I Became a Demon Who Can Never Be Headpatted in the Academy?!

Nikea, having learned that Mrs. Zepar's motive was to reunite with her deceased daughter, promised us without hesitation that she would persuade the middle school vice-headmaster.

Nikea's judgment was not wrong. If she could persuade the faculty, they could surely stop Mrs. Zepar's plot.

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring good news, Murmur..."

Nikea, who had confidently entered the Venus Hall, returned to us with a dark cloud over her face.

"It's okay. Nikea did her best. Murmur knows that."

"Still... I spoke so confidently, and I don't know what a shameful sight this is."

Nikea crouched down in front of us, holding her knees with a dejected expression.

Indeed, our Princess, full of anger and a sense of justice, was amazing.

I even momentarily cheered her on, knowing that it wouldn't be resolved this way.

Still, Nikea, who had worked hard, was so adorable that I diligently stroked her silver hair.

"Did they really not believe a single word of our story?"

"I was expecting this to happen. I should have made some evidence to persuade them."

Normally, Nikea would have shouted that she couldn't do that, but now she was just crouching down, clutching her knees.

"But why did you go to persuade the middle school vice-headmaster?"

"Esme... the elementary school vice-headmaster is currently away. The professors told us this information at the start of the semester."

"Ah..."

Esme, who really didn't know, stuck out her tongue and laughed very cutely.

Honestly, unless it's a special case like Sitri or Nikea, it's a bit strange for an ordinary student to know whether the vice-headmaster is in their office or on a business trip.

"Because I'm incompetent... I told them what Murmur worked so hard to find, and many students will get hurt."

"No, Nikea really did her best."

It's sad to say to Nikea, but Mrs. Zepar's plot will never be resolved this way.

Logically speaking, to the adults of the Academy, the faculty, no matter how much Nikea and I talk about magic circles, even if we discover them, they won't try to investigate Mrs. Zepar.

My words will be seen as the absurd delusions of a demon race kid without any evidence, and Nikea's words will be seen as an excuse and justification for Nikea, who needs to investigate the New-Hellheim club.

"We have another way. Cheer up, Nikea."

Nikea nodded and rubbed her head against my palm.

Even though her body is that of a middle school student, her heart is still that of a fifth-grader.

If you can't do what you want and everything you think is right is blocked, you can't help but feel depressed.

"Ugh... I want to be stroked by Murmur-nim next time..."

Sitri, pouting her lips, is also cute.

"How about telling the Holy Kingdom?"

"Even if the story is well conveyed to the Inquisition, it will clearly take more than ten days for them to arrive here."

"What if the story doesn't go well?"

"We'll hear the same thing in ten days, that it didn't go well."

"Ugh! Then it's meaningless!!"

Esme shook her head back and forth.

"Is there another way? Murmur? Honestly... I don't think we have a way to stop this dangerous situation."

I smiled for now.

There were many ways to stop Mrs. Zepar's plot, as the fun of Leoa was that one quest could be solved in various ways.

There was a method I had been planning since last time, but I wondered if it would go well.

"There is an easy and simple method that Esme, who is still a child, doesn't know."

"Sitri and I! We're the same age?!"

The method Sitri mentioned is the easiest and fastest Demon King route method, which means that any means are good as long as Mrs. Zepar is killed.

As expected of a child who thinks anything can be bought with money, she thinks it's okay to just eliminate her.

"I don't like the method Sitri thought of."

"I always intend to follow the method Murmur-nim thinks of."

Whether it's possible or not, if we choose to kill Mrs. Zepar, the 'Starlight Alley,' where the children's laughter never stopped, will change strangely.

As the Chronicle House Merchant Association led by the woman collapses, the liveliness disappears, and by the time we reach the high school chapter, even the Milky Way, where Nikea and Esme forced me to wear a sheep pajama, closes down.

As many choices are given to the player, the feedback is also clear.

Honestly, even if I'm forced to wear the sheep pajamas again, I want to end this story with a happy ending.

"Murmur doesn't know what everyone thinks."

I stroked Nikea's head and continued speaking.

"But Mrs. Zepar isn't a bad person."

"...Can you say that? The woman has already made a dessert with Lunarine to carry out a terrifying plot."

"Yes, it's true she's doing bad things. But Sitri also knows, Mrs. Zepar's wish itself can't be called bad."

She wants to meet her deceased daughter again.

It's the pain she's buried in her heart for 50 years.

Nikea and Esme may not know that pain, but Sitri does.

Sitri, the adopted daughter of the Duchess of Crimsonbrand, cannot turn a blind eye to this story.

"... ...I also think so, which is why I'm saying this."

Sitri tightly grasped the hem of my skirt.

"Murmur-nim. Desire has the power to make humans do anything."

"Sitri is saying that you can't stop Mrs. Zepar, who has begun to waver because of that desire, right?"

"Yes, I know it's a really cruel and unromantic thing to say. But this is reality."

"Murmur knows that too. That's why Murmur is going to use Mrs. Zepar's wish. If things go well, Mrs. Zepar's crime will end with making a delicious dessert with Lunarine."

Nikea looked up at me with a surprised expression.

"Murmur? What do you mean?"

"Primeordial Rex is deceiving Mrs. Zepar."

"Murmur-nim... we can't say that those guys are deceiving the woman. Mrs. Zepar isn't a fool? It's right to assume that she thinks there is a way to summon a demon 'for sure'."

I shook my head.

"That's not it, Sitri. They deceived her about Mrs. Zepar's wish itself."

It would be a solution that's high in difficulty and even the reward is very ordinary, but it doesn't matter.

Let's proceed as planned.

Mrs. Zepar can smile.

Nikea and Sitri won't fight either.

Other students can also smile.

It's not the standard hero route, nor is it the Demon King route's ultimate strategy, but so what?

Murmur will walk the path where everyone becomes happy.

"You said the wish itself...?"

"Mrs. Zepar isn't a fool like Sitri says. She knows how ridiculous a price she has to pay to meet her own daughter again. And her true nature is definitely not that evil."

I looked into Sitri's eyes.

"It's just that she was shaken by the fact that someone arbitrarily took out the wish she had buried in her heart for a long time and said they would fulfill it. That's what Murmur thinks."

"...If a fortune of ten million gold suddenly fell from the sky, anyone would develop desires they didn't have. You can't call that desire the essence of that person."

"Murmur will persuade Mrs. Zepar together with everyone."

Sitri pondered, touching her lips with her left hand.

"The story that she treats us like her own children... that's right. It's not fake. How much love has she shown to so many students at the Academy for 50 years!"

"Yes, Mrs. Zepar is a really good grandmother. If we persuade her, she will surely listen."

Sitri looked at me with anxious eyes.

"Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Yes, first I need Sitri's help."

"Just tell me anything."

"Murmur is going to make desserts with friends. Lots and lots!"

I raised both hands high to show a huge mountain.

"...Huh?"

The power I'm borrowing from Sitri isn't originally used for this.

It's used to disrupt the children lining up at Piglet House by showering them with desserts in the name of the 'Crimson Nexus' Merchant Association. That's the standard way. After all, she's the heroine of the Demon King route.

But this time, I'm going to do something cuter and softer.

"Tell Mrs. Zepar in the name of the Crimson Nexus Merchant Association that we want to help because they are doing good things at Piglet House."

"You mean you're going to hold an event where all the participating children can make and eat delicious desserts? I've heard that Mrs. Zepar used to do that often."

"Yes, Mrs. Zepar can't refuse."

For her, in a situation where she can barely feed 100 people a day, the Crimson Nexus Merchant Association is suddenly offering to hold a dessert event where she can feed 200, 300, or 400 people at once.

She can only feel that good fortune has arrived.

"What happens after that?"

"We'll participate and work hard to make desserts too. Mrs. Zepar will make desserts together with us, whom she has loved like her own children all this time."

Nikea nodded.

"After the event, we'll persuade Mrs. Zepar. We don't have evidence, but we have a story."

"For Mrs. Zepar, it's like we know all the progress of her plan. In simple terms, it's like she's being given a final chance to confess."

"...And the opponent is Nikea. Even if Mrs. Zepar fights with all her heart, Nikea can overpower her with strength."

Nikea coughed awkwardly. She would want to consider such violence only as a last resort.

"Murmur is going to give Mrs. Zepar a chance to make everything that happened so far as if it didn't happen."

"How? In fact, what if Mrs. Zepar says she won't plot anymore and... although it's unlikely... what if she betrays us?"

Esme is being a bit sharp.

"We'll erase the four magic circles in the Academy together with Mrs. Zepar. After that, we'll take the secret syrup with Lunarine that she used to put in the desserts at Piglet House as proof of our promise."

"If there are no magic circles, she won't be able to summon a demon!"

"And if we confiscate the Lunarine that was going into the desserts, she'll also lack mana."

"In other words, Mrs. Zepar will be handing us all the ways to achieve her wish?"

I nodded.

"If that happens, Mrs. Zepar's pain in her heart can be buried again."

"No, Murmur. It's not that we're burying the pain, it's that we're healing it."

Nikea, with a proud expression, stroked my head and then looked at Sitri.

"Sitri, can you help us make Murmur's plan a reality? If it requires a lot of money, I'll help too."

"Hmph! Who do you think I am to talk about money? It's a chance to raise the name of our merchant association, so this much is a natural investment!"

Sitri snorted and then came to me and began stroking my head out of sync with Nikea.

...What is this? Why is there a sudden flow of head-stroking?

"Murmur, you're amazing! You came up with a plan that can make everyone happy without hurting anyone."

"As expected of my respected Murmur-nim! I'll stroke your horns!"

"You came up with an incredibly cute solution!"

"Ugh... it's okay to stroke me, but please everyone, do your best when we persuade Mrs. Zepar later."

What kind of desserts should we make? Since it's something the kids will be making together, maybe cake would be good.

But cake is too difficult, so maybe cookies would be better? This is a surprisingly happy worry!