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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Had the demon summoning episode already begun?
Unfortunately, it was difficult to gauge the start of the episode using knowledge from the original work.
The school closure, which should have ended in less than a week with Karina’s wide-area healing, had continued for over two weeks.
Because the Hell Hound incident had already deviated from the original by killing a heroine and injuring many people, it was questionable whether the episode would progress the same way.
For example, if we consider that a victim who appeared in the original work, like Elena, had died during the Hell Hound incident.
They couldn’t kill a victim who was already dead, so the target would change.
That alone could twist the entire content of the episode.
It meant that the little information I knew could become useless scraps of paper.
Though it sounded cruel to think this way, relying solely on half-baked knowledge of the original work could lead to irreversible consequences.
…Should I start with an investigation first?
I needed to keep my eyes wide open and ears perked up.
I couldn’t know when the first disappearance signaling the start of the incident would occur.
The problem was that I wasn’t that sharp-eared.
Was there any way to do this?
“Johann? Why the long face?”
“…I was thinking about Elisa.”
“What, did you fall for her?”
I shook my head at Renny’s playful response.
Fall for her?
Who would fall for someone who calls people monsters?
My thoughts must have shown on my face, as Renny chuckled and said “I’m kidding” before putting a piece of jam-covered bread in her mouth.
“Fall for? Who?”
Millia, who was gobbling up bread with jam smeared around her mouth, immediately took the bait.
I picked up a tissue, which seemed oddly modern for this semi-medieval setting, and wiped Millia’s mouth while saying,
“Do you remember the female student we met at the restaurant last time?”
“Uh… the one who screamed ‘monster’?”
“Yes.”
“What about her?”
What’s with that reproachful look?
I swallowed a sigh at Millia’s sharper-than-usual attitude.
Why did things become so troublesome because of that one person?
“We met her on the way to see Karina. She fainted when she saw me.”
“She even wet herself…”
It was still unbelievable when I think about it.
Do I look that scary?
Okay, even I admit I have scars and burn marks on my face, so I might look scary, but wasn’t fainting crossing the line?
It was not like I looked like a zombie or something.
If I had a fragile mentality, I’d be curled up in a corner sobbing by now.
“Johann! It’s okay! I like Johann!”
“Ah, yeah… thanks.”
Could you speak a bit more calmly so bread crumbs don’t fly my way?
Unable to bear the unsightly sight, I placed my hand on Millia’s crown and turned her the other way.
“What’s wrong!”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“You won’t make friends at school if you do that?”
“No way!”
“I said close it.”
Only then did Millia close her mouth and chew.
Phew, finally some peace and quiet.
“Ugh, I’m full. Johann, if you’re done eating, follow me. I’ll tell you what you need to do as an escort knight.”
“Alright.”
“I want to come too!”
I looked at Renny.
She was now my senior and superior, so I couldn’t give permission on my own.
Millia seemed to understand this too, as she clasped her hands together and looked up at Renny pleadingly.
I didn’t think Renny would agree just because she acted cute like that…
“…Well, okay. But you can’t interfere, alright?”
“Okay! Thank you!”
A thin smile appeared on Renny’s lips.
Despite everything, Renny was also a member of the Millia fan club.
Though they had relatively less contact, seeing how Renny often handed over various snacks, it seemed she found Millia quite adorable.
It was like the position of everyone’s little sister.
Even Karina had taken good care of Millia after she survived the dungeon escape.
“Then let’s go right away.”
“You can eat more. There’s still some left, right?”
“I want to eat more!”
“Okay, okay.”
Millia diligently stretched out her arms and transferred three more pieces of bread to her plate.
As always, her appetite was terrifying.
I didn’t know how a dullahan’s stomach worked, but it must be incomparably larger than a normal person’s.
Though for that, her body wasn’t particularly big.
I thought this as I watched the bread being mercilessly swallowed by Millia’s mouth.
“I’m done eating! Let’s go!”
“I told you to close your mouth.”
“Hmph.”
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“Now, these are the sponsorship gifts for Lady Karina.”
“…There’s a hell of a lot.”
I glanced over the boxes piled up in one corner of the room.
Gift boxes of various sizes.
I didn’t know what was inside, but they probably weren’t cheap.
Considering the Saint’s reputation, they must be incredible items.
I was a bit curious about what might be inside.
“Karina receives a lot of gifts! I’m jealous… I want to receive gifts too!”
“I’ll buy you one when I get my salary or something.”
I didn’t know how much I’d get, but being the Saint’s escort knight, it shouldn’t be a meager salary, right?
I looked at Renny questioningly, and she shrugged and said,
“Don’t expect too much. Although escort knights have relatively high salaries, a lot of money goes into equipment maintenance… No, wait, you can repair equipment yourself, can’t you?”
“As long as it’s not magical equipment, I can.”
“I’m envious. Repairing broken armor and maintaining weapons costs quite a bit.”
“…Doesn’t a lot go towards alcohol?”
Renny scratched her head and averted her gaze at Millia’s words, who had tilted her head.
We had seen her drink about a bottle of alcohol a day, so why was she trying to lie?
And she even bought quite expensive-looking alcohol to drink.
If she drank a bottle every day like that, there was no way her salary would last.
Wasn’t she saving for retirement?
Was that okay?
Was she really living like an alcoholic with no regard for the future?
“…Don’t look at me like that! To begin with, I don’t get drunk even if I drink strong alcohol with just one bottle!”
Ah, I’m sure that’s the case.
Because you’re our esteemed senior with one of the most monstrous bodies.
“Anyway! From now on, we’re going to check each gift! Whether there are any dangerous items, any gifts sent by mistake, or any spoiled food! We’re going to open each gift box now! Begin!”
“Begin!”
As soon as Renny finished speaking, Millia raised her hand and shouted.
She seemed very excited about the prospect of opening gifts.
She really was capricious, but why are you looking at me?
Do you want me to do it too?
…I couldn’t refuse if Millia wanted to do it.
“…Begin.”
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“Johann! Look at this!”
Millia held out a small bottle in front of my eyes.
The bottle contained some unknown pinkish powder.
What could that be?
“Ah, that’s powder made from dried and ground azalea petals that have been infused with magic. It’s popular because when mixed with water and applied, it makes the skin firm.”
“If you use this, does your skin improve?”
“That’s right. It’s quite hard to get, but someone sent it as a gift. Want to try it?”
“Here!”
Renny took the bottle from Millia, opened the lid, and dipped her pinky finger in.
After her fingertip was buried in the powder, Renny pulled it out and examined the powder on her finger with intense focus.
“…It’s right. This is indeed azalea powder.”
Renny closed the bottle’s lid and placed it in the area where safe gifts were sorted.
It had already piled up that much?
No, come to think of it, for a third of those many gifts to be judged unsuitable… They were being quite picky.
By the way, what happened to gifts judged unsuitable?
There were all sorts of things from creepy-looking dolls to decorative items secretly coated with poison.
What kind of crazy people sent such things?
Wasn’t it probably mixed in by those Halphas Cult bastards?
“Renny. How do you handle items judged unsuitable?”
“Most of them are disposed of.”
“If they’re going to be disposed of, could I keep a few? There are some items that look quite useful-”
“…Don’t tell anyone else. Okay?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t know what you’re going to use them for, but I’ll assume it’s for a good cause.”
“Do I look like someone who would use them for bad things?”
“Well… I guess not.”
I was confident.
When I did cruel things, there was always a good reason for it.
It’s not like I do things like poisoning wells, right?
I don’t even push zombies into ponds.
“Renny, Renny, can I take one too?”
“Which one?”
“That doll! It’s cute!”
The doll Millia pointed to was a bear doll that was slightly misaligned with general sensibilities, looking vaguely unpleasant.
Upon Renny’s examination, it turned out to be a doll with a bead inside that had an eavesdropping spell cast on it.
So they do eavesdropping here too.
Well, eavesdropping is basic for information gathering, so it’s not surprising…
Anyway, since Renny had crushed the bead with the eavesdropping spell inside with her finger, there shouldn’t be any danger.
When Renny picked up the doll and handed it over, saying she could have it, Millia hugged the doll to her chest with joy.
“Thank you!”
“I’ll have to sew it up first, so hand it to me later.”
“Okay!”
“Then let’s start again. We still have a long way to go.”
Just as we were about to get back to work.
Knock knock knock.
The sound of someone knocking on the door automatically turned our heads towards it.
Who could it be? A servant?
“Who is it?”
“…Me.”
The voice was too quiet.
I made eye contact with Renny.
It wasn’t a servant.
“I’ll open it.”
Renny quietly gave permission by nodding her head instead of speaking.
I strode over the gift boxes scattered on the floor and grabbed the doorknob, turning it.
The door opened slowly.
Through the slightly opened door, I saw purple hair.
Huh?
“Hii, hiiik… I, uh, um, uh, um, ah… Pro-Pro-Professor Lennon…”
Hey, don’t cry.
Why are you acting like this towards me?
It suddenly makes me feel like I’ve become a total piece of trash!
I swallowed a sigh as I looked down at the purple-haired girl, no, Elisa, who was on the verge of tears.
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