Nicasia, upon learning that Lady Jepar’s scheme was to reunite with her deceased daughter, promised us without hesitation that she would convince the middle school vice principal.
Nicasia’s judgment wasn’t wrong. If she could persuade the faculty, she could definitely stop Lady Jepar’s scheme.
“Sorry I couldn’t bring good news, Murmur…”
Nicasia, who had entered Venus Hall with a confident expression, returned to us with a clouded face.
“It’s okay. Nicasia did her best. Murmur knows that well.”
“But still… I spoke so confidently, and now I feel so embarrassed.”
Nicasia crouched down in front of us, holding her knees with a gloomy expression.
Our princess, filled with anger and a sense of justice, was truly impressive.
Even I, who knew this wouldn’t be resolved this way, momentarily cheered her on.
Still, Nicasia, who had tried so hard, was so cute that I vigorously stroked her silver hair.
“Did they really not believe a single word of our story?”
“I expected this. We should have prepared some evidence to convince them.”
Normally, Nicasia would have shouted that she couldn’t do that, but now she just crouched, tightly holding her knees.
“But why did you go to convince the middle school vice principal?”
“Esme… The elementary school vice principal is currently away. It’s information the professors gave us at the start of the semester.”
“Ah…”
Esme, who genuinely didn’t know, stuck out her tongue cutely and laughed.
Honestly, unless you’re special like Citrine or Nicasia, it’s a bit surprising for an ordinary student to know whether the vice principal is present or on a business trip.
“I’m incompetent… Murmur worked so hard to find all this, and now many students will get hurt.”
“No, Nicasia really did her best.”
It’s a sorry thing to say to Nicasia, but Lady Jepar’s scheme won’t be resolved this way.
Common sense dictates that no matter how much Nicasia and I talk about magic circles or discover them, the academy’s adults and faculty won’t investigate Lady Jepar.
My words will seem like the delusions of a demon brat without any evidence,
and Nicasia’s words will seem like excuses and justifications made by someone who should be investigating the New-Hellheim club.
“We have another way. Hang in there, Nicasia.”
Nicasia nodded and rubbed her head against my palm.
Though her body is that of a middle school student, her heart is still that of a fifth grader.
If you can’t do what you want and everything you believe is right gets blocked, it’s only natural to feel depressed.
“Ugh… I’ll also get Murmur’s head pats next time…”
Citrine, pouting her lips, is also cute.
“How about talking to the Holy Nation?”
“Even if the Inquisition gets the message, it will take over ten days for them to get here.”
“What if the message doesn’t get through?”
“We’ll hear the same thing ten days later.”
“Ugh! Then it’s pointless!!”
Esme shook her head vigorously.
“Is there another way? Murmur? Honestly… I don’t think we have a way to stop this dangerous situation.”
I smiled for now.
There are many ways to stop Lady Jepar’s scheme, just as there are many ways to solve a quest in Reoa’s world.
I’ve had a plan for a while, but will it really work?
“There’s a simple and easy way that young Esme doesn’t know.”
“Citrine and I are the same age?!”
What Citrine just suggested is the easiest and quickest demon lord route: by any means necessary, kill Lady Jepar.
As expected from a child who thinks money can buy anything, she thinks we can just eliminate her.
“I don’t like Citrine’s idea.”
“I’ll always follow Murmur’s idea.”
Whether it’s possible or not, if we choose to kill Lady Jepar, the ‘Starlight Alley’ where children’s laughter never ends will strangely change.
With the collapse of the Chronicle House Commerce led by the lady, the vitality will disappear, and by the high school chapter, the Milky Way, where Nicasia and Esme forced me into a woolen pajama, will also close.
As the player is given various choices, the feedback is also clear.
Honestly, even if I have to wear the woolen pajama again, I want this story to end happily.
“Murmur doesn’t know what everyone thinks.”
I continued while stroking Nicasia’s head.
“But Lady Jepar isn’t a bad person.”
“…Can you really say that? The lady has already made desserts with Lunarin to execute her terrifying scheme.”
“Yes, she’s doing bad things. But Citrine, you know. Lady Jepar’s wish itself isn’t bad.”
To reunite with her deceased daughter.
It’s a pain she’s buried in her heart for 50 years.
Nicasia and Esme might not know that pain, but Citrine does.
As the adopted daughter of the Crimson Brand Duchess, Citrine can’t turn a blind eye to this story.
“…I think so too, that’s why I’m saying this.”
Citrine tightly gripped my skirt.
“Murmur, desire has the power to make humans do anything.”
“Citrine, are you saying we can’t stop Lady Jepar, who has started to sway under that desire?”
“Yes, I know it’s a cruel and unromantic thing to say. But this is reality.”
“Murmur knows. That’s why Murmur will use Lady Jepar’s wish. If things go well, Lady Jepar’s sin will end with making delicious desserts with Lunarin.”
Nicasia looked up at me with a surprised expression.
“Murmur? What do you mean?”
“Primeordial Rex is deceiving Lady Jepar.”
“Murmur… You can’t say they’re deceiving her. Lady Jepar isn’t a fool, right? She must believe there’s a way to summon the Demon God.”
I shook my head.
“That’s not it, Citrine. They’re deceiving her about the wish itself.”
It’s a high-difficulty solution with very ordinary rewards, but it doesn’t matter.
Let’s proceed as planned.
Lady Jepar can smile.
Nicasia and Citrine won’t fight.
Other students can smile too.
It’s not the classic hero route or the demon lord’s ultimate strategy, but so what?
Murmur will take the path where everyone is happy.
“The wish itself, you said…?”
“Lady Jepar, as Citrine said, isn’t a fool. She knows the impossible price she must pay to reunite with her real daughter. And her true nature isn’t that evil.”
I looked into Citrine’s eyes.
“She’s just shaken because someone brought up a long-buried wish and promised to fulfill it. That’s what Murmur thinks.”
“…If a fortune suddenly falls from the sky, anyone would develop desires they never had. You can’t say that desire is their true nature.”
“Murmur will persuade Lady Jepar with everyone.”
Citrine, stroking her mouth with her left hand, fell into deep thought.
“The story that she treated us like her own children… is true. It’s not fake. For 50 years, she showed so much love to many students at the academy!”
“Yes, Lady Jepar is truly a good grandmother. If we persuade her, she’ll definitely listen.”
Citrine looked at me with eyes full of anxiety.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, first I need Citrine’s help.”
“Just tell me what to do.”
“Murmur and friends will make desserts. A lot, a whole mountain of them!”
I raised both hands high to express a huge mountain.
“…Huh?”
The power I borrow from Citrine isn’t usually used for this.
Normally, it’s used to disrupt by distributing desserts under the name of Crimson Nexus Commerce to kids lined up at Piglet House. That’s the classic way. After all, she’s the demon lord route’s heroine.
But this time, we’ll do something cuter and softer.
“Tell Lady Jepar under the name of Crimson Nexus Commerce that we want to help because Piglet House is doing good work.”
“You mean holding an event where participating kids can make and eat delicious desserts? I heard the lady used to do that often.”
“Yes, Lady Jepar can’t possibly refuse.”
From the lady’s perspective, when she can barely feed 100 people a day, Crimson Nexus Commerce suddenly proposes an event where 200, 300, 400 people can be fed at once.
She can only feel like fortune has come her way.
“What happens after that?”
“We’ll participate and make desserts together. Lady Jepar will make desserts with us, whom she has loved like her own children all this time.”
Nicasia nodded.
“After the event, we’ll persuade Lady Jepar. We don’t have evidence, but we have a story.”
“From Lady Jepar’s perspective, it will seem like we know everything about the plan’s progress. Simply put, it’s her last chance to confess.”
“…And the opponent is Nicasia. Even if Lady Jepar fights with all her might, Nicasia can overpower her.”
Nicasia coughed. Such violent acts are only considered as a last resort.
“Murmur will give Lady Jepar a chance to make everything that happened go away.”
“How? Even if Lady Jepar says she won’t scheme anymore, she might… betray us, right?”
Esme’s words were a bit sharp.
“Murmur and Lady Jepar will erase the four magic circles in the academy together. Then, as proof of the promise, we’ll take the secret syrup with Lunarin used in Piglet House’s desserts.”
“Without the magic circles, she can’t summon demons!”
“And if we confiscate the Lunarin in the desserts, her magic power will also be insufficient.”
“So Lady Jepar is essentially handing over all the means to fulfill her wish to us?”
I nodded.
“If that happens, we can bury Lady Jepar’s pain again.”
“No, Murmur. It’s not burying the pain, we’re healing her.”
Nicasia, with a proud expression, stroked my head and looked at Citrine.
“Citrine, can you help realize Murmur’s plan? If a large amount of money is needed, I’ll help too.”
“Hmph! Who do you think I am, talking about money? This is an opportunity to elevate our commerce’s name, so this level of investment is natural!”
Citrine, snorting, came closer and started stroking my head out of sync with Nicasia.
…What? Why the sudden head-patting trend?
“Murmur, you’re amazing! You came up with a plan where no one gets hurt and everyone can be happy.”
“As expected of the respected Murmur! I’ll stroke your horns!”
“You came up with such an adorable solution!”
“Ugh… You can stroke me, but when we persuade Lady Jepar later, everyone needs to do their best.”
What dessert should we make? Since it’s for a bunch of kids, maybe cake?
Cake is too hard, so maybe cookies? This is a surprisingly happy dilemma!
