I still didn’t know if what I said to Lina had the desired effect. At least, her rebellious attitude remained unchanged. No matter who tried to talk to her, she brushed them off and just slept on her desk during class. Most teachers ignored her as she didn’t listen to anything they said and continued teaching.
From the outside, it might even seem like my approach backfired.
But I understood that this was Lina’s way of contemplating her actions.
The Witch of Suspicion infiltrated Lina to shake those around her, making them distrust and hate each other. It was to instill deep-seated distrust of humans in the students at the Academy, laying the groundwork for future shackles, even if they became heroes.
So, to put it another way, her attitude was entirely unhelpful.
Maintaining that kind of attitude intentionally, rather than making friends with people, was her way of grappling with whether it was right to betray those around her.
Eventually, she even asked the Witch if it was possible to govern gently without killing people.
Of course, she ended up getting beaten up pretty badly for that.
In the novel I wrote, the protagonist’s group believed that Lina was a victim of domestic violence. After all, she suddenly showed up swollen and bruised one day.
Well, it’ll take almost a month to get to that point, so I’ll set it aside for now.
There was still a foolish person who persistently challenged Lina head-on instead of giving up.
You already know who it is, right?
It was, of course, the protagonist of this harem, Lee Ji-An.
“Did something tiring happen yesterday?”
“I think it’d be good for you to pay attention in class.”
“If you’re going to lunch, can I join you?”
I couldn’t help but admire Lina’s immense mental fortitude. She ignored all of Lee Ji-An’s absurdly bold propositions that would make any guy’s heart race without even responding.
Of course, just because she didn’t reply didn’t mean she had no reaction.
I clearly saw Lina’s ears turn bright red as she ignored the protagonist.
Lee Ji-An, who melted away the allure with his appearance and demeanor, could he actually be part Incubus?
Naturally, I never added such a setting.
“Did I do something wrong?”
Seeing Lee Ji-An asking us that with an extremely serious expression evoked some sympathy in me.
Another week passed.
Now, a group began to form that had progressed beyond merely knowing each other to definitely considering themselves friends, and part of that group was expanding its influence into the corner of the classroom where Lina, Linea, Aurora, and Selena were seated.
Well, it was only natural since Selena was the center of that group.
Not surprisingly, the group was mostly made up of girls, especially those who tended to arrive at school relatively early. Since they were the ones coming early to chat in the morning, it was a natural consequence.
Among them was an elf named Satsuki, with light green bobbed hair.
Yes, this character was included with the belief that there should be elves in the Academy.
As you can tell by the hairstyle, it was needless to say she was the class president.
Despite being set up to have good eyesight, she didn’t wear glasses.
The reason this world refers to society as “Human Society” instead of “People Society” is that humans refer solely to the humans we know; it does not include other races that moved in together with demons. So, it became established to lump elves, beastmen, and gnomes together as people, hence the distinction between “people” and “humans.”
The fact that elves, beastmen, and gnomes came from another world became a reason for racial discrimination. It wasn’t just because they looked different from humans but also a conspiracy theory that they had chosen this world as a refuge, inadvertently allowing demons to spill in.
Well, if I were to reveal my official setting, it’s the opposite. It’s not the elves or beastmen or gnomes crossing dimensions; it’s the demons opening a dimensional gate to try out different worlds. And by coincidence, the races that were fighting demons in those worlds ended up being transported along.
In reality, it was the elves, beastmen, and gnomes who crossed over and fought alongside humans, gambling their lives in the process. Of course, they had little choice in the matter, too.
Even if you add them all together, there were still fewer than the number of humans, making them obvious targets of discrimination. While it’s faded quite a bit now, it isn’t entirely gone.
Well… that’s just how it is. To be honest, I didn’t think there would be anyone who’d express that here in this school. Anyone showing such sentiments in an academy aspiring for heroes would be in danger of expulsion.
“Is there any way to charm Hicks?”
Returning to the class president topic, the class president was quite the stickler. Indeed, she was the very definition of a class president character.
“I doubt it’ll work.”
I answered immediately.
“Lee Ji-An is ignored every day as he tries to talk to her.”
At first, Lee Ji-An considered just calling Selena’s name, but combining formal titles with her name always felt awkward, so he ended up addressing her with honorifics. Every time I called him that way, it seemed to somehow hurt him, but that wasn’t my concern. A blessed guy can take a few hits.
Upon hearing my words, Satsuki glanced at Ji-An, then let out a long sigh.
“Well, that won’t do.”
This was met with a perplexed look from Ji-An, who was the only guy in the group, as he sighed while looking at himself.
“What do you mean?”
“No, it’s better if you don’t know.”
Selena cut him off sharply. I couldn’t agree more. Handsome guys are better off not knowing they’re handsome. If they already have a stomachache, adding misfortune on top could lead to something snapping.
And there was no need to worry too much.
Lina was patient, but if I had to say whether it was Buddha-level patience, I’d have to firmly say no.
It’s one thing to consistently ignore someone for a day or two; when a guy with Ji-An’s looks talks to you every day, you’re bound to crack eventually. Yeah, that’s definitely the case.
*
And several more days passed.
Almost every day, at least when coming out of class, Lina stared fixedly at Ji-An, but her attitude remained unchanged.
Was it originally meant to go this long?
Honestly, since mid-March has passed, I began to feel a bit anxious. I hadn’t grasped the passage of time clearly while writing. The Witch of Suspicion was to appear at the end of May. Did we really have just over two months left to establish a relationship to the level where we’d risk our lives for each other?
Well, sure. If I looked at Ji-An’s face and was honest, it might be worth considering dying in his place.
Yet clearly, I had imagined opening up little by little since the start of the semester. At this point, even if she rejected me, I thought she would at least offer some curt responses.
And so, I began to worry on that day during lunchtime.
If it had been a normal occurrence, Lina would have rushed out of the classroom as if being chased by Ji-An the moment lunchtime hit—but instead, she abruptly stood up and walked over here.
Oh, looks like she’s finally going to say something to Ji-An. Perhaps telling him not to talk to her anymore, or maybe to just go away. Of course, that’s if Ji-An didn’t ask “Why?” and leave her speechless.
But instead, Lina, with a furious expression, walked directly towards me, ignoring Ji-An entirely.
Huh?
“You.”
Then, pointing her finger at me and chillingly said:
“Me?”
I replied, dumbfounded, and Lina’s expression contorted with anger. What the—? I hadn’t done anything wrong! Sure, I had dragged her off last time and said something that might’ve been a threat or advice, but I hadn’t spoken a word since then!
“Why do you keep glaring at me every day?”
Oh, so it wasn’t about the words after all.
Glaring? I was just looking at you! Wait, was she actually paying more attention to my gaze from across the classroom than the handsome guy who was trying to talk to her?
Could it be she had been leaning down all this time just to avoid making eye contact with me?
“Because I want to become friends?”
I just blurted that out, hoping to say something, and the atmosphere around us quieted down as if drenched in water. Moreover, Lina’s expression twisted even further.
Why?
What?
Why?
It wasn’t like I could say to her face that I was actually a Succubus wondering when she might want to befriend us. If I did that, I’d probably get suplexed by Linea, sitting in front of me, and my head would split open.
“Want to be friends?”
Lina, demonstrating an incredible talent for spitting words out like they were something dirty and disgusting—she shoved something from her pocket and threw it at my face.
Thunk.
It didn’t seem to be very strong since what hit my forehead dropped down, revealing a crumpled piece of paper. Upon unfolding, I realized it was a bill. Not a large amount, just 1000 credits. Roughly equivalent to 1000 won in terms of currency. It was just a currency denomination with a different name for convenience.
“Take that and go buy a loaf of bread. Bring back 1000 credits. If you do that every day, I might consider being your friend.”
It was an impressively low tactic.
“What are you talking about?!”
Screaming was Selena.
“W-What do you mean by that!? To someone showing kindness!?”
That was Aurora.
“Oh…”
It was an exclamation, but it sounded like there was a hint of menace in Linea’s voice.
“…”
Satsuki was completely speechless, her mouth agape. For someone like Satsuki, who was extremely straightforward, she probably never imagined such words—a classmate being treated like a servant.
“You,”
As Ji-An prepared to get up and say something, I quickly opened my mouth. Oh great, if it were only the two of them, I might’ve had time to think it through—but the atmosphere had turned hazardous, and I had no time to think.
Lina had likely anticipated that.
“So, will you be my friend?”
I was fortunate enough to successfully maintain a calm tone despite the urgency of the situation. With the pressure on, I could speak in a manner that turned out to be almost emotionless. Lina had unintentionally assisted me in that regard.
“…What?”
Not getting openly rejected surprised Lina.
“Are you serious?”
Selena gasped in disbelief as she looked at me. I merely shrugged my shoulders before standing up.
“Answer me. Will you be my friend?”
“…When did I say that?”
Lina looked around, her eyes darting, before shifting her words.
“I-I said I’d think about it, not that I’d agreed!”
That remark would’ve been more effective if made after having gotten me a loaf of bread.
Taking a deep breath, I sighed while watching Lina shift her position.
Then, calmly taking three steps back,
I executed a Drop Kick.
*
“…Just stop it.”
As I stacked milk and sweet red bean bread on Lina’s face while she lay on the infirmary bed, a voice that sounded like it would explode from underneath the bread echoed.
“Why? I brought you bread and even left money. Didn’t you say you would be friends?”
With her face crumpling in annoyance, Lina sat up, causing the precariously balanced bread and milk to topple. Ah, I had just set that up.
“How’s this? Grateful, right? I could’ve healed you right after you fainted, but I brought you here considering your personal circumstances. That’s pretty thoughtful, right?”
As I intentionally scratched her sore spot, Lina’s face turned tomato red. Of course, it was pure irritation and anger, not embarrassment. After all, I had publicly broadcast her shame, getting beaten up.
“Just go away…”
Covering her face with both hands, Lina managed to get the words out.
I whispered into her ear, “So, we’re friends now, right? Then, can I bring you bread every day? What do you think?”
“I don’t need it…”
“Then I’ll just think of you as a friend.”
“…”
As I continued to tease her, Lina was silent for a while before answering in a nearly breaking voice.
“I said I’d think about it, didn’t I?”
Ah, she sure was stubborn.
With a deep sigh, I stood up, collecting the bread, milk, and 1000 credit bill off the floor, placing it on the bedside table before stepping outside through the curtains.
Outside stood Linea and Aurora, both with astonished expressions.
“Let’s head back to the classroom.”
I declared with a proud stance, and they both nodded silently.
*
To be honest, I believed I had won with that. At least, the Lina I saw in the infirmary seemed no longer willing to oppose me, and in reality, she became somewhat more subdued afterwards. She even shot brief glares at Ji-An instead of ignoring him completely.
Of course, I didn’t think that her change of attitude meant she was viewing things positively. It was likely she started reacting because she was scared of me a bit.
Not only could she wield Holy Power, but she also understood that I could inflict physical harm to the extent of severing her consciousness at will, making her feel even more helpless.
With someone like me openly asserting dominance in the same classroom, not to mention being aware of my true nature, she must have felt completely at a loss regarding what to do from here.
She couldn’t just go to the Witch and claim that she couldn’t handle this. In the Witch’s eyes, a low-ranking Demon like a Succubus was expendable. If she wanted to avoid being eliminated from existence, she had to adapt.
So, it became about deceiving oneself, thinking it was for the mission, initially making a friend, then later wanting to belong due to the influence of that friend. Isn’t that quite a cliche?
Thus, at this juncture, Lina’s power struggle against me was essentially my victory.
– So I thought.
Lina Hicks was pretending to be on her best behavior while smoldering with fury. Surprisingly persistent in character, she likely believed the last two encounters were just sudden outcomes due to my unexpected emergence.
Well, sure, a sudden emergence may have its advantages, but doesn’t considering ‘I would’ve won in a fair match’ seem a bit un-demonlike?
“…Last time, I was taken by surprise and couldn’t properly prepare.”
Lina pointed her one-handed sword at me as she spoke. It was a sword that, despite being a one-handed weapon, was rather thick and long, painted black, giving off a very villainous aura, though she wouldn’t unleash any malicious powers from it. Doing so would practically advertise that she was a Demon.
Especially in front of the former hero who was our homeroom teacher.
Yet, the fact that she had genuinely drawn her actual weapon instead of a disguise showed her seriousness. It was minimal, but it was a potentially risky action.
This indicated her ego had been wounded.
“In a proper duel, I won’t lose…”
The fierce expression on Lina Hicks’ face radiated a sense of intent.
Indeed.
It was the absolute cliché of an academy story’s early stages.
A student duel.
And true to the clichés, it turned out to be a confrontation between characters in an awkward or very poor relationship. For example, Selena was set to face Ji-An, while Linea was up against Aurora. Notably, I and Lina were the very first match.
Glancing down at the smirking teacher watching from the platform, I didn’t hear anything from him.
Well, that made sense; Seo-A also had the demeanor of a typical academy teacher. She seemed carefree, not showing much interest in her students, and drank heavily, resembling anything but a proper teacher. Yet, she cared for her students deeply at her core, ultimately becoming more like a close older sister or mentor figure.
So I couldn’t say I was entirely taken by surprise. It wasn’t hard to figure out who wrote the story’s direction.
Hence, the moment I executed a Drop Kick to Lina’s face sending her flying through the air, it was all but predetermined.
And naturally, considering it would happen, I had prepared a customized weapon.
In one hand, I held a shield. Originally, I had considered bringing a buckler, but with my strength, a larger one would do just fine, and to avoid a situation where I couldn’t block due to overconfidence, I just opted for a large shield instead. After all, it was feasible to swing it, should the opportunity arise.
And then—
I retrieved the weapon I had prepared from its case.
The cold sensation noticeable in my hand.
You know what that is.
As the morning star would rise, people would call it by a name.
Like the shape of Venus being born in the darkest sky.
A weapon modeled after the shape of the shining Venus high in the dark sky.
A pitch-black iron mace, with spikes expertly crafted by an artisan in orderly ranks like soldiers lining up, with razor-sharp blades artfully honed placed between the rows like walls.
That sight represented an army. Soldiers gathered to crush evil.
A friend to the prayer, both life and comrade.
Ah—yes.
This is what they call a morning star.
I swung the slightly heavy morning star once, feeling the weight.
With a sound like a whip slicing through the air, CRACK!
That wasn’t merely the sound of air cutting. It was the sound of generating a vacuum by tearing through the air.
Seeing me twirl the morning star, Lina’s face turned pale.
Don’t worry.
I brought a weapon intentionally unaltered for you.
Now, let’s get it on.
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