The Heroines All Want to Kill Me

"Cough, cough!! Ugh..."

"...Lord Frey, are you alright?" After I had been coughing in the bathroom for a while, when I heard Irina knocking on the door and asking, I replied in an impatient voice. "...Don't worry about it so much. Just focus on cleaning."

"It's time to clean the bathroom." However, Irina retorted unyieldingly. I frowned and spoke again, "...Clean it later."

In front of me was the sink stained with blood.

"I've cleaned everywhere else. Now it's just the bathroom left..."

"...Shut up and wait!!" Seeing that she was about to open the door and come in, I shouted urgently and at the same time began to wipe the bloodstains on the sink.

"...What's going on?" However, no matter how much I wiped, the bloodstains not only didn't disappear but started to spread.

"W - what's going on? Why is this happening?" In a panic, I even used the starlight magic power and desperately wiped the sink, but the bloodstains not only didn't vanish but spread more and more as I wiped.

Finally, in order to wash away the bloodstains, I turned on the faucet above the sink...

".....!" However, instead of water, blood flowed out of the faucet. Facing this incomprehensible situation, I stared at the faucet in a daze. The blood in the sink overflowed and began to stain the floor of the bathroom red.

「...What's going on? Is it an illusion?」Perhaps what I was seeing now was just an illusion. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I saw an illusion. I thought this kind of thing had ended in the last cycle... Could it be that it recurred after I heard the auditory hallucination of my sister last time?

「...This is really troublesome.」The blood on the floor spread up along the walls of the bathroom and started to drip onto me one by one. I grabbed the doorknob of the toilet with a bit of unease, trying to leave, but for some reason, the doorknob wouldn't budge. I struggled with the doorknob for a while and almost wanted to smash the door open, but I endured it and went back to the sink and sighed.

Just then, the reflection of me in the mirror began to show a creepy smile.

[Name: Frey Rahn Starlight]

[Abilities: Strength ??? / Magic Power ??? / Intelligence ??? / Mental Power 9.3]

[Special Notes: Blessing of the Stars / In Critical Condition / Low on Health Points / Weak and Sickly / Mentally Abnormal]

[Tendency: Brave]

[Kindness: 100]

I opened the information window to cover my appearance and muttered softly while looking at the mental power value.

"...It's about time to come to my senses."

The moment those words blurted out, my mind suddenly became clear, and the familiar bathroom began to appear in front of my eyes.

[The First Trial of the System Begins!]

Also, that red prompt box appeared.

'...No wonder. I always felt something was off.'

Only then did I realize that this illusion was shown to me by the system. With my current mental power value, ordinary psychological attacks or illusions have little effect on me, and I might not even fall for them at all. So... the only entity that could make me see such a long - lasting illusion was the system, or to be precise, the "System's Trial".

The "System's Trial" is a harsh test imposed on the user by the system. The user needs to pass multiple stages of testing to prove their ability as a system user. And this first step was exactly the illusion I had just seen.

'...It's going to be a bit troublesome for about a week.'

The system's "First Trial" would last for a week. Therefore, starting from today, I would keep seeing illusions. However, this wasn't a big problem for me. Because of the high mental power value honed through the last cycle, even if there were auditory or visual hallucinations like just now, as long as I endured a little, my mind would regain clarity and return to normal. This was a fact I discovered when I heard the hallucination of my sister crying in the carriage last time.

Of course, I was really flustered at that time due to the great psychological pressure. But after accidentally resting for three months, my mental state is very stable now.

To be honest... I have experienced countless things scarier than this clumsy illusion, so I don't feel too much about it.

Therefore, it seems that the "First Trial" should be passed smoothly without any twists and turns.

"Lord Frey...?"

"...Huh?" Thinking like this, just as I was about to go out of the bathroom, Irina's voice came from beside me. I turned my head in confusion and saw Irina opening the bathroom door and staring at me blankly.

"Uh... What's going on here?"

"...Ah."

After a while, she pointed at the sink with her slightly trembling fingers. I subconsciously looked down and saw blood and water mixed together, overflowing from the sink.

"How did you get in?"

"Lord, Lord Frey, didn't you open the door?"

"Me?" I quickly tightened the faucet and asked coldly. Irina said I opened the door. It seemed that the door opened when I twisted the doorknob hard just now.

"Um... Are you really okay?"

"Um..." I frowned and was about to answer her, but I caught a glimpse of my appearance in the mirror and was momentarily speechless. Because blood was flowing from the corner of my mouth, and both my hands and clothes were stained red with blood.

"...It seems my body hasn't fully recovered yet."

Finally, I quickly washed my face and hands, took off my clothes and handed them to her, and said as I walked out of the bathroom, "Wipe it clean. Wash the clothes too."

"Um... What exactly is this..."

"Answer."

"...Yes."

After saying that, I closed the bathroom door, sighed, fell on the bed, and murmured.

"...Should I really pay to get through the final exam?"

Just like this, while calculating how much money I should give the department head this time to avoid failing the exam, I slowly closed my eyes in the gradually approaching drowsiness. Today, I hope to have a simple dream about cats, not a nightmare, nor a memory of the past.

.....

"What on earth is going on...?"

Just as Frey was gradually falling asleep in bed, Irina stared blankly at the washbasin and frowned.

"...I clearly don't remember Frey having any chronic illnesses."

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't remember Frey having any chronic illnesses like spitting up blood, nor had she heard any related news. From the very beginning, even if he really had such an illness, with the huge wealth and power of the Starlight family, it surely could have been cured.

But why on earth was Frey Rahn Starlight spitting up so much blood?

'...Come to think of it, something was really off at that time.'

Irina, who was familiar with the flow of magic power, roughly guessed his physical condition when Frey first collapsed. Due to forcibly injecting magic power into his body, the magic power circuits throughout his body were burned and broken at that time, and he suffered rather serious injuries. But the human magic power circuits, after thousands of years of adaptation and evolution, had long become suitable for survival. As long as he received appropriate treatment, he could recover within a week.

However, he slept for a full three months and one day... and didn't wake up until today.

Although she wasn't sure why this happened, she did remember some key fragments. For example, the moment when blood flowed from his mouth and nose, and even oozed from his ears, and he finally collapsed.

Of course, just as he said when he left the bathroom just now, it could also be considered a sequela of the civilian dormitory incident, but there was no connection between the burning of the magic power circuits and spitting up blood. Irina had experienced the breaking or burning of magic power circuits countless times due to repeated cultivation in the last cycle, so she knew this very well.

'Come to think of it, I heard that he also spit up a large amount of blood in the ward two months ago...'

It was really quite suspicious that a person who had nothing to do with spitting up blood kept spitting up blood. So, what was the reason behind it? Was it a hidden old illness? Or was someone trying to poison him? Or... the "variable" that Klana had always claimed?

Anyway, what was important was that even to herself, who knew nothing about medicine, his physical condition seemed extremely bad. And at the core of all this was that mysterious symptom of spitting up blood.

'Irina also often spat up blood in order to protect me. Seeing this...'

While wiping the blood that Frey spat up in the bathroom, Irina thought repeatedly and suddenly remembered something from the past.

'Sure enough, Irina...'

That mysterious woman Irina, who had once helped herself, had too many things in common with Frey. That familiar shining magic power, the weak appearance, or the look of spitting up blood... According to a certain conclusion she reached two months ago, Frey and she were likely to be the same person.

So, what was the reason? Although she really wanted to grab Frey's collar immediately and ask him the reason, Irina's reason stopped her. Because in the last cycle, Irina had witnessed the cruel and terrifying side of Frey, which was even worse than that of the Demon King, and this had become an unforgettable trauma for her.

Moreover, since she couldn't determine what his true purpose was, it wasn't a wise move to show that she knew the truth rashly.

"...Huff."

Irina, who had sorted out her thoughts, wiped the glistening sweat from her forehead and walked out of the bathroom.

"Hmm..."

At this time, her gaze fell on Frey, who was sleeping soundly in bed. Irina stared at him, quietly walked towards the entrance of the dormitory, locked the door, and then walked towards Frey.

"Lord Frey."

Irina gently sat on the edge of the bed, leaned close to Frey's ear, and whispered softly.

"Frey."

Although her voice was soft and alluring, Frey remained silent.

"...What on earth are you thinking?"

Irina listened to Frey's deep breathing in the room and asked again, her gaze fixed tightly on his face. His face still remained as pure as the first time she saw it.

Of course, that pure white face had long lost its luster because that equally pure white heart had been stained by ugliness and filth... If there was still a trace of light left in him... No, if he had never lost that light from the very beginning...

「...Ah.」

Irina, who was lost in her thoughts, suddenly realized that she was stroking Frey's hair. Worried that Frey would wake up and notice something was wrong, Irina quickly withdrew her hand. But seeing that he was still deeply asleep, she fell into a short period of contemplation again.

「...Just now, I clearly felt a sense of familiarity.」

When Frey hugged me just now, I quietly nestled in his arms and groped his body. It seemed that I vaguely felt the same touch and scars as when I hugged Irina. Although Frey let go of me soon, making me unable to be sure. But since he was asleep now...

"...Growl."

No matter how hard she tried to investigate, for Irina, who was currently just an ordinary commoner, there were obviously obvious limitations. Up until now, I had always done everything myself, trying every means to bridge the gap, but now if I didn't take some risks, it would be quite difficult to obtain information.

No matter how bad his reputation was, the Starlight family was one of the only three duke families in the empire, and it had the greatest power among the three duke families. Therefore, it was extremely difficult and laborious to investigate the background of Frey, the first heir and acting head of the duke family.

Therefore, although it was a bit dangerous, being able to directly investigate Frey himself was of sufficient value. Of course, if she could use magic, the situation would be different, but now she had exhausted her magic power and had no choice.

'Just once, just a little...'

Irina, who had made up her mind, carefully reached out her hand towards Frey's body.

"Hmm..."

Immediately, Frey let out a soft groan and his body twisted slightly. Irina froze in place for a moment, stared at Frey, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she confirmed that he had fallen back into a deep sleep, and then continued her action.

- Swish

Irina's hand gently stroked Frey's body.

"...Hmm."

Irina tilted her head and thought for a moment, secretly glanced at Frey, and then started to stroke his body with her hand again.

- Rustle

Just like this, while observing Frey's reaction, Irina stroked every part of his body with her hand. After a while, she carefully moved her hand away from him and muttered in a low voice, 'The clothes are too thick...'

The change of clothes that Frey handed to her were quite thick. While complaining about why he was wearing such thick clothes to sleep, Irina took a deep breath and started to carefully help him take off his clothes.

"...Mmm."

At this time, his fair skin was gradually revealed. Irina looked at him, hesitated for a moment, glanced at Frey's expression again, and then carefully lifted his clothes.

- Swish

What came into her view were the traces of the burning of the magic power circuits remaining all over his upper body.

".....?"

Irina stared for a moment and was about to cover him with the clothes when she suddenly felt something was off and couldn't help tilting her head to think.

'The traces of the magic power circuits... Why are they so irregular?'

Just like the structure of the internal organs of the human body was the same, the structure of the magic power circuits was also the same in everyone. Because of this, the methods of using magic power and the breathing methods could be standardized and widely spread in the world.

However, the traces of the magic power circuits remaining on him were somewhat special. That strange scene as if covered by some special effect aroused Irina's curiosity and thirst for knowledge, which were exactly what had pushed her to the realm of a great mage.

'...I don't quite understand, but it seems that a certain part of the body is intentionally covered.'

Irina stared intently at his skin and speculated that this strange situation was caused by wrapping and hiding a part of the body with some special medium.

'So, what on earth is being hidden...?'

Thinking of this, Irina started to stroke Frey's skin with her trembling hand, trying to find out the secret he was hiding.

- Caress

When her hand touched Frey's bare skin, an inexplicable rough touch suddenly came from the smooth skin. The moment she felt this touch, Irina frowned tightly, "...What are you doing now?"

Kania's cold voice came from behind her, questioning her.

"Ugh!!"

Irina almost let out a scream and quickly covered her mouth, barely suppressing the sound. Then she secretly glanced at Frey.

"Mmm..."

Although his body twisted slightly, he was still deeply asleep.

"Miss Irina?"

"Ah, that..."

Irina, who was looking at him, let out a sigh of relief. But when Kania frowned and asked her again, she hesitated for a moment and finally answered.

"Um... I just wanted to confirm if there were any marks of the Demon King's Army on you... So... I checked by the way..."

"I've already carefully checked for that kind of thing. So, you don't need to bother anymore."

"Ah, I see. Then..."

Irina mumbled vaguely, quickly got up from the bed, and left the room in a hurry.

"...Young Master, Miss Irina has left."

Kania quietly watched this scene and said to Frey in a low voice. "I know you're awake. So, please get up and share what Miss Irina just did."

Since Frey was always worried that those "heroines" would make a move on him while he was asleep and couldn't fall asleep without Kania by his side, she silently took out a notebook, ready to record his words.

"...Young Master?"

However, as time passed, Frey remained silent.

"Umm..."

"Young Master, are you okay?"

When Frey let out a slight groan, Kania showed a worried expression, walked towards him, then cast a wake - up magic on him and asked, "Did you have a nightmare? It seems that the frequency of your nightmares has increased recently."

"...."

But Frey still didn't say a word.

"...It's the trial, isn't it?"

Kania stared at him with a serious gaze. Realizing that this situation was related to the "trial" he had warned about before, she quietly walked to his side.

"Why does this world always seem so eager to devour the Young Master..."

Kania stared at his resolute face while he was asleep, gently stroked his face, and then quietly reached her hand into Frey's loosened collar.

- Rustle...

As the black magic she cast dissipated, countless scars on Frey's body were revealed. Kania looked at these wounds, took out a medicine bottle from her bosom, and said softly, "...You're such a kind person."

After saying that, she carefully started to apply medicine to Frey's wounds. When Kania had almost used up the whole bottle of medicine, Frey finally woke up.

.....

"So, so scary..."

At the same time, "But... I also have to do something..."

Pelosh quietly sneaked into the basement of the Sun God Order - the place that had inexplicable made her feel uneasy since three months ago.

"...Your Holiness, what are you doing there?"

"Wow!"

Of course, this was only on the premise that she thought "no one knew". So, just as she was about to step into the basement, she was discovered by the Pope.

"Ah, that..."

"Didn't I say? This is the place where the Order keeps and investigates confiscated items."

"I, I'm fine with it..."

The Pope said with a serious expression, and Pelosh replied timidly.

"...Even if Your Holiness is fine, the items under investigation are not. Your divine power is too strong and may damage them."

"Umm..."

Even so, the Saintess still stared at the Pope with a suspicious gaze.

The Pope let out a sigh and silently opened the door to the basement.

"...What are these?"

"All of them are confiscated items."

What came into Pelosh's view were various kinds of ornaments.

"If you're really curious, I can show them to you..."

"Alright, then..."

The Pope said calmly, while the Saintess released her divine power, preparing to enter the room.

"However, if your divine power damages these items... you'll have to take responsibility."

"Uh."

"...A very significant responsibility."

The Pope said with a hint of displeasure. Pelosh lowered her head and slowly turned around to walk towards the cathedral building.

"Tsk, she's getting more and more suspicious recently."

The Pope stared coldly at her back, looked around, and then muttered in a low voice as he walked into the basement.

"I don't know why, but there are fewer children in the market recently. What should I do?"

Just then, in the basement, which was clearly empty except for some ornaments, a creepy voice came.

-...Go and investigate their whereabouts.

"Yes, I understand."

After hearing that voice, the Pope bowed and scraped as he answered, and then carefully raised a question.

"Um... Is it better to change the place?"

-...What?

"Because this is the location of the Sun God Order's cathedral. There may be problems when holding ceremonies, and for some reason, the Saintess always comes here..."

- Gurgle gurgle gurgle!!

"Woo, woo - waa!!"

The Pope spoke while sweating profusely. The moment he felt the basement shake violently, he immediately fell to the ground, put his hands together, and started begging desperately.

"S - sorry...! Please have mercy...!"

-...Proceed as planned.

"Ah, got it! I will do my best!"

The Pope said, with a fawning expression on his face. In front of him, the ornaments that were originally placed there disappeared, and in their place were several ragged children, tightly bound by ropes and shivering.