(EP-137.1) Exam Time #5
137 – Imps And Exam Time #5
Blood trickled down the middle finger of my left hand.
The wound was not particularly painful or deep, but still, it was not a good sight to see yourself bleeding.
On the contrary, the surrounding Imps were more flustered than the injured.
“Blood, he’s bleeding…! He might die…!”
“How scary…!”
Were they afraid of blood?
It might be possible.
Marmar seemed to be the same way. Her tail anxiously wagged as she looked at my nicked finger.
“Wait! I’ll bandage it right away!”
“A bandage? It’s okay, that’s not necessary, I’ll just lick-.”
Pajijik.
Then an idea suddenly flashed in my mind. I now got the blood I wanted, couldn’t I feed this to Marmar?
“Actually, I have a cut in my mouth. Marmar, can you lick it for me instead?”
“Huh-!?”
It was weird to ask someone to lick your finger. But the broadminded Marmar might not refuse.
In fact, Marmar did not refuse and immediately put my finger in her mouth.
With that, feeding my blood to Marmar was a success.
But now, I wondered, what would happen next?
“Has the bleeding stopped?”
Marmar removed her mouth from my hand and examined it. She even put a band-aid on. However, nothing happened in the end.
‘What?’
Was the method wrong?
Maybe it was my fault for believing Gargar’s nonsense…
I wondered if Professor Balan knew how the baptism could work. I’d need to ask her later.
* * *
We had a very late dinner because of all the things that happened. However, Marmar’s fried pork cutlet was very tasty and the satisfaction was high.
“Buying the meat and breadcrumbs, and making them would be cheaper than getting the ready-made ones…!”
Marmar said as she cooked most of the food herself.
I had noticed this when she helped me organize my documents, but she was quite good with handiwork. Her cooking skills were impressive, even good enough to make food that could be sold in the market.
“I haven’t mentioned it before, but Marmar’s pork cutlet is incredibly delicious…! It doesn’t even need a sauce, it’s tasty as it is…!”
“Then if you want to keep eating it, you all have to contribute with the food expenses from now on, understand?”
“I know…. We also found a job through the Imp quota system. From now on, we’ll pay our fair share of the expenses…!”
“Really!? Where?”
Marmar was delighted, like a mother seeing her lazy children finally finding a job. Tartar also proudly puffed her chest out.
“We became teaching assistants…! As assistants to the renowned Professor Belhawk, we’re now on a solid path…!”
“Gareureu-.”
They explained that they planned to infiltrate Ark by slowly mixing in as spies. Being a professor’s assistant was part of that.
“Hmm.”
There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I held it in. Marmar also looked like she wanted to say something, but just kept silent.
Becoming a teaching assistant for Professor Belhawk, known as the “graveyard of TAs”, one could say it was payback for their misdeeds to Marmar.
This was why people should lead a virtuous life.
Speaking of, I suddenly wondered how Professor Belhawk was doing.
She was also one of my targets for revenge.
It was just that the lectures were self-study through the teaching assistants, and whenever I went to her research lab, she would always be absent, making it impossible to approach her.
Did she realize that I might extend my vengeance towards her and was purposely avoiding me?
… No, it didn’t seem like that.
As I was sitting outside, lost in thought while looking at the fire in the drum barrel, Marmar handed me something.
It was a drink filled with chunks of ice. When I took a sip, it was incredibly sweet. Should I describe it as tasting similar to cocoa?
“Comrade helped me a lot today. Thank you…!”
“…….”
I always felt awkward whenever someone thanked me. So, I replied moderately.
“Well, they were taking advantage of you, anyone would have done the same.”
“Is that so? I didn’t know. I couldn’t even see through a simple scam. Am I stupid?”
“No, of course not. You shouldn’t take the blame. I was a third party, that’s why-.”
As I stumbled over my words, Marmar suddenly burst into laughter, as if she had seen something funny. It was then that I realized I had fallen victim to her clutches.
Marmar was teasing me.
She was indeed a mischievous little devil.
She then said.
“I’m sorry. But I really thought I could hear the Demon King’s voice.”
“Really?”
“Really! I wanted to ask a question!”
Marmar had something to ask the Demon King? Out of curiosity, I asked what it was.
“What did you want to ask? If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to.”
“No, it’s fine, it’s not really a big secret! What I wanted to ask was….”
“What?”
“… I changed my mind, I won’t say!”
“What? You’re just teasing me?”
“That’s right! Actually, I also like to trick others. I’m an Imp!”
Marmar smiled slyly, but her cheekiness gradually died down.
“Really, I just wanted to ask if I’m doing well?”
“If you are doing well?”
“Yes! I am working hard. However, I don’t know if this is really the right way. What if all the effort I’m putting in turns out to be meaningless?”
“Hmm. I see…”
Marmar seemed to be worried about the direction in which she was living.
If the Demon King were to suddenly appear and say, “Marmar, you are doing well,” it would bring great relief to Marmar’s heart.
So, I decided to speak this on his behalf.
“Marmar, you are doing well.”
“Really!?”
“That’s right. If I were in the same position as you, I don’t think I could live as diligently as you are right now.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m pretty sure. I might not have a tail, but I can swear on it!”
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