Chapter 178: It’s a Common Misconception
[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! ❤️]
It’s a common misconception.
After returning to the inn, I changed out of my sweat-soaked clothes and began helping at the tavern.
Today everything had ended without any problems, but I received a report from the adventurers drinking there.
The adventurers who had attacked during the meeting had apparently completed my request, and they would be returning soon.
As a request it was one of the easier ones, so if I couldn’t achieve it now I wouldn’t be useful.
Well, I was relieved they were safe...
I had almost become an enemy, so it was hard to trust them easily.
I thought that was just what trust was.
After closing the tavern, I returned to the residence space of the inn and had a late dinner with Nimi and Pafa.
But today two more people were sitting around the dinner with us.
Those two were happily eating Nimi’s special stew, looking at Nimi with respectful eyes and saying,
"It’s delicious. Could you teach me how to make it?"
"It’s delicious, Nimi-sama, it’s so delicious!"
"Wow, I’m happy that even a fairy can be pleased. Is this delicious too?"
"Thank you, Pafa-sama."
"Even though you’re not good with meat, you keep eating!"
Nimi was touching her cheek with one hand, smiling happily at the words of Mimine and Sim.
Pafa was diligently urging the stew on the two of them, and she was smiling softly with joy.
Nimi and Pafa had apparently been introduced by Sharle, so at first they had been surprised, but since it was me they had accepted it.
...Did I really seem like I was doing something so ordinary?
It was true that my connection with fairies wasn’t ordinary, but...
So when Nimi, who had started preparing dinner after learning about Sharle and the others, told me to call Mimine and Sim, I smiled wryly and followed.
When Nimi said, "We’re protecting Raide-san, so I have to return the favor," with a motherly smile, I smiled wryly and obeyed.
Outside, I beckoned to the two people on the roof, and they entered the room with slightly surprised expressions.
What was amazing about Nimi was that she smiled gently at the two who were supposed to be meeting her for the first time and quickly became close after just a little talking.
Not just the two of them, but most people became attached the moment they felt Nimi’s kindness.
After the dinner with the five of us was over, Mimine and Sim helped with the washing while chatting with Nimi.
As for me, I had Pafa on my knee and hugged her from behind while smiling at Nimi and the others.
Even though the event had started, the peaceful scene made my heart peaceful.
When I looked at that, Pafa gently stroked the arm I had wrapped around her stomach and said softly,
"Happy, right?"
"Yeah, it’s happy..."
I buried my face in the back of Pafa’s hair and took in a little sweet, nostalgic scent.
Pafa smiled quietly at my expression and continued stroking the arm around her stomach.
I had to steady my mind for the sake of protecting this happiness and the happiness of the students...
The next day, past noon at 13:00.
In the teacher’s room I was organizing the students’ materials when a side profile peeked in from the left, appearing in my peripheral vision.
Teine looked at the materials I was organizing with a serious gaze and said in surprise,
"It’s amazing... You write about the students in this much detail?"
"I don’t know. I record the students’ strong and weak points and their daily growth, but I don’t know about the other teachers. If you’re curious, why don’t you ask Felica?"
"Yeah~ I’ll ask when I meet her."
"Teine, you’re not supposed to disturb Raide-sama?"
"...Sharle, don’t say that until after you stop hugging Raide-sama?"
When Teine said that, she looked at Sharle’s face with an exasperated smile.
Sharle was still standing behind me, hugging me while I was sitting.
My head was squeezed between Sharle’s breasts, feeling the soft sensation in my head.
Honestly it was hard to concentrate, so please forgive me, but... my lower body was reacting.
Since the event was happening now, I was avoiding such behavior.
So yesterday I only let Nimi and Pafa sleep beside me.
I was a man, so I had such desires... but I thought I understood priority at least.
That was why... please don’t push me, all right?
When Teine saw my profile, she must have read it and poked my left cheek with her finger while saying,
"If it’s Raide-sama, we won’t hate you, you know. We’re even waiting for you, right?"
"...Don’t seduce me. It’s true, but I’m enduring it. I’m sorry I made you wait, but I want you to wait a little longer."
"Kusu, because it’s Sharle? I already have a promise, so stop hugging me."
Sharle finally kissed my right cheek and quietly let go.
...When you were clinging to me, disappearing suddenly made my back feel cold... Even though it’s summer.
I smiled wryly and let out a small sigh, then turned the page of the twins’ materials and stopped the movement of my hand writing.
No matter how much I thought, the twins didn’t seem to be doing the kind of malicious prank in the game.
...What did I miss? Their lives were on the line?
While self-questioning in my heart, Sharle, who peeked at the materials from the right, said as if she had noticed something.
"Hey? This twin... that child who ran home as if escaping yesterday?"
"Escaping...?"
"Yes, for safety we were following them. But we didn’t see any suspicious person."
"But they kept looking back as if they were being chased, right? Honestly, I felt a little sorry for them while watching."
"Chased...?"
I folded my arms and thought with a puzzled expression at the two of them’s words.
There was a skill called [Phantom Appearance] that suppressed the target without showing their appearance.
[Phantom Appearance] was the skill that made the target see their own appearance.
But in the story, no character who had that skill existed...
It only existed in the free-mode thief enemies who appeared near the capital and triggered subjugation quests.
...No, discard the fixed idea.
Everything was going crazy, so nothing would be strange even if I crossed it with free mode.
But what connection did I have?
I kept remembering the quest content but got no answer, and before I knew it it was training time so I headed to the training ground with a gloomy, hazy feeling...
The training ended without any problems, and the students were now taking a bath.
I went out along the main street, leaned my back against the Filim Fountain building, folded my arms, and thought.
Konru’s situation and the twins’ situation were normal, which made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
Today was the second day of the event and the day Konru would be attacked; that was fine because I trusted Roy, but the problem was the twins.
While at the academy they hadn’t shown any fear or fatigue.
I desperately suppressed the irritating emotions and told myself to stay calm.
I really thought the captain and Taylor were amazing. Even with a small problem I was in this state...
"I was looking for you?"
"Hmm? Ah, I had a little thinking to do. What is it?"
When I turned my face to where the voice came from, Erika was standing there smiling wryly.
Erika folded her arms, lifted her chest, and tilted her head slightly while saying,
"Earlier Rol-san brought the childhood friend information on Konru-san."
"Really? Amazing, in just one day..."
"Because I raised you, teacher."
When I showed a surprised face, Rol peeked from behind Erika, waved one hand slightly, and smiled.
The embarrassing words made me feel itchy, so I smiled wryly and rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.
When Erika saw my reaction, she laughed "kusu kusu" and Rol quietly laughed.
When Erika stopped laughing, she reported with a slightly serious atmosphere.
"The childhood friend seems to have become jobless after the stampede and is idling. From his adventurer friends, he seems to be taking dangerous work."
"Dangerous work?"
"There’s no confirmation. Probably guiding thieves into the capital. Indeed, such work exists."
"...Is he an idiot?"
When I made a dumbfounded expression, Rol looked down a little apologetically.
It was true that adventurers’ work had decreased, but what was he doing by committing crimes.
Once he fell into that, it would be hard to climb back up...
"I can’t say anything. Sorry, teacher."
"No... that makes sense. I’m sorry."
"No, but... I think I’m an idiot too."
"I see."
When I lowered my head slightly, Rol smiled wryly and shook her head.
By the way, Rol was also attacked by the butler, right.
No... it wasn’t just Rol. At that time, the adventurers gathered at the tavern were in a dangerous situation.
As you can see with Rol, even if it was a near miss, it would leave a scar on the heart.
I let out a sigh, and Erika said with a dumbfounded expression.
"I think that’s when a noble would do something. It’s not the time to act foolishly... If that happened, Konru-san’s ’two childhood friends’ wouldn’t have been so strange..."
"...Erika, did you just say ’two childhood friends’?"
"Eh? Ah, sorry, my explanation wasn’t clear. Konru-san’s childhood friend is ’two’."
The moment I heard that, I knew cold sweat ran down my back.
Damn it, had I been too late...? No, the twins were still in the Fiera Dormitory.
When Erika saw my expression, she spoke quickly and said,
"Also about Scon and Micon. Don’t make that surprised face. You’ll understand if you watch me."
"Sorry, continue."
"They’re fine. They’ve been allowed into the Fiera Dormitory. That’s why yesterday I thought you were looking at the ’staircase to the second floor’ with such delight."
"...Didn’t you watch Roy and Konru?"
"From the angle it looked that way? It’s a common misconception. It happens a lot in a wide room."
"The twins are still inside?"
"Earlier the lot-drawing result came out, and they happily ran home."
A chill ran down my back and I started running toward the twins, but Erika strongly grabbed my hand.
I was surprised and turned my face to Erika, letting out a sigh with a dumbfounded expression while staring at my eyes.
It was as if she had suddenly become calm and was asking me if I had something to say. Erika’s eyes asked me, and when I calmed myself, I took a deep breath and said,
"Follow Roy and secure the body of the childhood friend Roy will repel. I’ll explain the reason later. Sorry, but please do this."
’Fufu, that’s fine. Rol-san, please tell Sateur-san and the others?"
"Yeah, got it. Teacher, be careful."
"Ah, of course."
Erika gave me a kiss on the lips despite my apologetic face and smiled beautifully.
"May you have good fortune," she said. After I kissed her, I started running toward the twins’ place.
Thanks to that, my head was somewhat calm. I thought it would be in time, but it was better to hurry.
Please, make it in time?