Ch.392Retreating NPC. (5)

“Ahahahaha!! So, you chose to run away from that monster Pope. And even Gor interrogated you about it?”

“…Are you laughing? Is this funny to you?”

Three days later, we were able to return to Neity. We managed to finish moving the rescued people to safe villages nearby and to places in Neity where they could receive treatment with Ragni’s support.

“Of course it’s funny! No, I understand the direction you chose for your strategy, I get it. But you didn’t have time to tell everyone? From the fact that even Gor blamed you, it couldn’t have been that urgent, right?”

“I’ve been explaining this the whole time. I couldn’t see the opponent’s status window, okay? The guy was acting like a cleric treating people among the rescued, and Gor didn’t notice, and neither Irana nor Luxuria said anything even though the Pope was right in front of them. Plus, from what Devil and Avaritia said, his attack method is different from what I saw in the game. A wide-area attack that covers the city sky—I don’t know that method either, and I can’t fight someone who can launch such attacks in a place with injured people.”

After finishing everything, we returned to Neity with Devil and Avaritia, having Luxuria hide only the guild master and the two of them. And now I’m at the Academy Headmaster’s office, finishing my explanation of the situation to Ragni. And.

“Hmm. Well, everyone was probably worried because you acted unlike yourself, turning your back on an enemy? Well, I think the reason you didn’t tell everyone was that if your companions got tense upon seeing him, you might get caught. Even if you didn’t think that consciously, you instinctively made that judgment. Personally, I think it was a good decision. Yes.”

After hearing all this, Ragni, who has dyed her usually blue hair black with magical dye and is wearing an elegant formal uniform instead of her adventurer outfit, is looking at me with a mischievous smile. Sigh, honestly, I didn’t think much about it. But was it really necessary to interrogate me like that? It was only half a day. Well, thanks to that, I was able to finish telling Miho and Chikuyo about my past life and level stuff, so I guess I should think of it as having fewer things to worry about. Anyway, let’s move on from this topic.

“Ragni, there’s something strange.”

“Hmm?”

“Remember I told you about taking down that noble who came from the Empire with Rey?”

“Ah~ Viscount Rundol, the one you caught on the day you had sex with Rey?”

“…Was it necessary to mention that part?”

As she teases me, I feel my face getting hot, and Ragni chuckles and tilts her head asking, “Why?” about that livestock. Sigh, do you have to torment me too?

“Ahem! Considering how he brought a lesser demon into Neity, and how Avaritia and Luxuria just entered through the barrier this time. Is there something wrong with the Spirit King’s barrier?”

“Oh, that?”

“Eh? What do you mean ‘that’?”

When she responds as if she knew everything already, I stare at her blankly, and Ragni takes out a letter from her drawer and hands it to me. What’s this?

“Well, it’s written quite verbosely, but to summarize briefly, the Spirit King, who hasn’t shown himself for thousands of years, has been consistently spotted at the border between Ponia and Siltra. And if you read the bottom…”

“…The Headmaster met with him?”

The gist of Ragni’s summary of the extremely long content was this: The Spirit King and the Headmaster, who has deep ties with him, met in public, and now the world is in an uproar about it. The Headmaster of Neity, who is said to have joined hands with demons by the Church, was revealed to have a very deep relationship with the legendary Spirit King. Wow, this wasn’t in the game, so it’s a bit surprising. But what does this have to do with problems in the barrier…?

“Well, this is just between us, but it seems the Headmaster asked the Spirit King to adjust the barrier. To allow demons to enter and exit.”

“What?”

Wait, allowing demons free access to Neity where students are? Is the Headmaster senile? Has she finally lost it? Did she overwork herself after I asked her to create a warp? What on earth…

“Sigh, I contacted the Headmaster separately through a crystal ball. From what I heard, she knows that Luxuria has joined our side, and that Aigram’s mayor, who’s on the human side, is also a demon. She said she did it because it was necessary. Besides, this isn’t the first time demons have infiltrated, and if they tried to force their way through, they could do it anyway, so rather than having the barrier completely destroyed and endangering the city, she adjusted it to just detect when demons enter. It says that thanks to this, defenses in other directions have improved.”

“…What about the lesser demon of lust that came in with that noble?”

“About that, apparently it was too weak to be detected. She said that part needs to be adjusted directly on the barrier. Well, anyway, the Seven Deadly Sins of Wrath, Greed, and Envy are gone. We have Lust and Avarice on our side. The only ones left are Sloth and Pride, right? So she’s saying she changed it to let demons pass undetected as long as they’re not too powerful.”

“…That doesn’t seem like a very good measure?”

It feels like deliberately increasing the danger—is this right? As I fall into doubt and worry alone, Ragni shrugs and answers my question.

“That’s the surface reason. From what I gathered in our conversation, she has her own high-ranking demon. She finds it annoying to keep adjusting the barrier every time she wants to bring it along, and moreover, the Headmaster herself has become obsessed with researching demons. She’s probably deliberately luring them in to capture them all as research materials.”

“Demon research? Isn’t that extremely dangerous?”

Ragni sighs in agreement at my response, which made me frown without realizing it.

“It’s all because of the game content Jack shared. The reason magic in this world lags several steps behind the magic in the game world is that there has been no research on demons at all. At least that’s how the Headmaster sees it, and she plans to research demons. Furthermore…”

Killing demons raises your level. She seems to be planning to use that for combat training for the children, Ragni said, her eyes becoming dead like she was gazing at distant mountains. Uh, wait. How does that work when she’s not here…?

“Hahaha. She wants me to establish that education system while she’s away. She says there’s no problem even if one or two high-ranking demons show up as long as I’m here.”

“…You’re going to have a lot of work.”

“Yes. I really think I will. Personally, I’d like to ask you to leave either Rey or Gor here.”

After saying that, Ragni started staring out the window with a smile that wasn’t really a smile. Ugh, what kind of work has that senile old woman dumped on my wife? Ragni, if you don’t want to do it, why not just refuse?

“…How can I? After all, she’s the one providing conveniences for me to live here. If Jack were thinking of returning the borrowed house and moving somewhere else, maybe I could. But where would we go in this situation?”

With Aigram completely ruined and gone, Ragni said, turning her dead eyes back to the papers on her desk and reaching for her pen. Sigh, being competent has its problems too. I got up from my seat, moved behind Ragni, and gently massaged her shoulders. I thought they’d be stiff from working long hours, but they’re softer than I expected?

“…If you want to comfort me, I’d prefer something a bit more intimate. Like moving your hands lower and touching me.”

“It’s still daytime, and this is a place of learning, so such acts are a bit…”

“The only one who can enter the Headmaster’s office is Ms. Manie, the deputy headmaster’s secretary?”

“…Well, even so, it doesn’t seem right to make my working wife faint like this?”

“Hehe.”

I could bring up what Ragni said to Luxuria and offer myself as a reward, but somehow that seems tactless. I’ll save that for later when we’re ‘in bed’ to express my gratitude. For now.

*Rustle*

“Black hair suits you well too.”

*Smooch♡*

After gently pushing aside her side hair and kissing her soft cheek, Ragni blushed around her ears and pretended to focus on her paperwork without saying anything. Hmm? Should I back off here? Or…

*Grip*

“…Were you planning to just give me a peck on the cheek and leave?”

“Of course not.”

As I try to slip my arm away, Ragni immediately grabs me with her free hand while continuing her paperwork without pause, which I find both impressive and adorable.

Well, there’s still plenty of time before my appointment with others, so I might as well give my hardworking wife some skinship.

“First, let me properly mark you as mine so that students and professors don’t eye my beautiful wife.”

“N-not somewhere too visible, ahh…♡!!”

At her words not to mark visible places, I felt triggered and immediately bit her nape lightly. You said you won’t be doing assistant or professor duties, and you probably won’t be leaving the Headmaster’s office much. Saying visible places are off-limits only fuels my possessiveness, you know?

*Tap, tap*

“Wait! There?! W-why are you unbuttoning…?!!”

“If you keep your clothes properly buttoned up, no one will see, right? I’ve been thinking that black hair and elegant attire suit you well. I want to leave my mark inside too.”

“Ahh…! Y-you…♡”

All I can give to my wife, who does so much for me and works hard for our place to stay, is evidence of my sincere possessiveness.

*Bite♡*

After leaving kiss marks here and there on her body, as I was about to leave the room, I was chased out by Ragni’s shout: “After going this far, how am I supposed to work without the main event?!!”