“Of course I know.”

I put on a lewd smile as I walked toward Alisha.

“Do, don’t come over!”

I put strength into my grip as I held Alisha’s slim waist, as she struggled in my grasp.

“Let me go!”

“No.”

“Wu!”

As she saw my face draw close, Alisha let out a cry of terror.

“I, I’m going to shout!”

“Go on~ We’ll see if your would-be saviours come first…” I licked my lips, “Or if I eat you up first.”

“Let me go let me go!! Your li, lips are going to touch mine!!!”

“Are you unwilling?”

“I’m unwilling! Of course I am!!”

“Such poor acting, that’s not what your eyes are telling me.”

“–Eh? Eh eh?”

“Those eyes are clearly telling me you desire me to do something right?”

“I, I, I am not!! Not not not!!!”

“What a dishonest little girl, must I kiss you before you become honest?”

“No no no! Do, don’t you! You, I, I,” Alishal trembled violently, and her voice grew softer, “No…”

“Your beautiful hair.”

“No…”

“Forehead.”

“No…”

“Your lips~”

“…”

“Every part looks so delicious~”

As our noses touched, I stopped.

“I wanted to eat you up from the moment we first met.”

Alisha slipped out from my arms and sat down on the floor like a duck. Her eyes were unfocused and she did not do anything, as if I actually did do something to her. She was completely dazed, and it was as if her mind was completely gone.

As the horse ate gra.s.s, the moon pa.s.sed through the clouds.

Alisha suddenly sprang up and gave me a slap.

“Pervert!!”

“Why did you do that!?” She held back tears as she grabbed the hem of her gown.

The part where I got hit burned, and only then did I realise that I had overdone it and made her cry.

“Geh…”

I lowered my head.

“Sorry…”

“I, I wasn’t even prepared at all…” She raised her volume again, “Pervert! Die!”

Alisha put her full body weight into one final punch she delivered to me and rushed back to the dorm. Finally she left, I sighed as I leaned against the wooden pillar and sank to the floor. I really have been sighing a lot lately.

Shuoxue was quiet for a long while.

“Playboy.”

“Oi oi,” I said helplessly, “I was acting.”

“Is that so? I can’t tell.”

“I don’t want to do as she says and stay in her room so I had to do all that, do you think I am a playboy? In love, I am always 100% devoted to one,” then I thought of Tess, “150% devoted to one… Never will I go astray!”

(TL: In case this doesn’t translate too well, yes he really does like Tess in the end.)

“Hmph, master is a playboy.”

“I already said that was an act.”

Why are you so angry. Just as I was about to defend myself further, Alisha came running back.

“Mo, Molan.” She gasped as she held onto the pillar.

“Why did you come back.”

“I used the communication spell for royalty and told daddy.”

“WHAT!?”

I was so scared, my heart almost jumped out.

Alisha continued before I could calm myself down.

“Daddy said that he will leave as soon as he finishes some urgent matters and reach in a few days.”

“Reach where?”

“St Txarango.”

“Wh-wh-wh-why come here?”

Alisha blinked.

“To see you of course… Is there a problem?”

Ford Rosa Czedtofany, the ruler of the great kingdom of Rosa. Since he ascended the throne, he has swiftly acted to remove any and all opposition with an iron fist. He has successfully enacted internal policies to boost business activity and the economy, and greatly expanded the borders of Rosa. A complete turnaround of the formerly weak Rosa that has allowed Rosa to attain to the status of the strongest nation in the continent. To be able to accomplish this, Ford is clearly no ordinary person. And it is also said that he executes 10 people every day on average, and is a cold-blooded tyrant whose name is used to scare naughty kids.

And I have made advances on said tyrant’s baby girl.

“If you have any will or anything you want to leave behind, hurry and give it to me now. When the time comes, it’ll be too late.” Harry said as he bit into his fried chicken.

Today was yet another sweltering hot day. I was seeking shelter from the poisonous hot sun with Harry under the trees behind the canteen.

“It’s just a small matter, as someone who was born under the red flag and who grew up in the spring winds, would I fear the currents of feudalism? And besides, I have plans.”

“What plans do you have?”

Kneel down and kowtow.

“Eh, that smells really good, give me a bite.”

“Get away get away,” Harry hid the plate behind his back, “No bite for you, slaves should just eat leftovers. When I’m done, I’ll let you lick the plate.”

“f.u.c.k! What sort of person are you! I treat you as a friend and yet you drop a rock down after I fall into a well! Were our tight bonds of friendship eaten by dogs!? Or eaten by you!”

“You still have the cheek to say such things! When the school cleared your room, they found many things that were mine, cups, towels, clothes… All the things I had been searching for all this while were all taken by you! To borrow and not return, is this how you treat your friends? And my beloved collection is now in the hands of the head instructor!”

“If you don’t clear out the old, the new won’t come, look beyond that…”

“Beyond your head!” Harry glared at me, “Only half, nothing more!”

“Hehe, thanks much~”

I bit into the fried chicken Harry handed me.

The crispy golden skin broke open, and the rich tastiness made my taste buds flutter. The meat was juicy and tender, and upon biting into it, an unexpected taste of sweet wine seeped out. As the meat went down the throat and into the stomach, the taste continued to linger on the tongue, making one desire for more.

(TL: I consider my translation to be a success if I made you salivate for fried chicken.)

What delicious fried drunken chicken!

How long has it been since I ate proper food… I’m so touched that tears are streaming down…

“Oi, Molan, I want to ask you something.”

“What, shoot.”

Harry rubbed his nose with his index finger.

“Didn’t you go to the Oracle Plenary, was the emissary…. Cute?”

“Unbelievably cute!” I answered without needing to think.

On hearing my emotionally charged answer, Harry got excited.

“Really! How tall is she? Does she have big b.r.e.a.s.t.s? And legs! The legs are important too!”

“Nothing to say about her figure, when she wears heels she is about as tall as me, as for b.r.e.a.s.t.s, maa,” I raised an eyebrow, “Not telling.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like it.”

“What’s going on with you?”

I feel like saying it would be blasphemy to Tess.

“On account of the chicken, I can tell you about other experiences, like how I fought the leader of the terrorist organisation 300 times and finally defeated him.”

“n.o.body wants to hear you brag.”

Harry clicked his tongue and lost interest.

“But I would like to hear about what happened when the green haired male elf attacked the Oracle plaza. It’s said that you killed 1,000 people on your own, is that true?”

“It’s true, when Tina was killed, I lost it–”

“Wasn’t Miss Tina only seriously wounded?”

I remembered that the royal family had hid the truth and manipulated the information divulged to the public and changed my story.

“I thought she sas killed and then I lost it, and so I sw.a.n.g my sword left and right, hmph, even 10,000 people would just be done in mere minutes, let alone 1,000!”

“What the h.e.l.l! Are you actually freaking awesome? I never knew!”

“You can adore me more from now on. Give me your half of the chicken, and I’ll take you in as my little brother.”

“No way, I said I wouldn’t give it to you.”

“Tch.”

“But I say, before cutting people down, did you stop to consider the consequences?”

I rolled my eyes at Harry.

“Where could I have found the leisure to consider such things then.”

“Idiot! All those people are VIPs with status and appointments. You very nearly doomed Txarango to destruction! Good thing the headmaster expelled you before, now that I think about it, it’s really terrifying, you hot-headed fool!”

“But, I can also understand why you did what you did.” Harry said, a complete turnaround from before.

“Ah?”

“If Monica had gotten into trouble, I too would have lost all reason and go berserk like you did, and leave everything else at the back of my head.”

Harry said blandly, and then bit into his chicken.

I just stared at him, unable to continue for a moment.

At this moment, with his comical ‘smart’ hairstyle, and a face full of oil and chicken crisps, he actually looked pretty cool.

Haa, birds of a feather flock together.

Alright alright, I admit I was too rash that time and I actually did reflect on my actions. Tina is Txarango n.o.bility and her family has 4 names granted to them by the previous king, thus protecting Txarango is a duty that she willingly shoulders proudly. She personally loved this warring nation. Being able to go to the shop in the corner of Myboleir street to eat their signature cake was what brought her the greatest happiness… And I had let my rage consume me, and very nearly overturned her hard work, and destroy innumerable families, and have countless people lose their homes, bear hunger and oppression, and lead tragic lives from then on. I really wasn’t mature.

But I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.

The girl you love is being killed in front of you, and you can choose to hold everything back for the greater good?

How great of you! Truly a saint! Your name shall carry on through the ages, and people will sing of your sacrifices in praise of you, and you will be a prominent feature in history textbooks and test papers would even have questions on your name and birth date.

Only you would feel disgusted and ashamed at yourself, for not fighting for the girl you love, even as you wield a sword in your hands, as she wilts like a dying flower.

That is not the kind of person I want to become.

“Right.” I suddenly had an epiphany, “Speaking of Tina, what is the date today?”

“Third day of the month of Wood.”

Harry looked at me with a questioning look, “What’s the matter with you? You look like the world has ended.”

“Harry! We are friends right!”

“Why are you cosying up to me all of a sudden! Yes, we are friends, though I would very much like to break ties with you.”

“Lend me some money.”

“I just knew it! Every time you emphasise friendship, nothing good comes out of it!” Harry yelled, “Get lost! I have no money!”

“This is the last time I’m begging you!”

“You said that the last time as well!”

“Really really last time! If I am lying, my last name isn’t Qin!”

(TL: Recall that Molan’s original surname is Qin.)

“Your last name isn’t Qin to begin with!”

“Are you lending or not?”

“Not!”

Begging was fruitless, and I turned my head and muttered like nothing happened.

“There are some things Monica would definitely be interested in.”

“…”

“Like for example, a certain someone who spent an all nighter to write 5 love letters and snuck into cla.s.s when no one was around to stuff them into the drawer in the fourth row of the first cla.s.s–”

Harry gripped my shoulders strongly.

“Let’s break ties now immediately alright.”

“Before we do so, pay me a silencing fee,”

“How much.” He clenched his teeth.

“100 gold.”

“You might as well commit robbery!”

“A certain someone even has ‘I love Julie’ tattooed on his chest!”

“Hii! b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Fine 100 gold it is! Now shut up!!!!!”