Merlin loitered for a bit, finally managing to talk Cleopatra out of reporting anything to the Divine Ancestor.
The two didn't stick around the hall long and soon slipped into a nearby conference room.
"Are they here on business?"
"Looks like there's something they need to hash out. Aunt came specifically for that, I think." Nero said it casually.
The consortium's affairs were currently handled by the elders. While she was the designated heir of the Roman Consortium, for some reason, her father, Romulus, hadn't pushed her to take over the family business right away. Instead, he let her roam free and have fun.
What the speaker treats as trivial, the listener can take to heart.
Ryoji had initially dismissed this world as some kind of comedic farce, but the moment Aozaki Aoko showed up, that idea went out the window. Clearly, this reality had quietly merged with the Mahoyo timeline.
And then there was the man he'd seen in the infirmary. That chilling, ice-cold personality made it impossible to believe he was truly Romani. It had to be someone else wearing his face, a King of Men, maybe.
Bringing other figures into this world was one thing, but dropping a King of Men here? That was a serious complication. That man didn't belong in a place like this.
Though it was only a hunch, Ryoji felt he must be in a proper world.
But if that was the case, then this world seemed like a bad joke: Kinoko Town, the Heroic Spirits running around, it all felt wrong, not at all like a normal, established reality.
There were secrets hidden beneath the surface.
While many details remained fuzzy, Ryoji understood that much.
"Haiya, but what's any of that got to do with me, just a guy passing through?"
Ryoji shrugged off the mounting pressure in his mind, letting his face relax into a neutral expression.
He'd run away eventually. No matter how many secrets this world held, they weren't his problem.
Ryoji found an empty bedroom in the Student Council building and slept until noon.
"Ryoji, time for lunch!"
He'd planned to just hit the school cafeteria, but the moment he reached the first floor, a powerful aroma slammed into him.
"Woah, is this place a restaurant, too?"
At Nero's summons, Ryoji walked into the dining area and saw a table absolutely covered in food.
Counting quickly, there had to be over twenty dishes, representing various cuisines. Most of them were glossy, rich meat dishes, yet there were only five people from the Student Council, including Ryoji, present.
Aozaki Aoko was there as well.
Her gaze was fixed on the extravagant spread, looking utterly mesmerized, as if she'd never seen such a lavish lunch in her life.
"Clueless."
Aozaki Aoko's face immediately darkened.
She shot Ryoji a sharp side-eye, her gaze like a glare.
"You've seen better?"
"No."
"Then just shut your mouth!"
"I haven't seen better, but I wouldn't be staring like a stunned fish the way you are."
Aozaki Aoko rolled her eyes dramatically.
Ryoji calmly pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
A person needs to maintain some composure.
"Huh?"
Nero was seated at the head of the table. Mata Hari began placing plates in front of Ryoji and the others, and Sheba wagged her tail happily.
"Ryoji, it looks like your relationship with Vice President Aoko has improved a lot after just one weekend?"
"Not at all."
Aozaki Aoko snapped back, sounding eager to avoid the topic entirely.
Ryoji offered a calm smile. "Everyone just wants to be on my good side."
If anyone else had said that, it would have sounded utterly arrogant, even delusional.
But coming from Ryoji, even Sheba and Mata Hari simply nodded in agreement, clearly sensing the truth in his words.
Ryoji didn't usually go out of his way to use his Charm Skill.
The ability was cruel: it crushed others' pride and dignity, turning anyone who succumbed to it into his willing servant. Even powerful gods couldn't completely ignore its effect.
He wasn't antisocial, of course, so he kept it locked down most of the time.
Yet even without actively releasing the Skill, his natural charisma caused anyone who met him to feel a strong, immediate liking, often coupled with a lingering sense of inferiority, as if they simply didn't exist on the same plane as him.
"Who even wants to be on good terms with you…"
Aozaki Aoko muttered the nonsensical protest under her breath.
While she had been cautious around him initially, that was merely the practiced reflex of a powerful Magus. In truth, her own emotions were already deeply stirred.
"This is getting genuinely dangerous!"
Nero inwardly sounded a silent alarm.
"Ryoji, what are your plans for this afternoon?"
"Nothing specific… I was thinking of exploring the school a bit, though. I still don't really know what the high school section is like."
"Then I'll go with you! I have nothing to do this afternoon anyway."
Ryoji didn't object; having someone familiar with the school accompany him was a good idea.
Aozaki Aoko merely raised her brows slightly, then settled back into a completely neutral expression.
That afternoon, with Nero as his guide, Ryoji wandered through the high school campus.
He made a point of stopping by the Music Classroom.
"Looks pretty abandoned."
Inside, pianos and other instruments were neatly arranged, but it looked like they hadn't been touched in a long time, a thin layer of dust coated the windowsills.
Just looking at it, one could easily believe that no student had been inside in a month.
"In our TYPE-MOON Academy, music is one of the least popular subjects. I don't know why…"
Nero explained, looking genuinely puzzled.
Are you absolutely certain that has nothing to do with the rumored 'Devil Beast Cries'?
"What are you two doing here?"
A slightly sharp voice called out from the doorway.
Ryoji looked up and saw a girl with long crimson hair. She had a slender build and a very impressive chest. Though wearing the high school uniform, she looked quite short, almost like a middle schooler.
"As members of the Student Council, what we do here is none of your concern. I should ask you, who are you?"
"Eh, Student Council…"
Hearing the famous name of the Student Council, the girl mumbled twice, and her initial authoritative demeanor instantly evaporated.
"I'm Lisa Bai, a second-year student."
Lisa Bai? A Dragon Girl?
The name instantly clicked in Ryoji's memory.
"Do you come here often?"
"How do you know that?!"
Lisa Bai was startled, her face filling with surprise.
"The dust in many places is unnatural. You probably brushed against it with your clothes, right? It looks disturbed."
"…That's quite perceptive of you."
Lisa Bai's expression shifted into one of honest admiration.
With that, the mystery of the "Devil Beast Cries" haunting the music classroom was easily solved.
Really? That's all it was? I was expecting something more occult.
"I'm actually quite confident in my singing technique. Do you want to hear me?"
For some reason, Lisa Bai suddenly started actively promoting herself.
Perhaps no one usually listened to her sing, and it had been building up inside her.
But forgive me, "Whoa? You actually dare to say that in front of me?"
Before Ryoji could even begin to refuse, Nero's gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade.
"Interesting. I am a genius of song. Do you want to have a little contest with me?"
Ryoji: "???"
Wait a second.
What are you trying to start here?
Don't drag me into this, ah--!!
(End of Chapter)
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