Chapter 76
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: First Forced Event
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The same as always,
yet the campus was permeated with a subtly tense atmosphere.
It was only natural.
Soon, the imperial family would officially inspect the academy.
And the crown prince himself would be coming.
Thanks to that, the entire academy had been in an uproar for the past few days.
Today seemed to be the peak of that commotion.
The janitors,
the faculty,
even some students had been mobilized,
and they were busy scrubbing even the remote railings that no one ever paid attention to normally.
It was utter pandemonium.
Of course, the students wore expressions full of annoyance.
Still, it was fortunate that the students who had agreed to do it for extra credit were at least enthusiastic.
'That one... doesn't seem like it, though.'
I glanced at the now-familiar light purple hair.
It was Melissa.
Her hand gripping the broom moved sluggishly,
and scooping dust into the dustpan wasn't particularly thorough either.
It was closer to just going through the motions.
I'd heard she'd caused a major accident during practical training,
landing her with a week of confinement and mandatory service.
'Though in reality, she caused the accident on purpose.'
Over the past fortnight, I'd exchanged various stories with that duo.
Opinions still hadn't converged.
Negotiations had broken down long ago.
But both sides knew.
Regrettably, we each had something the other wanted.
They wanted the status window I'd stolen and the current Ruena.
I wanted information from past regressions and the exact timing of the first event.
'I don't trust it, but it doesn't hurt to use it as reference.'
So, over the past fortnight, we'd steadily talked.
It wasn't a loss for me.
After all, I clearly held the advantage over them.
'On top of that, I've been building up favors with Melissa too.'
As expected—
food was the easiest way to build favors.
The primal human desire for appetite.
It was easy to give and receive casually in daily life,
and since it tapped into a basic need, temptation came all too easily.
Moreover—
after long meetings, when hunger struck.
If someone right in front of you was devouring food deliciously, all the more so.
I thought of Marian and lifted one corner of my mouth.
I'd only seen her as a useless rice-wasting blockhead,
but who knew that idiot's gluttony would prove so useful.
Thanks to her, I could even build favors with Melissa.
'...That girl, maybe because of the repeated regressions. Her magic power was beyond imagination.'
Even a rough glance showed she was skilled,
but after building favors and checking, her magic power far exceeded student level.
However—
there was an alien feel to her magic power that made me hesitant to steal it.
'Witch, was it.'
Witch.
An existence even the magic powerhouse Ethersia shunned.
Because uncontrollable magic power could rampage and devour everything around.
Moreover,
most forbidden magic tools were said to be crafted by witches.
Treated as living disasters.
At least in Ethersia, they were merely shunned,
but in other countries, witches were hunted down on sight.
So I was honestly surprised.
That Melissa's true identity was a witch.
Even in Ethersia, a witch attending the academy was extremely unusual.
How on earth.
That question resolved more anticlimactically than expected.
Xenon.
More precisely, Xenon Aurel.
The man who kept regressing this world,
had taken it upon himself to sponsor her and guarantee her status.
I heard he was currently asleep in a sanctuary managed by House Aurel.
'Priest... or something.'
According to Melissa,
House Aurel was a family that existed before the regressions, like House Eliad.
Unlike the martial House Eliad,
they were closer to a priestly family devoted to sacred duties for ages.
'So that's why those two are grand ducal houses.'
Thanks to that, the mystery of our perennial baronial house was somewhat solved.
Maybe not thieves,
but a rootless family that first appeared in this regression.
Which was better, I didn't know.
If it was the latter,
maybe our house could escape barony someday.
As regressions repeated, roots would accumulate bit by bit.
Of course—
I had zero intention of experiencing regression for something so trivial.
That would mean enduring Ruena's peril over and over.
Like Melissa, who'd watched the unawakening Xenon Aurel for decades.
'Better to live as perennial barons... no, commoners than that.'
My eyes met Melissa's.
I playfully waved one hand as if snatching Marian's status window.
Of course, I didn't actually steal it.
No point wasting a favor on such pranks.
'Besides, she can't even see it.'
As expected—
my provocation hit home, a vein bulging on Melissa's forehead.
Moments later, a familiar voice echoed in my head.
『Hey, you bastard—!』
『Yeah. Thanks for the compliment.』
Another vein stood out on Melissa's forehead.
No more telepathy came,
but her twisted expression made it obvious she was cursing inwardly.
Over the past fortnight.
This was how I'd tormented those two nonstop.
I'd heard there were two methods in total.
One was
a secret communication network unique to them, like real-time letters for those who'd regressed or been possessed.
The other was telepathy like now.
In Marian's case—
the in-game didn't support sending telepathy, so she could only receive.
'Not because she's a blockhead?'
I thought that, but...
Even I wouldn't say it to her face.
Then Melissa's telepathy came again.
『Don't forget, it's second period break time.』
『Yeah, I know.』
10:30 by the clock.
The time when the academy-inspecting crown prince and Ruena would cross paths.
According to them—
here, Ruena encountering the crown prince
would set her on the path to becoming his fiancée in earnest.
This was the first event of the original game's first part.
It wouldn't happen without the first part's protagonist,
but since someone had been possessing since the first regression, it always occurred.
'That person... Aren Brendina.'
Aren Brendina.
The bear cub who'd vied with Ruena at the entrance exam.
I wondered why he was so strong,
turns out he was a possessor like Marian.
According to them—
unlike Marian, the RPG protagonist, raising martial prowess in an otome game was limited, so it relied on the possessor's own skills.
'And indeed, Aren Brendina trains swordsmanship daily.'
By the way—
humans adapt in many ways.
Thanks to listening to them for a fortnight,
words more obscure than ancient languages were becoming familiar.
Then Melissa's inner voice reached my ear again.
『What are you gonna do? Keep them from meeting as much as possible?』
『Yeah. Thinking of slipping her a sleeping pill or something.』
『...This guy's really insane. Anyway, that won't work. I tried it last time. No matter what, she wakes up.』
『Yeah, I heard. Still, I'll try something. Anything.』
I sighed and sent back telepathy.
Recalling the official inspection route in my head.
『I've memorized the entire inspection route. Even if Ruena wakes, I'll guide her away from any path where she'll meet him.』
『Yeah. She does listen to you well. For now.』
『Not 'for now.' She will from here on out too.』
『Sure, sure. Good luck. Hope it works. Sincerely.』
It sounded sarcastic, but I knew.
Melissa.
There wasn't a shred of falsehood in her saying she was sincere.
Because I knew she was as desperate and earnest as I was.
'Xenon Aurel... childhood friend, was it...'
Not from her, but from Marian.
Before regressions—
Xenon and Melissa were like childhood friends.
More precisely..., Xenon had rescued young Melissa from slave traders.
After that, rather than rejecting her as a witch—
there was even a fine tale of letting her live as an Ethersian citizen.
Before I knew it, we'd reached the classroom.
Marian, unusually early, nodded at me.
Her eyes clearly tense.
I slowly nodded back.
For now...
she'd agreed to go along with my plan.
I didn't know how helpful she'd be, but better than me alone.
"Go! od! Morn! ing! Ru—e—na!"
"……."
"……."
No.
Did I approve this for no reason?
Should I tell her to get lost now?
Regret surged, but the water was spilled.
As per the first plan—
during first period break, I fed Ruena cookies laced with sleeping pills.
I worried it might tarnish Ruena's reputation, but it wasn't the time to care.
Instead, I swapped seats with Marian,
using my tall frame to block the sleeping Ruena right behind me as much as possible.
'I heard the teacher's desk has a full view.'
Maybe because Ruena was usually diligent.
Fortunately—
the professor continued class without a word.
"Marian!"
"...Uhuh?"
Maybe because the slacker up front drew the attention.
Second period ended.
The drug should last until lunch normally.
But...
"Ugh, what... Class... over...?"
"Uh. Yeah..."
A rustle from behind my back, and Ruena woke.
Then—
she staggered out of the classroom, saying she was going to the bathroom.
'Really... just like Melissa said?'
Panicking, I hurried after Ruena.