Ch.94Angry NPC (5)

“I-Iraya! One more time! What did you say?”

“Ragni unni~”

“Kyaaa~!!”

“Ehehehe!!”

“……”

Blue hair cascades down like a waterfall, mixing with red hair beneath it.

Every time Ira calls Ragni “unni,” Ragni shrieks like someone who just won the lottery, hugging Ira and rubbing their faces together, while Ira giggles happily at Ragni’s actions.

It’s a heartwarming sight, and they truly look like real sisters, which is genuinely touching, but why?

Why did Ragni give in to Ira first?!

“Jack! I don’t care! It’s not like my breasts will wear out from being groped a few times! Actually, they’ve gotten bigger! And my groin was just barely touched through my panties! It’s not even a sexual organ, so what’s the big deal?! Right?! It’s not like I lost my virgin…!!”

“W-wait!! Ragni!! Your words! Words!!”

“Ah. Ahem! A-anyway! I’m on Ira’s side!”

“Ehehehe! I’m on Ragni unni’s side too!”

My eyes widen at Ragni’s sudden complete switch to Ira’s side.

She was blurting out crazy things so I stopped her, but what’s going on?

Why is Ragni so happy and grinning like that just because Ira called her “unni”? Wasn’t she the one who told Ira to call her by name in the first place?!

“Ahahah. You don’t understand! How important this stage is!!”

“Yeah! You don’t know! Oppa doesn’t know!”

“……”

Does Ira understand? The true meaning behind Ragni’s words?

I honestly don’t get it at all. Somehow they’re even coordinating their responses like “Just us two, right~? Oppa doesn’t know~?”

This is truly maddening.

“…Ira. Ragni, even if you two are fine with it. I’m against it.”

“Huh?! I was the victim, and I said I’m okay with it!”

“That’s right! Ragni unni said she’s okay with it!”

Ira, that woman is a lesbian. And a mentally unstable one at that!! What makes you think I’d entrust someone as cute as you to such a crazy woman?! Oppa has no intention of adding another pervert around his sister!

Moreover, she’s a Player class. She’ll definitely throw herself headfirst into the threats that will unfold in the world, and having someone like that with us means our journey won’t be peaceful. Furthermore, her strength will certainly surpass mine someday, and that alone is a threat.

I absolutely refuse!!

“…You. Why do you hate it so much?”

“And you, why did your mind change just because Ira called you ‘unni’?”

“Of course! Sister-in-l…!! I mean, Rei might have become ‘unni’ by forcing it, but I became one because Ira genuinely thinks of me as her ‘unni’!!”

“That’s right! Ragni unni is a smart unni!”

I don’t think that’s all there is to it. I heard everything.

You just said “sister-in-law,” didn’t you? Don’t tell me you’ve been laying the groundwork to make Ira your sister-in-law from the beginning? Is that why you deliberately had Ira call you by name only? This is insane!! Ira! She’s deceiving you!!!

“Anyway, now it’s 2:1, Jack. Unless you explain to me why you’re absolutely against it, I’m on Ira’s side.”

“Oppa, pleeeease~ Let Miho unni be my attendant~”

Has Ira ever been this coquettish, throwing tantrums and whining like this? No. Definitely not.

She was a child whose only desires were simple things like wanting skewers, saying skewers are the best, or asking for ice cream. Such a modest child now throwing adorable tantrums and whining.

As her oppa, how could I not want to give in to such pleas? But how am I supposed to explain that this person was a Player in the game from her past life, and keeping her around could bring danger to us, so it’s absolutely out of the question?

I started getting a headache and ended up clutching my forehead.

Seeing me like this, Ragni finally put Ira down from her arms and brought her lips to my ear.

“Don’t tell me. Is this also one of the things you’re hiding? Does that woman have something that could threaten Ira?”

“…That’s right. I can’t explain exactly. But that’s correct.”

“…What kind of threat, what kind of content is it. You can’t talk about that either?”

“I can’t explain exactly, but that woman will ‘definitely’ be an obstacle for our future journey and academy life.”

“……”

Because I firmly opposed it, Ragni reversely caught on to something serious, and her expression became serious, unlike a moment ago.

“…Ira.”

“Yes, Ragni unni?”

“Oppa says that Miho unni needs to pass a test to join our group.”

“A test?”

“Yes. The reason we take tests at the academy is to confirm if Ira has the ability to enter the academy. I told you before, right?”

“Yes!”

“So, to see if Miho unni is someone who can join our group, Oppa says he needs to give her a test. What do you think?”

“Yes! That’s right! Oppa, if she passes the test, will you accept Miho unni as my attendant?”

Indeed. Ragni pretended to take Ira’s side but ultimately came back to mine. Ragni gave me a wink and a signal, and I immediately understood.

The subject of the test is Miho. And the examiner is me.

If I don’t pass her, Miho absolutely cannot join our group and must be rejected.

Nice! Ragni!!

“…Alright. Ira. I’ll compromise and give her a test. But I’m the only examiner.”

“Yes! I believe in you, Oppa!”

Ugh!! I don’t know if she’s saying this knowingly or unknowingly.

Anyway, I managed to reach a dramatic compromise while taking significant damage to my conscience. This time, I sent all three—Gor, Ragni, and Ira—upstairs and called Miho down.

As soon as she came down, she knelt before me and began speaking.

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s with this change of heart? Didn’t you see me as some crazy pervert who grabs women, beats them, abuses them, and makes them submit?”

I speak bluntly, not particularly wanting to make her comfortable.

“…Actually.”

Miho began to explain.

She said that she had completely submitted to Gor and lost her reason. However, when Ira first stroked her, she actually regained her senses.

She seems to be talking about the moment when Ira’s gentle touch cured her frenzy.

However, the regained consciousness was only surface-level for the beast-person. In other words, she couldn’t regain control of her body from the beast’s personality, and she could only watch helplessly as her body acted like a dog against her will.

Hmm. So she remembers everything she did? What she did to Ira, what she did to me, even getting beaten up?

And she says she genuinely came to regret what she did to Ragni.

She says she realized it after what Gor did to her. She learned that even if it’s another woman touching you, it’s only painful if you don’t want it.

So she wanted to apologize and somehow regain her senses, and she felt grateful once when Ira took care of her, and again when Ira called her “unni” while taking care of her despite her acting like a crazy dog. Moreover, she felt deep gratitude and indebtedness for being brought all the way to this church to be cured.

But what does that have to do with being an attendant?

“To put it simply, I called it an attendant, but the point is that I want to make her my lord. Beast-people choose their own lords. Usually, we pledge lordship to someone who will be our companion or to the chief, but I owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Ira. Of course, I feel indebted to you too, Jack-nim…”

“You like women, so you like Ira?”

“Y-you noticed?”

“After seeing that whole process and result, I’d have to be crazy not to know.”

“……”

“And if you’re looking at Ira that way, do you think I’d allow it?”

“N-no!! I absolutely do not harbor such impure thoughts toward Miss Ira!!”

She’s being quite respectful to me, but ultimately, she wants to kneel to Ira because she likes women, right?

In other words, she’s a crazy lesbian with a lolicon tendency. Why would I attach you to Ira for any good reason?

“…L-lolicon? I don’t know about that, but I don’t have such impure thoughts toward someone I want to serve as my lord. I can’t have them.”

“Huh?”

“The pledge of lordship isn’t just words. It’s a kind of contract magic where I give part of my body to the other person and become bound to that person for life. They can’t give forceful orders or commands, but I become unable to harm them.”

“…So, now that you’ve realized that a woman forcing herself on another woman is harmful.”

“No matter how beautiful and attractive the young lady grows, once I make the pledge of lordship, it’s over. I can never lay hands on her.”

“But that’s only for Ira, right? What about Ragni who’s already a victim, or maybe even Rei whom you might overpower if you get stronger?”

“…I understand if you can’t trust me because of my past crimes, but I’m sincerely repentant. It won’t happen again.”

“Anyone can say anything.”

I cross my legs, rest my chin on my hand, and glance at Miho with a dismissive look.

Honestly, it’s harder to believe because she’s in the Player position. Even if in games, Players are portrayed as absolute good and “heroes” who drive the game’s story, they’re still just people, not protagonists.

The moment that becomes reality, the person in that position can’t be absolutely good, and I don’t think they’ll necessarily drive the story properly.

Honestly, I wish she’d just leave, level up quickly, and head off to the [Spirit Demon Realm]. Go beat up some Elf Elders there. Then I wouldn’t have to go.

“…And I sincerely apologize to you too, Jack-nim.”

“Huh? For what.”

“For climbing onto your stomach every night to sleep, purring and disturbing your sleep, and for saying nonsensical things like you’re a person who touches women’s bodies carelessly.”

Miho pressed her forehead to the ground once more, apologizing to me.

She says she knows that even when she wasn’t in her right mind, I never touched her except to pat her head or scratch her neck, and while she was sleeping, I was always careful to just gently push her away rather than disturb her.

Moreover, she says she’s never seen me embrace Rei or Ragni during our travels, which honestly gives me a headache.

…Well. Fine. What good would it do me to look good in her eyes anyway?

“Your apology has no value. You’ve never been right in anything you’ve said to me.”

“…Yes.”

“And, to get back to the point, if you want to make a pledge of lordship to Ira, you need to pass my test. If you fail, that’s the end. Don’t try to join our group or approach Ira.”

“A test?”

I don’t want to accept you, but the kids want to accept you somehow. So if you don’t like it, quit. When I say that, Miho immediately shakes her head and answers.

“No. I think it’s an appropriate method. I’ll accept it unconditionally. And I’ll try my best to pass and impress you, Jack-nim!!”

“Alright then. Let’s do something together.”

“Yes! Give me anything!”

As if she heard that I had accepted her, she nods her head vigorously.

Oh really? You said “anything”?

“The vice principal of Neity Academy. I don’t remember his name, but we’re going to kill that bastard. You’ll be the bait to lure him out.”

At my words, Miho’s expression seemed to return to how it was when we first met.

How nostalgic, isn’t it?