Chapter 177: He’s Such an Easy-to-Understand Person
[A/N: At the end of every month, I’ll be mentioning the Top 3 Golden Ticket donators and the Top 5 Power Stone donators in the Author’s Note! Thank you all for the support! ❤️]
Erika glanced sideways at Raide and let out a small sigh.
Raide had been looking at the "staircase to the second floor" and laughing "kusu kusu" with the twins; she had seen that for just a moment.
The auroras in front of her hadn’t noticed, but even now, when Raide was smiling and talking with Roy, he occasionally made a difficult expression.
(He really is such an easy-to-understand person...)
When she smiled wryly at that thought, Porte, sitting to her left, poked her elbow with her finger.
When Erika turned to her, Porte tilted her head and looked at Erika’s face with curiosity.
"Erika-san, why are you suddenly laughing?"
’Fufu, no, I was just thinking you’re an easy-to-understand person.’
"...Raide-san?"
"Yes."
When Porte only looked at Raide talking with Roy, the others also turned their gazes to him.
Aurora, sitting in front, smiled wryly and tilted her head when she saw Erika’s face.
Raide’s beauty seemed to have sharpened after they became lovers.
She had always been beautiful, but when he gave her that glossy smile, Erika could sometimes feel her heart flutter.
It wasn’t only Aurora; Win had become more seductive, and Rain had grown calmer.
Love was said to change women, but how clearly she could tell it here was rare.
"You seem worried about Scon-san and Micon-san..."
"The twins~?"
"They get along well, don’t they, those twins."
When Aurora spoke, Win and Rain on both sides reacted, and Erika nodded slightly at that.
The twins’ closeness was well-known throughout the year; they had been on great terms.
Raide hadn’t caused any problems they would notice, and their grades were excellent with magical training that was amazing to watch.
Erika folded her arms, lifting her chest, and crossed her legs while pretending to think.
(Since he probably wants to move alone without telling us, I’ll investigate on my own...)
While thinking that, Rinelle, sitting to her right, laughed happily with "kusu kusu," and Erika turned to her asking what was wrong.
Not only Rinelle but also Porte and the auroras were smiling wryly, so Erika tilted her head.
When Rinelle saw Erika’s reaction, she smiled while shaking her head side to side, glanced at Raide, and said,
"Erika-san has changed, hasn’t she? The firm atmosphere has become softer. Have you noticed? When you look at Raide-san, you have such a gentle face?"
"Eh... mm?"
"I understand. What is it... You shouldn’t say it, but it’s overflowing, isn’t it?"
"That’s~... it’s not just Erika-san, though~"
"...Win probably doesn’t want you to say that the most?"
"S-stop, please!"
Erika was aware her face was heating up and looked down, and the auroras quietly laughed.
But everyone knew who had changed the most, so they wouldn’t react to Erika and the others changing just a little.
The student who had changed the most was, for example, Roy, who was laughing and talking happily next to Raide.
The Roy who had seemed unreliable was now someone who could lead the year.
Whether Raide’s way of raising him was good or Roy had a good memory, the two of them would be seen as mentor and student without any discomfort.
(I feel proud of Raide-san like that... I’m the same, you know...)
Erika coughed lightly in embarrassment, looked around at the auroras, and suggested investigating the twins a little since they were attached to them.
All five of them nodded slightly, and they began discussing their movements from tomorrow.
It would be better to investigate since Raide was worried, and most of all she wanted to be able to give advice when it was asked.
It might not even be asked.
Still, the thought that she wanted to do something for them wasn’t strange for Erika and the others.
Raide was walking with Erika and Rinelle along the main street toward Nifa Inn.
The good scent of post-bath and Erika’s rose fragrance gave comfort to his troubled heart.
...If I showed this on my face, I’d be a pervert.
I felt at ease from the students’ scent, but maybe it was dangerous, yet Erika was a lover so I wanted her to forgive me.
Ever since this event had started, I had been troubled about something...
The reason I was troubled was that as class teacher Raide, I had been watching the students, and the twins didn’t seem to have the personality they had in the game.
If they had been pulled into the event, that would be understandable, but... something felt off.
I couldn’t figure out what was hanging, so the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it became.
"You’re making a difficult face. What’s wrong?"
"Teacher, are you all right?"
"Hmm? ...Did it show on my face?"
"Kusu, no one around us noticed."
"Since it’s us, you could say you noticed... something like that."
Erika turned her body a little toward me and bent her fingers, putting them to her lips and smiling happily. Rinelle, on the other hand, was blushing with shame while fidgeting with both hands and looking at me from underneath her eyes.
I smiled wryly at the two of them’s reactions and lightly rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.
It was embarrassing to hear that they were paying attention to me enough to notice my change even though the surroundings didn’t.
It was a happy story, but it was a bit embarrassing...
While secretly enjoying their atmosphere asking "is something wrong?", I hid the twins’ details and told them about Roy being consulted by Konru.
The two of them pretended to think for a moment, then began walking, moving to stand beside me.
"Konru-san feels uncomfortable gazes... only on the way home?"
"Yeah, until I get inside."
"That means the house is being watched, right?"
"Yeah, and that’s why she went to the only male in the year, Roy. ...Honestly, it’s disgusting and I can’t stand it. She’s been having trouble sleeping lately."
"...You, who’s sensitive to students’ appearances, didn’t notice?"
"That’s what’s hanging... I didn’t see anything strange, but..."
If it was pulled into the event, that was understandable, but the auroras had changed color, so I felt it was off.
Because of the research team, I had been able to save the auroras from something I couldn’t notice in the game, so I had been paying close attention to the students’ appearances.
I folded my arms and rubbed my chin with one hand while telling the two of them what Roy had reported next.
"Even while evacuating from the stampede, they felt the gazes. It’s possible they were at ease thinking the gazes would disappear when they were at school or inside the house..."
"That means someone is watching Konru-san closely? Like... acquaintances?"
"...There seems to be a male childhood friend, but I don’t know what he’s doing now."
"Childhood friend?"
"Yeah, he seems to have become an adventurer."
The culprit of this event was the male childhood friend of Konru, who was incited by the twins into acting on his feelings.
At first glance, capturing the childhood friend on the way there would solve it, but I didn’t think the twins would do such a malicious thing.
Moreover, since I didn’t know the childhood friend’s whereabouts, I couldn’t capture him when he attacked, so I had no choice but to leave it to Roy.
If I intervened here, I didn’t know what kind of change Roy would undergo.
If I were to act, after Roy repelled him, the childhood friend would flee toward the twins, so I would capture him and prevent the twins from being attacked.
"If it’s about the adventurers..."
"It’s our turn, Erika-chan!"
"Hyah!? Stop, wait, nnngh! Please stop!"
Minty clung from behind Erika, rubbing Erika’s large chest with both hands from behind while laughing at me.
When Erika protested while blushing from the rubbing, Rinelle and I laughed.
Erika, coughing lightly in embarrassment, asked Minty about Konru’s childhood friend being an adventurer, and if she could somehow find him.
Minty smiled wryly and began speaking.
"I’ll look as much as I can, but you might not want to expect too much. There are quite a few adventurers, you know~"
"That’s... indeed, that’s right."
"By the way, that Konru? Do you know her house? I’ll check nearby taverns."
"I don’t know her house..."
"Ah, I know! She said she lives on the third street."
"Third street. Yeah, thanks, Rinelle-chan."
Minty beckoned Sateur and Roll, who were guarding nearby, and with a serious expression began talking to the two who approached.
The three adventurer girls nodded, and Roll ran quietly somewhere while Sateur and Minty returned to their surroundings.
At that time, Minty whispered something to Erika, and Erika nodded and looked at me, saying,
"Since it’s already night, the adventurers should be gathered, so Rol-san went to do interviews."
"Ooh, as expected of Rol-san!"
"Sorry, I’m grateful."
"No problem. In return, you’ll have to give me your steak."
Erika smiled happily and said that, and I smiled wryly at it.
When I looked sideways at Sateur and Minty, they were waving one hand with happy smiles.
...Is the steak that good?
When adventurers found something, they immediately came to me offering their steak as payment, but there were many places in the capital that could grill tastier steak than me.
While thinking that, Erika and Rinelle pressed their chests against my arms and clung to me, so I stopped crossing my arms and looked at their faces.
Erika smiled happily, and Rinelle blushed while looking at me and saying,
"It’s just waiting for the result. Let’s behave, all right?"
"Yes, yes~"
"...Ah, I understand."
Smiling at their consideration, I answered, and when I looked only with my eyes at Mimine and Sim on the roof of the private house, I smiled wryly.
...Do I look like I’m moving around too much?
I didn’t move around haphazardly, but apparently they didn’t trust me.
Letting out a small sigh, I asked the two of them for their impressions of the Fiera Dormitory, then headed to the inn while feeling the sensation of the chests clinging to me and their scents.