Chapter 73: Panic for Mira
Eren was genuinely, utterly pissed off.
This was his second chance at life—a life where he had people he actually cared about, girls waiting for him, and a future to build. And this pathetic, blue-haired simp had just tried to burn his head off over a bruised ego and a girl who couldn’t stand his existence?
Eren raised his right hand as the fire magic flared back to life around his knuckles, burning far more intensely than before. The room’s temperature spiked in an instant.
"Eren! What are you doing?!" Theo shouted in panic, trying to shield Reinhardt with his own body.
Before Eren could take another step forward to deliver a permanent lesson, a hand clamped around his right wrist tightly, even ignoring the intense heat radiating from his skin.
Eren snapped out of his rage-filled haze, glancing back over his shoulder to see Cedric holding him back, his sharp eyes unnaturally steady, his expression unreadable behind his pristine composure.
"Mina. Check on Reinhardt," Cedric commanded smoothly.
The dazed, model-like secretary snapped out of her shock and rushed across the room toward the groaning idiot. She knelt beside him, her hands glowed with a soft, pale-green light as healing magic began repairing his scorched chin.
Eren yanked his hand back from Cedric’s grip, and the flames surrounding his knuckles vanished into thin air.
"That is enough of your antics for today, Eren," Cedric said quietly, adjusting his cuffs.
"Antics?" Eren scoffed with icy sarcasm. "That idiot tried to blast my face into ash in broad daylight. I merely deployed a textbook self-defense counter. His Highness stood right here and witnessed the entire situation, so don’t even think about twisting the narrative to push an expulsion order on me."
Cedric looked at him in absolute silence for a solid three seconds, taking in Eren’s sharp, unyielding posture, before offering a curt nod. "I understand. The self-defense of the incident is clear."
From the floor, Reinhardt spat out a mouthful of blood, a vicious, bloodshot sneer spreading across his face as Mina’s healing magic finished closing his flesh.
"I’ll see... how you manage to walk away from this," Reinhardt whispered raspy, his voice brimming with petty malice.
Eren turned his head toward him, his blue eyes narrowing. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean, simp?"
Reinhardt leaned back against the edge of the sofa, grinning like a madman who believed he had just acquired the ultimate bargaining chip.
"You think you’re so smart, Volsver?" Reinhardt sneered, his tone dripping with despicable confidence. "I will make sure to pay you back triple for every single bruise on my face. But... I’m feeling generous. I’ll give you one last chance. Leave Aria alone and break off the engagement right now... because if you don’t..."
His smile widened into a grotesque, twisted grin, his eyes gleaming with spiteful triumph.
"I heard you recently sponsored a cute little commoner girl," Reinhardt drawled, his raspy voice practically oozing with malice. "Word travels fast—she’s been boasting all over the academy about how you’re her grand savior, and it seems the two of you are remarkably close. Oh, and let’s not forget that tiny, hot-tempered lecturer who accompanied you... or that so-called foreign-born swordmaster."
Reinhardt leaned in slightly, his sneer deepening. "So here is the ultimatum, Volsver. Break off the engagement and leave Aria alone once and for all... or you’ll regret it. You’ll regret ever waking up in the morning when you realize you can’t see them again. You’ll rot in despair, wondering why you weren’t strong enough to save them. So go ahead and decide right now—is it Aria, or those three?"
Hearing those words, Eren’s immediate internal reaction wasn’t rage. It was a profound, overwhelming desire to laugh out loud.
’He’s genuinely threatening Emma. A human calamity who routinely throws full-grown knights into the mud and Norelia, a prodigy of magic combat who could probably vaporize an entire noble estate? Good luck to whatever poor mercenaries you hire, buddy; they’ll be begging for mercy within three seconds.’
...Except, his thoughts briefly paused as he realised there was one more person—Mira.
Unlike the other two, Mira wasn’t an overpowered, battle-manic girl. She was just a sweet, cheerful maid who kept his life running smoothly. Targeting her was an unacceptable threat.
Instead of blowing his top, Eren let out a slow, relaxed sigh. He casually stepped forward, sauntering over to where the blue-haired simp slumped against the sofa, and squatted down directly in front of him, inspecting Reinhardt’s freshly healed, scorched jawline with the amused curiosity of a scientist studying a particularly foolish insect.
"Aria is mine," Eren stated in a crystal-clear tone that sent a shiver straight down Reinhardt’s entire body. "And unlike a brainless failure like you, I have zero intention of ever letting her go. So... do whatever the fuck you think you can do, simp."
Eren smoothly pushed himself back up to his feet, dusting off his uniform trousers without giving the stunned, wide-eyed Reinhardt another second of his precious attention.
He turned his gaze toward Cedric, whose face remained unreadable like ice.
Before Cedric or Reinhardt could give a response, Theo hurriedly stepped in and grabbed Eren by the forearm in urgency.
"Alright, that is more than enough for one morning," Theo insisted, practically dragging Eren by the sleeve toward the doors. "Let’s go, Eren. Right now!"
Eren allowed himself to be pulled along, letting out a lazy sigh as the doors of the Student Council office slammed shut behind them, leaving a trembling Reinhardt, cute secretary, and the yandere Cedric alone there.
****
By the time evening arrived and his final classes, along with a delightful session in the Vice Principal’s research lab, had finally ended, Eren stood right in front of his dorm room entrance.
His mind still had the running threat of Reinhardt’s pathetic little ultimatum all day.
He shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now. He turned the handle, only to find the wooden door completely locked from the inside.
A sudden spike of panic flared in his chest. Mira never locked the door. Remembering Reinhardt’s words, Eren immediately began banging his knuckles against the wood. "Mira?! Are you in there?!"
After a few painful seconds, a soft, sweet, familiar voice echoed from the other side.
"Y-Young Master? Is that you? Have you finally returned?"
Eren let out a heavy breath of relief, leaning his forehead against the panel. "Yes! It’s me! Open the door!"
"Wait!" Mira’s voice called back quickly, a slight tremble in her tone. "Is... is anyone else standing in the hallway with you right now, Young Master?"
"No. I’m completely alone. What’s going on? Did something happen?"
A soft, playful giggle echoed through the room, followed by the click of the lock sliding open.
Eren pushed the door open, stepping over into the while grumbling casually, "Why in the world did you have the door locked from the inside like we’re under an imperial siege—"
His voice died instantly. The words completely evaporated from his throat. His eyes widened, like they were gonna pop out of his skull as he witnessed a miracle.