Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Chapter 249

If the other party shows goodwill, it is something to be pleased about.

However, if that goodwill comes after causing a disturbance in their residence, one should be suspicious.

What emotions lie beneath the surface of what seems like goodwill? Is the person wearing a mask while harboring different thoughts?

Especially if they have a history of similar incidents and, unlike this time, their reactions were more extreme.

Someone who strikes you yet extends a hand cannot be considered normal.

“Now, let’s have a sip of tea first. This is precious tea brought from the East.”

Due to what I had mentioned earlier, I couldn’t look at Isabel, who offered me a tea cup with a sweet smile, in a positive light.

No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no reason for her to treat me kindly—except for the divine essence that resided within me.

Ugh. This is all because of the old man. Thanks to his unnecessary comments, I can’t help but interpret Isabel’s arrogant behavior in a strange way!

Even this tea! With its soft and subtle fragrance filling the room, it must be good quality, yet I couldn’t help but feel uneasy that something other than tea might be mixed in!

Ordinary poisons or drugs wouldn’t affect me now, but it wouldn’t be strange for Isabel to have something rather unusual in her possession.

“Count Artea, I’m pressed for time…”

“I’m not someone who has the luxury to sit and drink tea with a zealot, you know?”

“Is that so? How unfortunate. I had gone to great lengths to prepare it.”

I pushed the tea cup aside, displaying my sharp attitude, but Isabel showed no signs of displeasure. She merely wore a genuinely disappointed expression.

This is strange. Something is off.

“I came here because…”

“The reason I’m in this unpleasant mansion is simple. There’s something here that’s too good for a zealot.”

“So that’s what it was. I suspected as much.”

No sooner had I spoken than Isabel rummaged through her clothing.

…Did she anticipate that I was after the slab?

How could she?!

When I went to the auction house, I was disguised, so no one should have recognized me!?

Could it be that she found out about my embarrassing appearance?

She knows about my dark history?!

“Here is the necklace you were looking for back then.”

In the midst of my wild thoughts, I blinked in surprise, but what Isabel presented was not the slab.

It was a necklace—fairly ornate, somewhat stylish, and appeared to be an old necklace passed down in a poor noble family.

The only noteworthy aspect was that a faint yet strong divine essence could be sensed from it.

[Necklace Containing Divine Power] [This necklace once contained a miracle. Now, having lost all its power, it is no different from an ordinary necklace.]

The result from my appraisal skill was similar.

I might not know how it was in the past, but right now, that necklace was no more than an ordinary piece of jewelry.

Did my reaction hint at something unusual? Isabel raised an eyebrow in question.

“Isn’t this what you were looking for?”

“Yes, what I want is…”

“What I desire is the slab, not a necklace that’s too good for a glutton like you.”

“If it’s the slab… Ah, that’s it. My apologies, Lady. I mistook you for wanting this necklace since you were searching for it before.”

Did the past Lucy actually want something like this?

That can’t be true.

Having stayed in Lucy's room and seen the things she used, I roughly knew what she liked.

She favored items that were eye-catching, as if she were a princess.

The moment I thought that such a worthless thing could be so valuable, my mind hit a brake.

As if I shouldn’t have such thoughts.

Before long, an emotion surged within me. That emotion was nostalgia.

It was so distant that it had become hazy, yet it still lingered in that place.

…This isn’t my emotion.

I knew nothing about that necklace.

If that’s the case, then whose clear emotion lingers in my heart?

This was not a difficult question to ponder. The only person who could leave an emotion in my heart was one.

Lucy.

The Lucy Alrn from before I had possessed her.

“Child, what’s the matter?”

I snapped back to reality at the old man’s voice.

I must have been momentarily swallowed by the sudden wave of emotion.

“…No, it’s nothing.”

It wasn’t something trivial, but I didn’t have the confidence to explain the situation, so I answered that it was nothing.

“Hm. Is that so? Then that’s fine.”

He was clearly skeptical, but the old man didn’t press further. It was fortunate he was a mature person.

After letting out a long sigh internally, I looked at the necklace Isabel had placed on the table, pondering.

I had no idea why the feelings of the past Lucy had flashed through my mind.

However, one thing was certain. One item had been added to the content of the deal I was about to make.

I had to obtain that necklace.

While it wasn’t something I necessarily needed, my heart compelled me to go after it.

“Then I’ll return this necklace.”

As I reached out and grabbed Isabel’s wrist, I gazed steadily into her eyes.

“No…”

“Actually, thinking about it, this necklace is indeed too good for you. I should take both.”

“Both the slab and the necklace? Either one is quite valuable, you know?”

“It’s fine.”

“Ha ha! Are you worried about me? I appreciate it so much, but I’ll decline. That virtuous gaze is kind of unsettling.”

I took out an item I had prepared in my inventory.

Last evening, as a reward for clearing a quest, the shabby deity had given me this item.

It felt as if the deity had instructed me to use it for negotiating with Isabel. A diamond infused with divine essence.

“...What is this?”

Unlike ordinary gems, this one radiated a warm, soft, and cozy glow, beautiful in its appearance.

Anyone who enjoyed embellishments would certainly covet this luxury, but for Isabel, who was obsessed with divine-related items, it held even greater value.

How could Isabel, who was fixated on items associated with the deity, refuse the unblemished divine essence?

My assumption was not wrong. The moment Isabel laid her eyes on the gem, she froze as if overwhelmed by the exquisite artwork.

Before long, as she regained her composure, her hands trembled as she asked me.

“Where on earth did you obtain such… such an item? If such a rare gem had surfaced, it wouldn’t have escaped my ears!”

Her voice was sharp as she posed the question, but she didn’t even meet my gaze as she was too busy admiring the gem.

She was likely too captivated to even consider the notion of maintaining decorum.

Seeing that spectacle, I was certain that Isabel could not refuse this deal.

“Is this sufficient?”

“Now, zealot merchant, are you still worried about me? Huh?”

Only after I spoke did she raise her head, her lips quivering as she alternated her gaze between me and the gem before she finally swept her face with both hands.

“I’ll prepare it right away.”

Having exited the Artea family estate and making my way back to the academy.

“That was truly an unpleasant character. I don’t want to see her again.”

The usually silent dumb fox muttered. Her words were indeed correct. I too had found Isabel somewhat unpleasant.

Wouldn’t she want to dine with me?

Or perhaps she wasn’t thinking of receiving support from the Artea family?

Wouldn’t she discuss trade between the Alrn and Artea families?

Isabel’s desire to maintain some form of relationship with me was so disgusting that I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“That kind of person would commit a crime at the slightest misstep. Be careful.”

“Are you the same kind of pervert as Isabel to say that?!”

“Dumb fox. No matter how I think about it, aren’t you and she somewhat alike? Ah. Could it be that you’re feeling threatened? You don’t want to lose to a fellow pervert? Wow, that’s really disgusting.”

But is it appropriate for you, dumb fox, to say that?

You’re the one who followed me like a stalker just because you wanted to be with me, repeatedly engaging in perverse acts right beside me!

When I brought that up, the dumb fox frowned. It seemed she was displeased with being compared to such a character.

“While I appreciate that cold gaze, I must correct your statement. I am merely sincerely fond of you, while that unpleasant character only looks at what you possess.”

Different? In what way? You fell for my appearance, and she fell for my divine essence.

Aren’t the roots essentially the same kind of perversion?

The world of perversion is profound. Not that I particularly want to know.

Since I felt that my mood would only worsen if I kept listening, I let the dumb fox’s words slip by and took out the necklace Isabel had given me.

What is it about this necklace that brings forth feelings of nostalgia and sadness every time I look at it?

The restless feeling of this being my emotion yet not my emotion gave me a peculiar sensation.

I wondered if Kal, the family knight, might know something about this necklace, but he shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been a member of the Alrn family for long.”

Hmm. If I wanted to learn about this necklace, my only option would be to ask Benedict.

…For now, I’ll store it in my inventory. There are more important matters to attend to than confirming this.

The last item I pulled out was the slab.

At first glance, it looked so unremarkable that I felt it should be thrown away immediately.

<What on earth is this that you would exchange such a precious gem for it? >

The old man sighed as soon as he saw the slab.

From his perspective, not knowing the true worth of the slab, it must be hard to comprehend why I exchanged a divine gem for such a stone.

But not for me.

To me, this slab was far more precious than that gem, which could only be used to fill divine essence during battle.

Why?

“This is the key.”

<Key?>

“Yes. It’s the key to obtaining the shield I desire.”

This was the trigger for acquiring an endgame-level shield.