Haps? Haps?! Haps! (2)

Practice day one, and evening had already arrived. Just that morning, we'd been agonizing over whether to flee the area immediately due to the monster outbreak, or risk our lives to fight it head-on. But that crisis was over now.

Ratatosk's annihilation.

In truth, no one else probably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even realized the boss regenerating inside that massive mana barrier was Ratatosk. They just knew a wolf boy had tried transforming into some giant beast, only to get obliterated by Ludbekia Marchioness, the S-rank grand mage.

The boss mob exploded and died. The monster outbreak was finished, and the hunters breathed a collective sigh of relief as they gathered their nets.

For what? Farming!

"The remaining cores are mine!!"

Sure, the mana stone dropped by the boss rightfully belonged to Ludbekia Marchioness in its entirety. But plenty of wolf monsters remained—ones the boss hadn't absorbed. Their numbers were far fewer than during that mana bread herding hunt earlier, but when else would you get such an easy shot at raking in cash from C-rank beasts that were a breeze to handle?

And so, the hunters set to cleaning up the stragglers after the boss kill, while we left the mopping up to them and headed for the Ludbekia Marchioness's estate.

Part of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was because the Marchioness had passed out and needed rest, but mostly because we trainees had no business getting in the way of the pros earning their keep.

That brought us to the Marchioness's manor, where her retainers helped us settle in for some downtime. Which is how I ended up soaking in the bathtub attached to my guest room, just like this.

"Haaah."

Even with this ether body forged from mana, sinking into a tub full of hot water melted away the fatigue all the same. I hadn't burned through much mana, but after jumping into the fray on the battlefield, proper recovery was non-negotiable.

'This.'

I flicked my forehead lightly at Kim Penril's cheeky voice echoing in my head as she soaked alongside me in the tub.

Kim Penril yowled in pain and flexed her claws threateningly at me.

'Yeah, yeah.'

I raised both hands placatingly and leaned back languidly. She draped herself over me with a rumbling purr. Of course, she wasn't materialized. Existing only in my perception, Kim Penril looked like a ghost overlapping my body—no actual weight, just me alone in the tub.

...The reason it felt like we were sharing the tub was that she was piggybacking on my sensations right now. She was clinging to me in that same lovey-dovey tangle from our demon realm days, like lovers bathing together. But no physical form. There couldn't be.

This was a guest room in Ludbekia Marchioness's manor, and I was the only one here. If someone walked in and saw me groping at thin air or the water displacing like an invisible body was there, suspicions would skyrocket.

People in this manor were already starting to eye me funny.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

'Yeah, fair.'

The abilities I'd shown had everyone in the manor—and even my Vermilion Bird class classmates—wondering, "Just what the hell is this guy?"

'Had to make sure Ratatosk was gone for good. No choice.'

Exactly—no choice. For other monsters, I'd have asked Esta for help or tested the waters first. But Ratatosk? That thing had a deep grudge against me.

'I'm fine. It's those Hapsderk folks who are the issue.'

Ratatosk's curse. More precisely, the "Haps Curse."

While carrying Ludbekia Marchioness back to the manor, I'd burned the curse out of her with my mana. She was free now—no more incestuous urges from Haps's curse. Whether she remarried, lived solo, or fell for some hot new guy, she'd never be stuck thinking "only Haps."

'Curse all you want, curse.'

'You're really doing this.'

Less Kim Penril's curse and more fallout from Ratatosk's affinity boost, probably.

'Figures.'

Mana pouch types like Unia had that trait, it seemed. Ludbekia Marchioness had played coy while sneaking in skinship—letting my hand slip inside that black mourning dress no one else had touched, even helping me princess-carry her like royalty.

Question: Was this Ratatosk-curse affinity, or pure goodwill built as academy freshman Phoenix?

Answer? Tonight's dinner would sort it out.

Here I was, chilling with Kim Penril hand-play and unwinding. Meanwhile, the others were tearing their hair out in confusion.

Kim Penril relayed their chatter via eavesdropping.

Right now, over a dozen people crammed the Ludbekia Marchioness's drawing room. They'd all told me they were resting, but anyone involved in the outbreak had gathered for a powwow.