CH 44

“Huk, huk.”

“Kiruru.”

I stroked them with an awkward hand and whispered softly. “Don’t get sick and be healthy. Got it?”

They responded to my words with their own sounds.

For a moment, Raul’s note came to my mind. Now I understood better what kind of emotion his nagging to eat well and drink moderately came from.

At that time, Professor Ilya, who was keeping a strange silence, opened his mouth. “It’s time for the lecture to begin soon. Let’s go.”

Oops. I forgot I had to go to a lecture because so many things have been going on since this morning.

“Ah, wait! You have to take this.” Professor Felix quickly took out the book I was going to borrow and laughed cheerfully. “Give it back any time! The sooner, the better.” He looked sure that I would visit this place again.

I left the lab with the cliched answer that I would.

The first lecture was Professor Ilya’s anyway, so we moved to the lecture room together. As I was looking through the book, Professor Ilya asked in a low voice.

“Are you thinking of changing your major?”

“Pardon? No. Absolutely not.”

“…Magical creatures are sensitive. I can’t possibly match their mana wavelength as a human being.”

Magical creatures were powerful but difficult to control, so only a few students studied them. So, if I changed my major to magical creatures, the opportunity would be like a great blue ocean.

“However, you’re strangely compatible. It would be a great talent.”

But becoming a great wizard was neither my goal nor my dream. So I shook my head and spoke my thoughts firmly. “I prefer to be recognized by Professor. Now I barely understand attribute magic.”

In any case, when mastered properly, <Attribute Magic> was a discipline with infinite possibilities.

Silence fell between us again.

Well, come to think of it, isn’t it very difficult to follow the professor? As I raised my gaze curiously, I saw his still unconcerned profile. It wasn’t an illusion. Professor Ilya was actually adjusting his speed.

No way? I checked his likeability, just in case.

[Likeability: 2]

“…?!”

[The Constellations pay attention to the change in likeability.]

[Some Constellations routing for the ‘Ilya’ route.]

It hadn’t been long since the semester started, but it’s already filled this much? It was unbelievable speed.

Even if I played as Libby, I had to meet him personally more than 20 times to fill 2 red hearts in hard mode.

That meant that I had done something decisive to fill Ilya’s likeability. What was that? How did I do that?

Ah, maybe…?

Is it because of the magical creatures?

Magical creatures originally inhabited the heaven world. However, 100 years ago, due to the dimensional rift caused by the archdemon, flora and fauna of the heaven world came over to the human world.

In particular, Ilya during his archangel days, could easily rule all magical creatures. But that relationship ended with his fall. The magical creatures he was more familiar with recognized him as an enemy.

He’s not a character who would be jealous of me with that fact in mind. That’s why Ilya is so noble. I didn’t know if the expression of noble was appropriate for the archdemon who had no choice but to destroy heaven.

Anyway, I think it’s true that my affinity for magical creatures stimulated him.

Did I stare at Professor Ilya too much because I was thinking about it repeatedly? He looked down at me, frowning slightly as if my gaze was annoying.

“The act of staring at the other person silently is either to insult or to seduce. I don’t think either of them seems like something a student would send to a professor.”

At his questioning, I shook my shoulders and thought of an appropriate excuse that wouldn’t get on his nerves. “That’s… because Professor looks so cool today…?”

Until now, my proper flattery was working very well with the professor, so the reaction won’t be bad this time…

“Was it a seduction?”

“…Yes?!”

Professor Ilya put a very faint smile on his signature expressionless face. It was hard to notice unless you looked closely.

“You’re bold.”

Then he strode forward as if he wasn’t interested in my reaction!

[Some Constellations strongly routing for the ‘Ilya’ route.]

“No, wait…! Ah, really.”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment, but when I remembered that the first lecture was from Professor Ilya, I hurriedly followed.

* * *

Word spread in Valhalla. There were a lot of them. For example, it was something like this.

“I heard that Duke Squire donated a huge amount of money. Does this mean they improved relations with the Willow?”

Or something like this.

“Senior Damian was appointed as the escort wizard for Senior Theresa. To say that Duke Squire personally came and appointed him, isn’t this more luxurious treatment than those who went through the ceremony? He’s a man of talent. Still, he’s a commoner.”

If not like that, then something like this.

“Did you hear that Theresa has hung out in the library these days?”

“Really? I should never go there.”

“You don’t normally go to the library. You idiot.”

In other words, it was all rumors related to the Squire. And the heart of the rumor was, of course, Theresa. Above all, the rumor that shocked the students the most was that Theresa had joined the student council.

It was like driving a wedge. I was very burdened by the pouring stares and attention.

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Bet Your Life on Theresa’ has sponsored 10,000 coins.]

[Devilish like a star charm.]

And now this star is in an extreme position.

Suddenly, rumors with much attention spread simultaneously, so I avoided people’s eyes. It wasn’t because I did anything wrong. Still, it was because the number of people who approached me out of curiosity or to gain something gradually increased.

“Where should I eat lunch today?”

I walked along the secluded path with a sandwich bag and searched for the right place. The campus was full of flowers in full bloom. Time passed steadily, and it had become a complete spring.

I watched the flying petals with blank eyes and pressed my temples. It was because I often felt a slight headache from some point on.

“Why do I keep getting headaches?”

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Explanation Bug’ has sponsored 10,000 coins.]

[Maybe possessed syndrome? There are quite a few BJs who show symptoms like this around this time after being possessed.]

Possessed syndrome. What a strange thing to say.

“It’s possibly a syndrome.”

I felt that I was under a lot of stress myself. For unknown reasons, the place blocked in all directions felt particularly cramped, and even after sleeping, my eyes opened as if I had suddenly awakened.

At times like this, I often shut myself up in places where no one was around and cut off from the world. It was safe to say that I was still looking for such a place. Come to think of it, it seems that the entire time I was in Squire Duchy, I had been locked in the library the whole time and being cut off from the world.

Possessing a villainess. If you’re not bothering someone, that would be strange.

How long did I walk? Sitting on the entrance stairs of the annex far from the main building, I put down the book and sandwich bag I was holding. It was a place where the moderately chilly wind and the warm sunlight shining through the flowering trees created a plausible atmosphere.

“No one will come here.”

Not only the male protagonists but also Clybe and Demisa.

Rustle. I stared at the sandwich I took out of the bag and put it back in. I had no appetite. Thinking of Eloise and Raul’s nagging, I had to chew and swallow something, but I was reluctant.

“Does having a lack of appetite also come from possessed syndrome?”

Hmm. No. I often remember hearing the phrase, ‘You eat anything dirty and distastefully’ on Earth.

It was when I was leaning my head against the railing and sighing.

“Senior Theresa…?”

Attracted by a small voice that seemed to deny reality, I turned my head and saw a lady standing on the top of the stairs.

A skinny and modest appearance. Her dark brown hair was neatly braided, and her school uniform looked worn as if it had been inherited from someone else. That lady was a character made by our team.

“Reini Rose.”

“-!” Reini curled up like a hamster in shock as if she had never thought I would know her name.

I took a quick look around the annex. I chose this place because it felt familiar somehow, but it must be an abandoned annex where Reini often appears.

Even at a glance, Reini was severely wary of me. Is this inevitable?

Reini is a commoner. And Theresa was a madman who dared not tolerate commoners talking to her.

I’ll have to move away. “Sorry. I didn’t know there was someone here.”

It was when I got up and brushed off my butt.

Growl-!  Reini instantly grabbed her hungry stomach with a bright red face.

After thinking for a while, I handed out the sandwich bag to Reini, who was very embarrassed. “Here. Take it.”

“…What is this?”

“Sandwich. I didn’t even bite it, but I don’t have an appetite right now. Would you like to eat it instead?”

Reini looked very wary and confused as if she couldn’t believe my actions. However, it seemed that hunger had overcome her wary, so she bowed her head and accepted the bag.

“Thank you.” It was a small voice, almost audible.

“Don’t mention it,” I replied and left.