Chapter Index

    “Yaaawn.”

    “Hogu, did you sleep late yesterday?”

    I happened to run into Sepia, and we were heading to the special class together.

    As I yawned, Sepia asked.

    On Sepia’s shoulders were the Fire Spirit and Earth Spirit.

    ‘So where are the Water Spirit and Wind Spirit?’

    They’re currently climbing my shoulders and scaling my head.

    It tickled as they squirmed on my shoulders, but I endured it because they were cute.

    Sepia, who used to stop them when the spirits first climbed onto my body, now just accepts it.

    “Yaaawn. I did fall asleep a little later than usual.”

    I was already tired from fighting Daron and the disciplinary committee.

    After the disciplinary committee ended, I played with Yerika late into the night, losing track of time.

    It wasn’t like I immediately slept after Yerika returned to the Imperial Palace either.

    I chatted with Yerika, who had returned to the Imperial Palace, through a communication device.

    ‘How do I look? Don’t they suit me well?’

    A smile escaped me as I remembered Yerika showing me all the artifacts I’d given her, wearing them.

    “You must’ve talked with His Majesty the Emperor late into the night yesterday, huh? Well, everyone knows you’re His Majesty’s disciple now, so you’d have a lot to talk about.”

    “…..Huh?”

    “What’s with that reaction? You rushed off yesterday, saying His Majesty the Emperor called for you. Don’t tell me His Majesty didn’t call you?”

    Suddenly, Sepia’s sharp eyes sharpened.

    That’s right, I used the Emperor as an excuse to get away yesterday.

    “No, of course His Majesty called for me. I must still be half-asleep, so I got confused for a moment. Haha.”

    “Something’s fishy….”

    Sepia stared intently at me with sharp eyes.

    Of course, my face was hidden by a mask, so it couldn’t be seen.

    “No way. I’ve never told a lie in my life, not even once. If I could, I’d pay money to learn how to lie.”

    Yerika’s visit to the academy was a secret.

    Even when Yerika returned to the Imperial Palace yesterday, the Emperor’s Shadow personally came to pick her up.

    Even though I conveyed such a ‘truthful’ sentiment, Sepia still seemed not to believe me, staring intently.

    In times like this, changing the subject is the answer.

    “I thought there were more gazes on me than usual, but it was because it became known that I am His Majesty the Emperor’s disciple, wasn’t it?”

    The students whispering as they looked at me flinched as if they heard my voice.

    It’s likely that the fact I’m the Emperor’s disciple has spread not only within the academy but throughout the entire continent.

    Currently, the Kroa Empire was in its heyday.

    At its center was the current Emperor, Karsten Leonhart.

    Even if all kingdoms except the Kroa Empire formed an alliance, they couldn’t defeat the current Kroa Empire.

    If the Emperor had simply put his mind to it, he would have already unified the continent.

    And the disciple of such an Emperor is me.

    Perhaps other kingdoms are investigating me right about now?

    Though they won’t be able to find anything anyway.

    “Of course, it’s because of that. What else did you think they were whispering about?”

    “Well, I thought it was because I looked even more handsome today. Isn’t it common sense to think that?”

    “But what are you learning from His Majesty the Emperor? I know His Majesty uses a sword, but Hogu, you don’t really care about swordsmanship.”

    Sepia cleanly ignored my words.

    How mean!

    Other students watching Sepia and me nearby seemed curious about what I was learning from the Emperor, so they even enhanced their ears with mana to try and listen to my words.

    Of course, there wasn’t really a problem if they found out, but I didn’t particularly want to tell them.

    “Hmm. If Sepia-nim is so curious, I’ll tell you specially.”

    “I’m not *that* curious….”

    I brought my face close to Sepia’s ear so other students couldn’t hear.

    When I suddenly leaned my face in, Sepia flinched, seemingly flustered.

    “W-what is it?”

    “What I’m learning from His Majesty the Emperor is…….”

    “……….”

    As I whispered into her ear, Sepia swallowed with a gulp, as if nervous.

    “How to pick up girls.”

    It was summer.

    And Sepia’s foot moved before her mouth.

    “Ow! You didn’t have to kick my shin!”

    “Quiet! Who was at fault first?!”

    Sepia huffed and started walking quickly.

    The spirits tugged at my hair, as if asking if we weren’t following.

    “Of course we should follow.”

    I stroked the spirits on my head and ran towards Sepia, who was walking at a fast pace.

    “Sepia-nim, stop! Let’s go together!”

    “No!”

    “Actually, I’m much faster than Sepia-nim, so even if you don’t stop, whoosh! I can catch up quickly like this.”

    “I really don’t want to!”

    As I teased Sepia, who had given up on walking fast, and walked towards the special class.

    “Excuse me.”

    Someone blocked Sepia’s and my path.

    Naturally, I thought they were talking to Sepia.

    Because every time I went to the special class with Sepia, there was always at least one person who talked to her.

    However, the gaze of the woman blocking our path was directed at me.

    Her makeup was heavy, as if she’d been to some banquet, and her school uniform skirt was so short that her thighs were visible. Could you even call that a skirt?

    Several buttons on her shirt were already undone, clearly revealing her cleavage.

    “You’re Loki, right? I’m Iera Aizett, a third-year. Would you like to have some tea after school today, if you’re free?”

    The woman bowed as she greeted me, and as she did, her already prominent cleavage became even more visible.

    The male students nearby turned their heads or coughed awkwardly, subtly shifting, as if they wanted to see it that badly.

    I looked at the woman, who was subtly raising the corner of her mouth and smiling with her eyes, as if to say, ‘How about this?’, and thought.

    ‘What on earth am I supposed to do?’

    It seemed like she was trying to seduce me.

    My heart had raced when I saw Yerika after she washed her face yesterday, but now it was normal.

    Perhaps my heart rate was the same as when I was sleeping.

    ‘If Johanna came to me in that outfit and gave me a lap pillow…….’

    -Thump.

    ‘Stop thinking.’

    I didn’t realize it would be this dangerous just by imagining it.

    For a moment, I thought my heart would burst.

    To try and kill me with just an imagination.

    As expected, Johanna is amazing.

    ‘Come to think of it, I forgot to buy tea.’

    I forgot to buy tea because I was playing with Yerika yesterday.

    While I’m buying tea, I should check if anything else is running low and buy it too….

    “If today doesn’t work, tomorrow is fine too….”

    While I was thinking about what to buy today, the woman’s voice broke through my thoughts.

    Oh, right. I was in the middle of a conversation.

    Of course, I had no intention of having tea with the woman in front of me.

    I could spend a much more fulfilling time lying on Johanna’s lap or teasing Sepia than having tea with this woman.

    ‘How can I refuse?’

    I can’t just refuse.

    Because if I refuse vaguely, they’ll bother me again.

    I looked at Sepia, who seemed a little angry for some reason.

    I recalled the methods Sepia used to chase away people who annoyingly clung to her.

    ‘Get lost.’

    ‘Can’t you see I’m talking to this guy right now?’

    ‘Are your eyes just for show?’

    Hmm, that doesn’t seem very helpful.

    It was clear to me what this woman in front of me was thinking.

    She knows I’m the Emperor’s disciple and is trying to get close to me somehow, right?

    I don’t necessarily think that’s bad.

    After all, the woman in front of me hasn’t caused me any harm yet.

    Of course, I just think it’s not bad; I have no intention of having tea with her.

    ‘Should I just say it directly like Sepia?’

    I was still looking at Sepia.

    Sepia was next to me, so I couldn’t use harsh words to flat-out refuse.

    “Alright. I’ll get out of your way. Is that enough?”

    Sepia left those words and started walking ahead.

    It seemed she interpreted my gaze as a request for her to move aside.

    * * *

    “Whoosh! I told you before, I’m much faster than Sepia-nim.”

    “Did you make plans with that woman?”

    Sepia said sarcastically, walking quickly without stopping.

    “No. I refused.”

    “………Hmph. Your eyes couldn’t leave that woman’s chest just now, could they?”

    At my words of refusal, the corner of Sepia’s mouth twitched slightly.

    “No. When did I ever stare like that? And because of the mask, you can’t even tell where I’m looking.”

    I firmly pressed down on Sepia’s head,

    and Sepia’s footsteps stopped too.

    “Oh dear, walk a little slower. Anyone would think you’re being chased by a hunter.”

    “…………..”

    Sepia just glared at me. She didn’t tell me to remove my hand.

    For some reason, touching her head feels healing.

    “………But why did you refuse?”

    “I told you I’d make you stronger last time, didn’t I? That starts after school today.”

    “So that’s why you refused?”

    “You could see it that way, I guess? But I think I would’ve refused even if I didn’t have a promise with Sepia-nim.”

    “Why? That woman just now was pretty, wasn’t she?”

    Hmm. Was she?

    Hearing Sepia’s words, I tried to recall the face of the woman who had just spoken to me.

    “………………..”

    ………. I forgot.

    All I remembered was an unpleasantly strong perfume scent.

    “Is that so? To me… no, to anyone, Sepia-nim is much prettier.”

    “…………..”

    Sepia said nothing after hearing my words and walked towards the special class.

    As I scratched my head, wondering if I had made a mistake.

    Sepia, who was walking ahead, turned around and looked at me.

    “What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

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