"Master."
Akane lay fully atop my back, soft and warm, carrying a pressure that was gentle enough not to be uncomfortable.
With slender fingers, the girl tilted my head slightly to the side and leaned close to my ear. In an extremely low voice, almost as intimate as usual yet tinged with something subtly different, she asked softly,
"The club president, where is she still hiding in your room right now? The bathroom, under the bed, the wardrobe, or the balcony?"
The drowsiness I had not fully shaken off vanished in an instant.
Before I could answer, Akane straightened up as if she had already received her answer, withdrawing the fingers that had been resting so naturally near my temple.
"Since you have other visitors," Akane said in her normal tone, "please allow me to excuse myself for the time being."
With that, she stepped off the bed, bowed to me gracefully, and then walked naturally toward the balcony.
As I got up, I heard Neru's frightened, stifled cry and Asuna's bell-like laughter, both of which quickly faded away.
…Suddenly, I felt that among C&C, the one you really should not provoke might not be Neru, who appears the most short-tempered on the surface.
Still, when I glanced at the bed and saw the checkered wool shawl Akane had left behind, I felt certain that she did like me, so there was nothing to worry about.
Next, I went to open the door again, only to find no one there.
Except for a tail.
Hearing the door open, the owner of the fluffy black dog tail, who had just been about to turn away after getting no response, stepped back to the threshold, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands.
"S-sorry, Sensei, I thought you had already fallen asleep… did I wake you up?"
"Of course not. I should be the one apologizing. I could not spare my hands earlier to open the door right away. I am really sorry."
Smiling, I politely invited this new visitor. "Anyway, come in first and let's talk."
Hibiki nodded lightly, pressed her lips together, and showed a shy, gentle smile.
Like everyone else, her attention was immediately drawn to the sacred relics spread across my bed. But perhaps because of her introverted nature, and because she was inside the bedroom of someone she liked, she only looked puzzled and did not ask rashly.
Since she didn't ask, I answered her myself.
"These were left behind by students who came to visit earlier."
Facing the honest Nekozuka Hibiki, I chose to be straightforward.
I merely omitted the insignificant detail that everyone was still hiding somewhere in this very room.
"I see." Hibiki did not doubt it at all and said with feeling, "Sensei is really trusted by the students."
"Haha, does that include Hibiki as well?"
"Eh?"
After freezing for a moment, Hibiki stammered for quite a while before lowering her head. "Y-yes…"
As she admitted it, her tail swayed behind her along with her fluctuating emotions, making one want to reach out and pet it.
Unfortunately, now was not the time.
"Alright, no more joking," I said seriously. "So, Hibiki, you came so late. Is there something you needed?"
I had already noticed that Hibiki was carrying a rod-shaped object on her back and holding a bundle in her arms, both wrapped up tightly. I had no idea what they were meant to be used for.
Some kind of mysterious gadget to be used later?
Hibiki nodded and went straight to the point. "Sensei, you mentioned to our Engineering Club before that you have been having some trouble sleeping recently."
That was true. It was when I had been exploring how to use Tsubaki's authority and consulted the Engineering Club about a machine I found online, mentioning it in passing.
"Sleep is a very important thing."
As Hibiki said that, I could not help but speak up.
"Hibiki, your dark circles seem to have gotten worse too."
"Ah… I just stayed up too late, that is all…"
She turned her gaze aside, and under my stare, her face gradually took on a blush. "D-do not stare at me like that."
"Alright, alright." I readily complied.
When teasing an easily embarrassed heroine, one should know when to stop.
"So, Hibiki, did you come today because of this?"
"Yes. After learning about Sensei's troubles, I prepared two prototypes. The name of the first one is…"
As she spoke, Hibiki unwrapped the bundle in her arms, revealing its true form.
A pillow-shaped machine.
"The Fainting Device."
As Hibiki spoke its name, my expression changed. "Fainting?"
"Mhm. I am not very confident in my ergonomics, but have you not heard people say that sometimes, after fainting and waking up, it feels as comfortable as having slept for a long time?"
Hibiki set down the ominously named machine. "Anyway, could you please lie down on this pillow-shaped machine first, Sensei?"
"Uh… I think," I searched for the most tactful wording I could, "fainting does not sound like a good thing, no matter how you think about it."
"Mmm, perhaps. Well, this is just a prototype, after all."
Hibiki said earnestly, "I have other works… that can satisfy Sensei even more."
Next, she removed the item from her back and unwrapped the cloth wound around it, revealing a...
An iron pipe gleaming with cold light.
The instant I saw it, shock rose with ominous associations. Then I reassured myself it must be a misunderstanding, until I heard Hibiki's introduction.
"Its name is the Disorientation Iron Pipe."
…What are you trying to do!? The wolf tail is showing, is it!?
I never imagined that Hibiki, who looked so well-behaved and shy, had already become so infatuated with my looks. After failing to lure me, she even wanted to use violence to knock me out and then do all sorts of things straight out of a book?
"Ah, it seems Sensei has misunderstood something again."
Seeing my delighted… shocked expression, Hibiki hurriedly explained. "Although the method is a bit traditional… the effectiveness of this Disorientation Iron Pipe has been verified."
Yes, very traditional indeed.
I felt it was my duty to dispel the wolfish ambitions Hibiki had developed because of my uncontrollable charm.
For example, asking her to meet me privately in a few days. Even without such underhanded methods, I would be willing to accompany her for the sake of guiding a student back onto the right path.
So when is Hibiki going to awaken an authority?
"Ah, don't misunderstand. This is not used to strike Sensei on the back of the head."
Hibiki looked embarrassed as she continued explaining. "This iron pipe… is equipped with my favorite function."
"…Explosion?"
That is how you awaken an authority?
"It is a Bluetooth speaker. Inside this iron pipe, I installed ten physics lectures that you can fall asleep just by listening to… ahem… as well as about two hundred sleep-aid music tracks. You can choose freely."
I nodded thoughtfully.
…Then why make it in the shape of an iron pipe? For self-defense?
And like this, the value of certain authorities somehow felt even more tragic.
I really wanted to test the effect of Hibiki's invention, but now was not a time when I could sleep peacefully.
Just as I was about to decline regretfully, the words reached my lips, and I suddenly had a new idea.
"Then let me try it."
Hibiki brightened. "Really? Then I will help you clear the bed…"
"No need. Just leave it for now."
Stopping the dog-eared girl, I lay down on the unused portion of the bed. "Let me try it like this. Also, if you hear knocking later, could you wake me up?"
"Of course."
With Hibiki's assurance, I smiled slightly and closed my eyes.
If someone woke me up after I fell asleep, that was fine. The others might not be so lucky.
"Alright, I am starting the music now. Disorientation Iron Pipe… activating."
As Hibiki's voice fell, soothing music filled the entire room.
Already drowsy from Akane's massage, after hearing the sleep-aid melody, I lost consciousness not long after. It felt as though not much time had passed in my dream before I was pushed awake.
"Sensei, Sensei, someone is knocking."
I stretched and sat up, suddenly noticing a trace of something amiss.
Temporarily ignoring it, I said to Hibiki, who seemed to have been watching me the entire time I slept,
"Thank you. Then, could you please hide for a bit? You can leave the iron pipe and the pillow on the bed."
"Eh? Alright. Then…"
Hibiki's gaze shifted toward my wardrobe.
While she was hiding, I walked to the door first, then took a deep breath and pulled out the card from my chest pocket, now burning hot.
—
Converted Authority: High Alchemy
Description: The holder may consume HP to perform one low-success-rate targeted alchemy through a ritual.
Source: Nekozuka Hibiki conquered.
—
It seemed that the judgment for a successful conquest was indeed not just affection.
After seeing my completely unguarded sleeping face, what kind of emotions had Hibiki developed to fulfill the card's conditions?
…Trust, perhaps?
Compared to fleeting fondness, something far more solid and unshakable. If that was the true standard, it was not surprising.
It was just much harder to obtain.
As I watched, the light screen changed again.
—
Authority merging in progress…
Primordial Alchemy and High Alchemy have been merged into a superior authority.
Converted Authority: Great Alchemy
Description: The holder may consume HP to perform one medium-success-rate targeted alchemy through a ritual.
Source: Okusora Ayane, Nekozuka Hibiki conquered.
—
The success rate had gone from extremely low, to low, and now to medium.
With a thought, I immediately understood the most important impact this change in description had on me right now.
The conversion efficiency of Pyroxene into Mystery.
Or rather, the lifespan I needed to consume when activating divine names or using certain authorities.
This was undoubtedly good news for me. Although the specific effects still required testing, it would certainly give me more leeway when facing Kei or AL-1S.
And at present, there were more important matters for me to handle.
With gratitude toward Hibiki filling my heart, when I heard her cry out in surprise after discovering Kotori in the wardrobe, I even felt a slight pang of guilt.
But it was not a big problem. I would try my best not to laugh out loud.
In any case, I opened the door and saw another reserved figure standing there.
I had thought Yuzu might not come.
"S-Sensei, um, may I come in?"
"Of course. Since it's Yuzu, I would be more than happy. Please, come in."
"Thank you…"
I welcomed her into the room. "Are you also here, like the others, to check on me?"
Yuzu was startled. "Eh? Others?"
Then she saw the various items arranged on my bed and fell silent on the spot.
"Mm… Sensei is really popular…"
After collecting herself, Yuzu muttered, "Well, you are Sensei, after all."
Clearly, she had not expected that the others I mentioned had not actually left.
So, I smoothly led Yuzu to sit with me at the edge of my bed.
"It is like Sensei said, but it does not really count as checking on you. I just, um, wanted to chat with you."
"Mm. What about?"
"…Actually, I have always been very grateful to you, Sensei."
Yuzu lowered her eyes and pulled up her collar to cover the lower half of her face, as if she did not want me to see her expression.
"Sensei is actually not like Arisu-chan…
"You have never really thought Myth, Legends, Chronicles was fun, have you?"
She had noticed, and at a moment like this, she asked that question. I could not help but feel surprised.
"So it really is like that…"
Having gotten her answer from my reaction, Yuzu instead seemed relieved.
"I actually know it. Our game is still far from mature, and receiving so many bad reviews is only natural. Because Sensei is such a gentle person, you were willing to encourage us and serve as our club advisor…"
"…To be honest, I really had fun when playing with all of you. You don't need to praise me like that."
"Is that so? Well, it's fine. What matters most is that thanks to Sensei…"
Yuzu lifted her face, revealing a smile that was still a little shy.
"I, who used to only dare to stay inside the school building, have started to gain the courage to change. E-even though I am still afraid of many things now, I want to shamelessly believe that this already counts as progress…"
I nodded in agreement.
"Ehehe…" Yuzu's face reddened. She patted her burning cheeks to calm herself, then stared straight at me with her purple eyes.
"So, I have always wanted to express my thanks to you face to face, just like this. Originally, last time… um…"
Mentioning what happened in the locker last time made Yuzu shy all over again.
I smiled and reassured her. "It's alright. You don't have to thank me right now."
"Huh?"
"Because I will continue to stay by your side in the future."
I met the stunned girl's gaze. "So, when you can say it honestly one day, tell me all the thanks you have been holding onto properly."
Perhaps that was still too stimulating for the current Yuzu. She sat there with her face completely red, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
Until the knocking startled her.
Then, without even having time to put on the slippers she had kicked off by the bed, Yuzu darted under the bed at a speed and momentum far beyond my imagination.
Immediately after, a suppressed, resentful, and miserable wail followed.