Chapter 71: E-Rank Mission Complete
"Shameless! Franklin, you've gone too far! What did you do to Haruna Sairenji-san? This is a school—boys and girls should keep their distance!"
Two students had just been taken away by the principal, one of them being the class representative. Two others had even jumped out of a third-floor window—one of them the pervert who had molested her before.
As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, Yui Kotegawa hadn't even finished her lunch before rushing over. The moment she arrived, she saw two girls surrounding Franklin, with Haruna Sairenji leaning weakly in his arms.
That sudden, familiar voice sounded like heavenly music to Franklin's ears. Beside him, Lala was still fretting over his lack of spirit stones, completely distracted, while Risa Momioka stood there glaring at him, waiting for an explanation. The newly arrived Disciplinary Committee member was like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.
"Sorry, Kotegawa-san," Franklin said quickly. "Haruna fainted just now, so I caught her."
They passed through the alleyway and entered the gym equipment room. The cracked floor immediately caught Yui's attention, as did the unconscious Haruna Sairenji, the dazed Lala whose usual smile had vanished, and Risa Momioka glaring at Franklin as if he were some kind of degenerate.
Yui Kotegawa seemed to piece everything together. Her eyes hardened. She immediately pulled Risa and Lala back a few steps—but then remembered that Haruna was still in Franklin's arms. Gathering her courage, she stepped forward, scooped Haruna up in a princess carry, and quickly backed away. In her eyes, Franklin was now an unforgivable pervert.
Franklin, caught off guard by her disgusted glare, blinked in confusion.
"Wait—Kotegawa-san, you've got this all wrong! What's with that 'looking-at-garbage' expression? I really didn't do anything!"
"You just stay right there and don't move," she warned. "If you stay put, I'll believe you."
Franklin sighed helplessly at her wary expression. Forming a hand seal, he restored the damaged floor to its original state. He didn't feel like hiding anything anymore.
"Risa," he said solemnly, "about what happened back in middle school… I really am sorry. The things I did back then were unforgivable. I know you'll never truly forgive me, but I still owe you an apology. I'm sincerely sorry."
He bowed deeply to her. Though something flickered in Risa Momioka's eyes, her expression remained guarded, as if she were still looking at a creep.
"That's all in the past," she said coldly. "I'm asking about today. There are so many girls in this school—why did that monster target me and Haruna? You definitely know the reason."
Franklin hesitated, then began to explain, "Actually, yeah… today's incident really is because of me. Lala is the princess of Deviluke—you've probably heard her mention it before. You might've thought Deviluke was just some small, remote country, but it's not. Deviluke is the name of a planet in our galaxy. Lala is the daughter of its ruler, King Deviluke."
He continued, "King Deviluke doesn't just rule that planet—he's also the strongest being in the entire galaxy. He's basically the one who controls its laws and balance. The whole incident today started because I got engaged to Lala… but her father, King Deviluke, didn't agree."
The moment Franklin said that, he felt a chill shoot down his spine, as if icy fingers were clawing straight into his soul. He coughed dryly and quickly corrected himself.
"No, actually—my dear father-in-law didn't refuse exactly. He only wanted to test me—for Lala's sake. He said that before he'd give his blessing, I needed to prove myself."
Franklin forced a grin. "So I set myself a goal—to defeat every alien who comes to Earth trying to become Lala's fiancé. The one you just saw was actually the weakest of them."
At first, both Risa and Yui thought he was spouting nonsense. But when he broke into a cold sweat halfway through his speech, hastily changing his tone, the two girls exchanged looks—and everything suddenly clicked. Considering all the strange things they'd seen from Franklin and Lala, plus their impossible abilities, they couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
"Remember," Franklin said seriously, "what happened today stays between us. No one else can know. And as for how you treat me and Lala—just act like always."
Risa snorted. "Why should I? That's your problem. Who told you to start talking about it in the first place? Pervert. Creep."
With that, she turned and left. Just as Franklin opened his mouth to respond, glowing words appeared before his eyes:
[Successfully obtained Risa Momioka's forgiveness. Reward: 10 low-grade spirit stones. Claim reward?]
[Yes][No]
Watching Risa's retreating figure, Franklin exhaled deeply. So this was what it felt like—to truly be forgiven.
Yui Kotegawa said nothing. She gave him one last sharp look, then hurried to catch up to Risa. With Risa's help, she managed to hoist Haruna onto her back.
For a split second, Franklin caught a glimpse of Haruna's white panties. He quickly coughed and turned his head away—but Risa noticed and glared at him furiously, fist raised. Franklin pretended not to see a thing.
Once everyone else had gone, only Franklin and Lala remained. He walked up behind her, took hold of her tail, and watched her tremble before her legs gave out. Scooping her into his arms in a princess carry, he started toward the school building.
"Still thinking about those spirit stones?" he asked softly. "Didn't I tell you I have a way to get them?"
Blushing in his arms, Lala murmured, "Rin, you always try to handle everything yourself. I finally found something I can help with—how could I not? But the other night, Dad gave me a strict order: I'm not allowed to give you any resources at all. If I do, he'll come to Earth himself and take me back. So I was trying to think of a way to help you without breaking that rule. And I found it!"
She beamed proudly. "I'll borrow spirit stones from Dad! Once we're married, what's mine will be yours, and what's yours will be mine—so we won't even have to pay him back!"
Franklin felt a headache coming on. It was exactly the kind of idea Lala would come up with.
"Lala… that's actually a clever plan—but kind of a trap for your dad. I bet my father-in-law already wants to kill me."
Lala scratched her cheek with a playful smile and stuck out her pink tongue. "Daddy's not that violent. He won't get mad over a few spirit stones."
Franklin nodded in mock agreement. "Yeah, I know he's not petty—but that plan's only good for once. I'm not desperate yet. Early cultivation doesn't take too many stones. Let's save your good idea for later—when I'll really need a huge amount. I'm sure my dear father-in-law will be delighted to help then."
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