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179th Chapter: Want a Late-night Snack?

The carriage rattles.

My head was spinning the entire way.

It felt as if a cold, eerie water ghost had grabbed my ankle.

I was so shocked that I momentarily lost consciousness, and when I came to again, I thought it was a dream and felt relieved, but…

“Darling, are you finally awake?”

“….”

It wasn’t a dream. Damn it.

I couldn’t adapt to the sudden shift in how Mary addressed me.

What? Darling?

No matter how much a girl loves someone, she doesn’t outright say something like that in front of them.

This is just madness. I’m worried about how much longer I can endure this.

“Sir! How much longer until we arrive?”

“It should be at least nightfall before we can get there.”

I wanted to escape this embarrassment even for a moment.

I would have liked to step through a warp gate, but there were none around, and the magical train was still undergoing repairs after its overturning, so the use was limited.

Still, at least we have a chance to arrive today. I tried to bear with it.

“Darling, why do you look so pale? You didn’t even react when I called you earlier. Is something bothering you?”

“….”

I really can’t handle this.

Again, a nauseating feeling surged, and I almost lost my mind. It felt like I was standing on the edge of life and death again.

Having someone next to me only intensified the humiliation.

Even the most lovey-dovey couples would be cautious of their surroundings while flirting, wouldn’t they?

“Darling~”

This girl must have tossed any notion of being shy out with the toilet.

Have I ever seen her look embarrassed? As far as I can remember, that has never happened.

But since Mary is a person too, it wasn’t completely impossible to communicate.

“Mary, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Could you just call me a friend like you used to?”

“Wh-what?!”

Mary’s expression turned like she had just been hit by lightning. It was just a small request; I don’t understand why it’s such a shocking one.

“Why…? Weren’t we meant to be an eternal pair?”

As she said this, she leaned in closer to me.

If I only focused on her desperate look, it stirred up my protective instincts.

But…

“Even so, it makes me embarrassed when you keep calling me that.”

“Huh? What’s embarrassing about it?”

Mary looked at me with wide eyes, tilting her head in confusion.

I felt dizzy looking at her genuinely clueless expression, but I managed to hold it together.

I continued speaking.

“Well, someone called you a little brat. How would you feel about that?”

“Of course, I’d be mad! How dare they lie like that!”

Finally, she bit the bait.

Just as I planned, Mary started to identify with my words, and persuading such a simple-minded girl was easy.

“That’s how I feel too. Every time I hear ‘darling~’, I get just as annoyed.”

“What…?”

“I’m sorry, but can you just call me a friend from now on? Honestly, I prefer that.”

“….”

Mary hung her head with a sulky expression.

She seemed to think that calling me in that manner was essential for establishing our relationship.

But then she raised her head, her expression brightening.

“Okay! From now on, I’ll call you friend!”

“Thank you so much.”

Great! Total success!

Now, I wouldn’t have to deal with a headache while we travel.

I quietly praised myself for successfully educating her without throwing a punch.

“Aw~ I wanted to see more.”

“I thought of some good artistic materials, but that’s too bad.”

However, the two seniors sitting across from me looked at us contentedly.

What are they regretting? Do they actually enjoy this cringeworthy scene?

“….”

Baimon was still silent.

He didn’t engage, nor did he even turn his head our way.

They say that staying quiet earns you half the reward, and in this situation, Baimon was the most fortunate.

Just in case, I checked Mary’s condition with my “mana eyes.”

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<Mary Ryudshiel>

Race: Human

Occupation: Demon King

Magic Class: 6th Circle

Mana: 250/250

Disposition: Optimistic/Unknown

Feelings Towards User: Affectionate (Major)

[Other Notes]

– Risk of Demon King’s thought runaway

– Blessing of Shaikar applied

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Fortunately, there were no issues.

As long as Shaikar’s blessing existed, she would never end up as the final boss of Chapter 5.

With that, the carriage rushed towards a good destination.

*

Finally, the carriage stopped at Aligieri Academy.

The two seniors who accompanied me on the mission said goodbye, promising to see each other again, and Baimon gracefully made his way to his room.

“See you tomorrow, friend!~”

With Mary cheerfully waving goodbye under the starlight, I also returned to the dormitory of the 3rd-year building.

Just as the driver said, we could only arrive when it was genuinely nighttime.

Usually, I’d have to report to the professor right after returning, but I decided to do it tomorrow since it was late.

『The surroundings seem rather empty. Everyone must have clocked out.』

“That’s likely. It is 10 PM, after all.”

『At the same time, my stomach also feels empty. Let’s eat something when we get in.』

“Shut up.”

I ate something on the way, so what do you mean to eat again?

Ignoring Muto’s ignorant remarks, I opened the door.

Clack—

“I can finally rest.”

The room looked just the same, still organized neatly here and there.

It seemed like Luska had tidied up during her free time.

“….”

Currently, Luska was sleeping quietly. Thanks to the moonlight reflecting through the window, her sleeping figure was clearly visible even with the lights off.

‘How cute.’

I quietly pulled the privacy curtain and touched the heated magic stone.

It was just as I intended to take a bath and go to sleep when…

“Ugh!”

From behind the curtain came Luska’s groan. Startled, I reflexively opened the curtain.

There was Luska, having woken up abruptly as if her peaceful slumber had been interrupted.

“Ugh… I had a nasty dream.”

She sat up, mumbling to herself.

Fortunately, nothing had happened, but she had cold sweat on her forehead.

Was she perhaps wanting a drink as she instantly got up?

“Oh, when did you get back?”

“Just now.”

She recognized me, startled, but then her eyes widened as she stared at me with surprise.

Then her cheeks turned red, and she hurriedly covered her eyes with her hands.

“Cover…”

“What?”

“Cover your body.”

Oh right. I had taken off my top to bathe.

But this was unexpected. I didn’t think Luska would shy away from something like this.

“Are you embarrassed by this?”

“Just hurry up and cover yourself!”

Alright, alright, I got it.

Under Luska’s urgings, I draped the curtain again.

Finally getting into the tub, I was able to relax and enjoy my bath.

But then, she called out to me urgently from the door.

“You had a nightmare?”

“It was a really nasty one. It was about my friends getting killed for some reason.”

“Reason?”

I asked about the reason, but I didn’t get the answer I wanted.

“At first, I thought it was just a bad dream, but… it somehow wouldn’t settle.”

Luska leaned against the bathroom door, trembling while recalling the dream she had a moment ago.

“I ended up getting beaten and collapsed, and Angela was falling from the sky. Knowing it was a dream, my body still trembles.”

Now I finally understood why she jolted awake in dread a while ago.

Just that part would be shocking, but there was more to it.

“And you were in that dream too. You also died just like that.”

“How did you die?”

“I wasn’t murdered by anyone. I just turned to dust and vanished.”

Turning to dust and vanishing. I had seen something similar before.

A member of the Layered Family, cursed like me, met the same fate.

“I don’t know why I had that dream, but… it didn’t feel like just a dream. And I’m suddenly curious why you died like that.”

“….”

“It felt as if it would lead to death from a curse. So just in case… you’re not under some curse, are you?”

The excessive realism of the dream raised Luska’s suspicions.

The full moon outside the bathroom window cast a brilliant light. I tilted my head back in the tub and said, ‘Yeah’ but…

“■■Ah.”

“What?”

“… I’m sorry.”

It seemed some things are just impossible to convey. It had been a long time since I felt this frustration of being unable to communicate.

But the fact that Luska had such a dream wasn’t normal.

Some gifted members of the Yaho tribe display strange powers when the full moon is up.

“Is there a reason you can’t answer?”

“Yeah.”

“But Jenny seemed to know something?”

At that question, my body instinctively jolted. At the same time, the water in the tub splashed a little, and Luska caught on to the noise and said.

“Jenny knew, huh?”

“….”

“Why can’t you tell me?”

I had said there was a reason I couldn’t tell her.

But if I couldn’t even explain that reason, it seems as though I was simply avoiding her.

Luska recalled Jenny’s mocking expression of someone who seemed to know everything except her.

That mystery built up in her mind without her even realizing it.

“Are you curious?”

“Of course I’m curious!”

“Why?”

“Well, we… we…”

Again Luska’s cheeks turned red as she lowered her head.

She could not muster up the words, “We are friends” because of her continued dishonesty.

But was there really a need to blush over a mere expression of friendship?

Luska felt embarrassed about her candidness.

“Are you afraid that we’re leaving you out?”

“With you all sharing secrets, do you think I wouldn’t feel left out?”

“Still, we’re sharing a room like this.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

Luska’s sulky tones echoed from beyond the door.

She seemed annoyed but quickly softened and spoke up again.

It was a rather worried tone.

“Are you really okay? Aren’t you afraid of hiding it too long and ending up like my nightmare?”

“That won’t happen. At the very least, I won’t turn to dust.”

That must never happen. It absolutely can’t.

Even though I know it better than anyone, I’ve been enduring the pain of not being able to relay this fact to others.

“Then don’t die.”

To that, Luska said.

“Even if you might not turn to dust… I’m telling you not to die, okay?”

Because of that vivid dream, Luska was very anxious.

Having a dream about people around her dying had been shocking, but if this were the old Luska, she wouldn’t have batted an eyelash.

But now, things were different. The heart that had fallen into the abyss was being rescued and adapting to the present world.

Though the environment was unfamiliar, it wasn’t too bad. Back then, there wasn’t even a single friend to call “around me.”

“What if I were to die?”

What would happen if the friend I had feelings for disappeared from that world?

“I’d just go back to that time.”

So, I cannot die.

For myself, and for them.

I will surely break this curse.

“It won’t happen.”

As I looked up at the full moon, I climbed out of the tub. I had been in for quite a while, so this was enough for my bath.

As I dried off and changed into my pajamas, I came out to find Luska waiting by the door.

“So you’ll be able to tell me at some point, right?”

It wasn’t fair that only Jenny knew the secret.

Understanding her feelings, I smiled and said.

“You will definitely find out.”

“Then promise me.”

Swallowing hard, Luska extended her pinky. I couldn’t help but chuckle at her adorably awkward demeanor.

But the moment I hooked my pinky with hers, her expression brightened on one side.

Noticing that, I couldn’t hold back my laugh.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just… the gap between you now and before is huge.”

“That’s a given.”

With warm smiles, Luska and I walked into the living room.

Before I knew it, it was 11 PM. Just when I was about to return to bed for a good night’s sleep, an odd noise suddenly rang out.

Clank clank—

Chasing after the odd sound, Luska and I made our way to the central area of the living room, where the magical refrigerator was located.

I was shocked to see a large snake and a crow rummaging through the food.

『Ah, sorry. I accidentally spilled something?』

『….』

When on earth did they manifest?

While we were in the bathroom, Muto and Aisha had been secretly snacking from the refrigerator.

It seemed like they weren’t joking when they said they were hungry earlier.

And they must have knocked something over for that noise.

『Hahaha! But I still enjoyed the regurgitated food!』

『I apologize for spilling it at the last moment.』

“What are these crazy things…!”

They quickly opened the window and fled outside.

At least Aisha spoke politely, but her actions were no different from Muto’s.

As I determined to unleash a rain of beatings soon… I sensed a bad aura from Luska.

There were more items spilled on the floor than I cared to count.

“Isn’t their caretaker you?”

“No, I’m not exactly their caretaker…”

[Infection rate drop: -7%]

[+700 Credits]

“Yeah. Guess I am a caretaker.”

“Your animals have made this mess of the floor I cleaned just today.”

“….”

Luska’s crimson gaze, now chilling, was fixed on the dirty floor.

When that glance finally turned toward me, an internal alarm rang loudly.

I hurriedly grabbed some cleaning supplies to calm the situation.

“I’m sorry. I’ll clean it all up.”

“Ha… You don’t have to. It’s such a waste to throw it out.”

“What?”

“I went through the trouble of buying it today and making it. Don’t you think the time and effort put in would be a waste?”

Luska started collecting the spilled food and putting it into a container. In fact, not everything was utterly ruined.

Seeing her like that reminded me of my past self while living alone.

“Wanna try one of these?”

Luska suddenly asked with a tempting expression. Nodding absentmindedly, I cautiously opened my mouth.

A piece of fried fish was handed to me by her.

As Luska seemed to wait for my reaction, I happily said.

“It’s delicious.”

Surviving as an Academy Scammer

 

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