I Realized It Was an Academy Game After 10 Years

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while… And your Goddess too. Hecate. It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“I haven’t had a moment of peace since I was exiled.”

“That must have been really tough for you.”

Oh, so they’re acquaintances.

What the heck is this person? Wait, are they even human?

Knowing Hecate means they’re at least a few hundred years old, right?

“Hello.”

“Oh, lady, welcome to our mansion. I see you must be Johann’s… lover?”

“Y-yeah.”

I guess because this is my family’s place, Karina looked way too tense. No need to be that anxious, really.

It’s kind of like a mother-in-law position, but nobody here is going to act like a mother-in-law.

…I wonder what Grandma would think.

Since I’m her grandson’s bride now, I hope she treats her well.

While I was lost in thought, Karina took my hand. The grip was a little tighter than usual, so she must be feeling nervous.

Y-yo, Johann, let’s go in.

“Don’t be too anxious.”

“We’re not that bad, you know.”

“No need to be nervous, Saint Young One.”

“I can’t help but be tense since it’s the in-laws…”

So cute.

“Let’s go in and talk. We both know why you’re here, but we still have to discuss it, right?”

Edmund opened the door for us and guided us inside. I brought Karina into a mansion that still looked like a castle.

The mansion looked exactly the same as when I first visited. After all, it had barely been a month – in reality, it hadn’t even been a week yet.

I wonder what Grandma thinks about seeing her grandson after just a few days.

Following him with those pointless thoughts, I felt Karina’s hand grip tighten more as we walked down the corridor. It must be due to the eerie and bizarre energy that flows through the Quartz family.

“Johann’s family… is a bit unique.”

“We haven’t even started yet.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nightmare.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than she appeared frightfully.

“Eek?!”

I instinctively wrapped my arms around Karina’s waist to catch her from falling over as we looked up at the ceiling.

As expected, Rona was smiling down at us.

Her black eyes gave her a horror movie look, so it was no wonder Karina was surprised. It’s strange how she doesn’t bat an eye at zombies but freaks out at this.

“Y-Yo, Johann…”

“Who?”

“…This is my lover.”

“Your fiancée?”

“Karina. She is my great-aunt…”

“G-great-aunt?!”

Why is her flustered face so cute? I swallowed my desire to tease her more and helped Karina stand up straight. She stepped back awkwardly, giving a smile that was a bit different from usual.

“Um, hello…”

“Nightmare~”

“U-um, I’m Karina Kalon…”

“Na’rika Ronkal?”

“Excuse me?”

“That person speaks in reverse all the time.”

“In reverse…?”

“Erusky.”

“Great-aunt…”

“Na’ro razbulgo.”

“Rona? We’re in a hurry, could you please let us pass?”

“Sure.”

Fortunately, my great-aunt, or rather Rona, let us through without any fuss.

Since it’s more of an unconscious occurrence, it’s all about being aware and clearing it away… Surprisingly, Edmund, who was quietly observing, flashed me a satisfied smile and said,

“How heartwarming it is to see you handle things so well even without me.”

What an overreaction.

“Now, follow me again. If you want to return quickly, you need to wrap things up in an hour or two. We know about the outside circumstances, so please tell us as soon as possible.”

“Thank you.”

“If the heir has a naïve brat tangled up, we’d lose face, wouldn’t we? Naturally, we’ll support you as much as we can for this matter.”

I’m glad I inherited.

If I’d opted not to inherit and decided to figure it out on my own, I’d probably be stuck in a regretful cycle trying to find a way back by now.

But if I were to go back, it would be twelve years…?

Ugh, horrifying. But I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to see the kids when they were little… but then I’d have trouble because of my age.

“Johann?”

“This is tough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Come in.”

“Isn’t this the lounge?”

“The lord has cooperated to allow some of the Quartz family kids to go out.”

…People from the Quartz family outside?

Should I be happy about this or not?

Edmund looked like he didn’t want to waste any time and immediately opened the door. With a creak from the hinges, the lounge appeared unchanged.

An unchanged lounge.

So, there’s someone banging their head against the wall, a girl in a straitjacket rolling on the floor, and my biological grandmother fiddling with a doll in the corner…

“Y-Yo, Johann? What on earth is this…?”

“Calm down, Karina. They’re all a bit unique but good… people.”

“Why do you only stumble over the word ‘good’?”

“…Honestly, I’ve only talked to them once.”

“Our heir says they are good people.”

“Hello~!”

“Eek?!”

Once again, Karina’s scream echoed as something soft clung to my body. Peymin, with her head bent in a bizarre angle, gave me a sly grin and asked,

“So, is she your girlfriend?”

“Yes. My… lover.”

“How cute! Nice to meet you! I’m Peymin! I live here!”

“Y-yes… N-nice to meet you.”

Karina offered an awkward smile in response. Peymin seemed delighted that an outsider acknowledged her, swaying her body with glee and humming a tune.

“I’m so happy! I might have a fun dream tonight~”

“You shouldn’t be that happy. You need to go outside.”

“Huh? I can’t joke like that~”

“The lord allowed for your straitjacket to be lifted.”

“What does that mean?!”

Peymin looked at Edmund with genuine confusion. Edmund cleared his throat a few times and began to explain calmly.

“This world is in crisis. We must intervene. But as you know, if the lord steps in directly, others would come along as well. Hence, some of us must lend a hand to resolve this situation.”

“But there are other kids, right?”

“If we need to fight outsiders, the number of those who can go out is limited.”

“Hmmm~ If that’s the case~ I’m going! No backing down?”

“Of course. This is the lord’s command.”

A command too?

Well, I didn’t think the lord would just sit back with his arms crossed after marrying someone from this world amid such chaos.

“You’re not taking just me, right? Who else?”

“About four people.”

“Enemies?”

“If we take too many… you know the deal?”

“Too noticeable.”

“Exactly.”

“So if it’s four, can I choose?”

“You can decide, but Peymin can’t be excluded, so I ask for your understanding there.”

What makes Peymin, who’s being released from the straitjacket, such a big deal? I looked at Peymin with curiosity, and she grinned cheekily and asked,

“You’re not going to abandon me, right?”

“Understood.”

Seeing as they purposely want her out, she must have some exceptional combat skills. From my standpoint, it was a good option. The problem is the other three.

Who should I take?

Gradually, I scanned the lounge. There were a few more people, but since they were unfamiliar faces, it wouldn’t be wise to choose rashly. Grandma…

“Grandson, it’s been three days since your last visit.”

“Grandma. From our perspective, almost five months have passed.”

“G-Grandma?”

Oh, is that surprising? I mean, it would be shocking to find my grandma looking like a girl around Millia’s age. I stepped aside slightly and introduced Grandma.

“Karina. This is my grandmother. The bear doll here is my grandfather.”

“Um, hello?”

Karina’s flustered reaction was so cute today. I stored that image in my mind and smiled.

“Time flies… By the way, you came to request assistance, right?”

“Yes, Grandma. Will you come with me?”

“Grandson, I don’t know if I can be of help.”

“No, I need your ability.”

If we combine my ability with Grandma’s, then…

“Then one more will be drawn. Two left.”

“Yay! It’s the outside world!”

“One of them will be Vulcanus.”

“Good choice. For the last one, there’s someone I personally want to recommend, would you like to meet them?”

“Who is it?”

At my question, Edmund hesitated for a moment, glanced at Peymin and Grandma, then sighed and named the person.

“…Hazel.”

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