Episode 156. Be Youthful (1)

The information obtained from interrogating Serpente wasn’t much.

Serpente herself was just a puppet moving under Mephisto’s orders, and she didn’t know exactly what “plan” he had.

Other minor details about Mephisto were also off-limits due to some restriction.

‘What a shame.’

I thought it was a good opportunity to get information on Mephisto, the most suspicious among the six—now four—Archbishops.

But I didn’t get much out of it.

‘Now, what’s left…’

I looked down at Serpente, who had fainted after the interrogation, and narrowed my eyes.

‘Should I dispose of her or not?’

Normally, killing a Mine on the spot would be the safest way to avoid trouble.

‘But it feels like a waste to throw away a card that could be useful against Mephisto.’

Even with my past life memories, I knew almost nothing about Mephisto.

How much power he truly had, what his goals were, and why he suddenly disappeared during the war in my past life.

Among the Archbishops, Mephisto was the one shrouded in the most mystery.

“First… I should consult with Professor Elisha.”

This wasn’t something I could decide on my own.

I hoisted the unconscious Serpente over my shoulder and headed back to the school.

* * *

Three days later.

After receiving simple treatment from Iris and visiting Professor Jade, who was hospitalized in the intensive care unit, I headed to Professor Elisha’s office.

*Knock knock.*

“Come in.”

As I opened the door, I saw Professor Elisha sitting in her chair with her legs crossed elegantly.

I tilted my head, looking at the clean table.

“Why aren’t you smoking today?”

“…Ahem.”

Professor Elisha coughed awkwardly and avoided my gaze.

“I’ve quit smoking recently.”

“Quit smoking? What brought this on?”

Professor Elisha, who always had a cigarette in her mouth, quitting smoking?

I looked at her in surprise, and she scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.

“Well… doesn’t Candidate Dale dislike the smell of cigarettes?”

“……”

Wait.

Was the reason she quit smoking… because of me?

I swallowed a laugh and shook my head.

“Well, it’s true I don’t like it, but you don’t have to force yourself to quit. It’s not particularly harmful to your health.”

A Hero’s body naturally has excellent detoxification abilities, so smoking a cigarette wouldn’t harm her health.

“But…”

“And Professor Elisha not smoking… it feels like flat beer, doesn’t it?”

“…How exactly do you see me?”

Professor Elisha frowned with a blank expression.

“Anyway, if that’s the reason, you don’t need to quit. Professor Elisha looks quite good with a cigarette.”

Even if it wasn’t harmful, I didn’t have a particularly positive image of cigarettes, but I couldn’t deny that Professor Elisha and cigarettes were a good match.

“R-Really?”

With a slightly flushed face, Professor Elisha opened her drawer and took out a cigarette.

She placed it in her mouth, closed her eyes, and tilted her head toward me as if asking for a light.

*Flick.*

I lit the cigarette for her, and she took a deep drag.

“Phew. Finally, the stress of the past three days is starting to fade.”

“Were you very busy?”

“Is that even a question?”

Professor Elisha frowned, recalling the events of three days ago.

“Honestly, when you showed me that video of you forcibly filming a woman you just met, I was at a loss for what to do.”

“Hey.”

Saying it like that makes me sound like some trashy criminal.

I gave her a dumbfounded look, and she smirked playfully, shrugging her shoulders.

“Just kidding. Anyway, I’ve sorted out the situation with that Mine.”

“What did you do?”

“I’ve locked her up in the Mine containment facility in Valhalla City. We can use her as a negotiation card whenever needed.”

The Mine containment facility in Valhalla City…

‘Is that really safe?’

I knew the facility’s security was tight, but Serpente wasn’t a Mine that could be easily contained.

“Is it because of the Whisper’s Blessing?”

“Yes.”

“Then you don’t need to worry. She won’t be able to use her Blessing.”

She won’t be able to use her Blessing?

I looked at her with a questioning gaze, and Professor Elisha smiled coldly.

“The Whisper’s Blessing requires her to use her voice, right?”

“Well… yes.”

“If her mouth is sewn shut, she won’t be able to use the Whisper’s Blessing.”

“……”

Just hearing that sent a chill down my spine, and I kept my mouth shut.

I wondered how she would eat if her mouth was sewn shut, but I didn’t ask.

The important thing was that we had secured a useful card in Serpente.

‘Who knows how Mephisto will act in the future.’

With the future so uncertain, it was better to have as many cards as possible.

“Candidate Dale.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been very, very busy these past three days.”

Professor Elisha stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and stared at me.

“I’ve been working overtime every day since the start of the semester, dealing with meetings.”

“Just when I thought the meetings were calming down, you suddenly dropped the bomb about the Archbishop of Corruption and irresponsibly threw it at me.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to handle such big matters secretly without the school higher-ups finding out?”

Professor Elisha vented her frustrations, clearly having held them in for a while.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

It couldn’t be helped, but it was true that I had dumped everything on Professor Elisha.

“Are you really sorry?”

Professor Elisha smirked, her eyes sparkling.

She got up from her chair and lay down on the guest sofa in the middle of the office, turning to look at me.

“Then, Candidate Dale, will you personally relieve my fatigue?”

“…Do you want a massage?”

“Hoho. If not, why would I lie down on the sofa like this?”

Professor Elisha seductively swayed her slender legs while lying down.

I sighed and approached the sofa where Professor Elisha was lying.

As I crouched beside the sofa to start the massage, Professor Elisha grabbed my hand.

“Get on top of my back.”

“That’s a bit…”

“Isn’t that position uncomfortable for you too?”

Ugh.

Reluctantly, I awkwardly climbed onto Professor Elisha’s back.

I placed my hands on her spine, faintly visible through her white shirt.

“Ah…”

*Press. Press.*

I applied pressure with my thumbs, stimulating the area around her spine.

Despite her slender waist, which looked like it could break with a touch, I could feel the firm muscles beneath my fingers.

“Ah… Hah… Ah…!”

“Please don’t make strange noises.”

“B-But… I can’t help it…!”

“If you keep doing that, I’ll stop.”

“Ah…”

Professor Elisha bit her lip, trying to suppress her voice.

But it didn’t last long.

As I started to work on the tense muscles, Professor Elisha’s moans burst out again.

“Candidate Dale…! Y-You’re too strong! If you press there…! Ah…!”

“Hey.”

“I-I can’t take it… Ah…!”

Why are you acting like this with me?

‘I should’ve set up a soundproof barrier outside the door.’

I stopped the massage and got up to open the office door.

*Thud!*

I felt something heavy bump into me.

“…Albert?”

I locked eyes with Albert, who had fallen to the floor.

Holding a stack of documents in one hand, Albert scrambled to his feet and stammered.

“I-I was here on Professor Lucas’s errand… I mean, uh…!”

“Wait, calm down, Albert. It’s okay.”

“I-I-I didn’t hear anything, Dale!”

Albert’s face was bright red as he desperately shook his head.

No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t look like someone who “didn’t hear anything.”

“D-Don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone!”

“No, it’s not that…”

“S-Sorry for interrupting your good time!!!”

Before I could stop him, Albert turned and bolted down the hallway.

“……”

Uh…

So, yeah.

‘The Hoover Family is the empire’s largest information guild, right?’

I’m screwed.

* * *

“…Sigh.”

After leaving Professor Elisha’s office.

I sat on a bench, pulling at my hair.

“Why are you moping like that?”

Just then, a familiar voice reached my ears.

I looked up to see Senior Sophia standing there, arms crossed, looking down at me.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like ‘nothing’ when your sighs can be heard from miles away.”

“……”

I kept my mouth shut, avoiding Senior Sophia’s gaze.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk, fine. It’s not like you’re hiding just one or two things anyway.”

“…What brings you here?”

The building for fourth-years was quite far from here.

“I came to find you.”

“Me?”

“I have something to say and a favor to ask.”

With that, Senior Sophia bowed her head to me.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to clear up many misunderstandings.”

She seemed to have shed a burden from her heart, her expression much softer than when I first met her.

“So, can I talk to you now?”

“Huh? What do you mean… Oh.”

Senior Sophia let out a small sigh, recalling our first meeting.

“Well, do as you please. We’ll be seeing each other often in the lab from now on.”

“The lab?”

“I’ve decided to help with Professor Jade’s research this time.”

“Ah.”

The joint research of the future Grand Mage and the descendant of the Grand Sage.

‘I wonder what they’ll come up with.’

I swallowed a laugh and nodded.

“What was the favor you wanted to ask?”

“Ah, that…”

Senior Sophia blushed slightly, twirling her hair with her fingers.

“You… you’re close with Berald, right?”

*Ahem.*

Senior Sophia coughed awkwardly and continued.

“C-Can you give me his contact info?”

“……”

As autumn deepened.

A new youthful breeze was blowing.