Chapter 34: The Princess and Academy City Part 3

Released:

“Because you’re pretty.”

“Wh-What…?”

“I’m saying your appearance naturally attracts attention.”

After giving his reply, Rohan strode off to change locations.

Behind him, the princess trailed along at a short distance.

At the front, Rohan who had taken it upon himself to lead the way continued thinking in a serious manner.

Is the problem that the princess has spent too long outside? She has no objective sense of how she looks…?

From Rohan’s perspective, saying the princess is pretty was neither lip service nor flattery nor was it an attempt to gain her favor.

If that had been his aim from the start, he wouldn’t have used such a direct method.

In conclusion, he was able to say it directly because he wasn’t trying to win her favor.

It’s simple.

The elf race was a race of beauty and a symbol of beauty.

That was an unchanging fact even in Abyss City.

Who would ever find it odd to call an elf beautiful or pretty? Unless they have a very unusual taste, there wouldn’t be anyone.

On top of that, the princess was born of an exceptionally superior bloodline and so she stood out even among the flawless beauties of the elves.

When she walks down the street, it’s only natural that her face alone would draw attention regardless of her outfit.

“Hmm, well then…”

Right before entering District 2’s downtown area, Rohan stopped in a somewhat ambiguous spot.

There were a few cafés and restaurants scattered around here as well.

“How much time do you have?”

“I’ll tell you when the time is right. I still have time.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I don’t particularly… feel like it.”

The princess answered immediately with an indifferent expression on her face.

Yet Rohan’s eyes caught the faint gulp in her throat.

“Still, let’s talk while putting something in our mouths.”

“Hmph, if you need a snack, do as you please.”

Rohan slowly moved his legs and started scanning the surroundings.

Then he stopped in front of a café that gave off a cozy atmosphere.

“How about here?”

“You plan to talk inside this place?”

“Yes. The sandwiches look good.”

The princess blinked as she looked at the customers scattered about inside the café.

As soon as she came back to her senses, she narrowed her eyes and glared at Rohan.

“…Don’t joke around. You should know the weight of the information.”

“I’m not joking. Who would ever think we’d discuss something so crucial here?”

Perhaps she was grudgingly convinced.

The ferocity in the princess’s gaze gradually subsided.

“‘It’s always darkest under the lamp’ and ‘if you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest,’ that’s what you’re getting at?”

“More or less. Honestly, there aren’t many suitable places to go.”

“How is it that someone whose trade is information doesn’t have a proper location? Or are you implying I don’t meet the requirements to enter?”

“……”

All he asked for back then was time to gather information.

But it seemed the princess had already labeled him as someone similar to an information broker.

Right now, if I try explaining, she’s too cautious to believe me anyway.

If he babbled here that it’s not like that, she’d just assume he was hiding his true identity.

“No matter how you look at it, this isn’t the place. We need somewhere without prying eyes or ears.”

“That’s absolutely mandatory?”

“I believe that’s priority number one for discussing serious matters.”

Since it wasn’t incorrect from the viewpoint of caution, Rohan crossed his arms and mulled over the princess’s words.

He looked around at the nearby shops, and a few possibilities did come to mind.

A karaoke room?

Paying money to go in only to consider the CCTV in each private room was questionable as well.

Rohan’s gaze rolled toward another building.

Or a motel room?

A lodging facility for an Orion Academy student and an elf to share…

That didn’t sound like a good idea either.

In that case…

After weighing his options, Rohan finally made a decision.

Then he proposed it to the princess with a calm face.

“I do have a dorm room where I live.”

“You mentioned you were infiltrating the academy. That sounds perfect.”

She was already certain of that sort of scenario, huh.

Rohan gave a slight grin and set off toward his destination.

“If you have no objection to a lone man’s living space, I’ll guide you.”

“Don’t worry. If you try to disgrace me, I’ll blow up everything you own and take my own life.”

That threat which started with the words “don’t worry” didn’t quite match the context, but was chilling in its intensity.

From Rohan’s perspective, her attitude actually reassured him in a different way.

··

··

After buying a hamburger to fill his stomach, Rohan once again took the stairs as usual to reach his room.

He tidied up his clothes briefly and opened the window.

Screeeak!

The princess did not pass through the entrance of the academy dorm.

Like a flying squirrel, she scaled the building and stepped into the room through the window Rohan had opened.

“Please take off your shoes.”

“…All right.”

After removing her sturdy-looking battle boots, the princess surveyed Rohan’s room.

Then she let out a short sound of curiosity.

“Huh?”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s a surprisingly normal room, considering what you do.”

Perhaps she had expected to see rows of computers set up just for gathering information.

Rohan didn’t bother to respond and instead pointed to the chair at the desk.

“Please have a seat. Unfortunately, since I live alone in this dorm, there’s only one chair.”

“It’s fine. I’ll stand.”

Saying there was no need to sit, the princess positioned herself next to the window and leaned against the wall.

Rohan had no intention of insisting twice; he took the empty seat and spread out his food on the desk.

Amid the rustling sounds of paper, the princess spoke first.

“There’s something we need to settle before anything else. It’s also the answer I didn’t get last time.”

“Go ahead.”

“What do you want from me in exchange for the information? Is it money, after all?”

“Hmm…”

He never intended to ask for money in the first place.

Rohan knew that although the Elders were wealthy, the princess’s own finances were worse than his.

This is awkward from the start.

He munched on a french fry and started pondering.

– Would you believe me if I said I was an ally trying to help you?

– No. I wouldn’t believe something that convenient.

When Rohan recalled the conversation they had shared in the ruins, he thought she would not believe any clumsy words.

On the contrary, it seemed like having something as a goal could reduce her guard and build trust.

“There will be days in the future when I have to do dangerous work.”

“Hmm.”

“If the information I found is worth its price, then please lend me a hand at that time. You would have to help me at least once.”

“…….”

The princess fell into thought.

Even if she needed the information, it was commendable that she did not bite so hastily.

“I wouldn’t do anything troubling like massacring innocent civilians. You’d only need to help me catch monsters or criminals.”

“···Were you going to collect bounties on criminals or sell monster parts?”

“Yes. Clean money that doesn’t need laundering is the best.”

Rohan nodded his head along to the princess’s straightforward speculation.

He felt that attaching any more explanations would do no good.

“Fine. If it meets the condition you mentioned, I promise.”

“Then let’s talk.”

“Is there any procedure for making a contract?”

“No. I would trust your conscience.”

As Rohan took out a hamburger and continued right away, the princess spoke in a puzzled voice.

“Were you not thinking of doing business before?”

“That’s why I hadn’t been able to escape being in the red. Still, I believe I have something I can rely on, so let’s just say I acted bold.”

“···Well, I suppose there must be something.”

Watching the princess nod in agreement, Rohan’s lips quivered slightly.

What could there possibly be?

In reality, there was nothing he could use to fake a contract.

All he possessed was information about Abyss City.

“Now, enough with the small talk. Let’s get to the main point.”

The princess’s sharp gaze met Rohan’s.

***

In a shabby one-room apartment where no hot water came out, Clara finished a cold shower. Without even drying the water droplets off her skin, she grabbed her smartphone first.

With only a towel around her body, she turned on the game.

– Company Wave!

“1, 2, 2… I’d stun them with Glass, then blow away the front row shield with Order, and then…”

She mumbled continuously so she wouldn’t forget the build that had come to mind in the shower.

She remembered the pool of characters Rohan had and imagined a virtual formation.

If I set it up like this, the stability would be good. The synergy would all be there too.

One minute and two seconds.

Since no characters had died, if she cut off just two seconds, she could claim the best possible rewards.

“Uuuh…”

She wondered what else she had to tweak to burn down the weekly boss faster.

She could keep retrying to shave off two more seconds, but forcing a newbie to keep repeating it might reduce the fun of the game.

I guess I need to study it a bit more.

As Clara pondered, her hands moved.

Drdrdr.

The girl’s hand opened the drawer beneath the bed.

Inside lay a black silencer shaped like a kimbap roll and various types of daggers.

She reached between them and took out a piece of soft cloth.

It was black underwear with a pink ribbon no bigger than a fingernail attached. This was a cherished item of Clara’s that lifted her spirits just by wearing it and also boosted her concentration.

Tak!

The black cloth clung snugly to her pale skin.

She no longer needed the towel.

Ah! Should I just go with that?

Before drying her still-damp hair, Clara lay flat on the bed, hugged her pillow, and tried a new setup to shorten the time. The more she cut down the time, the more she looked forward to tomorrow.

“Waang!”

She changed the formation several times and finally succeeded at fifty-seven seconds.

She felt so triumphant that she almost sent Rohan a text message, but stopped herself.

He’s probably studying right now, isn’t he? An academy student must be really busy…

She was afraid of annoying him for no reason and being seen as a bother.

Just imagining Rohan thinking that way made her body tremble.

“…….”

Thanks to that fear, her rational side prevailed over her impulses.

She pursed her lips in disappointment.

All she could think was that she wished tomorrow would come quickly.

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