This Looks Dangerous?

“What? Is it strange that I’m here?”

Charlotte received the drink from me and shrugged with a brazen expression.

“According to my memory…. I’m pretty sure you told me yesterday to do well on my own?”

“Well, after I went back and thought about it, I just felt uneasy no matter how I looked at it. What if you fail the additional exam because I’m not there? The loss would be immense, right? Since I had no plans today, I came to help.”

“I see…..”

Slurp, Charlotte sipped her drink through the straw, then put it down on the table and said.

“Why are you reacting like that? Don’t you want me to help?”

“Of course not! I feel incredibly reassured knowing that the brilliant Lady Charlotte will help me with my studies.”

“Then that’s fine. You there, Elis was it? I’m Charlotte Cervantes. Looking forward to working with you.”

“Yes. Looking forward to working with you too.”

Elis nodded and responded appropriately. She doesn’t seem particularly displeased by Charlotte’s sudden intrusion.

“Anyway. Let’s really start now. First of all, the subject I need to take the additional exam for is Continental History.”

“Hmm? What about the others?”

Elis tilted her head and asked.

“I somehow managed to pass the subjects that involved calculations, but with this history subject, I couldn’t memorize anything because I lack background knowledge.”

“You, you’re smarter than I thought.”

“I’ve felt this from before, but Lady Elis seems to have a talent for casually hurting people’s feelings.”

“It depends on how you take it. Still, it’s fortunate. Continental History is relatively easier compared to other subjects.”

“Haha, it was the most difficult subject for me though.”

“It’ll be easy if we take it step by step. Well, let’s start from the 1st Period of Chaos….”

“Wait.”

Charlotte stopped Elis who was about to turn to the first page of the textbook.

“….What is it?”

Elis frowned slightly and looked at Charlotte.

“This guy’s goal is to pass the additional exam. How long do you think it will take to study from the 1st Period of Chaos step by step? We should focus intensively on the 2nd Period of Chaos, which appears the most in exam questions.”

“That way, he won’t be able to build knowledge properly. It will surely be an obstacle when solving problems.”

“It’s just an additional exam anyway. Compared to the exam we took last time, it will be so easy that it might be called childish. Just intensively memorizing the important parts will be enough to pass.”

“…..Alright. Let’s do it your way.”

“Thanks for cooperating. Now, let’s start from the part where the 3rd Emperor of the Kirinus Empire was assassinated….”

The tutoring proceeded at a rapid pace.

The two geniuses magically sensed the speed at which my brain worked and adjusted the tutoring accordingly.

Naturally, knowledge was firmly planted in my head, and whenever there was a confusing part, they explained it as if scratching an itchy spot.

I’m not lying when I say it seems about 100 times more effective than studying alone.

However, the tutoring didn’t always proceed smoothly.

“The important point here is how the isolationist policy implemented by Emperor Alpheus affected the international situation…..”

Just as Charlotte was about to continue her explanation, Elis opened her mouth and interrupted.

“Aren’t you just teaching the conclusions? If you teach so sparsely, Sion might not remember properly.”

“As I’ve said many times. Our purpose now is not to make him major in history but to help him pass the exam.”

“The reason Sion is particularly weak in history is due to the absence of background knowledge. In such a situation, just giving him conclusions won’t help him understand.”

Although they seemed to experience discord due to differences in teaching methods from time to time, both had valid reasons for objecting to each other, so after a few words of dialogue, the tutoring proceeded with one of them conceding.

After about 3 hours had passed like that, I felt a certain signal and asked the two for permission.

“Um, teachers. Your disciple would like to visit the restroom, would you permit it?”

“Sure. Take it as a break. You agree, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll be back.”

---

“Then I’ll be back in a moment.”

Sion bowed his head and walked toward the restroom.

Now only Charlotte and Elis remained.

“Hey, I’m curious about something.”

“Go ahead.”

As if she had been waiting for this moment, Charlotte opened her mouth.

“How did you get to know Sion? I’m personally curious.”

After a very brief silence, Elis answered.

“It’s not a particularly pleasant story, but do you still want to hear it?”

“If you’re okay with it.”

Elis nodded slightly and continued.

“He saved me when I was being bullied. After that, we naturally became friends.”

“Oh my, that must have been hard. Whoever bullied a pretty girl like you must have a strange personality.”

“I’ll accept the compliment gratefully.”

Charlotte spoke affectionately, and Elis answered stoically without any change in expression.

“I see. In other words, Sion is like a prince who saved you from danger?”

“‘Prince’ is not a word that suits that guy, but if I had to say, I guess so.”

“Then….”

Charlotte made a mischievous expression and asked slyly.

“Does Elis like Sion?”

“……I’m curious what thought process leads to such a conclusion.”

For the first time, there was a change in Elis’s unchanging expression.

“Hmm? You don’t? I was sure Elis liked Sion and that’s why you were taking time out of your weekend to help with his studies. Normally, if you don’t have such feelings, you wouldn’t care this much, right?”

“….It’s not like that. Helping Sion is purely as a friend, and partly to repay the favor for saving me. There’s no personal feelings.”

“Hmm…. you say so.”

Charlotte looked at Elis with half-closed eyes.

Finding that gaze a bit burdensome, Elis slightly averted her eyes and said.

“By your logic, you must like Sion too.”

“Yes. I do like him.”

“What?”

Elis momentarily hardened her face and clenched her fist.

“Khup. I’m joking, joking. That guy and I are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less, so you can rest assured.”

“….That’s none of my business.”

“For someone who says that, your face was pretty scary just now?”

“……”

Elis’s face turned slightly red, and Charlotte, who was watching her with a faint smile, extended her hand.

“There’s a saying that a friend of a friend is a friend. Looking forward to working with you? Elis.”

Elis stared at that hand for a moment, then nodded and took it.

“Looking forward to working with you. Cervantes.”

“Charlotte is enough. I’m happy to have a new friend.”

Charlotte, having finished the handshake, took a sip of her drink.

Then, as if she had just recalled something, she opened her eyes wide and asked.

“Oh right. To celebrate becoming friends, there’s something I’d like to ask. Can I?”

“If it’s something I can answer.”

“Well, then lend me your ear for a moment. It’s a bit sensitive for others to hear.”

Elis nodded, and Charlotte, with a grin, brought her mouth close to Elis’s ear.

Finally, Charlotte opened her mouth.

• • You’re a demon, aren’t you?

For a moment, Elis’s breath stopped.

“…..Pfft! Why are you so stiff? I was just joking. These days, there are so many demons and black magicians creeping into the academy. This kind of joke is popular among kids these days, haven’t you heard?”

“…..It’s not very pleasant for the listener.”

“Oh my, I’m sorry. I was just joking to get closer, but I apologize for making you feel bad.”

Charlotte bowed her head and apologized in response to Elis’s cold reaction.

And while her head was bowed, Charlotte’s face was filled with a smile as if she had discovered something interesting.

“I’m back. Did you all miss me… Oh? Lady Charlotte, did you cause some trouble?”

At that moment, Sion returned from the restroom.

“I tried to joke with Elis to get closer, but it seems she took it a bit badly. So I was apologizing.”

“I see. But don’t worry. Unlike a certain someone from somewhere, our Lady Elis is a person of generous character, so she’ll forgive such a small joke.”

“….You seem to be getting a bit cocky lately?”

“Ahem, ahem. Shall we continue with the lesson, teachers?”

Regardless, the tutoring continues.

---

As the sun disappeared and it became dusky, on the way back to the dormitory after taking the additional exam.

“Woohoo! I feel great!”

My steps are as light as if I could fly.

‘Elis is a god. Charlotte is also a god.’

There wasn’t a single problem I didn’t know.

Since only the parts that Elis and Charlotte emphasized as important came out as questions, it was impossible not to get them right.

“I should give some thank-you gifts to both of them tomorrow, shouldn’t I?”

The world looks beautiful when worries disappear. It even feels like the air tastes better.

“On a day as good as today…. shall I have a snack? I’ve been holding back a lot lately.”

I’ve naturally cut down on snacks as even the time to go to the tteokbokki place feels precious.

A little deviation as a reward for my efforts so far shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Yes, it’s definitely fine.

With a full smile, I entered the alleyway.

Cutting across this alley can greatly reduce the time it takes to get to the tteokbokki place.

It’s a place where people’s gazes don’t reach well, so there’s a low probability of encountering delinquent students, but honestly, someone like me can easily escape from delinquents.

‘The real troublemakers don’t waste time in alleys anyway.’

Pascal, another mysterious defeat today…..?

While walking down the alley, I sensed something strange and turned around.

Just now…. did the shadow move strangely?

Tilting my head, I activated Natural Mirror.

Information that my eyes had failed to grasp began to imprint in my mind.

And I was shocked.

“……!”

A blade composed of shadows was rushing toward me.