Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 46

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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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“Well…”
Princess Sera, who had witnessed the entire debacle, offered me consolation with an apologetic expression, lamenting that the blind date she had arranged had turned into such a mess. I made excuses about not realizing my twelfth cousin would be so persistently stubborn, but truthfully, the Princess had nothing to apologize for.
“It’s fine. You were deceived too, Princess Sera.”
“At the very least, I’ll pay for lunch here.”
That was only natural. It was the responsibility of whoever had arranged the date. And while we were at it, she should reimburse me for the hair ribbon I bought yesterday—an unnecessary expense.
“Ha ha! Ha ha ha! That’s right! Even I didn’t expect this date to happen! There’s no way it would come to Evan!”
“I’m going to destroy this place a bit, so pay for the damages.”
“Understood. Just make sure there are no casualties when you fight.”
Minimizing collateral damage while fighting was the very first thing taught in Practical Magic. That much was easy enough. Besides, the Academy students were so accustomed to our battles that they’d escape without issue.
“Evan and Reina are fighting again!”
“I’ll bet a hundred thousand crowns on Evan!”
“Five hundred thousand crowns on Lady Reina!”
“You Reina fanatics won’t beat us! A million crowns on Lady Evan!”
Those nobles had money rotting away, so they placed bets while I fought Reina spectacularly, smashing the café’s furnishings. The Coffee House owner emerged beaming as if he’d met a VIP customer and extracted payment from the Princess. When Sera said she had no cash on hand, she detached a piece of jewelry from her uniform—a sapphire with a deep, brilliant blue hue. The moment the owner laid eyes on it, he fell to his knees and accepted it reverently. The sight was so sacred I nearly took Reina’s fist to the face because of it.
“Where are you looking!”
“My apologies. I’ve grown so accustomed to your attack patterns that I’ve grown bored and have the leisure to observe my surroundings.”
“I’m going to take martial arts lessons during break, so when I come back, you’re dead!”
So it was already break time. A semester was a little over three and a half months, so it made sense that vacation was approaching. The thought of being separated from Reina for a while made me feel like I could actually breathe.
Fearing the scale of our fight would escalate further, we reached a rough consensus on a draw and ended the match. We then ate a satisfying lunch and dispersed to attend to our respective business. Truth be told, with final exams looming, I had no time to be playing around like this.
Reina, who had maxed out her diligence stat regarding studies, had apparently headed to the Library, so I decided to quietly prepare for the exams in my Dormitory room. As I walked past the Combat Techniques Department toward the sign marked “Den,” I spotted Seian crouching there—someone I’d seen many times before. To recognize him from this distance, the power of love truly is magnificent.
“Hey! Why are you so late!”
That was my line, wasn’t it? After fighting Reina, eating lunch, sipping coffee, and indulging in dessert before chatting, time had naturally slipped away. Now that I thought about it, my blind date observation was supposed to be today’s club activity, yet Seian hadn’t shown up. Did he have something else to do?
“Well… meeting that guy…”
“The blind date fell through.”
Even when Seian spoke incoherently, I could understand him perfectly. Truly, the power of love is magnificent.
“Of course it did! Any sane person would flee a thousand leagues away after meeting you directly and exchanging words!”
Had he been waiting this whole time to mock me? At my words confirming the date hadn’t worked out, Seian’s face brightened and he laughed with a “wa ha ha,” pulling out a wallet as meager as his physique.
“Let’s go, I’ll buy you ice cream!”
“If we’re going for something cold, I’d prefer shaved ice with fruit syrup.”
“Keep it under a thousand crowns.”
For someone of royal blood, he was remarkably stingy. That’s probably why several people who had attached themselves to Seian in the later serialization chapters abandoned him due to his miserly nature.
I narrowed my eyes at Seian, and the man let out an awkward cough before speaking as if he were doing me a favor.
“Fine. I’ll allow up to three thousand crowns.”
Truly stingy beyond measure. How could someone lack even a single redeeming quality in personality? Yet it didn’t matter since his face was beautiful. I followed behind Seian as he strode forward confidently. Already in June, the cicadas were singing their shrill summer song.
“Hmm…”
It was summer.
For some reason, I felt compelled to end the section this way.

◇ ◆ ◇

The moment the final exams ended, the Dormitory emptied like a receding tide. Even undergraduates without exchange permits could leave the Academy grounds during break—this was the only opportunity to escape school.
It was only natural that the Academy didn’t lock students inside during the holidays. After all, this wasn’t a prison.
The Academy wasn’t a prison!
“H-hey, Evan Laef. Letters. I’ll write to you!”
Without telephones, letters were the only means to check on each other’s wellbeing. It had a certain charm to it, actually.
I took Kanna’s home address and postal code, then jotted down my residence in Ilam on a notepad and handed it to her. I’m genuinely grateful to have a friend as sensible as you. If Reina Letem were my only friend from school, Mother and Gerth would be so worried. I’m relieved to have a friend I can proudly introduce to them.
“Where…”
Let me see where Kanna lives. Surely she doesn’t actually live in some incredibly wealthy neighborhood south of the Capital, right? She always carried plenty of money on her though.
As I quickly scanned the address on the paper, I learned where Kanna’s family home was. Kanna lived at the very peak of the Nizari Mountains of Ismail Territory.
“Friend.”
“Ah, yes! Evan Laef! I’m your friend!”
“You’re really not a Hashashin, are you?”
“Ah, no! I’m not affiliated with them!”
So you belong to some other assassination organization instead? Is there another major group operating in the Crowell Empire besides the Hashashin? That would be a serious problem in itself.
I glanced out the window at the distant lakeside, then at Kanna, then back at the lakeside, then at Kanna again. Finally, I patted her shoulder warmly, saying we’d definitely write letters and see each other healthy when the second semester began.
She insisted she wasn’t affiliated with the Hashashin, so I had to believe her. I had my suspicions, but regardless, Kanna wasn’t part of the Hashashin. That settled it.
“I-I’ll write every day! Every single day!”
Please don’t—that’s too much pressure. Whether you send them daily or not, I’ll probably only manage one letter a week at best. Despite my objection, Kanna insisted she wanted to write anyway and would definitely send one every day, waving her hand enthusiastically.
Let’s see—the Third Princess and Sunbird were dragged off to the Imperial Palace the moment exams ended. Eugene left early after getting the school’s permission since the dragon clan was moving south. And that loner Seian Crowell is staying at school even during break, so I should grab White One and head home quickly.
I made my escape while Reina Letem was surrounded by her admirers receiving their tributes. I packed my bag to the brim, slung White One across my back in a carrier, and bolted. My grades would be mailed to my home address during the break, and the hundred morning exercise stamps would be processed at the shop in the second semester—there was no reason to stay any longer.
As I boarded the 2 PM regular carriage to make my getaway, I saw Reina Letem shouting and waving her fist at the Academy’s main gate. Her mouth was moving as if she were telling me her address, but she had both hands covering her ears, so I couldn’t understand a word. When I covered my ears in response, Reina seemed to curse at me, but since I had my ears covered, I pretended not to hear anything.

The journey home wasn’t urgent, so I caught a carriage heading to Ilam, but bouncing around in that rattling contraption for a week felt like torture. When second semester starts, I need to push Sera hard to build a railway all the way to Ilam.
It’s not a decision made overnight, but if we move production from Ilam to the Capital and generate significant profits, there’s a good chance the higher-ups will fast-track it. A railway to Ilam would make my commute to the Academy convenient, and Sera would gain support from the Imperial Court and Nobility—a win-win situation.
This is why having a friend with succession rights to the throne makes life so much easier. When it comes to Ilam’s specialty products, fish is undoubtedly the best. Though transportation and cold storage costs will be higher… If Gerth could just guarantee partial safety for the magic stone mines, everything would fall into place much more smoothly.
“Evan Laeeeeeeef!”
Goodness, what a fright.
I was thinking about Gerth when I heard Hubert’s voice and nearly jumped out of my skin. When I poked my head out of the carriage window, there he was at the top of a tree, barking like some wild animal. My rear end would split into four pieces if I stayed in that carriage any longer. I might as well walk the rest of the way with Hubert.
“Old coachman! Stop here!”
“The fare’s the same whether you get off early! And I’m still young!”
“Doesn’t matter! Young coachman!”
I politely handed the coachman his payment with both hands and gathered my luggage before stepping out. Hubert was so delighted that White One suddenly slipped out from my back and bounded toward him.
“Brother! Wait! White One, just a moment!”
Why is White One his brother? Is that the same logic as saying “our youngest at home is a Yorkshire terrier”?
“Evan! What happened with the blind date? How did the blind date go?”
What blind date?
I’d completely forgotten about it, so when I asked what he was talking about, Hubert complained quite rudely that I’d said I was going on a blind date when I bought that pretty ribbon and got all dolled up.
“Hubert. I’m your father, and I don’t think you should be the subject of that kind of language.”
“S-sorry! I was just excited. So what happened with the blind date!”
“No handsome men showed up, so it fell through.”
“Yesss!”
Hubert struck an incredibly determined pose and started shadow boxing like a madman. The white fox humanoid, cutting through the air with extended fists and making whooshing sounds as he sparred with an imaginary opponent, finally seemed to catch his breath and greeted me while cradling White One in his arms.
“I’ve been counting down the days until today, Evan. I even checked the academic calendar and came out here for reconnaissance two days ago!”
“Was it so you could show off the remodeled Beast King’s Tower?”
“That too, but there were other reasons!”
Hubert wagged his tail excitedly, saying Father was waiting, then handed White One to me and suddenly scooped me up in his arms. This looks like a return skill, which means I’ll meet Gerth before I see Mother.
“Skill! Return!”
So it really is a return. I thought we could chat while walking, but this impatient fox couldn’t wait.

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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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