Late that night, Teacher Shiori Han personally visited Iroha and Yao Lin's house to ask about how they had managed to recover.
The atmosphere was extremely awkward.
Teacher Shiori Han took a sip of the tea Iroha had prepared.
"Thank you… so you two really are completely healed, huh… that's a relief."
Yao Lin nodded.
"Yeah, it's really strange, but we're both fully healed. We don't feel any symptoms at all anymore."
"Are you still unwilling to tell me the real reason you recovered so suddenly?" Teacher Shiori Han asked, clearly very curious.
"To be honest, I still don't know the cure. So if you suddenly recovered, isn't that strange? Can you tell me?"
"I understand, Teacher Shiori… you really want to know because of what happened back then," Iroha said calmly.
"But I'm sorry, I can only say that there was a kind person who suddenly healed us. He said we must not tell anyone that he was the one who cured us."
"Someone healed you?" Teacher Shiori asked in surprise.
"Was he a brilliant scientist or something?"
Both of them shook their heads, unable to give any further information.
"I understand," Teacher Shiori said softly.
"But can I ask for one thing? If you meet that person again, please tell him… there's someone who desperately needs his help."
Feeling sorry for her, Iroha nodded and promised she would tell Nic later.
---
The next day at Qwelin Academy.
Iroha and Yao Lin went to the botany room to look for Nic.
When they opened the door, they saw Nic holding a bottle that looked like a potion.
"Hi, Nic," Lin greeted him.
"Oh? Hey. Do you need something from me?" Nic replied.
Iroha nodded.
"About this… Teacher Shiori Han asked us yesterday about who healed us. But don't worry, we didn't tell her it was you."
Lin continued,
"She didn't force us to say anything, but she asked us to tell you that there's someone who needs your help too. It seems really important to her."
"Hm, alright. I'll think about it," Nic said.
"Thanks for keeping the promise I asked of you."
They both smiled and left.
Nic looked at the potion he had just made.
"Let's store this for now… and it's time to head to the rooftop."
Since break time had arrived, Nic went up to the rooftop to check if the strange girl Olivia mentioned was really there.
When he reached the top, sure enough, there was a female student who had just started eating her lunch. Nic saw her pray first, then eat normally.
"Can I approach her?" Nic thought.
He walked over, pretending to just pass by and look at the view.
The girl didn't care at all. She kept eating, praising how good her food was, saying to herself that it was the best.
Seeing that only made Nic even more curious, and he moved closer, standing beside her.
"Hey," Nic greeted her.
The girl turned her head.
"Yes?"
Nic went silent and activated God of Analyst.
She was normal.
"So she's like Lingmei," Nic thought.
Nic sat down and opened the bread he brought.
"Can I eat here?"
The girl nodded.
"Thanks," Nic said.
They ate together for a moment before Nic suddenly asked,
"Do you hate someone right now?"
"Yes," she replied flatly.
"I hate people who suddenly approach me. I see them as strange monsters."
"Wow, it feels nice being called a monster by a girl like you," Nic replied calmly.
The girl fell silent and started packing up her lunch.
"You shouldn't be surprised if I call you a monster. Everyone here is a monster to me… including myself."
Nic stood up and noticed a bandage on her forehead, likely from deliberately slamming into a door.
"What kind of monster hurts herself?" Nic asked.
"Or are you possessed by a yurei?"
That word made the girl's eyes widen in shock. She suddenly pointed at Nic.
"DON'T CALL ME A YUREI!"
Nic fell silent.
"I'll make sure you regret saying that to me," the girl said coldly.
She slammed her lunch box onto the ground until it shattered, then walked away.
Nic let out a long sigh.
"Best academy, my ass… Qwelin Academy feels like it has two completely different worlds inside it. But this just makes me think even more about what's causing all of this."
Nic picked up the broken pieces of the girl's lunch box, repaired them, placed them neatly on the rooftop, and left.
Back in the botany room, Nic realized that Lingmei hadn't come to him in her usual absurd way.
"Well, I guess she already considers me a failure," Nic thought with slight disappointment.
"Better to keep watching her from a distance."
---
Meanwhile, Lingmei was walking through the hallway when she saw a familiar figure—Shen Akira.
They had never met before, because their worlds were completely different.
Lingmei was always alone, avoiding crowds and searching for other loners.
Shen Akira, on the other hand, was a dominant figure, always surrounded by people.
But this time, they happened to cross paths.
At first, Shen Akira passed by without stopping, busy as usual.
But Lingmei called out to him.
"Hey, wait," Lingmei said, tapping his shoulder.
Shen Akira stopped.
"What is it?"
"Play chess with me," Lingmei challenged him.
Shen Akira was about to refuse, but Lingmei's aura drew him in, and he agreed.
Not long after, Lingmei was checkmated over and over again by Shen Akira.
"Haha, I win again," Shen laughed.
"Aren't you tired?"
Lingmei shook her head.
"I can win. Let's go again."
The result was the same—she never won against Shen Akira.
But in the final match, Shen Akira deliberately made a mistake and lost.
"Huh? You lost on purpose, didn't you?" Lingmei asked suspiciously.
Shen Akira admitted it honestly.
"Haha, it'd take forever if I kept winning. Anyway, you won this time, so you're satisfied now, right?"
Lingmei smiled and said she'd bring more board games tomorrow to challenge him again.
"I'll be waiting for you," Shen Akira said with a gentle smile.
But just as Shen Akira was about to leave, Lingmei grabbed his clothes.
"Um… can I ask you for a favor?" Lingmei asked pitifully.
"Hm? What kind of favor?" Shen Akira asked curiously.
"You know the new person in the botany room? He's really strange, and he annoys me," Lingmei said.
"Can you help me get rid of him?"
Hearing that, Shen Akira almost let out a wicked grin, but he held it back and burst out laughing instead.
"Hahaha, damn, that's insane!"
"Are you serious? Why do you hate him? He looks pretty friendly."
Lingmei gave a faint smile.
"There's no specific reason. I'm serious. You'll help me, right?"
"That sounds easy—and kind of fun, messing with that arrogant botany room guardian," Shen Akira said with a chuckle.
"Alright, Lingmei. I'll do what you say."
After that, he left.
Lingmei smiled and walked away.
Meanwhile, Shen Akira walked with a blank expression.
"Tch… that crazy girl seems to have something going on. I should contact someone to dig up information on her. And as for that botany room guardian… I need to get him out anyway. I'll just use that girl to remove the newcomer.
---
In the dangerous forest
A tiger was being gently petted by a cloaked figure.
"Good boy, good tiger… eat plenty so you can make me even happier~"
The tiger was fed a strange plant.
Its eyes were completely white and emotionless, obeying every word spoken by the cloaked girl.
Suddenly, rapid footsteps approached—
Slash!!
"SO YOU'RE THE ONE BEHIND THIS, HUH!?"
It was Kyu Kazumi, and she had just swung her katana at the cloaked figure.
The figure immediately fled in panic, whistling sharply.
Countless wild animals began attacking Kyu Kazumi, allowing the cloaked figure to escape.
"Damn it, there are too many of them!" Kazumi shouted angrily.
"Hey, Shinmei! Where are you!?"
"Heeey, Kyumi, help me!" Meilin cried out, trapped by a giant snake.
"…Seriously?" Kazumi muttered in disbelief.
After saving Meilin, the two of them climbed up a tree to discuss.
"So Nic was right—there really is a mastermind in this forest," Kazumi said.
"But why would they dare to show themselves in broad daylight like this?"
"Maybe they were in a hurry?" Meilin suggested.
After that, they continued standing guard until nightfall, following Nic's orders.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Nic had already begun moving behind the scenes.
He had no intention of letting anyone slip away so easily—everything would remain under his surveillance.
To be continued…