Undercover vs. Undercover (3)
Raban leisurely scooped up his meal with a spoon. School staff typically had slightly earlier lunch times than the students, but even so, he tended to linger in the corner of the cafeteria reserved for faculty, savoring his food slowly. There wasn't any particular reason. It was just that—whether it was the beef soup or the meat stew on white bread—this world's cuisine was far too delicious compared to the slop from his old dimension.
How many revolting meals had he forced down to reach the realm where he could brute-force his metabolism with mana? Raban chewed each bite thoroughly, treasuring it. For taste buds that had once been overwhelmed with emotion by mere triangle kimbap, this lunch—infused with the mascots' care and resources—was a violently ecstatic delight.
Thanks to that, he could watch.
What's with those two?
Raban observed Inian and Salamandine's game of chicken from afar.
Lux Tierra High School's cafeteria was remarkably free-form. There were no rules against skipping meals, and the school store was open to all. Still, most students ate the provided lunch. First reason: it was free. Second: it was delicious.
Though called "cafeteria food," the setup was closer to a ticketed student dining hall, with A/B/C menus daily—you picked what you wanted. All thanks to the mascots.
Most of Lux Tierra's enrollment consisted of direct and indirect victims of the Na Ju Pharma incident. To dilute their negative thoughts, the fairies started with "at least one tasty meal a day," and the magic-infused lunches were literally fantastical in flavor.
There were no rules against outside food either, so some brought bentos or grabbed snacks from the store if the menu didn't appeal. Dine fell into the first category.
"Whoa..."
Dine's friends, gathered around her, marveled at the bento crafted with meticulous care. How is the surface of that egg roll that smooth?
From Dine's perspective, it was a necessary precaution. The mascots' "Be delicious, yap!" enchanted meals were antithetical to Ebon's magic. It was the truth mixed into her excuse about "lots of allergies, so my family packs lunch."
Dine demurely worked her chopsticks and glanced at the girl who had sat down right in front of her. Inian, her golden hair swaying, settled in naturally and ate without a word. The kids next to her squealed about how cute her munching was, but Dine couldn't help a flood of thoughts.
What does that otherworldly being want with me? Did she sense I'm a Heavenly King? My disguise was perfect... No, assume she knows what I am. Priority is figuring out why she's approaching me.
Meanwhile, Inian was equally baffled.
Why are humans so social?
She grumbled inwardly. She'd tried quietly addressing Salamandine, but noisy human brats were swarming her. Chasing them off would look suspicious. And who knew if these clingy pests would even back off at "go away-sawayo"?
The reason students flocked to the two girls was simple: Lux Tierra students were, for the most part, good-hearted. Their warm concern for the new transfer student's adjustment—and for their friend recently hospitalized with pneumonia—was foiling the undercover agents' mission!
Raban tilted his head at the two in the midst of the student throng, happily chowing down. Salamandine aside, Inian was a real surprise. Did she have some pent-up desire to socialize after wasting her youth ruling the barren demon realm?
Muttering blasphemy that would have earned him a distant suplex from Inian, Raban smacked his lips regretfully at his empty tray. He wanted to sample every menu option, but that would leave the counseling room vacant too long during lunch. Even if he had no intention of running it properly, he didn't need to arouse the mascots' suspicions with outright slacking.
Time to head out.
As he cleared his spot—
⟨ Help me-sawayo! ⟩
A frantic thought-wave flooded Raban's mind. Inian's voice.
"These brats are clinging so tight I can't get a word out-sawayo! Get over here now and tell them to back off-sawayo!"
Raban wanted to tease, "Kekeke, can't even handle that, Demon Lord Excellency? Your title must be weeping from the ground-sawayo?" But he couldn't mouth off in this situation. Butting into a gaggle of boisterous high school girls wasn't easy for a shady black mage.
⟨ Hurry-sawayo! ⟩
The voice in the thought-waves was rising in pitch. Steel yourself, Raban thought, and stepped forward.
Raban approached Inian's table, pretending to return his tray to the collection area.
"Haah, girls. That blonde kid can't even eat properly."
"Counselor!"
"I'm not 'sir.'"
"Just give up. All the kids call you that."
Raban, a mage who favored precise terminology, wanted to correct the title, but the contract demon's plea took priority. Definitely not fleeing the yang energy of high school girls.
"Anyway, who's the new face? Never seen her around."
"Transfer student from yesterday!"
"Yeah, she seemed shy. You girls wanna befriend her, sure, but everyone's got their own comfort zone. Don't impose yours—meet halfway. Got it?"
"Yes, sir! We'll visit again!"
"Moderately. I'm off."
Raban waved and retreated from the high school girl legion. Truth be told, that horde scared him more than the armies the Demon Lord once commanded.
Nice assist.
"Who was that-sawayo?"
Inian was thoroughly satisfied with Raban's silver tongue this time. Especially the bit about personal space. She too was a shut-in demon realm dweller. Extreme yang energy was her antithesis.
"Oh, new counselor from a few weeks back."
"He said he's not 'sir'-sawayo."
"He says that, but he's great at counseling. You should try it. Seems casual, but it really sinks in."
Inian pondered if these young humans had thin earlobes or if Raban was just that cunning.
...No, not the time.
"Miss Dine, could you tell me where the counseling room is-sawayo?"
"Huh? ...Me?"
"Yes-sawayo."
Dine nodded reflexively. Heading to the counseling room where those pesky mascots lurked gave her pause, but it gave an excuse to move alone with her.
"But why pick me?"
"Miss Dine kept staring at 'sir's' face-sawayo."
"What?!"
"Whoa, really? Lady Dine was eyeing sir?"
"Kids, no! I just...!"
She'd only glared at that obnoxious mascot scum for shoving her toward the croc-beast time bomb without a word! Salamandine tried to explain, but it was futile. Her claim of staring out of curiosity from a hallway bump got "Whoa! Romance movie opener!" in response.
Inian, listening to the endless chirping chorus, felt darkness close in.
I can't adapt...
She missed her taciturn golem subordinates in the Demon Lord's castle.
Clack, clack.
The two girls' footsteps echoed in the tidy hallway. Dine scanned her surroundings. Lux Tierra was mascot territory, but even they had limits. They couldn't watch every nook. Especially now, with the Black Forest monster cleanup demanding their focus.
She sized up her companion. Surface-level, Inian was a curious transfer student (minus speech and looks). But beneath lurked an otherworldly monster. Why approach despite the danger? Why choose her as guide?
As Salamandine pondered Inian's intentions—
"Salamandine, right-sawayo?"
Inian dropped the bomb casually. Their red eyes locked.
"And you're the one from the Black Forest."
Mascot absence confirmed. Salamandine feigned calm in reply. Her mind raced.
Why come to Lux Tierra?
Probably knows it's Hikarius City's densest cluster of mana-rich humans.
Interest in counseling room an extension? Like how Ivory Tower targeted it to ID negative-thought students—hunting prey to feast on negativity?
Blind hunting would draw guardian fairies instantly. Time for a warning.
"...The counseling room's dangerous."
"Dangerous? What do you mean-sawayo?"
"That teacher. Kids say he's great, fun. But he's a creepy existence." She emphasized existence. Inian, having seen Papirun in Black Forest, would catch the hint.
"...!"
Inian was impressed—Salamandine had seen through Raban's true nature.
"Exactly-sawayo! I can't fathom why everyone likes that guy-sawayo!"
"Huh?"
Salamandine plunged into confusion.