"Luna?"
"President Rudolf?"
At the doorway, Mizuno Sora and King Halo stared in disbelief at Symboli Rudolf. Though she wore a kind expression, a terrifying pressure radiated from her entire being.
Why was Symboli Rudolf standing in their training room wearing pajamas?
And if one glanced slightly deeper inside, they'd find another pajama-clad figure sitting in a chair, hugging a sunflower-shaped pillow…
"Air Groove?"
Mizuno nearly jumped, momentarily suspecting he'd walked into the wrong room.
But the key was undoubtedly his own, and the TAC emblem was clearly affixed by the door. This was definitely their team's training room!
Yet here were Rudolf and Air Groove, casually in pajamas as if they'd held some secret slumber party last night?
Before Mizuno could voice his confusion, Rudolf preempted him, smiling sweetly.
"Mizuno? Why didn't you reply to my messages last night?"
"Ah… I didn't see them…" Mizuno guiltily turned his head away, instinctively slipping into a small lie.
"Oh?" Rudolf saw through his deception instantly, a vein pulsing on her forehead.
"You missed them last night. And this morning too, I suppose?"
She pulled out a notebook and jotted something down.
"What's that?" Mizuno eyed the notebook in her hand, a sense of dread creeping up his spine.
"To track the number of times you lie to me…" Rudolf's smile remained gentle, yet her voice carried undeniable anger.
"You do remember the penalty for lying to me, right?"
"Gwah!" Mizuno suddenly recalled Rudolf's threat: for every lie he told her, she'd Uma Pyoi him once!
"If I tell the truth now, can I still be forgiven?" Mizuno asked weakly.
"Say it first, and I'll consider," Rudolf nodded, feigning impartiality.
"Um… The reason I didn't reply…" Mizuno scratched his face awkwardly, "was because I'm a bit scared of you…"
"Even afraid of me now, are you?" Clearly dissatisfied, Rudolf laughed coldly and made another mark in her notebook. "Double penalty!"
Mizuno: "?!!"
Beside them, King Halo watched the interrogation between Rudolf and Mizuno with curiosity.
What punishment could it be? Salary deduction? The more lies recorded, the emptier his wallet becomes?
"I have another question…" Rudolf's gaze landed sharply on King Halo, still nestled closely in Mizuno's arms. Something sour welled up inside her, and her ears flattened irritably.
"This student is King Halo-san, correct? What exactly is your relationship? Why are you hugging each other so early in the morning?"
"Oh, that's easy!" Mizuno quickly raised his hand, hastily explaining the situation:
"We're just a regular trainer and Uma relationship! We're here only because I needed to give King Halo-san some extra lessons!"
"Is that so?" Rudolf's gaze turned suspiciously toward King Halo.
"Gu…" Faced with questioning from Tracen Academy's most intimidating student council president, King Halo nervously averted her gaze, her flushed cheeks clearly betraying her true feelings.
"Fufu~ So that's how it is, huh…" Rudolf chuckled softly, raising her pen again and dramatically scrawling:
Death by Uma Pyoi!
"Scribble scribble scribble—" She enthusiastically practiced calligraphy in her notebook.
"Gwah! Stop! I really didn't lie about this!!" Mizuno wailed pitifully, practically ready to cling to Rudolf's legs and write the character for "misery" on her thighs.
"President, please stop teasing him…" Air Groove finally stood from her chair, stepping beside Rudolf. She glanced into Mizuno's eyes, hidden beneath his hood, and calmly spoke up:
"Trainer Mizuno is indeed telling the truth."
"Oh?" Rudolf paused her calligraphy, surprised.
But thinking more carefully, Mizuno truly had no reason to deceive her.
After all, he'd always been terrified of Uma, avoiding them desperately. Just threatening him with Uma Pyoi was enough to scare him witless, let alone him willingly initiating anything.
Moreover, if Mizuno really intended something improper, he'd had plenty of chances already. Gold Ship, Air Groove, even Rudolf herself had shared a bed with him. If he'd wanted, he could've easily taken advantage while they slept…
So, right now, Mizuno must've been forced into this situation with King Halo…
Rudolf neatly closed the notebook and sternly faced Mizuno. "Mizuno, I need an explanation."
"Well, the thing is…" Mizuno began, carefully recounting the incident involving the Want-a-Hug Potion.
"Want-a-Hug Potion…" Upon hearing the explanation, the same image of a certain mad-scientist Uma appeared simultaneously in Rudolf and Air Groove's minds.
"Another masterpiece from Tachyon, I see…"
They didn't even need to guess. In Tracen Academy, whenever bizarre potions or strange events occurred, the culprit was ninety-nine percent of the time Tachyon.
Although the student council knew Tachyon was behind the Black Market, they usually turned a blind eye…
After all, the potions Tachyon sold were extremely popular among the academy's Uma. Even Mizuno had previously relied on Tachyon's Plant Growth Potion and Stamina Drink, significantly aiding their efforts.
Public opinion thus strongly favored Tachyon's Black Market, and as leaders responsible for maintaining the academy's stability, the student council had never actively pursued shutting her down.
Tachyon's Black Market had lasted this long primarily because it offered more benefits than harm.
Illegal? Certainly. But undeniably helpful to Tracen Academy's bright future!
Hence, the student council tacitly allowed the Black Market to exist—so much so that even academy security Uma were routinely bribed by Tachyon. Not only did they not catch late-night buyers, but they even promoted her business…
But now, Tachyon's illicit products had reached Mizuno himself, forcing him into intimate situations with other Uma and severely upsetting the Student Council President and Vice President!
It seemed the Student Council could no longer avoid "inspecting" Tachyon's stock. All potions with suspicious effects would have to be confiscated (crossed out) privately appropriated (definitely).
The Emperor… was finally going to collect her dues…