Chapter 3005

2995. Savior of the Academy For the past three days, I've been acting as the Villain, Crimson Light. I robbed corrupt public officials of their wealth and dug up and exposed information on Heroes with shady backgrounds. I blew up buildings of malicious corporations and even engaged in car chases with the police and Heroes on the road. Though they call me a Dark Hero, in the end, I'm a Villain who ignores the law. It was only natural that Mad Sound, Clara, was put on the wanted list. ‘If you go online, Mad Sound has a suspiciously large number of fans.’ The reason was obvious. It was because of her body, which went very well with her vulgar outfit. The opinion was that even though her face wasn't revealed, since her body was amazing, her face must be incredibly beautiful too. For the record, I agree with this assertion. In my experience, girls with good bodies also had pretty faces, and girls with pretty faces tended to have good bodies. ‘It's because pretty girls know they're pretty, so they tend to work hard to maintain themselves.’ Clara quickly got used to being a Villain. She felt guilt, but also enjoyment. ‘She can enjoy it because she hasn't crossed the line as a Villain.’ To Clara, the work of Mad Sound was, at its core, a deviation. She believed that after one night, she could return to her normal daily life. ‘Even if she hasn't crossed the line, she won't be able to go back completely to how she was before.’ There were signs of it, too. Should I say she became a bit more proactive in our relationship? […This is insane. To think you’d corrupt Clara to this extent. No, it’s not just Clara. The female students of the academy are being corrupted because of you alone. I am now seriously considering your expulsion.] Kang Ji-young, visible only to me, said. I shrugged. Expulsion would be a bit troublesome since there were still female students I hadn't bedded yet, but I didn't let it show. ‘She can't do it right now anyway. Later, even if Kang Ji-young returns to her position as dean, she won't be able to do it because she'll be conscious of Seong Ha-ri.’ And Kang Ji-young was already my woman. ••• Seong Ha-ri, who had returned from conquering Dungeons in China at the request of the Chinese government, stared blankly at the head of Yoo Pil-seong, the president of the Korean Hero Association, who was bowing deeply to her. The center of his head was bare. He was going bald. “Ms. Seong Ha-ri! The Republic of Korea is in an uproar because of Crimson Light! Please, help us! If you help us, Ms. Seong Ha-ri, we will be able to catch that Crimson Light! We will draw up the plan! We will also prepare bait to lure Crimson Light and Mad Sound!” “Hah.” A sigh mixed with annoyance escaped Seong Ha-ri's lips. Yoo Pil-seong flinched. Cold sweat formed on the smooth center of his head. ‘Did I do something wrong? My back is bent at a 90-degree angle, just as I practiced! Is it because I didn't offer any compensation?’ Shouldn't she, as a Korean Hero, naturally cooperate with the association? He couldn't say that. Especially since he knew Seong Ha-ri's temper all too well. “Stop with the useless antics and focus on other Villains or Dungeon conquering. Crimson Light only kills those who deserve to die anyway.” “The, the recent property damage caused by Crimson Light and Mad Sound is enormous.” “I told you not to do it.” “……Yes. I understand.” Seong Ha-ri passed him and left. Only after Seong Ha-ri's presence had completely vanished did Yoo Pil-seong straighten his bent back. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face. “Ms. Seong Ha-ri seems lenient towards Crimson Light compared to other Villains. But why…? Is she not tempted by Crimson Light's bounty? Or does she approve of Crimson Light's actions?” Yoo Pil-seong couldn't find the answer. What was certain was that as long as Seong Ha-ri didn't give her permission, the association would not be able to use its full power to arrest or kill Crimson Light. Even if the various damages grew, it was better than making an enemy of Seong Ha-ri. ••• I entered the Dungeon of Malignant Sound with Clara. Having been here a few times, neither Clara nor I were particularly nervous. They say you should never let your guard down in a Dungeon, but I knew everything, including the hidden things in this Dungeon. There was no danger. “Crimson Light is halting activities for the time being. Naturally, his sidekick, Mad Sound, is also halting activities.” “I have no intention of being a Villain on my own. I don't have the ability to, either. But why so suddenly?” “My mom, who went to China for work, has returned to Korea.” No matter how strong Crimson Light is, facing the strongest Hero would be tough. While in the guise of Crimson Light, I couldn't use my full power since my identity could be revealed. “Ah. That's a reason I can immediately understand.” While having a casual conversation, I checked Clara's Affection. 『Clara Feyred's Affection: 56』 56. One might think it hasn't risen much despite the time that has passed. But this is natural. The higher the Affection, the harder it becomes to raise. That's common sense. ‘In Savior of the Academy, an Affection of 50 or more is considered on the high side.’ An Affection of 50 or more is the level of feeling romantic emotions. An Affection of 60 or more is the level of seriously considering a romantic relationship. Of course, a high Affection doesn't guarantee a relationship. Even if one feels romantic emotions, they might not realize it or might deny it. Even if they do realize their romantic feelings, there's no rule that says they must enter a relationship. ‘Few people decide major life events based on emotions alone.’ Still, being able to see this Affection is quite convenient. Since I can tell how she feels about me to some extent, it becomes easier to toe the line. We arrived in front of the Stone Gate. 『Offer the music of rage.』 Instead of a flute, Clara played an electric guitar. An intense melody erupted from the very beginning. A melody that was literally rage itself. But as time passed, the feeling of rage disappeared and it became cheerful. It went from quiet to loud, fast to slow. It was unpredictable, but a strangely addictive piece. After the performance ended, the Stone Gate flashed with light and began to open. 『Unexpressed rage is not rage, and expressed rage is ruin. In the place where rage has vanished, all things may enter.』 We passed through the second Stone Gate and moved on. This time, too, Moka killed all the monsters. The third of the five Stone Gates blocked our way. 『Offer the music of love.』 Instead of her guitar, Clara took out her flute. I questioned her action, as she didn't hesitate in the slightest. “Have you ever been in love?” “Love doesn't necessarily mean only romantic feelings. I have a family, too. And there's nothing easier to compose than a song related to love. The most manageable emotion is love.” Clara played one of her hit songs on the flute. The Stone Gate didn't react. Clara's eyes hardened as she played other songs. Even after playing five songs in a row, the Stone Gate remained unchanged. “Is this damn Dungeon ignoring my songs?!” Was it the effect of acting as a Villain a few times? Clara had developed a habit of her speech becoming sharp when she got excited. “Clara. Are you free this weekend?” “…I'm free. Why?” “The theme is love. Let's go on a date like a couple. Like lovers. You can refuse if you don't want to.” “……I won't refuse. From my experience so far, this Dungeon seems to want something new. The problem is, I'm too famous to go on a normal date. You know that, right?” “Haha. Of course, I know. I have something good. Ah, how about a practice run for our date when we go back to the academy today?” “A practice run?” “Let's watch a movie.” “What a cliché date. Well, alright.” Clara agreed easily. Compared to terrorizing the house of a Hero Association executive, watching a movie was an easy enough task to make one yawn. Still, we went straight to a movie theater and watched a recently released film. It was a bit boring. It seemed the rumors about the movie industry being in a slump weren't for nothing. We had some coffee and then returned to the academy. ••• The next day. On the day she was supposed to go on a date with Seong Yujin, Clara couldn't sleep well. ‘It doesn't mean anything. It's just my first time going on a date with a guy.’ There were still over three hours until the appointed time. Clara washed up and started getting ready. When putting on her underwear, she hesitated for a moment. Comfortable but plain and tacky underwear, or flashy and sexy-feeling but slightly uncomfortable underwear. She chose the latter. ‘It's not like I'm going to show it to him, but I'm a singer. Mindset is important for things like this.’ One hour before the date. Clara felt her heart beating fast. It had never been like this before, so she couldn't blame it on the coffee she drank earlier. There's a saying that the heart is where the mind is. That saying was accurate. No matter how much the brain denied it, the heart moved according to the mind. At this point, she had no choice but to admit the fact she had been trying so hard to deny. ‘…The fox in The Little Prince said it. If he comes at four o'clock, she will begin to be happy from three o'clock. Did he tame me without me even knowing?’ Clara looked in the mirror. The pale face in the mirror was flushed and full of life. ‘No. It might be too early to make that judgment. It could just be because it's the first time. So today, at the end, after the date is over, I will make my judgment.’ What should she do after making her judgment? She hadn't thought that far. Clara looked at the clock and waited anxiously for the appointed time. It wasn't a bad feeling. Fortunately, Seong Yujin arrived 30 minutes before the promised time. ‘He's surprisingly well-mannered. …No. That's just basic for a person.’ She greeted Seong Yujin without letting her thoughts show. ••• I looked at Clara and grinned. “You look pretty today.” “Not really. Same as usual. I just wore different clothes.” It was certainly casual wear. But it was definitely not just the clothes that were different. From her hairstyle to her makeup, it was clear she had put in a lot of effort. Above all, her perfume had changed. The faint scent was undoubtedly that of a very luxurious, high-end perfume. ‘She's really looking forward to this.’ First, I took out the items I had prepared from my Inventory and gave them to her. They were a Teleportation Scroll and a Ghost Cloak. “If you wear the Ghost Cloak, you can avoid people's gazes. I need that too, so I'm just lending it to you. Give it back later.” “This is a valuable item. What about this scroll? Are you going to use a scroll for just a date?” “It's a special date. If you don't like it, you can tear the scroll that goes to the academy.” “……” Clara stared at the scroll and tucked it into her pocket. I handed her another scroll. “Here. For our first stop, shall we go to your hometown in America? Let's have lunch there at your favorite restaurant.” “…How did you know my favorite restaurant?” “There were a lot of related articles, weren't there? You did an interview, too.” “That was years ago.” “So you don't like it?” “I don't dislike it.” We tore the Teleportation Scrolls. On our date today, we used Teleportation Scrolls liberally and traveled all over the world. We saw penguins in Antarctica and white bears in the Arctic. We drank a cool cocktail at the top of a pyramid in Egypt. “Isn't this illegal?” “It's fine. It's fine. As long as we don't get caught.” Even if we got caught and it became a problem, there were plenty of ways to solve it. The easiest way was to use my mom card. The most certain way was Information Erasure. After that, we saw the Taj Mahal in India and the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. We also saw the Eiffel Tower in France and the clock tower in London in 10-minute intervals. We saw elephants and lions in Africa and had a running race with kangaroos in Australia. We had dinner in Japan and enjoyed an iced Americano on top of Mount Everest. We also saw Dongting Lake in China and the Mayan ruins in Mexico. In Southeast Asia, we even tasted dimensionally different fruits. By the time we returned to the academy, it was past midnight. “You don't have to walk me back. It's not far. You think I can't find my own personal studio?” “It's a date. Let me see it through to the end. Can I hold your hand?” “We held hands so much today it was sickening.” “The date isn't over yet.” “……Take me to my studio.” “Not your dorm?” “I'm going to write a song. A new melody has been popping into my head since a while ago.” “Like automatic background music playing in your brain? I'm curious. What kind of melody is it?” “It's not organized yet, so it's hard to explain in words.” We arrived at the entrance of Clara's personal studio. Today's date was over. I had used up a considerable number of Teleportation Scrolls. Including not just the ones used today, but also the ones I used beforehand while scouting date locations, it was over 50 scrolls. I had no regrets. It was well worth it. 『Clara Feyred's Affection: 64』 It was well worth it. Because her Affection had risen dramatically. ‘Actually, even if I couldn't see her Affection, I could tell that Clara had feelings for me.’ It could be an Affection level that was temporarily inflated by the atmosphere. There was a very high possibility that it would drop like a lie tomorrow. ‘Only an amateur would rush things just by trusting the Affection level.’ We arrived at Clara's personal studio. I let go of her hand at the entrance. “Clara. I had fun today.” “That's my line. A world tour for a first date. No one would believe me even if I told them. I probably won't forget it even after decades.” “Hehe. I'm honored.” Clara didn't go into her studio right away and hesitated. Wondering if she had something to say, I watched her. Clara soon approached me as if she had made up her mind about something. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulled me in forcefully, and kissed me. My hands gently wrapped around Clara's back. I pressed our bodies closer. Her breasts were crushed against my body. If I had my way, I would have wanted my hands to move lower, but I desperately held back. It wasn't time yet. The kiss, which lasted for over a minute, ended. Her face turned bright red, and Clara immediately pulled away from my embrace and opened the door to her studio. “Don't get any strange ideas. If you watch movies, dates end with a kiss. It was just the end of the date.” “In the movies I've seen, they end in bed.” She didn't answer and closed the door. 『Clara Feyred's Affection: 67』 Maybe I could have done more than just a kiss.