Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Off to the Academy (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I carefully explained everything that had happened since I entered the Academy, laying it out in chronological order.
Of course, I conveniently skipped over the unfortunate incidents involving Nania.
Rainy listened to my explanation, arms crossed, nodding occasionally.
Once I finished, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
“ Hmm… I get the situation for now.”
Even though I'd explained some parts a bit messily, she seemed to grasp it perfectly.
“So, what do we do now?”
“Hmm…”
You'd think hearing that the Hero Party she'd been diligently working with might not actually be the Hero Party after all would shake her up a bit, but surprisingly, Rainy took it calmly without much reaction.
“First, let's all meet up and talk it over. Not just me—call Laura, Yumi, and everyone else too.”
Rainy might have grown up in the back alleys without even a basic education, but she looked kind of cool when she switched into strategist mode.
After linking up with Rainy, I started seriously going around the Academy to gather the party members.
I picked up Vene from the Archery Department, where she was in the middle of a class shooting arrows at moving plant targets.
I also grabbed Yumi and Laura, who were pretending to work part-time at the Academy cafeteria.
The Hero?
Party.
Regathered in an instant.
I headed with them to the fountain where Daisy and Marey were waiting.
Daisy was so famous that she had to disguise herself with a mask and hat to hide her face, while Marey was suppressing her presence so well that she could almost pass for a thief.
“...”
“...”
I'd already explained the full situation to the Hero Party members while gathering them, so Laura and Daisy exchanged meaningful glances, their expressions tense.
The two of them had always been almost like enemies at the Academy.
With their relationship already so bad, it was no wonder they were both inwardly flustered by this series of shocking events.
Rainy, who had been keeping a calm expression, broke the silence.
“First, let's move somewhere else. There are too many listening ears around here.”
Sure enough, with our large group, I could feel the sidelong glances from passersby.
Daisy nodded in agreement with Rainy's suggestion and spoke up.
“Where to? Pretty much everywhere inside the Academy has ears listening.”
Rainy suddenly pointed at me.
“Let's go to Raden's room.”
“No way.”
“Why? A private room is the most secure.”
“Well, that's true, but...”
My room had Nania in it right now.
I was the one who'd smuggled Nania into the Academy, but we'd kept it secret that she was sleeping in the same room. If that got out?
I was absolutely sure it'd lead to misunderstandings.
I'm not some pervert who enjoys being misunderstood.
That's why I was determined to block any attempt to go to my room, no matter what.
“That's suspicious...”
When I resisted so strongly, Rainy furrowed her brows, sensing something off.
Desperately racking my brain for an excuse, I came up with one.
“What if rumors spread that an Academy professor brought a woman into his room? And these two are students. If it blows up, we won't just get kicked out—we could face punishment under imperial law.”
Scandals between teachers and students were incredibly dangerous in any world.
Well, by this world's standards, all Academy students were adults, so no child protection laws would apply.
“Hmm… Good point.”
My logic seemed to work, as Rainy nodded.
Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, some passing female students spotted me and started whispering.
I was used to getting stares, but their faces looked oddly familiar.
One of the whispering girls huffed angrily and marched over toward us.
I couldn't recall doing anything to anger her, so I stood there puzzled, waiting.
The bold girl stopped right in front of me and pointed accusingly.
“Professor, you can't do that!”
“Pardon...?”
A female student suddenly going off like that.
I felt wronged, having no idea why I was getting chewed out.
“Flirting with girls all clustered around you! A professor shouldn't act like that!”
I'd sooner make a sad face than flirt...
Feeling indignant, I protested.
“I wasn't flirting... It's all business.”
The party members' stares felt prickly, but I stood firm and voiced my grievance.
“Even if it's business, you're a married man, Professor. At least keep some distance for the sake of your wife waiting at home.”
“Huh...?”
“She seemed to love you so much. If she saw this, she'd be heartbroken.”
“...”
Apparently, this girl had witnessed me walking around the Academy with Nania.
I understood her misunderstanding, but I couldn't correct it.
We'd gone around promoting ourselves as a happily married couple. Backpedaling now and saying otherwise?
Bad rumors about me would spread through the Academy in no time.
Like, the trash professor who toys with his wife and discards her.
With no choice, I went along with it and bowed my head.
“I'm sorry...”
“Go hug your wife right now.”
“Yes...”
Having been harshly scolded by the student, I trudged back to the party members.
Unfortunately, the place I'd fled to offered no paradise.
The women, looking even angrier than the students, glared at me with arms crossed.
“...”
“...”
“Explain.”
“Yes...”
***
Raden's room.
With Raden off at work, Nania sat with wide, vacant eyes staring into empty space.
Unable to go out freely, she'd tried reading a book, but the ones stocked here were all so dull—steeped in demonic novels' stimulation, she found them impossible to get through.
“Umm...”
Zoning out on the sofa and glancing around, her eyes landed on dust on the floor.
“ Maybe I should clean.”
Born as the Succubus Queen's successor, Nania had never cleaned a day in her life, but she decided to try it for the first time.
If she could clean the small room, move around a bit, and even earn praise from Raden, it would be killing two birds with one stone.
Holding a dustpan and broom, Nania awkwardly mimicked the servants she'd seen cleaning and got to work.
She swept every corner spotless, mopped the floor clean with a wet rag.
For high spots she couldn't reach, she climbed on a chair to wipe away the dust.
She meticulously cleaned the furniture too.
“Phew...”
Surveying the sparkling clean room, Nania felt refreshed as she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and checked the clock.
11:14.
“Ugh...”
She'd thought quite some time had passed, but Raden was still far from returning.
As she tidied up the cleaning supplies, Nania pondered what to do with the remaining time.
That's when her eyes fell on the simple kitchen setup.
“Hmm...”
Nania herself didn't need to eat food.
She'd absorbed essence through physical contact with Raden last night.
But Raden needed nutrients from meals, and preparing food for his hungry return from work could score her points, she calculated.
With that in mind, she decided to try cooking.
Clunk.
First, she opened the shelves to check the ingredients on hand.
The shelves had basic cooking staples, and the groceries she'd bought yesterday along with daily necessities were fairly plentiful.
Pondering what to make as she looked over the ingredients, Nania recalled that Raden liked meat stew back in the territory.
‘What goes in it...'
Having never cooked before, Nania pulled out everything that looked like an ingredient.
Then she filled a pot with water and started tossing them in by feel.
Salt, pepper, green onions, pork, and so on.
'Is this about right?'
Unsure, she shrugged it off, added more water, and began boiling the stew.
The bubbling stew.
For some reason, instead of the creamy broth she'd imagined, it turned a dark shade, but Nania—ever the progressive demon valuing diversity—pressed on undeterred.
After simmering for about an hour, she heard footsteps outside. Still wearing her apron, Nania dashed to the door.
Creak.
The door opened, revealing a tired-looking Raden.
Nania wagged her tail in delight and unleashed the killer line she'd learned from other succubi.
“Hubby~ Dinner first? Bath first? Or me?”