Chapter 162
"......"
I gazed at the opposite side.
Rusca Beniti.
The boy who suddenly came saying he would warn me was just glaring at this side quietly.
His coldly sunken blue eyes resembled some winter.
It was a gaze flowing hostility knowingly or unknowingly.
'An uncomfortable atmosphere.'
Silence surging.
Though I fiddled with the teacup, I constantly paid attention to the other side.
I didn't let my guard down as it was a sudden visit.
The boy had barged in without any particular notice.
-I came because there's something I must warn about.
-It's related to my sister.
Moreover, he even added meaningful words.
I couldn't just pass it by.
'In the end'
An alley with few people.
We were facing each other on a shadowy road.
We had moved locations so there would be no listening ears.
There was no better environment for having a secret conversation.
I slightly opened with a preface.
"So, what is the content you want to warn about?"
"...I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
Rusca couldn't answer immediately.
He just furrowed his brow.
Perhaps he needed time to organize his thoughts?
The boy repeated deep breaths several times, then began to speak the words he had held.
His voice contained faint wavering unlike usual.
"There's no use dragging it out."
"If the Young Lord is hesitating to this extent... it surely isn't a light matter."
"Yes. I'll speak briefly since someone might hear."
"That's what I hoped for."
Shimmering pupils.
The boy spoke along with crossing gazes.
"Our house has started paying attention to you."
"You mean House Beniti...?"
"Yes. But it's not attention in a positive sense."
"I haven't done anything to incur hostility from the ducal house."
"That doesn't matter. The important part is that your name has been added to the list."
"What is this list? No, before that... what exactly is the attention you're talking about, Young Lord?"
"I can't answer that now."
Rusca closed his mouth at important parts.
It seemed to be due to restrictions placed by his house.
I had expected it from the start, but it was a question thrown to confirm.
Anyway, I had roughly understood what the boy wanted to convey.
'Attention... has the time for them to move already come?'
I inferred the situation in my head.
The original story played back quickly.
Meanwhile, the boy who had become pale continued his voice calmly.
But I just continued acting as if I didn't know the situation.
"Is there a reason you're telling me this?"
"Because my sister is involved."
"The Young Lady...?"
Rusca's way of speaking had parts that were strangely annoying.
He threw bait as if it was very serious, but closed his mouth about the core.
Probably because of restrictions.
'A way of speaking strangely reminiscent of the dean.'
It was fortunate I knew the original work, otherwise I would have been frustrated.
I threw a question while pretending to be calm.
"Then, what do you want me to do, Young Lord?"
I asked about his intentions.
If he threw such a serious matter, it meant he had a role he wanted from me.
Rusca's pupils enlarged at the question, piercing the core precariously.
He who sweated coldly for a moment soon answered.
"...Protect."
The boy's blue eyes wavered transparently.
It was an infinitely serious gaze.
"Please, protect my sister."
I couldn't help but sense it even if I disliked it.
A story where cracks were forming precariously.
It was the moment when the butterfly effect I had carelessly caused was finally returning as a storm.
An invisible tsunami was surging towards the world's future.
***
My head was complicated.
Was it because of Rusca's sudden warning?
I had to be lost in thought for a while.
A cool tension circled between my spine.
'If it's House Beniti... something is happening after all.'
It was quite a headache-inducing topic.
Even if I had knowledge of the original work, the future to come was close to unknown.
It was a part even I with thousands of playthroughs of experience couldn't be certain about.
The main story had twisted too severely to predict tomorrow.
'Butterfly effect.'
The original work had greatly deviated from now.
Originally, half the characters should have died, and the academy should have collapsed too.
Moreover, it was a time when the [Usurpation War] happening in the underworld should have been in full swing.
I had broken such thick stems one by one.
It would be strange if there was no reaction coming back.
-Our house has started paying attention to you.
I received a meaningful warning amid that.
It was a part that was difficult for me to ignore.
Moreover, if it was House Beniti, they were a force that appeared as evil in the original work too.
I had to infer the future while combining the given information.
As I walked lost in thought like that, suddenly someone's voice grasped my sleeve.
It was none other than the pilot.
"Young Lord? Are you alright?"
"Ah... Miss Regia."
"Th-that, you've seemed unwell since earlier."
"Of course I'm fine. Thank you for worrying."
We were crossing the academy street.
Beside the fluttering pink hair, the vain girl and fox were standing too.
We were in the process of returning to our respective dormitories after attending class together.
The imperial princess sisters had returned first saying they had separate business, and Master was in the midst of handling work.
Therefore, only the four of us were on the way home.
'How should I say it?'
It was a composition reminiscent of early last year.
A time when everything was still clumsy.
We used to spend our academy life constantly in four back then.
It was strange that 1 year had passed.
I muttered casually towards the pilot.
"Time really flies."
"Th-that's right... the entrance ceremony feels like just yesterday, but we're already in our second year..."
"Happy days always pass quickly."
Small talk continued lightly.
As we passed time briefly, suddenly something shining caught my eye.
It was none other than a ring worn on the pilot's ring finger.
I, who recognized what it was, spoke inadvertently.
"The ring... you've been wearing it constantly."
"Ah? Y-you remembered...?"
"Of course. Well, I'm the one who put it on, aren't I?"
A few months ago.
It was a ring that dropped as a reward when we finished the side story episode.
I had no particular need for it, so I handed it over.
It seemed she had been wearing it without forgetting since then.
[EP???. How to Cross the Desert]
-A door opening in the sky, a boy watching the stars-
A stage infamous for its hellish difficulty.
As such, the reward that came back wasn't disappointing.
'Accessory, Ring of Fate.'
An item that could block 1 attack directed at the player regardless of what kind of attack.
Though it had the drawback of disappearing after use, in the original work it was an accessory excellent enough to endure Yuda's [Liar].
It could be considered the final item in consumable categories.
Regia blushed as if embarrassed.
"Th-that's... because it's an item the Young Lord gave me as a gift. I'm always cherishing it precious."
"I'm glad you said that."
How can she speak so prettily?
I stroked her pink hair with an admiring heart.
The girl accepted the touch obediently though flustered.
"Yo-Young Lord...?"
"Please make sure to keep it with you from now on. Don't forget it or lose it."
I added a few words of request.
Now we were at the stage before the final chapter.
As it wouldn't be strange for anything to happen, it was a time when it would be good to have even one countermeasure.
Especially since Regia was the weakest in terms of force excluding summoning magic.
Measures were needed so she could respond in emergencies.
In short.
"Because it will protect Miss Regia someday."
This ring was a minimum safety device.
The girl who had been listening blankly soon nodded along with a fresh resonance.
Though I didn't know in what sense she took my request, her expression was bright.
Judging by the flush shimmering on her cheeks, it seemed hot.
But the girl just fiddled with the ring on her ring finger.
"Yes...! I'll definitely do that!"
"You're really admirable."
Voices going back and forth calmly.
As I appreciated the freshly returning reactions, suddenly stinging gazes were felt from both sides.
It was none other than Emilia and Irene who were returning home together.
I had forgotten because I was focused on conversing with Regia.
They were glaring at this side with chilly gazes.
Displeased looks were evident in their expressions.
"Hmm... it's an interesting story? To receive such a gift already."
"I didn't expect that side to get ahead."
Ring.
A ring placed on the ring finger at that.
Moreover, a ring I had even put on directly.
It was content sufficient to draw surrounding attention.
I had to include excuses that weren't excuses along with a troubled smile.
The coldly sunken atmosphere cooled the heat on my spine.
"There's a slight misunderstanding about this..."
"If you think you can gloss over it as a misunderstanding, I don't want to hear."
"You wouldn't do that, right? That would mean you played with a commoner conversely."
"Even if he's a pervert, he wouldn't say such things."
"He shouldn't be that terrible a person."
"......"
Deals hitting without breathing.
Honestly there were many unfair parts, but I didn't think of opening my mouth.
Because I knew I would be swayed more if I did.
I just continued a bitter smile.
"B-but... if he puts on a ring, does that mean th-that kind of meaning?"
"The quiet cat climbs on the kitchen counter first."
So it was that kind of interest after all.
Regia, who had been watching the situation, had a face hot enough to burst.
Like that, when the girl stepped forward to explain...
Suddenly the fox who approached cut off her words.
"Wait a moment! Th-this isn't like that..."
"I don't care either way."
Grab-.
Irene suddenly snatched my arm.
I tilted my head blankly.
"Miss Irene...?"
A doubtful call.
The girl's actions that followed were unexpected by anyone.
She grasped this side's hand and brought it close to her lips.
Then her closed mouth opened slightly.
And then.
Chu...
She hid my finger in her mouth.
A sensation dyed dampness.
It was exactly the part where the ring finger was located.
The sudden moisture, hot temperature, soft texture of her tongue were transmitted as they were.
Even in the situation where her lips fully covered my finger, the fox met my gaze nonchalantly.
An eye-smile curving bewitchingly.
Crunch-.
Hard teeth gently bit my finger.
A sensation pressing lightly as if stimulating the ring finger.
Moreover, her tongue gently wrapping around softly moved as if licking candy.
The saliva playing stickily at my fingertip made me feel the girl's existence.
It was an addictive warmth.
"......"
Silence flowed nearby.
As everyone couldn't come to their senses at the sudden situation, Irene soon pulled out my finger as if nothing had happened.
A watery straight line stretched long between her tongue tip and fingertip.
A clear tooth mark remained on the ring finger that had been bitten for a while.
A round mark as if engraving a ring.
It was truly a blasphemous sight.
The girl just smiled leisurely.
"This is enough for me."
Tooth marks embedded like a ring.
It seemed she was saying this was a substitute for the real thing.
The fox wiped the saliva spread on her lips.
"......"
At this point there was a part I became curious about.
Was she really a beastkin?
Wasn't she closer to a demon appearing in some myth, or a succubus-like race?
Her seductive voice made everyone watching blank.
Silence sinking in somewhat impure heat.
What broke that was none other than the vain girl who had been stiff all along.
She shouted as if shocked by Irene's behavior.
Her white face was quite reddened.
Her wavering blue eyes rebuked the person before her eyes.
"Y-you...! H-h-how! Such a sh-shameless act in public...!"
"It doesn't particularly matter, right? There's only us around anyway."
"Even so, h-how could you do something so u-undignified...!"
Emilia even stuttering her words.
Perhaps because her head was in a mess, even composing sentences didn't seem easy.
Her forehead boiling hot to the point of steaming even gave the illusion of smoke coming out.
Was it because she was from a noble house?
She was always powerless when it came to this kind of topic.
Sometimes to the extent of wondering if she was more hopeless than Regia.
"Uu, uwaah... finger, tongue, t-tooth marks..."
Of course.
Regia wasn't fine either.
Her likewise reddened complexion clearly revealed her agitation.
The fox who had anticipated such reactions just smiled as if victorious.
I could only heave a quiet sigh.
"...Puhu."
Afterwards, some laughter followed.
Shaking my head meant it couldn't be helped.
It took quite a long time to calm the two people who had fallen into confusion.
***
Meanwhile,
The labyrinth located under the academy.
In the space where shadows had set gloomily, several footsteps were crossing the path.
They were all people with blood-red robes fluttering behind their backs.
Demonic energy extending stealthily implied their existence.
'Baob.'
In other words, those called black magicians, or heretics.
Gloomy air flowed between walls and walls.
As they moved their feet like that, suddenly a question was heard.
It was a question that came to the robe leading the group at the front.
"Tombkeeper. We'll arrive at the destination soon."
"Confirmed. Base camp. Set up. Around here."
"But... isn't this too close to the academy building? The faculty might notice signs..."
"Impossible. Absolutely."
Tombkeeper (gardien d'une tombe).
The man called that revealed a firm denial.
He was asserting it would never be grasped.
This could be thought arrogant, but it couldn't be said to be wrong thinking.
No matter how much the faculty side noticed the labyrinth's existence.
Time was needed to grasp the internal structure.
Especially if they tried to find out the 'hidden path' they used, it would take at least half a year.
It was a path the heretics found after nearly 100 years of digging.
"No one. Among faculty. Can see through. Labyrinth."
The Tombkeeper's assertion wasn't limited to just the faculty.
It would be impossible no matter who came from the continent.
Because this place wasn't a simple labyrinth.
This was a product of destruction and records built in ancient times.
As its structure itself was different from modern magic, spatial interpretation couldn't be established.
There are reasons why ancient relics are called 'mysteries'.
The member nodded at the Tombkeeper's explanation.
"In a few days. Operation. Execute."
A dark red banner disheveled.
The Tombkeeper rummaged in his sleeve with trembling hands.
Then one parchment spread out evenly.
"Everyone. Grasp. The target."
It was a picture.
A portrait containing some student's face.
The Tombkeeper muttered chillingly.
"Power of dragon... This child will soon. Become substitute for death dragon."
In the picture they had stabbed a knife into, there was a pink-haired girl.
None other than Regia Philertz.
She was the protagonist forming this world.
"Galimar. Collapse too. Will be like a moment."
The robe humming an eerie tune.
That melody was a funeral song for the dead who would soon arise.