Chapter 322

The hero has left. As a drifter, he’s probably wandering around aimlessly.

If the hero were to come our way, it would be reassuring, but unfortunately, he has this personality that hates to incur losses.

On top of that, he’s completely fed up with fighting demons. No matter what you offer him, he said he’d rather not deal with demons at all.

I was curious about what could have happened to the hero to make him act that way, but it seems he’s gone for good now.

‘All I have to do is help Luna level up.’

But even that will require satisfying certain special conditions. Luna has to earn her qualifications, after all.

Anyway, now that the hero is gone, all that’s left is the academy life. For now, that’s the most important thing.

While going through academy life, there will be opportunities for experiential learning in other countries, where all sorts of incidents are expected to unfold.

Moreover, the future has twisted dramatically. What if the academy collapse happens as scheduled?

Both outsiders and students would suffer greatly, leading to merged classes. At that point, Erica would be in the same class as me.

Right now, since there hasn’t been any chaotic outbreak, it’s highly likely that the classes will remain intact. The supervising professor will likely stay as well.

“How about deciding it with Rock-Paper-Scissors? That would be the most fair.”

“I met Sivar first; I can’t just give in, right?”

“By that logic, I kissed first.”

Forget all that; resolving this current mess is what’s most important. I wore an enlightened expression.

The women, fussing about who went first, were still bickering. This was already a powder keg waiting to blow, and that jerk hero just threw in a match and ran away.

In the past, it would have all been settled in a hurry, but not now. The hero brought up the topic of debts.

“Don’t I get a say?”

“Does Sivar bother us?”

“No, we like him.”

“Then wait a minute. We’ll handle it.”

I had no opinion in this. I quietly observed their argument.

If they accused me of disliking him, I could firmly say ‘no.’ Each of these women had distinct personalities.

With such women clinging to me, how could I possibly dislike it as a man? If I did, then I’d surely be either gay or a eunuch.

‘There’s no need to hesitate now…’

If it were the past, I would have refused because I had a place to go back to. But now, I have nowhere to return.

That means I can choose where to settle down in life.

‘Now that I think about it, this is strange. Did Gulrak lie?’

At the same time, I had doubts. Last time, Gulrak sent a divine spirit to persuade me.

He convinced me by saying there was a place for me to return to. That staying involved with Kara would only leave sadness for both of us.

Gulrak must have somewhat known my circumstances, so it felt a bit odd for him to say that.

But if he thought of me as a demon rather than a human, then it would make a bit of sense.

‘Did he think my place to return was on the demon side?’

It’s closer to the truth that he didn’t lie. Perhaps he was considering the circumstances at the time.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m planning to flit around like a playboy, messing with this woman and that. I’m not trash.

I was simply scared. The happiness I had grasped could easily be turned to nothing by someone else’s scheming.

There’s no guarantee that such a thing won’t happen again. First, I need to figure out who can reverse time.

‘Demons aside, there’s a lot to think about.’

I turned my head to look at someone. It was Rize, chatting with Rod.

She’s one of the few who knows everything about the future. So, she probably knows the truth.

I don’t even know what happened before my regression, but she knows it all. Even someone who’s not purple, but indigo.

‘Could it be Rize’s doing?’

Even if that’s the case, I still wouldn’t know the purpose. Nothing was certain.

No, there was one thing that was certain. Rize is the enemy of demons and someone who protects me.

I guess I’ll need to meet her separately and talk soon. Whether she’ll reveal the truth is uncertain.

I can just keep fitting the pieces of the puzzle together as I go along.

“Everyone. Since Sivar is having a tough time, why not calm down?”

As I was being pushed this way and that, Rize, having finished her chat with Rod, spoke up.

Her voice was full of strength, and the women, who had been arguing, quickly fell silent.

As soon as they quieted down, I sneaked out to sit by Rod. It was one of the safest spots.

Rod seemed to understand my feelings, gently patting my head with his usual warm smile. I felt relieved.

“I know how you all feel about Sivar. But this is too hasty.”

“Hasty, you say?”

“Yes. Just think of it—what would happen if a child suddenly appeared? There’s a mountain of things to do, and this is only a hindrance.”

That was a somewhat harsh thing to say, but it was also a callout of their mess. If we add more baggage here, it could be a disaster.

Everyone here will be a great asset in the future. They are essential not to the story.

If they were to be removed from the story, growth would slow down, and in the worst case, they’d completely fall off.

“As you all know, the demons are currently showing infinite interest in Sivar. Especially regarding his reproductive status.”

“Reproductive status… you say?”

“Oh, that demon named False or whatever mentioned something similar. He said they’d forcibly take me away and make me breed like a stallion.”

Kara said that as if she understood. The surprised expressions of Eli and Grace, hearing that for the first time, turned to her in shock.

In reality, False was indeed thinking of treating me like a breeding stallion. Solving one of the most urgent problems for demons.

But even that isn’t certain. Since I have color, no one knows if reproduction is possible or not.

“Kara is right. The moment something happens, the demons would stop at nothing to abduct Sivar. They’d also take whoever’s pregnant with Sivar’s child.”

“….”

“Now’s the time to think coolly. Even if that jerk…”

Rize started to say something but cleared her throat. She definitely almost cursed that jerk.

Just how much does she dislike him that even out of his presence, cursing would slip out so naturally? I found it admirable in a strange way.

“That guy spread strange rumors, but we need to be cautious now.”

“Shouldn’t we use protection?”

“….”

Eli’s question came off as rather desperate. Upon hearing it, Rize had a blank expression for a moment.

But it’s clear that it’s a no-go. Rize cleared her throat and firmly opposed it with a strong voice.

“No. Even with protection, there’s no such thing as 100% safety. Plus…”

“Plus?”

“You might do it only at first; later, it’ll be a hassle. People are all like that.”

That was an argument with a very high degree of persuasion. Just looking at the instant silence told me as much.

At first, they might use protection. But as time passes, it becomes tiring, and they look for new experiences.

Additionally, given the times, contraceptive technology isn’t very good either. Far from being safe.

“Saint.”

“Yes, Luna? Go ahead.”

“Excuse me, but that…”

Luna hesitated slightly. What confusion might she speak now?

It seemed to be something hard for herself to blurt out, considering she took a long pause. Then she carefully opened her mouth.

“….Is this not a personal experience?”

“What?”

“It seems like you’ve got that vibe…”

“….”

I thought momentarily that it was a very Luna-type slip of the tongue. Hearing that, I tilted my head in confusion.

Now that I think about it, that’s a valid thought. Although she added an ‘if’, it was a confident persuasion.

Especially the evidence that Rize froze in panic. She didn’t seem to know what to say.

Had Rize ever been this flustered? She never was when talking with False.

“Saint?”

“Y-yes?”

“Have you done it… before?”

Eli’s follow-up shot came right after. A question packed with various feelings.

Rize’s eyes trembled fiercely. It was a reaction that showed she was struggling with what to say.

I watched her reaction and tilted my head in confusion. Based on just that reaction, she might as well be advertising herself as an experienced person.

‘Was she always like this?’

At the same time, I felt puzzled. Rize as a Saint and Gwonseong as a very alien character trait.

So now I was even more curious. Just how strong was the person who connected with the Saint and Gwonseong Rize? I found myself wondering.

“Isn’t that not important right now?”

Rize attempted to dodge the situation. But it was a poor attempt at dodging.

Given the fact that she was already caught by Luna’s clutches, the attention was firmly focused on her.

“It might not be important, but I’m curious. Who is it?”

“That’s….”

“If you answer, I’ll listen to the Saint’s words.”

“….I’m sorry, but that’s a difficult topic to answer. But!”

Rize’s face turned noticeably red. Given the topic, it seemed quite embarrassing.

It was fresh to see Rize reacting this way. Even though she was Gwonseong, she still definitely had a feminine side.

Anyway, everyone was waiting for her answer. What kind of answer would Rize provide?

“I can only say that my body and heart are entirely devoted to that person. That’s all I can reveal.”

“Eh? What’s that?”

“Is that person really so great that the Saint would say that?”

Kara, disappointed, followed by Grace, asked seriously. The spark in her eyes showed sheer excitement.

Honestly, I was curious about that too. Who, how, and when stole Rize’s heart?

Rize clasped both her hands together upon hearing that question. A blush had spread across her face, which was indeed an odd reaction.

Thanks to that, everyone’s attention turned to Rize. Even Rod seemed interested.

After all, he once confessed and got rejected, so it made sense.

“….He was a good person, and he was cute.”

“Like Sivar?”

“Yeah.”

Rize answered immediately. Then, perhaps realizing something strange, she hurriedly shouted.

“….Huh?! No, no! Please ignore what I just said!”

“Okay, okay. Got it.”

“I think I get what kind of taste you have.”

The women were busily teasing Rize. It was unprecedented for her to be like this under duress.

Usually, Rize was the one barking orders, but only now could they dare tease her.

Moreover, it also served as proof that we had grown very close. Going forward, we would be exchanging much more between us.

“So just tell me when it was.”

“That, I can’t share either…”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a sensitive topic…”

Various teasing questions flew around, but…

“Was it good?”

“….”

Compared to Luna’s nuclear-level questions, it was still quite mild.

[Faith is increasing!]

You’re the best, Luna.

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