I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 130



129 – The Perpetrators

The dilapidated house fell silent.

The sound of Rohan’s breathing, lost in sleep, filled the interior.

Ichinose, eyes still narrowed, kept watch over the sleeping Rohan.

‘There shouldn’t be a problem.’

Ichinose knows this from her studies and knowledge.

Even if Rohan is deeply asleep, there’s no need to worry about an attack.

Those hardened by the harshness of reality display a common behavior when they truly rest.

Ignoring all else, they become acutely sensitive to hostility and danger.

Ichinose saw Rohan already belonged to that breed.

Her own father possessed such tendencies, and Noah and Noah’s father were quintessential examples of those born into it.

Noah’s father, the Great Emperor Seolho, despite possessing transcendent senses, never woke even when young Noah and Ichinose were making noise or running around nearby.

Ichinose herself had experienced similar things countless times thanks to her father.

*Poke.*

Ichinose poked Rohan’s cheek with her finger.

She feels relieved seeing Rohan not wake up.

‘Hehe, just as I thought.’

See, he’s not reacting because I don’t intend to attack. He’s sleeping soundly.

Her guess was correct. Wouldn’t she know Rohan pretty well by now?

‘He must be so tired. Mentally and physically.’

She pokes his cheek, which offers an addictive texture. She doesn’t know why it’s so fun, but she can’t stop.

Is this how Rohan feels when he covets her cheek out of the blue?

‘Seriously. What kind of skill does he even have?’

Just producing food and water in a place isolated from the outside world is enough to make her faint.

And yet, he even took out a precious potion and handed it over. Does he perhaps store things in another dimension? Or does he exchange them for some kind of price?

Either way, it’s definitely an amazing skill.

The fact that Rohan himself isn’t just an empty shell boasting only skills is also a huge plus.

His talent in combat is outstanding, so he’s the kind of talent that people will be vying for once word gets out.

‘He said he has something planned. Still… is there no way we can recruit him into Cheonoecheon after he graduates from the academy?’

It’s guaranteed he’ll look cool in a black suit.

Rohan seems like he could perfectly handle not only ordinary tasks, but also the duties of an escort and executive secretary.

‘Before I formally inherit the company, even after I inherit, if Rohan is there to support me…’

Fantasies billowed and filled the girl’s head.

Just thinking about inheriting the position filled her with stomach-churning pressure and worry, but if Rohan were by her side, it feels like she could somehow manage.

‘And what if Rohan and I go on a business trip?’

Rohan would drive and, while moving, they’d laugh as they looked back on past events at the academy and their current work.

Sitting in the passenger seat, not the back.

And the moment they get off work, they’d break free from the relationship of chairman and secretary and enter into their own secret…

“──!”

Ichinose covered her mouth with her sleeve, stifling a laugh that threatened to bubble up, ridiculously.

This was the moment her fantasy reached peak vividness.

“I almost drooled,” she murmured.

The girl dabbed at the corner of her mouth, exhaling softly.

A forbidden relationship offering a feast for the senses with just imagination. It was too stimulating for Ichinose.

Judging by how rampant her fantasies were, she’d have to moderate the manga Noah gave her.

“…”

She returned her gaze to Rohan, the subject of her reverie.

It was her first time entertaining thoughts like these about a man.

The girl could no longer ignore the truth within. After all, self-reflection was one of her few, cherished skills.

It wasn’t simple allure.

And it definitely wasn’t the suspension bridge effect created by the dungeon environment.

It was the emotion that had steadily accumulated over months, finally taking shape.

‘I definitely…’

She definitely held feelings for Rohan that went beyond simple liking.

Regardless of their depth or weight, she was experiencing a one-sided love she never thought she’d encounter in her life.

She had denied it so fiercely, but this was reality.

‘Perhaps it’s not so strange, is it?’

Recalling the time she’d spent with Rohan, it made sense.

His diligence in starting each day with training.

His willingness to sacrifice for others without turning it into a boast or a heroic tale.

Even as his skills improved rapidly, he never became conceited or arrogant.

And she couldn’t forget the respect and kindness he showed in his unconscious actions and conversations.

‘Kindness is strength of heart, after all.’

If she were to list all the things she liked, she would never stop.

Facing the truth she had been ignoring, sweet thoughts flooded her mind like a dam had burst.

And so, as Ichinose brushed Rohan’s bangs aside, sending him a look of tender affection…

Was it because of the ticklish touch, or perhaps the lingering trace of the succubus’s enchantment?

Rohan’s lower body shifted, as if feeling stiff.

“…”

Ichinose, beholding Rohan’s body, altered now, swallowed hard without realizing it.

Her face flushed hot.

The fact that Rohan remained asleep kept her gaze pinned.

‘…Is that a blunt object, maybe?’

The shifting of his pants suggested he truly had hidden away some sort of dull weapon.

“Ahem.”

Ichinose cleared her throat, rising from her seat as if nothing was amiss.

Any other man, she might have found repulsive, but for some reason, her curiosity was running rampant.

Even as Ichinose moved, Rohan didn’t wake.

Footsteps sounded, a presence felt, yet without hostility, his resting consciousness saw no need to stir.

‘He said he had no experience with women, right?’

Ichinose knelt near Rohan’s legs, continuing her observation.

No matter that Rohan was slumbering, she had no intention of touching. Her eyes alone darted back and forth.

“Umm…”

Rohan’s voice slipped out in his sleep.

Accompanying it, his lower body twitched and shifted.

“Uh…?”

What Shion and Clara had experienced now befell Ichinose.

Liquid, surging and spilling over his pants.

Ill-fated or fortunate.

The tightly woven material, meant to conquer the academy, prevented the misfortune of a forceful fountain.

“Uh-oh…?!”

Flustered, Ichinose reflexively moved her hand, catching the flow.

Not perfectly caught, but the gushing liquid pooled into a pristine white puddle in her palm.

“Ugh, uh… er?”

The thought of cleaning Rohan’s pants, of dealing with the aftermath, receded, overshadowed by her own bewilderment.

‘W-what am I supposed to do with this…?’

She’d caught it, yes, but had no idea how to dispose of it.

It was hot, as if she might be burned. The smell was incredibly potent.

Should she throw it outside? The thought crossed her mind, only to be immediately dismissed.

‘If those things… if succubi smelling Rohan’s… no, the scent, come looking, that’d be a disaster.’

Discarding it only for something to eat it and gain incredible power would be problematic.

It wasn’t verified yet, but that unease was there.

So, how to deal with this viscous liquid?

“…”

The scent assaulted her nose.

Ichinose, having made her decision, swallowed hard.

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Lohan awoke.

Simultaneously, he felt an ominous foreboding.

‘How many hours did I sleep?’

The fact that Ichinose hadn’t woken him and he’d opened his eyes on his own… that too.

His mind was frighteningly clear.

Enough to recall a certain day that sent shivers down his spine.

[Forgotten Sweet Transgression – Achievement Unlocked]

[Achievement Reward: When together with the transgressor, the chance to inflict Weakness debuffs is increased.]

[When the transgressor is with Rohan, the growth rate is increased.]

‘What’s this?’

He woke up and an achievement was completed.

And one he’d never seen before. Was it one of his unique achievements?

The problem was he didn’t even have time to properly check the impressive reward.

The discomfort he felt from his lower body was familiar.

‘This is bad.’

Lohan moved his head, searching for the others.

Ichinose sat in the corner, wiping her sword with a cloth.

She tried to appear unaware, but her senses were subtly directed this way.

“…”

Lohan got up and headed outside.

He was grateful Ichinose didn’t say a word, yet wanted to die of shame.

He bought water at the shop and wiped it up, for now.

Wiped and wiped, scrubbing. He tried his best to make it as clean as possible.

The thought that it wasn’t much came a beat too late, gifting him a truly wretched feeling.

“Shit.”

Returning to his dilapidated home, Rohan left the door ajar.

Coming back inside, the smell that permeated the place hit him with full force.

“Rohan. I’m sorry to ask, but could I trouble you for some water…?”

Ichinose cleared his throat, as if something caught in it.

The water he’d left on the table was already empty.

‘Ah.’

Rohan wanted to die.

Ichinose’s voice, the way he avoided looking directly at him; it was obvious he knew.

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Even though it was impossible to miss, the fleeting hope that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t notice drove him mad.

“…Just a moment.”

Half out of his mind, he opened the shop interface and bought another bottle of water, handing it to Ichinose.

Then, Rohan strapped on his scabbard, which was lying on the floor, and went back outside.

His restless heart had nowhere to turn.

‘This is really awful. Was it the charm?’

He sighed deeply, trying to clear his head.

To ignore his consciousness, which was on the verge of fracturing, he reopened the notification window he’d glimpsed earlier.

He hadn’t really seen it properly the first time.

[A Sweet Crime Forgotten – Achievement Unlocked]

[Achievement Reward: When with the Perpetrator, the chance of inflicting a Weakness Debuff is increased.]

[When the Perpetrator is with Rohan, growth rate is increased.]

‘I don’t know what the achievement condition was, but the rewards are amazing? But who is the Perpetrator? Not a companion…’

Thinking that, an arrow below the reward window flashed.

He clicked on the glowing part.

A new panel opened.

[Perpetrator: Sion Testarossa, Clara, Ichinose Yui]

“???”

Everything was a riddle.