Chapter 143: Second Semester

A few days have passed since Master, freed from the chains, came to Stalgia’s house.

Though she strengthened her body with skills, she couldn’t move for 200 years while the cursed chains of death kept sapping on her power.

Thus, she seems still far from her normal condition. Sometimes, she looks like moving is hard for her, so I’m a bit worried.

But mentally she is extremely well. She completely blended in with the Stalgia family. At this point, it wouldn’t be an understatement that just like Toramaru, she already became a family member.

『Future husband, say aah.』

Master presents to my mouth an apple that she sliced.

In part due to the business going well at Rare Shop Stalgia, which is managed by the whole family, lately the meals are lavish.

「It’s embarrassing. And I have no plans of marrying Master. The age gap is a bit……」

『Love knows no age. I, for example, can accept up for 500 years old.』

That’s because you are special. While pouting a bit, Master stuffs her cheeks with the apple. Since the early morning, she ate plenty of meat and vegetables.

She 【Granted】 herself skills that allow her to survive even without eating, but apparently, the food taken for pleasure is the best.

『Hey, Torasquare, you tell Noir-kun something as well.』 ¹

『It’s maru! Maru and square are very different!』

Toramaru strongly insisted, but Master paid no attention. And the face of the father, who is sitting opposite Master, is something.

Glance…… Glance…… Glance……

Like a boy in puberty looking at the girl he loves, father keeps sneaking peeks at Master’s bosom.

Mother and Alice, who knew father for a long, long time, were of course aware of this and looked at him with the eyes colder than ice magic.

「Dear, mind buying a rope later? Bring it to the park where people rarely come, I will be waiting there under the large tree.」

「EH? I don’t like this combination……」

Mother is always smiling, giving off a gentle impression, which is maintained even when she is mad. Which makes it even scarier.

As father trembles like a mouse before a predator, Alice calls out to him with a smile.

「Father, it will be fine, we will take care of the store by ourselves. And nii-san will take the place of the head of this house.」

「Please stop talking as if I’m about to die, okay? I’m the man the most unrelated to killing himself.」

「Killing himself? Oh dear, you are always so funny. I’m the one who will end your life.」

Father shuddered with fear. With a face as if he is about to piss himself any moment now, he looked at me, pleading for help.

I’m sorry, Father, but while the soup is still hot I have better things to do.

I think I heard words like betrayer and monster…… But that probably is just my imagination.

Being done with preparations I walk to the front door, followed by Master.

『Come back soon. I don’t know what to do with myself…… If you get what I mean……』

Pushing up her chest, Master makes another silly joke. To be honest, I don’t feel like I can stop Master after she was freed from the chains.

「Don’t rummage through my room, please.」

『Yees! I won’t, even if it kills me.』

But her face is saying that she will, even if it kills her. Well, I knew she would do that, so I hid all the dangerous stuff in advance.

「Also, if you have something you’d like, tell me.」

『Then, a house.』

「How about some modesty?」

『But I’m serious. Sooner or later I’m going to leave. Noir-kun is the best, but the house is pretty small.』

「Well, I can’t argue with that.」

We have no spare rooms.

So we are having Master sleep in the living room with Toramaru.

I told her that she can use my room, but she refused, saying that she won’t do that if I won’t stay in the same room. That is a bit…… No, very, dangerous.

I’m certain that Master would attempt a body check while I’m sleeping.

Right now I have a surplus in money, so promising her that I will look for something, I leave the house.

Getting to the road, I see a girl running my way just at the perfect timing.

Her face and her swaying chest, I’m not sure where I looked first.

But even so, my first thought was that today as well, her smile looks very cute.

「Boob morning!」

「From which tribe is that greeting?」

「You don’t know?! It’s pretty popular among the young girls those days.」

While we walk together, I ask her about the possible reason and logic behind it.

Apparently, it’s a warning to stop staring at a chest.

Sorry, I’m really sorry……

「Hey, Noir let’s do our best in this semester」

「Yeah, apparently it’s going to be even harder than the first one.」

All schools with special training programs have a lot of events introduced during the second semester.

And it seems that the hero’s school is no exception. Since it’s a school that has it’s aim set on creating heroes, it’s not all fun and games.

For example, I heard there is a tradition of interscholastic matches with other countries. As they say, particularly skilled students get chosen to participate. I don’t know the details though.

And then, as an adventurer, I have to aim higher.

Currently, I’m B rank, but I’d be happy if I could eventually become S rank, able to pull the guild itself to even greater heights. Just like Master.

Reaching the school and entering the S class we are greeted by Layla, waving her hand. During rearrangements in classes after the summer vacation, she was promoted from A to S class.

「Boob Morning, Noir-kun.」

「Heh?! I-I didn’t look at anything.」

No, really, I didn’t look at any weird places. She then tilted her head quizzically.

「So my greeting is strange after all? Other girls said that I should use it when I see other boys.」

Layla-san is straight-laced, so she is probably using it without knowing the meaning.

After Emma whispered the meaning of that phrase in Layla-san’s ear she turned red and flustered.

「Nonono, it’s not that I meant! I mean, there is no way Noir-kun would be giving girls weird looks from a morning.」

With a wry smile and nod, just a bit, making it look like I’m almost unsure of it myself

I want to someday become a refined man that can agree to that with confidence.

……But being a son of my father, it probably won’t ever happen.

Then, the door to the classroom flew open, as if kicked. With a wooden sword in her hand, professor Elna made her way inside the classroom appearing quite listless.

The sight of everyone hurrying to their seat was resembling that of training dogs. Of course, I was one of them. Or rather, I was the first one to take a seat.

「Well, first of all, boys…… Boob morning.」

UH! So it was spreading even to the teachers? A few of the boys twitched nervously and cast their eyes down. So they were looking.

「By now you should have switched off your vacation mode. This month already has some troublesome events. I’m not into it at all, but you know, I’m a teacher after all. When I was a merc I could get out of dumb stuff through force, but now it won’t fly…… And I’m getting paid quite well. After all, one can put one’s trust in the money.」

Is it really okay to follow this teacher?

And so, I carefully listened to the teacher, while feeling uneasiness about my own future.