Chapter 176: Conspiracy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Conspiracy (2)
“Are you okay? You look exhausted.”
“Ah? Yes, yes! I’m fine! Really, I’m okay…!”
“…”
Our meeting spot was usually the same.
Under the cover of the night sky, in a valley far removed from the academy grounds. The sound of the flowing stream was always a comfort.
Kaya Astrea and I sat side by side on small chairs, a glowing lamp resting on a stand beside us. I held a piece of parchment, explaining the upcoming events and our next steps. In short, I was here to brief her.
‘It should be safe since we’ve come this far.’
However, Kaya seemed unusually drained today.
Her head kept nodding as she drifted off. Since she wasn’t wearing her usual twin tails today, her long green hair swayed gently with every tilt of her head.
With deep dark circles under her eyes, it was obvious she hadn’t slept a wink. Based on the psychological reading I’d done earlier, she had likely spent the entire night awake.
She was probably indulging in all sorts of scandalous fantasies involving me. I figured it was somewhat inevitable, given that I was the only man she had any real experience with, so I turned my attention back to the parchment.
Adjusting my glasses, I spoke.
“Our next opponent is the Priestess. More precisely, a demon hiding within the Priestess’s shadow. Currently, it’s merged with her shadow, making it untouchable, but it’s also unable to act. It will only reveal itself when the Priestess unleashes her full power through the Nine-tailed Fox. Oh, thank you.”
Kaya offered me a piece of fruit, and I ate it without taking my eyes off the parchment. She had brought them along in case we got hungry.
It was perfectly sliced—even better than her sister, Merlin, could do.
“The Priestess of the Eastern Nation… I’ve only heard stories. She was the junior who competed against you, right, Isaac? My heart nearly stopped when I heard you won… I wondered if you had finally revealed your true self.”
“That’s not the case. Not yet.”
“Not yet…”
I took another piece of fruit from Kaya’s hand.
I hadn’t told her exactly why I was keeping my identity a secret. I just vaguely mentioned that ‘there’s a reason.’
Of course, there was no "true identity" to reveal in the first place. This was simply me at full power. I didn’t want to expose my secrets in areas beyond my control, at least until Alice was dealt with…
…Even if it was the trustworthy Kaya.
The only reason I had revealed most of my secrets to Dorothy was because I’d been caught red-handed and had no other choice.
Fortunately, Kaya didn’t pry, which was a relief. She was undoubtedly the person who trusted me more than anyone else.
“Anyway, the demon will utilize the Priestess’s power. On top of that, it uses dark magic, so assume it’ll be even stronger than she is.”
“I get the gist of it. We have to stop the shadow demon and protect the academy. That’s why you became an honorary student council member. Being wary of insiders is a given… By the way, how strong is the Priestess?”
“About Luce’s level back when we were first years.”
“I see…”
Kaya used Luce Eltania as her benchmark. She was curious about how she, having grown stronger, would fare against the freshman version of Luce.
“Ah. Isaac, here…”
“Ah, thanks—”
Kaya offered another piece of fruit. I leaned in to take it, but for some reason, the fruit began to pull away. A seductive scent hit my nose, triggering my suspicion. I turned my gaze toward her.
Her long green hair flowed down her back. Kaya tilted her head, closing her eyes as she leaned in close.
Her lips were awkwardly puckered, trembling with nerves. She looked exactly like someone waiting for a first kiss from their first love.
“…”
I almost kissed her. It was a well-set trap with a perfectly calculated angle. What was even more shocking was that this wasn't the work of 'Dark Kaya.' She must have gathered this courage herself.
Though, it was definitely Dark Kaya’s instigation. This had the exact flavor of one of her pranks.
Wondering why our lips hadn't met after several seconds, Kaya cautiously opened her eyes. Our gazes locked.
“What are you doing?”
An incredulous laugh escaped me.
Kaya’s lips slumped. Her face instantly turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe apple.
“Ack, ahh… this, uhm…!”
“I-I’m sorry…!”
Kaya recoiled as fast as the wind, her body turning rigid. Shame and regret washed over her as her plan crumbled.
But her resolve didn't fade entirely. With a tearful expression, Kaya turned her flushed face back toward me.
“I-it’s been a while since we’ve been alone together… It’s nice… Feel free to… explore my lips as much as you want! Anytime, just like we used to…! I really don’t mind at all…!”
“…”
When did we ever do that?
I felt a twinge of pity watching her sloppily try to imitate Dark Kaya’s personality.
The 'other' Kaya was a master of shameless seduction, skillfully arousing desire. I wondered if the regular Kaya had asked her for help with those lines.
Even though they looked identical, she lacked Dark Kaya’s raw sexiness and assertiveness. On the contrary, she was absolutely precious.
I couldn't help but adore her either way.
“We’ve never done that before.”
I shook my head and replied calmly, drawing a firm line. I went back to staring at the parchment containing our plan.
No matter what, romance was a serious matter. To defeat the Evil God, I had to put such things on hold for a while.
“That’s…!”
“You’re the person I trust the most, Kaya.”
“What?”
I took off my glasses and wiped them on the hem of my shirt. I spoke with a hint of the anxiety I felt from our time apart, mixed with a touch of genuine honesty.
“I’m going to miss you after we graduate, so don’t be sad just because we don’t see each other as often right now.”
Kaya’s eyes widened. She jerked her head upright, her back straightening like a rod.
Her green hair practically floated as if charged with static electricity. It seemed her very thoughts had ground to a halt.
I don’t know what will happen after the Evil God is defeated.
Will I stay in this world, or return to my original one?
But I knew one thing for certain: I would miss this girl. That was how much Kaya meant to me.
“Ah, huh…? Uhhh…?”
Kaya’s face turned so red it looked ready to burst. Her eyes trembled, and her body began to flutter in sync with her gaze.
Getting flustered myself, I looked at her and gave an awkward smile.
“Well, anyway…”
“Heee…!”
Pooong!
It seemed my smile was the final blow. Kaya finally reached her limit. It was as if fireworks had gone off inside her bright red head.
Suddenly, her body went limp and she toppled backward. Unable to withstand the intense wave of embarrassment, she had fainted.
“…Huh?”
I panicked.
I know she isn’t used to men, but to this extent…?
“What? Kaya! Are you okay?! Wake up! Hey!”
The situation looked dire. I rushed to her side, shaking her shoulders and calling her name repeatedly.
Kaya remained still, her eyes closed and a blissful, carefree smile on her face.
She was eighteen years old.
“Pierre, did you finish the homework?”
“Are you free today? Want to hang out?”
“Pierre, can you help me with this? I don’t understand it at all~.”
Lunchtime. Orphin Hall, Magic Department, Classroom B.
If you had to pick the most popular male student among the first-years in the Magic Department, everyone would name the same person.
Pierre Flanche. A handsome young man with fine beige hair and mysterious light green eyes. He was one of Alice Carroll’s subordinates—the Clover Paladin.
He always wore a thoughtful, gentle smile, much like Alice. Thanks to his sociability, he was close with almost all the students. He was also exceptionally skilled in magic and was already a frontrunner for the student council presidency.
He was particularly popular with the freshman girls, boasting a reputation comparable to Professor Fernando Frost. The girls were largely divided into two camps: the 'Cool-headed Fernando' faction and the 'Thoughtful Pierre' faction.
Every break, female students flocked to the Clover Paladin. With his pleasant demeanor, he treated each of them with kindness, winning their favor effortlessly.
“Why are you so busy, Pierre? I really want to pay you back for helping me study. Do you really not have time today? Please?”
A female student asked flirtatiously, resting her hand on Pierre’s broad shoulder. Pierre gently brushed her hand away and offered a brilliant smile.
“Yeah, I can’t today. I’m sorry.”
“Oh my, no! Don’t be sorry, Pierre. Just tell me when you are free. Teehee.”
Just the sight of Pierre’s face made the girl giggle with delight. Meanwhile, the jealous glares of the boys in the room landed squarely on him.
‘So annoying.’
Everything felt like a chore to Pierre.
He felt zero attraction to any of the girls here. The vast mental age gap made them all seem like children to him. Having these kids cling to him and chatter every day only filled him with irritation and disgust. Pierre was not the type to enjoy playing house with children.
“Girls, I need to head out for a bit.”
Pierre flashed his signature handsome smile and stood up. The girls excitedly made way for him, nodding eagerly with flushed faces.
Pierre walked out of the classroom. However, the affectionate gazes followed him wherever he went, making him increasingly uncomfortable.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue quietly, ensuring no one could hear.
He was an outsider who had infiltrated Märchen Academy to slay the Black Monster. It was essential for him to blend in, cultivate allies, and eventually drive out or assassinate the target. Maintaining good social relations was a crucial part of the mission.
However, as expected, it was tedious and boring. He sometimes envied the lifestyle of the Heart Paladin, Shera Hectorica. But he feared offending Queen Alice, so he had no choice but to remain cautious.
“…”
Pierre made his way toward an outdoor shelter. As he walked, he spotted a student passing through the outdoor corridor.
Silver-blue hair. Round glasses. It was the second-year student, Isaac.
Pierre tilted his head.
Isaac was the one who had one-sidedly dominated Priestess Miya during the duel evaluations. The way he fought was intense enough to make Pierre’s own battle lust boil.
It was shocking that a student from the Magic Department, someone training to be a wizard, would display such a visceral combat style. Isaac’s duel remained burned into Pierre’s mind even a week after the evaluations had ended.
Even now, as the boy walked down the corridor, he never let go of the magic tool in his hand. Pierre found it impressive; the boy didn't seem to waste a single second of his time.
‘I want to fight him.’
Would his combat style work on me? Would I be able to defend against him?
Pierre had been plagued by these questions since the duel.
‘Moreover, that man is…’
The primary suspect Queen Alice believed to be the Black Monster. A target under her covert surveillance.
Eventually, Pierre hadn't been able to resist secretly investigating Isaac. Various pieces of information were now coalescing in his mind.
He sifted through what he knew of Isaac. Then, a sudden thought struck him.
‘What if I corner him?’
Not just for a simple duel.
What if he gave Isaac a reason to fight ‘sincerely’ while simultaneously testing if he truly was the Black Monster?
Would that be acceptable?
‘Yeah, that would be fine.’
Although he had a personal motive, ultimately, everything was for the Kingdom. Isaac was a suspected obstacle. Therefore, the means didn't matter. Pierre began to craft a justification to force a confrontation.
That man would never dream of the truth—that Pierre was a follower of Alice Carroll and the Clover Paladin.
Sneer.
Pierre withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace. For the first time since entering the academy, a sincere smile played on his lips.
A passing male student saw the expression and flinched, quickly keeping his distance and looking away, pretending he had seen nothing.
I sneaked a glance back.
I had noticed immediately that the Clover Paladin was staring at me. A quick read of his psychology told me everything I needed to know: he was cooking up a foolish scheme.
‘If that’s how it’s going to be…’
…I’ll just have to use it against him.