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

Bonus chapter for 3 reviews on I Became a Demon Who Can Never Be Headpatted in the Academy?! – Novel Updates!

『You have acquired a new magic!』

【Magic Theory Lv. 1】

Spending time in the library was definitely the right answer.

I’ve learned ‘Magic Theory,’ which allows me to use various miscellaneous spells, so I should have no problem with Professor Malea’s upcoming cooperative assignment.

Since I can even use dual casting, there’s absolutely no way we’ll lack damage, and the locations of the treasure chests are fixed, not random, right?

Even if the locations are different, I can quickly find them using detection magic, thanks to summoning magic and Magic Theory.

I’d say I’m almost perfectly prepared.

“Murmur… have you read that entire book?”

“Yeah, I’ve finished it.”

Esme covered her mouth with her left hand and looked at me with incredibly surprised eyes.

“You’ve read all of 【For the Budding Dreamers Who Wish to Walk the Path of Magic】 which is first read when entering the middle school… you’ve read all of it?”

As expected, Esme, who lives in the world of Legend of Academy, doesn’t know much. In the original game, Magic Theory is a magic that can be read through quests even in the elementary school chapter, you know?

“Yeah, I managed to read it all somehow. It was a bit difficult though.”

Here, let’s be humble and say it was a bit difficult.

“A… a bit difficult? No, no way… How well do you know about magic, Murmur?”

“Murmur is a demon race.”

“The gloomy ones from New Helheim… well, I guess it seems like that when you say it that way.”

Esme wiggled her eyebrows cutely like worms and quickly loosened her expression.

Demons inherently had a higher understanding of magic than humans. So, even though it wasn’t shown in their characteristics when playing the game, their magic levels would increase faster, or the acquisition conditions themselves were lower.

“But you still can’t use elemental magic better than me, right?”

“Yeah, so I’m going to read more grimoires with Esme. I haven’t finished reading the grimoire Esme gave me either.”

“Ah~ really! I don’t know why Murmur only says such cute things!”

As soon as I saw Esme’s hand trying to hug me like a doll again, I simply stepped back to avoid it.

I can’t let that happen in the library. Anyway, it would definitely be good to raise the level of elemental magic, so I should read grimoires with Esme whenever I have the chance.

I’ve learned all the magic I had in mind. I guess it’s time to find the last member for the cooperative assignment…

“…I’ll give it to you!”

“You are a being that cannot give me any benefit, you know.”

As soon as I came out of the library with Esme, I heard a voice I didn’t want to hear, Sitri’s voice.

She’s still bringing a lot of people with her. Let’s see who her team members are. Cornelia, Leon, Rowan… She still hasn’t kicked out Rowan, huh? I wanted to repay her for the dessert I got.

Well, it would be a bit strange for someone to believe me when I suddenly say Rowan is dangerous without any proof.

“Sorry! Murmur, Esme. Did I take a while?”

Nikea, who had just come back from the restroom, greeted us and glanced at Sitri and the kids, as well as the crimson-haired girl standing in front of them.

“…What happened?”

“We just came out of the library, so we don’t know either.”

Nikea’s expression and gaze, which have been strangely hostile towards Sitri since last time, became even more peculiar. Thanks to that, we ended up standing in the hallway watching Sitri as if we’d encountered a forced event.

“But! If there’s anything I can help with…”

“That is why I am saying that you are not needed, you know.”

“I… I’m stronger than you think!”

“You are a dwarf, so I would assume so. But if it’s about using strength, Leon will do better than you, you know.”

“I can also use rune magic.”

“That is a pity, you know. Cornelia, who has more capable and outstanding magical skills than that, is already here, you know.”

I get the gist of the situation. That dwarf girl wants to join Sitri’s group, and Sitri, who has already created a ‘dream team,’ has no intention of accepting her.

“However… that is so. If you are so desperate to say so, if you show me a small token of sincerity, I might change my mind, you know.”

“Re… Really? Sitri! I’ll do anything!”

“That necklace you are wearing… it seems to be using quite expensive and precious jewels, so give it to me. If you do that, I will put you in Rowan’s place, you know.”

Wow, look at how calculating she is.

She’s planning to get rid of Rowan, who I said was dangerous, in exchange for a seemingly expensive necklace, right? Sometimes her cold-hearted profit calculations are scary.

“Th-this necklace is…”

The dwarf girl gripped her necklace tightly with both hands and lowered her head.

What should I do? Unfortunately, I’ve never seen that character before. Is she a DLC heroine?

Since we need one more person anyway, should I intervene a little? If we say we’re doing the cooperative assignment with three people, Professor Malea will say that gathering friends is also part of the test and will give us a failing grade without asking any questions.

“Sitri, stop it right─”

“Sitri, don’t bully her.”

Nikea and I spoke almost simultaneously, embarrassed. However, my action was a bit faster, so I was able to grab the hand of the dwarf girl, who was almost the same height as me, Murmur, and pull her first.

“Oh my, Murmur? And the respected Princess.”

“You shouldn’t ask for precious things like that.”

“I did not simply ask for it, you know. It is what you call a trade, you know?”

“You’re trying to take advantage of this child’s desperate situation, aren’t you?”

Sitri looked at me once and then at Nikea once, then raised the corner of her mouth.

“Please think of it the other way around, you know. I am giving ‘Thorrin’ a chance, as she cannot form a group because she does not have any friends, you know.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Sitri. You’re just blinded by the rare jewel and trying to sell off the friend you already have.”

Nikea held the dwarf girl, Thorrin, by the shoulder, pulled her close, and half-hugged her.

“Please think of it as you wish, you know. I am not a generous royal like the respected Princess, who can embrace everyone, you know.”

“Even if you’re not a royal, there are actions that people shouldn’t do.”

Sitri raised the corner of her mouth once and then turned away, as if saying she had no intention of arguing anymore.

“I hope you get a good score, you know. Murmur.”

“…Sitri, be careful too. Murmur warned you.”

Sitri stopped for a moment, turned to look at me, and then bit her lip as if she was about to say something, then gave a business smile and turned away again and disappeared.

It’s a bit scary to meet Sitri when you don’t know what kind of reaction or words she’ll have. I know that she has her own reasons for talking and acting like that, but still.

“Whew… you did a good job, Murmur. Oh, and Thorrin? Thorrin, right? You did a good job too.”

Nikea wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked down at Thorrin.

“Ah, well… that’s…”

“Don’t worry about the cooperative assignment. Let’s be in the same group as Murmur.”

A dwarf isn’t bad. It’s actually good.

I have no idea what her base job is, but she said she was confident in using her strength, so I guess she’s a fighter?

If that’s the case, I can think of her as Nikea’s spare, and she’s quite a suitable talent for our party, which has only two mages.

“Re-really? Murmur?”

“Yeah, Thorrin also needs a friend to do the cooperative assignment with, right? Murmur needed one too.”

I turned my head to look at Esme and Nikea. In the game, I, the party leader, could do whatever I wanted, but it might be different here.

“I think it’s a good idea, Murmur. Nice to meet you, Thorrin!”

“I don’t see any problem with it, do you? I’m friends with Murmur anyway. Nice to meet you, Thorrin.”

Fortunately, Nikea and Esme didn’t object to my decision.

“I-I look forward to working with you too! I’m Thorrin Stonefire… whoops! I, I’m Thorrin Stoneheart!”

Thorrin moved slightly away from us, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and tried to give a graceful, polite greeting. Nikea smiled brightly at the sight and grabbed the hem of her skirt to greet her back in the same way.

“Stonefire? Stoneheart?”

“I, I misspoke! It’s Stoneheart!”

Esme had a look that said ‘how could you possibly mispronounce that,’ but she didn’t say it out loud.

“Okay, I understand, Thorrin. Nice to meet you. We’ll get a good score on the cooperative assignment.”

We’ll probably get first place, so you can think of it as a free ride.

“Thank you. But… Murmur?”

Thorrin fidgeted with her hands together and started to look at me cautiously.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Why… did you help me? Murmur and I haven’t even greeted each other yet, we didn’t know each other’s names… and also…”

Thorrin moved her hands hastily to cover her necklace.

The large gem embedded in the necklace I saw for a moment was definitely an ‘expensive’ one.

It was a gem that you could only get one of when playing the game, right? It had a strange shape with a living flame trapped inside the blue gem, so I knew it right away.

Its effect was also tremendous. It unconditionally granted fire attribute to attacks and also gave fire ‘immunity,’ right? The fact that it was immunity, not resistance, meant that it could be used in various bizarre strategies.

“Because Thorrin looked like she was in trouble.”

“Oh… really? Is that all? You don’t need gold or equipment…”

“That’s not it. Murmur and I just saved Thorrin from being bullied by Sitri.”

Thorrin looked at us with wide eyes.

“The Princess and Murmur are like that. Didn’t you know, Thorrin? Murmur saved me when I was being bullied by my aunt too.”

“I, I heard! I heard! Oh my… so you really just helped me!”

Thorrin, who was murmuring with sparkling eyes, grabbed my hand tightly.

“Thank you, Murmur. Thank you! Princess Nikea!”

Is this something to be so moved about?

Anyway, helping a girl I’ve never met in the game is more pleasant than I thought.

“I’ll definitely! Definitely repay you! Murmur!”

* * *

“Huh? Do we… have to go now?”

The day of the long-awaited cooperative assignment had finally arrived.

And Nikea had a dumbfounded expression as she looked up at Professor Malea.

“Can’t we go after the cooperative assignment is over? Professor Malea… it’s too harsh to ask Murmur to find another team member again now, I think.”

“I will be lenient on that matter as well. As this is a direct summons from Headmaster Cosmos, I will allow the cooperative assignment to be performed with three members instead of four.”

“Asking us to do the cooperative assignment with three people is… isn’t that a penalty?”

Professor Malea had no intention of listening to Nikea. I knew it would be like this. It’s not surprising at all.

“It’s okay, Nikea. Go on.”

“Murmur… I’m sorry. Because of me…”

As soon as we gathered in the Star Shadow Forest for the cooperative assignment, Professor Malea gave us a one-sided notice, ‘Respected Princess Nikea. Headmaster Cosmos is looking for you.’

Well, it’s not surprising that Nikea has to play the role of the face of the school because of the sudden summons from the adults, it’s not a one or two-day thing.

“It’s not because of Nikea. Esme, Thorrin, and I can do well together.”

“Haa… I’m sorry. But I’ll come back quickly! Don’t get hurt and do well!”

Nikea hugged me, Esme, and Thorrin one by one, then greeted Professor Malea and quickly ran off.

“Ugh. We really ended up doing it with three people.”

“Wh-what should we do? Will it be okay?”

Esme and Thorrin had very anxious expressions.

“Look at that… hehe, Princess Nikea left?”

“It’s just the idiot Thorrin and Esme, what can they do?”

“Murmur will cause trouble again, right? Ah~ I shouldn’t even go near that group.”

There were also idiots who were badmouthing us as if they had been waiting for it, so it might be natural to have worried expressions.

But, too bad. I know how to get a perfect score.

“Esme, Thorrin, don’t worry.”

I grabbed the hands of the two trembling people and pulled them towards my chest.

“Murmur… but there are only three of us? Of course! Murmur is strong, so monsters are nothing to her, but…”

“Since there are fewer people, even if we find treasure chests, we won’t have enough hands to get more points.”

“Don’t worry. Murmur has a plan.”

I know that there’s a hidden first-place prize that I can get a perfect score on even if I do the cooperative assignment alone!