Chapter 208: Mumbling

Rea​d​ on K​atRe​adin​gCafe

It felt like that.

Like that annoying moment in a famous game where eye contact forces a battle to start.

Fortunately, he wasn’t a Pokémon trainer— just an ordinary delivery worker.

What he’d been asked to do was so simple it was almost laughable.

“So… you want me to pick up that dropped box of incense? The one barely 30 centimeters away?”

“When you say it like that, I sound like a complete idiot.”

“My apologies.”

“Nah, it’s fine. It does sound weird. But there’s a reason.”

The deliveryman reached out to grab the box on the ground, only to flail as if blocked by an invisible wall.

When Sugar illuminated the area with Louveci’s lantern, the barrier’s outline became clear.

“Figured as much…”

She’d felt something off when entering the school earlier. Must’ve been from passing through the barrier.

“They’ve got a barrier up around the entire Steele grounds to keep outsiders out. My box bounced off the ground and landed just inside it…”

“They keep the barrier up even during vacation?”

As Sugar muttered while testing the boundary, Riley answered from behind.

“Probably raised security after the last incident.”

“Right…”

The heresy intrusion during exams.

An Apostle who’d burned himself alive to test Sugar, aided by a fused entity. That incident had elevated Sugar’s spiritual power, for better or worse. The fused entity had since disappeared, thanks to Louveci.

Sugar fell silent, briefly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Riley flicked his wrist, levitating the box back to the deliveryman’s hand.

“Thanks! I just bought these today—would’ve sucked to lose the whole box…”

Then, Sugar stepped closer, lantern in hand.

“But if outsiders can’t enter, how do deliveries work?”

“Folks come out to inspect and receive items at the gate. Annoying, but everyone here’s a mage, so moving stuff isn’t a problem.”

Sugar nodded, sweeping the lantern light over the delivery cart—and subtly over the worker himself.

“What’re you doing with that lantern? Weird. It casts shadows instead of light.”

“Investigating. We’re tracking a culprit in a recent case.”

“Investigating? A culprit? Wow. Steele’s something else. Students handle that stuff?”

“Ahem… Are you the regular deliveryman for this area?”

“Yep. Don’t suspect me, though. I’m just a guy who likes finishing work and lighting incense. Want one as thanks?”

He offered one of the sticks. As Sugar reached for it, Riley sprinted over and bonked her head.

“Ow!”

“No incense,” Riley said flatly. “Back to the point—have you noticed anything unusual during recent deliveries? Even minor things.”

Blocking Sugar, Riley pressed on.

“Unusual… Well, the school did complain to us recently.”

“About what?”

“They told us to manage the warehouse better. Y’know, where we stage deliveries. Heard some boxes arrived damaged, and students filed complaints.”

“Students complained?”

“But here’s the thing—I checked those boxes before delivery. Always do, since we’d get blamed otherwise. And the school staff accepted them without issue during inspection.”

Riley paused, then asked, “Were the complainants all male students?”

“Dunno. They just said ‘students.’”

Nodding slowly, Riley exchanged a few more questions before parting ways.

With outsiders unlikely to breach the barrier, the culprit was probably inside the school.

The two resumed their investigation on the grounds.

“I wanted to try the incense…” Sugar grumbled, pouting.

She’d always been curious. Those mysterious, technically legal “mood enhancers” sold in shops—how did they work?

She’d finally had a chance to try one for free, in private… only to be denied.

“I’m grown now…”

“…”

“An adult… old enough for this stuff…”

“…”

“M-my hands are—! I’m definitely an adult…!”

As she kept muttering, Riley turned silently. There was one way to shut up a whining child.

He pinched the air with his thumb and forefinger, squeezing, rubbing, flicking—

“Ah…!”

Sugar froze, face burning, arms clutching her chest. Yet her eyes stayed glued to his hands.

The thick fingers teasing, pressing, stroking—

Her clear pupils tracked every movement. Childish defiance melted into something else.

Hypnotized, she swayed closer, breath ragged, rising onto her tiptoes—legs trembling but straining to reach—

Still gripping the man’s arm, Sugar straightened her back—though she barely reached Riley’s chest.

Just as she pressed herself toward those teasing fingers—Riley’s hand froze.

A voice heavy with pity rang from above.

“Do you even need that?”

Snapping back to her senses, Sugar flushed crimson and fell silent.

***************

“Student complaints about deliveries? Ah, yes. We’ve had those.”

They’d headed straight to the male dormitory, where the housemaster confirmed their suspicions.

Though seemingly unrelated to the case, both felt the lead was worth pursuing.

“What about the female dorms?”

“No issues there.”

“So only the male dorms had complaints?”

“Correct. At first, we blamed the delivery service, but… the damage happened after arrival. Likely… rats.”

“Rats?”

“Boxes are left outside students’ doors. They’ve been gnawed at night. Some students stayed over break, and the complaints piled up. Surveillance footage showed small, round shadows scurrying the halls—rats, no doubt. Bold ones, too, with the campus emptier… Ah, and incidentally, that’s how we also spotted Sugar.”

Rats. You little pests.

If not for you—

Rat jerky. That’s what you’ll be.

Sugar clicked her tongue and pressed further. “About those surveillance photos—can we see the others? The ones of me in the male dorms.”

The housemaster obliged. Three images total:

1. Sugar peeking around a corridor corner, expressionless.
2. Her head barely visible behind a large potted plant.
3. Only her white hair caught in frame.

Grainy, but unmistakably her.

“When were these taken?”

“The hair-only shot was mid-semester—right before exams. The others, during break.”

“Huh. So this ‘double’ got sloppy once the dorms emptied…”

“Now that you mention it…”

Timeline:

• Rat incidents began during break.
• “Sugar” clearly captured on camera during break.

“Rest assured, we’re addressing the rat issue,” the housemaster added, eyeing Riley. “Extermination will happen before next semester. You’ll have a comfortable stay.”

Sugar cut in, curiosity piqued. “What about the spatial distortion in the single-occupancy floors?”

“Ah… that’s… complicated. Like repairing a shattered cup. The professors are still discussing solutions…”

“So no fix this year?”

“Likely not…”

Riley’s single-room hopes: dashed.

Another click of Sugar’s tongue.

In the hallway, they pieced together their thoughts.

“The rats and the ‘double’ appearing around the same time… Too coincidental,” Riley muttered.

“Agreed. Let’s check the spots from the photos—where ‘I’ was peeking. Maybe the lantern’ll reveal something.” She grinned. “Also, fake-me’s adorable. Admit it.”

“Tch.”

“Say it.”

“With your mouth?”

Sugar clung to his arm, rubbing her cheek against it.

Riley’s brow twitched. Since when did she bounce back from embarrassment this fast? Normally, she’d avoid contact for hours. Now? Stubborn as glue.

Something’s off with her lately.

Her face was scarlet, her neck flushed. She couldn’t meet his eyes—yet she held on, waiting.

“Or… should I compliment you first?” she ventured.

Just as Riley opened his mouth—

“You two.”

A deep voice. Sugar leapt back like a scalded cat.

“We weren’t doing anything indecent!”

Ah, the familiar dread of demerits.

Their savior? Professor Trace. The kind professor who didn’t penalize. Sugar exhaled and latched back onto Riley.

The professor’s gaze lingered, amused. “You’ve learned quite the… unique skill since I last saw you.”

“Skill?”

Bewildered, they followed his pointing finger—and turned.

-Munch munch…

Silence.

Sugar blinked. Riley narrowed his eyes.

The scene didn’t change.

Behind a potted plant, another Sugar chewed on a leaf.

-Chomp chomp…