“I’ve liked you since the very first moment I saw you.”
She was a fellow first-year student with moist eyes, semi-long hair, and delicate, graceful ankles. He had memories of passing by her nine times. Standing behind the gymnasium after school, she was an undeniable beauty. She nervously pressed her hand to her chest, looking earnestly at the blue-haired youth before her. The youth stood tall, listening with a serious expression.
“After that duel, even though everyone had different opinions, I knew you were a good person. Even though we aren’t in the same class, I’ve always watched you from afar. Also, I noticed that you sometimes inadvertently show a lonely expression—I’m sorry. That side of you is very attractive to me. It’s as if you’re gazing at a distant horizon. You must think I’m a fool, but I’m serious. I want to share your goals with you. I’m sorry, I must sound strange! But this is how I truly feel.”
Once she finished, Roi fell silent. The blue-haired youth knew it was time to respond. Looking directly into Roi Faith’s eyes, he spoke with a clear and gentle voice.
“I, Cass Benor, have certainly understood your feelings. Thank you for liking me.”
The moment she heard his reply, Roi’s expression shifted as if she were about to burst into tears. Cass frowned slightly but continued to reply calmly, “You are remarkable, Classmate Roi Faith. You are brave enough to face your own heart, and I admire your courage. However, I have no intention of dating anyone right now. I only want to focus on my studies.”
Cass shook his head.
“I see. Then I will wait for you until after graduation—”
“I’m sorry, Classmate Roi. Even after graduation, there is no possibility for us.”
His voice remained gentle, but his words were sharp and firm.
“Is there… no need to be so absolute? Perhaps one day you’ll feel something for me…”
“I won’t, Classmate Roi.”
“Ah…”
Large teardrops fell from Roi’s eyes, and she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.
“Thank you very much, Classmate Benor.”
After a deep bow, Roi left the scene. Cass watched her figure run away and whispered to himself, ‘If I were really Cass, or if Brother were here, how would he have answered?’
‘Trampling on a young girl’s feelings doesn’t feel very good, does it?’
Hertanid had woken up, and Cass realized how shaken his heart was.
‘Hertanid, can you stop making me sound like a scumbag who trifles with people’s emotions?’
‘Is it not a scumbag that you like? Although to be honest, I do not really think that boy is a scumbag. Siring many children is a blessing; I find your modern way of thinking quite backward.’
‘Not at all! Siloque just doesn’t know my true identity. If he knew, he would certainly…’
Would he? Would he accept me, who has been deceiving him this whole time? I am truly full of lies. Saying I am focusing on my studies is just a way to numb my own heart. I am the biggest liar of all.
Before he knew it, he had walked out of the school gates where Kersey and Bried were waiting for him. Kersey was sitting on a bench under a large tree, scrolling through her mobile phone, while Bried was maintaining and oiling her Magic Sword.
In this school, carrying a weapon was normal and wouldn’t lead to questioning by passing police. Cass used to have a habit of maintaining his Demon-Slaying Blade as well, but because that sword had developed a sense of hunger, his maintenance routine had turned into feeding it bananas. Having lost the joy of maintaining his weapon entirely, Cass felt a sense of loss. That missing passion had shifted toward the maintenance of his Ailulu figures at home; those figures were now perpetually free of dust.
“You… you’re really popular, Classmate Cass. That’s already the third time.”
“No matter how many times it happens, I don’t want it, Kersey. Rejecting someone’s feelings feels terrible.”
Cass knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. Just as the other person had expressed her feelings, Cass had responded earnestly. However, an invisible sense of guilt weighed on him, and it would likely persist for a while.
“You’ll have to get used to it even if it feels bad, Cass. Did you reject her thoroughly?” Bried asked.
“Yes.”
“You didn’t leave any room for ambiguity, did you?”
“No… but I feel like I’m being quite heartless.”
“If you leave them with hope, that’s when you’re truly being heartless. It’s better to let them give up completely than to keep them hanging. That’s better for both parties.”
Bried returned her sword to her Ring Chart, producing a crisp, metallic sound as it sheathed.
“Let’s go. It’s time to grind monsters. I’ve finally reached Level 20, and I want to test my current level.”
“Oh, okay…”
Cass nodded in response, and the three of them set off toward Subway Station Line 3, which was two blocks away. They didn’t want to squeeze onto the bus with the other students leaving school.
“Bried is quite strict.”
“Apparently, Bried was very popular with the girls in middle school, so she has a lot of experience rejecting confessions.”
Kersey walked side by side with Cass, while Bried’s orange ponytail swayed back and forth in front of them. Cass smiled wryly.
“She looks cold on the outside, but she’s actually very easy to talk to.”
This matched the impression girls had back when he attended an all-girls school—they all admired the “older sister” types. Most girls had no resistance to beautiful women, let alone someone like Bried. Bried was so heroic and spirited that Cass couldn’t even imagine her acting cute or spoiled.
“By the way, Cass,” Kersey lowered her voice, “is there any news from ‘the teacher’? Did she agree?”
Seeing Kersey’s mysterious expression, Cass immediately explained, “No, she hasn’t contacted me. She’s the one who always initiates contact. An—anyway, I don’t think she’ll contact me until I reach Level 26.”
Even though he said that, they would have to take action by the beginning of next month at the latest, even if he didn’t reach Level 26. Otherwise, the Dungeon Task might expire. Cass vaguely remembered that starting last week, Kersey had wanted him to arrange a meeting with the teacher. She wanted to invite the teacher to the café to show her gratitude for helping her benefactor.
Cass found it a bit strange. It had already been a month since they drove off Norius. Back then, Kersey had only asked him to deliver some gifts to the teacher, but in recent weeks, Kersey had become very proactive about wanting to meet her. Kersey said she used to be bad at forming deep friendships with other girls, yet now she was so invested in a teacher she had only met once. Perhaps Kersey’s curiosity was simply suppressed for too long, and the fact that she couldn’t see the teacher created a sense of “mystical beauty.” That was how Cass explained it to himself.
The real problem was that the teacher was Siloque. It was frustrating; Siloque was always throwing fits. When he had asked before, Siloque’s response was… he felt like Siloque was being quite calculating. No, he had always been like that. Cass also wanted to confess to them that the teacher was actually Siloque. If they built a good relationship, Siloque might actually agree to join their party.
“I see… If there’s any news, please be sure to let me know.”
Kersey accepted this calmly, as if she had expected it.
“Yeah, I will.”
After getting his answer, Kersey ran to Bried’s side, and the two of them began discussing a new dessert they were planning for the café. They occasionally asked for Cass’s opinion, but he responded absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting to the third floor of the Dungeon.
Hill was probably doing a Dungeon Task with Siloque right now. They could eat together every day, admire the sunrise and the sunset together… It seemed Hill could even sleep in the same bed as Siloque. The more he thought about it, the more Cass envied Hill. It must be nice. What were they doing right now?
—
“Hehe, tomato juice always tastes especially good after working.”
“Hill usually only drinks plain water, though.”
In the brand-new hall, every corner was sparkling, and the air smelled clean. It was now 2:00 PM. Having finished the cleaning work, Inafa swirled her tomato juice in a goblet while Hill drank bottled mineral water. The girl and the vampire leaned against the windowsill, feeling the slightly damp, cool breeze blowing over the afternoon forest. Tiana stood behind them, chewing on a piece of ham Edriel had prepared for her.
Siloque had just returned through the main entrance of the hall. He had just finished a lap around the castle perimeter and the territory to reset the barriers. To prevent people like Andre from entering and to ensure no one wandered in by mistake in the future, Siloque had set up a protective barrier that interfered with the Fate Level of anyone associated with the people in this castle. Now, to break through the barrier, one would need Inafa’s personal consent. Otherwise, they would never be able to find this castle.
Such a useful and powerful barrier had been traded from Asmodi by Hill in exchange for two game cartridges… Siloque didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.