Clack, clack, clack, clack...
Shima Izuki said nothing more. She walked around Hikari Matsuda and headed towards a wooden door on the side.
Click.
"Phew~"
As the door closed, Hikari Matsuda let out a sigh of relief.
When she and Madoka were first approached by this woman, the woman was only slightly taller than her—about the same height as Madoka.
The last few times she came to retrieve the "inhibitors," the woman was always sitting opposite the table, so Hikari Matsuda hadn't noticed the change. Now, with the woman standing in front of her again, she was over half a head taller.
Previously, she could see her at eye level, but now she had to look up. This automatically created a unique pressure in Hikari Matsuda's mind, making her heart pound when the woman was close. Furthermore, the woman's expression just now subconsciously conveyed a sense of danger, making it hard for her to speak.
Fortunately, Shima Izuki didn't seem to hold a grudge, or Hikari Matsuda would have found herself in a difficult situation.
"Enhancing physical constitution? Does that just mean strengthening the body?" Hikari Matsuda muttered, looking at the dark purple square box in her hands.
After a while, Hikari Matsuda secured the box, preparing to go back and tell Madoka about the day's events.
"Phew~ Finally finished. It seems my cooking skills have definitely declined. I'm not as quick as I used to be."
Alistair set down the last dish, pulled up a chair, and rested for a bit. He wiggled his fingers, recalling the feeling of cooking, and sighed to himself.
Alistair hadn't made many dishes—just some simple, home-style food, three dishes and one soup in total. Since people in Japan mostly eat relatively light food, Alistair only made mapo tofu, which was spicy. Alistair liked spicy food before he transmigrated, but he could accept light food too, so he wasn't picky about the local cuisine.
Alistair got up, walked to the refrigerator, took out two cans of juice, and placed them on the table. Perhaps because Rimono Momoki liked sweets, most of the drinks in the refrigerator were tea-based; only a corner held a few cans of juice. Tea drinks help wash away excessive sweetness, preventing one from getting too tired of desserts.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap...
The sound of slippers hitting the wooden floor signaled the arrival of a beautiful, full-figured silhouette wearing a sheer, lacy negligee.
"Rested enough after half an hour?" Alistair opened a can of chilled juice, walked over, and handed it to Rimono Momoki, who was still slightly squinting, to help her wake up.
"Koan... Senpai... I thought you had already left..." Rimono Momoki seemed to be half-asleep and slightly bewildered. She naturally reached out and took the chilled juice Alistair offered, gulping down a mouthful.
"Hiss—"
The chilled juice, just out of the refrigerator, was excellent for waking one up. A mouthful of cold, sweet and sour juice slid down her throat to her stomach, and the icy sensation quickly spread throughout her body, clearing her mind considerably.
"Do you want to go take a shower first?" Alistair examined Rimono Momoki's entire body. The marks left by his unrestrained ravaging were clearly visible, and there were still some milky white traces remaining on her calves. He figured the area below hadn't been cleaned either, and it would be quite uncomfortable once it dried and became sticky.
"A little later, I want to eat something first. I feel so hungry." Rimono Momoki leaned slightly, resting her forehead on Alistair's chest, her tone carrying a hint of a playful plea.
"Alright, let's eat something first. I've already prepared it. Come, have some congee." Alistair didn't refuse Rimono Momoki's approach. He was no heartless scumbag; he was just an extremely benevolent Pure Love Battle God (big mistake), after all.
Alistair led Rimono Momoki to the dining table, pulled out a chair for her, and placed a few side dishes in front of her. The main dishes and soup were placed in the center of the table. He then served her a bowl of congee.
Alistair had made rice, but seeing Rimono Momoki's slightly dazed state, congee would be easier for her to consume. When Alistair himself was fuzzy-headed, he preferred congee—it was convenient, easy, and he was less likely to do something foolish like poke his eye with a chopstick. Since Rimono Momoki was already somewhat spacey, Alistair chose congee for her.
Rimono Momoki, still a bit dazed, didn't question the table full of food and slowly drank the congee, following what she vaguely remembered.
Soon, both had finished eating. However, Rimono Momoki looked so out of it that Alistair worried she might pass out in the bathtub. So, he helped her wash up, and only after she had fallen asleep again did he leave.
"Thank goodness Masaki still plans on attending class; otherwise, this would have been a hassle." Alistair looked at the dry semi-circle of floor outside the door, sighing with relief.
When Alistair left, it was already past one and almost two o'clock. Afternoon classes in Japan started at one, but they also finished much earlier, usually around two. The time after that was dedicated to club activities. Masaki probably went back to class because he figured Rimono Momoki wouldn't return soon. Rimono Momoki mentioned that Masaki was quite keen on studying, even if his talent wasn't great.
Alistair, by contrast, had no worries. It didn't matter if he went to university or not. He had more than enough family wealth to squander. As long as he avoided gambling, drugs, and high finance, he wouldn't run out of money in two or three lifetimes. And since the wealth had been passed down for generations, there were bound to be some trustworthy people around. He could just let them manage the family assets.
Moreover, if the current situation developed normally, by the time he was in his twenties or thirties, he should have completed his transformation, achieved a leap in life, and ascended to a transcendent being. Species like demons live for thousands of years. Since he was using demonic power for life ascension, even if he ended up becoming a demon, he would still have achieved transcendence, wouldn't he?
However, Alistair was also curious if human transcendent beings existed. But since he hadn't truly encountered any transcendent life forms (if Eight-Foot Lady wasn't counted), he had limited means to learn about this area. He dared not go to the subspecies districts, so he could only continue to coast along in the human world (shrugging.jpg).
Besides, his grandfather was quite mysterious, and Alistair didn't know what he did. He owned a plethora of companies, and the ring he wore was sent by his grandfather. If someone claimed his grandfather knew nothing, Alistair would dismiss it as a lie for children.
His parents were also a mystery. They inexplicably passed away. Alistair had been gradually absorbing his old memories, but memories involving his parents were scarce, and he didn't even have a mental image of their appearance, which was absurd. What was even more absurd was that their cause of death was simply an accident. What accident? Unknown. Unclear.
The answers Alistair received when he questioned Chiaki's parents were similar, yet they didn't seem to find anything amiss. When asked what his parents looked like, they only said they were very good-looking, and that was all. He couldn't even get their specific names. It was just weird. Something completely abnormal was treated as perfectly normal by them.
Based on this alone, his grandfather felt like no simple figure. After all, according to them, his grandfather entrusted them with caring for Alistair after his parents' accident, meaning Alistair was with his parents before that. Yet, he had no relevant memories...
"Ugh~ I shouldn't think about this too much. Anyway, I have nothing that others would covet. Even the family assets are merely byproducts of my identity. I might as well enjoy life, and let the life leap happen naturally."
Alistair sighed, put aside his complex thoughts, opened his umbrella, and walked out.
"Hmm? Is that... Senior Hikari Matsuda? What is she holding? That familiar dark purple color."
Alistair was walking on the street towards the train station when he saw a familiar figure. He looked closely and recognized the senior student, Hikari Matsuda, who had left abruptly earlier. He was about to greet her when he noticed a flash of dark purple sticking out of her shoulder bag. Surprised, he held his tongue. Hikari Matsuda, unaware of Alistair, walked towards the train station.
"Hmm... maybe it's a coincidence? An illusion?" Alistair rubbed his chin. He felt it was unlikely that Senior Hikari Matsuda also had such a strange hobby as Rimono Momoki. It might just be his illusion, but Alistair was sure he shouldn't be mistaken...
Clang!
"Yo, Senior Takamine, I'm back."
Alistair pushed open the door to the Student Council room. His lazy voice interrupted what he assumed was the quiet, focused work of the Student Council. Unfortunately, no one was working; they were having afternoon tea.
"Junior Koan is here! Come, come! You've just made it for afternoon tea. Today, we have small pastries everyone made themselves. Come and try them." Seeing Alistair arrive, Senior Shizuku Hatsufuji, sitting by the meeting area surrounded by sofas, gestured to him with a genuinely warm smile.
"So enthusiastic! Senior Hatsufuji, are you interested in our Junior Koan? Trying to start a real-life older woman-younger man romance?" Seeing the obvious change in Shizuku Hatsufuji's expression, Yuka Tachibana teased her.
"Eh? Was I?" Hearing Yuka Tachibana's teasing, Shizuku Hatsufuji paused, asking in a slightly bewildered tone.
"Yes, you were. Before, your expression was always calm. But ever since Junior Koan—I mean—Junior Koan arrived, you've become much more enthusiastic." Anna Shinomiya agreed, almost saying Alistair's first name, but fortunately, she corrected herself in time, avoiding an awkward explanation.
"Hmm... Don't you all think Junior Koan gives off a great feeling?" Shizuku Hatsufuji spoke a "crazy line" that almost made those eating choke.
"Senior Hatsufuji, even if you and I are friends, you shouldn't say things that can be so easily misinterpreted." Alistair was a bit speechless. Her words were indeed prone to misunderstanding.
"I thought you were all busy. I didn't expect you'd have time for afternoon tea... What's this?" Alistair looked at the leisurely group and couldn't help but feel like complaining. Then, he noticed a flyer placed on the table. The color of the flyer was dark purple.