Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Fish in the Pond
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Extermination Squad.
Truth be told, there wasn't much known about them. They took on jobs in exchange for money or something of equal value.
That said, contacting them was incredibly difficult in the first place, and their fees were exorbitant, so I'd heard that nobles were usually the ones who hired them.
Good and evil meant nothing to them.
They were simply people who moved for money.
'We had quite the connection in my past life too.'
I remembered meeting them twice in total.
The first time was when they needed a rare poison from a demon beast in the Demon Realm Forest for an assassination, and I guided them through.
The second was when a noble girl fled into the Demon Realm Forest, and I ended up clashing with the Extermination Squad pursuing her.
"......"
They weren't pleasant memories.
Since hardly anyone even knew of the Extermination Squad's existence, this girl seemed to be hiding her affiliation too. But they had a telltale sign.
The children they raised were injected with special drugs that bleached their hair white and often left them with mental issues.
This girl smiling in front of me looked like a perfectly fine beauty on the outside, but who knew how rotten she might be inside.
Just then, the bell signaling break time rang out, and as I naturally turned to head back, she grabbed my sleeve.
"Wanna spar with me?"
"Absolutely not."
"How about an ambush then? It hurts my pride just failing like this."
I figured I'd scratched her pride as an Extermination Squad member, but when I glanced at her, she didn't quite give off that vibe. If anything, it felt like she was using it as an excuse for some other goal.
"What's your name?"
"Huh? Out of nowhere? It's Sen."
As expected, a single syllable.
I'd heard that Extermination Squad kids were all given single-syllable names, so this was just my final confirmation.
"What're you curious about?"
Honestly, I didn't have great memories of them, but having even one connection to the Extermination Squad could be useful later, so I planned to be somewhat friendly.
You never knew when I might need them.
'Should I ask how she detected my presence? Or about the self-defense technique I just used?'
I figured it'd be something combat-related, but out came an unexpected question from Sen.
"What's Ares's favorite food?"
"......Huh?"
"No, I heard somewhere that to win a guy's heart, you gotta capture his stomach. I'm trying to learn cooking, so I was curious what Ares likes."
"Hmm."
Her face flushed a bit as she asked, and it was cuter than expected.
It reminded me of watching a kitten, so I chuckled involuntarily, thought for a moment, and nodded.
"Pie. Apple pie, specifically, from what I remember."
"Oh! Pie!"
Sen nodded enthusiastically, but then something seemed to click, and her expression turned subtle as she asked me back.
"You sure about that?"
"Don't believe me?"
"No, it's not that. It's just, last time we all went to that cafe, they had pie on the menu, but he didn't order it."
"Ah."
Right.
That makes sense.
"That's 'cause he loves our village's special pie. Guess it's hard for other places to match that taste."
"Special pie?"
"Yeah, they only make it on special occasions like village festivals."
I loved that pie a ton too.
Like, even when I was deep in the Demon Realm Forest, I'd think of it and make it myself to eat.
"Then I can't make it."
Sen pouted sadly.
I'd heard Extermination Squad members didn't show emotions much, but this one had wild mood swings.
Sighing as I looked at her pout, I thought to myself: Ares, this jerk's always had a knack for attracting girls while hurting them.
"I'll teach you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I know the recipe."
"Thanks! Then, when should we..."
She was a girl of action—immediately set a time and hopped over the rooftop railing with a grin.
"I'll go reserve the practice lab right now."
"Hey!"
I rushed to the railing in shock, but she'd already leaped down like a cat, using ledges and such as footholds for a smooth landing.
"See ya later!"
She waved from the ground below, and I was left dumbfounded beyond belief. Jumping from this height took some serious guts.
'And she looked so used to it.'
It was as natural as breathing, like she'd done it a hundred times.
"She's pretty capable at that level."
The reason I was helping was obvious.
I wanted something from her too. I could teach her the pie recipe and naturally strike a deal.
Heading back to class, Eve and Tana were waiting, having saved my seat, and beckoned me over.
I'd worried this incident might give Eve another trauma, but thankfully, it didn't seem so.
If anything, the mood was a bit frosty.
'Oh boy.'
In their eyes, I probably looked like the guy who planned a strategy with them but then ditched it to call his childhood friend over for fun when things got real.
"Got notes from the last lecture? Lemme see."
"Here."
Eve handed over her notebook. She must read a lot—her handwriting and sentence structure were top-notch.
The chilly atmosphere thawed a bit.
I was about to say something first when Tana, resting her chin on her hand, beat me to it.
"Have fun with your childhood friend?"
"I get what the misunderstanding is, but..."
"While Eve and I were fighting that creep, you were holding hands with your childhood friend. Got any excuses?"
"Sorry. But there's a real reason."
"What?"
"Sigh. Rin came to my room thinking you and I were dating. That's what held me up."
I skipped the near-confession part, but sharp Tana and romance-novel fan Eve got it right away.
"Mr. Popular, huh?"
"Ah......"
"Jeez."
Tana playfully poked my side while grinning mischievously, and Eve smiled too, though with a hint of regret.
"Congrats."
"I know you're misunderstanding. We're not dating."
Heck, just being around her made me nauseous—how could we date?
'If this were me back then, I might've died happy.'
Rin, who'd I'd crushed on forever, felt the same? Old me would've run back to the village babbling to brag.
But now was different.
My first love had gone cold ages ago.
To the point I wondered if it even happened.
'Dating kids my apparent age feels a bit...'
I looked 18 but was 28 inside.
No matter how mature they acted, they were still kids.
"Wait, you're not dating? She's super popular. Pretty and kind."
"You don't like her much."
When I recalled Tana saying she didn't like Rin last time we crossed paths, she nodded without hiding it.
"I don't vibe with girls who seem too perfect. Plus, her being Ares's childhood friend bugs me. He acts different around her than other girls—like more relaxed?"
"Really?"
I wouldn't know, always tagging along with them.
Well, if Tana said so.
She used to get jealous even of guys talking to Ares back when she was full-on pond fish mode, though it'd quieted lately.
The frosty vibe fully melted, and conversation flowed normally. Tana suggested a party to celebrate catching the perv and clearing my name, and Eve beamed agreement.
"Ah, I have plans today."
"Plans?"
"Yeah, promised to help someone."
"Tomorrow then."
Tana smiled at disappointed Eve, and when I agreed, she brightened up. She even listed perks like having time to prepare.
"Hey."
Class E's eyes turned our way. A red-haired woman exuding savage lioness intimidation stood at my desk, calling me out.
"Arni?"
Arni Duratan, eldest daughter of the Duratan Family that slew a red dragon. Top of practical sparring until Ares transferred.
Ignoring the stares like it was nothing new, she asked me:
"You're Ares's childhood friend, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
I nodded blankly, and she fidgeted unusually with her hands before asking:
"Do you know his type too, by any chance?"
"......"
I could guess where she got info on me from. I heard the white-haired girl from the rooftop giggling in my ear.
"Do I have to answer that?"
"......"
Arni pressured me silently.
As I stayed cool, the bell rang. She stared quietly, then turned away.
"Sigh."
As I sighed, thinking I'd gotten dragged into a headache, Tana whispered:
"But do you know?"
"......"
These damn pond fish.
And it didn't end there.
Arni's persistence during every break. She'd show up, say nothing, just follow me—even tried entering the guys' bathroom, forcing my surrender.
"He likes pure, demure girls. Hmm, way back he said Rin was his type. Not sure now."
"That girl, huh."
Arni nodded like she'd suspected Rin, thanked me, and turned to leave—but paused to meet my eyes.
"Sorry for thinking you were the perv. Didn't know you were framed."
"You're not the only one, so it's fine."
"Got it." She left coolly.
Honestly, she was the only one to apologize in person, so it surprised me.
Even though she'd never directly called me a perv to my face.
'Maybe not a bad kid.'
Her way of expressing herself was rough, but her heart seemed good.
That's what I thought.
If not for the lunch visitor.
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"Arni coming to you is already all over school. Her hair stands out."
She laughed gracefully with a "hoho," standing where Ares had during the last break, smiling as she asked.
"Does Ares like sexy girls? Or cute ones?"
"Am I Ares expert? How should I know."
"Oh my, childhood friend. I heard boys share even their secret tastes."
"......"
Back then, it wasn't wrong, so I couldn't argue.
The girl had swaying blonde hair and jewel-like golden eyes.
With long lashes too—she was the epitome of "beauty," exuding an elegance other students lacked.
"What's your name?"
"Didn't expect a student who doesn't know me. Just call me Elise."
"......Right, Elise. Ares's tastes."
If I didn't answer now, she'd come back.
I racked my brain and told her.
"If I had to pick, sexy. But more than that, like I told Arni—pure types. That's his thing since way back."
"Oh my, how'd you know I'm quite the pure type."
What nonsense.
"Thanks. And I heard about the false accusation. Sorry for judging you based on rumors."
"......Yeah."
What the.
It played out almost identically to before—like they were in on it.
And the next break.
"Um, does Ares like girls with glasses..."
A bob-cut, slim black-haired girl asked shyly, and I smacked my forehead, suppressing a boiling headache.
After school.
To keep my promise to Sen as I'd told Eve and Tana, I headed to the academy's home ec lab.
And saw five girls in aprons.
All of them—the pond fish who'd come to me today asking their questions.
"Haha, they all insisted on tagging along."
"......"
Sen scratched her head awkwardly.
First time all day I wanted to hit a girl.