Chapter 321

With the situation sort of resolved, all that’s left is to spread this good news far and wide.

The people who know about Rod’s condition now include the current staff, plus Grace and Kara.

“Sivar! You’re back!”

“Yeah. I’m here.”

I was the first to return to the dormitory and bumped into Grace. She lit up the moment she saw me.

Honestly, it was kind of adorable how she ran over and hugged me. I hadn’t seen her in a while, so who could blame her for being so excited?

“Sniff… sniff… ah…”

“Uh…?”

“This sweet smell… it must be you, Sivar. Even with your hair color changed, the scent remains the same.”

While I appreciate the compliment, recognizing someone by their smell? Talk about awkward. I grimaced a bit.

This kind of clinginess is usually Eli’s thing. Grace sticks to lighter physical contact.

Well, even if there’s nobody around, it looks like she’s been pretty bored lately.

‘But sweet smell? That’s a bit…’

It’s probably just because I just took a shower. I can let that slide.

Realizing her own embarrassing display, Grace slowly pulled back after a moment.

She cleared her throat, her face beet-red and sheepish—definitely an unusual reaction for her.

“Hm. Hm. Please forget that just now. It’s all Sivar’s fault.”

“My fault?”

“Yes! I can’t sleep at night because you’re not around.”

It was outrageous, yet I couldn’t help but find it somewhat understandable. Plus, she never usually blames others.

Just seeing her pass the buck like that told me her earlier behavior was pretty embarrassing. It must have slipped out without her even realizing it.

I wasn’t bothered by it though, knowing her personality.

“Grandpa is all better. Let’s go.”

“Really? Did you find Sehon Ice Grass?”

“Nope. I’ll show you in person.”

Honestly, it’s way better to see it firsthand than to just talk about it. I started walking with Grace.

Tap-tap—

“Meow. Meow.”

“Oh, Neoburi! You’re here too? Come along.”

Just when I was about to head outside, Neoburi jumped into Grace’s arms. The little one bounced with excitement just before she picked him up—it was too cute!

I stared at Neoburi nestled against Grace, and then a thought popped into my mind.

“What’s Neoburi been up to? Did he eat?”

“Um… can you trust me if I say he ate just fine?”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

He’s a smart little guy, so he probably handled everything himself. As I recall, he even peeled apples by himself.

Not a raccoon, but a raccoon can handle using its thumbs quite well.

Plus, Neoburi is pretty clever on his own, so I bet he managed just fine.

-Screech

“Huh?”

“Yeah?”

Just as we stepped outside, the owner of the next room peeked in.

It was Danyerin. She was still stunning, but oddly enough, she had dark circles under her eyes.

Normally, dark circles can ruin a gorgeous look, but her aura was giving off a strangely alluring vibe.

“…Sivar? Is that really you?”

Danyerin’s eyes went wide in disbelief as she stared at me.

I just waved to say hello. Before leaving, I had explained the general situation to her.

However, I didn’t mention Rod’s condition; I just said something about a precious person who had fallen ill.

“Hey.”

“Are you back?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Nope.”

“That’s a relief.”

Danyerin sighed in relief, but her exhausted appearance was pretty evident.

It was clear she had accumulated quite a bit of fatigue. It looked like she hadn’t slept much during that time.

Usually, around this time, rebellions would be raging across the Hwan Empire. Even though she was at the academy, Danyerin must have sensed the signs too.

‘Lee Yeon-joo must have given her some info.’

It’s likely that Danyerin has been under the constant threat of assassination every night. It makes sense why she’d be sleep-deprived.

While I was lost in thought, Danyerin’s gaze drifted away from me to Grace, who was holding Neoburi.

Danyerin stared at Grace for a bit, then a strange smile crept onto her face. Those dark circles somehow made her look even more captivating.

“Have you gotten what you wanted?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good news! By the way, where are you two headed?”

“I’ve got a quick visit to make.”

Grace spoke up first, sensing something from Danyerin’s smile.

Danyerin nodded at that and, with her charming voice, asked, “Could I join you for a bit? I have a quick errand too.”

“I don’t see why not…”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Grace accepted a bit hesitantly. Danyerin, still smiling, then moved closer to my side.

She could’ve stood next to Grace, but she chose to stick next to me instead. It would make anyone suspicious from Grace’s perspective.

But since it was Danyerin, maybe that’s why Grace still looked a bit uncertain.

“White hair suits you well. You look good in anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Was it tough over there? I’ve heard Frozen is famous for its extremely cold weather.”

“Not really tough. Just took a long time.”

Danyerin seemed to finally open up about what she hadn’t had the chance to share before. On the other hand, Grace had gone quiet.

Regardless, they weren’t going to the Rod’s Residence together, and would likely part ways shortly after meeting anyway.

“I hate to ask, but could you invite me to dinner tonight? It’s been a while since I’ve had your cooking.”

“I’m cool with that. What about you, Grace?”

“Yeah, I guess… why not?”

But it didn’t seem like it was that straightforward.

Whether accidental or intentional, just as we were nearing our destination, we parted ways.

Grace looked back at Danyerin’s receding figure, tilting her head in confusion.

“Was that a coincidence?”

“Um…”

It seemed like she was slowly entering the suspicion stage. Honestly, she was a bit slow on the uptake.

Grace wasn’t totally oblivious; she was quicker than most. Still, Danyerin had a knack for playing mind games.

While Danyerin was raised in a cutthroat environment where social skills were essential, Grace had been walking a flower path.

Yet, she wasn’t completely blind to the signals. The question now was how Danyerin would play it.

-Creak

“We’re here.”

“Oh! You made it!”

As soon as I stepped inside, a familiar voice hit my ears right away. It was right in front of me.

At the same moment, a hand grabbed my cheek. It was such a strong grip, my lips were squished like a fish’s mouth.

“Do you have any idea how much I missed you? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Your hair has turned white! But you still look cute!”

It was Kara. Her radiant smile combined with her rich, golden-brown skin made her incredibly charming.

She was so delighted that she started squishing my face like dough. I stood still, letting her have her fun.

“What are you doing?! Get your hands off me!”

Of course, that wasn’t something Grace would let slide. She jumped in shock, vigorously protesting.

But Kara just brushed her off, continuing to mess with my face, her bright white teeth gleaming in her smile.

There was a bit of a ruckus, but everyone who knew Rod’s condition had gathered. Now, it was just about sorting out our plans.

Those present knew about the demon’s twisted schemes and were gearing up for what was next.

“Huh? Why is she here?”

“Do you know me?”

At that moment, the hero looked at Grace with a puzzled expression. Naturally, Grace looked just as puzzled.

The hero stared at her for a while before gesturing for Rize to come over. It seemed like he had something to discuss privately.

Rize briefly frowned but then moved closer to the hero. I leaned in a bit to listen.

“Hey. Isn’t that girl not supposed to be here?”

“That’s a problem Sivar solved.”

“Really? I mean, it’s not a big deal.”

It seemed he was referring to some pre-regression event. Initially, Grace should have been out of the story altogether.

Given that he didn’t openly say so, it seems he wasn’t one to gossip about matters of history.

At any rate, since everyone was there, discussions about our plans soon got underway, primarily focusing on the demon.

“As long as Sivar is here, the demons will continue their attempts to invade.”

“That’s true, but the global situation isn’t looking good either. The academy’s neutrality has been somewhat compromised.”

Had the academy collapsed as planned, the world would have been plunged into chaos.

There would have been a hellscape of madness where people would be killing each other left and right, with countless lives lost.

Even if the demons were found responsible, it wouldn’t matter. The tension had been simmering and would boil over into all-out conflict.

“The situation in the Eastern Empire isn’t looking great either. Rumors of rebellion are spreading here and there.”

“Could that be the demons’ doing?”

“Not sure… I can’t say for certain.”

In fact, the demons tend to leave the world alone, except for the beginning and end.

Why meddle when the world is already on the verge of self-destruction, right? But now, things have changed.

The bombs that didn’t detonate were likely going to explode by their hands now. It was all in the cards.

‘I’ll probably stay at the academy until the first semester of the second year.’

From the second semester onward, we’d be visiting different countries under the guise of experiential learning. That’s likely when things would go down.

And I know the future entirely. Even in an altered future, there are unchanging truths that exist.

If I adjust things one by one with that knowledge, we should avoid major problems. Plus, I’ve got strong allies on my side.

“Uh…?”

“Um…?”

“Huh? What’s up?”

Not actually. I shook my head as I stared dumbly at Luna.

I wasn’t sure if I could trust this clueless girl with the story. But hey, she’s the protagonist, so it should be fine.

Anyway, even though we shared a few ideas, we weren’t coming up with any brilliant plans just yet. Not knowing what the demons would do was the biggest issue.

Asking the hero wouldn’t be helpful either; he’s not one to just spill the beans without compensation.

“First, you all should focus on your studies. But we need to meet here every weekend for meetings.”

“That sounds like the best option.”

“I agree.”

We decided to focus on our studies but report anything unusual as it comes up.

Just as the meeting seemed to be winding down, the hero raised his hand, stating he had something to say.

Everyone turned to look at him when it was the hero standing up to speak. We all knew what he was about to say, after all.

“It’s nothing big, but there’s a debt to collect from this guy.”

The hero pointed at me, and I honestly had no clue why he brought that up now.

I tilted my head in confusion, and then the hero dropped a bombshell.

“To collect that debt, this guy needs to lose his virginity first. Who’s it gonna be?”

“What…?”

“Eh?”

“W-What do you mean…?”

Unsurprisingly, everyone was taken aback. The hero’s blunt statement shifted the atmosphere to one of sheer awkwardness.

But he was dead serious. He started explaining roughly to the flustered group.

“As I said, it looks like you all like him.”

“Uh…?”

“The general idea is…”

The hero went into more detail about everything that had happened so far.

The girls who initially seemed flustered gradually turned more serious as time passed.

And then…

“Well, it looks like it’s unavoidable. Since I’m living with him, I guess I should be the one to…”

“Don’t say nonsense. Who do you think you are pushing in ahead?”

“Kara, you know? I have my own scars to bear.”

“That one’s expiration date has ended. You’re not just covering the scars, you’re trying to have surgery now.”

Things went haywire. I was left utterly dumbfounded witnessing this chaos unfold at lightning speed.

Could it be that this was all on purpose? I glanced at the hero. If anyone could do something like that, it’d be him.

Seeing this situation boil over, the hero scratched his cheek.

“Uh… did I say something wrong?”

“Uh…?”

Rize looked on with a face that read sheer disappointment.

******

After the commotion died down somewhat, the hero called Luna over before leaving.

At first, I thought they might be having some teacher-student chat, but that wasn’t it.

“As your teacher, I need to give you some advice before I go.”

“Advice?”

“Yeah. This might be related to that guy over there.”

The hero nodded, directing her gaze toward Sivar, who was surrounded by girls getting fondled left and right.

Mostly they were pinching his cheeks, making him look like an innocent little kitten. It was obvious he was being showered with affection.

“Remember this, my student: for that guy, red and purple are just a hair’s breadth apart.”

“A hair’s breadth apart?”

“Yep. He’s standing right on the edge of a cliff. Just a little push, and he could fall into purple.”

The hero said something cryptic, and Luna blinked in confusion.

The hero chuckled softly and gently patted her on the head.

“You might not understand what I mean now, but someday you will.”

“I…?”

“Whether he falls off that cliff or stays put will depend on you.”

Right after she heard that, Luna responded instantly.

“Can’t we just pull him back?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t understand why you’re telling me to push him.”

“Um…?”

That was a stark contrast to what the hero said. He seemed at a loss for words after hearing her response.

But then he chuckled again and gave her shoulder a friendly pat. I felt a hint of pride stir within me.

“If that’s how you see it, then I guess that’s how it is.”

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