Episode 233. Dormitory

“Our baby’s dad sure has a lot of girlfriends?”

It’s the kind of thing that would make any married man’s heart drop.

Luckily, I’m not a married man yet.

“… Rebecca-ssi?”

There’s only one person who calls me that.

I turned my head and saw the red-haired mage. Rebecca.

Rebecca looked at me with a slight smirk, like a witch who’d found a fun new toy.

Her crimson hair, snow-white skin, decadent aura, and potent magic combined made it impossible not to feel a little intimidated, even knowing she was a good person.

“I worked so hard teaching you, baby’s dad, about the Rune Barrier… what’s the point of supporting you? I turn my back for a second, and you’re rolling around with another woman.”

“….”

Scary.

Of course, I don’t feel like my life is in danger.

More like a lovers’ spat?

A bit of a harsh one, though.

“It’s not like that. This was a promise I made a long time ago….”

“Hmm, I bet it was. I guess I have to understand, since I’m the ‘rolling stone’. But I didn’t know you had a local girlfriend in addition to the one you’re living with.”

Ouch. That hurts.

Every word Rebecca spoke felt like a dagger.

Feeling guilty, I averted my gaze slightly. Rebecca shook her head, her red hair swishing back and forth.

I opened my mouth, trying my best to change the subject.

“… You could have at least contacted me before coming over.”

If you had, I wouldn’t have made such a scene.

Besides, this isn’t the right time for me and Rebecca.

I might actually die.

“You never gave me your contact info. Baby’s dad.”

“Ah… right.”

It was then that I handed Rebecca my smartwatch.

We could have just exchanged contacts by tapping them together, but I didn’t even do that.

Ttik-

After exchanging contact info via smartwatch, Rebecca approached me.

“Anyway… you seem full of energy, so can you do it today?”

As we got close enough to feel each other’s breath, I started to get genuinely scared.

And immediately, I came up with an excuse.

“Uh, um. Isn’t my proficiency with the Rune Barrier still a bit lacking?”

“Just how much of your precious genes are you planning to pass on?”

Rebecca placed her finger between my chest and pressed down firmly.

A mischievous smile played on her lips, hinting she wanted to tease me.

“I can tell you’re struggling just by your expression. I’ll let it slide today. But you have to do it next time, okay?”

“… Okay. As soon as I finish this matter, I’ll do it.”

It’s a bit awkward saying it like this, too.

Anyone hearing this would think I’m offering something incredibly significant.

I continued speaking, looking at the smiling Rebecca.

“Tch. Did you come just to say that? Or to exchange contact info?”

“That, and I came because I was lonely.”

“What?”

That was another unexpected answer.

She found survivors of the Rune Clan, so why would she be lonely?

“Like you said, baby’s dad, I checked for signs of brainwashing, and it turns out all my subordinates were brainwashed.”

Rebecca let out a bitter laugh.

“Ah….”

“I brought in and raised promising talents specifically to avoid falling victim to Pandemic… but it was all for nothing.”

“…..”

I can’t precisely guess how Rebecca must feel.

After all, I’ve never been the leader of any organization.

Still, I can understand how Rebecca must have felt, searching for the Rune Clan all alone.

If the subordinates she personally raised turned out to be brainwashed, it’s understandable she’d be depressed.

“That’s why I can’t bring Suhyun, a survivor of the Rune Clan, out of the orphanage yet. I don’t know how Pandemic would react if they found out I located a survivor.”

Rebecca is in a cooperative relationship with Pandemic.

Pandemic helps Rebecca find the Rune Clan, and in return, Rebecca cooperates with Pandemic.

Now that they’ve only recently been freed from brainwashing, there’s no need to stir up trouble.

“… This is the perfect moment to comfort her with a hug. But since you’re struggling, I can’t hug you. Let’s have a meal together later.”

“You’re too honest, baby’s dad.”

Rebecca laughed incredulously and met my eyes.

“By the way, what is it you need me to do, baby’s dad?”

“It’s a personal investigation, and it’s quite important. Do you know about the Centaur that appeared in France?”

The Centaur, an Apostle of Pandemic.

Rebecca, being a Pandemic executive, probably knows.

“I know them very well. They’re an F-class mercenary, aren’t they?”

“Yes, yes. F-class… Huh? How do you know that?”

Wait a second.

The information about the F-class mercenary came from Liliana, who’s from the Underworld.

Rebecca shouldn’t know that.

“Of course, that ridiculously strong horse mentioned it themselves. I don’t know the specifics either. I just helped Maestro with the brainwashing.”

“Oh….”

She seems to know the Centaur surprisingly well.

Come to think of it, she’s an executive in Pandemic.

I don’t know how Pandemic operates, but as an executive, wouldn’t she have been present during the Apostle’s summoning?

And if she put her mind to it, couldn’t she extract some information about the Centaur?

“Rebecca-ssi. Please help me out.”

I asked Rebecca with a slight smile.

*

“A capable woman really is the best.”

Both Im Sol and Rebecca… capable women are the best.

In the end, Rebecca agreed to my request and decided to return to Pandemic to gather information.

Rebecca mentioned she only helped with the initial brainwashing and hadn’t paid attention since, so a separate investigation was necessary.

Well, she’s busy enough searching for the Rune Clan, so she probably wouldn’t bother paying attention to an Apostle.

‘… I should get her pregnant once this is over.’

Of course, I don’t know when that will be, but she deserves it for her help.

The fact that she’s helping me without asking for details shows she trusts me.

Even if we haven’t known each other long, I can recognize a good person.

I wonder if it’s okay to spread my seed so easily, but maybe it’ll turn out fine if raised well? Rebecca doesn’t seem like the type to commit child abuse.

To think I’d reach a day where I’d have such worries… truly, living a long life has its moments.

‘I haven’t lived that long, have I.’

I just need to live diligently.

Ttirring-

As I opened the door to my dormitory room, familiar voices reached my ears.

• Scout-! Stay still!

• Unnie, unnie. This is pretty.

Listening to Liliana and Nam Dahee’s voices from the entrance, I walked towards the living room.

Yapp. Yapp.

Unnie, unnie. You can do it!

That’s amazing.

In the living room, Scarlet was indulging in some strange game Liliana and Nam Dahee were playing.

In the kitchen, I saw Nam Daeun making coffee.

“Hoyeon, you’re back. Want some coffee?”

Nam Daeun took out a coffee cup after seeing me.

“Yeah. Make it sweet.”

“Ooh, wanna come see Scarlet’s abs?”

Liliana made an incredibly tempting offer.

“… No. I’m good.”

Honestly, I really want to.

Seeing Scarlet’s abs.

Scarlet, who runs around sweating on the job and sticking to ceilings, must have a great body.

But I can’t join in on teasing Scarlet.

I decided to just sit at the dining table and drink the coffee Nam Daeun offered.

“… Is this instant coffee?”

The familiar aroma and taste. It tasted just like the coffee Professor Im Sol used to make countless times.

“Yep. It’s cheap and delicious.”

Sip.

Nam Daeun took a satisfied sip, savoring the coffee’s aroma.

“It’s okay even if it’s expensive, so why not buy something better? Liliana has a card.”

“No way. It’s not like we’re eating a meal together, and this is something I should buy with my personal allowance. Plus, I checked the ingredients before buying. Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s good.”

Seeing Nam Daeun speak so decisively while drinking her coffee, I figured she wouldn’t be a worry when it came to managing a household later.

“Oh, right. There was something I wanted to ask. How do you guys usually have lunch at the Academy?”

“Lunch?”

“Yeah. I was wondering if you were eating properly.”

Nam Daeun gazed into the distance, sipping her coffee.

“Originally, I used to go find Dahee and eat together… but Dahee made a new friend this time.”

“… Oh?”

“Yeah. So now I eat alone at the cafeteria.”

Ah, just as I thought.

I was slightly relieved when she said she ate with Dahee, but it seems Dahee eats with her peers these days.

It’s great that Dahee made friends, but it doesn’t help cover Nam Daeun’s situation.

“… Want to eat together? Lucy and Lumi are here too, though.”

I’d have to ask the Lucy and Lumi twins, but… hearing Nam Daeun eats alone makes me feel uneasy.

At my words, Nam Daeun gave a faint smile and placed her hand over mine, which was holding the coffee cup.

“Don’t worry, I won’t eat with any other guys.”

“No, that’s not it. Really. I just…”

“It’s fine. I eat at home with you, remember? And I need to give Lucy and Lumi some time too.”

Smirk smirk.

Nam Daeun smiled leisurely and squeezed my hand.

“… Thanks.”

I ended up feeling like a husband asking for forgiveness after cheating… but anyway, I’m grateful.

No matter how used to eating alone she might be, it wouldn’t feel good for her to see me eating with other women.

Actually, even if I invited her, it would still be a problem.

It was a topic too awkward to bring up with Lucy and Lumi.

They’d probably allow it, but neither of us would feel good about it.

“It’s nothing much, really.”

But what’s with that smile?

Her relaxed expression seemed to say she had the upper hand anyway.

Tch.

She’s only acting so relaxed because she doesn’t know I had a 3P with Lucy and Lumi today.

I should just keep quiet.

“Hoyeon-nim.”

“Ah, shit. You scared me.”

Just then, Scarlet spoke from behind me.

Distracted by my conversation with Nam Daeun, I hadn’t noticed her approach. I jumped in surprise, and Scarlet widened her eyes, nodded at me.

“Oh, Hoyeon-nim’s guard lowers when he feels sorry towards a woman. I learned something new.”

“Stop saying weird things, please.”

Looking past Scarlet’s body, I saw Liliana and Nam Dahee were engrossed in the TV.

Never mind Nam Dahee, but why did Liliana regress into infancy?

Are succubi really this dumb, or rather, this pure?

“Is the abs show over?”

“… I received a call from the Guild Master. It’s about the Centaur.”

I wanted to tease Scarlet back for what she did, but she cut straight to the chase.

It was too important a matter to ignore.

“Ah, what did they say?”

Alice’s father, and my father-in-law.

He’s a very strange man, but strong and capable.

“Actually, the search for the Centaur is ongoing… They said they can adjust to whatever time is convenient for you, Hoyeon-nim.”

“Hmm….”

I want to wait until Rebecca brings back the information first.

“Any time is fine? I need some time.”

“It doesn’t matter. Then I’ll relay to the Guild Master that you’ll ‘think about it and let him know.'”

“No, that sounds way too rude.”

“Then please tell me exactly what to convey.”

“… You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Because I teased you about your abs.”

“How could that be? Do you really see me as such a petty person?”

• Heroine Status Window

[Scarlet]

• [ Affection: 57 ]

• [ Lust: 30 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 40 ]

Current Status: She’s so perceptive, so why is she like that with women? Is she doing it on purpose?

Scarlet stabbed me with her thoughts.

But she wasn’t wrong, so I couldn’t argue.

Besides, reading minds is supposed to be a secret.

“… Ahem. Okay. I’m sorry. I have my own personal investigation going on. Please tell him to wait until the results of that come out.”

“Understood.”

As I apologized, Scarlet finally lowered her head.

It wasn’t my imagination; the corners of Scarlet’s lips turned up slightly as she bowed her head.