Ren lay on the sofa, watching the latest TV programs, knowing that there was still about a year before the main storyline began.
At the moment, he wanted to figure out how strong he really was and whether he could use the magic from DanMachi.
After all, the A Certain Magical Index world also had magic.
He tried it out and found that it worked, but the magic used by Overlord Ren did not work here.
That guy relied entirely on magic scrolls, after all.
"Come to think of it, magic that doesn't belong to this world would probably take the Number One a long time to analyze."
"Could I take advantage of that and snatch his title?"
Ren quickly gave up on that thought.
Dealing with Shokuhou Misaki was already giving him a headache, and he had no desire to add another one.
The next morning.
"Ren, school is starting, so I'll leave things here to you."
Shokuhou Misaki greeted him as she prepared to leave.
"By the way, you're only in your first year of middle school."
"Is it really appropriate for you to wear something like that?"
"You looked?"
Shokuhou Misaki's face flushed slightly.
"So don't make me buy such private clothes for you."
Ren felt extremely awkward himself.
Going into a shop full of girls to buy such sexy clothing was not something anyone could handle calmly.
"Hmph."
Shokuhou Misaki turned around and left.
She was a student, and school was still school.
"Misaki, want me to bring you a love-filled bento?"
Ren's mischievous side surfaced.
"If you dare come, you're dead."
Shokuhou Misaki said viciously.
"Here, take it."
Ren handed her the lunchbox.
"There isn't anything weird in it, right?"
Shokuhou Misaki looked at it with some disdain.
"Nope."
"That stuff is too troublesome, and I don't want to make it anyway."
Ren signaled for her to relax.
"Ren, you're still Ren, right?"
Shokuhou Misaki asked seriously.
"Of course."
"Who else could I be?"
Ren more or less understood what she was worried about.
After his sharing session with other selves, Shokuhou Misaki could no longer use her ability on him.
"That's good."
Shokuhou Misaki took the bento and headed toward Tokiwadai Middle School.
"Come to think of it, Misaki is going to be watched during this period."
"I should deal with it before that womanizer gets to her."
After thinking for a moment, Ren hacked the surveillance cameras along Shokuhou Misaki's route and began checking for any suspicious individuals following her.
At the same time.
"Uiharu, I'm going out on patrol."
"Wait, I have someone I need to deal with right now."
"Who?"
"A hacker."
"They're openly hacking the surveillance system."
"We can't just let this slide."
"Then I'll head out first."
Shirai Kuroko left without hesitation.
At the Artificial Workshop.
"Huh? Someone's looking for me?" Ren's expression immediately grew serious. He had only been watching for a short while, and now they were already coming? Academy City really was full of hidden talents.
Deciding to give up on staying hidden, Ren began thinking about how to get information on Misaki without leaving his home. After some thought, he decided to apply for a teaching position at Tokiwadai Middle School.
Tokiwadai was an all-girls school, but not all teachers were women. For classes like PE or swimming, where students needed to change into sensitive clothing, there would be no male teachers, but cultural subjects still had them.
As a school that trained elites, student safety was extremely important.
As the saying goes, when you're out in the world, your identity is what you make of it. Ren was confident he could easily get hired.
At the entrance of Tokiwadai, he noticed they were still hiring a math teacher, so he decisively asked, "Excuse me, are you still hiring teachers?"
"Oh? So young?"
"Don't be fooled by my appearance. I'm a genius, currently conducting research on esper abilities." Ren scratched his head and showed his credentials—researcher ID and teaching certificate—looking very earnest.
"A researcher applying to be a math teacher?"
"Yes. I'm a little worried about my younger sister at home." Ren revealed his trump card.
"I see… I'll get in touch with you."
Soon, Ren got an interview opportunity. There were three rounds in total. After all, it was an all-girls school, so male applicants were held to stricter standards.
By the time the interviews finished, it was already afternoon. Ren was confident about his results. He had answered every question perfectly, always keeping the students' interests in mind.
Returning to his small apartment, he began preparing dinner for Shokuhou Misaki. As for the researcher she had hypnotized, he would just let that play out.
"Ren, why did you become a teacher at our school?" Misaki asked as soon as she returned, a little unsettled.
Every new teacher was announced to the school, and she had immediately noticed him. His name was still rare in Academy City.
"Surprised? Even a genius like me can get into an elite school." Ren placed the dishes on the table one by one.
"I asked why you came here."
"Isn't it obvious? I'm worried someone might try to take advantage of you."
Hearing this, Misaki had a confused look on her face. She was an esper, he was Level 0—who could possibly be planning anything against her? Probably only him. She said, "At school, don't call me Misaki. Pretend like we don't know each other."
"No problem. First, let's eat." Ren said confidently.
After washing up, Misaki sat across from Ren. She couldn't help but admit that this man in his twenties cooked very well. At the Academy, many people would trade expensive food with her for meals like this.
"Let's leave early tomorrow."
"I know." Shokuhou Misaki remembered that tomorrow was the day Dolly would return. How was she supposed to face her? Dolly was just a substitute, yet now she felt nervous.
Seeing Misaki's expression, Ren thought it was hard not to understand. He then said, "Dolly asked your name in the end, right?"
"Yeah…"
"If no one considered you a friend, who would ask your name? Instead of worrying about being someone's replacement, why not make memories that belong to you? Don't wait until it's too late to regret it." Ren sighed.
"What do you mean by 'too late'?" Misaki's starry eyes looked at him.
"Dolly is a clone. Even though she was saved, her lifespan is still very short…"
"How much longer?" Misaki hurriedly asked.
"Two years," Ren replied.
"Seriously, couldn't you have lied to me?" Misaki's earlier happiness instantly faded.
"Misaki, you know I didn't lie, don't you?" Ren smiled.
Indeed, Misaki could read anyone's thoughts, understand their true nature, and then talk to them. This gave her leverage in any conversation.
"Instead of worrying about that, during summer vacation, I'll take you all to the beach. Make more memories that belong to you." Ren quickly reassured her.
"Lolicon."
"That's not something I like to hear." Ren's face darkened at the baseless accusation.
"Wanting to see a middle schooler in a swimsuit isn't lolicon, then what is?"
"Dolly wants to go to the beach. She can still go out for now. In a few years, that might not be possible." Ren remembered what would happen in the original story and sighed.
"Why does she tell you everything?" Misaki was slightly upset.
"Alright, let's eat first." Ren urged.
"Not like it's your fault." Misaki snorted softly and started eating. Ren was right. At least Dolly was still alive, and they still had two years together—just a short two years.
Looking at the experimental data, Dolly's body should have already failed. Ren had forced an extension of her life for two years, and she was deeply grateful.
After dinner, Misaki returned to her room and grew nervous again. Tomorrow, how would she face Dolly? Should she continue using hypnosis, or interact as herself?
**********
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