I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 112



111 – A Leap of Faith

“Isn’t that Rohan?”

At Noah’s words, Ichinose’s senses rippled outwards.

The girl closed her eyes, sending out a wave of sensation. Neatly pinpointing the target.

Rohan was definitely there.

And beside him, two figures with familiar auras.

Clara, the swift-footed girl, and the elven girl who had claimed to be the last of the Testarossa line and asked for help.

‘Ah?’

Only now did the mind of the BabyNose begin to piece together the situation.

‘The prior engagement… was to buy women’s undergarments?’

Until now, I’d wondered what his relationship was with those women, but hadn’t bothered to pry into his personal life.

But this much… There was no need to ask. The relationship was sketched out clearly enough.

Showing this much, if one didn’t understand, they’d have to be a fool, right?

‘To have two women as lovely as those…as lovers… Amazing.’

The words alone were praise, but the timbre of Ichinose’s voice, resonating within Nose’s mind, subtly bristled with barbs, beyond her own awareness.

Spurred by a barely perceptible hint of the unknown, something an inexperienced girl couldn’t easily grasp.

“Nose? Are you listening? Hello?”

“…”

“She’s glitched out again. I’m going on ahead?”

“…”

Nose’s worries deepened.

If Rohan was a survivor who held onto the values of Southern Solarea, then.

Whether he had ten lovers or a hundred, there would be no problem.

If a man and woman reached mutual agreement, it wasn’t for outsiders to interfere with.

‘Then.’

Should I go in, greet them, and shop as if nothing were amiss? Or would it be polite to pretend I didn’t see them? And if neither was correct, should I simply remove myself?

I had no idea how to act.

It was as if someone had glued my shoes to the floor; my feet wouldn’t budge.

‘Turning…back might be the right thing… Rohan even refused because he had a prior engagement, so it might be awkward if we meet…’

Nose made a decision that left a strange, bitter taste in her mouth.

She gathered her wits and opened her lips.

“Noah. Don’t bother them needlessly, we’ll be along in a bit… Noah?”

Gone. I’d only focused my thoughts for a moment, but there was no response from Noah.

I opened my eyes and looked left and right.

She was definitely gone.

‘Could it be!?’

A wave of unease washed over me.

Clutching my sword tightly, I took small, quick steps into the store.

Sure enough, Noah was already sticking her face right into Rohan’s group.

“Rohan! What are you doing here?”

“Noah?”

Noah, having finished greeting Rohan, wagged her tail and glanced to the side.

The predator had locked onto the twin-tailed girl.

“Ehehe, Clara’s here too? Should I give her a hug?”

“Eek…!”

Clara, clutching her undergarments, ducked behind Rohan.

Noah, seeing this, laughed brightly, relaxing her poised-to-pounce stance.

“Just kidding. I won’t anymore, so don’t run away like that.”

Shion slipped into the space with a gentle air.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Noah Frozenheart.”

“Oh! I heard about you from Papa and Yuho Unni!”

Noah naturally took Shion’s hand and swung it back and forth!

Her tail moved up and down with it, showing her excitement.

It was only their second meeting, but perhaps it was Noah’s sociability, she was so unreserved.

“It is thanks to you. I am late in offering my gratitude.”

“Eh~ it’s okay. I’m a bit of a simpleton and don’t really know what happened in the past, but we’re family who’ve left footprints in the snowfields together, aren’t we? Right?”

Shion, hearing Noah’s words emphasizing the Tigrova’s unique bond, reiterated his appreciation.

It was not a place to discuss such matters, nor was there any reason to bring up old stories unnecessarily.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Leaving the girls to continue their conversation, Rohan approached the entrance.

His friend had shown his face briefly earlier.

“Ichinose.”

Rohan’s voice called out the name.

Ichinose turned his head as if under a spell.

“Rohan…”

“Of all the places to meet, it had to be here.”

“…Yes, it seems so.”

Whether it was discomfort or awkwardness, it was difficult to diagnose precisely.

But Rohan understood the uneasy atmosphere that Ichinose was emitting.

If he were a complete stranger, it might be different.

It’s quite possible when a somewhat familiar face of the opposite s*x is situated in a lingerie store.

I even feel a little apologetic.

“Ichinose-chan.”

A nickname I quietly call out to lighten the mood.

Ichinose flinches, a more dramatic reaction than I anticipated.

“Th-that nickname…! Haa, just make sure no one else hears it. If anyone did, I wouldn’t be able to show my face again.”

“So, you’re permitting it when it’s just the two of us?”

Before, she was absolutely against it.

But the feeling now is different.

“…I gave up, figuring you’d do it anyway even if I told you not to.”

“What, is that the image I project?”

“Hmm. Don’t you know yourself better?”

Rohan moves away from the counter to stand by the railing overlooking the lower level of the shopping mall.

Ichinose also steps away from the shop and stands next to Rohan.

The boisterous sounds of conversation from inside the shop involuntarily makes the corners of my lips curl upward.

“Rohan. How is your health? Are there any lingering effects from the poison?”

“No problem. I had another check-up at the infirmary today.”

“…That’s good. I’m glad.”

Ichinose’s voice softens, as if still struggling with the complex emotions from confronting the Omega.

Even so, Rohan knows.

That the powerlessness Ichinose felt facing such a strong opponent will become a stepping stone for her growth.

“Even on a holiday, the academy training hall is open, right?”

“It is. Are you going to go?”

“Of course, I need to. It’s not just about physical fitness; I need a place to swing my sword freely without worry.”

Rohan’s longsword hangs across his back.

Ichinose, recalling the battles Rohan displayed on the deserted island, adds a comment.

“I also wish to learn a thing or two from Rohan.”

“Learn from me? Isn’t that just a roundabout way of saying you want to beat me up?”

Rohan’s playful guess.

Ichinose covers her mouth with her sleeve and giggles.

“Certainly, the rules of a duel might become shackles for Rohan.”

“Whether there are rules or not, it’ll be much the same. My swordsmanship still lacks structure, you see.”

“Even if modesty is important, aren’t you underestimating yourself a bit too much?”

“I’m a complete beginner when it comes to proper swordsmanship. I’m just good at flailing around.”

“Hmph…”

Inside the shop, girls can be seen heading towards the counter.

Rohan exhaled a long breath, recalling the pressure he’d felt from Sion and Clara just moments ago.

Happy, yet it wasn’t easy.

From now on, when he was with Sion and Clara, he felt he would constantly be picturing what kind of lingerie they wore beneath their everyday clothes.

“You did come here to shop with Noah, right? I can wait outside now, so feel free to take your time.”

Only then did Ichinose remember what kind of shop they were in front of.

She could also feel the gazes of some students who had recognized her. What would it look like, her standing so close to Rohan in front of this particular shop?

Her face flushed in an instant.

Her habit of hiding her emotions kicked in, malfunctioning all the way.

The girl’s mouth chattered of its own accord.

“Y-yes, that’s right! My current sizes don’t fit anymore, and I feel like I can’t breathe…!”

“Huh?”

“Women grow in leaps and bounds…! From one day to the next!”

“Is that so?”

Rohan erased his bewildered expression and flashed a warm smile. It felt like he knew everything but was playing along.

Ichinose’s conscience pricked at her.

Was it alright to say it was a joke and take back her words, even now?

‘Ichinose Yui. You’re acting so childishly… what are you even doing!’

Ichinose knew it, too.

She knew it was foolish to be so conscious of her bust size. She also knew it was immature and unsophisticated.

The moment the conversation ended and she moved away from Rohan, an overwhelming sense of self-loathing would come crashing down like an avalanche.

The concentration of her embarrassment deepened.

At that very moment, during an otherwise peaceful day…

‘What is it?’

A chill ran down Rohan’s spine.

“Ah, what I said earlier was actually…”

Ichinose mumbled, seemingly lost in thought, as Rohan’s head whipped back and forth.

Inside the shop, Noah, Zion, and Clara chattered away while filling bags with their purchased items, seemingly oblivious.

‘This is just a misperception?’

Rohan focused his senses and gripped his longsword.

Then, a notification window appeared.

[Quest Initiated.]

[The Inception of Anomalies]

◇ Quest Objective: A once peaceful academy city. Dimensional rifts are appearing in various locations, and monsters are beginning to emerge. Hold them back with your allies until the peacekeepers arrive.

◇ Type: Spontaneous

◇ Success Reward: Calculated by the number of monsters dealt with.

◇ Failure Penalty: None

The air rippled with an ominous feeling.

Rohan’s eyes peered into it. Clearly visible were eyes filled with hostility.

Monsters within lunged, bridging the gap between dimensions with their attacks.

“!”

Is it only he who can perceive and predict this in the current situation?

Rohan grabbed Ichinose, who was still muttering to himself, and leaped.

CRASH!!!

The two crashed through the railing glass and jumped down.

Huge monsters now thrashed and roared in the space where they had just been standing.

“Ro, Rohan…?!”

There was no time to answer.

Rohan wrapped his arms around the bewildered Ichinose and curled into a ball.

From noble mtl dot com

The academy city’s shopping mall had a hollow center structure.

Like a typical department store layout.

‘At this rate, it’s a freefall from a high floor.’

He could rely on his robust physique and land on his feet, but that could lead to fractures.

Rohan chose another way.

“Clara──!!!”

I call out, voice straining, for the girl who can help.

*Ping! Rat-tat-tat!*

Clara’s Arachne, humming with minimal mana, spins out a rapid weave.

A swift dance of hands crafts a web-like safety net.

It catches Rohan and Ichinose.

“Ugh…”

Mana had fortified his body, and Clara’s Arachne’s cutting power bottomed out, but.

Absorbing the impact of the fall couldn’t come without its damage.

His back stings, even with the scabbard in place.

“Rohan…? What is…?”

“Are you alright? You’ve really turned into a baby.”

Rohan, while observing the monsters emerging one by one,

calmly soothed the girl in his arms, stroking her back gently.