"Ugh, hmm..."

"Did you sleep well?"

"...?"

Perhaps it was because she had been exhausted?

Having slept for nearly a whole day, Orca looked confused and disoriented.

I had expected her to be sleep-deprived due to her insomnia, but...

I didn't think she'd sleep all day.

Thanks to that, I had to stay at the academy for a day until she woke up.

It was more comfortable than I thought.

...Maybe I should just sell my studio apartment and live here since I don't have much to do at home anyway?

Meals are provided at the academy, so that's enough.

With the principal's kindness, it might not be a bad idea.

But I needed to put aside my personal thoughts for now.

For now, it was better to focus on the Orca in front of me.

To divert my distracted thoughts, I took a sip of coffee from the mug and spoke to Orca.

"How long do you plan to sleep, student? I was worried you were dead."

"...Slept? I did?"

"Well, yes. You must be thirsty from sleeping so much, let me get you some water. Drink it slowly."

She seemed surprised that she had slept.

I handed her a glass of water as she still looked disoriented from waking up.

"...Thanks."

"?!"

I was shocked to hear her say thank you so easily, expecting her to curse me out and tell me to get lost.

For Orca to accept someone's kindness so easily was unheard of.

Did sleeping well make her more docile?

"What's with that look? Is it so surprising that I said thank you?"

"No, it's just..."

"Forget it. Give me that."

Orca roughly took the water from my hand, opened the lid, and drank it in a rough manner.

...Maybe I shouldn't have reacted.

I regret losing the rare docile version of Orca.

Even though I wanted to beat the ground and regret it, I could only shed tears in my heart because of the Orca in front of me.

"...Nothing happened?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did anything happen?"

After drinking all the water, she seemed to feel a wave of anxiety.

Orca asked me, trying to hide her anxiety.

It was like someone who had blacked out from drinking and was anxious about what they might have done the previous night.

Seeing that made me want to tease her a bit...

But I decided to hold back here.

If she got really angry, she might never want to see me again.

Even if I told her honestly that the demon in her body couldn't do anything anymore, she wouldn't believe me.

So, I decided to tell a white lie.

"Nothing happened."

"That can't be..."

"Come on, you were just sleeping like the dead. Maybe it's because of that expensive thing I bought?"

"...Expensive thing?"

Gotcha.

I knew she'd be interested in something that suddenly popped up.

I grinned brightly, as if I wanted to boast about the expensive item I bought.

"Yes! Would you like to smell this scent?"

"Ah, no need..."

"Come on, don't say that! Please!"

Times like these, you have to push forward with momentum.

With that determination, I leaned in towards Orca, probably a bit too much, causing her to fluster and speak.

"W-wait. You're too close! Back off!"

"Oh, come on...! You have to see this!"

"Alright, alright, just back off! You're too close!"

"Ah?"

Too close?

Hearing something unexpected, I looked down at my body blankly.

Indeed, as Orca said, my chest was touching her leg.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I got too excited."

Ugh, this is annoying.

The most inconvenient thing after becoming a woman is this.

My chest is unnecessarily big.

It was quite a hassle to get used to it initially, and even after getting used to it, it's still troublesome at times.

Just like now, acting as I used to sometimes leads to awkward situations.

Orca doesn't seem to like physical contact much.

...I hope she's not angry.

Feeling the awkward atmosphere, I glanced at her and saw her sighing before speaking.

"...So? What's so special about this scent that you're making a fuss over it?"

Thank goodness.

She's not angry.

Maybe it's because she slept well and is in a good mood?

Orca seemed to take it lightly.

"Ahem, this scent is...! It's a luxury among luxuries! Just hearing the price will make your imagination soar!"

"...Is it some kind of relic or something?"

"Well, as a matter of fact...!"

That's a lie.

There's no way I could afford a relic.

This is just a top-quality scent from a commoner's perspective.

Even though it has magical effects, it's nothing compared to a relic that costs more than a house.

Even if I used all the jewels the principal gave me, I couldn't buy one.

Most relics are reclaimed by the royal family, so acquiring one is difficult... according to the lore.

"This is a relic that helps stabilize the mind and body!"

Relics are like in-game items.

You know, those +12 blood-soaked magic swords.

In the game system, even a twig is treated as an item.

Among those items, ones with special or particularly strong characteristics are called relics.

Most are end-game items.

Of course, not only weapons and armor but also items needed to progress the main story are often relics.

Naturally, relics are very strong, but they aren't without their drawbacks.

Since they're called relics, they are supposed to have been made long ago, so they need an expert appraisal to understand their use.

Not all found relics are guaranteed to be genuine.

...In other words, they're unappraised items. A kind of gacha.

Even though it's a solo game, repeatedly collecting relics to get what you want wasn't a pleasant experience.

So why am I suddenly talking about this?

"Stabilizes the mind and body...?"

"Yes. They say that being around this scent stabilizes mana and can calm curses. I haven't tested it, but they say it works on demons too."

"...!"

Relics need to be appraised by expert NPCs.

Ordinary people don't know if something is a relic.

There's even a side quest about catching a scammer who exploits this to cheat people.

And Orca can't interact with appraisal NPCs.

...In other words, she has no choice but to believe me if I say it's a relic.

Even a high-priced scent can be passed off as a relic.

Of course, if it doesn't show any effects, she'd know it's a lie...

But she's already experienced the effects, hasn't she?

She slept all day without any incidents.

The Hayes she knows would never miss an opportunity.

Just the fact that she wasn't surrounded by chaos or imprisoned proves its effectiveness.

It's impossible for her not to believe.

"I see, so..."

"How is it? Does it work? This is my first time lending it to someone else."

"Your first time?"

"Yes, it's quite limited in use, so people don't usually feel its effects. Usually, it's just an item that smells really nice."

Now, what kind of reaction will she show?

Suppressing my pounding heart, I watched Orca's reaction.

How much time passed?

Orca nodded her head once.

"...It's good. I like it."

"Thank goodness!"

"Is that why you weren't afraid of me?"

Oh, does she think that?

I was momentarily at a loss for words because she was nodding to herself in understanding, and then I answered appropriately.

"Something like that."

Well, if it works, it works.

It's easier since she convinced herself.

"Alright, sorry, but I'll..."

"Uh-uh. No way. Do you know how expensive this is?"

At my words, Orca stopped reaching for the scent.

Even if Orca acts recklessly, she's not without common sense.

She must have realized that if it's really a relic, there's no way I'd just give it to her.

Relics aren't cheap.

She also knows that if she intimidates a teacher to take it, the backlash would be severe.

"...What do you want?"

"Huh?"

"I can't give you money, but I'll do anything. Just give it to me."

She's moving on to negotiations.

Anything is risky.

She must really want this scent.

...Well, it's not actually a relic!

I can't give it to her even to avoid being caught lying.

"Did you just say, anything?"

"..."

Orca swallowed nervously.

She seemed tense, not knowing what I would ask for.

"Then from now on, attend all your classes?"

"...What?"

"And no more bad language. Got it?"

Orca, who had been tense about my request, looked dumbfounded after hearing what I wanted.

"Just for that, you'll give me a relic...?"

"No? I'm not giving it."

"What...!"

"What I want from you is just that. But giving you a relic for that would be a bit much, wouldn't it?"

I waved the scent in front of her eyes so she could see it clearly.

Looking at the scent like a dog waiting for food, I smiled and said.

"So, if you keep my conditions, I'll let you sleep comfortably in the counseling room. How about it?"

Fortunately, there were two beds in the counseling room. It wouldn't be hard to let Orca sleep there.

It would also be easier to control the demon.

After pondering for a while, Orca nodded.