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

Preventing Mrs. Zepar's Plot

《■■ ■ Days Remaining: 4》

《Preventing Mrs. Zepar's Plot》

《■■ Days Remaining: 3》

"Ugh... Ugh, waaaah...!"

The status window broke again.

Thanks to that, I learned once again that demons can spew rainbows from their mouths.

"Cough, ugh... Cough, cough!"

My horns, which heated up on their own, made my forehead burn as well.

Once the rainbow started spewing out, it didn't stop until my stomach was completely empty, and the throbbing dizziness finally faded away around that time.

"Ugh..."

I definitely experienced this symptom once before, didn't I?

When Esme's aunt, Colette Bloodberry, showed up at the Cosmos Academy against the main storyline, it was like this.

"... Is it a coincidence?"

I took my cold, cooled hand and rubbed it against my burning forehead. I feel alive now.

My pink pajamas that Nikea bought me are a mess, but now is not the time to worry about that.

"Murmur... Let's think calmly."

The first problem is definitely the status window, right?

It's still sending me warnings that I need to stop Mrs. Zepar's plot.

Thinking back to the duel with Aunt Colette, it would be foolish to assume that the status window is broken.

Although the text is all garbled, the information it is trying to convey to me is clear.

"The next is..."

The second problem is definitely the rainbow.

I'm speaking figuratively, but with my horns burning intensely and my physical condition worsening, I, Murmur, was clutching the toilet and throwing up rainbows.

I experienced the same symptoms when 'Aunt Colette' appeared at the Cosmos Academy, which was different from the main storyline. Back then, my horns got incredibly hot, and my stomach turned, causing me to throw up rainbows.

"... ... Aunt Colette. So, I'm just as sick now as I was when Aunt Colette showed up?"

Aunt Colette.

Mrs. Zepar's plot.

These two events have no common ground.

In the first place, Aunt Colette is a member of the Moonlight Dawn Society, who really hates demons.

Mrs. Zepar is being used by Primeordial Rex, who hates humans so much.

"... Could it be because it's different from the main storyline?"

It's just a guess, but that's the only reason I can think of right now.

The difference from Aunt Colette is that her appearance at the Academy itself is evidence that it's different from the main storyline, but Mrs. Zepar is difficult to pin down.

"... Let's check it out. I can do it, Murmur. Let's do our best, Murmur."

If Mrs. Zepar is lying to us and continuing to plot, I can't just sit by and wait for the 'Moonlight Chorus Festival' with a twinkle in my eye.

Everyone will get hurt badly.

* * *

《■■ ■'s Plot■■》

《■■ Days Remaining: 2》

"W-Wait a minute...! M-Murmur?! We have to talk to Professor Gremory...!"

"Murmur doesn't have time. Come on, Nikea."

I forcibly grabbed Nikea's hand, who was talking to Professor Gremory, who teaches Black Magic Defense, and pulled her strongly.

I'm really, really sorry, but I can't go around on my own to see if Mrs. Zepar is still plotting.

Decisively, I, Murmur, am still a 'demon kid in the 5th grade of elementary school'. Even if I find something, it will be difficult to convince Esme and Sitri.

It might be possible, but I don't want to be optimistic and think, 'Maybe it'll work out~!'

"Where... Ugh! Where are we going? Murmur?"

"Murmur and Nikea are going to check the magic circle."

"Magic circle? Who else has set up a suspicious magic circle?"

"If Murmur's hunch is right... We don't have to worry about who drew it."

Nikea stared at me with wide eyes and quickly matched my pace.

"Murmur, please explain in detail. I'll help as much as I can this time, too."

"Thanks, Nikea. But before that, Murmur has a question."

"What is it?"

"Is Mrs. Zepar cooperating?"

Nikea's silver eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"If it's about cooperating with the case where Mrs. Zepar turned herself in, then she is doing it properly. Liora is in charge of handling the legal aspects and adjustments."

"There's nothing like hidden items, refusal to testify, or suspicious evidence?"

"I haven't heard anything about that. And Liora isn't finishing the case alone, so she wouldn't be able to do that. Murmur, you're still young, so you might not know, but... there are adults from the Imperial Palace."

Nikea grumbled. She probably thinks that I'm young and a demon, so I don't know.

It's more of a prejudice, or rather, common sense.

"The adults that Chancellor Yuno sent, right?"

"... Uh, yes?"

"Nikea, you've been talking so hard, but the adults won't believe our words. They're just adults who were sent to investigate the truth, right?"

It's obvious. Nikea is a Princess and has a body mature enough to wear a bra, but she is a 5th grader in elementary school.

Her words alone won't make everything go away. The world isn't that soft.

"Murmur thinks that if it's not Chancellor Yuno, then it's Grandma Arnoldt who sent people."

"W-Wait a minute, Murmur."

Nikea, who had been following me diligently, suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly, stopped like a huge stone mountain, knelt down, and made eye contact with me.

What's going on?

"Why do you know about them, Murmur?"

"Because they're Chancellor Yuno and Intelligence Chief Arnoldt?"

"N-No, that's! Why does Murmur know about people who are involved in the politics of the Empire?"

"Murmur isn't stupid."

Actually, it's because I played the game, but.

"That's not an answer."

"Nikea knows too. Murmur can also know. There are many books in the library."

"The reason I know is because I've met them a lot since I was little..."

"There's an advisory council in the Empire. It's not hard to memorize the names of the positions. There are only six? It's like memorizing the names of your favorite animals."

Nikea bit her lip and looked at me with confused eyes.

"And if Murmur is eating alone, everyone points fingers at first, then ignores me. And then they start talking. Then I can hear a lot of stories."

"... ... I'm sorry, Murmur. I misunderstood."

It's obvious what she misunderstood.

She must be surprised that I, a demon, know so much about the politics of the Empire.

"Come to think of it, even I, who's also in the 5th grade, know these stories. Esme and Sitri probably know too..."

"It's okay. Murmur is a demon."

"N-No, it's not! I was just being overly sensitive! So, I'm sorry! Murmur!"

Nikea hugged me tightly around my waist and rubbed her cheeks against mine.

"Ughhh...! N-Nikea, I can't br-breathe...!"

"I-I'm really! Really! I'm sorry, so I did that."

Nikea's chest is soft, but it's really hard to breathe when she hugs me so tightly.

"It's okay. Murmur and Nikea are very different. You can misunderstand. But if you apologize like this, we can become closer."

"Murmur, you're so kind. Thank you for forgiving me."

Nikea patted my horns and got up.

Anyway, it's not just her fault that Nikea showed such a surprised reaction.

I was also in a hurry, so I said something that wasn't like a 5th grader in elementary school.

It's all sorted out, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?

"Anyway, to get back to the story, Murmur's right. The advisory council sent people."

"If Mrs. Zepar did something suspicious, would they know?"

"Hmm... At least if she was openly uncooperative by hiding evidence or refusing to testify, Liora would have told us."

As expected, there's something fishy.

Moving my little feet diligently,Nikea and I finally arrived at an open space about 100 steps away from the 'Terra Hall' where we usually take classes.

"Is the magic circle here?"

"Murmur hopes it isn't."

Mrs. Zepar's magic circles are four in total, but their locations are randomly determined from eight places.

If we don't find it here, we'll have to wander around the other eight places again, so for now, we came to the magic circle that was closest.

It wasn't here last time.

"But to think that someone would set up a magic circle around such large trees and bushes... It's bold."

"Changelings can change their appearance."

Nikea sighed. At the same time, I, who had been feeling the ground, found the magic circle. Judging by the way it's emitting light when I infuse mana into it, it's the same one that was inscribed with Lunarine.

Moreover, it's only been drawn a day ago.

"... It's the same magic circle?"

Nikea, without me even explaining, looked at me with a pale face.

"H-How can this be? We went around the Academy with Mrs. Zepar last time and removed all the magic circles that Primeordial Rex had set up, right?"

"The magic circle was inscribed again in the last two days."

"The location is different, but the same magic circle was inscribed again, right? Murmur? I'm confident in my memory, so even if I don't know much about magic, I can tell right away that the shape of the drawing is the same."

"Yeah, it's the same magic circle that can summon the gatekeeper demon 'Gabriel'."

Nikea covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh my god... Wh-Who is doing this evil and insane thing again?"

"It's Mrs. Zepar."

"M-Mrs. Zepar? That can't be!"

Nikea grabbed my shoulders.

"Murmur, think about it. Mrs. Zepar turned herself in that day. We made happy memories together! And she cried while holding you."

"Murmur remembers it too."

"She said she was thankful that we reminded her of the memories with her daughter, and she happily agreed to my proposal and cooperated. She handed over all the Lunarine stored in the guild, and she paid a huge fine!"

"Nikea..."

"I-It doesn't make sense! She erased all the magic circles she had painstakingly drawn! And she's cooperating with the investigation now!"

I pointed to the magic circle on the ground with my finger.

"A magic circle that can only be checked by infusing mana can't be set up without 'Lunarine'."

"B-But... that's somehow..."

"Nikea. Think about it. Primeordial Rex had all the magic circles that Mrs. Zepar had drawn in the Academy disappear because she suddenly turned herself in."

It's a bit of a simple story.

"In that situation, would they go out of their way to set up another magic circle?"

"Ugh..."

"There's only one person who can reassure them that it's okay to set up the magic circle again, and who can provide Lunarine as it is."

"But it doesn't make sense! Murmur! People from the Imperial Palace are investigating, so how can she carry out such a plot?"

I shook my head.

"Nikea. Think differently. Until Murmur showed you this magic circle, did you think that Mrs. Zepar had other intentions?"

"Ah, uh... Ugh, well, that's because she turned herself in and is cooperating..."

"It's darkest under the candlestick."

Nikea lowered her head and ground her teeth so hard that it made a noise.

"... I understand, Murmur. I'll talk to the adults again."

"Okay, I'm counting on you."

If we're lucky, Mrs. Zepar's plot will be suppressed enough by the power of the adults from the Imperial Palace.

But, I don't feel comfortable. There's even an unresolved question in my head.

"But Murmur... Why is Mrs. Zepar plotting such a scary plot again?"

"Murmur doesn't know either. I'm curious about that."

"She was definitely moved that day and turned herself in. So why isn't she giving up?"

Nikea sighed deeply with a bitter expression.

"I don't want to say such a cruel thing, but... it seems we couldn't become Mrs. Zepar's Phenex after all."

"Murmur doesn't think so."

That can't be.

That event where we make that soft and fluffy dessert is part of the main storyline!

The reward it gives is just 'Cooking Lv. 1' with no experience points or combat skills, but the main storyline where you can make happy memories with the heroines is the main storyline! It's a happy ending!

It can't be wrong.

Mrs. Zepar knows what kind of results her good deeds of 50 years have brought. She knows that she has a lot of students who are as precious as her own daughter.

I don't want to coldly tear that good story apart by saying that Murmur can't heal the pain of losing her Phenex.

...

Huh?

"...Huh?"

"Murmur? What's wrong?"

"Nikea... Murmur has a question. Answer me. Honestly."

Nikea nodded.

"Is there anyone among the people Nikea knows who would praise Murmur?"

"Huh? Uh... O-Of course there is! There's Esme and Sitri, right?"

"But Esme and Sitri can't be close to Mrs. Zepar, can they?"

Esme hated demons before she met me in the first place. After that, she said she never went to Piglet House.

Sitri has been so attached to me since we became friends that she even tried to come into the same toilet stall, so she didn't have time to brag about me to Mrs. Sitri.

"Ah, uh... Um, that's... Ah, hahaha... ... I'm sorry."

"There isn't, is there? Murmur doesn't think there is."

"Yes, that's right. The professors also intentionally don't talk about Murmur. Especially... you know."

"Because Aunt Colette called Murmur 'a descendant of the Demon God'?"

"Yes, that's right. So, they can say bad things... but I don't think they would praise you."

Descendant of the Demon God.

It might be used as praise among demons, but the demons of the 'New-Helheim Club' don't step out of that neighborhood.

That's why Mrs. Zepar was nice to me.

No, I was 'mistaken' to think that.

Now that I think about it, it's strange. Why didn't I notice this?

Was it because of Nikea's greeting at the start of the event? She said something completely different from the main storyline, but I didn't feel suspicious.

"There's no one who would praise Murmur, right?"

"Yes... I'm sorry for saying such a cruel thing."

Let's think back.

『"Of course. We could always hear stories of Murmur-nim's activities to save her friends in the kitchen."』

No matter how I think about it, it's strange.

I can think that way because I only have Sitri and Esme around me, but no. That can't be.

Murmur is a demon.

If I'm misunderstood, I can't become gossip fodder for my friends' enjoyable snack time.

"Nikea, do you think the friends at the Academy would bother to praise Murmur at Piglet House?"

"... ... ... Ughhh, I don't think so."

"Even if Murmur was active, they wouldn't really talk about it, right?"

"... Yes, they would... say bad things, I think. I actually hear it a lot."

"Then, Nikea."

I grabbed Nikea's sleeve tightly.

"Who did Mrs. Zepar hear Murmur's stories from?"

"Didn't she say she heard it in the kitchen? Then it's naturally from the kitchen... wait?"

"That's why Murmur asked. There aren't any kids who would go around talking good things about Murmur."

"Uh... ..."

"It's not Esme either. It's not Sitri. The demons of New-Helheim never go to Piglet House. The kids at the Academy wouldn't praise Murmur."

Nikea seemed to have reached the same truth as me, as she slightly opened her mouth and looked down at me.

"Who was it that excitedly told Mrs. Zepar about Murmur's 'activities'?"

"Oh my god..."

"Why does Mrs. Zepar call Murmur 'Murmur-nim'?"

It seems that the rainbow and the broken status window are evidence that the main storyline has been twisted.