The Demon Prince goes to the Academy - Chapter 260

I didn’t make peace with Ellen. We weren’t even fighting in the first place.

We exchanged some unspoken hurt, and we ended up apologizing to each other for it.

Herriot’s problems remained.

That night, I summoned Harriet to the teatime terrace where Bertus and I would occasionally chat.

“It’s okay, I’m getting better.”

When I asked her if she was okay, she forced a smile and said, “I’m not. You just have to get through it. It’s a different kind of horror than seeing a dead body.

“I just don’t get it, I don’t see why I would have to do such a terrible thing.”

Magic, by its very nature, makes the impossible possible. But I don’t see why it should have to do anything as bizarre as mixing races or creating life.

Harriet has a bad complexion, but it’s getting better. Still, she seems to be getting better, so she drinks some black tea.

“With Ellen?”

“Well said, in moderation.”

“Good.”

Herriot smiled wryly.

“You said you fought a horde of zombies in ……Darklands.”

“I did.”

“If it’s so hard for me to watch something like that, how hard must it be for you and Ellen?”

We’ve fought terrible things ourselves, and Ellen is the one who dealt with the Chimera.

Herriot was having a hard time even seeing the traces of the fight.

I wanted to tell her that this was a different kind of worry, but she seemed to be thinking about her own weakness in this moment of struggle.

“Without you, Ellen would be dead.”

“……All I did was use a single scroll.”

“But that doesn’t make me wrong.”

Herriot stares at me.

Without Herriot, Ellen might not have chosen to fight right then and there. But once she chose to fight, Herriot’s role was essential.

It doesn’t matter how insignificant you think it was to you, it still made a difference.

“More, harder.”

Herriot says, looking out into the dark fall night.

“You’re already working hard.”

Herriot sees me.

“Still, you could try a little harder.”

I’m not sure since when.

There was a hint of sadness in all of Herriot’s laughter.

“On vacation, I’ll be here.”

Magic Society activities.

Herriot seemed intent on continuing his research there rather than returning home.

Herriot’s expression showed a desire for strength. This time, she felt something in the sight of Ellen fighting back.

I’m the only one who thinks I don’t have time.

I wonder if it’s my influence.

Ellen and Harriet were fidgeting.

* * *

I need to get information from the Magic Covenant. I must also use my status as the Last Demon to my advantage when the inevitable happens.

You should at least fake your way to the next Demon King. The heir to the realm of nothing is good game, not something to be feared.

People need to know that the next devil exists.

This requires a minimal amount of force.

Vampire Council.

I’m going to crush them under my feet against their will.

But I don’t know whether the old vampires will fear the holy sword or me.

The Lord Vampires seem to be almost all mages, and it’s possible that we’ll get some clues about the Magic Covenant from them.

The Black Order is supposed to approach me, and I’m supposed to give them information about Cantus Magna, but I don’t expect them to approach in the near future.

And they may have blown Aaron Mede’s head off, but they’re not going to kill me for giving them false information.

You already know I’m a badass with a road vampire as my minion.

There’s no way they’re going to rat me out to the Empire. It’s like a bad guy snitching on a bad guy.

So.

There’s still time before the Vampire Council convenes.

Finals are coming up.

After finals, there will be festivals, and after those festivals, there will be winter break.

The busier you are, the harder it is to feel the seasons, and that’s exactly what I did.

The short fall is coming to an end.

It’s not because I’m busy, it’s just the way fall and spring are.

It’s that time of year again, and before you know it, it’s gone.

-Sarak

The sound of crunching leaves could be heard across the campus.

“What is this.”

I brushed a fallen leaf from Ellen’s hair. He stood still, his back to the dorm entrance.

There’s a big leaf sitting there like a hat, and he doesn’t care. Ellen was staring at me, whether she should or not.

Not me, to be precise, but the person next to me.

“You have that look on your face when you see your sister?”

“……what.”

He’s glaring at Olivia Ranze.

“Do you have a problem with me?”

“No.”

“Do you hate it so much that I’m like Reinhardt and all that?”

“Oh, what are you talking about, if you’re going to talk bullshit, go away!”

On her way back from running errands with Olivia Ranze, Ellen ran into her in front of her dorm. Olivia’s eyes widen as she sees Ellen, who is giving her a fat and somewhat hostile stare.

I’ve run into Olivia a few times lately when she’s running errands.

Ellen and Olivia have a very bad relationship.

By the way…….

The thing about bad relationships is that there is such a thing as a relationship.

Did you two even realize there was such a thing in the first place, I’m not sure?

“You wouldn’t even be next to Reinhardt if I were five years younger, because I can teach you all sorts of things.”

At Olivia’s comment, one corner of Ellen’s mouth quirked up.

What is.

I’ve never seen him look like this before.

With an obvious sneer, Ellen spits it out.

“It must be nice to be older.”

“Hey, hey, hey! I’m only twenty-two! I’m young! I’m in my prime!”

“After all, you’re older than me and Reinhardt, by five years.”

“Hey, profit, Reinhardt, can I hit him?”

Olivia looked at me with a grimace as if she’d finally lost the match.

“……Why are you asking my permission to do that?”

“Look at me.”

Ellen cocked her head confidently.

Ellen…….

Come on, you. You’re not like this!

Olivia scowled and turned her head away.

“Heh, she’s just putting up with it because she hates violence, you know!”

Olivia stuck her tongue out and disappeared back into the dorm.

Him.

That’s good. That’s really good.

Sometimes she picks out things I hate so much I want to punch her. Ellen glanced at Olivia, who was walking away, then turned to me.

“Can’t you just not be friends with him?”

“…… Come on.”

“No. That person.”

Ellen was furious as hell.

“Why, what happened?”

“I don’t know. I hate it. It sucks.”

It was the first time I’d ever heard Ellen express her emotions so openly.

“That……. He’s helped me with a lot of things and……. I still have some things I need to do that I can’t help but…….”

“……Is this important?”

“Uh, a lot.”

I know it’s not good for people to see Olivia Lanchester flirting with me, but it’s really necessary, so I couldn’t help myself this time.

When I told her there was nothing she could do about it, she looked very uncomfortable.

“Make it clear.”

“Nothing……. what…….”

“He keeps doing that because you’re not being firm.”

Ellen’s anger is directed at me this time. I feel my body freeze under his cold gaze.

“Or, he’s doing this, okay?”

“No, not at all. No, no. Not good.”

“I think you like it, you’re just pretending you don’t.”

“No, I don’t want to, I really don’t want to!”

What it is.

This is…….

Why do you sound like you’re scolding a boyfriend who can’t manage his girlfriend?

It’s a weird situation and I don’t know what to say.

What are you?

I felt like I was going to get my tongue cut out or my head cut off if I said anything close to that.

It’s really fucking scary.

“Then don’t let me.”

“Uh……. Yeah…….”

Eventually, I responded like a boyfriend who couldn’t manage his girlfriend.

* * *

Too much to do.

If everything about gates is “work,” then I had a lot of work to do.

Dealing with interpersonal issues was also a headache.

As a result, academics took a back seat.

Last place is dangerous, so I’m not going to do it on purpose this time, but last place is a lock.

“So I’m asking you to restrain yourself.”

“Hmm, is it wrong to show affection?”

When I finally told Olivia what Ellen had told me to do, Olivia was in the middle of a pouting, huffing, puffing fit.

“…… Seriously, you make it sound like I promised you something, and I have no intention of marrying you!”

Olivia’s jaw dropped and her complexion turned white at my sentiment.

“Not……. really……?”

“Why are you panicking!”

I really like you, but didn’t I keep telling you that I’m not interested in that kind of thing?

“I thought……. I thought I was bouncing…….”

“Oh, I’m dizzy…….”

“Well, if it’s not now, maybe she’ll like me in the future?”

Olivia’s dazzling smile was enough to make my head spin.

It doesn’t make sense.

“Chet, when you take advantage of me and don’t see this, you get really pissed off, and you don’t realize how scary that is?”

Olivia has a point.

I’ve gotten to the point where I’m at a loss for words when I’m asked if I can’t use it whenever I need it.

That’s how I use it now.

“Do you really like him that much that you’d be that nasty to your sister?”

“That’s not the problem.”

“If it’s not that?”

Olivia’s face suddenly hardened, and she started to say something, but stopped.

“Let me tell you something. Did he do something wrong to me, there’s no such thing.”

Olivia was serious now.

“But I hate her, and I can’t help it. Don’t tell me not to hate her, don’t bully her, don’t argue with her. You know?”

Olivia looks at me, biting her lip slightly.

“The more you say that, the more I hate her for no reason.”

-Bang!

With that, Olivia slammed the door on the visit.

Why.

I.

It’s creepy, but it’s all in the name of saving the world.

Why do we have to go through this…….

* * *

“I hate him too.”

Herriot nodded in agreement.

“Well, but……. He was such a nice guy before this…….”

At Adelia’s words, Riana shook her head.

“Well, she’s a bitch.”

“X years……?”

Adelia seemed fed up with Riana’s hyperbole.

-Omnomnomnom

Ellen, the one who brought it up and suggested we go out for dinner, ordered five entrees and ate them all.

This was a little different than usual.

For some reason, I have a strong feeling that I’m eating to relieve stress because I’m angry.

When Riana asks him if he looks bad, he says that he doesn’t like Olivia Ranze, the girl who goes to school with Reinhardt.

At this moment, for the first time in her life, Ellen is talking back.

Herriot agreed, Adelia wasn’t sure, and Riana said X years.

“Well, Reinhardt’s an asshole, so maybe they’re kind of a good match?”

Ellen and Harriet glared at Riana at her cheerful words.

“Why or why not?”

“…….”

“…….”

“Lee, Riana…….”

“Why?”

Liana de Granz is blind to the oddities.

Riana ordered a cheese salad, saying she wasn’t really hungry.

“She’s kind of weirdly flirtatious. Reinhardt says he doesn’t like her, but he can’t hit on her, so maybe she’s interested……. Oh, no. Why am I getting chills, has it gotten that cold?”

Riana shivered at the sudden chill in the air as she continued to speak nonchalantly. Of course, Riana didn’t realize it was Ellen’s gaze.

“I don’t know about anything else, but he’s kind of an asshole. He knows you’re pretty and he just goes for it. It’s not cool.”

All four of us have nothing to say about that.

Olivia Ranze.

The title of Saint of Eredian had long since faded, but that didn’t change the fact that she was a striking figure wherever she went. Even Reinhardt, as much as he hates it, has seen her get genuinely flustered and blush on occasion.

Watching him cling to Reinhardt so tightly was enough to make even the most unthinking person feel a little uncomfortable.

You’re talking out of your ass.

It’s natural to think about this.

“So what. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know what I want to do with ……, I just don’t like it, and I don’t need to see it.”

Ellen said, and focused on eating.

I’m always a binge eater, but today I feel like I have to admit that I’m a stress binge eater.

“She’s trying to get at you?”

“Yes.”

I don’t know if I can keep her still, but Olivia scratches unnecessarily when she sees Ellen coming and going.

It’s not just recent, it’s been around for a while.

Since the last sponsorship, I’ve been scratching my head every time I see it.

Since we’re in the same dorm, we’re bound to run into each other from time to time.

“Oh, how are you, Reinhardt’s friend?

“Take care of my Reinhardt!

“You can’t be too friendly with Reinhardt, you know why?

‘Well, you’re pretty now, but not as pretty as your sister.’

“I hear you’re a good fighter, but don’t bully our Reinhardt too much.

‘Sorry, my sister is a competitor. That’s too bad.’

“Oh, are you mad? Are you mad? Are you mad? If you hit me, I’m going to tell Reinhardt. Are you okay?

Ellen grabbed her fork as she ate.

The more I think about it.

Pissed off.

-Kuuuuuk

Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as the fork bent.

But eventually.

Ellen isn’t the type of person to do harm if she doesn’t like someone.

It wasn’t much different with Herriot, who Olivia didn’t like.

In the case of Herriot, this used to be the case, but no longer is.

“Well, ……. But she’s kind of obscure.”

“What?”

At Adelia’s retort, Riana shrugged.

“I’m sure you came in as a divinity major, but if you gave up your faith, what are you graduating as? It would be weird to graduate as a divinity major.”

At that point, everyone’s faces went blank.

“Sure.”

There’s no reason to worry about the graduation of someone you don’t like, but we’re all curious.

How does Olivia Ranze plan to graduate?

“I don’t know.”

Ellen crunched through five menus in a flash, then took a sip of water and her eyes lit up.

“If you keep doing that, I’m not going to put up with it.”

“He, he……. Patience, Ellen…….”

Harriet secretly wanted Ellen to do something, but she stopped her for now, fearing something terrible would happen.