“A deal?”
“Yes. We each give the other what we want.”
“I don’t want anything though. My life motto is to work just enough and leave just as lazily.”
Very on-brand for half-assed Ron.
But is that really how he feels?
“I could help you get promoted to Administrator Rat, though.”
Ron’s shoulders flinched.
At the same time, he frowned.
He’d realized he’d just slipped up.
But it was already too late.
“Keke, dreaming of making it big as a Rat instead of taking the elite instructor route? That’s pretty twisted.”
“…No matter what, I’m still less twisted than you.”
I mean, I might be a pervert, but even I wouldn’t ditch an elite career path.
Not just me—any sane person, a hundred out of a hundred, would pick the instructor job.
In that sense, Ron really was an oddball of a character.
“…But is that even possible?”
He was asking if he could really be promoted to an Administrator Rat.
I answered with a faint smile.
“Of course it’s possible. As long as I’m helping.”
“I’d like to know how.”
“I don’t think it’s very Rat-like to get information for free.”
“Honestly, it sounds like nonsense. You’re basically trying to rope me into an illegal arrangement with a student here. The least you can do is clear up this much doubt.”
That was unusually strict for half-assed Ron.
But it didn’t matter.
Ron’s behavior right now…
‘…is exactly the same as in the game.’
Ron had five behavioral patterns he showed when his identity as a Rat got exposed.
I was currently exploiting one of them.
“What’s the thing Lord Caron values most?”
“Information.”
“Right. I’ll provide you with whatever information you need, whenever you need it. Feed that to Caron and you’ll rise to mid-level management in no time.”
“You’ll give me whatever information I want, whenever I want it…?”
Ron snorted, a smile full of disbelief.
“Do you hear yourself?”
“Of course, anything I don’t know or can’t obtain is off the table.”
“Figures. So it was just a lie to wriggle your way out of this situation?”
“If you don’t like it, don’t take the deal. It’s no loss to me.”
Ron snuck a sideways glance at me.
His dream was to become a Rat like Caron, but that was basically impossible.
Ron was a second-generation Rat, raised as a combat specialist to protect the others.
More importantly, he lacked the information-gathering skills and insight.
Without the most crucial qualities for a Rat, there was no way he’d ever be promoted into management.
“What do you want then?”
“Nothing big. Just the occasional simple errand.”
“‘Simple,’ huh. I get the feeling it’s going to be something insanely complicated and difficult.”
This is why I hate people who are quick on the uptake.
There was a reason I was offering Ron this kind of deal. Sure, part of it was that I couldn’t afford to lose an S-grade Mystery.
‘But mostly, he’s more useful than he looks.’
Ron the Rat.
He was a character with a unique trait called [Coin Toss].
What kind of trait is that, you ask?
‘A 50% chance of mission success.’
In other words, a 50% chance of failure.
It might sound like a terrible trait at first glance, but if you looked at it differently, it was incredible.
No matter how difficult the mission, he still had a 50% chance of pulling it off.
‘Well, I could only ask him to do things related to the current episode, and if the mission failed he might die, but still.’
If he hit the 50% failure side, there was a pretty high chance Ron would die depending on the difficulty.
He was kind of like a Pufferfish Rabbit in that way.
“Can’t be helped then. Fine, I’ll let myself be fooled once. But if the intel’s wrong, this contract is null and void on the spot.”
“Keke, that won’t happen.”
Either way, we sealed the deal with a handshake.
“I guess I get the first piece of information for free.”
“Keke, and why is that?”
“Keeping my mouth shut about that Mystery. That’s payment enough, don’t you think?”
Ron pointed at the ring on my middle finger.
I answered with a smile, raising the middle finger with the ring still on it.
“I’ll allow it. What information do you want?”
“I need information on the Four Heavenly Kings or the Dark Beast Squad. It’s what Lord Caron needs most right now.”
Ron smiled faintly, a bit of mockery mixed in.
“Ah, I asked for something too big, didn’t I? Should I switch to something easier? First deals should be good for both sides.”
I hadn’t felt it in the game, but seeing him in person, he was really a slippery bastard.
‘Originally, I was going to tell Caron and bleed him dry for the info fee…’
Given his attitude toward me and for the sake of future deals, I decided I needed to tighten his leash a little.
“I’ll give you information on the Creator of Madness.”
“Yeah, I figured that’d be tou—wait! What did you just say…?”
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, the lunatic who grafted human and Demon bodies together.
“I said I’d provide information on the Creator of Madness.”
Ron’s jaw dropped wide open.
A little while later.
As soon as I returned to the rendezvous point, Luna and Rezé came running over.
“Where did you go? You weren’t with Rodelin again, were you?”
“Keke, of course not.”
“Then where did you go?”
Where did I go? That was…
I raised my index finger and pressed it lightly to Luna’s lips.
“Keke, it’s a secret.”
“K-kiiiiiik!!”
Maybe it was because I’d touched Luna, or maybe it brought back bad memories.
Rezé’s face went bright red and she started swinging both arms fiercely.
A whirling punch, arms spinning a full 360 degrees!
I could barely keep my wits under the rabbit’s vicious assault.
“They all look so close. They’re like one perfectly happy family now.”
“As expected, having a pet really fills a home with laughter. As expected of you, Lady Luna!”
Yuridia and Victoria. In those two’s eyes, Rezé was officially classified as an animal.
More importantly, would someone please stop her? My HP is dropping like crazy here!
“Rezé, calm down. You know this guy actually enjoys getting hit.”
“U-ugh… P-perverted Demon! Y-you’re banned from coming near her!”
Rezé stepped in front of Luna and blocked my approach.
I still don’t know why that rabbit is only this strong when it’s against me.
‘At this rate, she could probably go toe-to-toe with a Legion Commander in hand-to-hand combat.’
Maybe Rezé’s real strength was melee combat. Once I cleared this game, I needed to raise her in a different direction.
Not as a Magic Gun user, but as a pure brawler.
A showdown between a Legion Commander and a combat rabbit. Just imagining it made my chest swell.
“Anyway, to think you received an offer from the Lucid family. This is terrible. I might not be able to see you after graduation… the tears just won’t stop.”
Victoria pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
Crying at the thought of being apart from Luna. Just what kind of existence was Luna to that girl?
‘If something happens to Luna, she might actually kill me.’
Despite how she acted, she was still an Imperial princess.
Someone like me could be dragged to the execution grounds whenever she felt like it.
Though realistically, Caron would probably drag me off for torture first.
Wiping her tears, Victoria glanced sideways at Yuridia, as if asking, Aren’t you sad too?
Yuridia, catching that look, let out a laugh.
It was a bit on the lewd side.
“Why would I cry? I haven’t given up yet.”
“Huh?”
“It means our family is also aiming for you and Luna.”
The Rownter family had been growing steadily among the neutral faction lately.
They couldn’t compare to the Eight Great Families, but thinking long-term, they weren’t a bad choice.
More than anything, as a family on the rise, they were desperate to recruit talented people.
“I don’t know what kind of outrageous terms the Lucid family will offer, but our house plans to treat you at a similar level. Under our protection, you two will be able to grow and grow.”
“D-don’t lie to me! I know you’re just planning to keep them nearby and enjoy the view!”
“Oh~ Hohoho! As a servant of the Goddess, that’s something you can never do. That means I win! I’ll be taking the position of matriarch!”
“Y-you…! Just you wait! I’ll stake everything I have to make sure that never happens!”
Smack, smack.
The ferret and the marten began their fierce little scuffle.
They rolled right out of the bushes and tumbled across the ground, yet Luna didn’t notice a thing.
“Mmm, it’s so good! Zero, you have to try this.”
I couldn’t tell if it was just her character setting in the game, or if Luna was really this oblivious.
Whichever it was, I decided to ignore it too.
I downed the carrot juice Luna handed me.
It was a special carrot juice made from carrots Rezé had grown herself.
It was surprisingly good.
“M-my precious carrots are being defiled by a D-Demon!”
Watching Rezé fall into despair made it taste twice as good.
Staring at Rezé as she practically had a seizure, I fell into thought.
‘The changes to the story might be smaller than I thought.’
All that had really changed was the number of factions trying to recruit me; nothing major in the plot itself yet.
If there was a problem, it was that Luna’s eventual choice might alter the story.
‘Luna will obviously choose the Lucid family. Which means there’ll be more storylines tied to them from here on out…’
But the game ended before graduation anyway.
I didn’t need to be the one steering Luna’s choice.
If anything, having the backing of the Lucid family was the better outcome.
It would massively boost our growth.
There was no reason to complain when your party members were getting several times stronger.
‘Of course, they’ll get annoying sometimes… but if I use Lucia’s authority, I can probably endure three years.’
I was in the middle of finding inner peace when it happened.
Under my field of vision, golden hair suddenly appeared.
It wasn’t Alex. Alex was 185 centimeters tall; I had to look up a little to meet his eyes.
But this kid was so short I had to tilt my head down, yet he also had golden hair…
“What amusing children.”
Adonis smiled warmly, like a grandfather watching children play.
Right, he was a grandfather, wasn’t he?
Adonis—no, the old man—turned that warm smile on me as well.
To me, it was the most unsettling smile imaginable.
“Where you’re meant to go has already been decided, you know.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll place you in the Imperial Knight Order.”
…What the hell is with this guy now.
Caron’s office.
While he was writing a report on the top-grade magic stones, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
“Aw, come on~ The work’s already rough enough and now you’re dumping reports on me too? This has to be at least warning-worthy, doesn’t it?”
It was Ron, the walking embodiment of “half-assed.”
He still had the guts to joke around even in front of the great Caron.
Caron let out a small chuckle.
“You provoked the kids on purpose, didn’t you? So you could report on other matters at the same time.”
“You think that highly of me? As expected of you, Lord Caron.”
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told you: short and concise reports are best.”
“Aren’t you being a bit cold? I think our relationship can afford at least this much small talk.”
Caron showed no reaction to Ron’s grumbling.
As Caron focused back on his paperwork, Ron finally began his report.
“Zero… he’s definitely an interesting one. I can see why you told me to keep an eye on him.”
“There will surely be someone making contact with him. If not, he’ll be passing encrypted notes. Ah, he might even use specific words to relay information, so check the books he’s been touching as well.”
The one providing information to Zero.
Finding that person was Caron’s first objective.
‘Because it will become harder to make deals with Zero from now on.’
To join the Imperial Knight Order at such a young age required significant preparation.
Not that there was any need to worry, since Adonis would be taking on that role.
“Above all, make sure they never find out you’re a Rat.”
At that, Ron scratched his head and muttered.
“Uh… about that… I’ve already been found out.”
“…”
Caron’s eyes cooled to a frosty chill.
–TL Notes–
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There no way that this is the end of Caron rat offer
There gotta be some event that rekindle the fire!