episode_0156

Seeing El’s bewildered expression, I steeled my resolve even further.

That’s right—I might not know the full truth about El right now, but if it hadn’t been for her, I would have died in that forest long ago. And if I left someone with eyes like hers to roam outside freely, I doubt I could ever confidently declare I wouldn’t make any more sacrifices for myself.

“One last question. You really know nothing about the Demon King?”

“I don’t.”

“Alright, let’s make this work.”

In a world like this, El’s origin was fairly predictable anyway. She was either a fragment of the Demon King that had split off or a physical manifestation of a benevolent will—something along those lines. It was a bit puzzling why I hadn’t found any trace of her in previous loops, but then again, I had been completely overwhelmed in my first run.

Besides, something this bizarre wouldn’t just happen out of nowhere. No matter how much I interrogate El here, if she insists on leaving, I have no means to stop her.

In that case, maybe it’s better to make sure she feels favorably toward me. Even if El truly is some kind of malevolent darkness, having built up affection would still make a difference compared to not having any at all.

Either way, I have nothing to lose here.

“Listen carefully, El. I’ll help you—so you cooperate with me too. Got it?”

“So I don’t have to leave?”

“Yeah. Sigh… I really don’t know how to explain you. Hiding in this room forever won’t work. Sooner or later, you’ll be found out.”

No matter how thoroughly I manage things, guarding this room 24/7 just isn’t possible.

“Somehow, I need to make sure the other four believe your existence isn’t a threat…”

“I’m not dangerous.”

“That’s not the issue. Whether they’ll believe it is. No matter what you say, they won’t trust you.”

“Then make them believe. Eric talks well.”

“Woah—hold on.”

Getting them to trust that El poses no danger is nearly impossible. They’ve already suffered heavy losses at the Demon King’s hands, so if I suddenly claim someone who looks just like him is harmless, they’ll just find me suspicious instead.

“If I tell them I made a contract with you, you’ll wish you were dead.”

“Oof…”

Eli and Cecilia were especially skilled at interrogations. Even the most tight-lipped demons would spill everything in under an hour before dying—it was honestly chilling.

“Rather than trying to convince them you’re trustworthy, it’d be easier to persuade them that you have to stick with me.”

“How do we do that?”

“Can you act?”

—

“Aren’t you consistently late for practice lately? Eric, I know you have your own responsibilities, but I’d appreciate some self-awareness. Unless you want to drag the academy’s reputation down in front of everyone.”

“I know.”

It had been two weeks since I started hiding El in my room and drilling her in acting. During that time, Senior Lin’s patience had visibly frayed, but there was no avoiding it. Right now, I was in the student council room, practicing light dance steps with the president in preparation for the ball—an event that hadn’t involved me in previous loops, so I’d never paid it any attention.

After our first rehearsal, though, her critique was brutal.

“You move like a puppet with cut strings and rusted joints. Have you never practiced before?”

“No one’s ever wanted to dance with me.”

“Oh… sorry.”

From then on, I started learning the ball’s choreography step by step from Senior Lin. Even though I attended diligently, my repeated tardiness probably tested her patience. I couldn’t blame her. If she put her walls back up now, it’d be bad. I had to smooth things over myself.

“My apologies. But I do have good news—maybe you can forgive me if I share it?”

“Good news?”

“I think we can retrieve the ‘Glitter of Ice.’”

“Wait—you mean that artifact that appears in historical records during every major war?”

“Yes. Exactly. I already saw its location in a Vision, but the timing wasn’t right, so I had to hold off.”

“But… how? Where is it?”

“Before that, could you do me one small favor? Just one.”

“A favor? Name it!”

“Can I borrow Eli for a day or two?”

“Borrow? What do you mean?”

“Literally just that. I need to go somewhere with her—just the two of us. To be honest, it wouldn’t have to be Eli, but I can’t think of another mage as skilled as her who could come with me.”

“Hmm… fair enough. Finding anyone near Eli’s level would be hard even if we scoured the whole empire. But… why?”

“There’s something else I need to take care of—unrelated to the Glitter of Ice. It’s nothing shady, so don’t worry.”

“…The Glitter of Ice. You’re sure we can get it?”

“Absolutely. Two weeks from now, if we head into the ruins north of Sheol Valley, there’s a massive dragon statue inside—once we enter…”

I gave her a detailed breakdown of how to obtain it.

The artifact, shaped like a snowflake, could only be used in winter, but its power rivaled even large-scale weapons. With just a whisper of breath, it unleashed endless waves of freezing energy until the user’s mana ran out. It could also absorb nearby moisture, allowing it to create ice walls or trigger avalanches—proving invaluable in previous loops.

Without it, the allied forces wouldn’t have survived winter to regroup.

It melted when spring came, only reappearing the following winter. Unless found by sheer luck, it was effectively useless—but it single-handedly shifted wars into winter campaigns, where victory hinged on whoever secured the Glitter of Ice first.

And I knew exactly where it spawned earliest—no secret at all. It was just something the original owner, a dragon who hated summer, had carelessly crafted and discarded.

So, after each use, it always reappeared inside its creator’s nest first.

“Does it have to be exactly two weeks from now?”

“Yes. Absolutely. Any earlier, and we risk provoking the ruins’ original guardian.”

“We can’t afford to disturb a dragon’s slumber. Thanks for the tip!”

“So, about my favor…?”

“Of course! Even if Eli’s gone for a day or two, the student council can manage. But if it drags past three days…”

“Definitely! I’ll do everything so you’re not swamped with work, Madam President!!”

Perfect. That was hurdle number one cleared.

Now, all that remained was Eli’s agreement—and putting El through even harsher acting drills.

—

“Eric. You messed up the steps.”

“Ah.”

Several days later, back in the student council room, the president had organized a “northern monster subjugation training” as a cover for retrieving the Glitter of Ice. Unsurprisingly, the only volunteer was herself.

“Even if patriotism runs deep, do you really think academy students can handle fighting monsters? Even if you’re the president, I absolutely refuse to condone this. The Grave family might finance it, but—”

“She probably expected to go alone anyway. Right?”

“Hahaha! Exactly!”

“I doubt she predicted that.”

While the others argued, Luciella leaned in and whispered to me.

“How’s the prep for the paper coming? People are losing patience.”

“Good timing. Those two are ready. If you drop by their place within the next day or two, they’ll explain everything else. If anything’s unclear, check with Chris.”

“Got it.”

That was all I needed to discuss with Luciella. She and Chris could handle the rest. The paper’s quality was already guaranteed, so breaking into the market wouldn’t be hard. This should also boost my reputation, making it easier to operate in the empire.

As for El…

I quietly moved to sit beside Eli. She seemed surprised but kept her composure.

“Any idea why I sat here?”

“At the very least, I know you don’t usually talk to women much.”

“Fair, but that’s not it…”

“Just teasing. So, you need something from me?”

“Yeah. It’s a bit tricky, though. Requires a skilled mage.”

“And someone untraceable by the empire? Quite the condition.”

“Hence why I settled on you.”

It was true.

None of this would matter if I didn’t have an audience. The president would go where I’d convinced her—after the Glitter of Ice. Cecilia would attempt an exorcism the moment she spotted El. Unlike mana, pure divine energy would obliterate El instantly, making her too dangerous to involve.

Chris was the best choice as a witness, but since she was tangled up with Luciella in launching the paper, I left her out. Luciella was too rigid to shoulder everything alone.

“So, what do you think? Got time? Won’t take longer than two days.”

“Alone? Just you and me?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Why would I agree?”

—

(Note: Some dialogue and phrasing adjusted slightly for natural English flow without altering meaning.)