Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Academy's Women
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“The way you're ignoring him?”
Pindenai follows behind me as I brush past Gideon without a glance. She's sneaking peeks at Gideon, who has his head hung low.
“Doesn't matter. If we just wait, he'll come crawling over on his own.”
The checks against King Orpheus's noble alliance have begun. It's called a check, but in truth, each blow from the royal family will have their houses reeling.
“His rebellious spirit hasn't been fully beaten out of him yet.”
Seeing his body tremble as he forces down his anger, it's clear that once he regains some composure, his resentment could grow even stronger.
If you're going to step on something, crush it completely.
I've never raised anything myself, but I've heard it's crucial to break rebellion so thoroughly that it never even occurs to them again.
“Sometimes overflowing with affection, other times so cruel.”
Pindenai giggles, clearly amused. Since it was still lecture time, we strolled through the empty hallway toward the dean's office.
To inform the dean of my return.
On the central staircase as we ascended, a blonde girl caught my eye, standing there.
“Deus!”
Elenoa Luden Griffin.
The princess of the Griffin Kingdom called my name confidently, arms crossed.
Her radiant smile evoked memories of her innocent self from before, but her eyes and demeanor carried the unwavering poise of a princess, free of hesitation or doubt.
“Ah, so that's her?”
Pindenai, who had never seen Elenoa before, nodded with a hum.
In turn, Elenoa frowned sharply at Pindenai's revealing outfit but hurried down the stairs in quick steps, not wanting to ruin the reunion.
“You're finally back! My brother tipped me off privately, so I've been waiting!”
The distance was quite far, so even with prior notice, nailing the timing like this seemed improbable.
In any case.
I looked down at the princess grinning eagerly before me, as if expecting something right away, and said one thing.
“Call me Professor, Student Elenoa.”
“……”
“And I believe it's lecture time, so why are you in the hallway? First-year mandatory classes should be in session.”
“Th-that's because I came to greet you……”
“Come to my lab later.”
“Y-your lab?”
“No demerits.”
“……”
Elenoa puffed out her cheeks and glared at me. I gave her a cursory glance indifferently, then continued up the stairs.
Pindenai beside me stifled laughter with coughs, which seemed to irk Elenoa further as she snapped.
“Deus! Is this reality?!”
“What are you talking about.”
Pindenai, clueless about the meaning, scratched her ear and replied nonchalantly.
But I paused for a moment.
I stopped my steps, slowly turning to look down at Elenoa.
From the bottom of the stairs, she gazed up at me with a beaming smile full of anticipation, and I answered.
“I just told you to fix how you address me. Additional demerits.”
Ignoring Elenoa as her face crumpled in devastation, mouth agape, I resumed climbing the stairs.
If I indulge her once or twice, it'll become a habit, and she'll keep coming back. Besides, spilling too much about the previous world felt uncomfortable.
I gave a brief return report in the dean's office. The dean kept offering me tea and expensive treats, rubbing his hands together, but I had no desire to waste time with him.
“Whew, watching that potbellied guy shake his butt, I thought a bear was dancing.”
Pindenai burst into laughter outside the dean's office. It probably carried inside, but no issue.
Now that I was a Necromancer directly under the royal family, even the dean couldn't treat me lightly.
He seemed ready to bow in gratitude for my return to the academy.
With lectures apparently over, another student waited outside the dean's office, hands clasped together.
The protagonist, Aria Rias.
Aria exchanged brief greetings with Pindenai. After watching the two for a moment, I said casually to Pindenai.
“Go to the Centaunt Hotel and bring Iluania.”
Thinking of her resting in the suite, Pindenai straightened up alertly.
“Right! Wow, while everyone else was suffering, you were sucking on honey alone. So damn jealous.”
I added one thing as I watched Pindenai stomp off.
“Don't go reeking of cigarette smoke. She's pregnant.”
I said it in case it might harm the fetus, but Pindenai whipped around, annoyed.
“Why? Walking might be dangerous too, should I carry her on my back?”
“If you want.”
“Ah, sure thing! If she hasn't bathed, I'll wash her too! If she's tired, I can stand in for the baby in her belly!”
I shrugged at the fuming, glaring Pindenai.
“If you want.”
“You son of a……!”
Pindenai stormed down the stairs, spewing curses. If I don't respond this firmly, she'll run wild on her own terms.
Watching Pindenai and me, Aria looked a bit surprised.
“Honestly, I was shocked you had Pindenai as a maid, but your relationship being better than expected surprises me more.”
“It's not particularly good.”
“You don't have memories from the previous loop too, do you, Professor? How did you get Elenoa and Pindenai—two former arch-enemies—to your side?”
Those two, powerful foes in the previous loop, had become allies, so it must have seemed miraculous.
I had no intention of answering, but curiosity struck me.
“Wasn't I like this in the previous loop?”
Aria's expression darkened instantly. She clearly didn't want to say, but as I waited, she sighed and spoke.
“Around this time, Professor, you were still hospitalized.”
“Hospitalized?”
I thought since Aria had enrolled, I'd support her somehow, but I was just in a hospital?
“Yes, because of your original body's owner.”
“……”
I understood without realizing it. He'd probably leveraged his connection with Erika to get into the academy somehow.
Without Aria's help, he wouldn't have learned Necromancy, and the original Deus's soul would have kept tormenting him, leading to suicide attempts.
“So honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't know just teaching you Necromancy quickly would change the future this much.”
“……”
“As expected, Professor, you're capable. If only the previous body owner hadn't thrown tantrums……”
“Enough.”
The original Deus had already found repose. No need to drag him out and tarnish him further.
Accepting my words, Aria stepped aside slightly, clearing the path.
“So, heading to the lab now?”
“Yes, but first.”
I blocked the path she'd cleared. Suddenly, it looked like I'd pinned her against the wall.
A faint blush rose on Aria's face.
“Why?”
I didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't that.
“I need to make something clear before I go. How much do you know about the original me?”
“……”
This was quite important.
So far, only two people knew I wasn't Deus Verdi but Kim Shin-woo.
Deia and Elenoa.
I'd told them since it didn't seem like a big issue, but with Aria, I hadn't grasped how much she knew.
I wondered if she'd tell me.
But Aria smiled brightly and replied.
“That your real name is Kim Shin-woo. And that you hate being called that in this body?”
“……”
“In the end, it was still you in the previous loop, Professor. You didn't tell me much.”
“I see.”
Logically, it was impossible, but just in case.
If this world was originally a game and you're the protagonist or something like that, verification was needed.
“Professor, you always told me, who was down and struggling, that I could do it. That only I could.”
“……”
“Do you know how much comfort you were to me?”
Aria smiled and extended her hand toward me. The moment her hand brushed my knuckles, a strong urge to pull away surged.
But I gently took her hand.
“……!”
“I'm here.”
“P-Professor.”
“You're much stronger than before, you've solidified your position in the kingdom, and you're the only Black Mage who can hold her head high.”
I needed to give her faith.
The reason for her fanatical reaction toward me was the fear of losing me again.
So, I needed to make it clear.
This would be the first step in healing her broken heart.
“Still, I'm scared of losing my professor.”
“……I'm not yours.”
I corrected that firmly, but Aria gave a faint smile. A seductive expression carrying something eerie beyond mischief.
“Right, not yet.”
“……”
“Hehe, and this time, there's no pesky fiancée in the way.”
The bell rang.
Next lecture time. Aria feigned regret as she released my hand.
“You like students who follow the rules well, Professor. I'll head to class now.”
“Yeah.”
As Aria turned to leave, she suddenly infused mana into her body and clung tightly to my chest in a hug before I could react.
“Mmph!”
Aria inhaled my scent deeply and smiled.
I immediately scowled, about to say something.
“It's a warning shot. I won't let you be taken this time.”
She released me and left. Wondering what she meant, the Black Necromancer behind me chimed in.
[Hey?]
“……?”
Answering in the academy might spread weird rumors, so I just looked without replying.
At the end of the hallway the Black Necromancer pointed to stood Erika Bright, staring at me in shock.
Now I understood why Aria said that.
[She saw you holding hands from the start.]
The Black Necromancer added poutingly beside me. I pondered what to say to Erika.
But upon meeting my eyes, she fled like she was running away.