Chapter 180
"............"
"............"
Clael and Reina, staying close together, walked along the academy's ceiling.
Was it the eerie atmosphere of the academy that scared them?
Reina clung tightly to Clael's arm, more than usual, pressing her soft skin against him as much as she could.
"......Reina"
"Yes, what is it?"
"......No, it's nothing."
Reina looked puzzled, but Clael couldn't say anything more and swallowed his question.
There was nothing strange about Reina's behavior.
After all, it was Clael who said not to stray too far, and it was only natural for her to cling to a nearby older man out of fear.
It felt like they had been going in circles around the same spot for a while now... but that was probably just confusion caused by the upside-down structure of the academy.
"There's nothing strange... nothing strange at all..."
Yes... though her chest was squishing softly against his upper arm more than necessary, it had to be a coincidence, not something intentional.
It was Clael, being weirdly self-conscious, who was acting strange.
"Reina, this place... we've passed it before, haven't we?"
"Yes... we might be lost."
"......I see."
"Yes, the staircases are flipped and we can't go up them, and the doors are too high to reach. If we accidentally step outside, we might fall into the sky—it's scary, so it can't be helped."
Even though no one asked, she gave an oddly detailed explanation.
Somehow, it felt like she was making excuses... but putting that aside.
"Well, if that's the case, then it can't be helped."
"Yes, we're almost there... it's this room."
"This is...?"
After quite a detour, they arrived at the student council room.
It was the room where Eric, the main characters, and Reina—if it were the game—would spend their youth.
"I sense an evil presence from here. I don't know if it's the core of the Dungeon though..."
"That's enough. Let's check it out."
Clael peeled Reina off his arm and shielded her behind him as he opened the door.
Then... an unexpected sight unfolded before them.
'Prince Eric, please handle these documents.'
'Your Highness, have you approved the previous request yet?'
'Student council president, the sports clubs have submitted a request for a budget increase.'
"Ah, got it! Leave it to me!"
Inside the student council room... was the room's owner, the student council president, Eric.
Eric was seated at a desk above Clael and Reina, briskly working through paperwork.
"Alright... then, please file these documents."
'Understood, Prince Eric.'
Several students were assisting Eric.
However... the students helping him were viscous monsters wearing academy uniforms.
The same black slime-like creatures they had fought earlier were pretending to be human, speaking in human voices as they helped Eric with his work.
"Phew... I think I'll take a little break. I'm getting pretty tired."
Eric wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief... but he hadn't realized the students around him weren't human.
Apparently, he was being shown an illusion.
(Come to think of it... there was a monster in the game that attacked people while disguised.)
So it wasn't disguising itself—it was casting illusions.
Seeing someone being deceived from an outside perspective made Clael realize something trivial.
"Prince Eric, please have some tea."
However... in the midst of this bizarre scene, a new character appeared.
It wasn't a Black Ooze. A girl who looked like a proper human placed a teacup in front of Eric.
"That is..."
"Lord Clael, she is..."
Clael and Reina looked at each other.
"Ah, thank you. *BI+V＄. You're very thoughtful."
"You're welcome."
Eric smiled as he called out someone's name and picked up the teacup.
The one who gently, kindly served tea to Eric with a soft smile was a nameless female student who should have been abducted by the Witch After School.