Bab 210: Heroes' reward and traitors' punishment (3)
Vina stared at the partition for a few seconds, but then returned to her activity. Thank goodness, nothing happened...
"And this is interesting, how many parameters are you considering?" Seleria suddenly became interested in this idea.
"Of course, I won't rank you solely based on breast size; that would be too easy for any fool," Vina's words pricked the princess's pride. "Maybe you'd like to participate in the discussion as well?"
"Why does everything have to be turned into a competition?" Katrina wasn't too happy with how things were developing.
"But I like it; I already have a rough list," Seleria leaned over the girl.
"Of course, we do. Let's have a general vote. So, number one, without a doubt, is Seleria! Step forward," Vina applauded theatrically, and the flattered princess stepped forward with her head held high.
"Why is it always her?" Ragni snorted discontentedly. "By the way, I'm in no way inferior to her in anything."
Ragni confidently rose from the bath, pointing to her good figure.
"Well, to be honest, in terms of appearance, you don't fall behind much, but your character and sometimes childish behavior make you cute, but not attractive to the opposite sex. You need to mature in soul, not just body, and then you can rise higher," Vina pointed to Seleria, who was posing proudly. "She is our unrivaled leader. Undoubtedly beautiful, with outstanding curves, exotic tanned skin, and red hair. Guys consider such girls very passionate and hot, and her kind and friendly nature endears her to others. By the way, she wasn't so sociable before."
"Yes," Seleria warmly smiled. "When I first arrived here, I interacted with other fire mages, especially with Alfred's guild. Unpleasant types for various reasons, and with them, I felt like a princess, and they were fawning over me to win my favor."
"Well, at first, we also planned to get some money from you," Ragni leaned on her friend. "But since you had nothing, we started treating you as a comrade, and now as a friend."
"Yes," Seleria affectionately smiled. "I never had such friends at home. The courtiers tried to treat me like a princess, but those I could call friends didn't know who I really was. I'm very grateful to my father for sending me here."
"Well, you see, girls. Even an arrogant and stubborn prideful can become a sweet girl if she tries," Vina put the first soap with Seleria in line and pushed two more forward. "Now, I haven't decided on the second and third place yet. Asura, Katrina, step forward."
"Is this really necessary?" Katrina looked shyly down, but Asura confidently stepped out in front of everyone. "Mmm, okay."
The princess tried to cover herself with her hands, avoiding the evaluating gazes.
"A tough choice," Vina thoughtfully scratched her chin. "So difficult to decide. Katrina is a very attractive girl, and with her golden hair, she looks like a real princess."
"But I am a princess!" Katrina pouted indignantly.
"Yes, of course, but you lack a certain refinement. Your limited experience in dealing with people shows. That's where you lose to Seleria a bit, although in other aspects, you're not far behind her," Vina said.
"Well, excuse me for not having such a rich life experience," Katrina replied.
"Hm, then why me?" Asura evaluated herself and the two previous contestants. "If you look at it that way, my body looks less feminine, and my breasts are smaller."
The wall creaked involuntarily under pressure, but thankfully didn't attract enough attention.
"Naive, those aren't the only indicators. You have a wonderfully fair skin, something even our princess can't boast about. Dark-skinned girls also attract men, but girls with fair skin like you look like delicate noble ladies. Moreover, unlike your comrades," Vina pointed to the twins, "your body isn't as muscular, corresponding to your specialty. It looks more slender and delicate. Not to mention that your hair and eye color are extremely rare, and that's your main trump card. And since such beauty can only be found in your quite closed clan, many guys secretly dream about you."
The wall creaked louder, unable to withstand the surging interest.
"Well, thank you, but I never paid attention to that. I joined the Academy for the sake of the clan's benefit, so I never really thought about personal relationships," Asura sadly shrugged, and a doomed "Ouch" came from behind the wall.
"Hmm, for the second time, something's being heard," Vina suspiciously glanced at the wall. "Asura, don't you understand that your cold, unapproachable demeanor attracts guys even more? But still, what a tough choice."
"Let me help you," Seleria took two pieces of soap from Vina and swiftly threw them at the girls.
"Kyaa!" Katrina tried to defend herself, but the soap slipped, hitting her forehead and knocking her down.
Asura, on the other hand, easily caught it with one hand.
"Hmm, definitely Katrina," Vina nodded firmly.
"Yes, weak girls are more attractive," the girls agreed and put the princess in second place.
"Why am I considered weak?" Rubbing her bruised spot, Katrina picked up the projectile that hit her.
"Well, because Asura indeed skillfully caught the soap, but your reaction was much better!" Vina prepared two more pieces for new contestants. "I think the fourth and fifth places go to Rizel and Ragni."
The girls, now fully immersed in the process, stood before everyone's eyes. Ragni confidently crossed her arms, convinced of her victory, while Riz looked quite embarrassed, trying to cover her body with her long white hair.
"Hmm, indeed, a difficult choice. Both girls are very beautiful, and both have not the most attractive characters," Seleria, having become an expert in Vina's criteria, tried to make her decision.
"Yes, if I met them for the first time, I would prefer Riz. She looks like a delicate and fragile beauty that a prince should save from the dragon's lair, while Ragni, even in this form, still resembles a dragon," Vina squinted skeptically and approached the girls closer. "But you know, after seeing the necromancer send Krito flying with just one hit, anyone would hesitate about her fragility. Besides, there's something invisible and barely noticeable."
The merchant approached the girls and sniffed slightly.
"Yes, that's what I didn't notice," Vina confidently placed Ragni in fourth place.
"Mmm, and why is that?" Seleria looked a little offended.
"Well, how should I put it? Although she looks quite rough, she smells like a woman. It's hard to explain, but she has an animal magnetism, while you, despite all your exquisite beauty, almost have no scent. It's probably related to your magic, but you know, many men subconsciously assess a woman's attractiveness by her scent," Vina explained.
"Tch, and still, I hoped for a higher place," the disappointed dragoness jumped into the bath, splashing water all around.
"Alright, with the first beauties done, let's move on to the girls from the category of 'with whom I would like to spend the rest of my life,'" Vina took out three more pieces of soap.
"What kind of strange classification is that? And don't you think the other girls might get offended?!" Kat worried about her friends.
"Heh, why would you? In my opinion, it's you who should be offended!" Vina raised her finger significantly. "You are natural beauties, many guys dream about you, BUT hardly anyone will dare to confess their love to you. You seem to them like an impregnable fortress on the top of a sheer cliff in the middle of an ocean of fiery lava filled with fire-breathing monsters."
"Hey, don't overdo it! - Seleria didn't seem pleased with such a description. "You just said that I've become closer to other people."
"But that still doesn't change the fact that you are a princess, just like Katrina and Ragni, and that Rizel and Asura aren't interested in love right now. You all belong to the realm of unattainable heights. Tell me, has anyone ever confessed their feelings to you while you were at the Academy?"
"Umm," the blushing princess seemed visibly embarrassed. "Well, no, but maybe it's not customary; after all, some traditions should be followed."
"Seven!" Vina raised seven fingers. "Seven times I was confessed to in love this year."
"Suspicious," Katrina exchanged glances with the other girls.
"Very suspicious," Ragni supported the princess.
"Well, what's wrong? Yes, seven people have indeed confessed their love to me, but for now, I've decided not to waste time on it. I'm sure that other girls get confessed to more often, simply because guys have real chances with them," Vina wrote down the names on the soap. "Levris, Kurone, and Leira, that's my choice. They are cute, sweet, practical, and not so unattainable."
"Cough, sorry, but I already have Algo, and..." Leira seemed a bit flustered. "I won't trade him for anyone else."
"Phew," strange sounds from behind the wall made themselves heard again.
"You see, what a cutie she is! Guys like girls like her, even if we don't consider her somewhat underdeveloped body," Vina compared Leira to the other girls and smirked slyly.
"Hey! I don't want to hear this from someone like you," Leira pitied Vina's figure and grinned victoriously.
"Heh-heh, you think you can challenge me? Believe me, I know how to behave to attract men," Leira tried to object, but the girl didn't listen and simply placed the names in the right order. "So, I believe that out of these three, Kurone wins. But where did she go?"
The girls turned around, but Kurone was nowhere to be seen.
"That's strange. She was definitely here when we came," Seleria squinted at the water and noticed some movement. "Aha, gotcha!"
The girl was invisible, but the water clearly flowed around a certain spot. With one leap, the princess caught the prey and embraced her with her nimble arms.
"Hehe, you can't escape from us. Come here," Seleria quickly took the measurements she was interested in. "Oh ho, not bad at all. You always look pale and hide from everyone, but in reality..."
As the princess touched her, the girl became visible again, and Vina could fully appreciate her advantages.
"Seleria! Excellent job!" Vina evaluated the potential prospects. "Quite good, hehehe. You could even compete with our princesses, but your shy nature combined with your unique abilities makes you completely unnoticed by the opposite sex. Moreover, I think your figure is longer than that of the other girls."
"Well, that's because I don't move much in battle, and I don't need to," Kurone blushed and avoided eye contact.
"Ah-ha, or maybe you just feel shy about wearing a short skirt?" Vina winked at Seleria. "You could use a little makeup, something from the wardrobe of our red princess, and you'll be a beauty."
"I don't need that!" Kurone squirmed and splashed water on Seleria's face. In one swift motion, she leaped out of the water and vanished into the mist.
"Tch, her camouflage skills are getting better day by day... But she rightfully occupies the sixth place!" Vina filled in another row of her top list and looked at the remaining two names. "Alright, Levris is older than us, but still quite young and pretty."
"Vina, I am your teacher, why involve me in this?" Levris felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Ho-ho-ho, you are not just our teacher; you have long been our combat companion and friend. So why not stop building unnecessary walls between us? Or maybe you are afraid of getting too close to someone, if you stop emphasizing the difference in status?" Vina's sly grin unsettled the teacher, and her darting eyes betrayed the truth of those words. "Nevertheless, Levris is seventh, and Liri is eighth. Because Liri already has Algo, and Levris, among other things, has many admirers among the students."
Liri clearly didn't like this result, but the reference to Algo made her fall silent.
"Hey, why are all the warriors, except for Asura, at the end of the list?" Vivien finally noticed the pattern of the rankings.
"It's simple! Guys prefer delicate girls who need protection, but girls with outstanding muscles, even if they are not like those of an orc, will still push them away," Vina assessed the remaining contenders with her eyes. "And I can say that you all perfectly fit the warrior specialty. I was hoping that Hilda would look more feminine under her armor, but alas, her excessive strength speaks otherwise."
"Don't discuss me over there!" Hilda, like Kurone, didn't join the other girls and sat alone by the wall.
"Well, come over, and we'll see if you are better than you seem. For now, your rough character and immense strength don't play in your favor," Vina shrugged. "A pretty face and beautiful hair and eyes aren't everything that makes you a real woman. You need to learn to behave... sweetly!"
With these words, Vina shyly crossed her arms, widened her eyes, and blinked frequently to appear even more charming.
"Pfft, what nonsense! I don't need that," Hilda remained unmoved, turning away demonstratively.
"Alright then, I'd rank it like this: Miriam, Hilda, Vivien, Aileen. Any questions?" Vina said.
"Why am I ranked lower than Hilda then?" Vivien was disappointed.
"Well, she's more attractive, and your characters are quite similar. You could be a bit more delicate like your sister, and that would be ideal," Vina explained.
"Fine then. Aileen, does this bother you?" The girl could only be satisfied with not being last.
"Hmm, not really. I am an imperial guard, and I care more about developing my abilities and protecting the Empire. I'll think about personal matters later," Aileen replied.
"Hehe, and is there no one on your radar?" Vina teased.
"Well, maybe there is," Aileen blushed slightly but maintained composure. "But neither of us has thought about it yet. Perhaps after I retire from the post, I'll consider my appearance."
"Hmm, speaking of the guardswoman I fought with, she clearly prioritizes her appearance," Miriam recalled the lustful archer who tried to kiss her.
"Gheh, not everyone is like me, but I'm not going to change because of that," the girl chuckled proudly.
"Well, that's it! Everyone agrees with the ranking; now we need to figure out how to benefit from this," Vina rubbed her hands wickedly.
"Wait a minute," Seleria examined the list, "Someone is missing here!"
The girls turned to the instigator of the event.
"What's with you? Heh, like a fool assessing herself. I never planned to join this," the rebellious merchant replied.
"Hold her!" upon the princess's command, Ragni grabbed the unruly trader by the arms. "Now it's our turn to assess you. Girls, what's your verdict?"
"Short in height," Katrina began reciting the verdict.
"The smallest chest, and she even tried to provoke me over it," Leira was ruthless.
"And a lousy character, don't forget a lousy character!" Hilda wanted to get back at the trader for the humiliation.
"Hey, what's with all the insults about my character?" making a cute face and blinking her eyes, the girl tried to evoke some sympathy. "I can be such a sweetheart."
"Hmm," Seleria quickly turned away, "Look, a coin!"
"WHERE?" the innocent look quickly turned into a predator's grin, but a second later, the girl realized that she had been fooled. "Tsk, almost fell for that."
"Alright, here's our verdict!" Seleria stood proudly with her hands on her hips, but then smiled, turning it into a joke, "You could be better if you stopped chasing profits. But for now, it doesn't matter."
With one stroke, the girl scattered the soap pedestals in different directions.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone