Chapter 46

[12th Group]

[Kim Deok-sung] [Nishizawa Eri]

Instead of Ishihara, Nishizawa Eri's name was engraved there.

Why is she here with me?

Even if she is suspended, she still participates in important practical sessions, so it's not impossible for us to be in the same group.

But still, that's a bit much.

Just as his face twisted.

Rumble.

His smartphone rings.

[Master ε٩(๑> ₃ <)۶з]

[Received the message from the teacher who assigned the pairs ＠＾▽＾＠]

[Please take care of the model gate practical session ヾ(≧∇≦)ゞ]

A message from Nishizawa Eri had arrived.

Look at her using emojis.

He turned off the messenger without reading it.

At least Kim Cheon-ji had good luck.

I, on the other hand, haven't had a single thing go right since this morning.

Who knows what will happen.

After class.

He arrived at the Literature Club room, ignoring the chat message notifications from Nishizawa Eri, who kept sending messages asking to meet up.

The club room, as usual, was empty and looked eerily quiet.

Senior Kasumi was sitting at the center table.

She smiled with her eyes.

"Welcome. Junior. I missed you."

There are only two days left until the model gate practical session.

I need to get information on the New World League from Senior Kasumi.

"Did you find out about what I mentioned before?"

"Of course. I'm a loyal spy for Junior. I will never disappoint you. But Junior, you are a bit... disappointing."

"What, again?"

His head started to spin.

He was now somewhat used to being called "Junior."

But what could possibly be disappointing this time?

Kasumi, hiding her face behind a book, spoke with a dark expression.

"Junior, I heard you made Nishizawa-san a slave without consulting me. You even put a dog collar on her? After the Knight Princess, now the school idol... Junior, you are a black demon."

He put his hand on his forehead.

He never thought he would hear that damn nickname from Senior Kasumi.

"Let's get to the point."

His stomach churned.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have had the greasy tonkatsu for lunch.

"I'm your first, and I'm your best slave... Junior, you're bad. Demon."

"Let's get to the point, Senior."

His head throbbed.

What on earth was he listening to here?

Was this some kind of slave chain boasting?

"Okay, I get it. But Junior, I'm the only one who meets you alone. I'm fine. Junior, you are a demon man."

"Please, Senior, let's get to the point."

Demon man, what demon man.

Just hearing it made him shudder.

Senior Kasumi is fine, but her mouth is the problem.

Today is definitely a day of bad luck.

"Okay, I get it."

Kasumi's face turned serious.

She put down the book that was covering her face.

"The interdimensional being involved in this operation is a Gamma Rank interdimensional being, Yatagarasu."

Gamma Rank.

Compared to the Delta Rank interdimensional being, Black Spider, from the original first volume, Yatagarasu is a monster one rank higher.

Considering that Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Rank interdimensional beings are classified as top-tier interdimensional beings among the higher ranks, it's no wonder the New World League reacted sensitively to the capture of a Gamma Rank being.

While it's not comparable to the Omega Rank interdimensional beings, known as disaster-level, it's a fact that deploying such a powerful being for a single operation is excessive.

'I did well to ask for Arisu to be deployed.'

Currently, the deployment of Arisu is a secret known only to me and the principal.

The fact that the student council president will participate as the on-site supervisor will be revealed to the other students just before the class.

She is the trump card I can deploy.

'If it's Yatagarasu, the weakest among Gamma Ranks, Yui and Arisu should be able to handle it.'

Good. This is still within the expected range.

There shouldn't be any problems.

I'll just coast through this like before.

The student council president and the protagonist will do the fighting.

I'll just watch and eat rice cakes like I did during the Virtue extermination.

After all, the best sights to see are battles and accidents.

Just as he was feeling relieved.

"Also, the new league member, Mad Hatter, is planning to infiltrate together."

A thunderclap sounded in his ear.

What, who?

Mad Hatter?

"I heard Mad Hatter is a B-Rank villain. He's a new recruit to the league. While he's not as dangerous as Virtue, with Yatagarasu involved... Junior, shouldn't you inform the student council? This time, it's really dangerous."

I know Mad Hatter well.

The main villain in the original third volume and Nishizawa Eri's father.

I expected the interdimensional being's rank to rise, but I didn't expect Mad Hatter to be recruited by the New World League and dispatched to the school.

'This is the butterfly effect.'

Messiah.

That perverted lunatic must have had a hand in this.

Moreover, my pair is Nishizawa Eri.

She listens to me strangely well now, but I can't fully trust her yet.

Especially considering how she went berserk after hearing the truth from Mad Hatter in the original.

A special plan is needed.

Fortunately, I have one card I can play.

'Actually, if I use her well, I can use her as bait.'

A change in perspective.

In the original, Mad Hatter was after his own daughter, Nishizawa Eri.

So if I use her as bait, I might be able to catch Mad Hatter more easily than expected.

While thinking, he spoke to Kasumi.

"Informing the student council will only make things worse."

Inform the student council?

That's impossible.

If I inform the student council, it will inevitably reach the principal's ears.

If the principal gets involved, the New World League will definitely send Professor, a traitor student and EX-Rank villain, to deal with the situation.

'That would be like burning down the house to kill a louse.'

The protagonist in the 11th volume barely won against Professor, even with the principal's assistance and the revelation of his true name.

I can't risk the academy being destroyed.

I can't destroy the core stage of this world.

That would be insane.

"I'll handle it. Don't worry."

So, I have to handle it.

The security at the academy will be strengthened after this terrorist attempt.

If that happens, there shouldn't be any major issues until the cultural festival, when the academy is open to the public.

I just need to get through this once.

I don't know why I have to do this, but this is a damn world.

'What a lousy author.'

He cursed the author in his mind.

But if I want to survive, I have to do it.

I'll have to get the principal to pay for this.

"Junior..."

Kasumi's eyes widened.

Her face turned red.

A chill ran down his spine. An ominous feeling struck his back.

What now, why is she like that?

Thump.

She grabbed his hand.

"Junior, standing alone to protect the academy is cool and kind. But please don't overdo it. You don't have to carry the whole world on your shoulders. I... I'm here too..."

No.

What the hell is this nonsense?

The light novel-specific tone made his back sweat.

Who's carrying what?

Am I the protagonist of a light novel? Am I supposed to just carry everything without a plan?

I won't do that.

I don't know what kind of delusion she's having, but I'm not doing this because I like it.

'I'm doing this because I don't want to die.'

The world is full of people who fight villains with nothing but a sense of duty, but I'm not one of them.

A sigh escaped his lips.

While Senior Kasumi's tone is a serious problem, she's not a bad person.

In the original, she was a traitor, but she's not one now.

Yeah, if I think about it, this crazy world and the original author are to blame.

"I won't overdo it, so don't worry unnecessarily."

The protagonist would probably plunge in headfirst, thinking about salvation and such, but I have no intention of doing that.

I won't move unless everything is perfectly prepared.

Still, it's embarrassing.

He pulled his hand away.

"Okay, I get it. I'll trust the bad but kind Junior."

Bad but kind, what is that?

Damn.

He clicked his tongue in his mind and stood up.

"I'll be going now. I need to prepare."

"Okay, Junior. It's a bit disappointing, but I understand. Take care. Don't get hurt."

Kasumi, with a more serious face than usual, saw him off.

He left the club room, leaving her behind.

Thud.

The moment the club room door closed, he took out his phone and sent a message.

[Bella]

It was the first time he was messaging Bella.

As soon as he sent it, a read receipt and ellipsis appeared.

[What is it, Master's Master?]

Not even in messages, she calls me Master's Master.

[Let's meet. Without Olivia. Just the two of us.]

[Is this a date request? If the young lady finds out, it will be a scandal.]

Now she's even making jokes in messages.

I don't know why today feels so long.

[No, it's not. I just need to talk.]

[Is this a love confession? I think it's too early for us...]

She's really going to drive me crazy.

I thought she was normal except for the titles.

I should have known from when she shouted skill names.

[No!!]

[I was just joking.]

I thought only Senior Kasumi made such brutal jokes.

Bella is no joke either.

[Let's meet at the dorm laundry room. I'll be doing laundry soon, so it should be empty there.]

After a few struggles, he got the answer he wanted.

[Okay.]

He sighed in relief and put away his phone.

He was mentally exhausted.

He felt drained all over.

With heavy steps, he left the first annex.

*

Dorm laundry room.

In this place, where numerous drum washing machines hummed, she was there.

A maid in a maid uniform with a neat appearance and a bob cut.

Olivia's personal maid, Bella.

"Nice to see you, Master's Master."

She greeted him, lifting the hem of her maid skirt.

Good, no one is around to see this.

"This is the first time we're meeting alone. My heart is racing more than I expected."

Bella said with a blank face.

"Cut the crap."

He cut her joke short.

Bella only jokes with people she's close to.

Her attitude now means she considers him a close friend.

It's not a bad outcome, but he doesn't have time to indulge in her unfunny jokes.

'Anyway, in this damn world, everyone is obsessed with making jokes.'

Jokes.

If I were to localize it in a Korean web novel style, it would be tikitaka.

I'm fine with a moderate amount of tikitaka.

Life is about having conversations.

But the problem is that this is a light novel world.

As soon as you get a bit closer, they start making jokes, which is quite frustrating.

It's like they don't know the phrase "get to the point."

I'm tired of this light novel world where jokes lead to brain death.

After all, Korean web novels that cut tikitaka at the right amount are the best.

"Let's get to the point."

"I'm listening, Master's Master."

Bella's expression turned serious.

"During the model gate practical session, I need you to use Shadow Master to hide in my shadow, just like last time."

"Is there a special reason?"

Bella's face showed confusion.

Practically, only students can participate in the model gate practical session.

I asked for the student council president to be the on-site supervisor because of this rule.

Of course, after the incident, the rule will change to require a teacher to accompany the students, but that's just closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

However, with her Gift, it's possible to infiltrate the academy's still lax security.

"Nishizawa and I are in the same group. You know we don't get along. I don't know what she might do. I need to prepare for emergencies. That's why I need you."

He used Nishizawa Eri as an excuse to involve Bella.

While Yui and Arisu, along with other students, deal with Yatagarasu, he will use Nishizawa Eri as bait to lure out Mad Hatter.

Then, using the berserk Nishizawa Eri as a meat shield, he and Bella will gang up and capture Mad Hatter.

It's a perfect plan.

"Nishizawa-san...?"

Bella's expression turned serious.

A moment of contemplation.

But he knew.

When Bella contemplates, it means she will accept.

If she were going to refuse, she would have said so from the start.

Rumble.

He waited for her answer amid the hum of the washing machines.

"Okay. It's an honor that Master's Master needs me. I was already concerned as her maid. I accept Master's Master's proposal. But I will only intervene in a real emergency."

Bella gave her consent.

A smile formed at the corners of his mouth.

"Good."

The preparations are complete.

Both of them are annoying.