Chapter 34: The Princess and the Academy City (3)

“It’s because you’re pretty.”

“Wh-What…?”

“It is your appearance itself that is attracting attention, is what I’m saying.”

After giving her an answer, Rohan strode forward to change locations, the Princess trotting behind him.

Rohan, who had volunteered to lead the way, continued thinking seriously.

Is it because she has always lived outside, away from people? She doesn’t seem to have an objective view of her own face…

From Rohan’s perspective, calling the Princess pretty wasn’t just lip service or simple flattery, nor was it an attempt to gain favor.

In fact, he wouldn’t have even used this method if that was his intention in the first place.

In conclusion, because it wasn’t an attempt to curry favor, he was able to answer her frankly.

Simple.

Elves were a race of beauty, a symbol of loveliness.

That was an unchanging truth even in Abyss City.

A person who would find it strange to praise an Elf for their beauty? Unless they had exceptionally unique tastes, there wouldn’t be any.

Furthermore, the Princess, born with an excellent bloodline, was unique even among Elves, a race filled with nothing but beautiful individuals.

So, it was only natural that her face alone was enough to attract attention, regardless of her attire, when walking down the street.

“Hmm, where…”

Rohan stopped just before entering the central area of District 2.

There were cafes and restaurants scattered here as well.

“How much time do you have?”

“I’ll tell you when I have to leave. I still have some time for now.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Not particularly… And I’m not thinking about it.”

The Princess answered immediately with an indifferent expression.

But Rohan caught sight of the subtle gulp as she swallowed.

“Let’s talk while we have a snack.”

“Hmph, if you want a snack, feel free.”

Rohan moved his legs slowly and looked around.

Then he stopped in front of a cafe with a cozy atmosphere.

“Shall we go here?”

“You’re saying you want to talk in this place?”

“Yes, the sandwiches look delicious.”

The Princess blinked, gazing at the interior of the cafe with people sitting here and there.

As soon as she came to her senses, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Rohan.

“…Don’t joke around. You should know the gravity of the information you hold.”

“I’m not kidding. Who would imagine that we’d be having such an important conversation in a place like this?”

Perhaps she was reluctantly convinced.

The fierceness in the Princess’ eyes gradually subsided.

“Are you saying something along the lines of ‘the best place to hide is in plain sight,’ or ‘hide a tree in a forest?’”

“Something like that. And honestly, I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“How can someone who deals in information not have a place? Or are you saying I don’t meet the entry requirements?”

“…”

When they first met, he had only asked for time to gather information.

And it seemed that in the Princess’ mind, Rohan had already been branded as something similar to an information broker.

It’s no use explaining things now; she’s too guarded to believe me.

If he were to babble that it wasn’t like that, the Princess would surely assume that he was hiding his true identity.

“And no matter how I look at it, this isn’t the place. There should be no eyes to see and no ears to hear.”

“Is that an absolute requirement?”

“I believe that must be the most important priority when sharing critical matters.”

Based on caution, it wasn’t wrong, so Rohan crossed his arms and pondered over the Princess’ words.

Looking around at the nearby shops, there were a few candidates.

Karaoke?

It would be awkward if, after paying to enter, she were to consider the CCTV in the room as ‘eyes watching.’

Rohan’s gaze moved to another building.

Or should I get a room?

An Orion Academy Cadet and an Elf entering a lodging facility.

Somehow, that didn’t seem like a good idea either.

In that case…

After weighing the options, Rohan finally made a decision and offered it to the Princess with a calm face.

“I do have a dormitory where I live.”

“You did say you were infiltrating the Academy. That place would be good.”

She was already convinced of that.

Rohan chuckled and began moving towards his destination.

“If you’re not uncomfortable with a man’s living space, I’ll show you the way.”

“Don’t worry. If you try to dishonor me, I’ll detonate everything on me and commit suicide.”

A chilling warning that didn’t match the words “don’t worry.”

Conversely, from Rohan’s perspective, seeing her behave like this was reassuring.

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Using the stairs as usual, Rohan entered his room after buying a hamburger to fill his stomach.

He then tidied up his clothes briefly and opened the window.

Creaking!

The Princess, however, didn’t come in through the Academy Dormitory entrance.

Like a flying squirrel, she scaled the building and stepped into the room through the window Rohan had opened.

“Please take off your shoes first.”

“…Alright.”

The Princess took off her military boots, which seemed tough just by looking at them, and glanced around Rohan’s room.

Then, she voiced her question in a short tone.

“Hmm?”

“Is there a problem?”

“The room’s pretty decent for the work you do.”

Was she expecting a room full of computers lined up for information gathering?

Rohan didn’t bother answering and simply pointed to the chair at his desk.

“Please have a seat. Unfortunately, it’s a single dormitory, so there’s only one chair.”

“It’s fine. I can stand.”

Claiming she didn’t need to sit down, the Princess took a spot by the window, leaning against the wall.

Rohan had no intention of offering twice, so he took the empty chair and started unpacking his snacks on the desk.

Amidst the rustling sounds, the Princess spoke first.

“There’s a matter we need to decide first. It’s also an answer I didn’t receive last time.”

“Go ahead.”

“What do you want from me in exchange for the information? Is it money after all?”

“Hmm…”

He wasn’t intending to ask for money in the first place.

Rohan knew. Even if the Elders were wealthy, the Princess’ pockets were emptier than his own.

This is a troublesome matter from the start.

He began to ponder while chewing on a french fry.

─ Would she believe it if I said I was an ally trying to help?

─ No. I don’t believe such convenient stories.

Recalling the conversation they had back in the Ruin, it was clear she wouldn’t believe any flimsy words.

Rather, stating a direct purpose seemed like the right way to lower her guard and gain her trust.

“There will be days when I’ll be doing some dangerous things in the future.”

“Mm.”

“If the information I provide is worth its price, please lend me a hand when the time comes. You’ll have to help me at least once, as we agreed.”

“…”

The Princess fell into thought.

It was commendable that she wasn’t rashly agreeing, even though she needed the information.

“I won’t be doing shady things like massacring innocent civilians. You just need to assist me in catching Monsters or criminals.”

“…Are you planning to collect bounties on criminals or sell Monster parts?”

“Yes. Clean money that doesn’t need laundering is the best after all.”

Rohan nodded in agreement with the Princess’ innocent deduction.

He didn’t think it would be good to add any further explanations.

“Alright. I promise, only if it meets the conditions mentioned earlier.”

“Then let’s talk.”

“Is there a separate contract procedure?”

“No. I’ll just trust your conscience.”

As Rohan took out his hamburger and continued immediately, the Princess voiced her doubt.

“Are you not interested in doing business?”

“That’s why I can’t get out of the red. But please think of it as me showing some guts because I have something I’m relying on.”

“…Well, I suppose you must have something.”

Seeing the Princess nod in understanding, Rohan’s lips twitched.

Have something? I have nothing.

Actually, he didn’t have anything to mimic a contract.

All he had was information about Abyss City.

“The small talk is over. Let’s get to the main point.”

The Princess’ sharp gaze met Rohan’s.

A shabby studio apartment with no hot water.

After taking a cold shower, Clara quickly grabbed her Smartphone without even drying herself.

Covering her body with a towel, she turned on the game.

─ Company Wave!

“1-2-2… Stun with Glass, shield the front line with Order, and then…”

The girl kept muttering under her breath, trying not to forget the formation that came to her mind during her shower.

Recalling the characters Rohan possessed, she created a hypothetical team composition.

If I organize it like this, the stability is good. All the synergies are included too.

1 minute and 2 seconds.

Since no characters died, if she could just shave off 2 seconds, she could achieve the maximum reward.

“Mmm…”

What should she tweak it a bit to melt the Weekly Boss even faster?

Repeatedly retrying might reduce the time by 2 seconds, but forcing repetition on a newbie might also detract from the enjoyment of the game.

I’ll have to research a bit more.

Clara pondered and moved her hand.

Creaking.

The girl’s hand opened the drawer under the bed.

A black silencer shaped like a kimbap and daggers of various shapes.

She reached in between them and pulled out a soft piece of cloth.

A black underwear with a tiny pink ribbon.

Just wearing it made her feel excited and boosted her concentration; it was Clara’s cherished item.

Click!

The black fabric clung tightly to her fair skin.

She no longer needed the towel.

Ah! What if I go with that?

Before drying her damp hair, Clara hugged a pillow and lay on her bed, trying to reduce the time with a new team composition.

The more she refined the build, the more she was looking forward to tomorrow.

“Waang!”

After switching the arrangement countless times, she succeeded in bringing it down to 57 seconds.

Feeling accomplished, she was about to text Rohan when her fingers stopped.

He must be studying now, right? Academy Cadets must be very busy…

She was afraid that she would be seen as a bothersome person if disturbed him.

Just imagining Rohan thinking that way made her shudder.

“…”

Thanks to that, her reason easily overcame her instinct.

The girl pouted her lips, showing her disappointment.

She only wished tomorrow would come sooner.