Ch.355Side Story: A Welcome Guest

In truth, Elenoa and Aria were girls I could meet again anytime if I wanted to.

Since the general store’s door was connected to Erika Bright’s faculty dormitory, they could visit this place through it.

So I didn’t think seeing them again would feel particularly dramatic.

But now that I was actually seeing their faces, I realized how happy I was to see them.

It made me realize they were more precious to me than I had thought.

Of course, there were some things that couldn’t just be overlooked.

“Oppa?”

I was a bit taken aback since I never expected to be called “oppa” by her.

As I raised my eyebrows questioningly, Elenoa’s body froze mid-leap with her arms spread wide.

Seeing her competition eliminated, Aria immediately seized the opportunity to rush toward me and hug me tightly.

“Professoooor!”

Her bright voice alone gave me a sense of comfort. Relief that she seemed to be living the life I had wanted for her.

In the past, I would have certainly stopped her approach.

Back then, we were professor and student. Even if we considered it friendly skinship between us, others would likely not see it that way.

Well, the Aria Rius I knew actually tended to want such misunderstandings, but still.

Whatever the case.

Now there were no such social gazes or positions to worry about.

I easily embraced the fresh-faced girl who had thrown herself at me.

Aria, who hadn’t expected me to accept her so readily, let out a small gasp at first, but soon snuggled closer, saying it felt nice.

“You smell like Findenai, but I still like it.”

“……”

That was a rather ambiguous sentiment from someone who was happily rubbing her face against my chest.

But whatever, as long as Aria was happy.

Behind her, Elenoa approached hesitantly, carefully watching my reaction.

“D-Deus! It’s been a while!”

She had reverted to what she used to call me. She must have thought I didn’t like being called “oppa.”

“I was a bit surprised, but it’s fine.”

It wouldn’t have been appropriate during my professor days, but now we really were just like acquainted siblings.

Since it wasn’t a big burden, I spoke lightly, and Elenoa’s expression immediately brightened.

“Shinwoo oppa!”

And then Aria called me.

She had neatly snatched away the moment when Elenoa should have been rejoicing about our closer relationship.

“Hey!”

Elenoa, who had been getting emotional, shouted angrily, but Aria immediately clung to my arm and rubbed her soft cheek against it.

“What! I’m calling Shinwoo oppa ‘Shinwoo oppa’! He’s older than me, so it’s normal to call him oppa, isn’t it?!”

“You right now…!”

“But calling you oppa makes me feel much closer to you. Right, oppa?”

“……”

Seeing them so openly ready to fight, I could tell they hadn’t changed at all.

Elenoa wanted to rush at Aria right away, but after glancing at me, she hugged me instead.

It seems that in the battle between fighting with Aria or greeting me, the latter won.

“Shinwoo oppaaaa!”

Calling my name with abandon.

That alone seemed to satisfy her enough to soften her expression, and I gently hugged her back.

Of course, I could only hug her with one arm since Aria was firmly holding onto my other arm and wouldn’t let go.

“I heard the administration bureau came outside, so you were the one who resolved that.”

“That’s right! I’ve talked with Uncle Nikolai a few times!”

The Nikolai that Elenoa mentioned now was someone who had an indirect relationship with me as well.

Nikolai Forman.

He was the acting president of the Republic of Clark, succeeding President Magan.

He had attended the meeting of national leaders when I was imprisoned in Greyfond.

At that time, the Dark Spiritmaster had subdued Coltman, the Black Mage of the Kingdom of Zerman, and was holding the leaders captive.

In fact, I had never actually met the man.

“I asked Uncle in advance to process the house here as my villa. Professor Erika asked me to!”

So Erika had arranged that too.

She must have prepared it after I told her about the incident when I went to Iceburn Village and was mistaken for a drug dealer.

“No matter what, they couldn’t just search the villa of a princess from an allied nation, could they? Try to search it.”

“……”

“Ah, that was so unfunny.”

Aria grumbled from beside me, breaking the flow of conversation.

Elenoa, also embarrassed, cleared her throat while avoiding eye contact.

“Ahem, I was just so happy to see you after so long.”

“That’s what happens when everyone treats you like royalty just because you’re a princess. You say whatever nonsense and everyone’s like ‘Oh my princessss!'”

“……”

“Everyone laughs at everything you do, so you make these jokes with no conscience, you know?”

“S-stop it.”

Elenoa’s face turned bright red.

Aria was getting excited and tried to continue teasing her, but.

“That’s enough.”

Erika entered the study with her arms crossed.

Unlike her appearance in the study earlier in yellow pajamas, she was now dressed in formal attire as if ready to give a lecture.

The current her wasn’t showing her usual self to me, but rather a cold and rational one.

The professor’s appearance.

“It’s time to go back. The afternoon lectures are about to start.”

“Already? But we just met!”

“Ahem, Erika. I am a princess. As my subject, I hope you’ll turn a blind eye just for today.”

Despite Aria and Elenoa’s grumbling, Erika’s stance didn’t waver.

“Aria Rius, Elenoa Luden Griffin. Thank you for your help today, but as students, you need to fulfill your proper duties.”

Erika shrugged her shoulders and made eye contact with me. It felt like we were secretly exchanging signals.

“Remember what someone used to say all the time?”

Act like a student if you are one.

That was what I always told the two of them, and it was something I especially wanted these two special students to observe.

The two seemed to recall what I used to tell them and glanced up at me.

I shrugged, indicating that they should obviously go.

But since I was no longer Deus Verdi, but simply an older brother figure they knew.

“Come visit after your lectures. I’ll prepare snacks for you.”

When I spoke kindly, the two surprised girls looked at each other unexpectedly.

“D-d-did I hear that right?”

“I was about to ask that!”

Now I understood what my image as Deus Verdi had been like. Well, I had many responsibilities then, so I had to be somewhat cold.

“You heard right. If you have any favorite snacks, I’ll buy them.”

“W-what is this? Am I dreaming? C-can we come and hang out sometimes?”

“There’s a door in Erika’s room, so if Erika allows it.”

It’s not really a burden.

It’s not like they’ll bring a crowd of other students.

For Aria and Elenoa, I can always make time.

“Then! Then can I bring my brother later?”

Orpheus Luden Griffin?

“He is my friend as well.”

That’s certainly not difficult.

He probably experienced a lot of stress because of me, so it would be nice to share a drink with him.

By then, I hope to finish my research on the mental body so I can drink and get drunk with him.

“O-oh, is today your birthday? You’re agreeing to everything! Then Shinwoo oppa! G-give me a k-kiss too!”

“……”

Aria looked up at me with her mouth open, breathing heavily.

I was about to say something when Elenoa, not wanting to lose, jumped in.

“I-I want to try tongue! Tongue! I want our tongues to intertwine!”

“Whoa, intertwining tongues with oppa? Don’t you need to save a continent again or something before that’s possible?”

“……”

I remained silent out of curiosity to see how far they would go, and they got excited and carried away with each other.

“But if tongue kissing is possible, then wouldn’t sex be okay too?”

“Wow, crazy! If you’ve had sex, aren’t you basically married? So would that mean we’re married?”

“If you kiss, you end up having sex, and if you’ve had sex, you’re married!”

“…I think I need to reconsider letting you two come to my house.”

I didn’t expect them to say such sexually outrageous things. I understand they’re both still young and excited to see me after a long time, but.

They’ve crossed the line by far.

“Both of you, go now.”

Even as they were leaving, the two continued chattering away.

“I’ll come right after the lecture ends! Shinwoo oppa!”

“Hehehehe! I’ll rush right over!”

The two jumped into the general store door. Erika was following behind them since she had lectures in the afternoon.

She half-closed the door, then turned to look at me as I was seeing them off.

The cold professor image she had shown earlier disappeared, and with an annoyed expression, she immediately put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

“Whoa!”

Fortunately, the other women had gone to the garden area, complaining that Aria and Elenoa were too noisy.

I let out an involuntary exclamation, but that only caused my teeth to part slightly, allowing Erika’s tongue to easily penetrate.

Unlike her usual self, she explored my tongue somewhat intensely.

Pop.

As she separated her lips from mine, Erika made a pouty face and said.

“Since we kissed, that means I’m married to you. Got it?”

“…You’re not a child.”

“Answer me quickly.”

She grumbled.

“What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you coming?”

From inside the door, Aria and Elenoa were grumbling, asking when Erika was coming.

The door was half-closed, so the two didn’t seem to have seen our action just now.

This time, I gently kissed her.

Erika closed her eyes softly and pleasantly accepted me.

Thud.

She closed the door completely with one foot, cutting off the students’ voices entirely.