Swish – swish – she caressed the fluffy texture of the bedding and mattress.

“······?”

In the midst of that, something strange caught her eye beneath the pillow.

It was a very long, silver hair.

“····ha.”

She didn’t even need to guess who it belonged to.

Enya Cruel.

That girl’s hair was concealed near the pillow.

Instantly, the thought that Ed had slept with her made her insides boil over.

Isabella collected the strands of Enya’s hair scattered across the bed and burned them all.

With a fire-type elemental technique, of course.

“What… is this?”

However, during that process, she discovered something odd again.

Something very small was peeking out from between the mattress and the bed frame.

Taking it out, it was a paper shaped like a talisman.

The paper bore the emblem symbolizing the Cruel family.

“·····Are you out of your mind?”

It was absurd.

No matter how much she liked Ed, to hide a talisman as well…

Isabella burned the talisman using magic and then searched the rest of the place to see if there were any more talismans.

Fortunately, it seemed there were none elsewhere.

“Isabella?”

At that moment.

She heard Ed’s voice calling her.

Isabella gave a bright smile and went to where Ed was.

On the table was a spread of various snacks.

“There… I want to eat in your room.”

However, Isabella wanted to drink in Ed’s room, not the kitchen.

Somehow, she needed to dissipate Enya’s energy.

Ed passively accepted Isabella’s suggestion and brought all the snacks and drinks into his room.

Then, they began drinking and chatting about various topics.

“I have a subordinate named Gric. He was originally the leader of a bandit group operating in my territory…”

However, their conversation was quite one-sided.

Ed dominated the dialogue while Isabella primarily listened.

Because Isabella just didn’t have much to say.

Her life was filled with hurting others and being hurt herself; what was there to discuss?

“Puhuhuh. The dwarves must’ve been surprised.”

However, Ed’s stories were always entertaining.

Unlike other students at the Academy who were shallow and predictable, he was venturing into uncharted territory.

Isabella found Ed’s stories about revitalizing his territory fascinating.

The more she listened and drank, the more Isabella’s gaze toward Ed deepened.

“Why are you spilling so much? So clumsy.”

How long had they been drinking?

As Isabella laughed and lightly buzzed, she picked up the crumbs of bread that had fallen onto Ed’s thigh.

Then she popped them into her mouth and chewed with a rosy smile.

‘Ah, I’ve really had too much to drink…’

Ed noticed Isabella, who had completely let her guard down.

Since she usually walked around with a poker face, her giggling expression was incredibly charming.

“Puh-oooh.”

But Isabella also realized it.

That she was drunk.

With each breath she exhaled, it was filled with the smell of alcohol, and there was no way she could be oblivious to it.

‘I hope this moment lasts forever…’

However, she didn’t bother to clear the alcohol.

Although she could use mana to eliminate the effects of drunkenness, she didn’t want to chase away the buzz she felt right now.

Having lived with suppressed emotions for so long, she wanted to be fully spoiled and show her relaxed self in front of the person she liked.

Isn’t it okay to do that just once or twice?

“…I think I really like you.”

So Isabella spilled the feelings she had kept inside.

As Ed looked at her with surprise, she smiled and followed up.

“Hehe… But I know. You won’t date anyone anyway. You’re so busy. Always engrossed in something, running away from fun… just like me.”

“······.”

“I’m not sure what it is you want to achieve, but I don’t intend to get in your way. I just want to express how I feel.”

Saying that, Isabella took a sip of her beer.

Giggling, she continued.

“Hehe. Isn’t it hopeless? Please understand. This is the only moment I can spill out the words I want to say, the feelings I want to express… and have the freedom to do so.”

Isabella spoke those words and stared absently into space for a while.

Then she manipulated her mana to remove the drunken state, smiling awkwardly as she said.

“I guess I was too drunk. Nonsense.”

Isabella said this as she stood up.

However, Ed grabbed Isabella’s hand as she tried to rise, saying.

“It’s okay. No matter how strangely you act, I don’t mind at all. Just lean against me as much as you want.”

“······.”

Isabella looked at Ed.

She gazed into his eyes, which seemed to pull her in.

Finally, with a smirk, she spoke.

“Really, I can do whatever I want? You won’t be able to handle it. I have far too many suppressed feelings.”

“I don’t mind.”

“······.”

…Ed’s words of indifference.

Isabella paused to think.

Is it really okay to do whatever she wants here?

She wanted to indulge madly in Ed.

“…It matters. Otherwise, there’s no turning back.”

But Isabella held herself back.

If she fell too deeply for him, she feared she might forget her mission.

She couldn’t leave her sister, who was held hostage.

“…I’m sleepy. Let’s sleep now.”

Thus, Isabella lay on the bed, waiting for Ed.

At this point, she needed to calm the fire that threatened to spiral out of control.

“Tonight, I’ll put you to sleep.”

But since he had already slipped into sleep, Isabella decided to put Ed to sleep this time.

She was going to follow the sleep technique she learned from the Sleep Facade method.

“······.”

An hour later, Isabella looked at Ed’s sleeping face.

Watching him breathe softly, she smiled with warmth.

He was handsome.

It was amazing that a man could look so beautiful.

– Swish.

Isabella brushed Ed’s hair aside.

His silky, well-maintained hair felt so pleasant.

The sweet scent of shampoo tickled her nose.

“Now I can breathe again…”

Having done many things for her sleeping Ed, Isabella nodded with a smile.

Then she placed the teddy bear she had brought as a gift by his pillow and left a note.

It was a message hoping that the teddy bear would accompany Ed wherever he went.

– Stomp… Stomp… Stomp…

After leaving the teddy bear as a gift, Isabella quietly left Ed’s room.

At the same time, the black eyes of the teddy bear she had left behind sparkled.

They were, after all, eyes created via a video transmission magic orb.

***

The next day, Ed began to immerse himself in constructing the Dreadnought Ship again.

He needed to coordinate the timeline with the joint training of the Empire and Clendor.

“I will begin the class.”

Thus, Ed threw himself into teaching.

While the turret technology was easy to explain due to the already advanced dwarven techniques, the more centuries-ahead technologies like steam turbines and boiler rooms required thorough instruction for understanding.

And to explain this, he needed to clarify the relationships between gravity and buoyancy, as well as the dynamics of steam engines.

Only with true understanding could the meticulous building of the ship’s design and assembly be carried out.

“Everyone, good job.”

“Congratulations, My Lord.”

“You worked hard, My Lord.”

“Everything is thanks to you, My Lord.”

As a result of tirelessly running the shipyard day and night, providing education, and offering all resources without reservation.

Finally, the Dreadnought Ship was completed.

It had been completed five days before the joint training with the Empire and Clendor.

All of this was made possible by the workers rallying together and working hard.

Additionally, helpers like Fix, Elena, Adela, and the Princess had done everything they could from their positions.

“I will now begin the launching ceremony.”

Now, the only thing left was to launch the ship onto the water.

Following the traditional procedure of ship launching, Ed secured a champagne bottle to a rope.

Then, he unleashed the rope in the principle of a pendulum to smash the champagne bottle against the hull.

At last, the bottle shattered, spilling its contents everywhere.

“Wooh… Then pull the lever.”

With the champagne bottle erupting, Ed pulled the lever to command the rails to operate.

Once Gric pulled the lever, a heavy mechanical sound echoed as the ship began to slide down the incline toward the sea.

The massive weight of the ship began to glide slowly across the rails toward the water.

– Swoooosh!!!

As the Dreadnought Ship touched the surface of the sea.

A tremendous sound erupted, and the seawater surged up, covering the harbor.

Given its vast scale, the waves were ferociously strong.

It felt as if the dread power of the Dreadnought was being showcased.

“The mightiest battleship has been launched!”

“We made this ship with our own hands!”

As the Dreadnought Ship safely splashed down onto the water, the workers cheered, expressing their excitement.

Some workers even cried tears of joy at the grandeur of the Dreadnought.

It was hard to believe that this magnificent ship, boasting the power of a sea god, had been built thanks to their contributions.

“Wooaahhh!!!”

And this feeling resonated with everyone.

Countless engineers and workers, along with the dwarves, embraced each other, cheering and singing.

It was a moment when the mightiest ship in the world was born amid everyone’s blessings.

 

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