I looked at Adelia, who approached this way, trying to soothe Pina, who was crying to the point of nausea.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Are you okay?”
But Adelia didn’t answer my question and instead asked about my condition.
What could be the reason for asking that in this situation? Does she know how I was just a moment ago?
No way.
It’s not like there’s no one who can read thoughts, but they can’t read them this easily.
“She’s blowing her nose on Ellie’s uniform, so I was just asking if that’s okay.”
“…Nose?”
I lowered my gaze.
“Hiieee… Hii…”
It’s not like she’s doing it on purpose, but the snot is flowing out like she’s blowing her nose. How is it that she has more snot than tears?
“…Ha, it’s already all over, so what can you do? Anyway, why is she crying like this?”
“While eating chicken skewers, I told her what the ingredients were. After hearing that… she started crying pitiably.”
Adelia’s mouth formed a frown. Even though she looked like she was about to cry, there was still joy in her face.
“The ingredient of chicken skewers is chicken, what else is there?”
I passed Pina, who had calmed down a bit, to Yurasia and took out tissues to wipe her tears and snot.
“Well, there are places that are honest, but there are also places that are not, which is quite often the case… Unfortunately, the place where Pina and I ate just happens to be one of those places.”
“Are they putting in human flesh or something?”
That was a thing 400 years ago. There were quite a few brats who ground up perfectly fine corpses to make meatballs.
“Similar, right?”
At Adelia’s answer, Stella started to retch. Yurasia covered Pina’s ears and made an unusually fierce expression.
But, Pina has both human ears and beastman ears… does it even matter if she only covers one?
Look at her now. Her squirrel ears are perked up.
No, for now… I’ll ask later and shifted my gaze to the chicken skewer that Adelia was holding.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s human flesh.”
“Right. It’s just similar.”
“Stop dragging this on like a riddle and answer me at once. I’m curious, but I have no patience!”
“Oh my… Hehe. Then I guess I should tell you quickly.”
Adelia, smiling brightly, presented me with the two chicken skewers that she and Pina had each taken a piece of.
“Do you want to try some first?”
“Do you want to feed some chicken skewers that might have human flesh to a student?”
“Normally, doing this is a quicker way to learn than just hearing about it, you know? And it’s not human flesh.”
“I’m a genius, so I learn well just by hearing.”
“That’s too bad.”
Adelia took back the chicken skewer. Then with a whirr– of black flames, she burned it to ash without a trace and dusted her hands.
“Do you remember the chicken skewer shop we were originally going to? The place we tried to promise to go to about a month ago?”
“Yeah. So, it used human meat instead?”
“Of course not. That place is a very honest restaurant. But they didn’t open today. No, they haven’t opened for quite a while. So we had the chicken skewers from another place instead.”
That’s right. The chicken skewers we had were made of pure chicken leg meat. Well… with breed improvements and things, giant chickens are popping up nowadays, but it really tasted like pure chicken.
“So today’s place was the one using human meat. Where is it?”
“I don’t think I need to tell you. There are no old schools around here that are open except that one.”
“Did all those shops really close down?”
“Yep. Isn’t it weird?”
“It’s weird.”
I looked at Adelia’s bright smile.
That outing permit, which had been ready for quite some time.
Information on how long the chicken skewer shop had been closed.
A voice explaining everything smoothly.
From where to where is part of the plan?
What could she possibly gain from preparing such a thing?
Are we going through with this? Or not?
“Are you curious about what I’m thinking?”
“I’m always curious about what’s in the professor’s head.”
“If you ask, I have nothing I can’t tell you. But even if I answer, Ellie might not believe what I say.”
“That’s spot on. So I’m just not going to ask.”
“A weak-hearted professor like me takes such things to heart. I’ll end up sad when I lie down to sleep and it comes back to me.”
“That’s unfortunate. But, well, sorry, but what can I do? I can’t take back what I said.”
“Honestly… Ellie, you’re a model of a bad woman.”
“If possible, I want to be a bad girl to you, Professor.”
Adelia’s smile grew even brighter, and I turned my gaze to the old restaurant in the distance.
Meanwhile, Yurasia was comforting Pina, and Stella had finally stopped retching and started gulping down water.
And between me and Adelia, Ophelia was…
“…Pro, Professor? Uh… Junior? You two… um, uh, Junior!”
She looked at me trembling.
“What’s wrong?”
“…You shouldn’t say that to the professor!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Ugh! No! This is something I can’t just let pass as a senior from the Academy, Junior. It’s fine if you say that to me. But not to the professor.”
I stared quietly at Ophelia.
With her brows knitted, her lips tightly shut, and her cheeks stiffened.
Anyone can see her as a model student scolding a punk junior.
And indeed… that’s true. Ophelia is known as a model student and a member of student council, while I’m rumored to be an absolute brat, the duke’s daughter.
That’s why it feels so strange.
When I saw her in the alley, I had a preconceived notion that she was the boss of those brats, and then I was convinced when I saw her chasing after money.
Add to that the fact that she’s a student of Uje, who’s aiming for transcendence into a demon. I wondered if I should kill her.
But seeing her at the Academy nowadays makes me constantly confused.
What is the mask and what is the real face?
What could be the reason behind her piercing her body with a mana stone?
No matter how close the mentor-student relationship is, she wouldn’t want to sacrifice her life.
Does she even know what she’s doing?
Or has she gone insane and is aware yet continues anyway?
Well… It’s not something to think about right now.
According to Flora, it would take at least another two years.
“I get it, so step aside.”
“Do you really understand?”
“Yes.”
“Oh? Are you really going to back down to a senior?”
Adelia interjected.
“The professor backs down quite a bit too.”
“Does she?”
“Shall I show you?”
“If I do that, I’ll probably fall into a very sad sleep thinking about it.”
“Then don’t scratch it for no reason—”
“Junior!”
“Geez… Ha. Fine, I get it.”
I nodded to Adelia and walked past her.
The old restaurant in the distance, where people were lined up.
“Are you planning to go there directly?”
“Isn’t that what you want?”
Hic hic– Adelia laughed.
“Right. This is all for your performance reports for class, isn’t it?”
“It sounds like you’ve been preparing for a long time. You really are an excellent professor in terms of qualifications.”
“Thank you.”
I clicked my tongue and continued walking.
“Hey, Young Lady. Is it really human flesh…?”
After a moment, Yurasia, who was covering Pina’s ears, asked me.
“It probably isn’t.”
I answered while checking Pina’s expression.
As I thought. She can hear our words.
Is it that her squirrel ears are the main feature? I don’t know.
I want to ask right now, but I’m afraid it would make Yurasia uncomfortable, so I hold back.
Pina seems to be pretending not to hear it for Yurasia’s sake. However, ears and tails are hard to pretend not to hear.
“Is that so?”
“Yep. The smell is different.”
“…Smell?”
This time Stella tilted her head.
“You can smell human flesh being cooked?”
“I read about it in a book.”
“What…? How do you know something like that from a book?”
“A genius knows all.”
“That incessant genius talk is getting really old.”
Stella pouted and grumbled.
I didn’t stop walking regardless.
Behind me, Adelia and Ophelia were chatting as they followed along.
Just a moment ago, I mulled over the strange memory that had entered my head… or rather, the feeling of something surfacing.
My head… hurt. My vision blurred, and an unpleasant sensation washed over me. But as soon as I heard Adelia’s shoes clicking, all that disappeared.
Did she know what she was doing? If she did, then why help me?
What does she know? For what purpose?
It’s full of questions. The very existence of Adelia is surrounded by all sorts of question marks, which leads to suspicion and deepening distrust.
Adelia behaves like this even though she knows.
That’s infuriating.
It’s not hypocrisy nor malice?
“…Tsk.”
I briefly put those thoughts aside.
We arrived at the old restaurant. A long line stretched out in front.
“Should I just cut in at the front?”
“Oh, Young Lady, you shouldn’t do that…!”
“Are you really a brat?”
“Hiiee…”
Yurasia linked her arm with mine, Stella twisted her lips in disgust, and Pina hugged her tail in fear.
And then, with a clack– Adelia caught up.
“Should I help you?”
“You mean cutting in?”
“Not cutting in, but helping you get ahead.”
Is she going to use some illusion magic or something?
To use such tricks in a setting like this? This is why illusion-type magic is a pain, and dark mages are even worse.
I glared at Adelia. And Adelia…
“Metamorph.”
She smiled and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, her appearance changed into that of a girl who looked around our age.
Illusion magic?
Before I could fully grasp that, she snapped her fingers again.
“Vocalus.”
A small magic circle appeared in front of her mouth.
“Amplification magic…?”
Before I could wonder what on earth was going on, Stella muttered.
“Amplification? Here? Why?”
Adelia’s smile deepened as she looked at me.
“Ah.”
I realized that crazy woman’s intention.
“That crazy woman—!”
At the same time, that crazy woman’s red lips opened.
“Gasp!! Are you not the Eustetia Duchess?!”
With Adelia’s melodious voice that sounded from a girl’s disguise echoed loudly in the alley.
In the alley, everyone’s attention turned toward us.
They all had the same expression.
Shock, fear, awe, and more.
“How can someone of nobility like the Duchess be waiting in line here… Please, step ahead of me…”
The closest one to me, a shabby-looking girl, Adelia parted the crowd.
