Chapter 149: Loki vs. Johanna
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Loki vs. Johanna
This situation gave me a chance to have a proper, long conversation with Professor Elicia.
To be honest, there isn't much time to talk to her at the Academy. If her classes involved sitting at a desk and chatting happily like other professors, it might be different, but the only sounds ever heard in Professor Elicia’s class are the students' agonized screams.
And what happens after a class filled with such wailing? Well, after being beaten until you're screaming, there’s no way you’d have the strength left to move, let alone chat.
Of course, I tend to talk to the other students to some extent, but Professor Elicia usually says only what’s necessary and leaves the classroom immediately. Since Professor Elicia was a character I liked before I was reincarnated, I want to get to know her better.
Then again, was there any character in Croaka that I didn't like? Naturally, I’m excluding that loudmouth and a few others.
‘Of course, Johanna is my favorite.’
Sepia, who hadn't budged even while I was pinching her cheeks and stroking her hair, suddenly flinched.
“Ugh... Uh.”
“Professor! Professor Elicia! Finally! At last! Right now! Sepia is about to wake up!”
Hearing my fuss, Professor Elicia walked over from a distance with a deep sigh.
“Sigh... Loki, don’t make such a scene over someone just waking up from a nap. Anyone would think she’d been asleep for years.”
Perhaps because she heard our voices, Sepia’s closed eyes slowly fluttered open. After staring blankly at the sky for a moment, she began to look around only after some time had passed. Her head, which had been turning slowly, stopped dead the moment she saw me.
Maybe because her mouth was stiff from sleeping so long, Sepia’s lips twitched a few times before she finally spoke.
“...Loki?”
Sepia didn't call me a pushover? She must not be fully awake yet.
“Yes! It’s Loki. By the way, you’re finally calling me by my name.”
“Are you awake? Getting up too quickly might strain your body, so take it slow,” Professor Elicia added from the side.
Sepia’s eyes, which had been fixed on me, shifted toward the Professor.
“...Professor Elicia, why are you here?”
From Sepia’s perspective, it was understandable to be surprised. The last person she saw before falling asleep was me, but when she opened her eyes, a lot of time had passed and Professor Elicia was right there.
‘Wait. Isn’t this the perfect time to tease her?’
If Sepia were fully conscious, it would be difficult, but seeing those slightly dazed eyes, she seemed to still be halfway in dreamland. I was exhausted from fighting Katsudo, so using illusions was difficult. But! For the sake of teasing Sepia, I had to pull it off no matter how hard it was.
“Whew...”
First, a deep breath. Quickly, before she fully regains her senses.
It was currently the transition between spring and summer. I used my illusions to shroud the trees, which were full of green leaves, in autumn foliage. Professor Elicia shot me a look that clearly said, ‘What is this crazy bastard doing now?’ but that didn't matter.
I mixed a bit of seriousness into my usual boisterous voice, grabbed Sepia’s hands with both of mine, and spoke.
“Sepia! You’ve finally opened your eyes! It’s already been three years since you fell asleep.”
The key here was to stutter slightly.
“Huh?”
Hearing my words, Sepia bolted upright. Oops, Professor Elicia just told her to get up slowly.
“N-No way. Don’t joke around. There’s no way that much t-time has passed.”
“...................”
When I remained silent, Sepia’s pupils began to shake uncontrollably.
“I-It’s not true, right?”
As time passed, tears began to well up in her eyes.
‘I didn't expect this at all.’
This won't do. It hurts me more to watch this. I should tell her it’s a joke now. If I keep this up, Sepia might actually get upset. If she starts crying, I won't be able to handle it. I admit it—I went too far with the prank this time.
“Ta-da! Actually, it was a jo—”
“Yes, Sepia. What Loki said is true. The backlash of the technique you used was that strong. Strong enough for three years to pass just from using it a little.”
Professor Elicia cut me off. She was actually playing along? No, Professor, that’s completely out of character for you.
It was only after Sepia summoned a spirit that she realized it was a lie. Since she couldn't bring herself to hit Professor Elicia, I was the only one who got beaten up.
“But why do my cheeks hurt so much? They’re red as if someone’s been pulling on them.”
“It’s just your imagination.”
Maybe I pulled them for too long.
* * *
My daily routine is fairly set. That doesn't change just because I caught a necromancer named Katsudo.
This is my routine before school starts. Even after school starts, honestly, every day is similar.
‘That’s just how student life is.’
I get beaten up by Professor Elicia in the morning, eat lunch, and attend classes in the afternoon. Recently, there was training with Sepia after class, but now that we’ve caught Betzdo, there’s no need for special training anymore.
But a problem arose.
Normally, right now should be the time for step 5—the time where I’ve trained my stamina and illusions, and I lie on Johanna’s lap while she fiddles with my hair and we chat. I said every day was similar; I never said I disliked it. In fact, lying on Johanna’s lap is my favorite time of the day.
However, instead of lying on Johanna’s lap, I was currently kneeling on the cold, hard floor of the training ground with my hands raised. And Johanna was standing right next to me.
To anyone else, she would look expressionless, but I could tell from that blank face that Johanna was angry.
“You lied to me.”
For the record, Johanna was continuously stroking my hair while I knelt there with my hands up.
“You said you wouldn't get hurt.”
The promise Johanna was referring to was from before I fought Katsudo. When Johanna said she would follow me, I told her not to worry and to wait because I definitely wouldn't get hurt.
“You told me not to come, and then you got hurt.”
And this morning, while running, Johanna caught me. Thanks to that, I was being punished without even getting to practice illusions. Honestly, I thought I was mostly healed so it would be fine, but how did she know?
‘Anyone looking at me would see someone who caught a necromancer and is known by everyone as the Emperor’s disciple. They might ask why I’m actually kneeling just because Johanna told me to, even if she is from a Ducal family.’
But isn't it common sense in this world that if Johanna tells you to do something, you do it? All I could do was pray for Johanna’s mercy, like hoping a typhoon would veer away from my house.
“Senior~ My arms and knees are starting to hurt. Can I stop now?”
Honestly, my body didn't hurt that much. It had only been ten minutes since the punishment started. But my mind was in pain thinking that I was doing this during the time I should be on Johanna’s lap.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“Yes!”
“.................”
Johanna looked at me without a word. Others wouldn't know, but I knew Johanna was going through a lot of inner turmoil behind that expressionless face.
“Don’t lie from now on.”
“Thank you!”
Thanks to Johanna’s mercy, I was released from punishment and could finally lie on her lap.
“But how did you get hurt?”
If I say I caught a necromancer here, I’ll probably have to be punished again, right? But I can't lie either. Why? Because Johanna just said no lying. When Johanna speaks, the clown follows. This is a fact so well-known it might as well be written into Imperial Law.
In the end, all I could do was change the subject. Suddenly, a topic I had pondered while waiting for Sepia to wake up yesterday came to mind.
Sepia VS Johanna—who would win if they fought?
I knew Sepia’s skills well enough, so that didn't matter. Just how strong was Johanna? The way to check was simple.
“Senior, could you spar with me a bit seriously right now?”
Hearing my words, Johanna tilted her head. Honestly, even I thought it was too sudden.
“Are you mad because of the punishment earlier?”
“No, no, no! There’s no way. There is absolutely no case where I would be mad at you, Senior.”
“.......Then why fight?”
Looking at Johanna’s expression, she didn't seem very keen on sparring with me. To be honest, I wasn't keen on fighting Johanna either, but considering what’s to come, Johanna needs to become stronger too. I’ll make sure she never dies like she did in the game.
The problem was how to make Johanna motivated to fight...
“The loser has to grant the winner a wish—”
I couldn't finish my sentence. The hand that had been fiddling with my hair moved down lightning-fast and was suddenly at my throat.
“Can I attack now?”