Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Mother-Daughter Donburi Served Extra Generously!
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After returning from the dungeon.
Rubelt immediately explained the situation to Jura Dias and headed to the makeshift infirmary he'd set up just in case, with Kagura on his back.
Kagura received a paralysis antidote right away at the infirmary and was soon able to move freely again.
Part of it was that the paralysis poison's effects had already started to wear off somewhat while she was being carried by Rubelt.
After some time passed, the other cadets returned from the dungeon as well.
Since it was an F-rank monster dungeon, none of the cadets had suffered any serious injuries. Once Jura Dias confirmed everyone's condition, he led the cadets back to the academy.
By the time they got back, it was right around lunchtime.
The cadets, having worked up a huge appetite from all the action in the dungeon, ate even larger portions than usual.
"So, Rubelt took down the boss monster, huh?"
"How many did you get, Isihoon?"
"Over twenty for me. It was easy with Kudan's tanking up front and Yesi supporting from behind. Oh, and Rize was amazing too, of course."
"Good work, Rize."
"It's only natural as Young Master Rubelt's maid."
"Ohohoho! But the star of the show was Young Master Rubelt, of course! What he did was..."
The cadets chatted about their dungeon experiences over lunch.
That's when Rubelt glanced at Kagura, who was quietly eating without a word, and asked her.
"Kagura, you okay?"
"Huh?! W-what do you mean?!"
"You seem kinda down."
"Oh~ that. I was just reflecting on a bunch of stuff from today. D-don't worry about it!"
With that, Kagura went back to quietly eating.
In truth, she wasn't so much reflecting on her mistakes as she was struggling to shake off the memories of being pressed so close to Rubelt's body—trying desperately to banish the inner turmoil they stirred up.
And as lunch wrapped up and everyone prepared to enjoy some brief free time...
"Kagura, got a minute to talk?"
"T-talk?"
"Yeah."
"I-I'm free if it's time you're asking about..."
"Perfect."
Rubelt told the others to head back to the classroom first, then went up to the rooftop with Kagura.
"Rubelt? Why the rooftop? What do you wanna talk about?"
"Seemed like a good spot for just the two of us."
The rooftop was empty except for Rubelt and Kagura.
"J-just the two of us...!"
Kagura's heart had been fluttering from an earlier event, so Rubelt's words left her flustered.
"Kagura... You've been dealing with something lately, right?"
"Something?"
"Yeah. You seemed off today, like you couldn't focus. If you're okay with it, wanna tell me? I might be able to help."
"Rubelt..."
'He noticed. And as expected, Rubelt is...'
Kagura's heart pounded again at Rubelt's thoughtfulness—not just picking up on her worries, but moving them to a private spot in case it was something hard for her to say out loud.
'Rubelt really is so kind and gentlemanly. Him being a total perv...? Hard to believe. No, this isn't the time for that. But maybe with Rubelt...'
Kagura took a deep breath and poured out her worries to Rubelt.
"...And that's how it happened."
"With Ayame."
"Yeah. If she won't even tell me, it must be serious. But I can't help Mom at all..."
"..."
"Rubelt?"
"Kagura, I think the root of Ayame's worries is me."
"What?"
Rubelt's words didn't make sense to Kagura.
The source of her mother Yagitsune Ayame's troubles being Rubelt?
It made even less sense because Kagura was firmly convinced Rubelt was the last person who would cause her mom problems—someone who'd always been there to solve them.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, last time, I talked to Ayame about the sponsorship funds."
"Sponsorship funds?"
"Yeah. It went like this..."
Rubelt explained to Kagura what he'd told Ayame.
With the Yagitsune Shrine doing so well lately, he figured they wouldn't need his sponsorship anymore and could probably cut it off in the next few months.
The moment she heard that, everything clicked for Kagura.
The shrine had indeed recovered enough that, without any special circumstances, they could manage on their own even if Rubelt's support ended.
But.
'Lady Yorugitsune's new statue...!!!'
Kagura recalled a conversation she'd had with Ayame in the past.
"Kagura~ We're building a new statue for Lady Yorugitsune this time. This'll boost our blessings even more!"
"A statue? But construction costs aren't cheap, Mom."
"It's fine! We took out a loan!"
"A loan?! You took out a loan big enough for a statue?!"
"Don't worry, Kagura~ Mom did the math and borrowed just what we could handle. With Young Master Rubelt's sponsorship, it's no problem~."
It hadn't been long since they took out the loan.
From the conversation, they needed at least two years to pay it back.
And it was a huge sum, with the shortest possible term of two years to minimize interest—which meant massive monthly payments.
If the sponsorship cut off after just a few months in that situation?
The Yagitsune Shrine wouldn't go completely under, but their standard of living would drop sharply—Kagura could see that coming a mile away.
'That's what it was...!'
If the sponsorship ended now, they could barely scrape by and return to their old impoverished life.
Kagura didn't want that.
But what she hated most was seeing Ayame blame herself while living that way.
"After I said that, Ayame's vibe totally changed—she seemed like she couldn't continue the conversation, so I left right away. No contact since, so I thought it was fine. Didn't expect this."
'That's...!'
Kagura pieced it together herself: why Ayame hadn't reached out to Rubelt.
It was simple—shame.
The Yagitsune Shrine had relied on Rubelt's sponsorship all this time.
Now the sponsor himself figured they could stand on their own and brought it up.
To beg him not to cut it off because they'd taken out a massive loan banking on that money?
Even Kagura thought it'd be too shameless to ask outright.
'That's why Mom's been like that...'
As Kagura inferred her mother's plight, she racked her brain for a solution.
Her love for her dear mom.
And her personal dread of slipping back into poverty.
Those made her mind spin faster than ever.
On top of that, the heart-fluttering event from earlier nudged some keywords into her head.
Money.
Rubelt.
Stud.
Harem.
Romance manga and novels.
'...! N-no, what am I even thinking?! But maybe... this could work...!'
Kagura was shocked by the idea that popped up but couldn't dismiss it entirely.
Seducing Rubelt to keep the sponsorship going.
It was a classic trope in the romance novels and manga she loved.
The difference? Those heroines were often forced into it against their will.
But Kagura had feelings for Rubelt from the start.
'If Rubelt's interested in my body... in me...'
Maybe this could be her chance to get together with him.
That thought wouldn't leave her mind.
"R-Rubelt! P-please... Don't cut the sponsorship. I-In return... Y-you can do whatever you want with m-my body!"
Whoa, dropping something like that out of the blue?
Kagura said it to me with her face flushed red and an expression full of resolve.
I'd planned to ease her into it more gently, dangling the possibility to draw her in.
Didn't expect her to offer her body as collateral so fast.
Still, I'd prepared for this scenario.
First, I put on a shocked act and replied.
"Kagura?! What are you..."
"Sorry. If Young Master Rubelt's sponsorship ends now, the shrine's finances will be in real danger! I know this is shameless! So in exchange for keeping it going...!"
Kagura squeezed her eyes shut and clung to my arm.
"You can do whatever you want with my body! Please!"
The sensation of her soft, squishy chest against my arm—different from Ayame's.
Ahh... Feels amazing!
But I couldn't savor it right now.
What I needed was... award-winning acting!
"D-don't!"
I shook her off with a startled shout, pulling my arm free.
"Ah..."
Kagura looked stunned.
The second I saw her face, I covered mine—flushing red, lips twitching up from the great feel—with my hand.
Poker face training from my genius education program, advanced applications.
I'd triggered the desired facial response.
To Kagura's eyes right now, I looked incredibly flustered, beet red.
"Kagura, your body... You should treasure it more."
Kagura's shocked face blanked out for a second, then her lips quirked up uncontrollably.
She had to be thrilled deep down.
She thought she'd been rejected at first, but no.
Her body offensive had worked so well it flustered me like this—she'd be over the moon.
Her lips twitching up reflexively said it all.
Good. Time to nudge her into getting bolder.
"And seriously, don't push up on me like that. It's too much."
"Too much? My body bothers you that much?"
"O-of course. I'm a guy too, Kagura. How could it not? Even carrying you all day today, I had to try so hard not to think about it."
I played it shy in front of her, dropping a self-own comment like stepping on a landmine.
To maximize her enthusiasm right now, nothing beat this act.
Rize had probably already called me a perv or ladies' man.
But Kagura wouldn't recall that explanation now.
If anything, the gap between perv and shy guy would charm her more, right?
"I... see. It bothered you that much you had to try...'
Kagura couldn't hide her joy—her face lit up with a big smile.
For some reason, corrupting the innocent Kagura into a slightly naughty temptress gave me a twinge of wicked thrill.
"Rubelt... Let me ask again."
This time, Kagura gently hugged my arm, pressing her chest against it emphatically.
"Don't cut the sponsorship. In return, you can do whatever you want with my body that bothers you so much."
"Kagura! That's why I said don't push up on me...!"
"Really? You don't want me to?"
"Rubelt hates my chest...?"
"Eugh...!"
"Can't say it... means you don't hate it? You like it?"
Kagura's face and voice were both buzzing with excitement.
"Hey, Rubelt."
Kagura let go of my arm, then click, click—unfastened the chest belt on her cadet uniform, spread her jacket wide, and revealed her bulging white shirt even more as she asked.
"Wanna... touch my chest? Just to try?"
Whoa.
Even though I set this up, Kagura's temptation was seriously powerful.
