Chapter 34

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Episode 6 - The past [7]

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When the Demonic Beast fully awoke, Clementine could barely move.

’No, this is bad. The Demonic Beast has evolved to Class 7. I need to get Adel out of here.’

When the Demonic Beast struck Adel, he was sent flying far away, so he didn’t know how far he had been thrown.

Still, he couldn’t help but think about the woman from earlier.

’She had a Magic Item to escape if her life was in danger.’

It was completely unexpected, but she had already escaped, who knows where.

And the Demonic Beast, which earlier had barely managed to paralyze and weaken her with Adel’s help.

But now, her power had returned and grown even stronger.

Clementine walked toward Adel.

Just then, she sensed something and looked up at the sky.

"..."

Her eyes widened, and she felt a sudden sense of relief.

There, floating in the air, was Director Bernice, and her expression was truly terrifying.

However, it was a great relief to Clementine.

The next moment, the ground shook, and instantly, the Demon Beast’s body shattered.

Clementine couldn’t help but be surprised.

’She didn’t even make a single move, but a Class 7 Demonic Beast ended up like this... this is basic stuff for a 10 Star.’

Everyone knew about Director Bernice’s power. She was the only person on this continent to be a 10 Star.

There are said to be other 10 Stars on other continents, but that’s just a rumor.

It’s really not known if they’re real, but what is known is that reaching 10 Stars is considered impossible today.

In any case, Clementine finally arrived at Adel’s location.

When she didn’t see him, she shouted.

"Adel, where are you? The Demonic Beast has already been killed by the Director and the other teachers. It looks like they’re on their way."

She looked around, but there was no one there.

"Adel..."

Just as she was about to say more, an unfamiliar voice reached her ears.

It was the voice of an eight-year-old boy. Clementine lowered her head and her eyes widened.

"I-I’m down here, so get your foot off me."

Surprised, Clementine sat up and looked at Adel.

"What happened to you? Why are you a child?"

Yes, the current Adel was literally an eight-year-old boy.

Adel, lying on the floor, barely managed to sit up.

His shirt covered his entire body, and his pants were a few steps away from him.

Then he said, in an adorable voice.

"Well, this is one of the side effects of my Unique Trait. I didn’t think it would be so bad. Right now, I’m literally just like an ordinary human."

Besides turning into a child, he couldn’t use his traits, and his mana had disappeared.

He was like a human without a soul.

He was so fragile, and to make matters worse, his body had shrunk to that of an 8-year-old boy, who was even weaker than the average person.

However, Clementine had other things on her mind.

’A-ah... how adorable.’

It was like when a girl receives an adorable stuffed animal and can’t help but hug it tightly.

Her face revealed a wide range of emotions, but Adel’s face was so cold and emotionless.

Then Adel turned his eyes toward her, probably because he didn’t know if she was in front of him.

’H-his gaze is filled with a cold, icy air and a touch of contempt... but he’s so adorable... n-no, what the hell am I thinking?’

However, her actions betrayed her; her hands squeezed little Adel’s cheeks.

"Heh, heh..."

Adel grunted when Clementine pinched his cheeks.

"Hey, idiot, stop doing that. Even though I don’t feel any pain, my body is completely wrecked."

Clementine, realizing what she had done, said hurriedly:

"I-I’m so sorry..."

Adel sighed, and instantly, his eyes began to close.

"It doesn’t matter... I’m very tired. Oh, and don’t take me to the infirmary. It would be weird for someone to see me in my current state. My body will recover in three days, and in two if I take potions. And when you carry me, don’t forget my pants."

And as he uttered those last words, he collapsed and closed his eyes.

Clementine watched this in silence, but her thoughts were in chaos.

She thought of a thousand ways to play with something as adorable as little Adel.

’No, wait. We have to get out of here first.’

The teachers should already be killing all the Demonic Beasts, and the director probably went off to look for the villains.

So she could take Adel without anyone noticing.

Clementine stood up and took Adel in her arms. Of course, she also grabbed the pants, remembering her last warning.

***

Yesterday, at the end of the day, Director Bernice came out to speak.

Yesterday, at the end of the day, Director Bernice came out to speak.

The academy faced its first attack in centuries since its founding by the villains.

Director Bernice promised to find all the infiltrated villains.

Classes will resume next week.

The entire academy was in chaos the day of the attack, but calmed down the next day.

Meanwhile, in the women’s dormitory.

Clementine was struggling not to pinch Adel’s cheeks.

Yesterday, she didn’t know what to do and, without realizing it, she had returned to her room.

She put the unconscious Adel in her bed. When she realized what she had done, she tried to take him to her dormitory, but the professors had already returned.

So she left him in his bed. Later, she went out to buy a high-quality potion and gave it to him to drink.

It was difficult at first, but Adel managed to wake up briefly and drink it.

Then he fell unconscious again.

Clementine, of course, slept on the couch and, when she woke up, complained of back pain.

But when she saw Adel, all those thoughts vanished, and an urge to pinch his cheeks flooded her mind.

’Ahhh! N-no, what am I doing? This is driving me crazy.’

Her face turned as red as a tomato, but it was inevitable.

She looked at Adel, who was recovering quite quickly.

He probably won’t have any trouble waking up at any time.

’Ugh... Come on, Clementine, focus and don’t do anything embarrassing.’

However, just like yesterday, her actions betrayed her.

She pinched Adel’s cheeks without holding back, and, at that moment.

"Ah, stop pinching my cheeks."

Adel’s eyes were wide open, and a murderous glare made it clear that Clementine would be hit if she didn’t stop what she was doing.

Clementine suddenly backed away.

"I-I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself."

Adel sighed and put his hand to his head as if feeling mentally exhausted.

Then he turned to Clementine.

"Do you have any potions to restore my mental state?"

Clementine nodded and handed Adel a potion. He drank it, and soon his irritated expression softened.

"Much better."

She murmured with a sigh.

Then Adel asked,

"Where am I? I can’t use my powers right now, so I need help until I recover."

Clementine nodded and said:

"You’re in my room. I tried to take you to yours, but the professors were already there. Besides, I don’t know where your room is, and you didn’t have keys."

’That’s because all my things are in the inventory.’

After Clementine’s explanation, Adel nodded and asked again.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"One day."

Then, Adel asked what had happened yesterday after she lost consciousness.

Clementine calmly explained everything that had happened.

Anyone who witnessed this scene would have been unable to help but widen their eyes in surprise and shock.

Everyone knows Clementine’s personality, so no one approached her except Rinna and Princess Clana.

However, her personality was so terrible that her current personality was the complete opposite.

She seemed like a Rinna 2.0, a very strange change.

Finally, when she finished speaking, there was a long silence in the room.

And, as if remembering, Adel said:

"Hey, usually I’m not very hungry, but I think my body needs it urgently..."

The meaning was clear. Clementine nodded and said,

"Follow me. We’re going to eat outside."

She hated to admit it, but she was terrible at cooking.

Her kitchen was empty. Every day, before going to class, she went to a restaurant in town to eat.

That’s where Clementine was going to take Adel.

As she was getting up, she felt a squeeze on her hand.

She jumped and turned her head; Adel had grabbed her hand.

"W-what are you doing..."

As if it were obvious, Adel replied.

"Isn’t it obvious? I’m blind and rely on my sense of touch to get around; without it, I’m completely helpless."

Clementine nodded quickly, but her face grew redder and redder.

Then, they both slipped out of the room, holding hands.

However, at the same time, Clementine remembered what that woman had told her about Adel’s past.

***

Rinna walked through all the halls of the academy.

Her worry only grew, and her thoughts returned to the previous day.

Yesterday, after the attack by the villains with the Demonic Beasts,

Rinna waited for Adel outside the Golden Forest.

When the professors escorted all the cadets, she didn’t see Adel.

She tried to enter the Golden Forest, but the professors wouldn’t let her.

She asked, but they said that no cadets remained in the Golden Forest.

She went to the infirmary; maybe Adel was injured and someone had taken him there.

But she didn’t find him, so she went to the men’s dormitory. She asked about the assistant and was told that Adel had not entered.

She searched the entire academy, but in the end couldn’t find him.

At that time, the principal had mentioned that a villain had been spotted in the Golden Forest.

She said it was likely that some cadets had been kidnapped for experimentation.

Rinna knew something about Adel’s past and knew that some villainous organization was looking for him.

Therefore, her first thought was that they had taken him.

’What should I do? If they really took him, he would have to go through all that suffering he endured for ten years all over again.’

Her steps were unsteady, and just as she thought of more possible horrors that Adel would endure.

Suddenly, she saw Clementine. However, Rinna instinctively looked away and...

Clementine was holding a child’s hand as they walked toward Parliament D-1.

When Rinna saw the child, an image of someone very familiar came to mind.

’Uh... t-that’s not... Adel.’

Rinna wasn’t the only one who saw this and had a similar thought.

From the other side, Diana was also looking at little Adel and then at Clementine.

Both girls’ minds were racing.