Chapter 293: Webtoon Special Edition – Extra 5 Transfer Student With Experience (5)

Sinia remembered the conversation she had had a short while ago.

“What beautiful hands.”

“Eh? They aren’t. They’re rough… and full of calluses…”

“That’s precisely why they’re beautiful. They are hands that turned the frozen soil of the North and made flowers bloom that heal people.”

“What hands could be more beautiful than these?”

She didn’t realize her face was burning until she returned to the dormitory.

Only after washing her face with cold water could she look at herself in the mirror.

“Fuaaah…”

Her face was a complete mess.

In the North, her face had been burned many times by the extreme cold, but it had never burned like this in such a warm place.

‘My heart… is beating really fast.’

For quite a while now, her chest had been pounding.

Sinia sensed that this was not a normal change.

“I’m crazy… I’m crazy…”

How could she say things like that so naturally to another woman?

And why did I fall for it so easily?

“But… it can’t be helped.”

It was the first time anyone had ever said something like that to her.

When she decided to study in the kingdom, Sinia had already anticipated that she would suffer harassment and prejudice from others.

She knew well that the nobles of the kingdom despised northerners, calling them barbarians.

— Oh, in the North you can’t even get a decent dress? I can smell the poverty all the way here.

— Dirt? Are you really an archduchess? Doing such vulgar work is why they call you barbarians.

Even in the social gatherings they attended before departing, with the aim of forming ties with influential figures of the kingdom, both of them had suffered humiliation, contempt, and harassment.

But they could do nothing but endure it in silence.

She and her brother Calcion had come representing the North, supposedly to learn from the kingdom.

The unification of the North with the kingdom had been a realistic decision, made by the Shieldmaidens.

They must not cause trouble in the place that had been prepared for them.

And just as she was enduring everything in silence, Shia appeared.

‘She said they were beautiful.’

She said that those rough, calloused hands—hands that had nothing to do with the delicate hands of the kingdom’s nobles—were the most beautiful of all.

“Hehe…”

As she recalled her face, a smile escaped her without her realizing it.

“What’s making you laugh like that?”

“Ah… brother.”

At that moment, Calcion entered her room.

When Sinia frowned, he immediately raised his hand.

“I should have knocked… sorry. I’m not used to it.”

“At home we didn’t worry about that.”

Of course, even in the North no one would lift the flap of an adult woman’s tent without permission, but they were very close siblings, and that boundary had always been thin.

“Sit down. I brought medicinal herbs.”

Calcion obeyed without protest and sat down in front of her.

Sinia looked at his wounds with concern.

“You should go to the infirmary. They say there are many doctors here.”

“Even if I go, they won’t treat me properly.”

Because the kingdom discriminates against northerners.

Until that very morning, Sinia had thought the same way.

“But it wasn’t like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I met Shia Loch. The sister of the man Brunhilde spoke about.”

“Shia Loch…?”

The woman who had stopped him when he was about to crush the blasphemer of the kingdom.

She was, without a doubt, the sister of that great hero.

With a body that didn’t seem trained, she perfectly deflected his attack.

“Was she different?”

“Yes. Maybe she’s special, but she was different.”

“Hmph… in what way? In the end, she’s still from the kingdom.”

Sinia understood her brother’s hostility toward the people of the kingdom.

She too had suffered the same discrimination.

But—

‘Things will gradually get better. You two are just the first ones, so you’re not used to it yet.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. It will be so.’

There was a strange conviction in those words.

“Brother, what are you going to do about marriage?”

“W-what? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Calcion flinched at the sudden change of topic.

Sinia continued calmly.

“In the end, you’ll have to marry someone from the kingdom for convenience. It’s the best way for us to integrate.”

The two princesses of the kingdom had already married Corin Loch.

Among the great nobles there was the Dunaleff family, but they too were tied to Corin Loch.

The swordsman sisters of the Arden family, the Celestial Sect of the East, the princesses of the kingdom, goddesses, and even an archmage from another dimension.

‘My sister is amazing, but my brother…’

Finding a suitable candidate among the influential nobles was not easy.

However, thinking about it carefully, there was a perfect candidate.

“What would you think if Shia Loch… were my wife… no, my sister-in-law?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Think about it carefully.”

Calcion reflected seriously.

Shia Loch was not only the best candidate in the kingdom; she was someone completely out of reach.

She was the sister of the great hero.

And even more terrifying than that were her family connections.

The next Duke of Dunaleff, the future leader of the Arden house and elite swordsmen, the leader of the Heavenly Sect of the East, princesses of the kingdom, goddesses, and a great mage from another dimension.

Each of them was practically untouchable.

To unite by marriage with the Loch house meant having the protection of all those forces.

For the North, it was the best possible option.

“Do you think she would accept me? She could choose the best candidates in the kingdom.”

If she wanted to, she could have them all and no one could say anything.

After all, she was the sister of the God of the Sun.

“What if you at least try?”

“But…”

“And if she doesn’t want to… I’ll do it myself.”

“Do what?”

Calcion didn’t immediately understand his sister’s words, but for some reason, a chill ran down his spine.

***

Classes at the Royal Academy include martial training within the curriculum.

In the past, there was a time when military service was mandatory for nobles, so fencing duels became an essential subject.

Whenever this class was held, a strange atmosphere formed among the male students.

Well, from my point of view, it’s nothing more than children’s play.

“Oh~, does the young brother-in-law also know how to use a sword?”

“My mother was a knight, and what about you, young sister-in-law?”

“I only watched over my brother’s shoulder when he trained with the spear.”

Even though I’m currently in a girl’s body, with this body I could still achieve more than acceptable results in class.

But in order not to draw attention for when my body returns to normal, it’s better not to show that kind of talent.

In the end, as a female student, I decided to stay seated and just watch.

Maybe because they knew the girls wouldn’t be very interested, they let us rest.

“Shia.”

“Ah~ Shia.”

That’s how Sinia Helgmund and I started calling each other by that name.

She sat down beside me and handed me a thermos.

“It’s boiled water with medicinal herbs. Want some?”

“Oh~, that’s something nice.”

If it’s good for the body, there’s no reason to refuse it. The hot water, kept warm thanks to the thermos, went down my throat pleasantly.

“By the way, Shia, aren’t you going to participate? There’s also magic practice.”

“The kingdom’s magic has a different system. There’s no need to relearn it.”

“Right, if the system is different, it can’t be helped. And as a druid? I know one.”

“The Forest Sage?”

“The druid Yuel. She recently returned to her homeland to drive out monsters and restore the forest. She must be quite busy, but if you get the chance, go visit her. It seems she wants to take in disciples to expand the druids.”

“That really is good news.”

It had been a long time since I’d heard anything from that side.

I should go visit them someday.

“Ah, it’s my brother’s turn.”

At that moment, Calcion Helgmund, Sinia’s brother, stepped out.

Black hair, red eyes. An expressionless appearance that, for some reason, reminded me of Hwaran.

Ah~ how I miss Hwaran. I want to touch her soft little belly~

“Shia?”

“Huh? E-eh?”

“You had a pretty… lewd expression.”

“Ahem… it’s a misunderstanding!”

I hope my wives show up soon to help me with this.

“Oh~, his opponent is from a collateral branch of Arden.”

“Do you know him?”

“A relative by marriage. He came to greet me on the first day.”

The student who came out as Calcion’s opponent was a swordsman from a collateral branch of the Arden family.

He was a cousin of Jenny, the swordswoman of Lunia’s First Sword Hall? Ugh… it’s been so long since I buried my face in sister Lunia’s chest.

It’s also been a while since I’ve been able to lick Alisha’s thighs and armpits.

“Shia?”

“Ahk… again?”

“Yes… don’t you feel unwell?”

Sinia, worried, placed her hand on my forehead.

We’re both girls now, so it’s fine.

“It’s nothing. Lately I’m just… holding myself back a lot.”

In many ways.

I want to see my wives soon.

Well, before that, I need to get my body back.

“Winner! Calcion Helgmund!”

The instructor’s signal rang out just then. I was so distracted that I didn’t even watch the match.

“Tch… you could have watched my brother’s cool side.”

For some reason, Sinia looked genuinely disappointed.

The students continued to come out one after another for the duels, and when the boys were already drenched in sweat, the instructor spoke.

“Alright! Everyone go wash off the sweat! Line up in pairs!”

While the boys went to wash up, I brought Sinia over to the girls I had already naturally become friends with.

If you put them together like this, sooner or later they become close.

***

“He couldn’t even handle a collateral branch swordsman of Arden…”

“He’s a monster. Is he really our age?”

As they turned on the faucets installed in the training field for the instructor’s consideration and cleaned their bodies, Calcion noticed the gazes and murmurs of the other students.

When he took off his top to wash, those gazes intensified.

“Look at those scars.”

“In the end, he really is a barbarian.”

“How disgusting.”

Calcion’s body was covered in small scars, in addition to a large wound caused by a northern bear monster.

He had never felt ashamed of them. They were proof that he had fought to protect the northerners, his clan, and his family.

But in this peaceful kingdom, they seemed to become a flaw.

‘At least they’re not talking as loudly as I thought.’

Calcion cast a glance at the blasphemers he had mercilessly beaten.

Despite the hatred they felt toward him, for some reason they avoided his gaze and didn’t join those who were murmuring.

Why? Did they honestly accept defeat? They didn’t seem like the type to give up so easily.

While wondering about that, as he went to change clothes, Calcion realized that his bag was gone.

“……”

“Kikikik.”

“Did you see? He’s completely confused.”

Damn it. Those kinds of childish pranks? Anger welled up in his chest, but he didn’t want to cause trouble here.

Still, he had to get the bag back.

It was a leather bag the clan elders had made for him, sewing day and night before he left for the kingdom.

Every small item had been made or bought with the sweat and blood of his people. They were precious things.

“Where is it?”

“W-what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I won’t ask twice. Where is it?”

When Calcion approached in an intimidating manner, the students shrank back.

His scar-covered torso emitted a pressure impossible to compare with others his age.

“L-look in the fountain! Don’t accuse just anyone!”

The boy backed away as if fleeing. Calcion sighed and headed toward the fountain.

“……”

Just as he had said, the bag made by his people was thrown there, in a complete mess.

The spare clothes, the wallet, the writing tools—everything that wasn’t handmade had been bought with money earned from the sweat and blood of the clan.

There was nothing that wasn’t valuable, nothing he shouldn’t take care of.

Not caring about getting his pants wet, Calcion began rummaging through the fountain.

“Damn it…”

He found the larger items, but some of the smaller ones didn’t appear.

A wave of sadness washed over him.

He wanted to ask his sister for help, but he didn’t want to show her this side of himself.

He was now the Grand Duke of the North. He always had to appear strong. For the sake of the northerners, even with this kind of childish prank.

“Haa…”

“A brat sighing like that. What happened?”

She appeared completely unexpectedly.

“Shia Loch?”

“Yes, Shia Loch. Isn’t it annoying to say the full name every time? Just call me Shia.”

Normally, nobles aren’t allowed to use names so casually. That’s why many called her Miss Loch.

But this popular figure, who drew all eyes, seemed not to care much about that distinction.

“Did you lose something?”

“……Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll help you look.”

“Don’t worry—”

Shia took off her shoes and socks.

As if freed, she discarded them without hesitation and jumped into the fountain.

Plash.

“Oh~, how refreshing.”

“I told you not to worry…”

“Don’t you worry. In moments like this, helping is normal. There’s no reason not to.”

“……You’re getting wet.”

“So what? Oh~, here it is.”

What she found was the handkerchief Sinia had made.

As she pulled it out of the water, droplets splashed around the dark-blue-haired girl, reflecting the sunlight.

“Is this the handkerchief you’re looking for, boy?”

It was like… a water-soaked fairy, mysterious and unreal.