I hit the table and speak up.
[Was it a misunderstanding?]
The Black Prince looks surprised.
What’s with you being surprised?
“Ugh······.”
“Ha-wa-wa-wa-wa······.”
Aris biting her lips and Evangelin holding her mouth with her eyes shaking.
“Um, um, the girl made a mistake. My apologies, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung······.”
Evangelin bows her head, shoulders slumped.
Now that I see it, her eyes are even glistening with tears.
No wonder she’s a light novel character; she’s overreacting at every little thing.
It’s a bit much. Really.
“Well, I was okay eating something spicy for the first time in a while. So you don’t need to apologize, just don’t do it again next time.”
“I’m relieved to hear you were okay! I will study more accurately about Korea!”
Evangelin wipes her tears with the back of her hand and clenches her fist.
She really doesn’t need to study more.
This makes me even more uneasy.
Next thing you know, she’ll be making kimchi on YouTube or something.
“Ahem. I’ll also take this opportunity to learn more about Korea.”
Aris coughs lightly while glancing at me.
There’s no need for her to know more either.
Just as I was about to say something…
“Saionji!”
I hear a familiar voice from afar.
Turning my head, I see a stunning beauty in a bouncy pink bikini, Mayuzumi Mayu, standing there.
Wearing a sun cap, she beams a bright smile.
“Here you are! Oh, and Miss Stewart is here too!”
Clap.
Mayuzumi-sensei claps her hands while pulling out a megaphone from her waist and speaks into it.
“It’s almost time for group formation! Saionji, Stewart, Kim, and all cadets here, gather in front of the temporary teacher!”
Freedom time is over.
It’s now time for group formation.
*
Summer school.
In front of the temporary teacher’s yard.
In the temporary yard installed near the beach with a clear view of the sea, cadets in swimsuits were lined up in neat rows.
Students from Shuou Academy and even those from St. George Academy in England crowded the yard.
And there I was, standing in line with my class, Group A.
“Now, I’ll announce the group formation results!”
Mayuzumi-sensei yells through the megaphone as she stands on the platform.
“Finally, it’s time for the group formation! Eri and our master are definitely in the same group, right?”
“What are you talking about? Nishizawa! The seat next to him should belong to me, the exclusive maid of this noble French princess, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, don’t you think?”
“I will definitely······ be sitting next to Kim Deok-Sung this time.”
“I too······ I won’t lose this time. I will absolutely be in the same group as my lord.”
The bickering sounds of Eri, Olivia, Rin, and Makoto, all classmates, fill my ears.
Two from Shuou Academy, two from St. George Academy.
This summer school practical group of four is important.
Because during the remaining summer school, we’ll have to stick together for exploration and all sorts of activities.
Because I had a bunch of things to do.
If possible, it would be great if Trixie, no, Beatrice would stick with Yuji.
Honestly, I’ve done all the hard work up until now while that guy has been enjoying the sweet life, right?
It’s about time he helped carry my burden.
Because he’s the protagonist.
While I was thinking that.
“Group 4, Evangelin Stewart, Trixie Smith, Shinozaki Rin······.”
Just as they say, “Speak of the devil,” Beatrice’s alias was called out.
Evangelin and Beatrice?
It looks like the road ahead is going to be a fiery one.
I absolutely shouldn’t be in that group.
Please, Yuji, you go. You’re the protagonist, after all.
This time, I want to walk a flowery path. Not a fiery one.
Just as I was silently praying for that.
“······Kim Deok-Sung.”
A sound like thunder rang in my ears.
What?
Me? Again?
I have to take on Evangelin and Beatrice?
I feel a pang in my stomach.
Now I finally understand why the stomach medicine joke came up.
Black Harem King (Illustration Included)
The moment the group placements were announced, Rin next to me clenched her fist and shook it.
“I’ve won this time.”
Rin was smiling happily.
“Tch… Losing to a cow…”
“I can’t believe it. How did I, a personal maid, end up…”
“Ehh…”
In sharp contrast, Eri clicked her tongue, Olivia pouted her lips, and Makoto was sulking.
No matter what, my insides were already a mess.
Evangelin was originally in a group with Yuji, so why on earth did she end up in my group?
And a saintess too?
What was supposed to be just a casual exploration turned into a hellish group project.
Is this the butterfly effect from taking out William in France early?
Damn butterfly effect.
Well, it’s not like I ever had lucky breaks.
I didn’t fall into a sweet web novel where I could devour everything like a soda pass; instead, I’ve landed in this cursed sweet potato farm of a light novel world from the very beginning.
Plus, the original plot has already twisted.
During the exploration, the New World League might attack at any moment.
There’s also a chance that other villains might crash the party targeting the saintess.
Saint Beatrice is a core character deeply intertwined with the ending of the original story, so if it were a tree wiki, warning spoilers would barely suffice because of her significant abilities.
‘I guess something really might happen, so I should be fully prepared.’
[Your readiness to expect the worst anytime, anywhere is quite impressive. Partner.]
Just as I was half-listening to the Black Prince’s compliment.
“The group placements are finished! Now let’s each have our group activity time!”
The voice of Mayuzumi-sensei declaring group activities reaches me.
Following her instructions, the students bustle about looking for their groupmates.
The playground turns as noisy as a market.
“Let’s go too, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Grab.
Rin grabs my wrist and pulls me along.
“Hehe.”
Rin’s face is turning red as she smiles.
What’s gotten into her, acting so proactively all of a sudden?
Anyway, it’s already spilled water.
We can’t change the group placements now.
Moreover, it’s not all bad that the saintess, a major variable unlike the original story, ended up in our group.
At least I can control the variables myself.
“Here I am, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung!”
Far away, I can see Evangelin waving her hand.
Next to her is a golden-haired beauty with an eye patch, the saint Beatrice.
The saintess, wearing a low-exposure lace swimsuit, has a dissatisfied expression, puffing her cheeks.
After all, she was a character closer to the queen-type heroine who rambles nonsense about humanity in the original story.
It’s clear that her pride is hurt just by being involved in this “idle play of lesser beings.”
“Hoho. Nice to meet you. Shinozaki-chan, I am Evangelin Stewart, a third-year student council president at St. George Academy.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Shinozaki. I am Evangelin Stewart, a third-year Student Council President at St. George Academy.”
Evangelin waves her hand, smiling like a bright sun.
After receiving her greeting, Rin’s gaze shifts towards Beatrice.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Stewart. Who is this…?”
“Ms. Smith, self-introductions are basic etiquette.”
Tap, tap.
Evangelin gently taps the Saintess’s shoulder with a smiling face.
The Saintess grimaces at her touch.
“…A lowly being like you is not even worthy to utter my true name. Normally, you shouldn’t even dare to look at me, let alone gaze upon my glorious visage without paying a price. You should be grateful that you are allowed to admire the face of a being as radiant as the sun.”
The Saintess puffs her cheeks, arms crossed.
Her remark cools the atmosphere.
“Um… I see…”
Rin’s expression turns flustered.
[Partner, is she sick or something?]
Even the Black Prince seems baffled.
To create this kind of atmosphere in such a generally warm world is a rare skill indeed.
“Ah, ha ha ha ha ha… Ms. Shinozaki, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, please understand. Ms. Smith is still new to the school and not familiar with Japanese manners.”
Evangelin, sweating profusely, tries to cover for Beatrice.
“Hmph. Manners of the human race are unnecessary for a saint like me. The laws of this mortal realm hold no meaning for me. The only purpose of the inferior beings is to grovel at my feet and lick the dust off my shoes.”
“…As you can see, this girl is suffering quite seriously from a case of ‘Chūnibyō’. It seems she believes she is the Saintess and a princess of the Cult. So please, do bear with it…”
Chūnibyō.
Is that the setup we’re rolling with?
She doesn’t seem to want to hide it at all.
Well, wearing that eye patch, the very symbol of Chūnibyō, and openly declaring herself a Saintess with that attitude, who would believe her?
A natural way to induce relaxation.
Maybe in this wretched light novel world, she’s actually more than she appears.
“Indeed, I never expected a mere human to understand the thought process of a saint… Since even my servant is troubled, I suppose I shall indulge you mortals this once.”
The Saintess squints.
Her gaze turns to Rin and me.
“…My name is Trixie Smith. Consider it a special blessing that I am graciously teaching you one of my names. Had it been at my home school, I would have made you prostrate before me.”
Damn.
This is hard to handle from another direction.
I’ve lost.
Now, not just Olivia, but Rin, Eri, and even Makoto all seem like lovely angels.
I feel a twinge of guilt regarding the other kids I called out for their light novel reactions before.
[Wait, a saint at her home school?]
The Black Prince speaks seriously in my head.
[No… not yet. Once I know for sure, I’ll let you know, Partner. But maybe she’s not just a typical Chūnibyō patient after all.]
He finishes with a bored tone.
Well, if the likes of the Black Prince knows about the Cult and the League, he might be onto something.
If this were a light novel, it would be a meaningful line foreshadowing something, but sadly, I already know Trixie’s true identity.
“Boring, isn’t it?”
But I can’t let them know I’m a reincarnated being either.
So, I’ll just play along.
“Um, yes, nice to meet you, Ms. Smith.”
Rin, bewildered, manages to accept it.
If this were reality, she’d probably be hit with countless disses for talking nonsense, but somehow she’s understanding and accepting it.
It’s an unnecessarily kind world.
“I’ve heard that one of the human customs involves shaking hands. I’m in a good mood today, so I will allow you inferior beings the honor of a handshake.”
“I will allow the glory.”
Swoosh.
An outstretched right hand, offered naturally.
Clearly, it was a play to use psychometry.
[Partner, wait a minute… No, it’s fine since I’m here. Let’s shake hands. This might give me a chance to confirm my earlier guess.]
The Black Prince had something to say.
I wasn’t planning to refuse.
I had my psychometry defense all set up anyway.
The Black Prince will handle everything.
“Yes, well. Sounds good.”
Grab.
I clasped the hand that the Saintess extended.
Let her use her gift to her heart’s content.
After all, she wouldn’t be able to read anything.
*
When she offered her hand for a handshake, Beatrice felt a twinge of nervousness.
Kim Deok-Sung.
There was a chance he might not fall for the bait she had cast.
‘If that happens, wouldn’t my trip all the way to the human realm be meaningless?’
Of course, for Beatrice, who had only experienced the outside world through books, the actual outside world wasn’t entirely unappealing.
Especially the St. George Academy’s Student Council President, Evangelin Stewart, who had helped her wholeheartedly since she transferred under the guise of Trixie.
She even tried psychometry out of suspicion that Evangelin might know her true identity, but it turned out she was genuinely helping her out of pure goodwill.
Beatrice’s acceptance of Evangelin’s earlier words was also partly due to that.
After spending her life in the cold, conspiratorial environment of the Cult, Evangelin’s sincere kindness was refreshing.
‘The human realm might not be so bad after all…’
As those thoughts crossed Beatrice’s mind, she shook her head slightly.
Now wasn’t the time to leisurely enjoy the human realm’s daily life.
Kim Deok-Sung.
It was time to judge whether he had the qualities to be her joker.
Grab.
The moment Beatrice clasped hands with Kim Deok-Sung.
She used her gift.
The unseen force injected into Kim Deok-Sung’s body through the contact of their handshake.
A vision flickered into Beatrice’s view.
Proof that her power had worked.
‘Now, Kim Deok-Sung, it’s time for you to confess exactly what kind of person you are!’
Just as Beatrice smiled triumphantly.
Zzzz, zzzz.
Like a broken TV, nothing came through the vision.
Beatrice’s face stiffened.
‘What’s this… This can’t be happening…’
Psychometry isn’t omnipotent.
If one’s mental strength is strong, they can shake it off.
Just like the leader of the League, Messiah.
But in that case, it’s a judgment that outright ignores the gift, so no vision appears at all.
The vision only manifests when the gift is successfully applied, to show the target’s memories.
But that’s not the case now.
The vision appears, but the memories are unreadable.
‘A situation where the ability works but the memories are irretrievable…?’
This was a first.
And it’s an impossible occurrence.
Thus, Beatrice was flustered.
Unless one could nullify the gift, all matter and humans couldn’t escape psychometry.
Even if it’s a brand-new product, the records from when it was produced can be read.
It’s impossible for there to be nothing but pitch-black darkness.
‘What the heck kind of person are you, Kim Deok-Sung…!’
It was the first time since Messiah had ignored her gift.
To think that, unlike Messiah, who was immune to powers, she couldn’t read memories even though her ability had worked was even scarier.
Just as the Saintess was flustered and tried to withdraw her gift.
Zzzz, zzzz.
Noise filled the vision as someone appeared.
A handsome man in his late twenties with black hair, black eyes, and dressed in a black uniform.
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