episode_0104

“Ah~ this feels good~. My pillow, no, Johanna Senior-nim thinks so too, right?”

“Eek!”

I finally succeeded in reclaiming my pillow.

Johanna was making a strange sound, like the one she made when she first saw my face.

I realized that sound was the one Johanna makes when she’s embarrassed.

“Hahahaha, there’s no sweat smell at all. Don’t worry about it. If anything, you smell good, don’t you?”

“…Really?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t lie to Senior-nim.”

Only then did Johanna seem a bit relieved, stroking me with a more relaxed gaze.

It felt strange, as if I had become a pet.

“Now that I think about it, most of the time when Senior-nim and I are alone together these days, we’re like this.”

The time we spent talking while lying on Johanna’s lap was longer than the time we spent talking while sitting or standing normally.

“…Do you dislike it?”

“Of course not. I’m already addicted. To the point where I’d be happy if someone told me to stay like this forever.”

I said with a small smile.

“I’ll do it for you forever.”

Johanna also spoke with a small smile on her lips, just like me.

“Really? You won’t run away like before, will you?”

“Ugh.”

Johanna and I talked a lot after that.

* * *

“Are you having a hard time lately?”

Johanna, who was touching my face, asked.

It was a sudden question, but I thought about it seriously.

“Well, I’ve never really paid attention to that, hmm. Could I think about it for a moment?”

“Yes. You can take your time to think.”

Johanna said that and gently stroked my head.

Feeling her soft hand on my face, I fell deep into thought.

One thing for sure is that I don’t regret my actions.

I’m tired of feeling regret, and because of that, I act in a way that I won’t regret in the future.

But what Johanna was asking wasn’t this.

If it’s not about regret, but simply about whether it’s difficult or not difficult…

“……Now that I think about it, it is difficult.”

When I fought Ropri, when I killed Mordor, and when I fought Daron and his subordinates this time. It was difficult.

If I make a mistake, not only me but also the people around me could get hurt.

When I fought Daron this time. I won overwhelmingly without any crisis, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t difficult.

Using nightmares itself greatly depletes mental strength.

That’s why I use nightmares: when I want to make the opponent feel despair, even at such a risk.

It was difficult, but the reason for going this far was simple.

“But if it’s to achieve my dream, then difficulty isn’t important.”

“What’s your dream?”

“One year.”

“One year?”

Yes, exactly one year.

Of course, faster would be better, but.

“It might seem long if you think of it as long, but it’s a short year considering my whole life. For just one year, I’ll work hard to get stronger, endure a bit of hardship, and quickly deal with the troublesome guys. And then.”

“And after that?”

“Originally, I was planning to travel, just like I told Senior-nim last time.”

It’s changed slightly now.

Anyway, to deal with those troublesome guys, I’d have to travel all over the continent.

“What are you planning to do now?”

“I’m just going to comfortably lounge around, spending all the money I’ve saved. For about ten years?”

Work hard for one year and then lazily play for ten years.

This is the dream I’m currently aiming for.

“Where will you lounge around?”

Johanna asked seriously, without laughing at my words about working for one year and playing for ten years, or scolding me.

“I haven’t decided that yet. Do you happen to know a good place?”

“…What kind of place do you want?”

“Hmm. Well, I haven’t really thought about it in detail.”

But if possible, I said.

“First, I plan to splurge my money elsewhere. So, it would be nice if living there didn’t cost money, I dislike places that are too secluded because they seem inconvenient, it would be good if there were good restaurants nearby, and also…”

My words continued for a long time.

Though I said it, it truly sounded like a dream place.

But there was no way such a place could exist.

I was thinking that when…

“I know just the right place.”

Such a place exists?

“Where is it?”

“My house.”

“Huh?”

* * *

The Disciplinary Committee is being held.

Loki asked Joden to make it as noisy as possible.

However, even without Joden’s intervention, it was already an interesting story, so it didn’t take long for it to spread throughout the academy.

If one receives a disciplinary action from the Disciplinary Committee, it doesn’t just end with demerit points.

One could even be expelled, so students who desired excitement could never ignore this event.

‘Moreover, the subjects of the Disciplinary Committee are Daron Leviathan and Loki.’

Loki and Daron of the Leviathan family.

Both were already famous figures in the academy.

The difference was that unlike Daron, who became famous under the Leviathan name, Loki became famous through his own power.

“From what I heard, the second-year Senior-nims picked a fight with him first?”

“Why would the second-year Senior-nims pick a fight first? He probably picked a fight to get attention, obviously.”

“Is that so? But Daron, doesn’t he have a bad reputation?”

A common point was that quite a few students disliked both Loki and Daron.

Of course, Daron’s was karma he brought upon himself.

The reason some students disliked Loki was simple jealousy.

“….. I was there.”

“Oh! What? Then you’ll know the whole truth. Tell me quickly.”

“When I saw them, they were already fighting. But one thing is for sure.”

“““What is it?”””

“That even when the second-year Senior-nims all ganged up on Loki, using artifacts, they were unilaterally defeated by him.”

Gulp, someone among the gathered students swallowed.

“T-that, well, obviously the Senior-nims went easy on him. Do you think that makes sense, logically?”

“Are you stupid? If they were going to go easy on him, they wouldn’t have ganged up or used artifacts in the first place.”

The students’ various conjectures, lies, and facts spread rapidly throughout the academy.

All Joden did was not stop the students spreading rumors loudly and give information to Simon, the head of the newspaper club.

But that alone made almost everyone in the academy aware of this incident.

“The Disciplinary Committee… it’ll be impossible to watch, right?”

“Of course! Do you know anyone close to you who’s there?”

Everyone wanted to watch the Disciplinary Committee.

Naturally, not everyone could go to the Disciplinary Committee.

“What on earth is going on?”

“I don’t know either.”

“You’re the Crown Prince, and you don’t even know that?”

“What does that have to do with this!”

“W-we should go quickly. We’ll be late at this rate.”

However, the special class students were able to attend the Disciplinary Committee because they were in the same class as Loki.

All the special class students moved to attend Loki’s Disciplinary Committee.

Clara, who was studying magic, was no exception.

“Is this the right place?”

“This is definitely it.”

“Thankfully, it seems we arrived before the Disciplinary Committee started.”

When the special class students arrived at the venue where the Disciplinary Committee was being held, quite a few people had already taken their seats.

Professors, including Alicia and Idra.

Club representatives, including Johanna and Joden.

But the special class students were looking for only one person.

All the special class students had received help from Loki, to a greater or lesser extent.

That’s why, upon hearing that Loki’s Disciplinary Committee was being held, everyone came here.

All the special class students searched for Loki here with worried eyes,

and what met their eyes was Loki, dressed in a prisoner’s uniform and handcuffed.

“““…………?”””

Unlike Daron, who was standing beside him, Loki was sitting in a chair, his entire body bound with ropes.

“Esteemed Judge-nim! If I have any fault, it’s merely charming women with this handsome face!”

While his entire body was tied to the chair, he shouted indignantly at the professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee.

“““………………”””

“Of course, if being handsome is a crime, then there’s nothing I can do. *Sob, sob*.”

“““………….”””

“Stop joking around and be quiet.”

Professor Alicia walked up to Loki, rubbing her face, and flicked his forehead.

“Ouch! This is also a kind of romantic fantasy, you know. Professor Alicia just doesn’t understand a man’s romantic fantasies, does she?”

“The Disciplinary Committee will begin soon, so stop playing around and prepare yourself.”

“It’s starting already? I haven’t even had my full fun yet… Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Loki grumbled softly, then untied the ropes himself, got up from the chair, and took off the prisoner’s uniform.

“““??????????”””

While the special class students’ minds couldn’t keep up with the situation unfolding before their eyes and they were flustered.

Idra, who had been here since earlier, kindly explained the current situation to the special class students.

“Earlier, because he was bored, he ‘alone’ changed into a prisoner’s uniform, ‘alone’ put on handcuffs, ‘alone’ sat in the chair, and ‘alone’ tied himself up with ropes, you know?”

The special class students, who had rushed here because they were so surprised by the Disciplinary Committee, remembered something they had forgotten.

‘Oh, right. That guy, he was crazy.’

Just then. Loki seemed to spot the special class students. He waved brightly.

“Oh! Long time no see! You’ve come for my visitation! Naturally, I put the key to escape in between the food… *Gasp*!”

Of course, he got hit by Alicia after that.

Due to Loki’s widespread provocation, everyone in the room turned their gaze towards the special class students.

‘Why is the embarrassment ours to bear!’

The special class students lowered their heads.

Ah, I should have just not come.