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Chapter 47: Interlude - The Cursed Eyes of the Spider

The soft sensation of a tongue invaded my mouth.

The sharp scent of tobacco hit my nose.

“Kyaaaaaa!!!”

In the distance, Iris’s scream echoed.

“What the hell is that crazy woman doing... Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

“S-Saint, please calm down!”

I could hear Camilla’s frantic voice as she tried to restrain Iris.

“What... what’s going on?”

“Professor Elisha is kissing Dale...?”

“A tall beauty with black hair in a suit kissing him! That bastard, Dale!”

“But if Professor Elisha is senior to Professor Lucas, she’s almost twice our age...”

“An older woman and a younger guy! I’m into it!”

“Shut up, Albert.”

[PR/N: Real. I agree with you, Albert. Wholeheartedly concur.]

The training ground was filled with commotion.

But I didn’t have time to pay attention to the noise around me, because I was just as startled by the situation.

‘What... what the hell?’

Of all people, my first kiss after returning wasn’t with Iris, but with Professor Elisha.

And it wasn’t just a simple kiss—our tongues were entangled.

“Pwah!”

I finally managed to break free from Professor Elisha’s arms and took a deep breath, glaring at her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I needed to confirm something.”

Elisha licked her lips with the tongue that had just been in my mouth.

Gulp.

The moment she swallowed, a strange power radiated from her, and her violet eyes split grotesquely like a reptile’s.

Her vertical pupils glowed a sinister gold, just as her infamous nickname suggested—‘Cursed Eyes.’

“Hmmm.”

Elisha carefully examined me, nodding slowly.

“Well, at least you’re not a demon.”

“You kissed me just to check if I was a demon?”

“Technically, I needed your saliva. My ‘blessing’ becomes more potent when I ingest someone’s bodily fluids.”

“...Blessing?”

I was trying to recall what exactly Elisha Baldwin’s blessing was when—

“Professor Elisha possesses the ‘Insight Blessing,’ which allows her to see into others’ inner thoughts. That’s why she was invited as a special professor.”

“Oh.”

That made sense.

The recent demonic incident had happened because no one noticed that a demon, disguised as a professor, had infiltrated the academy.

With Elisha Baldwin and her Insight Blessing stationed here, a repeat of the tragedy could be prevented.

‘Insight Blessing... Oh, now I remember.’

I vaguely recalled hearing about her blessing during my previous life, when those blessed by the Demon God started betraying the Hero faction and turning into demons.

‘I had completely forgotten.’

I hadn’t interacted with her directly in my previous life, and during the time when the betrayers were rampant, I was too busy as a mercenary to remember much.

‘It’s not like I remember everything from my past life.’

People forget what they ate for lunch three days ago, so it’s only natural that I don’t recall every detail of the hundreds or thousands of years I lived (though most of that time was spent wandering the continent alone).

‘So, she can see into someone’s inner thoughts, huh?’

She did say the power gets stronger if she drinks bodily fluids...

I shuddered as I recalled the sensation of her tongue in my mouth.

“Are you planning to kiss everyone in the academy?”

Elisha chuckled and shook her head.

“Of course not. I don’t need to drink bodily fluids to tell if someone is a demon or not.”

“Then why did you...?”

“You’re just too unusual.”

Elisha stared at me with sharp eyes.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

‘Fair enough.’

If the roles were reversed, I would probably react the same way.

“So, what’s the verdict? Did your suspicions get resolved?”

“No, they’ve only deepened.”

Elisha smiled bitterly and shook her head.

“But I did learn one thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“Hmmm.”

Elisha leaned in close, bringing her lips near my ear and whispering softly so no one else could hear.

“You know, on the candidate list, it says you don’t have any blessings... but maybe that needs to be corrected?”

“......”

Damn.

She figured out I had the Blessing of Revival.

‘At least she didn’t notice the Primordial Flame.’

Things would have gotten far more complicated if her Insight Blessing had revealed the Primordial Flame.

“Well, whether you reveal it or not is up to you. It’s not against the rules to keep it hidden,” Elisha said with a shrug.

“...What are you two whispering about so secretively?”

A low voice, sharp like a dagger, cut through the air at that moment.

“You must be... Candidate Iris.”

“If you’re done with whatever business you had, would you mind stepping away from Dale?”

“Oh?”

Elisha’s eyes sparkled with interest as she noticed Iris’s intense gaze.

“I didn’t expect the Saint of the Holy Kingdom to be close to a low-ranking candidate.”

“Does the ranking matter when candidates are getting to know each other?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Then it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Hmmm.”

Elisha chuckled as if she had found something amusing.

“But isn’t it problematic for the Saint to be too friendly with a male candidate?”

“The teachings of the Seven Gods don’t prohibit interaction with the opposite sex.”

“Haha, what a bold Saint.”

Elisha laughed, her shoulders shaking, then suddenly leaned closer to me again, as if an idea had struck her.

We were now fully pressed together, and I could feel the soft warmth through her suit.

Trying to ignore it, I spoke.

“...What now?”

“I’m not entirely convinced from just one kiss.”

Elisha stroked my chin and spoke in a completely serious tone.

“I think further investigation of Candidate Dale is necessary.”

“......”

“W-wait a second! You said the investigation was over!”

Iris, with a startled expression, jumped and grabbed Professor Elisha\'s shoulder.

"I said I found something out, but did I ever say the investigation was over?"

"Ugh..."

"Well then, shall we continue our investigation slowly and leisurely?"

"Eek!"

Iris pulled on the shoulder she was holding.

"Hmm. What\'s this? As a special professor, I have a duty to investigate suspicious candidates."

"Who\'s suspicious? And if you need bodily fluids, it doesn\'t have to be saliva, does it?"

"Oh? Then?"

"W-Well, there\'s, um, sweat, for example."

"Hmm, understood. I\'ll follow Candidate Iris\'s suggestion and lick the sweat off Candidate Dale\'s neck—"

"No! Who said you could lick Dale?!"

"No saliva, no sweat... What exactly do you want me to do?"

Clicking her tongue, Professor Elisha glanced back at Iris.

"Uh... I mean."

Iris, stumbling over her words in embarrassment, clenched her fist tightly and shouted.

"We could beat up Dale and make him cry!"

What?

"Or we could stab him and make him bleed!"

Iris, what are you saying?

"Hmm. Judging by Candidate Dale\'s expression, he doesn\'t seem too keen on that."

"T-Then..."

Iris\'s gaze, which had been faltering, landed on a sign at the entrance of the training ground.

The sign read, "Restrooms: exit and turn right."

Gulp.

Iris swallowed nervously and spoke up.

"Urine is a type of bodily fluid too... Mmmp!"

"Stop!"

Don\'t say anything more!!!

"Pfft, haha! Hahaha!"

Professor Elisha burst into laughter, watching as I hurried to cover Iris\'s mouth.

It was my first time seeing her show such a bright smile, always so heavy and serious.

"Sigh."

Professor Lucas approached with a deep sigh.

"Let\'s end the jokes here, shall we, Senior?"

"Haha, it\'s been a long time since I laughed this much."

Professor Elisha wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded.

Iris, narrowing her eyes, looked over at Professor Lucas.

"Jokes?"

"Even if you consume more bodily fluids, the effects of the \'Blessing of Insight\' won\'t improve."

In short.

The additional investigation was just Professor Elisha\'s joke.

"Ugh...!"

Iris, her face flushed red, glared angrily at Professor Elisha.

With a nonchalant expression, Professor Elisha turned around.

"The candidate test is over. Everyone return to the classroom and finish your lesson. I have another \'practical combat class\' to attend."

"W-Wait! You\'re leaving just like that?"

"Hmm? Does Candidate Iris wish for me to investigate Candidate Dale further?"

"That\'s...!"

Iris bit her lip, trembling as she clenched her fists.

"...Go. Quickly."

Pulling me by the arm, Iris turned around.

"Let\'s go, Dale."

"Uh, okay."

"Make sure to stay after class. I have plenty to say to you."

"...Yes."

Just as Iris was dragging me back to the classroom—

"Oh, Candidate Dale?"

"Yes?"

Turning around, I saw Professor Elisha smiling slyly, pressing a finger to her lips.

"Not bad."

"...What?"

"Haha. Who knows?"

With that cryptic remark, Professor Elisha turned on her heel and walked away, her steps echoing down the hall.

* * *

Inside the neatly organized faculty office.

Professor Lucas heaved a sigh, looking at the woman before him.

"...Why did you do that?"

"What are you talking about?"

Professor Elisha didn\'t even bother to turn her head as she sipped her coffee.

"I don\'t remember you being one to enjoy pranks like that."

"Time changes not only mountains but people too."

"Sigh."

With another deep sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his lungs, Professor Lucas fell silent.

Still quietly sipping her coffee, Professor Elisha spoke in a low voice.

"That candidate... Dale, was it?"

"Yes."

"I like him."

"...What do you mean?"

"His appearance suits my taste. Oh, and the feel of his lips was nice too."

"......"

"Just kidding."

She smirked and set her cup down on the table.

Professor Lucas squinted as he looked at her.

"But you weren\'t joking about liking him, were you?"

"It\'s natural for a female to be attracted to a strong male, isn\'t it?"

"......"

"From the distribution of his mana to his precise control, his sharp observation, and his movements—all beyond that of a typical candidate."

Her eyes sparkled as she continued.

"Candidate Dale will become a powerful hero in the future. Perhaps even greater than the \'Five Great Heroes.\'"

"...Isn\'t that too high of a praise?"

"Haha, who knows?"

Elisha shrugged her shoulders, leaning back against the sofa.

As she gazed up at the ceiling, she absentmindedly touched her lips.

The sensation she felt when their lips met, through the Blessing of Insight, resurfaced in her mind.

\'There\'s something more than just the Blessing of Revival.\'

Something enormous... something fiercely burning.

She couldn\'t quite identify it with the Blessing of Insight alone.

But there was one thing she was certain of.

\'The moment Candidate Dale harnesses that inner power as his own...\'

An unprecedented monster would be born.

\'Well, there\'s no guarantee that monster would be on humanity\'s side, though.\'

Elisha suppressed a smirk, recalling the lingering sensation of Dale\'s lips.

For some reason, despite having kissed countless times to collect bodily fluids, she\'d never felt particularly good about it.

But remembering the moment she kissed Dale made her lips curl into a smile.

"...Um, Senior."

"What is it?"

Annoyed at having her pleasant memories interrupted, Elisha frowned as she turned toward Lucas.

"I know that kid Dale has talent, but still... no matter how much talent he has..."

"Stop beating around the bush and say it clearly."

"Isn\'t it a bit unethical to be eyeing a male candidate who\'s over twenty years younger than you? That\'s just—urgh!"

Ping!

A sharp metallic sound accompanied the thin, silver threads that wrapped around Professor Lucas\'s body.

Like an insect caught in a spider\'s web, he wriggled helplessly.

With a sharp heel pressing down on his chest, Elisha spoke.

"Any last words?"

"I\'m sorry."

Please forgive me, Senior.