The first thing she felt was a sharp, agonizing pain, as if every bone in her body had been shattered by a heavy, blunt object.
It was as if the “Holy Sword of Physics”—a crowbar—had ruthlessly visited every inch of her body, from her fingertips to the soles of her feet; the sheer agony was beyond words.
The girl’s petite body naturally slumped toward one side of the sofa. The pain caused her small mouth to hang open unconsciously, and saliva trailed from the corner of her lips, trickling down her chin and neck into her collar.
Her crimson eyes had lost their focus. The tiny, pearl-like tears flowing from the corners of her eyes mingled with the fine beads of sweat on her nose, making her look exceptionally fragile and helpless, like a delicate piece of glassware.
It… It hurts so much!
It was easily ten times—no, nine times—more painful than stubbing a pinky toe on the corner of a wardrobe.
However, the girl clutched her neck with her slender hands, lacking even the strength to cry out for help. It felt as though all the air had been squeezed out of her lungs, and her snow-white neck had already been scratched and clawed into a bright, angry red.
“Ugh… Ah… Eugh…” The only sounds she could make were like a goldfish tossed out of water—limited to hoarse, desperate gasps and whimpers. Her blank mind struggled to comprehend the current situation.
Is it poison?
Did the Death Tracker—Carola—poison her? Did she want her life?
No, why go to all that trouble? If Carola really wanted to kill her, a female assassin who completely outmatched Erica in both stature and strength could have simply stood up from her seat and snapped her slender neck. Wouldn’t that be more direct and simple?
Could there be some sort of aesthetic to killing with poison?
No, she herself should hate that as well—the act of using a secret recipe from her once-honorable Baronial family to commit murder.
“Wooo—ugh—!”
Carola seemed to be saying something in front of her, but her ears were buzzing, and heavy metal music seemed to be drumming against her eardrums. The girl couldn’t make out a single word.
“Crack, crunch, grind.” Instead, the sound of her own bones and joints twisting was exceptionally clear. Simultaneously, the intense pain felt as if it were shaking her brains into a slurry, making it impossible for her to focus on anything else.
Fine beads of sweat broke out under her bangs, causing the strands of hair at her temples to stick to her forehead. Erica, her eyes vacant, threw her head back in agony. Her tongue even poked out halfway amidst her unconscious moans, lolling helplessly between her teeth.
The girl was completely unable to care about her surroundings. As she thrashed and struggled on the sofa, her clothes became disheveled. Despite wearing a long dress, even her thighs were now exposed to the air.
Something… there must be something… maybe in my pocket…
Struggling to maintain a sliver of clarity, Erica reached out with a trembling hand. Like the tail of a startled succubus, her hand slipped into the side pocket of her skirt and pulled out a piece of candy she had placed there earlier.
While it wasn’t that super-expensive Hajimi Honey candy, it was still a high-sugar treat made from a blend of top-quality honey and white sugar. Erica just happened to have one in her pocket for emergencies.
Without hesitation, she shoved the candy into her mouth, her teeth snapping together as she crunched down on it.
The shattered candy turned into a thick syrup in her warm mouth, flowing over the tip of her tongue. Her body felt as if it were floating lightly, and all the pain seemed to vanish in an instant… Erica covered her lips with both hands, a look of intoxication and bliss appearing on her small face.
“Shua.” Thanks to the candy’s buff effect on elves, her tense body went limp like a rubber band that had lost its elasticity. she collapsed softly onto the sofa, panting heavily, her chest heaving and her body drenched in fragrant sweat.
The tension throughout her body vanished, replaced only by a sweet sense of satisfaction that eroded the girl’s senses, making her feel as though she were amidst the clouds.
It might be a bit ridiculous to think about such things at a time like this, but perhaps the taste buds of elves were more developed than those of other races, or perhaps their gustatory nerves were more dense, allowing them to perceive more sweetness? Otherwise, how could there be such a wonderful sensation?
Fortunately, the wise Lady Erica had the foresight to carry a piece of candy with her; that was the only reason she managed to survive.
“Are… are you okay?”
Only then did she faintly hear other voices. Erica struggled to lift her eyelids and saw a pair of orange-yellow pupils looking down at her face.
The girl forced herself to speak with what little strength she had left: “Do I look like I’m okay?”
“Hmm… You actually look surprisingly good. What did you eat?”
“…Candy.”
“Candy?”
Carola wore a bizarre expression of incomprehension. Although Erica didn’t understand it either, at a time like this, she just had to act like “everything is under control”!
After all, you’re supposed to eat candy after taking medicine.
“Also, you should probably tidy up your clothes. It’s a bit… unseemly,” Carola cleared her throat and turned her head away. Erica looked down and noticed that a large portion of her snow-white skin was exposed to the air.
Her face immediately turned beet red. Even though everyone present was female, it was indeed, as Carola said, quite unseemly.
The girl quickly sat up straight, smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, and lowered her legs from the sofa until her toes finally touched the floor.
As a result of doing these incredibly simple movements, a sense of detachment and weakness washed over her again, nearly causing her to tumble back onto the sofa.
“If your body lacks strength, try this.” Carola handed over another beaker.
“What is that?” Erica asked nervously, her guard up due to the intense pain from moments ago.
Carola covered her mouth with a slight chuckle. “This is a Physique Potion. It should help you recover some strength. From now on, the most important thing is to take good care of your body.”
“Ah… oh.”
She took the potion and downed it in one go. It had a tart, stimulating taste that reminded her of a vitamin sports drink.
“Ohh.” But the most miraculous thing wasn’t the taste, but its actual effect. At first, her limbs felt slightly numb, but immediately after, every blood vessel in her body seemed to wake up, and an itchy, tingling sensation gradually spread throughout her.
“It feels itchy, doesn’t it? That’s because your mana circuits are being repaired within your meridians. It seems your constitution is very compatible with this potion.”
Being repaired? Does that mean she can finally achieve her purpose for coming here?
Replacing her previous gloom with a lighthearted and excited mood, Erica cried out in her heart once more, like someone opening a card pack guaranteed to have a limited SSR.
‘Status Window!’
***
Name: Erica Angelina Noel LV. 21
Class: Half-Elf LV. 2
Alluring Enchantress LV. 9
Performer LV. 7
Trainer LV. 2
Mage LV. 1
Talents: [Alluring Presence] [Calm Thinking] [Pupil] [?]
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Description: You are the sole survivor of a fallen family.
You must evade the enemies who are trying everything in their power to completely destroy your lineage, and successfully restore the family in the future.
Fortunately, you are filled with enthusiasm for rebuilding your house.
***
Hey, hey, this isn’t just a matter of the storyline being twisted and broken anymore!
[You have used [Calm Thinking] to judge the progression of the situation!]
[Obtained experience points through the talent [Calm Thinking] — All Class EXP + 5]