Ch.165165 – Our Child Doesn’t Bite People

<165 – Our Baby Doesn’t Bite People>

On the way back to the dormitory.

Professor Sadaco sits across from me, massaging the head of the unconscious Dorothy.

She probably thinks she’s doing this for the student’s sake, but I’ve seen Dorothy wake up from her unconscious state twice only to faint again after seeing Professor Sadaco.

Shouldn’t we separate them?

While I was thinking this, the professor, perhaps bored with just stroking Dorothy’s hair, spoke first.

“How did you feel about seeing Poppy?”

“Who’s Poppy?”

“The tree.”

So that’s the name she gave to the tree.

I wish she wouldn’t name chapter bosses like they’re pet puppies she keeps at home.

“Isn’t the name too weak? People might get confused and think it’s safe to approach.”

“Our Poppy doesn’t bite people.”

…Yes it does!

That thing kills tons of people!

I desperately wanted to argue, but I kept my mouth shut in case she actually took me to the tree claiming it really doesn’t bite.

What if the professor makes me stick my hand into a knothole in the tree, and Poppy, resentful about its torn branches, suddenly chomps down on the hole?

My precious hand would be crushed between its jaws, and I’d be sobbing with tears and snot running down my face while Professor Sadaco pulls out a healing potion and says:

“What’s wrong?”

…Even if the professor is wrong, pointing it out requires courage and sacrifice to endure such a disaster!

In situations like this, I needed sophisticated tact rather than directly telling the professor she was wrong!

“Poppy eats cursed waste, right?”

“…Yes.”

“What happens if you can’t take care of the forest anymore?”

“It would wander around looking for food.”

“Wouldn’t that put other people in danger?”

I’m not saying you’re wrong, but please realize that a hungry Poppy could cause accidents!

At least put a leash on it!

My desperate plea seemed to work as Professor Sadaco realized what I was worried about.

“I don’t starve it for that long. Not unless I’m interfered with.”

“Who would interfere with you when that dangerous mon… monster plant Poppy might harm people?”

“Other professors.”

Phew.

“Monster plant Poppy” must have been the safe word.

Good thing I didn’t call it a monster bastard.

“Huh? Other professors interfere?”

“Imperial professors dislike professors from the frontier.”

Oh? Come to think of it, could this be…?

Now I understand.

Professor Sadaco retires after the first semester of sophomore year without special intervention.

Sometimes she retires even earlier, from the second semester of freshman year.

If the professor disappears, Poppy, having lost its caretaker, would search more desperately for food.

It would follow living creatures looking for sounds to fill its stomach instead of cursed waste, and any creature caught by its branches would be tortured to produce enough screams to satisfy its hunger.

It would commit terrible acts on animals or people, enough to film a gore movie.

In other words, Professor Sadaco’s retirement triggers the appearance of the chapter 4 boss.

“If you retire from your Academy professorship, what will happen to Poppy?”

It might be a misunderstanding.

I asked to confirm my suspicions.

Professor Sadaco fell into serious contemplation.

“…Poppy is my pet cursed tree that comforts my loneliness.”

“You’ll take it with you, right?”

“It’s school policy. In my position of leaving the Academy, I can’t take Academy property with me…”

So that means…?

“…I’ll have to say goodbye. Telling it to grow strong.”

So that’s why!!

The Death Field attacks that start killing people from the summer vacation of sophomore year are because it’s trying to grow stronger for the professor’s revenge!!

The truth about the chapter boss that even veteran players didn’t know has been revealed.

This means Professor Sadaco absolutely cannot retire!

I need to attend her lectures diligently and take care of her so she doesn’t retire, or else her cute pet will someday become a monster forest that even I can’t handle.

“I’ll take your class next semester too.”

“…That’s a good idea.”

“And in the first and second semesters of sophomore year too!”

Professor Sadaco seemed a bit pleased.

“So… what did you collect in your bag?”

“Secret!! It’s a secret!!!”

“…I see.”

Professor Sadaco turned her head away.

Her good mood didn’t last long.

She seems a bit upset.

She won’t quit the Academy because of this, right?

…She really won’t, right?!

[You have safely disembarked from Professor Sadaco’s skeleton carriage.]

[Boldness experience +10]

[Willpower experience +5]

[Social life experience +5]

After trembling with anxiety for quite some time, we finally arrived at the dormitory.

* *

“Waah.”

The baby mandrake floating in the nutrient solution I recently changed waved one of its tiny roots in greeting.

“No. This is for making a ring. Shoo, shoo.”

“…”

I emptied the bag, dumping all the materials on the floor.

I placed the cursed branches and cursed items that would be dangerous if kept too long on the magic circle, then created a darkroom using blackout curtains stolen from the drama club.

“Waah?”

Peering curiously.

I could see the baby mandrake’s tiny branches swaying beyond the tent, following the light, but now wasn’t the time to play with the baby.

As promised with Sing, I need to properly manage the ghost in the ring so it doesn’t wander around without a leash and harm people like Poppy.

“Oh. I forgot this.”

While diligently drawing the magic circle, I remembered an ingredient I’d forgotten.

Magic circles use circle effects and output assistance to invoke magical effects beyond a sorcerer’s abilities, but the medium used to draw the circle is also important.

Magic circles made with chalk, animal blood, or metal powder all have different auxiliary effects.

Chalk has low cost and is stable.

It’s convenient for instant magic circles.

Animal blood is commonly used in sacrificial alchemy magic circles.

Metal powder is popular for material synthesis creation magic circles.

There are specialized materials for curses too, but the branches are offerings for the magic circle, not materials to make it with.

What I need is black ink.

‘Black is the symbol of curses!’

Magic circles made with pitch-black ink like Zhang’s hair color work well with curses.

Restraints, range limitations, and ghost binding to the ring are all classified as curses.

The school store sells stationery, but they only have low-grade ink for undergraduates.

High-grade ink can be found in professors’ research labs.

But breaking into a professor’s lab is too scary.

I need to compromise with reality and use medium-grade ink, neither low nor high quality.

After compromising with reality, I decided to raid the Calligraphy Club’s ink supply.

Tiptoeing quietly.

Clatter, clatter.

While sneaking into the club area and rummaging through the Calligraphy Club’s cabinets, I suddenly heard a sliding door open.

“!!”

I need to hide!

I quickly dove into the cabinet I was searching, and as soon as I did, the lights turned on and I heard footsteps.

“Oh my. Takeshi. How could you do this in the club room? The president will be angry.”

“Who cares? The dormitories have gender restrictions. The club is the only place we can enjoy ourselves freely. The president is such a goody-two-shoes, she’ll never come at this hour.”

“Hehe. Where are you touching? Takeshi, you’re so naughty♡”

The couple suddenly created a lovey-dovey atmosphere, making kissing sounds.

At this rate, I’d be trapped in the cabinet, forced to listen to the couple enjoying their happy time.

Damn it.

Lucky bastard.

Why does only Takeshi get to do naughty things with girls!

As I trembled with ugly jealousy, I felt a gaze from inside the cabinet.

“Fake ghost?”

The fake ghosts borrowing Lin’s face crouched beside me in the darkness of the cabinet, tilting their heads as if asking what I was doing here.

“I can’t get out because of those people. Could you scare them away for me?”

I whispered softly, but the fake Lin just stared at me blankly with that expressionless face devoid of ghostly emotions.

Sighing at the absurdity of bringing a ghost along, I suddenly noticed the fake Lin had silently disappeared into the darkness.

“Takeshi. I told you that area is off-limits.”

“Huh? I haven’t touched you yet.”

“Liar. You just touched me.”

“Look. I’m holding the chair here.”

“Th-then who just touched me?!”

The mood between the couple suddenly turned awkward.

“L-let’s go.”

“Y-yeah.”

The couple hurriedly left the club room.

As I crawled out of the cabinet, I saw the fake Lin playing with a white, thread-like liquid on its fingers, stretching it and squeezing it like a child playing with clay.

“Where did you touch?”

“…”

When the fake Lin’s gaze turned toward my skirt, I suddenly felt a rush of shame.

“You pervert ghost! Th-that area is off-limits!”

The fake Lin wiped the liquid on its hands onto the chair and silently disappeared back into the ring.

[You have released a ghost to repel the couple.]

[Hiding experience +1]

[Scaring experience +1]

“…”

That fake ghost imitating Sing’s sister.

I’m grateful for the help, but it’s somehow scary.

‘Should I hide it somewhere other than my ring?’

What if the ghost comes out while I’m sleeping and does something weird!