episode_0024

As I dozed off for a bit on ‘Mommy’s Thigh Pillow’, the coziest in the world, evening came.

I awoke in my strongest and healthiest state after the poisoning and had dinner with Rosalie-nim at the onboard restaurant.

Befitting a trail known as pure extravagance, the restaurant’s quality was also top-notch.

It was a dinner boasting considerable taste and elegance, comparable to ‘Hiols’, which I had visited with Irha.

After the harmonious dinner, we drank a warm glass of milk together, chatted, and bathed… Before I knew it, it was already time for bed again.

Strangely enough, the day I spent with Rosalie-nim felt too short.

To the point where I truly felt time passing was a waste.

And now…

“Well, Ras, shall we go to bed?”

“Uh… are we sleeping in the same room…?”

Flustered..! Completely flustered..! Our room was a single one.

Unlike me, who was stammering, Rosalie-nim looked relaxed and playful, completely unconcerned.

“Of course~ Ras is still a patient. And until you recover, Teacher-nim has to take full charge of you.”

“Uh…uhhh…!!!”

For me, Ras, still a hot-blooded teenager, this situation is too stimulating…?

Seeing me stammering like an idiot, Rosalie-nim grinned and opened the room door.

“Ta-da~ A two-person room! And the beds are bunk beds. What did our cute Ras imagine? You didn’t have any dirty thoughts, did you?”

For a moment, I imagined lying in the same bed as Rosalie-nim and hugging her tightly as we slept.

I shouldn’t say that, should I?

Rosalie-nim playfully pinched my reddened cheek and continued speaking.

“Anyway, what I said wasn’t a lie. We have to share the room in case Ras gets sick at night. Ras, you sleep on the bottom bunk.”

“O-okay… I’ll lie down then…”

I quickly scrambled into the bed and swiftly turned over.

Like an amateur..! I was so ashamed of myself for acting like such an inexperienced young man.

Come to think of it, in my previous life, I died a virgin, so it was natural for me to be like this.

Perhaps I was actually a virgin ghost and couldn’t pass on, thus gaining the chance for regression?

Sniffle…

In this life, I must definitely bear the fruits of love and widely benefit the human world…!

“You’re cute, really. Teacher-nim will go up now, so if anything’s uncomfortable, make sure to say something, okay?”

“Yes…”

Speaking in a voice like an ant crawling, I took out my communication magic tool.

Checking the magic tool, I saw several messages had arrived.

[Ras! Today’s academy meal was pork chop and fusilli pasta sausage ketchup stir-fry. I chattered and played with Marisa, but it was a little lonely without Ras.]

[Ras! After the academy, I worked out with Professor Isera-nim. Professor-nim said warrior’s blood flows in me, but I don’t know what that means..!]

[Ras! For dinner, I ate pizza with Professor Isera-nim! Did Ras eat something delicious with Teacher Rosalie-nim? It’s outrageous how indifferent the boss is to his subordinate.]

The one who diligently sent these messages was Irha.

It seemed like the kid had a fun day. They ate both the academy meal and dinner heartily, and even exercised; how commendable.

Professor Isera also seemed to have seen the qualities of a fighter in Irha, just like me, and was taking good care of her, keeping her close, and Marisa also seemed to have taken a liking to cute Irha.

I had worried that Emma and Lizley’s gang might harass her while I was gone, but it seemed there was nothing to worry about now.

But what’s with that ‘outrageous’ tacked on at the end? The subordinate is already trying to defy hierarchy.

Still, since she diligently contacted me as I asked, I should leave a message too.

[Haha, sorry. I suddenly ran a bit of a fever and kept sleeping during the journey. Teacher-nim took me to the restaurant inside the trail! It was as delicious as Hiols. Let’s go together sometime.]

[Oh..! Ras, you shouldn’t be sick!! But it’s a relief you’re with Teacher-nim. Hehe~ Then Irha will go do her homework. Ras, sleep well too!! >0<]

As if she had been waiting impatiently for my message, a lightning-fast reply came immediately.

She used cute emoticons, and earnestly worried about me… It made me happy to see Irha, who used to be like a haggard skua, become so bright.

And then…. The other person was… Lizley? What on earth did she send a message for this time?

There was a high chance she said something tiresome, so I almost didn't read it, but I opened it out of curiosity to see what she said.

First off, it was a long message.

[Ras. You took a long-term leave without telling me? Do I have to hear from other people that you went on leave alone with Professor Rosalie? Even if we decided to break up, there's still common courtesy between lovers… (rest omitted)]

Typical Lizley. The message was long, but its content had no substance. She could've just sent 'I'm upset'; why does she torture her fingers by…?

Still, since she mentioned common courtesy between lovers, I should reply, shouldn't I?

[sry.]

Having sent a display of my utmost apology, I casually placed the magic tool by my bedside and lay down.

I, who even knew how to apologize, was indeed a fine man.

Lying on a bed much softer than the academy bed, sleep came easily, even though I had slept so much all day.

Since I woke up on Saturday, my body seems to be entering a stable phase, and my sleep has significantly increased, which is quite a positive sign for me.

Feeling the newly forged and renewed flames from my inner world and the flames recovered from Blaber gently, I fell into a deep sleep once more.

*

Chirp chirp-!! Chirp chirp chirrrrrp!!

Some bird-like sounds made me wake up from sleep.

I truly had the most refreshing and deep sleep in the world.

For the past 10 years throughout my life before regression, I had built a wall between myself and deep sleep for various reasons.

Because of my ruined body, broken mental state, and shitty situations, it was because of things like that.

Extremely soft, and squishy… Wait, squishy?

"Oh my..!!"

I was so startled that I let out a startled scream, like a cat startled by a cucumber.

And for good reason…

Rosalie-nim was lying on my bed and sleeping while hugging me tightly.

"Mmm… Ras… you're awake… Shall we sleep a little longer?"

Rosalie-nim, awakened by my high-pitched scream, opened her eyes slightly as if it was nothing, then closed them again and embraced me in her arms.

Unlike her delicate appearance, her strength was so immense that I couldn't escape.

No…! Rosalie-nim. You're a teacher, and I'm a student! This is very problematic..!!

The soul of the pure virgin, Ras Etgard, is extremely vulnerable to such stimulating situations.

Still, seeing that my clothes weren't off or anything, it didn't seem like any mistake had been made.

"Ugh… Ras had a pretty high fever in the early morning. I guess I got tired and fell asleep while watching over you. Rosalie is tired now from using a lot of divine power…"

Oh.

My overly agitated heart calmed down again.

To not have recognized such a true healer and doctor… I was wrong. Please hit me hard..!

Looking again, perhaps because she used quite a lot of divine power, Rosalie-nim's aura was hazy and a bit blunt, unlike before.

Should I say that Rosalie-nim, who had been like a Mommy, had transformed into someone with a slightly dog-like feeling?

I even saw her referring to herself by name, a sight unimaginable normally, which made my heart ache even more.

Was she like this when she was looking after me while I was unconscious?

"Th-then, Teacher-nim, please get a little more sleep. I'll prepare to disembark…"

"No. Come here and just lie down with me~"

My attempt to somehow escape the bed was instantly suppressed, and Rosalie-nim hugged me like a giant comfort doll.

"Hehe… this is nice. I actually sleep well only when I'm hugging something. Ah… Ras, do you perhaps dislike me doing this?"

Of course not. It's because I like it, I like it.

"No. I feel great, but I was just a bit flustered. I didn't even know I was sick in the early morning… Thank you, Teacher-nim."

We lay there like that for about ten minutes, then got up, ate breakfast in a slightly strange atmosphere, and prepared to disembark.

[Our trail will soon arrive at the Imperial Capital, Sephiroth. Passengers disembarking, please prepare.]

"Alright, then, shall we bravely go do what we need to do?"

"Y-yes..!"

As we disembarked from the trail, this place was the Imperial Capital, Sephiroth.

The damn Imperial capital and my hometown.

Until just before I met my death before regression, I had frequented Sephiroth, so it wasn't particularly new.

In my past life, I had burned half of it down, but in this beautiful city, the smell of flames and blood from that time no longer lingered.

What filled the absence of that past was none other than…

"Yap! Shall we walk around a bit more affectionately? It might sound a bit conceited to say this, Teacher-nim… but I often had tiring experiences with being 'hunted' every time I came here."

The soft, sweet, and lovely, almost aphrodisiac-like scent of Rosalie-nim was drenching me completely.

"No way that's conceited… In fact, if you said you hadn't been 'hunted,' it would feel like a lie. So, where first?"

"First, we need to check Ras's body, so let's drop off our luggage at the hotel then go to the Imperial Capital Hospital and the Magic Tower. Teacher-nim's seminar starts tomorrow, so we have plenty of time."

"Understood. Then, shall we go, my lady?"

At my slightly slick remark, Rosalie-nim smiled brightly.

We began to stroll through Sephiroth as if we were affectionate lovers.

*

'I don't know anymore…! Rosalie, she must be really crazy…! Heavenly God-nim… Please punish this lewd young… no, old sheep…!'

Unlike her endlessly mature and relaxed outward appearance, Rosalie Berhart's insides were fiercely burning.

Anyone who saw it, even Isera, a fighting-idiot who knew nothing about romance, would click their tongue at what Rosalie was doing and say,

'Tsk… So old, and yet in the end, she's openly trying to pick up a young, pretty, fresh student.'

Irha would probably sob bitterly, and Lizley would grind her teeth so hard she might even chip a few.

'But what can I do..! Because of the scent coming from Ras, it's too hard to keep my sanity. No… are other people okay? Is it just me??'

Actually, ever since they first met, Rosalie had felt good about the unique sweet scent she occasionally and faintly detected from Ras.

But that sweet scent grew stronger and stronger after Ras collapsed in Maugendorf Forest, becoming dizzyingly intense from the Saturday he regained consciousness.

Rosalie had wondered if a 'succubus', a legendary being said to emit a scent that enchants and seduces people, would be this sweet if it were right before her eyes.

While taking care of Ras after he regained consciousness, her head spinning from the scent, as soon as she decided she needed to take Ras to the capital for a detailed diagnosis, she handled things with unprecedented speed.

She hounded the dean to get long-term leave approval, paid extra to buy additional trail tickets, canceled and rebooked accommodations, and so on….

The series of actions she demonstrated over two days was comparable to the swiftness Rosalie had shown when she was actively working on the battlefield in the past.

Afterward, even on the trail, she was like a runaway colt, constantly trying to make physical contact with Ras whenever she found an excuse…!

'I don't know..! If I like this pretty boy, or if Ras is stirring something within me, I don't know at all… Ugh!!! Heavenly God-nim… please save Rosalie..!'

Even though Rosalie was half out of her mind, she didn't forget to cling tightly to Ras, who was emitting that sweet scent, even amidst it all.

'If nothing else, just take him.'

Feeling Isera's tough and resolute voice echoing in her ears, Rosalie, for now, surrendered herself to the sweet scent.

Deep down, somehow… along with the thought that she somehow had to quickly resolve Ras's 'bowed head' state.

However, at this point, she was still completely unaware.

Like the secret of those mighty salmon swimming upstream, that Rosalie herself also had a secret inscribed at the genetic level.

And the fact that that secret was strongly drawn to the 'Succubus' Tear' stored within Ras's body.