Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: A Mission and a Gift Chapter 42: A Mission and a Gift After finishing my conversation with the Headmaster, Arsene, I stepped out of his office, ready to return to the male dormitory.

But before I could take another step, Amelia caught up with me, tugging at the back of my shirt.

“Hey, wait!

I still have something to talk to you about.” She sounded a bit annoyed.

“I thought we were done.

So, what is it?

I’m starving, so make it quick.” “Naoki, don’t you think your attitude toward a princess like me is a bit much?” Amelia glared at me, clearly annoyed, though her beauty was undeniable.

“Haha, didn’t you tell me to treat you like anyone else at this academy?

So I’m treating you like an ordinary girl.

Isn’t that what you wanted, Amelia?” I replied with a grin, finding her pout amusing.

“Y-you!

Humph!

Fine, treat me like a regular girl.

But now you owe me dinner!” Without warning, she latched onto my arm and dragged me along.

Resigned, I let her lead the way.

Before I knew it, she had taken me outside the academy grounds, aiming for one of the city’s most renowned dining spots.

Reflexively, I protested, reminding her that leaving academy grounds was prohibited.

But she used her authority to convince the guards to let us through.

To avoid attracting attention in the city, Amelia pulled out a peculiar crystal.

With a snap, she shattered it, transforming her blonde hair into jet black.

“Hehe, how do I look with black hair?

Do you like it?” she asked teasingly, her tone playful.

“Well, it suits you.

We look like siblings now.” THUD!

She smacked me on the head, visibly annoyed.

Resigned again, I followed her closely.

She clung to my arm the entire time, and I couldn’t help but notice her floral fragrance.

My mind raced, This is bad!

I won’t survive if this keeps up.

Envi, take over!

I need you to handle this!

“…” Envi, the useless system, stayed silent.

No response.

Realizing I was on my own, I steeled myself for whatever lay ahead with Amelia.

After walking for a while, we arrived at one of the city’s famous eateries.

Amelia excitedly told me it was a place she’d always wanted to visit but had never had the chance.

It didn’t take me long to figure out her real plan.

She’d dragged me along just to try this place.

We were seated at a table for two, and the staff warmly welcomed us, asking for our orders.

“I’ll have three servings of fried chicken, three steak meals, a large portion of ice cream, and an apple juice,” Amelia declared confidently.

“W-wait!

You’re eating all that?

That’s way too much for a princess-I mean, for a girl!” I whispered, utterly shocked.

“Stop questioning me!

If I order that much, I’ll finish it all!” she replied, full of confidence.

I decided to let it go.

I only ordered a single serving of fried chicken.

Amelia mocked my modest appetite, but I didn’t let it bother me.

“Alright, Amelia, what did you want to talk about?” I asked seriously.

She pulled out a piece of paper with a list of names and photos.

I stared at her, confused about why she was showing it to me.

“These are the names of people who might be involved in the kidnappings happening at the academy,” she said, her tone grave.

I examined the list carefully.

There were about ten suspects, including professors and students.

“Professor Morgan?!

And Aisha?!” I exclaimed, shocked to see two familiar names.

I’d always found Professor Morgan suspicious, but Aisha?

That was unexpected.

“You know them?” Amelia asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Y-yeah… Professor Morgan is enigmatic, but I never imagined Aisha would be on this list.” “You know this half-elf girl?” Amelia’s tone grew sharper.

“Y-yeah.

She’s Milly’s roommate-Milly is my sister-and also the class president of 1-A.

Besides that, her, uh, chest is… big… Oops.” I slapped my hand over my mouth, realizing too late what I’d blurted out.

Memories of my misadventure in the girls’ dorm flooded back.

“What did you just say?

Big?

HOW do you know that?

ANSWER ME!” Amelia’s piercing glare sent shivers down my spine.

Her yandere aura was terrifying.

Frantically, I explained the misunderstanding from the dorm incident, where I was beaten up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“Are you serious?

How does stuff like that even happen to you?

Hahaha!” Amelia’s expression softened, and she burst into laughter, wiping away tears.

“Ugh!

Enough!

Let’s focus on investigating them,” I said, steering the conversation back on track.

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll secretly observe these suspects.

You handle Morgan and Aisha; it’d be risky if I got caught snooping around them.

We need solid evidence to connect them to the disappearances.

If anything happens, we stick together.

Got it?” Amelia nodded, agreeing to my plan, provided I kept my distance from Aisha.

Reluctantly, I promised.

As our discussion ended, the food arrived.

Amelia’s side of the table was overflowing with plates, and I watched in amazement as she dug in.

“You’re staring!

Don’t even think about stealing my food!” she said, her cheeks puffed like a chipmunk.

“I wouldn’t.

Eating too much would make me fat, like you.” I smirked, knowing full well she wasn’t fat.

“What did you say?

I’m NOT fat!

Look at this!” She lifted her shirt slightly to show her toned stomach, and both of us froze, faces flushing with embarrassment.

This princess was going to be the death of me.

“Close that, you idiot!

Have some decency!

A princess shouldn’t expose her stomach so casually!” I scolded her, my voice a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

“I-I’m sorry… I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t with you.” “…!!” Her innocent words made my face flush instantly.

Just as we were stuck in that awkward moment, five burly knights stumbled into the restaurant.

They reeked of alcohol, laughing boisterously as they yelled out their orders.

One of them swaggered over to our table, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

“What’s this?

That’s a lot of food.

Mind if I take one?” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed one of Amelia’s fried chicken pieces and took a bite.

I could see Amelia holding back her fury with all her might.

Before she could say a word, I quickly interjected.

“Hey, old man.

Don’t just take someone else’s food like that,” I said sharply.

“Oh?

What did you say, kid?

You’re picking a fight with me?

Wait a second… Aren’t you academy students?

Hahaha!

You’re in trouble now!

Sneaking out at night is a serious offense,” he sneered, clearly trying to intimidate us.

“If you want me to keep my mouth shut, just let me eat your food.

And wow, your girlfriend here is gorgeous!

Mind if I have a taste of her too?” He reached out and grabbed Amelia’s wrist roughly.

She struggled against his grip, anger flashing in her eyes.

“Hey-!” I started to stand, ready to confront him, but before I could act, my vision shifted.

Suddenly, I was thrust into the system consciousness.

Envi, who had been silent until now, had taken control of my body.

In one swift motion, Envi grabbed the knight’s wrist and yanked his hand away from Amelia.

He squeezed it with such force that a sickening crack echoed through the room.

“AAARGH!

What the hell?!

How dare you!” the knight screamed, clutching his injured hand.

“Oh, I dare, alright.

Especially when it comes to scum like you,” Envi shot back coldly.

Seeing their companion in pain, the other knights drew their swords and charged at Envi.

But he dodged their attacks with ease, his movements precise and calculated.

With a powerful kick, he sent the first knight flying into his comrades, knocking them out of the restaurant in a heap.

The restaurant descended into chaos.

Other patrons screamed and fled, while the staff desperately tried to de-escalate the situation, to no avail.

Envi followed the knights outside, continuing the fight.

I watched in stunned silence as he displayed martial arts skills that I didn’t even know he had.

It was like watching a playback of techniques I had mastered in my past life, but refined and honed beyond belief.

The brawl ended with the knights sprawled out in an alleyway, bruised and battered.

One of them whimpered as Envi grabbed him by the collar.

“Never touch a woman with those filthy hands of yours again,” Envi growled, punctuating his words with a punch that sent a few teeth flying.

But something felt off.

Envi’s anger was unusually intense, almost as if he was losing control.

Memories of our shared grief over losing Rosan flickered in my mind.

I tried to intervene, to swap places with him, but I couldn’t.

Then, unexpectedly, Amelia appeared behind Envi and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“That’s enough, Naoki.

I’m fine… Let’s just go,” she said softly, her voice tinged with worry.

Envi froze for a moment before releasing the knight and stepping back.

“Alright.

Let’s leave,” he said curtly, shaking her off gently.

The two of them started walking back to the academy.

The silence between them was heavy, but Amelia broke it.

“Um… thank you for protecting me earlier.

But you didn’t have to go that far.

I’m okay.” “Okay?!

If I hadn’t been there, who knows what could’ve happened to you!” Envi snapped, suddenly pinning Amelia against a wall and trapping her hands above her head.

“W-what are you doing?!” I screamed internally, horrified by his actions.

Envi, you lunatic!

She’s the princess!

Do you want us both executed?!

He ignored me completely.

“Try resisting me now… I could easily take advantage of you here and no one would stop me,” he said, his voice cold and sharp.

“Go ahead,” Amelia replied, her defiance unwavering.

“I know you wouldn’t.” Their faces drew closer, and I panicked as their lips nearly touched.

Amelia closed her eyes, bracing herself.

But Envi stopped.

He pulled away abruptly and released her hands.

“Take care of yourself better.

Don’t make me do this again,” he muttered, his tone softer.

Amelia lowered her gaze, her cheeks pink.

“I understand… Thank you for worrying about me.” They walked back in silence after that, the tension still lingering between them.

When they reached the academy, Envi escorted Amelia to Arsene’s residence.

Before they parted, Amelia turned to Envi.

“Naoki… Thank you for today and for protecting me.

I’m glad you were there.

This is a gift from me…” Before he could respond, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Envi froze, his body rigid as his eyes widened in shock.

“Hehe, see you tomorrow!” Amelia said cheerfully, but with a cold and cunning smile.

I was utterly stunned.

What the hell just happened?!

I thought, watching the scene play out helplessly.

Envi, you perverted system!

You got a cheek kiss from a girl before I ever did?!

Back in the system consciousness, I exploded in rage.

“You bastard!

I’ve lived two lives and never even had a kiss on the cheek, but YOU got one?!

Damn you, Envi!” Envi ignored me completely, silently swapping back control of the body.

He remained quiet for the rest of the night, even as I returned to the male dormitory.

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I lay in bed, clutching my pillow in despair, tears of envy streaming down my face.

…

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