Chapter 47

Chapter 47. Interlude – The Spider of the Fierce Eye.

The sensation of a soft tongue probing inside my mouth.

The pungent smell of fresh tobacco stimulated my nose.

“Kyaaaaaaah!!!”

From afar, Iris’s scream echoed.

“What is that crazy woman doing now… Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!”

“P-Please, Saintess! Calm down!”

Camilla’s frantic voice trying to stop Iris.

“What, what’s going on?”

“Professor Elisha and Dale…?”

“A tall, black-haired beauty in a black suit kissing him! Dale, you jerk!”

“But if Professor Elisha is senior to Professor Lucas, the age gap between her and us is almost double…”

“Onee-san! I like it even more!”

“Shut up, Albert.”

The commotion filling the Training Grounds.

But I had no time to pay attention to the chaos.

I was just as flustered by the current situation.

‘What, what’s going on all of a sudden?’

Who would have thought that my first kiss after returning would be with Professor Elisha, not Iris.

And a deep kiss with tongues entwined.

“Puhah!”

Finally freeing myself from Professor Elisha’s embrace, I gasped for breath and glared at her.

“…What are you doing right now?”

“Didn’t I say? I have something to check.”

Elisha licked her lips with the tongue that had just been in my mouth.

Gulp.

The moment she swallowed her saliva.

Sssssss.

Magic power vibrated, and her purple eyes split grotesquely, like a reptile’s eyes.

A golden pupil appeared, splitting her purple eyes vertically.

As her nickname suggested, the eerie ‘Fierce Eye’ was directed at me.

“Hmm.”

Elisha, who had been observing me intently, nodded.

“At least you’re not a Mine.”

“Did you kiss me to check if I’m a Mine or not?”

“Precisely, I needed your saliva. My ‘Blessing’ becomes stronger by drinking the opponent’s bodily fluids.”

“…Blessing?”

Trying to recall what Elisha Baldwin’s Blessing was.

“Senior Elisha possesses the ‘Insight’s Blessing,’ which allows her to see through the opponent’s inner self. The reason she was invited as a special professor this time is also because of that Blessing.”

“Ah.”

Indeed.

The reason this monster disturbance occurred was that no one noticed the Mine disguised as a professor infiltrating the school.

If Elisha Baldwin, with her Insight’s Blessing, stays at the school, we can avoid a similar tragedy.

‘Insight’s Blessing… Ah, right. Now I remember.’

In my past life, when traitors who became Mines after receiving the Devil God’s Blessing began to appear, I vaguely heard about her Blessing.

‘I completely forgot about it.’

In my past life, I had no direct contact with her, and during the time when traitors were emerging, I was busy working as a mercenary day and night, so it’s no wonder I didn’t remember.

‘I don’t remember everything from my past life either.’

It’s human to forget what I had for lunch three days ago, let alone perfectly remember the memories of hundreds, thousands of years of past lives (though most of that time was spent wandering the continent alone).

‘Anyway, a Blessing that allows her to see through the opponent’s inner self.’

Did she say the effect becomes stronger by drinking bodily fluids?

Recalling the sensation of the soft tongue lingering in my mouth, I asked.

“Don’t tell me you plan to kiss everyone in the school?”

At my question, Professor Elisha chuckled and shook her head.

“Of course not. Basically, I can distinguish whether someone is a Mine or not without drinking their bodily fluids.”

“Then why did I…?”

“You’re just too suspicious.”

Professor Elisha glared at me with sharp eyes.

I gulped and nodded.

‘Well.’

If the situation were reversed, I would have reacted similarly.

“So, what’s the result? Did you resolve your doubts?”

“No, they’ve only deepened.”

Elisha smiled bitterly and shook her head.

“Ah, but I did learn one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Hmm.”

Professor Elisha leaned in close to my ear, whispering softly so no one else could hear.

“You, according to the candidate list, you don’t possess any Blessings… Shouldn’t that be changed?”

“……”

Damn.

Did she find out about the Blessing of Resurrection?

‘But it seems she didn’t find out about the Primordial Flame.’

If the Insight’s Blessing had revealed the Primordial Flame as well, the situation would have become much more complicated.

“Well, whether you reveal it or not is up to you. It’s not against school rules to hide it.”

Professor Elisha shrugged and said.

“…What are you two whispering about so secretly?”

At that moment.

A low voice accompanied by a piercing gaze was heard.

“You are… Candidate Iris.”

“If you’re done, please step away from Dale.”

“Hoh.”

Professor Elisha’s eyes sparkled with interest at Iris’s sharp gaze.

“I never thought the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom would be close to a low-ranking candidate.”

“Is rank important when candidates become friends?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then it doesn’t matter.”

“Hmm.”

Professor Elisha chuckled as if she had found an interesting toy.

“But isn’t it problematic for the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom to be close to a male candidate?”

“The teachings of the Seven Gods do not prohibit interactions with the opposite sex.”

“Haha, what a bold Saintess.”

Professor Elisha shrugged and laughed, then seemed to have a good idea as she stepped closer to me.

Now completely pressed against me, Professor Elisha.

I tried to ignore the soft sensation through her suit and spoke.

“…What now?”

“It seems one time wasn’t enough.”

Professor Elisha stroked my chin and continued in a serious voice.

“I think I need to conduct further investigations on Candidate Dale.”

“……”

“W-Wait a minute! Didn’t you say the investigation was over?!”

Iris, with a panicked expression, jumped up and grabbed Professor Elisha’s shoulder.

“I said I found something, not that the investigation was over.”

“Ugh…”

“Now, let’s continue the investigation slowly… at our leisure.”

“Eek!”

Iris pulled at the shoulder she was holding.

“Hmm. What is it? As a special professor, I have a duty to investigate suspicious candidates.”

“Who’s suspicious? And if you need bodily fluids, it doesn’t have to be saliva, right?”

“Hoh. Then what?”

“Uh… s-sweat, for example.”

“Hmm. Alright. Following Candidate Iris’s suggestion, I’ll lick the sweat from Candidate Dale’s neck…”

“No, no! Who said you could lick Dale?!”

“No to saliva, no to sweat… What exactly do you want me to do?”

Professor Elisha clicked her tongue and looked at Iris.

“Uh… w-well.”

Flustered, Iris clenched her fists and shouted.

“Beat Dale up and make him cry!”

Huh?

“Or stab him with a knife to make him bleed!”

What are you saying, Iris?

“Hmm. Looking at Candidate Dale’s expression, he doesn’t seem too keen on that.”

“W-Well then…”

Iris’s gaze drifted to the sign at the entrance of the Training Grounds.

The sign read, ‘Restrooms are to the right.’

Gulp.

Iris swallowed hard and spoke.

“Urine is also a type of bodily fluid… Ugh?!”

“Stop!”

Don’t say any more!!!

“Pfft, hahaha!”

Professor Elisha burst into laughter, covering Iris’s mouth.

It was the first bright smile she had shown, breaking the heavy, serious atmosphere.

“Sigh.”

Professor Lucas approached with a deep sigh.

“Let’s stop the jokes here, Senior.”

“Haha, it’s been a while since I laughed like this.”

Professor Elisha wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.

Iris frowned and looked at Professor Lucas.

“Jokes?”

“Drinking more bodily fluids here won’t enhance the effect of the ‘Insight’s Blessing.'”

In other words.

The additional investigation was just Professor Elisha’s joke.

“Eek…!”

Iris glared fiercely at Professor Elisha, her face bright red.

Professor Elisha turned away calmly.

“The candidate test ends here. Everyone, return to the classroom and continue the lesson. I’ll head to another ‘Combat Training Class’ classroom now.”

“W-Wait! You’re just going to leave like this?”

“Hmm? Does Candidate Iris want me to investigate Candidate Dale further?”

“That’s…”

Iris bit her lip and clenched her trembling fists.

“…Go, quickly.”

Turning away, Iris grabbed my arm and pulled.

“Let’s go, Dale.”

“Ah, okay.”

“I have a lot to say after class, so make sure you stay.”

“…Yes.”

As I was being dragged back to the classroom by Iris.

“Ah, Candidate Dale?”

“Yes?”

Turning my head, I saw Professor Elisha smiling slyly with her finger on her lips.

“Not bad.”

“…What?”

“Huhu. Who knows?”

With those words, Professor Elisha turned and walked away.

* * *

Inside the neatly organized professor’s office.

Professor Lucas sighed deeply and looked at the woman before him.

“…What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

Professor Elisha sipped her coffee without even turning her head.

“I don’t recall you being the type to enjoy jokes like that.”

“Time changes not only mountains and rivers but also people.”

“Sigh.”

Professor Lucas sighed deeply.

Silently sipping her coffee, Elisha spoke softly.

“Candidate Dale, was it…?”

“Yes.”

“I like him.”

“…What part?”

“His appearance is my type. Ah, and the feel of his lips was nice too.”

“……”

“Just kidding.”

Professor Elisha chuckled and set her cup down.

Professor Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

“It seems the part about liking him isn’t a joke, though?”

“Isn’t it natural for a female to be attracted to a strong male?”

“……”

“From the distribution of magic power to precise control, the experienced eyes and movements unbecoming of a candidate.”

Professor Elisha’s eyes sparkled as she continued.

“Candidate Dale will become a strong hero in the future. Perhaps even greater than the ‘Five Great Heroes.'”

“…Isn’t that too high of an evaluation?”

“Huhu. Who knows?”

Elisha shrugged and leaned back on the sofa.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, she touched her lips.

The sensation she felt through the Insight’s Blessing when her lips met Dale’s came to mind.

‘There’s something else besides the Blessing of Resurrection.’

Something unimaginably huge… fiercely burning.

Though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was through the Insight’s Blessing.

One thing was certain.

‘When Candidate Dale makes that inner power his own.’

An unprecedented monster will be born.

‘Well, there’s no guarantee that monster will be on humanity’s side.’

Elisha swallowed a chuckle and recalled the lingering sensation of Dale’s lips.

For some reason.

Despite countless kisses to obtain bodily fluids, she had never felt particularly good about it.

But recalling the memory of kissing Dale, the corners of her mouth lifted involuntarily.

“…Senior.”

“What is it?”

Perhaps because her pleasant reminiscence was interrupted.

Elisha frowned and turned her head toward Lucas.

“I know Dale has talent… but, no matter how you look at it.”

“Spit it out.”

“Isn’t it a bit too much to have your eye on a male candidate more than twenty years younger than you… Ugh!”

Piiiiing!

A sharp metallic sound and a transparent silver thread wrapped around Professor Lucas’s body.

Like a bug caught in a spider’s web, Professor Lucas struggled helplessly.

Elisha stepped on Professor Lucas’s chest with her pointed heel and spoke.

“Any last words?”

“I’m sorry.”

Please spare me, Senior.