Chapter 279: Advanced Notice

    ? Advanced Notice ?

    “Well then, I’ll wait in the annex!”

    “I’ll be waiting there too.”

    Ferloche, smiling cheerfully, and Serena, quietly covering her face with a fan, spoke simultaneously.

    “........”

    And then, the two girls silently faced each other.

    I had seen Serena cover her face with a fan. However, compared to Ferloche, who smiled cheerfully, she seemed quite scary today.

    “Uh, well... I’ll wait...”

    “Sure, just wait a moment.”

    “I haven’t finished speaking...”

    Clana, muttering timidly behind them, was about to say something, but I hastily said that and quietly closed the door.

    “Phew.”

    I had a feeling that if I followed them now, I would somehow get into trouble. And then, I discovered an interesting fact that made me want to leave this place.

    “Professor, what’s your relationship with those people?”

    As I turned around, Glare, still holding my sleeve, tilted her head and asked.

    “...It’s complicated.”

    “Huh?”

    I had to stop my hand as I was just about to pat her head casually. I looked at Glare. She was observing my left hand with a curious expression. I said in a low voice.

    “Stop meddling in others’ business, kiddo.”

    A fiance?e whose first cycle’s memory only returned during the day, a woman I became engaged to through the covenant after abandoning the first fiance?e, and even a saintess who may seem foolish to others but knows me better than anyone else.

    I couldn’t briefly explain all these relationships, so I roughly mashed the words. Glare, with a sulky expression, puffed up her cheeks.

    ‘This is going to drive me crazy.’

    I was pretty weak when dealing with kids around Aria’s age. Was it because I couldn’t treat her well?

    I should have been cold to her like others, but no harsh words came out.

    Perhaps it was the first time in a while that I felt kindness from a stranger without any reason, and I didn’t want to lose that.

    “Get lost.”

    “But I’m your student?”

    “...Sigh.”

    Against my will, I uttered some cold words, but the kiddo stuck closely to me, trailing behind.

    “Hey.”

    “Heik...!”

    Deciding to leave her alone for a while, I approached a nearby student who had lowered her head. Then I grabbed her shoulders and said.

    “Lift your head.”

    “Uh, uhh...”

    The girl, visibly trembling, cautiously raised her head.

    “W-what are you looking at, you human?”

    A familiar voice echoed shortly after.

    “Why are you here?”

    Surprisingly, it was Miho; she used to be Serena’s assistant.

    “Uh, well... I have, uh, reasons.”

    “Did you get kicked out?”

    “N-no!”

    Looking at her tailored uniform, which accommodated her large, fluffy tail, it seemed she wasn’t kicked out, at least.

    “I-I didn’t want to come... but that dog beastkin threatened me...”

    “Are you talking about Lulu?”

    “F-forget that. Don’t bother, human.”

    After saying that, she looked at me with a blush.

    “B-but, human, w-what was that power from earlier?”

    “......”

    “Is a human... supposed to be that strong? Why did you hide your strength?”

    Her gaze was fierce as she asked, with a cautious expression. However, for some reason, her tail was swaying slowly.

    “...Hmm.”

    I finally knew why she became part of the Sub-Heroines.

    She became a sub-heroine due to the changes in the main storyline, leading her to enroll in the academy.

    “Y-you better be prepared, human.”

    While I pondered, Miho initiated a conversation. She sweated nervously as I stared at her.

    “I-I’ll catch you! N-no... I’ll defeat you! My new friends just told me all about your bad deeds. I’ll never be decei... Heik?”

    I calmly watched her as she rambled, her tail covering her face. Suddenly, Miho screamed.

    “Wow... It’s so fluffy...”

    “Let go! Human! D-don’t touch my tail!!”

    As Glare buried her face into her split tails, Miho struggled to push her away, sweating coldly.

    “......”

    I watched that scene for a bit. Then, I quietly averted my gaze and continued to walk.

    “Uh, um... W-well, you see...”

    I finally arrived at my destination and saw a restless Aishi. When she saw me, she seemed to calm down.

    “Nice to see you again here.”

    “...Uh, y-yeah.”

    Unable to discern whether to use formal or informal language with me, she began the conversation quietly after cautiously watching for my use of honorifics.

    “Th-that, you know. About the curse I cast on you...”

    “Ugh.”

    “.....!”

    She spoke as she reached for my heart. Suddenly, she started to breathe rapidly.

    “D-do you want me to get rid of that? I have been searching for a way to remove it...”

    “.....?”

    When I stepped back with a frown, Aishi, looking at my reaction, began speaking.

    “What benefits do you gain by removing it?”

    “W-well... you see...”

    There was no way to lift this curse. Her expression changed when I asked her that. After all, why would she want to help someone who was everyone’s enemy?

    “I don’t think you should treat me as rudely as you do others.”

    “Hm.”

    “W-well, I’m the only one who can lift it, you know? So if I don’t tell you, you, you will die.”

    As she said, she seemed a bit frightened. Aishi, scrutinizing me, turned away and spoke with a flushed face when I quietly bit my lip and began to pretend to follow along.

    “A-alright. Are we finally on the same page? So, from now on, you’ll play nice?”

    “It’s because I love you so much, Young Master.”

    Her expression appeared quite pale.

    “I love you, Young Master.”

    “..........”

    Gently stroking Kania’s back while she buried her head in my shoulder, I quietly murmured.

    ‘Come to think of it, Kania has been acting suspicious lately...’

    It seemed like there were many things that I had to investigate.

    “Note... Extremely popular among girls... Somehow, it’s quite annoying... Caution required...”

    The kiddo, who had sneakily stuck to my back, was pouting with an irritated expression, muttering something incoherent.

    When did she get behind me? Did she learn stealth magic from the Magic Tower Master?

    “Ugh.”

    As expected, preparing for the new semester seemed more challenging for the professor than for the students.

    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

    “Kiddo, stop following me.”

    “I don’t want to!”

    “Sigh.”

    Even outside the waiting room, that kiddo was still on my tail as I walked around, occasionally jotting things down. When we arrived at the designated meeting place, the auxiliary building, I frowned and said.

    “Why are you doing this?”

    “Why? Somehow, you seem like a wounded kitten... Maybe it makes me want to help you. Or perhaps, protect you?”

    As she said that, she seemed unsure about her own words.

    ‘Do I really look like that...?’

    Scratching my head, I took advantage of the distracted kiddo and swiftly opened the door to the annex.

    “Heiikk!”

    “You scared me.”

    However, an unexpected person stood in front of me.

    “Ugh, ugh... ugh, ugh...”

    Roswyn, who was about to leave the annex with a pale expression, noticed me and raised her guard.

    – Ssk...

    Seeing her up close after a long time, I pondered how to approach her when she suddenly scowled and began to stagger.

    “...Ah.”

    Then, Roswyn leaned on the door sill and started trembling.

    Since she disliked me, it was natural for her to react like that upon seeing me, especially since my reputation had worsened.

    “...Sorry if I make you uncomfortable.”

    With such thoughts, I slightly failed to maintain my expression and spoke softly, making her stagger and step back.

    “Puha.”

    She exhaled and collided with Glare, watching us with round eyes. I quietly closed the annex door.

    “...Why did she exhale so heavily, though?”

    The questions in my mind stopped momentarily as I observed the two girls before me.

    “Then, you guys can talk first.”

    After a brief moment with numerous exchanged glances, Serena slowly stood up from her seat.

    “I wasn’t in a hurry, so I’ll be generous and yield first.”

    “That’s right, I’m overflowing with virtue!”

    She headed toward the exit but jolted upon hearing those words.

    – Swish.

    Then, quietly folding and unfolding her fan, she left the room.

    It was an almost unfamiliar behavior, but I felt I knew its meaning for some reason, and a shiver ran down my spine.

    – Click.

    Once the door closed, silence filled the room.

    “My cute Lord Frey!”

    As I tried to sit down, Ferloche suddenly stood up and, with a foolish expression, started approaching me.

    “What’s this? Are you acting like a fool?”

    I expected her original personality to come out after the sunset, but as I tilted my head, she came closer and spoke with a bright smile.

    “Today, I came to make an offer. Order? Advice? Something like that!”

    “.....?”

    As I tilted my head at her incomprehensible words, Ferloche embraced me and whispered into my ear.

    “Do you understand?”

    “Heik...”

    At that moment, my waist was gently held.

    “...Look, I’m right. You’re so cute.”

    “Ah, uhh...”

    “I know everything.”

    She was just burying her fingers a little too firmly into my side, yet I found myself burying my head in Ferloche’s shoulder, who was shorter than me, and blushing.

    “Today, I’ll advise you on these kinds of things.”

    “Huh?”

    She gently patted my back and whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

    “Also...”

    Feeling dizzy, I closed my eyes. She caressed the collar of my clothes and whispered once again.

    “About the Fourth Ordeal that will come soon.”

    “......!”

    I snapped my dazed eyes open.

    “You should listen carefully.”

    It might be quite challenging, but I had to keep my composure.

    “Gugu, lock the door.”

    “Gugu!”

    Could I manage to do it?

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