My suspicion that an elixir mine had somehow opened up was perfectly reasonable.
In a single game playthrough, getting three elixirs is considered a lot. But now, in the middle of Chapter 2, I had obtained four elixirs. It seemed impossible unless an elixir mine had actually appeared.
‘No, perhaps…’
Maybe it was because Luna is a descendant of the Lester family.
The Lester family isn’t a major part of the main storyline in the game, but they do appear quite frequently in side storylines.
You could piece together the puzzle of the story and discover the innocence of the Lester family and the mastermind behind it all, but that was as far as the players could go.
Continuing the story of the Lester family was impossible because every related character had been killed.
‘Luna was the last survivor…’
At the beginning of the semester, after losing one arm in a duel with Daike, Luna went missing.
Despite the players’ efforts, they couldn’t save Luna, and gradually, they began to forget about the Lester family.
Thus, the Lester family faded into the annals of history.
‘But now that Luna is alive…’
A hidden piece must have been triggered.
Perhaps the story of the Lester family, the journey to prove their innocence, had begun with Luna.
I wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain—it would be an incredibly difficult path.
‘The fact that I’m feeding Luna elixirs to help her grow is proof of that.’
I was making her stronger so she could endure the tough journey ahead.
At this point, I was relieved that it was Luna who had collapsed.
Not only did it unlock a story I was curious about, but if it had been Rezé who collapsed instead…
— The pet rabbit has collapsed. We express our condolences.
— It was oddly a remarkably strong rabbit. We should get Luna a new rabbit. This time, a sturdier one that can protect her.
— If only it had undergone waterfall training, it might have survived… It’s my mistake! As penance, I’ll undergo waterfall training for ten days!
…Wouldn’t it have ended like that?
Rezé wouldn’t even get a proper funeral as a human, let alone receive an elixir.
My poor Pufferfish Rabbit. But don’t worry. I’ll personally make sure you’re buried.
“Zero, what are you thinking about?”
“Keke, just reflecting on the sadness of those who never became human.”
“…?”
“It’s nothing. But are you sure it’s okay to accept something so valuable?”
“I’ve already had plenty, so don’t worry. As you know, taking the same elixir has almost no effect. It’s just as well, since there’s someone who really needs it.”
Indeed. It’s something a weakling like me really needs.
Giving me something so valuable… I’m moved, deeply moved.
Perhaps sensing my emotions, Rodelin smiled sweetly at me.
“Be sure to give it to Luna.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure to… What?”
“I said to give it to Luna. Why, is there a problem? I think Luna deserves it…”
“I fought five demons, so I think I deserve it too…?”
“Oh, right! I almost forgot about that! That would have been a disaster!”
Rodelin’s eyes widened as if she had genuinely forgotten.
Of course. My dear Rodelin wouldn’t leave me out.
Rodelin started rummaging through her pockets. She was clearly trying to pull out another elixir.
When she finally withdrew her hand from her pocket, what she held was…
A student council notebook that read ‘Annwood Academy Graduates.’
“You performed admirably. I’ll give you one point in the shop.”
Rodelin scribbled my name into the notebook.
Then she put it away and stared at me intently.
“…”
“…”
Wait, is that it? After defeating five demons?
I smiled, thinking she must have more up her sleeve, and Rodelin smiled back at me.
One shop point. That really was all I was getting.
So far, I had obtained three elixirs. No, counting the one Caron had already given, that made a total of four.
And they were all going to end up in Luna’s hands. Even though she’s in my party, this felt too much.
“Ugh! My stomach…!”
“Zero! Are you alright?”
I rolled around on the ground. People murmured around me, but I didn’t care. My stomach really did hurt.
Rodelin knelt down, alarmed, examining me. Her swift movement even caused her well-tied ponytail to come slightly undone.
“Did you have a hidden injury? Or is it food poisoning? Tell me exactly where it hurts!”
“Ugh! It feels like my stomach is tearing apart… I think I’ve contracted a disease that can only be cured by an elixir.”
“…”
Smack!
Rodelin slapped my back with her palm, hard.
Ack! Striking a patient? This is a violation of human rights!
I couldn’t believe Rodelin was capable of such a crime.
But her actions didn’t stop there. As I writhed in pain, she stepped on my back.
As I glanced up, I could see it clearly.
One foot stepping on my back, smooth stockings, a skirt slightly raised, arms crossed symbolizing a stance of ‘don’t mess with me,’ and eyes filled with disdain.
A perfect angle. Even for someone who isn’t a pervert like me, this would feel like a reward.
Maybe realizing that some might see this as a reward, Rodelin lifted her foot and pulled out her notebook and pen.
“I’m giving you one demerit point.”
Taking back the shop point she just gave me. I didn’t need to look far for a demon.
Rodelin. She was the demon. Perhaps her title should be something like… ‘The Demon of Rewards.’
“Jealous of a comrade, how demonic of you.”
“Keke, isn’t hitting a patient more demonic?”
“Weren’t you faking it! Really… You don’t even know how worried I was.”
Rodelin grumbled, her lips slightly pouting as if she was trying hard to hold back her frustration.
Honestly, it was an unbearably cute sight.
When will Rodelin realize that her restraint makes her even cuter?
“In any case, I’ll give you the elixir. Make sure to give it to Luna when she wakes up.”
Swoosh, swoosh-.
Rodelin began glancing back and forth between me and Rezé. Then, she firmly placed the box containing the elixir into Rezé’s hands.
Why give it to Rezé instead of me?
What a mystery, a real mystery.
“Oh, Zero, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Keke, go ahead.”
“I just reviewed the report on the high-ranking demon earlier. It had two fatal wounds. The first was from a spear that came out of nowhere, and the second was from the Principal.”
“Is that so.”
“The first spear is a mystery, but… the second one is also strange. The angle is completely opposite to where the Principal threw his spear from.”
“Opposite?”
“Yes, the Principal threw his spear from below upwards. But the wound was from above, piercing downwards.”
I had thrown it from above while jumping off a rock, so that made perfect sense.
As expected, Rodelin’s sharp deductive skills were impressive.
“You were holding a spear at the time, right? And you asked me to dispel the paralysis too. Isn’t that right?”
Rodelin pressured me, acting as though she already knew the answer.
But she was still far from it. This level of pressure wasn’t enough to get me to confess.
“Perhaps it’s a secret technique of the Principal’s. A double stab disguised as a single strike. Could it be a hidden technique of some sort? I never expected you to uncover such a secret.”
“Hmm?”
“Yes, a strike that looks like one but actually stabs twice. That could be it, right? I didn’t think you’d discover the secret to such a hidden technique.”
“I suppose that’s possible… Then, why were you holding the spear at that time?”
“I thought a spear would be more suitable than a sword. But thanks to the Principal’s performance, I never got the chance to use it.”
I scratched the back of my head as if embarrassed. Rodelin then raised her hand to her chin.
This was her ‘thinking pose,’ a sign that her deductive skills were kicking in.
“Well… even as strong as you are, taking down a high-ranking demon would be too much. That was a different level of power.”
Judging by her reaction, it seemed my explanation worked.
“I’m sorry for doubting you. You used the Lucid Family Style techniques so perfectly that I couldn’t help but imagine something impossible.”
Luna, Rezé, and I.
Rodelin was one of the few people who knew that we were students of Lucia.
That’s why I had confidently used the Lucid Family Style technique to defeat Mabelga in front of Rodelin.
I had the shield of being Lucia’s disciple.
“It’s embarrassing, but your skills surpass mine. I guess my eldest sister didn’t take you on as a disciple for nothing. She truly has an eye for talent.”
Even though it was my skills that were superior, why was Rodelin the one acting so proud?
The Lucia sisters—Rodelin and Lucia—seemed like they couldn’t stop bragging about each other.
“Hmm! I can’t lose either. I need to train even harder.”
Fwoosh-!
Was it my imagination? It seemed like flames were rising behind Rodelin.
It must be the ‘flames of determination.’
If I stay here any longer, I might get dragged into waterfall training.
I should get out of here quickly.
When I turned my head, I noticed Rezé had already bolted far away.
What an ungrateful rabbit!
“Keke, then we’ll take our leave now…”
And so, we managed to escape. From the demon of waterfall training.
While wandering around Carpathia gathering new information.
“Th-there’s Zero! It’s Zero!”
Hmm, I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
The innocent and wicked boy who rivals Adonis.
It was Raymon’s voice.
“Zero! I missed you!”
Raymon ran toward me, waving his hands. To be honest, it was annoying.
I really don’t like it when a guy clings to me.
Normally, Luna would have rushed in, slammed him into the ground, and performed a Cobra Twist, but she was currently resting due to her injuries.
The only one left…
“Squeak?”
…was the Pufferfish Rabbit. But it’s fine.
Right now, Rezé wasn’t just Rezé, she was Luna 2.0.
“Stop him.”
“W-what?”
“You promised to act like Luna for the entire day.”
“G-give me precise instructions!”
Precise instructions? That’s easy.
“Go and bite him.”
Luna’s trademark move. Biting.
Accepting her fate, Rezé closed her eyes tightly and charged at Raymon.
Then, she sank her front teeth deep into Raymon’s forearm.
“Argh! She’s the witch’s minion!”
“Squeak!”
Rezé was now hanging from Raymon’s arm by her teeth.
Well, that takes care of the annoying guy.
Now, as for the rest…
“Looks like you’re having fun today, too.”
Raymon’s partner and the protagonist of this game, Alex, had arrived.
“Keke, would you like to join in, Alex?”
“I’ll pass. I’m the type who enjoys watching more than participating.”
Is that so? Does Alex have voyeuristic tendencies? Poor guy.
“It’s perfect timing. I was just on my way to visit Luna.”
“Visit Luna?”
“Yeah, she got seriously injured protecting us. I was preparing a surprise gift… but I guess you caught me.”
A surprise gift? Could it be that you also brought an elixir…!
“Huh? An elixir? No way.”
…Right, of course not.
I’ve been dealing with so many elixirs lately that it’s making me lose my mind.
So what’s this surprise gift Alex prepared?
“Here’s your order. I paid special attention to it.”
“Thank you.”
Alex accepted a bouquet of flowers from a merchant.
It seemed that this was the surprise gift.
To be honest, it was a failed gift. Our Luna prefers food over flowers.
“Keke, just so you know, don’t fall for Luna.”
“Why? Because she’s your girlfriend?”
Alex’s lips curled into a slight smile.
Alex knows everything about my relationship with Luna. He was clearly teasing me.
“It’s for your own good, Alex. You could end up getting bitten to death.”
“Wouldn’t it be an honor to be bitten to death by someone as cute as her?”
“Is that your type? I didn’t expect the serious Alex to be a pervert. What a surprise.”
Alex chuckled softly, holding the bouquet of flowers.
His golden hair, sharp features, and strong physique made him stand out so much that women passing by couldn’t help but look back at him.
With the bouquet in his hand, he practically glowed.
The girls nearby blushed and whispered among themselves.
“Wow, he’s really handsome.”
“I knew it, but… maybe it’s because he’s outside? He’s shining even brighter.”
Of course, there were also whispers about me.
“Hey, that’s your boyfriend over there.”
“You wanna die?”
…Let’s stop listening. Any more of this and I might just destroy the world.
“Keke, I’m envious.”
“I’m more envious of you. Luna likes you more than she likes me. She’ll probably like you forever.”
“Don’t say such terrifying things.”
Alex burst out laughing.
With Alex holding the bouquet, and Raymon with Rezé still hanging from his arm, we returned to the room.
When we arrived, we were met with scolding from Yuridia and Victoria, who had been waiting for quite some time.
With Alex and Raymon joining in, the room quickly became lively and noisy.
‘I hope Luna wakes up soon to see this.’
I wanted her to know that she had people who cared for her, that she had gained many new friends.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like Luna, who was lying down, was smiling slightly.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt
Luna goal of having 100 friends is coming closer!