.｡.:✧ Chapter 76 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The situation was an indescribable mess.

At first, it appeared to be a three-way battle, but Rin and May seemed to be cooperating to block Elise’s greatsword, perhaps thinking to deal with her first as the strongest.

“Hehe! Is this all you’ve got? You think you can become Master’s woman with just this?”

It was a cheap provocation, but it seemed to work perfectly. An ominous black aura began to emanate from Rin’s body.

The black aura started to devour Elise’s magic circle, turning it into her own.

Even Elise couldn’t help but be a little surprised, but she didn’t show any change in her expression and began to recklessly unleash magic as if to say, “bring it on.”

“I’m here too!”

At this point, May barged in.

I wondered what May Plov, who was relatively weaker than the other two, could do in this fight, but contrary to my expectations, May was putting up a good fight.

‘Did she reverse-engineer her skill in handling mana for physical enhancement?’

Until now, May had been in a somewhat ambiguous position.

She mainly used magic, but what she excelled at was more suited to punching like beating up kids in back alleys.

It seemed she had finally created a new combat method that combined magic and fists.

‘Oh ho.’

The physical reinforcement was quite impressive, perhaps with the dean’s help.

By investing solely in that aspect without using mana elsewhere, she was able to exchange blows with Elise to some extent.

Of course, it was only possible because Elise was facing her purely with swordsmanship, without using the support magic in her rings.

‘She hasn’t been idle during the vacation.’

Nodding my head, I continued to fiddle with the ring.

“Ah, damn it. How do I use this thing?”

As I let out a frustrated curse, the eyes of the three girls simultaneously turned to me.

“Daniel! You’re back!”

“Maaaaster!”

“Hey! These girls are insane. I’m trying to take them to the hospital, but it’s tough!”

“Yeah, they’re really tiresome.”

Putting the ring in my pocket, I sighed and looked at the three of them. I was so exhausted that I just wanted to go straight to my dorm room and sleep, but I got caught.

“Did you manage to get the medicinal herbs?”

“Yeah, fortunately.”

Rin, who had been exuding a strange atmosphere until just now, transformed into her usual friendly village girl persona and nodded, saying, “I see.”

Seeing her like that, May made a gagging gesture as if to vomit.

“Long time no see, huh?”

“Tsk, were you out there wagging your tail all over the place during the vacation?”

“…No, I wasn’t.”

She’s talking about me like I’m some kind of expedition Casanova.

“I really want to say a lot, but… first, let’s do something about these things.”

“Alright, then…”

I turned my attention to the blonde princess who seemed to be the biggest problem.

“Master, you came to see me.”

“Why the hell is she so messed up? Where’s that maid from before? Let’s hear an explanation.”

“Bertia? Just a moment.”

Elise clapped her hands a few times, and Bertia came running from afar.

But the problem was…

“…What are you doing?”

“…”

She was wearing the uniform of our academy’s nutritionist. Looking at Elise with a perplexed expression, she smiled brightly and replied,

“I thought she should be with me at the academy too, but the academy prohibits having dedicated servants, right? So, Bertia decided to work here.”

“I will make, delicious, meals for you.”

“…”

Judging by her choppy speech, she seemed quite reluctant to do it. There was even a bit of seasoning smeared on her once elegant cheek.

“Well, do as you please. Why is she so messed up?”

In response to my question, Bertia, now a cafeteria lady, began explaining at a rapid pace as if she had been waiting for this moment. She told me what had happened after I had knocked her down and why Elise had developed this mindset.

“…”

“Please, I beg you, bring our princess back to normal. She wasn’t like this originally!”

She was almost in tears now, demanding this from me.

But it didn’t seem like something I could handle.

“I’m already Master’s, so there’s nothing that can be done, Bertia.”

Elise spoke kindly as if a teacher instructing a student, but what she was saying was a mess, so it lacked any persuasiveness.

May and Rin glared at me as if telling me to explain.

But even I had no idea what was going on.

“Why are you mine?”

“Since I can’t have you, Master, if you have me, that should work.”

Her nonsense lacked any convincing power.

“No, ugh… forget it. But don’t call me Master. It makes me want to punch you.”

“Master!”

…Huh?

I complained with genuine annoyance, but the reaction from the other side was strangely different.

“Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master! Master!”

“You f*cking bitch, stop it!”

Unable to hold back any longer, May kicked Elise from the side. The cafeteria lady could have reacted, but instead, the corners of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

“Hey, doing that to her is like giving food to a pig.”

“Like that?”

“Yeah, like that.”

May stood between me and Elise, fuming.

Elise slowly got up and grumbled irritably.

“I didn’t want a reward from you.”

“She’s crazy, I’m telling you! Reward, my ass!”

The kid had really lost her mind.

Amidst the confusion that made my head ache, Rin slipped in beside me.

“Daniel, but what are you going to do about Michelle?”

As the now-sane Rin cautiously asked, I felt another headache coming on.

I had to ask for a favor, but I really didn’t want to.

Still, thinking of the child who had followed me around, calling me uncle, after her father’s arrest, I clenched my fist and spoke.

“Elise, can you do me a favor?”

“…”

Suddenly crossing her arms and turning her head away, Elise seemed to know what I wanted based on what had happened so far. Sighing, I spoke again.

“I’ll give you one command.”

“Yes! Yes! What should I do? Ah, it’s my first time receiving a command from someone, and it’s making my stomach tingle!”

I didn’t know why her stomach was tingling, but anyway…

“Have the royal family take in Michelle Portren. The child needs support not only for basic necessities but also for education.”

“Hmm, for something like that, there’s a secret project called the Royal Talent Development Institute. It would be perfect to put her there.”

The name alone sounded promising, so I nodded. They already owed us one for what happened in Bethel, so it shouldn’t be difficult.

“Understood. In return, may I ask one favor of you?”

“…What is it?”

I asked back with a suspicious expression, and Elise took something out of her bosom.

At first, I thought it was a necklace.

No, it was indeed a necklace if you could call it that.

A dog collar.

“Could you put this on me just once?”

“…”

“Let me go, I’m going to kill that bitch today!”

May shouted in anger and tried to rush over, but the cafeteria lady stepped in, apologizing.

It had been a tough day.

It was hard to grant Elise’s demanding request, and it was also hard to listen to the dean complaining about why I was late.

I finally met my sister after a long time, but she kept pestering me like an uncle, telling me to do well with the elf since I was popular.

I thought we would have a moving reunion, but instead, it just made my emotions deflate.

At least, thanks to Tana and Eve, I felt a bit more at ease, as if I had truly returned to the academy.

But the problem arose again in my room.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to sleep in your own room?”

“No! Since it’s my last day anyway, I’m going to sleep with Uncle!”

Hayun was trying to coax Michelle, but Michelle was being stubborn. Since she was set to go to the Royal Talent Development Institute tomorrow, it seemed she wanted to sleep together just for tonight.

“Well, just leave her be. It’s no big deal to sleep together for a day.”

Michelle was just a kid, wasn’t she?

Unlike Rin, I didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable about simply sleeping with a child.

“But I thought you’d be tired.”

“Thanks for your concern.”

Hayun seemed a bit flustered by my genuine gratitude, but she agreed and left.

It was already late at night.

I turned off the lights and lay down next to Michelle, who was already in bed.

“By the way, what kind of place is the Talent Development Institute?”

“Who knows? But they said there’s no need to worry about the facilities or treatment. They said it’s a place where only a small number of geniuses, cherished by the royal family, go.”

“W-Will I be able to do well in such a place?”

I chuckled at Michelle’s words and answered.

“You don’t need to do well. Just be yourself and come back.”

Knowing Michelle’s bright personality and ability to make people happy, I was confident that if she just acted as usual, she would be adored by many people there.

Hadn’t she made even the Sherpa, who had lived in the Demon Realm Forest, feel affection for her in just a week?

“I wish I could have stayed with you a bit longer, Uncle. It’s a shame.”

“We might meet again later, so don’t worry.”

“I hope so.”

“Yeah, I gathered enough medicinal herbs to last a few years, but if you run out, just contact me.”

“Okay.”

As we talked about this and that, Michelle fell asleep, hugging me tightly, and I stroked her head.

Unable to meet her father, her family had fallen apart, and now she had to go live in an unfamiliar place.

It was a harsh situation for an 8-year-old child, but I believed Michelle would overcome it and blessed her future.

Smack!

“Ah, what the…”

I frowned, removing the pillow that had suddenly hit my face. As I slowly detached Michelle, who had snuggled into my side, and got out of bed, a white-haired girl was standing in my room.

“Sen?”

“You came back yesterday, and you didn’t even greet me?”

She spoke sullenly.

We had worked together to resolve the incident in Bethel, but since I didn’t know the exact outcome, I thought she might be upset.

“You sleep well even with a woman by your side.”

“Is Michelle a woman? She’s just a kid.”

“A female is a female. Is she a male then?”

“She’s only 8 years old now, what are you…”

I stopped myself. “But last time, when Rin and I slept together, you didn’t say much, so why are you being so grumpy now?”

In Bethel, when Rin was feeling anxious, I let her sleep with me, but Sen didn’t say anything then, so why was she acting like this now?

Judging by the open window, it seemed she had entered through it.

‘This is kind of dangerous.’

Regardless of what Sen was thinking, I felt a sense of danger.

It was an unexpected ambush that I wouldn’t have imagined before.

Even if I had fallen into a deep sleep, as a Sherpa, I would have sensed the presence of any beast entering my territory and opened my eyes. But now, I felt my sharp senses, honed in the forest, dulling.

‘It’s certainly a more comfortable space compared to back then, but…’

Still, even if I had loosened up, this was too much.

My body was reaching its prime and growing stronger, but my senses seemed to be becoming duller.

As I pondered ways to sharpen my senses again, Sen muttered,

“The Chokugen Faction receives at least one request per week.”

“…And?”

I thought she was suddenly telling me about the Chokugen Faction, but Sen fidgeted with her feet and asked,

“It’s been two weeks since I received a mission from you…”

“…”

“It’s a bit, how should I say, boring.”

I thought she had progressed by changing her wording from “request” to “mission,” but it seemed she hadn’t fully broken out of that framework yet.

“I’ll have to talk to you after sending Michelle off.”

“Talk? With me? Is it a mission?”

“No, no! Just get out!”

She didn’t necessarily have to forge her own path.

If there were footsteps that had walked ahead of me, she could learn from them.

I really hated the idea, but…

“How the hell did Ares endure this?”

I never thought I would find myself seeking advice from Ares in my life.

[T/N: AHAHAHAHAHAH bro wtf even is this chapter im dyingggg.]

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