With the Princess in Academy City -3-
“Because she's pretty.”
“W-what...?”
“I mean her looks draw the eyes.”
Rohan gave his answer and strode ahead to change locations.
The princess scurried after him.
Leading the way, Rohan continued his serious train of thought.
Is it because the princess has spent so much time out in the world? She doesn't seem to have any objective sense of how stunning her face is...
From Rohan's perspective, calling the princess pretty wasn't lip service or flattery, nor was it an attempt to win her favor.
If that had been his goal from the start, he wouldn't have chosen this approach anyway.
In short, it wasn't meant to curry favor, so he could say it straight out.
Simple as that.
Elves were the race of beauty, symbols of elegance.
That held true even in Abyss City.
Who would find it strange to praise an elf's beauty? Only someone with wildly unique tastes.
And this princess, born of an exceptionally noble bloodline, stood out even among elves whose features were flawless without exception.
Of course her face alone would draw stares on the street, no matter what she wore.
“Hmm, let's see...”
Rohan paused his steps in an ambiguous spot just before entering the central area of District 2.
Cafes and eateries dotted the area here and there.
“How much time do we have?”
“I'll tell you when it's time. We've got some leeway still.”
“Have you eaten?”
“Not really... no appetite.”
The princess answered indifferently, but Rohan caught the subtle gulp of her throat.
“We can talk over something to eat anyway.”
“Hmph. If you need a snack, do as you like.”
Rohan ambled along, scanning the surroundings.
Then he stopped in front of a cafe with a cozy vibe.
“How about here?”
“You're going to talk inside there?”
“Yeah. Their sandwiches looked tasty.”
The princess blinked at the interior, where people sat scattered about.
Regaining her composure, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Rohan.
“...Don't joke around. You know the weight of this information.”
“I'm not joking. Who'd suspect something this important being discussed in a place like that?”
She seemed to grudgingly accept it.
The sharpness in her gaze gradually softened.
“The darkest place is under the lamp, hide a tree in the forest—something like that?”
“Pretty much. Honestly, nowhere else really fits.”
“How can someone who deals in information not have a proper spot? Are you saying I don't meet the entry requirements?”
“...”
Back when they first met, he'd only asked for time to gather info.
Yet somehow, she already saw him as some kind of information broker.
Explaining now would just make her more suspicious anyway.
Protesting that he wasn't would probably just convince her he was hiding his identity.
“This place still doesn't feel right. No prying eyes or ears.”
“Is that a hard requirement?”
“It's the top priority when sharing critical matters.”
Her caution wasn't wrong if they were being prudent, so Rohan crossed his arms and pondered.
Scanning nearby shops, a few candidates popped up.
Singing room?
Paying to go in, only to worry about CCTV counting as prying eyes—that was iffy too.
His gaze shifted to another building.
Or a day-use room?
An Orion Academy cadet and an elf at a love hotel? Yeah, that screamed bad idea.
In that case...
After weighing options, Rohan made up his mind.
He suggested it to the princess with a straight face.
“I do have a dormitory room where I live.”
“You said you were infiltrating the academy. That should work.”
She was already convinced on that front.
Rohan chuckled and headed toward his destination.
“If you don't mind a guy's place alone, I'll show you.”
“Don't worry. If you try anything to dishonor me, I'll blow everything sky-high and take my own life.”
A warning that clashed oddly with her reassurance.
To Rohan, that attitude was reassuring in its own way.
..
..
Rohan grabbed a burger to fill his stomach, then took the stairs as usual to his room.
He cleared some clothes, then opened the window.
Slide!
The princess didn't enter through the dormitory's front.
She scaled the building like a flying squirrel and slipped through the window Rohan opened.
“Take off your shoes first.”
“...Fine.”
She removed her tough-looking combat boots and scanned Rohan's room.
A short hum of curiosity escaped her.
“Hmm?”
“Something wrong?”
“For the work you do, the room's surprisingly normal.”
Was she expecting rows of computers for intel gathering?
Rohan didn't answer, just pointed to the chair at his desk.
“Have a seat. Shame it's a solo dorm—only one chair.”
“No need. I can stand.”
She claimed the spot by the window instead, leaning against the wall.
Rohan didn't push, taking the empty chair and unpacking his snacks on the desk.
Amid the rustling, the princess spoke first.
“There's something we need to settle first. It's an answer I didn't get last time.”
“Go ahead.”
“What do you want from me in exchange for the information? Money, I assume?”
“Hmm...”
He'd never planned to ask for money.
Rohan knew the elders might be wealthy, but the princess's pockets were lighter than his own.
Tricky from the start.
He crunched on a fry while thinking.
—Would you believe me if I said I'm an ally trying to help?
—No. I wouldn't buy such a convenient story.
Recalling their ruin chat, flimsy words wouldn't fly.
Stating a clear goal might actually lower her guard and build trust.
“There'll come a day when I'm in some dangerous work.”
“Mm.”
“If the info I give you proves its worth, lend a hand then. At least once, from what I hear.”
“...”
The princess fell into thought.
Credit to her for not jumping at it despite needing the info.
“No shady stuff like massacring innocent civilians. Just help with monsters or criminals.”
“...Planning to claim bounties on criminals or sell monster parts?”
“Exactly. Clean money, no laundering needed.”
Rohan nodded along to her innocent deduction.
No point overexplaining further.
“Fine. If it fits what you said, I promise.”
“Then let's talk.”
“No formal contract?”
“Nope. I'll trust your conscience.”
As Rohan pulled out his burger and dove right in, the princess sounded puzzled.
“Not much of a businessman, are you?”
“That's why I can't turn a profit. But I've got my reasons to take the risk—think of it that way.”
“...Fair enough. You must have something up your sleeve.”
Watching her nod in acceptance, Rohan fought a twitch at his lips.
Something? Yeah, right.
He had no contract props anyway.
Just his Abyss City knowledge.
“Enough chit-chat. Down to business.”
Her sharp gaze met Rohan's.
*****
In a rundown one-room apartment with no hot water.
Clara, fresh from a cold shower without even drying off, grabbed her smartphone first.
Wrapping a towel around herself, she fired up her game.
—Company Wave!
“1, 2, 2... Stun with Glass, then front-line shield with order...”
The girl muttered nonstop, determined not to forget the build that hit her mid-shower.
Recalling Rohan's character pool, she pieced together a hypothetical team.
This setup's stable. All synergies covered.
1 minute 2 seconds.
No deaths, so shaving off 2 seconds maxes rewards.
“Eung...”
What tweak could melt the weekly boss faster?
More rerolls might cut those 2 seconds, but forcing repeats on newbies could kill the fun.
Need more research.
Clara pondered as her hand moved.
Slide.
She opened the drawer under the bed.
A pitch-black silencer like kimbap, various daggers.
She reached in and pulled out a soft cloth scrap.
Black lingerie with a pink ribbon the size of a fingernail.
Just wearing it boosted her mood and focus—Clara's treasured item.
Snap!
The dark fabric clung perfectly to her pale skin.
No need for the towel now.
Oh! What if I try that?
Before drying her damp hair.
Clara hugged her pillow, flopped onto the bed face-down, and challenged a new comp to cut time.
The more she optimized, the more tomorrow excited her.
“Waaang!”
How many swaps later—success at 57 seconds.
Thrilled, she went to text Rohan but froze.
He's probably studying by now? Academy cadets are super busy...
Being a bother and seen as annoying terrified her.
Just imagining Rohan annoyed made her shiver.
“...”
Reason won over impulse.
The girl pouted, lips protruding in disappointment.
All she wanted was for tomorrow to come soon.