Bing!
So, soothing the sulking Jiang was quite the challenge.
“Want an 11-star sawtooth dagger?”
“I have a venomous goblin dagger.”
“How about a magic wand that shoots paralysis spheres?”
“I have gloves that shoot acid spheres.”
“How about a punching bag doll that makes you feel good when you hit it?”
“No need; I have Titosso.”
Jiang was determined not to accept anything I offered, almost like a pouting child!
“Hmph. I’m really sorry. Just let me off the hook once.”
“If you’re really sorry, you should go meet your mentor as soon as you get back.”
“Old man Ryu?”
“Yep.”
“Okay!”
With a face that said she would agree this one time, Jiang turned her head in a huff and secretly grabbed my hand.
If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging vigorously right now!
Chirp I really messed up by not downloading the DLC for major character beastkin!
“When friends sulk, they resolve it by greeting their mentor. Such a commendable friendship, but saying you want to see another mentor before the first one is a bit rude, isn’t it?”
“Professor Bronze, why are you here?!”
“Hmm. This is quite troublesome. It seems there’s something suddenly needed to be noted in the student records for advancement to the Upper Class for Second-Year.”
Bronze Professor’s sulking had repercussions that were on a whole different level compared to Jiang sulking!
Jiang could only get forgiveness after promising to take Bronze Professor’s classes and training again next year.
“So, about leaving, is it really necessary to go with the Emperor?”
“Hmm?”
“As I mentioned earlier, the Main Building must return a First-Year Oknodie safely to the Academy after stealing his affections as per the deal with Professor Destroyer.”
“Emperor Papa is not an enemy!”
“Do you really think everything he’s done is righteous?”
“He’s not a good person, but he’s not a bad papa!”
“… Compared to the Director, any man in the world could be considered better.”
More than that, it would feel bad to leave Emperor Papa behind after coming all the way together!
“Professor, would you like to meet the new papa too?”
“Meeting the Emperor in the secret Underground World he’s hidden for so long, while no one knows on the surface… even a hundred lives would be insufficient.”
“But, Professor, you’re a rogue!”
“True, but… ”
“If you steal the Emperor Papa’s evil heart, isn’t that the most righteous robbery in the world?”
Veterans know the right keywords to provoke other veterans.
Ding ding!
You want to do this, don’t you?
Since ancient times, there’s been no more certain way.
Like a climber needing to climb a mountain to ease their spirits, a thief would get all itchy to steal when presented with a tempting treasure right in front of them.
And lo and behold, Bronze Professor’s hands began to twitch eagerly from a child-sized posture, her cheeks were all twitchy!
“Well, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to! Emperor Papa likes me, so he might get robbed by my hands someday. It’s said that apprentices generally surpass their masters, right? Hehe.”
Bam!
There you go, you’re washed-up now.
What mentor would calmly take that?
Definitely none.
A dangerous light sparkled in Bronze Professor’s two eyes.
“Oh, my. You’ve grown a lot since I last saw you, First-Year Oknodie. To dare speak such impudent words before the Main Building.”
“Not that what I said is entirely incorrect.”
“Let me ask you a quiz. Historically, the Hiuqmag family, to which the Emperor belongs, has managed the Empire for generations. But one emperor in particular has remained in power for an exceptionally long time. Do you know the reason?”
I might sometimes forget being outside the Academy, but the basic premise of this game world is “Graduating from the Academy with luck.”
Naturally, outside Academy stories are about encountering challenges related to graduation.
Unless it’s a quest linked to the Graduation Project, it doesn’t really matter.
Why has the Emperor ruled the Empire for centuries?
Strong individuals generally have a long lifespan.
That must be the reason.
I’ve never seriously thought about it.
Mana is simply another form of life force.
It’s only natural that beings with transcendent mana, like the Emperor, would live for hundreds of years.
“Those who are strong originally live long!”
“Do you think the First-Year Oknodie would believe that the Emperor’s strength was diligently trained solely through effort?”
“… Is there another reason?”
“There’s actually a rumor. Historically, there has only ever been one Emperor in the Empire.”
“Eh?”
Year 982 of the Empire.
A person age of 982?
There’s a big difference between 300 years and 982 years.
The Emperor is human, right?
Even the strongest humans struggle to exceed a lifespan of 500 years, right?
“How is that possible?”
“It’s said since time immemorial, the placenta is particularly effective for health improvement.”
“Placenta? Do you eat that?”
“First-Year Oknodie, don’t model the unpleasant parts after the Emperor. The placenta is an organ that supplies nutrition from a pregnant organism to the child.”
“Tasty?”
“Do you want to be treated as a wicked vampire?”
“I was just curious about the collecting effect…”
Now in child-sized Bronze, the professor kept folding her draping clothes with one hand while speaking.
“The Empire’s taboo includes facilities for cultivating Homunculi. It’s a place where someone with the same curiosity as you, First-Year Oknodie, can consume numerous placentas for a long time.”
“Wow.”
“But the lifespan of a Homunculus isn’t long. While they are born with pure mana, acquiring the resistance to it is not easy. Most die within a year. Therefore, a Homunculus must serve their purpose as a sacrifice within the year for efficiency, which is why the Empire has made it a taboo.”
“I see! My knowledge has increased!”
“However, there are occasionally individuals who surpass one year. Cases of beings becoming Homunculi either congenitally or after some time gaining resistance are present among your peers, First-Year Oknodie.”
“Who is it?”
“The fusion lifeform Kasia from Group C.”
Wow! You know the playable character Prince Hector from the small country of Troy who’s at the crossroads!
We’ve exchanged pleasantries at the beginning of the semester, and when an event pops up later, we usually pass by each other for quests.
“Have you ever thought of this?”
“What kind of thought?”
“Even failed short-lived Homunculi are used for placenta supply, sacrifice, and human experimentation—just think of all the uses an immortal long-lived Homunculus could have that survived their doomed fate.”
“…!”
“There exists dark secrets and madness that you are not aware of within the Empire and the previous Emperor. Merely uncovering a fragment of his wicked heart could reveal unimaginable evil that cannot be compared with anyone, not even the Foundation’s Director, who appeared later than the Emperor.”
Gulp.
Uh, honestly, I just got a little scared just now.
“Now, understanding this situation, let me ask you again. Stealing the wicked heart of such an Emperor—would you still like to recommend that to the Main Building?”
After pondering for what felt like three blinks of the eyes, I replied.
“Should we just run away?”
Bronze Professor chuckled lightly and led the way.
“Historically, the sanctuaries of races differ between the realms of the civilians who conduct ceremonies and the realms of the priests who preside over them. Inside the Ancient Book Museum, there are likely other exits.”
In the flow of such a conversation, I couldn’t possibly head to Emperor Papa.
Jiang quietly held my hand and followed along.
“Oknodie, you’re really not taking anything other than the treasure of Enhancing Rights?”
“I have to put down what I brought!”
“Why?”
“Isn’t the Emperor strong enough to fool even vampires into thinking they’re just vampires?”
“Indeed.”
“Could someone who can control the aura of vampires fail to read the aura of objects created by vampires?”
Jiang pondered for a moment and then pulled out some books she secretly stashed inside her clothing.
But why on earth did she bring a child’s diary?
Receiving attention, Jiang eagerly stroked the surface of the child’s diary.
“Reflections and a lifetime, hungry little creatures… This ancient book must surely detail the reasons vampires are trapped in the Underground World. It would be a nice treasure to gather on the side.”
“…”
The fact that this is a child’s diary must be kept a secret until the grave!
[Sinful Crossroads]
[Purity Proof]
[A Door That Only Virgins Can Pass]
A path that requires low sin levels.
A room where the total amount of mana in the blood must be high.
Those who have shared in love can’t pass through the door.
Unlike the Ancient Book Museum, which is opened widely for priests to enter, there were surprisingly many conditions for getting through here.
Even I, who enjoyed DLC content and house looting, had no reason to pass through the back door, so I wasn’t aware of this space.
“Unexpected, isn’t it? I thought I couldn’t pass through here.”
“Right?”
“Oknodie, it’s unexpected that you managed to get through!”
Sinful Crossroads.
Jiang pointed out that I passed through a path I shouldn’t have been able to cross due to my high sin levels.
It’s true, there were plenty of dark pasts—ranging from bad kids to terrifying ones.
Ugh… Jiang, don’t do that!
“Vampires have always been a prized race. All constraints of the clan don’t apply to children.”
“So?”
“Probably, in the standards of the vampire clan, beings classified as children can freely enter all facilities. It’s also why our instructor maintains this youthful form.”
I inadvertently looked back at the virgin-only door I just passed through.
So, it’s not that the professor passed because she’s a virgin, but rather because of her youthful appearance…?
“Professor, I have a serious request, Oknodie!”
“Speak.”
“Can I also pass through that door when I become an adult?”
“Sure.”
“Phew, I was counting on you, Professor!”
“In the standards of the vampire clan, a child is considered anyone under 100 years old.”
“…”
“Unless you exceed 2 meters in height, from a vampire’s perspective, humans will always seem like children who can never grow up, no matter how long they live.”
That’s…
The professor’s purity seems to be an unknown realm.
Feeling demoralized, as I exited, the Okashii-ne elder fanned me.
“Thank you for your hard work on the long journey, Princess. Would you like some fresh air?”
“Thank you, Okashii-ne!”
I glanced back at the exit I had just come from.
It was definitely a different entrance than the one I came in.
But why was the Okashii-ne elder here?
