Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Moreover, Roan was undeniably a black mage.

There was no benefit in having his closest friend learn heresy inquiry every weekend.

And he could still clearly see Hektor flying in with a kick just because Eongeongi had stirred up black mana in class earlier.

However, Hektor tilted his head at Roan as if to ask what he meant.

“Huh? But it is our family business.”

“……Then it can’t be helped, I suppose.”

Once the mention of family business came up, Roan could not say anything more.

……Unlike many students at Akerandir, Roan knew how to respect other people’s families and family honor.

But it seemed Hektor interpreted Roan’s acceptance in a slightly different way.

“Aha, I see. Roan, do you want to participate too?”

“What are you—”

“Someone who hates black mages as much as you do would naturally want to, I was short-sighted. I’ll ask Professor Kaina especially— keheok-guuuh-argh!”

Unable to listen to any more, Roan cast a paralysis spell on Hektor.

To Roan, Hektor’s words sounded like, ‘This weekend, you can be the one subjected to heresy inquiry!’

“Why…… why…….”

“I have little interest in heresy inquiry.”

At that, Hektor showed a questioning look even while writhing in pain.

‘For someone who says that, you beat up black mages awfully well……?’

Not only Pierbo, but also his six subordinates.

To Hektor’s eyes, Roan seemed just as sincere about eradicating black mages as the renowned heresy inquisitors of the Pavilto family.

At that moment, Demona clicked his tongue and said,

“Tsk, tsk, Roan doesn’t hate black mages like you do, fanatic. He hates bad people.”

‘This guy, why is he suddenly speaking the truth?’

Did he not only know how to say things that deserved a beating?

Roan looked at Demona in surprise.

Demona smiled triumphantly and said,

“I know everything about Roan~”

Roan hesitated whether to cast a paralysis spell on Demona as well, but held back.

He hated seeing Demona’s smug expression, but he couldn’t overuse curse magic too much.

Then Rafia and Riel spoke of their own plans.

“We are planning to do something moderate. We need money, but…… it was a tough week, so we want to rest.”

“That is a good idea.”

Roan nodded.

Weekend volunteer work was their main source of income for living expenses, but managing one’s condition well so as not to interfere with schoolwork was still more important.

“I have a plan too!”

Next was Demona.

Roan glared at him coldly and said,

“You are definitely going to say something like, ‘I’m going with Roan.’”

“Heuuuk──! Roan, did you really learn a mind-reading holy art?”

“No such thing exists.”

“Then how did you know?”

How else would I know, when you always say stuff like that.

Seeing Demona looking genuinely shocked, Roan sighed and shook his head.

Next was Sion, who seemed to be debating whether to speak about the external volunteer work.

Since she was going out secretly without the other friends, she wondered if she should keep it a secret.

‘There’s no need to tell them.’

Roan remained silent with this thought.

“Hmm……”

“……”

“Mmm……”

“……?”

“Mmmmm……. Hng……”

Sion’s body and mind were apparently acting separately.

Sion was unable to sit still, groaning as her lips itched to speak!

In the end, Roan sighed and said,

“You can tell them.”

“Ah! N-No, I didn’t really plan on…….”

Only then did Sion realize she had been whimpering like a puppy and blushed.

However, the friends now seemed even more curious.

“Huh? Sion, is there something special?”

“Indeed. Now I’m curious.”

“Then I guess I have no choice but to tell you. Darc and I decided to go on off-campus volunteer work this weekend.”

‘What do you mean, you didn’t plan on it.’

At least try to make it look like you’re hesitating.

Roan wondered what she was doing as she poured everything out the moment their friends asked.

And how refreshed and bright her expression was, on top of that.

“Huh? Off-campus volunteer work? Is there such a thing?”

“A-Are you going outside the school?!”

“A-And with Roan, too?!”

Naturally, at the unexpected plan, the friends widened their eyes and made a fuss.

For some reason, Demona and Hektor in particular seemed beyond surprised and outright shocked.

“Yes…… Saintess Candidate Yusina asked us to go together. So we plan to return on Sunday.”

“We do.”

Roan also nodded in agreement at Sion’s words.

‘Didn’t Darc already know?’

Sion was momentarily flustered by his calm demeanor and looked back at Roan.

‘Ah, indeed…… an off-campus volunteer activity is something his secret information network would tell him about. I should keep his secret!’

Of course, as always, she soon found a reason.

“Of course! If not for Saintess Candidate Yusina, we wouldn’t have known at all! The Saintess Candidate asked us to keep it a secret, so I’m sorry.”

Sion spoke up and defended him for no reason, worried that Roan’s non-existent secret information network might be exposed!

‘What is wrong with her now?’

Looking at her, Roan just figured Sion was quite excited.

“Wow, I’m jealous…… And with the Saintess Candidate, no less……. Networking really is important.”

“Envious.”

“Saintess Candidate Yusina is going too!!! For two days and one night!!!!!”

“……It has nothing to do with you, Hektor.”

The friends generally reacted with ordinary envy.

Of course, there was one who did not.

“Me too! I want to go too! I want to go out with Roan!”

Demona jumped up from his seat and said, hopping up and down.

Roan said in a cold voice,

“You have to apply for off-campus volunteer work in advance.”

“Then I’ll apply too! I’ll apply!”

“The office hours are already over, so registration is closed. And anyway, Demona, you…….”

“Huh?”

When Roan trailed off suspiciously, Demona sharply caught it.

“Why? Is something happening to me?”

“……Why are you asking me about your own business?”

Roan could not bring himself to tell Demona the truth.

‘Uli’s class presidents are usually dragged away on weekends.’

No matter how cold Roan was, remembering how Demona had had a fit earlier, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pity.

***

Roan and his friends came outside after finishing their dinner.

Roan turned to his friends and said,

“I’m going to drop by the library since it’s been a while, so I will head out first.”

He really planned to go to the library this time, and in his experience, his friends did not bother him when he said he was going to the library.

As expected, the friends were startled and opened their eyes wide.

“What?! The libraaaary?”

‘Even if I said I was a black mage, I don’t think they’d be that surprised.’

Roan felt a strange bitterness, but regardless.

“But didn’t you go not too long ago?”

“……Students naturally visit the library often.”

“What kind of crazy bastard does that?”

Demona asked, genuinely curious.

At least as far as he knew, Roan was the only student who visited the library often.

“I do.”

“S-Sorry…….”

“Anyway, I went last week, so it wasn’t not too long ago.”

When Roan said this, the other friends, except for Demona, were more or less convinced.

“Has it already been that long?”

“If that’s the case, it makes sense to go.”

They then exchanged looks, nodded, and said,

“Then shall we go together too?”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Me too.”

Of course, Demona was the exception.

“Argh! There are five study ghosts!”

Demona ran away at high speed with both arms raised, as he always did.

Just then, Soldera was stepping out of the alley.

“Demona-oppa?”

“Huh? Soldera?”

Demona wore an expression asking why she was coming out from there.

‘Well, she lives in the commercial district.’

Actually, strictly speaking, this was where Soldera belonged, and Demona was the visitor.

Regardless, Demona grabbed Soldera’s sleeves with both hands and spoke urgently.

“Save me, Soldera! My friends have become study ghosts!”

“Study ghosts?”

Soldera tilted her head.

Did they ask him to study together overnight or something?

“I’m telling you, they finished classes and said we should all go to the library together!”

“……?”

Soldera’s expression grew even more complicated.

No matter how much she liked Demona, it simply didn’t make sense from a common-sense perspective.

“Um…… If you’re a student, don’t you usually go to the library often?”

“───!!!!!”

Demona gasped in horror, as if he had become the protagonist of a horror movie.

It felt like running away from a ghost, only to realize the person you miraculously found was a ghost too.

‘At least Soldera is normal.’

Meanwhile, Roan was somewhat relieved by Soldera’s extremely common-sense remark.

He had originally thought so, but it seemed he was the only normal person among the Akerandir students.

……Though Soldera might become Akerandir-ized too once she enrolled next year.

“Of course, I’m not a student, so I can’t go into the library.”

“Phew……. I’m so relieved that at least you are normal, Soldera.”

‘My thoughts exactly.’

Roan nodded at Demona’s words.

“Ah, if you have time, would you like to drop by our shop?”

“Anywhere is fine as long as it’s not the library!”

“Uh…… it’s a stationery store, though.”

“……S-Still, wouldn’t it be better than the library?”

“Of course!”

With that, Demona hurried off together with Soldera.

As she walked, Soldera suddenly seemed to remember something.

Glare—

For some reason, she glared at Roan once, but Roan didn’t care much.

‘I hope you get caught being a heretic.’

He merely offered a heartwarming blessing to a fellow person hiding out at Akerandir.

On the other hand, Hektor spoke in a slightly resentful voice.

“That heretic fellow plays around with a girl all day instead of studying. Can he even be called a member of the Wicronon family!”

“……”

At this, the female students stared blankly at Hektor.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

Hektor asked in embarrassment.

”’You hang out with him all the time too.”’

It wasn’t just hanging out; weren’t they practically soulmates?

With expressions that said they had a lot to say but didn’t feel like saying it, the female students shook their heads.

Rafia clapped her hands a few times to change the mood and spoke cheerfully.

“Then shall we head to the library?”

***

Elont Grand Library of Akerandir.

As always, the paladin on duty at the entrance was handing out scrolls listing precautions to the visitors.

“I do not need one.”

“Leave your spirit beasts at the library’s divine beast depository.”

“Yes.”

Roan, Sion, and Riel, who had been to the library a few times, did not need the scroll, but Hektor and Rafia already had expressions of headaches from the tightly packed words on it.

“R-Rafia. What does all of this mean?”

“Well…… Do we really have to follow it?”

It was in places like this that the fact that both of them were characters far removed from theory was revealed.

Hektor and Rafia naturally looked at Roan.

‘To think I have to make a three-line summary even after coming here.’

It was an experience Roan had already gone through many times on Earth.

Whenever he posted strategy guides on the “God & Devil” community a few times, comments like ‘Three-line summary, please’ or ‘So what does that mean?’ were always posted.

Why do you even play “God & Devil” if you’re only going to read three-line summaries!

Naturally, Roan had ignored all of those comments.

But this time, since they were his friends, he decided to be generous and pay attention to them.

“……Stay on the first floor as much as possible. Be especially careful of the sloth beastman librarian who rides on books, and do not even make eye contact with the Principal’s portrait.”