Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 76

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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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“Evan, this time it’s your fault. Reina is doing her best.”
“Doing her best isn’t enough.”
“Evan, we’re participating in the school festival to win the popularity award. I think that’s sufficient.”
I could see their point, certainly. But my thoughts diverged. This wouldn’t do. We needed to move people’s hearts. And what was moving the heart? It meant stirring their emotions. A school festival-level performance couldn’t touch people’s souls. Not at this level.
“This standard won’t cut it in the professional world.”
“Evan… calm down and listen. We aren’t professionals.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you being so stubborn?”
“I have a Level 6 Premonition skill. It’s a normal skill, but.”
Though I’d brought up something sudden, Eugene and Sera listened calmly. If I was holding firm to this degree, there had to be a reason. They trusted me that much. It was something I was grateful for.
“I have a premonition that Seian’s isolation and the problems I’m facing will be resolved if we successfully complete the band performance at the festival.”
“If it’s a skill, that’s certainly worth taking seriously.”
“There have been people with foresight skills and future-sight abilities. Though they usually had short lifespans.”
“Only the Goddess of Fate can see what’s to come. There’s a rumor that borrowing divine power shortens your lifespan. Most of the Goddess of Fate’s priests have relatively short lives too.”
As Sera spoke, her expression grew troubled, and she gripped my hand tightly.
“Evan, I need you to promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“That premonition skill of yours—please don’t acquire a higher-tier version. Your life could be in danger.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“‘Consider it’ means you absolutely will, no matter what.”
“The future is uncertain.”
If it became necessary, I’d have to upgrade it. This skill was incredibly useful after all. With that in mind, I opened Mitchell’s status window and checked the remaining experience for the Premonition skill. I’d been gaining experience from various premonitions lately, and if I dumped all my remaining bonus points into it, I’d have enough to level up once more.
So I poured all my remaining experience into raising Premonition to Level 7.
“Premonition just reached Level 7.”
“Evan, you really won’t listen to anyone’s advice, will you?”
“I’m more certain now. We need to go beyond the popularity award—we’ll get the grand prize, receive debut offers, and release an album.”
“Academy life is going to get even harder.”
“And.”
I’m leaving Seian’s part open. I’ll drag him here by the hair if I have to and make him play keyboard.
When I declared my ambitions, Sera struck her chest decisively.
“Our band’s pianist is Seian! No one else could ever be!”
“Right.”
“In that sense, our band’s drummer can only be Reina. I hope you’ll agree.”
“Tch.”
There was no helping it. Just as I wanted to keep Seian’s place open, for Sera this band needed all of us. My head had cooled a bit anyway, and fully convinced, I yanked the door open and went to find Reina.
“Gorilla! Stop playing around and get in here! It’s practice time!”
“That girl just does whatever she wants!”
“Without you, I’d have to resort to playing drums with my feet and guitar with my hands!”
Once I’d spoken my true feelings, Reina—who’d been gossiping and mocking me alongside Sunbird—grinned mischievously and pointed at me.
“You say I’m absolutely necessary in such a pretty way, don’t you?”
“That’s not what I meant at all.”
“Oh, come on! You shy little thing!”
Stop it. You’re getting on my nerves. I really didn’t mean it that way. Don’t link arms with me—it gives me chills.
“Playing innocent, are we? Without your older sister here, you can’t function. Honestly, if you said practice felt pointless without me, what would be wrong with that?”
“I never said that.”
“So you were worried I’d run away, is that it? Hm? Ah, you have such an adorable side to you.”
“Icy Guidance!”
“Inferno Blaze!”
Furious beyond restraint, I unleashed magic, and Reina countered with her own spell. Though we’d canceled each other out, the resulting steam and collision’s shockwave proved unstoppable—one wall of the corridor crumbled.
“Evan Laef and Reina. You’ll each cover half the repair costs.”
Damn it. Because of Reina, I’d accumulated another debt. I charged the Club building repairs to her account and headed into the practice room. If Reina’s skills were lacking, I had no choice but to drill her relentlessly until she improved.

◇ ◆ ◇

The four-day Academy Festival had begun. The first day featured academic presentations and research project announcements from each department, while the real festivities kicked off the following day.
From the Entrance Beyond Lake, vendor stalls and hawkers lined the way, tourists swarmed, and the Visitation Room overflowed. There was a time when I had no choice but to enter that place to meet Titi. But now, I was free to go anywhere within the Academy. So I could stand here before the Regular Ferry Dock, waiting for Hubert and Leri who’d come to see me.
“Moooother!”
“We agreed not to say that in public, young lady!”
“Evaaaan!”
That voice sounded familiar. But who was this person Leri was calling “young lady”?
I activated my superhuman vision to get a better look at the person waving frantically from the ferry’s railing. A beautiful woman I’d never seen before wore a flowing dress that extended all the way to her feet. Beside her stood someone clearly playing the role of attendant—definitely Leri—but the figure next to him was…
“Evaaaan!”
The voice was hoarse and it was definitely Hubert, but why did he look like that?
With no way to verify immediately, I waited, but the moment Hubert leaped off the ferry at the dock, he rushed toward me and embraced me before I could even speak. White One, who’d come to greet them with me, seemed unsettled by Hubert’s strange appearance and climbed up my leg, clinging tightly to me.
“Young lady, dear! Mind your posture! You’re wearing a skirt right now!”
“Why are you adding such weird settings?! We agreed I’d just be a cross-dressing man!”
“You don’t understand how terrifying public scrutiny can be!”
So it was cross-dressing. It suited him well enough, but why had he done it?
As I stood there bewildered, Leri rushed over and swiftly lifted the hat from his head.
“I can get away with just wearing a hat and baggy clothes, but you can’t do that, Fox Lord. Because you have nine of them.”
Ah, I see. To hide all those tails, a dress would be the only option.
“Welcome, Hubert.”
“Yes! It’s been so long, Evan Laef!”
“I think it’s better if you stay as a young lady. I’m also afraid of what people might say.”
“Kyaaaaa!”
Hubert let out a shocked fox’s cry, apparently not expecting such words from me. It was adorable.
“Leri. When will the Horse Racing Track be completed?”
“The Serpent King’s Tower staff are helping too, so it should be done by the time he returns from winter break. But we’re on vacation now—did you really want to talk about work?”
“I did.”
“Having lived this long, I’ve ended up serving two people like the Serpent King.”
“Hubert is already disguised as a wealthy merchant’s daughter anyway, so I’d like to ask him to help advertise the Horse Racing Track that’s opening soon.”
“Ugh… working while on vacation…”
“Besides, looking at you, the men won’t leave you alone anyway. It’ll be easier to pose as a promotional staff member.”
“What’s wrong with how I look!”
“You’re beautiful and likable, and the redness under your eyes carries a subtle allure.”
“Thank you for the compliment…”
“Don’t mention it.”
He was tall with broad shoulders, but such details were trivial against transcendent beauty. So what if his chest hair, leg hair, and nine tail hairs were thick and fluffy? When someone was beautiful, everything was forgiven. If anything, it came across as endearingly human.
“Here’s the Academy map and event pamphlet. Is Gerth not coming because he’s busy?”
“Everyone’s going home, but someone needs to guard the Tower. Father volunteered to stay.”
“His Majesty was really disappointed you couldn’t come. Please comfort him a lot when you get back.”
A superior who stayed behind to work alone, forfeiting his vacation—the worst kind. But Gerth wasn’t the type to make others uncomfortable, so everyone must have left for home without worry. Anyway, the Serpent King’s Tower was full of nothing but oddballs like us.
“Evan! Hubert, and Leri too!”
“Kanna, is that you!”
“Oh my, it’s Evan’s friend who uses poison. Congratulations, but you’re alone?”
Kanna, who had been trailing me since earlier, finally decided to show herself and called out to us at the Academy Common Grounds. We’d gotten along well with Kanna during break in Ilam, and since we owed her a debt, we decided to plan our route to travel together.
“Um, is there anywhere you’d like to see, Evan? I don’t mind going anywhere.”
“I do! There’s this place called Dragon Lake here—you created it, didn’t you, Evan Laef? The pamphlet says it’s a collaboration between Evan Laef and Common Professor.”
Why did those crazy Student Council members put this on the tour list? I reluctantly nodded, and Leri laughed and asked how on earth I managed to create a lake from bare ground.
“I made a drill, and the Department Head Professor pushed his power into it with tremendous force, causing groundwater to burst forth.”
“Your Department Head Professor… ah, the person Father mentioned.”
“That man could probably do it.”
It irritated me that everyone except me seemed to know the Common Professor’s true identity. Gerth had said it was a secret, so I had no intention of prying. But the irritation remained nonetheless.
As we walked from the Common Grounds toward the General Department, we quickly arrived at the place named Dragon Lake. A beautiful ruined glass dome of a student cafeteria and a lake with clear water rippling gently. If one didn’t know the story, it was certainly a magnificent sight.

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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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