Chapter 64: The Simp’s First Step

Monday Afternoon. The Library.

I decided to observe the chaos from a safe distance.

I sat at a table in the main reading area, hidden behind a stack of books, with a clear line of sight to the glass-walled Study Room 4.

Inside, the tragedy was unfolding.

Martin Luke was sitting there, wearing his best (and slightly too tight) vest, his hair slicked back with so much gel it looked like a helmet. He was sweating profusely.

Opposite him sat Roxy, Maya’s best friend.

Roxy was a sharp-looking girl with short, choppy brown hair and eyes like flint. She wore the standard uniform but had customized it with leather bracers. Her dual short swords were resting on the table, right next to her notebook. A clear threat.

Maya sat between them, looking like she wanted to teleport away.

I couldn’t hear them, but I could read lips thanks to my [Observation] skill.

Martin: “So… Miss Roxy… I heard you like… knives?”

Roxy: (Stares at him in silence for five seconds) “They are short swords. And I use them to dismantle beasts. And creeps.”

Martin: (Gulps) “R-Right! Dismantle! Cool! I… uh… I like wind magic! I can make… breezes?”

Roxy: “Fascinating. Can you make a breeze strong enough to blow yourself out of this room?”

Maya: (Facepalms) “Roxy, be nice! He’s… helping us with theory.”

Roxy:

“He looks like he’s trying to remember how to breathe, Maya. Is this the ’genius’? The guy who looks like a greased otter?”

I had to cover my mouth to stop from laughing aloud. Martin was crashing and burning faster than a goblin in a volcano.

But then, something interesting happened.

Martin, clearly realizing his ’cool guy’ act wasn’t working, panicked. He grabbed a textbook.

Martin: “Look! The… uh… the mana flow in this diagram! It’s wrong!”

Roxy narrowed her eyes. She looked at the book.

Roxy: “What? That’s the standard textbook.”

Martin: “Yeah, but… Alex—I mean, my friend—showed me! See this curve? It causes resistance! If you route the mana through the elbow joint instead of the wrist, you get 10% more speed!”

He frantically drew a diagram on a piece of paper, mimicking the “physics lesson” I had given Maya.

Roxy looked at the drawing. Her expression shifted from disgust to confusion, then to contemplation. She picked up a pen and traced the line.

Roxy: “…That actually makes sense. The elbow acts as a fulcrum.”

She looked at Martin. For the first time, she didn’t look like she wanted to stab him.

Roxy: “You figured this out?”

Martin: “Uh… yes! Absolutely! My brain! It is… large!”

Roxy: “Hmph. Not bad for an otter.”

She leaned back, crossing her arms.

Roxy: “Fine. You can stay. But if you stare at my chest, I take a finger.”

Martin: “Understood! I will stare at the table! The table is beautiful!”

I sat back, impressed.

“The idiot actually survived,” I muttered. “He used my knowledge to survive the initial aggro check.”

[System Notification: Sub-Event Complete – ’The Simp’s First Step’.]

[Reward: Unit Cohesion Increased.][Martin is now indebted to you (again).]

I stood up to leave the library, thoroughly satisfied that my ’friend’ had taken the first successful step toward keeping himself alive and out of my hair.

As I walked down the grand, sunlit corridors of the Academy, my mind immediately shifted back to the real threat. Finding the remaining three Demon’s Nails.

’If I can’t find the Rat… maybe I should just make the Rat come looking for me.’

I was so lost in my scheming that I almost didn’t register the high-pitched shout echoing down the hall.

“Ah! Oh my god! Sir Alex! Sir Alex!”

My thoughts shattered.

Someone was charging at me at full sprint. My [Agility: 8] and [Enemy Detection] flared to life. I instinctively shifted my weight, preparing to pivot and counter.

’Who is it? A second-year student? Did they come for revenge after the practical evaluation?’

I braced myself, my mana coiling in my arm to unleash a kinetic blast.

But the incoming projectile didn’t swing a fist or cast a spell. Instead, it threw its arms wide open and practically launched itself into my chest.

Oof.

Before I could even process what was happening, a soft, incredibly warm weight snuggled deep into my embrace. A clean, fresh scent—like sun-dried cotton and vanilla—tickled my nostrils.

At the same time, a cheerful, breathless voice echoed right against my collarbone.

“Oh my god! Sir Alex! It’s so wonderful to finally see you here!”

…An angelic being was currently burying her face in my chest.

With a bewildered look, I lowered my hands from their combat stance and observed the situation.

She had a halo of soft, fluffy blonde hair and a radiant, purely innocent aura that practically illuminated the gloomy hallway. She looked like a literal angel who had just fallen from the sky.

However, as a cultured man who never wastes an opportunity, the very first thing I did was take advantage of the situation. Instead of pushing her away, I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged this beautiful girl even closer.

Squish.

Her chest was impressively voluminous, completely hidden by her loose robe until she pressed against me. The soft, heavy mounds flattened deliciously against my ribs.

She let out a soft “Eep!” as I squeezed her waist, suddenly realizing the sheer physical intimacy of her tackle-hug. She quickly pushed herself back, her cheeks turning a brilliant shade of cherry red. We were standing in the middle of the hallway, looking exactly like a pair of long-lost lovers having a dramatic reunion.

She seemed intensely interested in me. After taking a step back, her sparkling golden eyes rapidly scanned my uniform, widening in surprise.

“Sir Alex! Sir Alex, are you wearing the Magic Department crest?!”

I nodded my head slowly, still trying to figure out who this girl was.

Her small mouth formed a perfect ’O’ of surprise.

“Uh… Ah, well! Um… but you’re…!”

She began to stammer rapidly, her hands fluttering in the air as her brain short-circuited trying to process her thoughts. Fearing she might literally bite her tongue off, I raised a hand.

“Calm down. Breathe.”

“Oh! Yes! Th-Thank you!”

Hah… phew.

The girl took a deep, exaggerated breath, clenched her small fists in front of her chest, and opened her mouth again.

“Sir Alex! I watched your performance from the observation deck during the combat training earlier today! And I must say, I was so incredibly impressed! You are so good at magic! But… aren’t you the Heir of the Edelhart family? Why did you drop the sword for a wand? Is it because of your condition?”

In an instant, three rapid-fire questions were directed at me.

She clearly knew the original owner of this body. But what confused me was her attitude. Since I woke up in this world, she was the absolute first person from my ’past’ to approach me with such genuine, unfiltered kindness.

I glanced at her uniform. She was wearing the standard Magic Department robes, but they looked brand new. On her silver name tag, there was only one word written:

[Emma]

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