Chapter 19
Could she have noticed my manly gaze?
Luna met my eyes and responded.
"What?"
"May I ask you a favor?"
"Sure. I don't know what it is, but go ahead."
"...You're agreeing without even hearing what it is?"
"We made a deal."
The deal was that if I did her a favor, she would grant me the right to ask her a question.
Luna was referring to that.
"I have hundreds of things I want to ask you. So whatever it is, I have to agree. It's more urgent for me, as you said. And..."
"And?"
"That... fri, frie..."
Frie?
"Because we're friends..."
A voice as small as the flutter of a fly's wings.
But I heard it clearly.
'Luna... You've grown up so much.'
To think she would call me a friend.
Was this what it felt like to watch your daughter grow up?
I felt like I was about to cry.
Well, it was just a feeling, nothing more.
"Anyway, if you have any worries, feel free to talk to me! I, I'll go ahead!"
Luna abruptly stood up, threw her tray into the disposal area, and fled from the spot.
I called out to the back of her head as she left.
"Miss Luna! Let's meet at the school gate tomorrow at 9 AM!"
There was no reply.
She just raised her middle finger as she ran away.
'That means she'll definitely come tomorrow.'
A perfect interpretation!
I could be called a Luna scholar at this point.
Chewing on a piece of chicken, I was lost in thought.
'But is it really okay?'
Since I've decided to go for it, I will proceed.
The NPC I need to meet, the location, the order of the conversation.
I remember all of that perfectly, so there should be no problem.
The current issue is...
'The final battle.'
The battle with 'The Demon's Shard' is problematic.
Not just the attack power, but whether health is sufficiently high is the most important issue.
Because it's a gimmick where multiple players have to share the damage.
'The common strategy for veterans was to clear it after Episode 3 due to the health issue.'
This meant the veterans' best record was at the beginning of Episode 3.
No one had attempted it from Episode 1, especially not in the first week after school started.
If I succeed, I'll be both the first and the best.
My motivation was surging. But.
'Right now, Luna is the only one I can count on.'
A two-person party... Actually, it's practically a one-person party.
My stats are only at 21, I'm incompetent.
To tackle it without trouble, I need at least two more people.
Or one incredibly strong person.
'Isn't there a high-level player passing by... Huh?'
Then, Rodelin entered my field of vision.
She was busy giving demerit points to freshmen who were fighting.
[Lv.43]
There it is, a high-level player.
Luna and Rodelin.
With the two of them, the attack power is more than enough. Both are characters who use their family's secret techniques.
Though health is more important than attack power for conquering 'The Demon's Shard', what I am planning is not a normal strategy.
'A strategy that theoretically doesn't need even a point of health. I'm going to try that.'
Alright, it's decided. I should approach Rodelin too.
After finishing my plate, I headed towards her.
Too friendly with the protagonist character Rodelin?
Who cares. There's a super cheat hidden piece at stake.
Besides.
'Luna is already marked. If I hesitate, the game story will just proceed.'
To lose one arm and wander aimlessly until death. That's Luna's future.
I never expected to get into a brawl with the Teron faction on the first day of school.
Luna alone can never win.
So I need to grow stronger.
Slowly, I approached Rodelin, who was organizing her demerit notebook.
"Keke, you seem busy today as well."
"Hm? Zero? You reflected on what happened last time, I hope?"
Last time?
Oh right, there was such an incident.
I cornered Rodelin against the wall and coerced her into friendship... No, I merely suggested it in a very wholesome way.
"I was just overly eager to make friends, as you know I don't have any."
"Hmm! So that was it. But I can't just pretend the demerit didn't happen. You'll have to make up for it in the store."
As expected, Rodelin was firm. But that's okay.
If I'm a doctoral scholar in Luna studies, then I'm at least a master's in Rodelin studies.
"I came to talk about that very thing. Do you have time tomorrow morning?"
"In the morning... Well, I have no special duties apart from patrolling."
"How about we go to the square together and help maintain order among the people?"
"Maintain order?"
"Yes, I heard there's an event happening. Criminals will surely be active. As students of the Academy, we should step in and help maintain order."
Molesters, fights, pickpocketing, line-cutting, and more.
Events are prime time for petty criminals, so a string of minor offenses is expected.
Since the town square is right in front of the Academy, it's not strange for students to step in.
It would promote the Academy, ensure people's safety, and protect the children's smiles.
"It's like killing three birds with one stone."
After a moment of thought, Rodelin nodded emphatically.
"That's a noble cause. But let's leave out the first reason. Law enforcement for the sake of promotion? I can't approve of that."
"I see. By the way, do you like children?"
"Hm! I'm quite fond of them. They are, after all, like the future of the Empire. The more, the merrier."
I already knew that fact.
When pursuing this hidden piece, Rodelin always played with children.
Coming from a military family, with her stern speech and clear distinction between personal and professional life.
The sight of Rodelin happily playing with children was a refreshing shock to the players of the game.
"Kekeke, the more, the merrier... That's great."
"?"
"Then, I'll see you tomorrow morning at 9 AM in front of the school gate."
I left Rodelin, with a question mark floating over her head, and departed.
Everything was going according to plan.
* * *
Late at night.
Just before going to bed, Rodelin checked her schedule for tomorrow.
"Tomorrow's schedule is... Early morning patrol, then law enforcement duty with Zero."
She thought his actions were aimed at earning store points.
Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't give them to him.
'If he properly performs the law enforcement duty, that's commendable in its own right.'
Just fulfilling her duty and having a positive impact was enough.
If the event ends without anyone getting hurt or victimized, one store point is a small price to pay.
Rodelin had learned to be flexible like this... last year.
As she changed into her pajamas and untied her hair in front of the mirror, she thought,
"Hm, what was that about..."
What was the meaning behind Zero's meaningful smile?
He always had a smiling face, but this time, it was definitely a smile with something behind it.
Rodelin recalled the incident from before.
The wall pin. Senior and junior. Man and woman.
And tying that to what happened today...
No, no way...
"A date!?"
A date, something she had never experienced in her life. And on a weekend, no less.
Rodelin couldn't help but be flustered, and her normal thought process broke down.
'Then, asking if I like children... could it mean...!'
Was he indirectly asking if she would bear his children?
"What, what did I respond?"
Her memory quickly returned. Rodelin was a bright child, after all.
-The more, the merrier.
"..."
Yes, that's how she responded. The more, the merrier.
From the perspective of the straightforward Rodelin, this was almost like declaring herself a wanton woman.
With Zero's meaningful smile overlapping in her mind, Rodelin could no longer hold herself together.
Boom!
With the sound of something bursting, her face turned beet red.
A face too embarrassing to look at with open eyes.
Escaping from the mirror, Rodelin crawled into bed, hoping tomorrow would never come.
* * *
The next morning, between the school gate and the square.
I found myself in a very awkward situation.
"Explain properly about what happened yesterday."
"...Pardon?"
"About asking if I like children. You better explain what you meant by that."
"???"
Asking if someone likes children means exactly that. What more explanation is needed?
Geez!
She even looked fierce, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
She was in full defensive mode. Was she preparing for war?
"I only asked because there will be children to play with. I was asked for help. It would be troublesome if you disliked children..."
"Is that really it?"
"Of course."
"Then why is it just the two of us? There seem to be quite a few people around. Don't we need more manpower?"
Rodelin, that's because I don't have any friends.
You'll never understand how hard it is to make friends with this appearance.
But I didn't need to make such excuses.
A savior appeared from behind.
"Hm? What's this? Why is the Vice President here..."
"Ah... you mean from last time..."
Rodelin couldn't finish her sentence.
After a moment of deep thought, her face suddenly turned crimson.
"Ah... Aaaaah! I see, I see. My apologies, Zero. I misunderstood."
"What kind of misunderstanding did you..."
"Hurry, let's go! Didn't you say you had a place to be?"
Rodelin, mumbling her words, hurriedly left the spot.
Really.
She's such a strange woman.
* * *
"So, where is this place you were asked to help?"
"We'll be there in just a bit."
Unlike the game, it's not easy when you have to move physically.
But there's no need to worry. The person I'm looking for is quite a distinctive man.
‘The clown.’
Not just by appearance, but also because he's a character who always has children around him, he should be easy to find.
After about ten minutes of wandering around the square.
I finally found the clown.
Dressed in his distinctive makeup, he was handing out balloons to the children.
I have to work under this clown for a day.
Doing so will grant me a skill, the starting condition for a hidden piece.
‘Well, I wasn't actually asked for help, but I'll manage somehow.’
Luckily, Rodelin was keeping her distance, so I should be able to deceive her easily.
Just as a group of children left after receiving their balloons, I approached the clown.
He suddenly grabbed my shoulders with a shocked expression.
"Lu, Luterus!? Is that you?"
...Why is he acting like this?
This dialogue was new to me, but I was more surprised by the clown's reaction than anything else.
‘This clown character is always supposed to be smiling.’
An NPC often called 'The Mask of Madness' among the players.
Always smiling, whether in conversation, performing, or even during his breaks.
He's called 'The Mask' because he smiles so much it seems like he's wearing a mask.
But now, this character who always smiled was looking at me with a shocked expression, no, a look of desperation.
I've played the game thousands of times, but I've never seen this reaction before.
It meant a hidden piece I didn't know about had been triggered.
‘He's mistaking me for a child named Luterus...’
Fortunately, I knew about the character Luterus.
I recalled all the information related to him in my head.
The hidden piece starting with the clown, the hero, The Demon's Shard, Luterus, and the parrot.
The connection between the clown and them, a mystery unsolved even by the veterans, ending only in speculation.
As I fit the final puzzle piece I just found, a perfect picture was completed.
--TL Notes--
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