Chapter 152 : Autumn Arts Festival
The Autumn Arts Festival officially began!
Not only residents living on Frost Moon Island (one of Clear Academy's seven islands), but even visitors from other regions came to visit.
For a time, voices buzzed and crowds flowed like weaving silk. The entire campus interior overflowed with enthusiastic atmosphere.
Among them, the main academies were naturally the most popular. For example, at the entrance of the Destruction (Magic) Academy, a grand "fireworks show" was performed. Various magical spells rarely seen on ordinary days poured out as if they cost nothing, making people cry out in excitement.
The Political Science Academy where Suling belonged also held grand activities... Not only were there maid cafés and cat cafés, but also loli head-patting parlors and death penalty experience chambers. You could say it was fine to appreciate cute girls, but if you actually made any improper moves, you'd be directly sent out to be shot for 5 minutes.
With many visitors, naturally queuing situations arose. Even wanting to drink a cup of coffee required waiting an hour to get in line.
At this time, some visitors discovered the deserted Ancient Academy.
This academy stood in a corner like a haunted house. There was no one at the entrance to receive guests, only a sign that read "Escape Room, Welcome to Play."
"Is this... also an academy?"
"It feels like a haunted house."
Although somewhat afraid, some visitors still walked in with a try-it-and-see attitude.
"Hmph, Lonis, customers are coming. Focus your attention."
"I-I know!"
"If you mess up, I'll activate the little toys. If you mess up again, the level goes +1."
"Wuu..."
Although her "appearance" had returned to being a boy, Lonis sadly discovered that her treatment hadn't changed at all from when she was a girl.
After all, her body was still a girl's. If Elucia wanted to bully her, she just had to activate the little toys.
Moreover, because she was wearing this skin suit, Elucia didn't consider her feelings at all and made her do all the dirty and exhausting work.
This feeling of being called upon and dismissed at will made it seem like Lonis wasn't even a maid anymore, but had become a...
Tool person.
Yes, a complete and utter tool person.
At this moment, Lonis realized that being a hero wasn't always a good thing.
And strong men were originally beings who endured hardship. She wouldn't receive any consideration at all. Even if tired, she couldn't show fatigue in front of others.
(N-no! This is Elucia deliberately doing this to bully me, to strike at my male identity recognition. I can't fall for her trick!)
...
...
So Lonis earnestly began the escape room service work, such as resetting traps and releasing slimes.
But soon, Lonis realized with some surprise...
Although there were few visitors at first, after operating for less than an hour, this escape room adventure was packed!!
Successful challengers left here with satisfied faces, constantly bragging to their companions about their achievements.
And failed challengers, though somewhat unwilling, were also sweating profusely and looked very excited.
Thinking carefully about the reason, Lonis understood.
Most humans have masochistic personalities.
For example, spiciness isn't actually a taste but a pain sensation, so in a certain sense, liking spicy food is similar to liking being whipped.
And roller coasters?
They're also a kind of "torture" that exceeds normal human habits.
Experiencing that weightless "near-death" pleasure when falling, experiencing that suffocating pleasure when speeding along.
Even when one's head is tortured dizzy by amusement devices, the body is still strapped to the seat with no way out—isn't this also a kind of restraint experience?
Haunted houses follow the same principle. The more a little girl fears ghosts, the more interested she becomes in them. Humans just like this kind of stimulation, this kind of gentle torment.
...
And Elucia's traps grasped people's experience of these things to the extreme.
The tension of fearing failure, the crisis feeling of fearing embarrassment in front of companions—all would transform into the stimulation of complete concentration, or the satisfaction after victory.
So objectively speaking, when it came to "bullying people," really no one was more skilled than Elucia.
...
However, although the Ancient Academy's escape room was very popular, at the same time, many problems arose.
"Stupid slave, there are too many people outside and the queue is in chaos. Go out first and maintain order."
"Eh? I'll go..."
"Otherwise, can you operate so many mechanisms?"
"Wuu..."
...
...
Unable to resist Elucia's orders, Lonis could only go receive the queuing customers.
Although she had prepared herself mentally, seeing so many people outside still made Lonis very shy.
Because bravery was just her disguise—Lonis was actually still a cute girl with a soft figure... She still had breasts, still no Adam's apple, and her silver hair was still long, just hidden.
"Th-this is..."
"Is this a staff member? No, it seems like a costume character?"
The visitors' somewhat curious and surprised gazes also made Lonis feel timid.
Fortunately, the skin suit exterior wouldn't blush. Lonis coughed and said: "Please wait here in an orderly fashion, everyone. I'll quickly find parasols for you all."
Lonis's voice, transformed through the speaker, also became a male voice with great penetrating power.
But just then, a small child suddenly asked curiously:
"Big brother, are you a staff member here?"
"Mm."
"Just now there was also a big sister maintaining order here. She told me I could queue here, but I haven't had a chance to thank her yet."
"Big sister..."
Did Zhou Suling come to help? Lonis knew Elucia had been inside the Ancient Academy all along and couldn't possibly come out to maintain order.
If Zhou Suling had come, she really should thank her...
"Little one, what did that big sister who maintained order look like?"
"Mm... she looked very pretty with long hair. But her eyes seemed to be injured!"
"Injured?"
"Mm, it seemed like she had a black cloth covering them. Was it because she was afraid of sunlight?"
"Where did she go?"
"It seemed like that way!"
...
...
The direction the child pointed to was the back gate of the Ancient Academy.
Because the Ancient Academy was overgrown with weeds, the area around the back gate had been abandoned for a long time... Even when Lonis and Elucia attended school, they never passed through the back gate.
But now, there was indeed a girl standing there.
She wore dark-colored clothing with only dark gold trim at the edges.
She had orange-yellow hair that flowed gracefully to her waist.
Black stockings, black leather boots—although she had some girlish softness and delicacy, most prominent was a kind of capable elegance.
But most eye-catching was the black cloth covering her eyes.
As if to block out light, the black cloth completely covered the girl's eyes... making Lonis involuntarily wonder if she was blind.
"Excuse me, do you need help?"
Lonis stepped forward and asked tentatively.