Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 140

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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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“I’m grateful on Hubert’s behalf.”
“Don’t tell him—he’ll be shocked.”
“Understood.”
“In our time, Mother forgot to name us, and we ended up at the mercy of that old fool. But I couldn’t bear to see more innocent children suffer the same fate.”
The Department Head Professor’s tale of the past was so tragic that tears nearly spilled from my eyes. It seemed I was learning far too many shocking truths today.
“Ahem. Well then, should I now regale you with the story of my beautiful first meeting with Common?”
“I have absolutely no interest in that.”
The Department Head Professor mentioned that the Zibenstein Family had been using mana for generations—so why not reveal that secret instead? At my blunt prodding, the man began theatrically feigning tears, playing the wounded father whose stepdaughter was callously dismissing the precious first page of his youth.
Since I had important matters to discuss, I gave him a perfunctory acknowledgment and urged him to explain how the mana had first manifested.
“My stepdaughter is so cold-hearted.”
“I am not your stepdaughter.”
“Evan. When I return, I’ll instruct my subordinates to stop calling you the Serpent Queen.”
So Gerth finally understood how infuriating such demands could be. I praised him profusely for his newfound enlightenment and embraced him fiercely. As I pawed at him relentlessly, Gerth suddenly bit down on my head with a sharp yelp.
“Old fool. If you’re going to continue, go to the Hotel.”
“I’m sorry. I got excited.”
What was that just now? Why had Gerth bitten my head? I found myself deeply puzzled, but I decided it was best to leave this mystery unsolved—after all, biting seemed to fall into the realm of animal behavior, and there was little point in interrogating him about it.
“We’ve been consistently consuming monster cores since childhood.”
Ah, so that was it. The Zibenstein Family was conducting early martial training, much like what one saw in martial arts clans.
The seven houses of the Zibenstein Family had been feeding children cores from an early age, selecting only those whose bodies responded well and grooming them to become family heads. Unlike the Machine King or the Serpent King, who possessed the talent to identify exceptionally potent elixirs, they relied on luck. Still, roughly one in three generations produced a mana user.
“I was one of the exceptional cases.”
“I grew even stronger thanks to consuming what you brought me.”
Right—the Machine King possessed the Eternal Fruit of Vitality and the Thousand-Year Flower; Gerth knew where the Eternal Snow Ginseng grew; and I wondered what the Dragon King’s territory offered as a specialty.
“The reason for not revealing that we’re demons is, naturally…”
“We’d be hunted down and killed by the people?”
That seemed likely. If someone appeared human yet wielded mana through magic, and their status window displayed “Demon,” they would undoubtedly be cast out by society. It wouldn’t be a witch hunt—it would be a demon hunt.
Since humans becoming demons was extraordinarily rare, these individuals would choose to live quietly, keeping their secret. Information sharing and such would have no precedent in history.
Bruno Siebenstein was a demon who had transcended humanity. It was only speculation, but all mana users were demons, and those humans who had become demons lived their lives in secrecy. The Zibenstein Family knew the method of becoming a mana user and had been employing it across generations…
So my initial curiosity had been fully resolved, then.
“Then about those seventy-two mages belonging to Zibenstein—did they also use the method employed by Duke Neftis’s house…?”
“Wait. You’re on Cecilia’s side, aren’t you?”
Tch. So he had no intention of telling me as long as I remained aligned with Cecilia’s faction.
It was merely conjecture, but when Zibenstein had attached himself to Sera, he’d mentioned teaching Letem the secret method of cultivating mages. Perhaps that referred to the technique of consuming monster cores to develop mana users. There might also be a method of scouting pre-existing mana users. As for those who used mana when activating skills—well, they were easy enough to spot at a glance.
Focusing my perception, I could see that Gerth and the Department Head Professor, both mana-based lifeforms, had mana densely concentrated throughout their bodies, while Bruno Siebenstein had mana gathered thickly around him—visible to the naked eye. They were so distinctly different from ordinary people that identifying them would be simple.
“One final question. You were disappearing and reappearing earlier. What kind of magic is that, exactly?”
“I’ll tell you once you become my stepdaughter.”
“Gerth. Let’s go.”
I’d finished the peach juice anyway, so there was nothing left to discuss here.
I stated the matter plainly, and Gerth promptly bundled his belongings onto his back, following close behind me. I heard Duke Neftis’s pitiful cries echoing across the muddy ground.
“Daughter! It’s getting late! Stay the night!”
“It’s only three in the afternoon.”
“I’m the sort of man who dies from loneliness!”
“Then die.”
Rather than bother with the front door, I was about to leap out the window when the Department Head Professor caught me and asked for understanding.
“It’s just that I’ve only recently left Brandenburg. People grow homesick, you know.”
“Professor, you’ve been through so much.”
“We’re friends, after all.”
“Treasure your friendships. There aren’t many who would befriend someone as hopeless as you.”
“You should put in the effort, old man. Evan is incredibly popular.”
“Evan is strong, wise, and has a straightforward character. It’s natural she’d be popular.”
“You’re too kind. Gerth is the one who is truly strong and virtuous.”
“I’m only this way because I’ve lived long. Evan is the remarkable one.”
“You two are perfectly matched.”
The Department Head Professor shook his head in exasperation, while Gerth and I both protested that the praise was excessive before leaping out the window together.
We bounded from tree to wall, then from wall to rooftop, moving with ease—something that would have been impossible just last year. While I still fell far short of Gerth’s strength, I felt confident I could hold my own against Hubert now.

◇ ◆ ◇

We’d made it to the Brandenburg Townhouse, but I was already contemplating whether to go back out. Since Gerth had come all the way to Crownpolis to visit, I couldn’t simply accept a gift and send him off. I was planning what to show him around the Academy when Eugene and Reina, having heard of our return, hurried out and made a sudden declaration.
“Evan! Hurry and get your ring fitted! Gerth will feel left out!”
“A ring?”
“Are you insane?! You exchanged rings with Kanna and gave one to the Crown Prince, so how could you leave out your boyfriend!”
Wait… what? Did I do something wrong?
Overwhelmed by their momentum, I gently touched the wallet in my pocket. How much was left on my welfare card this month? Would it be enough for a ring?
“Why did you even give a ring to someone as transparent as the Crown Prince in the first place! He wouldn’t stop bragging about it when you were gone!”
“Honestly, I’m tired of hearing about it too, Evan.”
So Seian had complained about the ring design being poor, yet went around showing it off to everyone? I felt secretly pleased, then realized I had no money left from spending it all on various things during the first day of the Founding Ceremony.
“I understand I made a mistake. But my finances are currently strained.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll lend you the money, Evan.”
So Eugene, you’re so desperate to push Gerth and me together. Just how much has Seian put you through?
“Make sure it’s something nice—something that will keep His Highness behaving himself for the next three months.”
Just how much did he torment you? The white envelope Eugene handed me was quite thick with bills, enough for me to gauge the extent of Seian’s complaints. It must have been serious enough to make the usually kind Eugene irritable.
“I have a regular jeweler, so go to that shop specifically.”
“If Count Letem is a regular there, it can’t be cheap.”
“Just mention my mother’s name and they’ll give you a good price.”
The influence of Count Letem is truly remarkable.
Once I accepted both their arguments, Eugene snatched Gerth’s bundle from him while Reina tossed me a numbered key and practically shoved us out of the house. I had been planning to take Gerth around anyway, but I never expected to be sent off with such thorough preparations.
“Evan. Things are moving quickly.”
“Yes. Let me explain slowly.”
I walked with Gerth to the jewelry shop and summarized what had just happened. Since Gerth and I were in a relationship, Eugene and Reina had insisted that we buy rings and wear matching pairs. From the numbered key they’d tossed me, it looked like a hotel key, and it seemed they were telling us to stay the night as well.
As I laid out the explanation, Gerth nodded as if he finally understood.
“Wearing matching rings—is this a custom among humans?”
“When people date or get married, they usually buy two identical rings and wear them as a pair. When friends do it, they call them friendship rings.”
“I see. I’ll accept it gratefully.”
“Sure.”
Let’s go pick out something beautiful. Since Reina frequents this place, the quality should be reliable.
I walked through the crowd hand in hand with Gerth, humming contentedly. As we reached the Commercial District, I heard a familiar melody drifting from a Record Shop speaker—Sera’s powerful rendition of “The Endless Rain” playing from the storefront.
“Evan. There’s a picture of you over there.”
Gerth, proudly displaying his thorough understanding of what a photograph was, listened as I explained about my club activities. When I told him about the band Sera had formed where I played guitar, and how Sunbird had established a company through his connections, resulting in our single album’s release and the sale of group posters, individual posters, and photo cards, Gerth suddenly reached into his shirt pocket and produced a crimson gemstone, offering it to me.
“Can one purchase things with that?”
There would be money left over anyway, but it seemed best to exchange it immediately for Gerth’s sake as well.

At the nearby Jewelry Exchange Shop, the owner turned out to be someone I knew through a mutual connection, so I was able to exchange it quickly with only a modest markup. As it turned out, he belonged to the same Early Morning Soccer Club as the Spice Merchant who had sold me the piano before.
“Evan. Has the gemstone’s value decreased?”
“No. We just sold it a bit cheaply. But in exchange, we got the money quickly.”
“I thought you would receive fair compensation.”
“In a neighborhood I’ll never visit again, and if I were purely in the position of a consumer, I would have. But this works out fine.”

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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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