"Simply put... I made a trade with Welt, the leader of Anti-Entropy, and got the Herrscher Core from him. Then I used it to Herrscher-ize myself."
At the dinner table, Nagami grabbed his beloved soda and took a big gulp before spreading his hands innocently toward the crowd who were all staring at him.
"That's not what we're asking!!"
With a sharp smack of her delicate hand on the table, Theresa hopped up onto her chair, puffing out her cheeks and leaning forward.
"The reason! The reason!! And what exactly did you trade for it that made Anti-Entropy willing to part with a Herrscher Core?!"
"Ahhh... well... ehehe~"
With the classic Barbatos-style evil act. Nagami was convinced this trick worked everywhere.
"Ehehe my foot!!"
Theresa practically turned into a little white angry kitten, swinging her arms wildly.
Of course, she understood perfectly—Nagami simply didn't want to tell them.
That was what pissed her off the most.
"Still... can it really be that easy to become a Herrscher?"
Mei asked, gently tearing off a piece of chicken in a slow, graceful motion that perfectly showcased the refined elegance of a noble lady—completely unlike a certain someone who was tearing into her food with bare hands.
Unsurprisingly, the heiress Kiana knew more than anyone about Nagami's unique nature.
As the chat group leader, nothing he did ever truly shocked her anymore.
"Nagami-sama really is... special."
Rita softly dabbed the corner of C.C.'s mouth with a napkin, smiling tenderly.
"And it seems you aren't even troubled by the Honkai will at all."
On the surface, she was still playing the role of C.C.'s personal maid—but in truth, the fact that Nagami brought C.C. along for something as important as becoming a Herrscher was proof enough for Rita.
This mysterious, elegant green-haired girl beside her was likely to be the true queen of Nagami's harem.
Rita had seen right through everything!
Meanwhile, Bronya tilted her little head up, her iron-gray eyes staring at Nagami with a hint of worry.
She had no idea the core in Nagami's possession was originally meant to be her own.
All she felt was concern for her "comrade"—and a growing confidence that Nagami would one day save Seele.
Noticing Bronya's gaze, Nagami gently patted her small head and gave her a reassuring nod.
And in his heart, he made a decision.
Within the next few days, he would heal Bronya's legs.
And also that old drunk's body—Nagami's eyes flicked to Himeko, who was quietly sipping her drink.
"Mei, Mei... are you okay?"
Kiana reached out carefully to Mei's forehead, her rare serious expression showing her concern.
"Is the Third Herrscher causing trouble again...?"
The tips of Mei's long purple hair shimmered with a strange glow as tiny violet sparks danced gently in the air.
"It's fine. The other me and I get along great now."
Mei smiled gently, bright as sunshine.
After all, now that Nagami had become a Herrscher—her kind—the Herrscher consciousness inside her was just too excited.
But of course... there was no way she could say something like that out loud.
Meanwhile, true Kiana frowned slightly, staring thoughtfully at the heiress Kiana.
Just now, some of the heiress Kiana's inner thoughts had flickered past her senses—but something, something, had deliberately blocked them.
For the first time since they'd met, true Kiana couldn't see through her completely.
Clearly, this was the chat group's self-protection system—preventing anyone, no matter how strong their mental powers, from prying into chat group secrets.
Elsewhere, the magical grandma Teriri sat with arms crossed, glaring at Nagami like an angry porcelain doll.
Her delicate, doll-like face was flushed bright red from frustration.
No matter how many times she asked, the only reply she got was two infuriating words.
"Ehehe!"
Nagami had fully inherited the annoying cheekiness of Barbatos—so much so that Theresa was seriously tempted to slap him across the face with the Oath of Judah.
Himeko, however, stopped asking after a few rounds of "ehehe."
She knew this guy wasn't going to talk no matter how much they pestered him.
But that didn't mean she'd given up.
As far as Himeko was concerned, there were plenty of ways to handle special cases like Nagami.
After dinner, Nagami quickly slipped back into his room, planning to dive deep into exploring the full power of the Herrscher of Reason.
Unlike the other Herrschers of this world—who were basically science illiterates—Nagami had actually gone through nine full years of proper education... and before reincarnating, he was a real-life science student.
Add to that the frequent use of his Alpha Stigma eyes, and his grasp of math and physics had already far surpassed normal learning speeds.
And what happens when a Herrscher of Reason actually has real scientific knowledge...?
To be honest—Nagami could feel it.
His composure was starting to crack.
He was getting cocky.
Unlike that endlessly inflating-deflating purple pufferfish trapped in an eternal loop of swelling pride and painful humbling—not even Kevin Kaslana could make Nagami feel humbled right now.
Wrapping a white towel around his waist, Nagami headed downstairs toward the villa's private bath, intending to soak and unwind properly.
Of course, the deluxe dorms at St. Freya Academy had private bathrooms—but when it came to real relaxation, nothing beat the villa's grand bath.
Set on a timer, the high-end bath automatically filled itself.
Steam gently swirled through the room, forming endless beads of water that slid slowly down the frosted glass.
Nagami switched on the tub's massage jets and let the slightly hot water ease his pores, relaxing him until his mind began to drift—but his mood was oddly... restless.
Such a shame Mei saw him heading downstairs.
Otherwise... he could've bring C.C. to join him for a bath.
Or maybe... something more?
His thoughts flashed to that night—that night that had opened the door to a whole new world.
Nagami felt his blood rush dangerously high.
Splashing a handful of cold water on his face, he gave his head a sharp shake.
No, no. With so many slender-waisted, long-legged, full-chested, perfectly-curved beauties living under the same roof... he couldn't afford to get greedy.
He'd seen what happened during Kiana's hot spring incident, after all.
If a Sirin Hot Spring Incident or Mei Hot Spring Incident broke out now... well, that wouldn't be so bad either~
Oh, right. Mei saw him come down, so that probably killed the chance.
As he relaxed under the massaging jets, a game invite notification popped up from Bronya on the console nearby.
Nagami lazily reached for it.
Just as he was about to tap "accept"—
'Click!'
A sudden, crisp sound of the door opening echoed through the room, and his hand slipped.
No way... You've got to be kidding.
I was just thinking about this stuff—was this for real!?
Nagami blinked in stunned confusion toward the door.
The three white-haired fluffballs were busy holding each other back.
Bronya knew he was taking a bath. Mei had seen him head downstairs.
So who the hell had the guts to barge into the bathroom like this?
—A certain shameless maid?
—Or maybe... the drunk old fox?
Long, wine-red hair spilled down like a waterfall, swaying gently as the figure moved.
Pale, flawless skin framed an unbelievably stunning face, golden eyes gleaming with playful mischief that stirred the heart.
A slender waist, long graceful legs... and a generous, perky fullness barely wrapped in her towel.
Mature charm, temptation, and ease—all wrapped into one.
"Yo~"
Ripples surged across the water as her pale, delicate body slipped into the bath.
Murata Himeko—looking as casual as if they'd simply run into each other in the cafeteria.
Nagami sighed helplessly, rubbing his temple as the familiar dizzy feeling from being smothered by softness returned.
He gave Himeko a baffled look as she leaned back with her arms crossed, that teasing glint dancing in her eyes.
"Don't tell me you didn't know I was in here. What exactly are you trying to pull?"
"A gorgeous, mature big sister shows up all on her own to offer herself to you... and you're complaining?"
Her soft, snow-white shoulders and delicate collarbone peeked above the surface of the water.
Her vibrant, flame-colored hair, slightly damp now, gave her an even more captivating allure as she curled her lips in a subtle smile.
"Do you really get what's going on here~?"
Truthfully, Himeko had come here to press him about the whole Herrscher thing.
Just because he refused to talk during dinner didn't mean he wouldn't let something slip here—in this... different setting.
After these past few days, Himeko had pretty much figured out Nagami's personality.
In this situation, the chances of him loosening up were at least double.
But it wasn't just that.
Though Nagami's previous records were beyond doubt... his recent behavior defied every expectation, to the point of being impossible to explain.
Even after spending time together, and even if she didn't personally feel he was dangerous, Himeko couldn't let her feelings cloud her duty as a Valkyrie.
First he stopped the Third Eruption.
Now he'd become the First Herrscher.
No way she could just sit back and trust that blindly.
And if all it took to learn the truth... was to offer herself up as bait?
Well—that was a price she was more than willing to pay.
Her towel, now soaked and heavy from the swirling bathwater, slowly began to loosen.
Resting her cheek lightly against the back of her hand, Himeko didn't bother adjusting it.
Nagami's personality... was very much to her taste.
If only he weren't so young.
Still... this shameless approach might be a little unfair to those other girls upstairs.
But they'd understand.
She didn't have many days left to live, after all.
And if she could use this fading body to do just a little more good before the end...
That would be enough of a victory.