Chapter 65 : Ring

Dream therapy was truly wonderful. Even though it didn’t have the same impact as the first day,

maybe because I slept so deeply, my overall condition definitely improved.

If there was a problem, it’d be that my golden holiday was entirely spent sleeping?

Out of the four days, I think I was asleep for at least two.

I’d eat something and spend a bit of time awake, then it was time to sleep again,

so over the four days, I lived more like a jobless bum than anyone else—proudly so.

Thanks to that, I did nothing, but I have to return to the Academy tomorrow.

Though I tend to be a heavy sleeper, I wasn’t one to sleep too much,

but after receiving dream therapy from Teferi, I would always wake up in the afternoon.

Is it because it’s a type of sleep magic?

Of course, that doesn’t mean I regret spending my holiday like this.

The effects of the dream therapy were incredible.

My dull face became radiant again, and all the fatigue in my body vanished.

After waking up, I felt refreshed, too.

Could it have helped Teferi improve her skills as well?

Her face grew brighter by the day. And strangely, she also seemed more exhausted as time passed.

Did she overdo it for my sake?

“Teferi, didn’t you go back yesterday?”

Was it because it was the last day that she put in more effort?

On the first day, she had left after putting me to sleep,

but on the third day, she was lying in the same bed with me.

She was right next to me, sleeping peacefully, leaning against me.

Using my arm as a pillow, with her body pressed up to mine. By body, I mean her chest and thighs.

Feeling a bit awkward, I slowly moved my arm away.

I was sweating and feeling kind of gross.

Dream therapy is great, but if it has a flaw, it’s that it dirties your clothes.

You have to wash them every day, which is a hassle.

Today the bedsheet felt dirtier than usual, but Arwen is coming tomorrow.

I’ll just hand the chores over to her. Washing is too annoying.

That’s why I was wearing a light cotton tee without buttons.

It must’ve ridden up to my belly in the night from the heat.

After shaking her awake for a while, Teferi finally got up.

Why does she look so tired?

[ Did I fall asleep…? Sorry.]

She woke up groggily, and a faint soap scent wafted from her.

After spending days rolling in bed together, the smell got imprinted.

Of course, in a wholesome way. We really just slept.

When she fully woke up, Teferi suddenly hid her left hand behind her back.

“What’s wrong?”

[Ah, it’s nothing. I think something got on my fingers. I’ll go wash up. And wash my face too.]

She quietly got up and trotted to the bathroom.

Something on her fingers? I didn’t notice anything when she was sleeping.

Could it be… my drool?

Maybe I’m imagining it, but her fingertips seemed a little wet. Ugh, I really hope not.

[By the way, Trea, didn’t you say you had somewhere to go today?]

“Oh, right. It’s already that time?”

Today was technically still part of the temporary break,

but the Academy called me in saying they wanted to see me.

Stupid school.

They didn’t summon me as a student, but as part of the Campfire Council,

so I couldn’t exactly say no.

I thought it was just some kind of club…

So I have to be there by 3 p.m., and time’s running out.

If I say I overslept, it probably won’t leave a good impression.

[Are you running late?]

“Yeah, kind of.”

This is tricky.

If I don’t clean up before I go, Arwen will be furious.

The house is a mess, with stuff scattered around due to my training magic.

Technically speaking, she is under me.

I could force it if I wanted, but asking someone younger than me

to clean up this disaster alone just feels too mean.

Maybe realizing my dilemma, Teferi smiled gently.

Her face looked creepy with those dark circles, but she smiled nonetheless.

[Then how about I help tidy up a bit? I’m free anyway—it’s still a holiday.]

“I can’t burden you like that… even the bedsheet needs changing.”

The sheet was especially soaked today.

It wasn’t like this usually. I really should’ve used a towel.

Teferi waved off my protest.

[It’s fine. I’m used to this kind of thing.]

“…Used to it?”

[Ah, I mean… I used to do it a lot back home.

We couldn’t afford a maid or anything.]

I see.

Makes sense—only a tiny portion of the population has servants.

The Academy makes it easy to forget, but nobles are rare.

After a moment of thought, I checked the time and sighed.

“Then… just for today, I’ll owe you. I’m really sorry.”

I usually set an alarm.

Without Arwen, my personal alarm clock, waking up is hard.

I began putting on my clothes and getting ready to leave.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten.

Even though I hadn’t exercised, I felt hungrier than usual.

[Then, take care out there.]

Teferi waved her hand like a wife seeing off her husband.

I found it kind of absurd and joked,

“Don’t steal anything while I’m gone.”

[What? Come on, what do you take me for? I’d never do that. Just go.]

Well, nothing here is really worth stealing anyway.

Just personal belongings and clothes.

Most of the furniture belongs to the Academy.

Even if she grew up poor without a maid,

I doubt she’d steal my stuff.

Especially not my clothes.

It’s nice to have someone you can trust with your room.

Back at my family home, I was always alone.

I headed off to the Academy, leaving Teferi waving behind me with a smile.

The Academy doesn’t have any particularly special trees.

Instead of rare flowers, countless cherry blossoms bloomed along the path.

The white petals falling like spring snow covered the ground in soft pink.

It was beautiful, but the cherry blossom’s symbolic meaning—midterms—

suddenly gave me chills.

‘…Heila?’

Why is my brother—no, sister—here?

Just barely arriving on time at the Academy, I spotted Heila.

But maybe it makes sense.

A meeting about demons would naturally include the Saintess.

She looked nothing like her usual drunken self,

dressed in saintly robes with a composed expression.

That gentle smile was almost funny.

She stood still and holy, surrounded by people.

A complete contrast to how she looked at the bar.

“Oh my, Lady Trea. How have you been? It’s been a while.”

When she noticed me, she smiled and slowly approached.

Because of that, the members of the Eight-Colored Cross Order all turned to look at me.

Ugh, there’s Lloyd, the paladin commander I met at the black market.

Even though I beat him easily, he’s still one of the best.

No wonder he’s the Saintess’s bodyguard.

He glanced at me and whispered in her ear.

“Saintess, do you know her?”

“Yes. It was about two years ago, I believe.

We met through a fortunate connection with the young lady.”

Two years?

Our first meeting was two months ago.

We met at the black market and then at the bar.

I frowned, and she subtly gave me a look in return.

Her mouth smiled, but her eyes warned me to keep quiet.

I didn’t want my black market identity exposed either,

so I decided to play along for now.

“Yes, it’s good to see you again.

Did you get home safely that night? You seemed a little drunk.”

[…Thanks to your concern.]

Wow, you can glare while smiling.

She looked ready to stomp on my foot.

In fact, when the paladins didn’t follow us inside,

she immediately changed and actually tried to step on my foot.

After I barely calmed her down, we entered the building.

Professor Aram greeted us.

“Welcome, Saintess Heila. And Lady Trea as well.”

Thankfully, Heila didn’t react to the snake’s appearance.

She might even have known about it already.

Aram, with his usual composed demeanor, slithered along as he led us underground.

It seemed like a place I’d never been to before.

Even without feet, he moved smoothly down the stairs.

At the bottom, a thick steel door was wide open.

“The headmaster is waiting for you.”

“The headmaster?”

For once, the Saintess looked genuinely troubled.

The headmaster? Come to think of it, I’d never seen them.

I had no idea who they even were.

Hopefully, they weren’t just some old man with a beer belly.

Aram didn’t enter, instead gesturing for us to go ahead.

“Aren’t you coming, Professor?”

“If I go, it might be dangerous for all of us.”

“What?”

“Trea, just shut up and go in already.”

The Saintess grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

With no idea what was going on, I followed.

Beyond the door was the corpse of a dead demon,

and a small girl.

Was she lost? I knelt down to her level and asked,

“Where is your mother?”

“Trea, that’s the headmaster.”

“…Huh?”

The girl in white looked up and smiled bitterly.

What was that above her head? It glowed like a fluorescent light.

A ring? A yellow ring? Floating in the air?