I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 131



130 – The Important Thing is Avoiding Allure

[Sweet Transgression Forgotten in Memory – Achievement Earned]

[As an Achievement Reward, the chance to inflict a debuff that applies a Weakness when with a Perpetrator has increased.]

[The Growth Rate increases when a Perpetrator is with Rohan.]

“…?”

Rohan reread the notification window, his brow furrowed.

Even reading it slowly, meticulously, from the beginning, it didn’t make sense. He understood the words, but not the context.

Still, he was grateful for this sudden question.

For a moment, this mystery made him forget his shame.

[Perpetrators: Sion Testarossa, Clara, Ichinose Yui]

Every one of them a welcome name.

Ichinose, of course, who was right here with him, but also names he longed to see, worried about.

‘I wonder how they are.’

He wondered if Sion and Clara were eating well. Had they figured out by now that he was caught up in Monolith?

If they understood the situation, what kind of life were they leading?

They were both worrisome and sensitive girls, so Rohan was filled with anxiety.

‘So.’

Getting back to the main point.

‘What is a Perpetrator?’

Not a comrade or party member, but the title “Perpetrator.”

He didn’t understand why.

All three possessed personalities far removed from crime.

They were absolutely not the type to secretly plot or execute wrongdoing behind the scenes.

From Rohan’s perspective, the designation “Perpetrator” was utterly incomprehensible.

‘Even the achievement name… is it expressed with a light and charming feeling? Or does it have something to do with my past that I don’t know?’

The name: Sweet Transgression Forgotten in Memory.

Could the answer be hidden in memory fragments that were off-limits?

That was the limit of Rohan’s conjecture for now.

“Haa.”

After much deliberation, he gave up.

Ignorance, in these situations, was often bliss, wasn’t it?

He might not know the conditions for completing the accomplishment, but the reward was phenomenal.

“This is insane.”

Even so, he sighed deeply. He hesitated to return inside.

Ichinose was playing along, but Rohan felt deeply uneasy.

It would be different if he were deceiving some villain, but it was hard to feign indifference towards someone he liked.

“Damn succubi…”

If it hadn’t been for Bianca’s allure, things would have been fine.

To gift him such a colossal dark chapter after death; he’d been caught off guard and had to admit he’d taken a hit.

“Tch.”

Rohan clicked his tongue and dragged his heavy feet.

He returned to their ramshackle home and asked Ichinose as casually as he could,

“How are you feeling?”

“Ah… fine.”

Normally, Ichinose would acknowledge him with a nod, even with her eyes closed, but now she subtly avoided his gaze.

Rohan only felt more apologetic at the action.

The nickname “Crybaby-nose,” wouldn’t even come to his lips with this guilt weighing him down.

“Ichinose, how about we relocate to somewhere else to rest?”

“…Where were you thinking of going?”

Ichinose still avoided his eyes, but she didn’t show any resistance to the suggestion, and gathered her sword, standing up.

Her voice was quieter, but he could still hear her.

“That succubus den we cleared out before arriving at this house? I was thinking of going there.”

There was another shack nearby, abandoned.

It was smaller than this place, but still offered a roof and protection from the wind.

“Mmm…”

At Rohan’s suggestion, Ichinose clenched and unclenched her pale hand, and let out a small murmur.

She seemed lost in thought.

“If there’s something else you’d prefer, Ichinose, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

How long did he wait for the girl’s nod of agreement?

Ichinose, having seemingly brought some semblance of order to her flustered thoughts, finally met his gaze with a few furtive glances.

“Um, how about we look past the succubus mansion we just secured…? It’s the way we have to go anyway.”

“If Ichinose’s stamina is up for it, that would be good. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. My, my stomach is just a bit full and I want to walk a little… to lighten up…”

The portion of the lunch wasn’t all that much, yet she still felt so satiated.

Truly an energy-efficient physique.

“Alright. But if any husks or low-ranking succubi appear, I’ll take care of them. Ichinose, conserve your strength, just in case.”

“Okay… I understand.”

The two left their temporary dwelling and began to walk.

The mansion remained in its ravaged state, silent, with a few husks lingering nearby, which they hunted down.

Eventually, they crossed the boundary of Bianca’s mansion and arrived in a new area.

Still a forest setting, but now bordered by a wide river.

The flowing water wasn’t blue, but a pale violet.

No fish or anything like it could be seen inside.

Poking around in the water with a long branch revealed only strange, unknown plants, making it seem unsuitable for drinking.

“Ichinose. Behind me.”

“Be careful.”

Unsurprisingly, this area was also overflowing with husks and the occasional succubus who couldn’t be reasoned with.

They discovered a house suitable for a short rest and drove the succubus resident into the afterlife.

Now it was Ichinose’s turn to rest, and she settled down to lie down.

As Rohan unloaded his gear and sat down, Ichinose naturally used his thigh as a pillow.

“….”

“I’ll just rest for a moment. Let me know if it’s uncomfortable.”

Ichinose harbored significant feelings of embarrassment and hesitation internally.

But knowing Rohan wouldn’t refuse, she couldn’t stop her impulsive actions.

‘This pillow is getting a perfect score again today.’

The fact that she was able to quickly organize her thoughts about what had happened while Rohan slept, and face him head-on as always,

She thinks the biggest thing is that she’s facing her heart properly.

Ichinose, adopting a supremely content posture,

Closed her eyes and spoke.

“Rohan.”

“Hmm?”

“You’re not still dwelling on that, are you?”

“…”

They had kept the conversation flowing all the way here.

Ichinose no longer avoids his gaze when they speak.

But Rohan couldn’t shake the feeling that he had subjected Ichinose to a bad experience. The shame was long gone, but he kept picturing Ichinose, who had protected that room reeking with a heavy odor.

Whenever Rohan displayed the slightest odd behavior because of it, Ichinose, too, would be reminded of that thick, cloying taste in her throat.

Each time she replayed it, she felt her head go strange, so Ichinose felt the necessity to fully repair Rohan’s guilt right here.

“Rohan, you’re too hard on yourself.”

“Am I?”

“You should be proud just for enduring and surviving the succubus’s allure. It’s actually amazing, isn’t it? Be proud of it.”

“…”

“So don’t worry about it so much. It’s not like Rohan committed a crime, and if you’re a healthy man, it’s just a natural bodily function, right…? I don’t think anything of it.”

Rohan chuckled, watching Ichinose defend him.

She really is a good woman.

The ominous word “perpetrator” doesn’t suit her. Her achievements must have meant something else entirely.

“Baby Nose isn’t a baby anymore, huh?”

“Of course not!”

Even though the sight of the girl, triumphant with her thighs borrowed, lacked some credibility.

Rohan placed his hand on Ichinose’s shoulder, filled with sincere gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? I’m the one who’s more grateful…”

Ichinose conveyed her gratitude, laden with multiple meanings, and then pressed her lips shut.

That thing that wouldn’t be forgotten, that had again taken over her mind, flushed her cheeks with heat.

“Rest well, and let’s move again.”

The pat-pat tapping of Rohan’s hand.

The girl found her equilibrium with uncanny speed and fell into the land of dreams.

…

…

The respite finished, Rohan and Ichinose once more took to the path.

Rohan pressed a potion into Ichinose’s hands, just in case of a sudden, unexpected fight.

The best case scenario would be finishing the dungeon untouched, without needing the potion at all.

But even used at the perfect moment, the points spent would be well worth it. Points used for preparation were never wasted.

“Eh-chinose. Feeling it?”

“I’ve got a good sense of it, yeah.”

Following the stream while clearing out monsters, they came upon a mansion.

Rohan was certain this was the dwelling of the named succubus.

Like before, he circled the place, carefully examining the interior.

Then, weapons drawn, they burst into the mansion.

Quickly dealing with the blank-faced pleasure golems, a succubus rushed out of the bedroom, where she’d been absorbing vital essence.

Enraged, she appeared, and as expected, her eyes widened when she saw Rohan.

“That man…?!”

Was there no exception?

This succubus, too, was drawn to Rohan’s uniquely potent essence, desiring it for herself.

She made the same offer of a contract as the last succubus, and Rohan answered with a bullet.

The battle commenced at once.

This succubus’s specialty was using her large, hardened wings as both weapon and shield.

But against Rohan, she was as good as facing the Grim Reaper.

He found the wings’ weak points as he let them block the bullets.

Unlike Bianca, her charm was not wide-ranging, and he skillfully dodged each attempt as he swung his sword.

A charm with a focused range would be powerful indeed. The user being a named succubus only intensified the danger; if he were to be hit, the battle could be overturned, and Rohan’s social life could be considered a casualty.

*Pshing!*

The debuff exploded with the attack, and the outcome was decided faster, and more anticlimactically, than anticipated.

Rohan sheathed the Radiance, dripping with the succubus’s essence and continued his train of thought.

‘The next succubus is the last. The monolith should be there.’

Meeting this succubus reinforced his conviction.

Rohan’s memories were becoming clearer.

Vowing to never be struck by charm again, he finished his internal mantra.

Rohan and Ichinose resumed their advance.