Cooperation

If someone were to ask, ‘What does the Messiah Club do?’ even I, the president, wouldn’t have an exact answer.

Like the meaning behind the name Messiah, we hadn’t saved anything or helped anyone yet.

Until now, the club activities were things like treasure hunts and solving the legend of the Secret Room, so it felt more like a social club than an actual club.

Although the purpose of the activities wasn’t clear, I liked the Messiah Club.

Being able to go to a beautiful island and a place where trials awaited (which was actually the Secret Room), having a club room that I could use comfortably, and even having members who got along well.

There wasn’t a place as comfortable as this in the Academy.

Gathering in the club room after school had become a natural routine. Sometimes I was alone in the club room, and sometimes all the members were there.

We would share food, or sometimes we would quietly shut our mouths and do what we each wanted to do.

A free atmosphere. That was what I wanted, and it was what all the members liked.

Sometimes Aria would get bored and go on a rampage, but that in itself was a kind of freedom.

I lay on the comfortable sofa and looked at the ceiling. The ceiling, which showed a different environment with magic every time, was today raining with a gloomy appearance.

Quickly passing dark clouds and raindrops falling from the ceiling.

Because it was an illusion, not reality, I liked it even more. I didn’t feel the sticky humidity, and my clothes wouldn’t get wet from the rain.

It felt like I was sitting alone by the window of a cafe on a rainy day, looking at the street.

Listening to the sound of the rain, Luna turning the pages of a book, and Kane trimming alchemical ingredients, my eyelids slowly began to droop.

Then someone knocked on the club room door.

Visitors to the club room were extremely rare. I got up from the sofa and headed to the door at the sudden visit.

Opening the door and seeing the huge breasts, I reflexively opened my mouth.

,”Rosalyn-sunbae…?”

“Yeah, hi Ross!”

At Rosalyn’s bright smile, I snapped out of it and tried to bow, but I raised my gaze again to that thing that boasted a huge presence.

Isn’t the saying, ‘I don’t know where to put my eyes,’ for times like this?

“What brings you here?”

“I have something to talk about regarding the cure! And some things to ask!”

Feeling good today, Rosalyn grinned, and I felt good along with her.

As Rosalyn entered the club room, Luna and Kane, curious about who the visitor was, turned their gazes.

“Ah, these are the club members. Say hello. This is Rosalyn-sunbae from the Alchemy Department, 2nd year.”

At my introduction, Kane and Luna bowed their heads.

“Hello.”

“Yeah, hello. Excuse me for a moment~”

Sitting at the table, Rosalyn immediately took out a notebook from her pocket.

“The research on the Thorn Disease cure is over. Thanks to Rotten-hakja-nim meticulously writing down the records, it wasn’t difficult.”

At Rosalyn’s words, I smiled happily.

“You worked hard.”

“Yeah, we’ll be able to make it in large quantities soon.”

Rosalyn smiled, then glanced around and asked me in a small voice.

“Ross, so… Hehe, can I ask you something about Roel?”

So the purpose of the notebook was to keep records about Roel… Thinking that Rosalyn is indeed Rosalyn, I nodded.

Since I granted her request, I’m willing to kindly accept this much demand.

“Thanks! Then I’ll compare what I know with what Ross knows. First of all, his favorite color is pink…!”

I immediately regretted my choice. I underestimated Rosalyn’s fanaticism for Roel.

Thinking of updating the database about Roel, Rosalyn asked about things I didn’t know, like his foot size and the number of moles on his ear. I made a slightly disgusted expression and answered as much as I knew.

After nearly an hour of interrogation, Rosalyn smiled and asked the last question.

“Then really, really the last one! How do you cheer Roel up when he’s super angry?”

At Rosalyn’s question, I pondered and stroked my chin.

The situation where the good-natured Roel gets angry was mostly when fighting enemies. The result of the anger mostly ended with the opponent losing their life.

Rosalyn wouldn’t be asking about that, so I recalled the small arguments Roel had with Flavia and Bella in the novel and answered.

“You can just apologize sincerely. Roel is weak to that kind of thing.”

Roel always treated others with a sincere heart. It was natural for him to want the other person to be sincere as well, just like him.

“Hmm~ Sincerity… I guess that’s true.”

To Rosalyn, who put her finger on her lips and nodded, I smiled and asked lightly.

“Why? Did you do something wrong to Roel?”

“Huh? No, no! It’s not me, but Roel and Bella had a huge fight.”

At Rosalyn’s words, I was taken aback and flinched. I asked with an uneasy heart.

“They fought…?”

“Yeah, I didn’t see it myself. But Flavia seemed to like it a lot. She said they might break up like this.”

Without realizing it, my jaw tightened. Roel and Bella breaking up wasn’t in my plan.

No, that absolutely can’t happen. For Bella to become the Empress, Roel was needed. And Roel needed Bella, who was the Empress.

The two were in an absolute symbiotic relationship for the ending.

“Bella didn’t even come to the dinner today. Seeing that Roel isn’t saying anything either, I guess they’re really thinking of breaking up. Or maybe he’s still angry. So I was going to cheer him up, hehe.”

Whether she was simply happy that the uncomfortable Bella was disappearing, I swallowed a sigh at Rosalyn’s grinning appearance and ran a hand over my face.

Could it be that Bella is breaking up with him because of me? Originally, Ross should have already retired from the story at this point.

The more I’m with Roel, will there be more variables that deviate from the original work? I was worried about that.

I was thinking of continuing the existing flow by artificially creating distance between Roel and me, along with Ellie becoming Roel’s lover.

Until Rosalyn said that she had finished the cure research, I was complacent that it was a perfect plan. But the plan had gone terribly wrong.

I never expected that Roel would think of breaking up with Bella because he valued me so much.

After finishing the conversation, Rosalyn said goodbye and left the club room without any regrets. Having achieved her purpose, there was no reason to stay in the club room.

Aria and Ricardo were doing their own things in the club room, I didn’t know when they came. I checked the character setting book, avoiding the eyes of the club members.

After checking the character setting book, I felt a throbbing headache and leaned back in my chair.

The Order only wants two women in this continent. One is the Crown Princess and future Empress, Bella. The other is the Saintess of the Church.

Only their bodies are suitable to become the vessel of the ‘God’ that the Order worships, according to the setting.

It wasn’t a meticulous setting. It was simply a setting created with the intention of unfolding the story by having Roel coolly save Bella when her life was in danger.

I was criticized for the story dragging on because I added settings late, creating holes and adding settings several times to fill them.

While Bella was at the Academy, the Order would target Bella and attempt assassinations or cause terrorism.

What the Order was aiming for was Bella’s body, not her life or death.

With Roel by her side, Bella would have her life saved several times.

But if these two really break up… Bella’s life could be very dangerous in the future.

I sighed and got up from my seat. They haven’t broken up yet, but I had to prepare.

*

Making the excuse of buying something to eat, I went out and headed straight to Modiste.

I said to the woman wearing a cat mask who greeted me.

“Tell the Guild Master. I’ll accept the offer. And it’d be great if I could see her right away since it’s urgent.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than a loud crash came from behind the wall – *udangtang*.

Turning my gaze to the wall with a puzzled look, the woman deliberately cleared her throat to draw my attention.

“Ahem, please wait for a moment.”

The masked woman left the room, and a little later. I heard a sound like someone nagging from behind the wall.

After a long time, Estelle, wearing a black cat mask with a slightly deflated look, entered the room.

“So, you’ll accept my offer? You thought it was a really good offer, didn’t you~? You’re so silly, there was no need to hesitate~”

“Let’s make it clear. We’ll be in a cooperative relationship where we help each other when we need it. Is that what I understand correctly?”

At my words, Estelle, who was sitting on the chair, answered nonchalantly.

“Yeah, right now I’ve been helping you way~ more unilaterally. But I’ll let it slide as a way to say let’s do well in the future.”

Looking at the arrogant Estelle, I smiled slyly.

“Since we’ve promised cooperation, now reveal your identity. You promised, right? It’s a little unfair if only the other person knows my face.”

Adding those words at the end to add persuasiveness just in case, Estelle flinched and began to make excuses.

“Ah, we don’t have that much trust in each other yet… Later, when we build trust…!”

“How can we build trust with someone whose face we don’t even know?”

At my words, Estelle trembled and shouted loudly.

“You’re such a petty man! Your heart is as shabby as your skills!”

“What’s so hard about showing your face…”

Saying it casually, as if it were nothing, Estelle slammed the table with her fist as if she was upset, then raised her hand and took off her mask.

Just like she said she was pretty, Estelle’s appearance with her mask off was a beauty of exquisite charm.

Estelle, who met my gaze with jewel-like shining purple eyes, had a blush on her fair cheeks as if she was embarrassed to take off her mask.

Rolling her eyes here and there, avoiding my gaze, I felt mischievous and snatched the mask from Estelle’s hand.

“Ah, ah?! N-no!”

At Estelle’s appearance, who stretched out her hand in a fluster to get her mask back as if she was acting cute, I couldn’t help but laugh and said.

“You said you were pretty, and you really were.”

Hearing my words, Estelle’s ears turned completely red, and she pursed her lips before finally avoiding my gaze and lowering her head.