Before I knew it, evening darkness had settled over the busy streets.Bustle, bustle—At the center of the Academy Union, a vast circular space where spiderweb-like boulevards from each academy converged.So-called Traum Square.Around this square stretched a broad park for students and staff, and rows upon rows of shops, so it was always crowded with people.And then—Tap, tap—With the appearance of a single person strolling that street, the mood of the crowd shifted at once.When I showed up, passersby began whispering among themselves.Th-That’s Loen, isn’t it? I thought he was dead?Bad guys always have long lifelines. I heard he woke up today.Let’s pretend we didn’t see him. Don’t want trouble.Hey, move aside, quick.With Loen’s arrival, the throng split to either side and a path opened up.“……”'The life of a popular figure.'Granted, the popularity was born of hatred, but when would I ever experience something like this again?Tap, tap—Ignoring the crowd’s reactions, I moved on, taking in my surroundings at a leisurely pace.Lining the road were quaint, early-modern European-style buildings; on the first floors facing the boulevard were all sorts of shops.There were brightly lit clothing stores, accessory shops selling expensive jewels, regionally themed restaurants, and cafés with a good vibe.I hadn’t noticed when confined to academy buildings, but seeing a view I’d only ever witnessed in-game rendered so vividly before my eyes— it was striking.While I walked and memorized where the shops were, I spotted the Union’s famous donut store.Illef’s Donuts.'Maybe I should bring a gift back.'I’d heard Ciel liked donuts from this shop, so I’d stop by on the way home.Lost in various thoughts, I found I’d drifted off the main road and arrived at a rather secluded alley.I’d come this way for a shortcut, but the atmosphere felt a little odd.Unlike the bustling boulevard, this was a sparse, bleak alley with a chill to it.The noise of the crowd and the light of °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the streets didn’t reach here; it felt like a dim backstreet.Even so, there was one shop here, glowing in the dark.'There…'I paused and looked at the store giving off a soft light deeper into the alley.This alley wasn’t so narrow that people couldn’t pass at all, but it was tight enough that it served more as a place to pile trash.Accessibility was terrible. Any shop in a place like this wouldn’t be ordinary.I lifted my head and checked the sign planted at the roadside.“Traum 9th Street, 4/3 Alley.”An homage to a certain famous magic novel— a hidden passage and an entrance to the underworld.Shff—Standing there, I reached into my inner pocket and took out a wallet.A thick leather wallet stuffed with checks.I checked the card slots and pulled out a luxurious black card decorated with gold embossing.[Invitation of the Underworld]Category : KeyGrade : CommonAn invitation to the Black Market located in 4/3 Alley on Traum 9th Street. Of course, this card doesn’t guarantee your safety.Validity period : 93 days.'This is the card.'You might ask why there’s an underworld beneath school grounds, but a look at the history of these Meteor Isles makes it not so strange.Anyway, as its name implies, the underworld was a place where you could obtain all manner of things.You could buy alchemy materials cheaply, and acquire artifacts and reagents that weren’t legally sold.There were many related quests and characters, too, so it was a place I’d have to visit someday.I studied the lit shop a moment longer, then gently shook my head.'Not now.'Even if not today, there would be plenty of chances.For now someone was waiting for me, so I’d handle that first.I put the card away, kept walking, and at last reached Café Seraphium.It was the most popular meeting spot for students— a café facing the fountain park on Traum 9th Street.Among Union students, it was considered the top hot place.Ding-a-ling—When I opened the café door and stepped in, it was filled with students wearing the robes of Saintea.'…Did they rent out the café wholesale?'As I looked around with that thought, Elena waved from afar.“Over here~ Loen.”“……”With Elena’s cheerful voice came the sharp, pricking gazes of the students aimed at me.Zing—If I wanted to be seen with Elena, the academy’s darling and a student council president, I had to endure these stares.The murderous looks made a chill run down my back, but I ignored them and stood before Elena.She led me to a separate, private room.I took off my coat and hung it over the chair, then asked,“Did I keep you long?”“Yes. Should you really make a lady wait like this? You’ll be punished.”Elena said it with a smile as if joking, but it didn’t sound entirely like a throwaway line.“I was delayed by something I absolutely had to take care of. My apologies.”“I don’t know how grand that business was, but I’ll trust you this once, Mr. Reformed Loen.”Elena beamed.I gave a slight nod and sat across from her.“Ahem.”Humming as she looked at the menu, Elena’s eyes sparkled.Sitting face to face like this, I could once again take in her shining looks.Wavy golden hair that seemed to glitter along the café’s bright lighting and shade, and eyes like starlight.I could see again why she was the idol of Saintea.Ding-dong—When Elena pressed the call button, a fragrant black tea was soon delivered in front of me.It was piping hot—apparently just brewed.“You said you like tea, so I had it prepared. How is it?”“I’ll drink it with thanks.”“The cakes here are good too. Shall I order you a slice?”“I’ll pass. The tea is enough.”In the game, Seraphium’s desserts were described as amazingly delicious, so I was curious, but I didn’t have the appetite right now. I felt like I’d get indigestion if I ate.“Very well, then.”Thump—Elena closed the holy book in front of her and began to speak.First, a topic about my condition.“By the way, how are your injuries? I heard you were laid up for days because of that incident. There were ghastly rumors that you died and came back. I hope I didn’t drag out someone who should be resting.”“As you can see, I’m fine.”“…Fine?”Elena tilted her head.Looking at my reflection in the café window, I understood her reaction.Sculpted looks aside, I was gaunt and scrawny, with dark circles down to my cheeks— far from healthy-looking.At best, a “sickly beauty.” As I was now, I was basically a walking skeleton.Studying me with faint regret, Elena said,“Then why not receive treatment with our Saintea’s holy magic? You’d recover much faster than lying in the infirmary.”'Holy magic treatment, she says.'I snorted inwardly at Elena’s words.If half-human, half-demon Loen received holy-magic treatment, he wouldn’t recover— he’d cough blood and die.But without showing it, I slowly shook my head and answered,“No need to go that far. The academy’s medical facilities sufficed. In fact, I’ve fully recovered.”“Hm. Is that so?”“Yes. And if you rely on holy magic, a body’s natural healing power deteriorates. As long as it’s not a mortal wound, it’s better to entrust it to the body’s own recovery.”The relationship between holy magic and natural healing— a common setting.Anyway, I wanted to move past this topic quickly. The deeper we dug, the higher the risk my identity would be exposed.After emptying my teacup, I looked Elena straight in the eye and spoke.“So, what’s the real subject? I doubt the president of Saintea is all that concerned about my health.”When I lowered my voice as if to say enough with the small talk, Elena smiled slightly.“Hehe. No need to be so cold. Very well, as you wish— let’s get to the point.”Smiling faintly, Elena leaned forward toward me.Sssrrk—With her approach came a fragrant scent that tickled the tip of my nose.Then her slender hand slid across the table, near enough to take mine.Just before our hands touched—Elena looked straight into my eyes and slowly parted her lips.“Loen. There’s… something I’d like to ask you.”Elena drew close, smiling at me.It was the same beautiful smile as before, but the mood had completely changed.There was a hint of seductiveness to it now.And her eyes, once shining like brilliant stars, had turned sticky and bewitching.How to put it—Yes.Her gaze was like that of a snake stalking its prey.As she shifted the mood and closed in, she grabbed my skinny, twig-like wrist in a tight grip.Crack—“!”Elena whispered to me quietly— yet clear enough to hear without mistake.“You— are you perhaps a demon?”In Elena’s flashing eyes, there seemed to be something akin to a certain madness.“……”For a moment, my guts felt like they dropped, but outwardly I showed nothing.It wasn’t like I hadn’t considered this situation at all, but I hadn’t expected it to come so quickly and directly.'In times like this, the Thick-Skinned trait is a blessing.'Meeting Elena’s fervent gaze, I thought calmly.I didn’t know what had made her suspect me of being a demon, but since she’d called me out here like this, she likely had no conclusive proof.Which was why, despite being busy, she’d summoned me and waited.Today’s meeting was to turn her suspicion into certainty.If I got through this, I could slip out from under Elena’s doubtful stare.'…This is actually an opportunity.'Crisis is opportunity.After organizing my thoughts, I looked Elena in the eyes and asked in a firm voice,“Elena. Can you take responsibility for those words?”In this world’s setting, accusing someone of being a demon without clear evidence was a serious crime.After the Ludwig Clan’s witch-hunt incident that claimed thousands of lives, continental law strictly forbade it.Only with firm evidence in a holy court, after indictment and trial, could a demon suspect be executed.All the more so if the suspect was a noble rather than a commoner like me.I pressed her for accountability, and Elena answered without hesitation.“Responsibility… The duty I bear as a princess of the Holy Kingdom of Celestia is solely the eradication of ‘Magi.’ Everything else is trivial.”“……”Elena’s reiteration of her status meant she intended to enforce her will, even somewhat forcefully.In other words— 'What will you do if I suspect you?'Fortunately for me, my own status wasn’t so inferior to hers.Leaning into that, I declared to Elena with confidence,“Oh? As a member of House de Valis, that’s not something I can accept lightly.”House de Valis.The Shield of the Continent, the Spearhead of Humanity, and a guardian to every kingdom and house— an ancient, mighty noble line.De Valis guarded the western front bordering demon territory; in some ways, they repelled the demonkind more directly than even the Holy Kingdom.To suspect someone of that blood— me— of being a demon was tantamount to insulting the entire house.Even if she was a princess of the Holy Kingdom, Elena couldn’t just lightly accuse me of being a demon.Even if I was the family’s disowned delinquent, at that.“……”When I met her head-on like that, Elena, who had been watching me in silence, stepped back a pace.“Unexpected. I didn’t think you capable of saying such things.”Washing the hostility from her eyes, Elena placed a hand over her chest and spoke calmly.“Very well. Then I’ll amend my words. I, Elena Sion Celestia, will, instead of attempting ‘treatment’ with holy magic upon an ailing you, grant one request from you within the bounds of common sense. How does that sound?”At her proposal, I knit my brows slightly.“Treatment, hm…”Only the wording had changed— but that part mattered.Rather than push me as a demon, Elena had created an escape route by using “treatment” as the pretext in case anything went wrong.At the same time, she hadn’t yielded on the intention of confirming with her own eyes whether I truly was a demon— a clever move.But I welcomed her offer as well.Granting a request “within the bounds of common sense” meant putting Elena, president of Saintea, in my debt.Not only could I shake off suspicion, I’d gain an unexpected benefit.'I’ve already prepared thoroughly so I won’t be exposed anyway.'No reason to refuse.Lightly rubbing the Ring of Derode on my finger, I nodded readily.“Good. I accept. But keep your promise.”“Of course.”Having accepted Elena’s proposal, I rolled up my sleeve and held out my wrist to her.“Then, see for yourself.”

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