I Have Only Pursued Power

 Through the Eyes of Eric Turned Elise

Where am I?

It feels fluffy here.

It seems I'm laid down on what appears to be a bed.

A bed!?

I look around, wondering if I have been saved.

I'm in a hospital room, receiving a magical IV drip.

"Hey, are you awake now?"

The one who casually spoke to me was Akira Suzuki.

"Why am I here? Why are you in such a place?"

"Clara told us everything."

"Clara...! Ouch!"

I try to get up suddenly, but my body doesn't move as expected.

"Be thankful. She pretended to be brainwashed by Congressman Amadeus, deliberately allowing herself to be cursed with a demon's spell while waiting for a chance to help you escape. By the time Clara carried you to this school, she was in tatters."

"What a... thing to say. Clara... truly cared for me..."

I felt ashamed for ever doubting my trust in Clara.

"So, where is Clara now?"

"She's receiving treatment for the curse. Like you, she barely survived, but her brainwashing hasn't fully worn off, and she's still recovering. Elise is probably taking care of her right now."

That such things could be...

"Thank you, Akira. And Clara..."

Tears streamed from my eyes.

To think that such warmth awaited someone like me, who had only ever pursued power.

"It's alright, Eric. We're here for you now. Let's do this together."

Akira's words gave me strength.

I am not alone anymore.

"Congressman Amadeus is a powerful figure with influence even within the school. We can't openly defy him, but there are teachers here who secretly support us. Even the school nurse is one of them. We students alone have our limits. The congressman's corruption will surely be exposed. Wasn't your curse supposed to last a month? We'll make sure to break it by then."

"Akira..."

I was filled with gratitude, but suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

"There's something I need to tell you. It's about Elise."

"Did something happen with Elise?"

I decided to reveal everything.

I am truly Elise, her real identity is Eric.

I obtained Eric's body through a forbidden spell.

Eric has been living as Elise.

"I'm shocked. If that's true, then it makes sense why you, not Elise, would have tried to expose the congressman. But if your story is true, wouldn't you have died from revealing your true identity due to the curse?"

"The curse was overwritten by another spell. Essentially, when I was cursed to die in a month, the spell that would kill me if my swap was discovered became null."

"I see... so that's how it is," Akira nodded.

"She loves you, ready to live as a woman despite being a man in the past. But she worries you might reject her if she reveals her true male identity. If she gets pregnant, her soul will permanently bond to the female body... What will you do?"

"I will...!"

Akira, seemingly resolved, hurried out of the room.