Chapter 143
Memories of that time began to slowly surface.
The so-called 'Omelette Rice Apocalypse' incident.
While sending a secret code to the sewer rats, expressing a desire to contact Caron, I incurred Luna's wrath.
Luna, furious to the tips of her hair, declared that I should reserve a restaurant.
The memory of looking for a restaurant while shedding tears unfolded like a panorama.
'It's been over three weeks since then... to think she'd remember that.'
Even I, who prides myself on being smart, had forgotten about it.
The attack by Bineus, a fourth-grade demon, was so intense that the incident faded away, and the promise vanished into the recesses of memory.
Luna was now telling me to keep that promise.
'To bring up something that happened so long ago.'
Luna's memory is not known to be good.
Then how did she remember?
'She must have racked her brain desperately for the sake of Rezé, her friend.'
Friendship... no, the power of obsession.
Indeed, Luna was formidable. She lived up to the name of an obsession demon.
It was when I inwardly clicked my tongue.
The eyes of the obsession demon slightly narrowed.
"You wouldn't happen to... have not prepared, right? It's been so long since then."
"Keke, of course not. I've prepared it, naturally."
I pulled out restaurant tickets from the pocket dimension.
Yes, there were indeed restaurant tickets. Four of them, to be exact.
The problem was that I hadn't made the reservation myself, and it wasn't originally the place we intended to go?
'It was given by Caron.'
Trying to reserve the only restaurant in the square was an impossible task, which I managed to secure thanks to Caron.
Tickets to a restaurant with a suspicious name, 'First Cup is a Sleeping Potion, Second Cup is a Trip to the Netherworld.'
The naming sense was so peculiar it was a wonder there were any customers at all.
The name seemed more suited to a bar than a restaurant.
'I guess it's fine since I was told just to bring these, but...'
I wasn't sure if Luna would be satisfied.
Well, the intent was more to give Rezé a break this time, so it didn't really matter.
"Then let's go. Tomorrow is the start of the weekend, right? Let's just take one day off."
Luna's smile was triumphant, as if she had won.
I didn't like that smile.
"Have a good trip."
"Eh?"
"I mean, you and Rezé go by yourselves. Spend some quality time together as friends."
"What, what's that! Of course, you're coming too!"
Luna was visibly flustered.
I brought it up to break her pride, but I genuinely didn't want to go.
The compatibility might have dropped, but my stats were still improving.
Rest can wait until the compatibility hits rock bottom. Besides.
"It's not often you get a chance to learn from Lucia herself. I can't miss a day of that."
"But... but we're one body as friends! If one dies, we die together, and we go to the restaurant together too!"
Friends are one body? It sounds more like a married couple!
And following a friend to death? That's a new one on me!
"Keke, Luna. There's no such saying in this world."
"No, look! It's written right here on the restaurant name!"
Luna shoved the restaurant ticket in my face.
First Cup is a Sleeping Potion, Second Cup is a Trip to the Netherworld.
No, it definitely wasn't written like that.
"There's not even a 'friend' character in it."
"It's in the 'nether' character! If you break down each word, you can definitely make 'friends are one body'!"
Is this some kind of anagram?
And she analyzed that in such a short time?
That's madness, sheer madness.
"...You're reaching."
"Ah, I don't care! Let's go together! Together! Together!"
Luna started to thrash about on the ground.
She was making such a scene that she even started rolling around.
By the time Luna had rolled around on the ground about three times.
"What's all this noise?"
Lucia, who had been sleeping on a training mattress, woke up. Scratching her stomach as she did.
Although she's been more diligent in guiding us lately, it's only in comparison to before.
About half of the training time, she would be sleeping on the mattress just like now.
"Lucia! Please listen to me!"
After hearing the whole story from Luna, Lucia yawned so widely it seemed her mouth might split and then said.
"Go and come back."
"But..."
"You've been a mess lately, haven't you? It was bad at first, but now it's even worse."
She wasn't wrong.
Muscle training, hellish sparring with Lucia, and personal training to increase my stats.
It would be strange if I were in good shape.
"Luna, go and train. Since tomorrow is a day off, you should work hard, right?"
"Yes! Please persuade this guy. He's not listening to me these days!"
"Alright, alright. I'll talk to him."
Luna grumbled as she left.
Lucia scratched her head and took her place.
"Why are you like this? It's as if you're being chased by something."
Being chased. That's exactly right.
'The quest deadline is not far off.'
The deadline had changed to D-11.
It meant that there were only 11 days left until Lucia leaves the academy.
I had to settle the score within that period.
Give up a quest worth a whopping 50pt?
Impossible.
'Now that I think about it, it's infuriating. You don't understand what I'm going through.'
I'm training hard not only to improve my stats but also to earn your recognition.
Would it kill you to acknowledge me?
I spoke, chewing over my words.
"...It's because of you, Lucia."
"Eh? Me? Why am I being brought into this?"
"Because you'll be leaving soon. I just want to show it to you before then."
Could my sincerity have been conveyed?
Lucia's expression subtly changed.
"Hmm, what exactly do you want to show me?"
"...I'm not quite sure myself. Just..."
"Just?"
"I just want to be recognized. By you, Lucia..."
"By me?"
Gulp.
Why? It seemed like I could even hear Lucia swallowing.
It was when I was about to cautiously speak up.
"You want to be recognized as a husband, right?"
"Ugh!"
"Kyaaah!"
We couldn't help but scream.
The nanny had suddenly popped her face in between us.
Where did she come from? She wasn't here just a moment ago!
"Miss receiving a confession, I'm truly moved."
"What confession! And it wasn't he who confessed, it was you, nanny!"
"Hohoho, Zero surely meant to say the same. I merely conveyed it on his behalf."
Lucia and the nanny's gazes turned towards me.
Is it my imagination, or do they seem somewhat expectant?
"...That's not it."
"Off with you!"
Lucia grabbed the nanny by the waist and threw her away.
Thud!
The nanny landed as if nothing had happened and started to care for Rezé, who was trembling like a newborn rabbit.
Of course, she was still sneakily glancing our way.
-Fighting!
...Along with a silent gesture telling me to hang in there.
"Hmm, so what do you want to be recognized as?"
Obviously, as a husband... Ah, no. That's not right.
"I mean, I want to be recognized as a disciple of yours, Lucia."
"Disciple~ huh?"
Lucia's eyebrows twisted oddly.
It was a natural reaction. Up to now, Lucia had officially taken no disciples.
Not even one.
"Didn't you hear? I don't bother with such troublesome things."
"Keke, then I shall become that troublesome first one."
"Becoming a master and disciple isn't that simple, you know? I get what you're aiming for, but... oh well, being too greedy can hurt you."
Lucia, an officially recognized hero of the empire and one of the empire's ten swords.
To become her disciple, and her first at that?
It would certainly draw attention from various quarters.
And naturally, that would include the nobility.
"You're looking to gather information by getting involved with those groups. Information about those who brought down the Lester family."
"Keke, sharp as ever."
"Hmm~ Not bad, but it's a dangerous idea. So, rejected. Besides, you're lacking in many ways to be my disciple."
Lucia waved her hands dismissively.
Her reasoning wasn't exactly wrong.
But my target was entirely different.
'The quest to gain Lucia's recognition. Such an abstract condition.'
What exactly am I supposed to do? The condition is as vague as needing to appear angelic.
'But what if, I become Lucia's disciple?'
The probability of meeting the quest conditions was high.
Lucia has never taken a disciple before, after all.
And.
'If I'm lucky, I might even get a title.'
In this game, forming a master-disciple relationship could grant a title.
The stats attached to the title vary depending on the master's level.
Lucia might be a goof, but she's one of the empire's ten swords.
To be the first disciple of such Lucia.
It was highly likely I would receive a title with tremendous stats.
"Keke, then I have no choice but to continue striving. Of course, I'll be training tomorrow too?"
"I won't be there."
"That would be a breach of contract."
"How stingy! It's okay to take a day off! And do you think I'm doing this because I want a day off? You're incredibly exhausted right now. With your current physical state and concentration, nothing will work!"
Lucia burst out in irritation.
Just as I had planned.
"Keke, then... how about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Yes, if I can surprise you one more time, you'll take me as your disciple. You'll 'recognize' me as your disciple."
I deliberately emphasized the word 'recognize'.
"Hmm..."
Lucia was in a quandary.
She wanted to take the day off but didn't want to take me as a disciple.
By the standards of someone experienced, the chances were 50%. It was an uncertain situation.
But it's okay. There's a magic word that can make her accept.
"Keke, you're not getting cold feet, are you? The great Lucia of the empire's ten swords?"
The so-called cold feet strategy.
The effect was immediate.
Crackle.
"Fine, let's do it. You said it's a bet? What will you do if you lose?"
What I'd do if I lost? I hadn't thought about that.
But Lucia was already putting something significant on the line. I had to offer something equally valuable.
"Just once. I'll do whatever Lucia wishes."
"Anything? Then can you also tell me how you found out our family's secret?"
"Keke, if that's what you wish."
A wish card, or in other words, a Zero free pass.
The question Lucia just asked is tricky to answer, but... somehow, it'll work out.
Lucia smiled as if satisfied.
D-11. This had created a stepping stone to completing the quest.
Though I had to sacrifice one day, it wasn't a bad deal.
"By the way, there's one restaurant ticket left. Would you like to go together?"
"No. It's bound to be a cheap restaurant. I'd rather sleep. You all take a good rest tomorrow."
Lucia's smile didn't fade.
She was happy, not just about the bet, but also because she could take a day off.
Someone approached Lucia's side.
It was the nanny.
"Miss had a plan all along."
"Eh?"
"To propose marriage to Zero with the wish card. Amazing! I didn't know Miss was so clever!"
"What, wha-what are you talking about! There's no way I'd propose that!"
"I'm so moved! I'll start looking for a wedding hall right away!"
"Ah, nanny! Everyone can hear you!"
Their bickering went on.
Watching them, I thought.
I might have fallen into a trap of my own making.
*
"Hmm..."
After sending Luna and Rezé back to the dormitory, on my way to the male dormitory, I was deep in thought.
'I have one ticket left... Who should I take?'
Four restaurant tickets.
Me, Luna, Rezé. Three were confirmed.
I was pondering over whom to invite for the remaining one ticket.
'I don't necessarily need to fill the last spot, but since there's a favorability system in the game...'
I didn't want to waste it. Suddenly, one person came to mind.
'But can I meet them at this late hour?'
After all, they are quite busy.
Then, a trash can entered my field of vision. A regular trash can in the park.
Come to think of it, there was a hidden piece.
A hidden piece that could make 'that person' appear.
After kicking my legs a few times, I gave it a powerful kick.
I kicked the trash can.
Bang!
Crash!
It was natural for the trash inside to scatter.
It was then.
Beep-beep-beep!
"Littering is a demerit action!"
The vice president of Annwood Academy's student council and a demerit point bomber.
Rodelin appeared before my eyes.
--TL Notes--
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