Ch.35The Situation Is Strange. (1)

Riano left the workshop and put a cigarette in her mouth.

As she exhaled with a puff of grayish smoke, she felt her frustration ease slightly.

‘Still annoying though.’

The moment she opened the back door of the workshop, she could tell something was different from usual.

Her apprentice would always put aside whatever he was doing to greet her when she returned.

She had thought he might be busy with something and was planning to tease him about it.

‘Damn fox girl…’

Her apprentice was happily chatting with the fox without even greeting his master once.

The moment she saw that, something started boiling inside her, and she eventually exploded.

She managed to placate her apprentice with a plausible excuse, but she knew the truth herself.

That while she could give advice about her apprentice’s relationship with the fox, she shouldn’t directly interfere.

‘I’m really pathetic.’

* * * * *

The Academy had a more subdued atmosphere after the vacation ended.

While there was disappointment about the break being over, the biggest reason was surely the pressure of having to take evaluations again in a few months.

This was a major factor not only for students but for professors as well.

Sigh─.

Sighs kept escaping from my mouth.

They’re asking for a second-semester evaluation plan, which is quite troublesome.

A two-week adventure plan, evaluation criteria and standards, required budget.

And finally, information on a B-rank or higher adventurer to serve as an escort.

Why do so many things need to be prepared just to conduct one evaluation…

Just then, I heard Lael’s voice along with a knock.

“Professor, may I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

The door opened, and Lael entered with a bright smile.

“What are you doing?”

“Just sitting here.”

I answered while flipping over the documents I had spread out.

There was no point in pondering alone when no good ideas would come to mind.

It would be better to ask other professors tomorrow.

Lael quickly scanned the desk, then brought over a spare chair and sat down next to me.

“I’m not interrupting anything important, am I?”

“Well… I wasn’t particularly busy.”

My head felt like it was about to explode, but I hadn’t actually done anything.

“But why are you still at the Academy? Classes ended a while ago.”

“I stayed to see you off, Professor.”

She waited three hours after class ended?

“You don’t need to do that. You must be tired from attending lectures, so you should go home and rest…”

“It’s fine. Time spent with you is much more precious to me.”

Lael was staring intently at me.

Her gaze was unwavering.

Those steady eyes were proof that her words were sincere.

I couldn’t bear that gaze and slowly turned my head away.

I knew that her feelings for me were special.

Otherwise, her actions couldn’t be explained.

But I had never seen her as a romantic interest.

No, I had never seen anyone that way.

I always kept my distance when such signs appeared to avoid revealing that I was a Warlock.

That’s why it’s more confusing.

Even if someone suddenly told me to love, I wouldn’t know how to do it, or even understand my own feelings.

If asked whether I was aware of her, that would be different…

Anyway, the conclusion is that I’m not ready to respond to her feelings yet.

“I was just about to leave…”

Lael’s expression darkened.

“Since you waited, I suppose I could stay a bit longer.”

Perhaps spending time together would help me understand my own feelings.

My time with Lael wasn’t long.

It was already late, and I needed to have dinner with my master.

My master didn’t force me to do this; it was my choice to share at least one meal a day together.

At the Academy’s main gate, Lael looked around cautiously to see if anyone was watching.

Then she raised her hand and waved slightly.

“Take care.”

“You too, get some rest.”

I waved back and headed home.

The world was already covered in darkness as the sun had set.

But the return journey wasn’t particularly dark thanks to the shops that remained open late, each emitting their own light.

When I arrived at the workshop, dinner followed immediately, and my master warned me during the meal.

“Apprentice, be careful.”

“What? About what?”

I wondered if I had done something wrong, but that wasn’t it.

“I heard from a customer during a potion delivery today that someone in the outer village is looking for a shaggy-haired man in a black robe.”

“Why? There are many men like that.”

There are quite a few men matching that description.

Adventurers often neglect their appearance because they find grooming bothersome.

And as for doing something to earn someone’s resentment…

Numerous scenes flashed through my mind.

“I’ll be careful. You should be careful too, Master, just in case.”

Who would have thought that my inability to control my anger as an adventurer would come back to haunt me like this.

Still, I think it will be fine since they haven’t identified me specifically yet.

My master was clearly worried about me and added one more thing.

“If anything happens, make sure to tell me. I’ll help you somehow.”

“Yes, I’ll definitely do that.”

I don’t think what my master is worried about will happen.

I didn’t just go easy on those who picked fights with me; I beat them to within an inch of their lives.

So thoroughly that they wouldn’t even think of revenge.

That belief was shattered a few days later.

Busy with lectures, practical training, and second-semester evaluation preparations, I would invariably fall asleep as soon as I lay in bed.

After a long period of deep, dreamless sleep, I was suddenly awakened by a cold breeze.

Thinking I might have forgotten to close the window due to exhaustion, I opened my eyes and saw someone’s silhouette in the moonlight coming through the window.

For a moment, I thought I was dreaming.

But no matter how many times I closed and opened my eyes, the silhouette remained.

It was definitely real.

Damn, the situation was terrible.

The intruder might be fully armed, but I was in my pajamas.

With no weapons within reach, my only option was a surprise attack.

Three…two…

As my mental countdown reached one, I bolted upright and swung my fist.

My fist cut through the air at high speed, but there was already no one there.

Only the curtain covering the window was fluttering.

I was surprised by the ghost-like disappearance, but I couldn’t just stand there.

The intruder might have harmed my master.

Please, not that.

My anxious heart was only calmed when I carefully opened my master’s door.

My master was sound asleep, unaware of anything.

Thank goodness…

* * * * *

In the darkness where only moonlight illuminated the world, someone was hiding in a shadowy alley, breathing heavily.

Whew─.

That was a close call.

The Royal Capital is extremely vast and populous.

Because of this, I thought it would take up to a week to find Crow even while being in the same city.

Heaven truly helped me.

Just as I was about to visit a tavern to gather information, I spotted someone who looked like Crow.

He was walking somewhere.

If it had been daytime, I would have approached with confidence, but it was already after sunset and too dim to see his face clearly.

But thinking I had nothing to lose, I followed him and eventually became certain.

The scent.

Thanks to that sweet and captivating scent coming from him.

I wanted to rush at him right away, but I had to hold back today.

It was already late, and he had already gone inside somewhere.

But I couldn’t bring myself to leave.

It was because I was so desperately lacking Crow’s essence.

So I planned to sneak in after he fell asleep, replenish a little of his essence, and leave.

In the end, I buried my nose in his blanket and kept inhaling.

I’ve never done drugs, but I’ve heard they make your head dizzy and your mood good.

His scent was truly like a drug.

With such a bold action, it was inevitable that he would wake up, and it eventually led to him swinging his fist.

Fortunately, I was able to dodge and escape; otherwise, the situation would have become truly dire.

What established fact? I almost couldn’t even get near him again.

Anyway, I haven’t been sleeping well lately, but tonight I think I’ll sleep deeply.

Derin buried her nose in the handkerchief she was holding and kept inhaling.

Ah… This is crazy. Really.

If there’s one difference between Crow’s scent and drugs, it’s that it makes my lower abdomen throb every time I smell it.

As if yearning for something.

The next morning, as I was preparing for work, I felt puzzled.

Where did my handkerchief go? Did it blow away in the wind?