Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 121

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Among all the Demon Kings featured in the serialization, was the Underworld King truly the only one who acted like a proper Demon King? The plague he unleashed dealt a considerable blow to humanity, after all.
“….”
Recalling how absurdly Seian Crowell had died, the urge to demolish the author’s house surged within me once more. So I made a proposal to Kanna.
“Kanna.”
“H-huh?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to give this to Seian Crowell.”
If it could restore someone from the brink of death, wouldn’t that mean one safe pass even if infected by plague? I broached the idea thinking I could save Seian Crowell as a precaution and possibly earn a plot development point if things went well, but Kanna imposed one condition.
“Th-then I want a ring too, a r-ring!”
“Hmm….”
Would just an ordinary ring suffice? When I asked, Kanna answered that even a cheap trinket would do—she simply wanted to receive a ring from me.
“So you’re saying you want us to have matching friendship rings?”
“No, we don’t have to wear them together. It gets in the way when you fight, Evan. I just need to have one.”
I’d never noticed before, but the way Kanna spoke without pausing for breath was terrifying. Reina Letem had always complained that Kanna only stopped stammering when insulting her, and I was beginning to understand her frustration. Kanna was scary.
“I don’t mind, but I don’t have much cash on me right now.”
“I-I’ll pay for it!”
That wouldn’t be right. An item that should normally be split between us was being entrusted entirely to me, and in exchange she was receiving a ring—I couldn’t let Kanna spend her own money on it.
“Wait a moment.”
I emptied all my cash at a nearby Shooting Gallery and received bean-sized bullets in return. If I hit all fifty targets, I could win a 14K couple’s ring stamped with the Bunny Land logo.
“Skill: Precision Shot.”
Come forth, my skill and latent potential!
I picked up a spherical rifle with one hand and struck the popping targets. I hit the flying crow targets and the human targets with criminal faces, avoided the hostage markers crying for help, and after firing exactly fifty shots and hitting all fifty, a gruff employee approached and thrust the prize at me.
“Take it and get out!”
Did I have to endure this cold treatment from every Bunny Land employee until I returned to the Academy? It stung a little.
“Th-that was amazing, Evan!”
“Give me your hand.”
I snapped open the couple’s ring case, tossed the packaging aside, and slipped the smaller-sized ring onto Kanna’s finger. It looked simple, but the 14K gold gave it a beautiful luster. Alloys always had a prettier finish than pure gold anyway.
“Besides, I’m already wearing a ring, so it won’t get in the way at all.”
I could just layer it like a pair of rings over the House Neftis heirloom. I slipped another ring over my own ring and held out my hand beside Kanna’s, and the girl covered her mouth and spoke words that seemed too much.
“I-I’m happy, I’m so happy, Evan. I’ll k-keep this ring with me f-forever.”
“You don’t have to do that. Once I earn more money, I’ll get you something better.”
“N-no, this is, th-this is enough for me!”
Don’t act like some noble woman from an old movie. I’ll definitely buy you a diamond ring later. You’re such an amazing and wonderful woman that even diamonds would pale in comparison to your brilliance. I wanted to say this one thing for certain, and as the words left my lips, Kanna trembled and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Th-thank you. I’ve n-never heard words l-like that before.”
“Then I’ll say them often from now on.”
This girl with such low self-worth. I don’t know what happened at her home, but I’ll make sure to praise her plenty from now on.
I held Kanna like I was cradling White One, and she buried her face in my chest, rubbing against me desperately.
“It’s about time to meet Sera. Let’s work hard and earn our stamps today too.”
“U-uh! W-well, you see…”
Kanna was asking if I needed to get Reina’s permission first, and I realized I’d overlooked that detail. But I quickly made a decision.
“I don’t think we need to ask Reina’s opinion on this.”
“Y-yes, that’s true!”
If she complains later, I’ll just put on a show at the General Studies Building. I dismissed the concern lightly and headed toward the Meeting Plaza, where all the Club members were waiting for us.
From this, I could draw one conclusion: Reina had escaped while Professor Ha was nagging her.

◇ ◆ ◇

After riding the Gyro Drop and Roller Coaster in sequence and collecting rainbow stamps, I managed to line up in front of the Ferris Wheel as the sun began to set. Since I’d need to pack and return to the Academy tomorrow, there wouldn’t be time for more rides anyway. My life had been hanging by a thread more than I realized.
“Aaaahhh!”
Moreover, a scream erupted from the Gyro Drop we’d ridden earlier. Seeing the rapidly grown ivy completely clogging the ride, it appeared that someone with magic to control plant growth rates had gone berserk.
Given how enormously it had grown, that person must have lost control. I wonder what they saw this time to trigger the rampage.
“If it’s plant growth, that’s Oliveira, right? Did they get startled coming out of the Haunted House?”
“O-or maybe the Gyro Drop w-was just s-scary.”
Judging by the vines tangled around the Gyro Drop, they must have been frightened during the fall. Anyway, it’s already a ride we’ve been on, so it doesn’t matter. I was about to ignore it and just ride the Ferris Wheel when beams of light suddenly poured out from the Haunted House.
“Ah, so it really is a haunted house this time.”
“M-must be someone who does j-jewel crafting.”
“Now I fully understand why so many places don’t accept group entries of mages.”
Seian, your sarcasm is truly top-tier today. I paid my respects to my unchanging favorite person’s character and casually raised my camera to snap a photo. Then, with a loud pop, my five-hundred-thousand-crown disposable camera burst into flames.
Not just me, but all the Club members were startled.
“Ahhh! What?! Is that camera defective?!”
“Guided Freezing!”
After suppressing the fire first, I picked up a chunk of ice and examined the camera. That’s strange. Since the Machine King made this, there shouldn’t be any defects…
“Hey, look at the status window, you crazy person!”
At Reina’s shout, I reflexively snapped my fingers and opened my status window. In the status column that previously only showed Terminal Illness and Ursula’s Blessing, a new entry had appeared: “Machine King’s Wrath.”
“…Machine King’s Wrath?”
“T-the camera exploding, i-is this b-because of that?”
“Wow, that old lady is so petty!”
Truly petty. When I touched the details, an explanation appeared stating that all objects manufactured by the Machine King would become uncooperative toward me. Genuinely, incredibly petty.
“Petty.”
“P-petty.”
“Petty King.”
Reina, you nailed it. From now on, the Machine King is the Petty King.
“I wonder if I can at least salvage the film.”
“Since it exploded from the inside, it shouldn’t have burned, right?”
“Ugh, my twenty-three photos of Seian…”
“You took that many without even asking my permission!”
Frustrated over the wasted money and the inexplicably lost Seian photos, tears were about to spill from my eyes. Seeing me on the verge of crying, Reina and Seian made a fuss.
“H-hey, don’t cry! I’ll take photos for you! I’ll take tons with my camera!”
“Why are you crying over something like that? I’ll take photos! Just let me take them!”
With Seian and Reina making a fuss and striking poses for the camera, I swallowed my tears and spoke to Reina.
“Print ten copies of each.”
“What a disagreeable bastard.”
You were the one who offered to take them in the first place. I didn’t force you.
“Excellent! My Club members appear to have such wonderful camaraderie—I am most satisfied!”
“The bloom of youth, indeed.”
Sunbird, did you catch the Department Head Professor’s youth fever in the meantime?
The two of them, who had been watching our commotion with contentment, held hands and approached the Ferris Wheel, saying they would ride it alone together and hoped we understood. That meant the remaining members were me, Seian, Reina, Kanna, and Eugene—five people total. Since each Ferris Wheel car held four, we would inevitably have to split up.
“Then I’ll ride with Seian.”
“Hey! Why are you deciding that on your own!”
“Very well.”
“What about my opinion? Aren’t you going to ask what I want?!”
“I’ll cheer you on, Evan!”
“Commoner, what are you cheering for!”
This is too noisy. Let’s just board already, Seian.
I opened the Ferris Wheel car door, pushed Seian inside, and waved goodbye to the others. I was worried about leaving Kanna and Reina together, but Eugene would be there, so it should be fine. Eugene had confidence in mediating their quarrels, so he wouldn’t complain and would board the next car.
As I glanced back at their car with some concern, Seian was staring at me intensely. I turned my head forward to face him. Before me was Seian, looking at me as though I were some kind of pervert. His gaze carried such disdain that my chest felt oddly tight.
“Don’t get any strange ideas. If you do anything weird, I’ll scream.”
“You’re free to scream, but there’s no one coming to rescue you.”
“…Are you really going to do something weird?”
I laughed heartily at the sight of Seian’s face turning pale, and assured him I wouldn’t do anything strange.
“Seian. Hold out your hand.”
“Why? Are you going to do something weird…?”
“I said I wouldn’t.”
As I repeated myself, Seian reluctantly extended his palm. When I asked him to show me the back of his hand instead, the man looked bewildered.
“Why the back of my hand?”
“I want to give you this.”
I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out the ring I’d had appraised earlier, but Seian quickly clenched his fist to prevent the ring from going on.
“No way! Absolutely not! You brought that to tease me, didn’t you!”
“I have no intention of teasing you.”
“You wouldn’t give a cheap heart ring like this unless you were teasing—you’d give it during a confession!”
Hmm… now that I think about it, for an Ultra Rare ring, the design is rather childish. A gold-plated ring with a red heart gem is somewhat… juvenile, really.
“Regardless of its appearance, it’s a fine ring. It was even appraised as Ultra Rare.”
“Don’t lie!”
“I have the appraisal certificate.”
Good thing I didn’t throw away the certificate I received earlier. I pulled out the crumpled appraisal document from my pocket and handed it to Seian. The man still looked skeptical.
“…Is this a forgery?”
“If you don’t believe me, we can go get it re-appraised.”
“No, it’s just…”
Seian Crowell alternated his gaze between the crumpled paper and the ring on my hand, then added in a hushed voice.
“If it’s written in purple, this thing is worth a fortune. You could’ve sold it, so why did you….”
“The moment I obtained this, I could think of nothing but you.”
“….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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