After stepping out of the hotel with Ai Hayasaka, the two exchanged contact information.
"Despite being my master, you didn't even have your maid's contact information, huh?"
Looking at Shin's phone number and LINE contact on her phone, Ai Hayasaka couldn't help but tease him with a smile.
"Does this mean you're an unqualified master?"
Unlike the forced smile she usually wore to match her "gal" persona, this time, her smile was far more genuine.
"Shouldn't it be the other way around? Doesn't an unqualified maid need to proactively provide her contact information?"
Shin chuckled wryly and shook his phone.
"Alright, now that I've got your contact info, I'll head back first. If anything comes up with the Shinomiya family, make sure to let me know."
"The Shinomiya family... Oh, now that you mention it, there actually is something I almost forgot."
Hearing his words, Ai Hayasaka pondered briefly, then suddenly remembered something and turned to him.
Shin, who had already taken a step to leave, paused and turned back with an exasperated look.
"When I asked you earlier in the room, didn't you say there was nothing?"
"...Ahem, the shock was a bit much, so I didn't think of it at the time."
Her expression turned a bit awkward, and she quickly coughed lightly to dispel the awkward atmosphere—after all, she'd been so out of it earlier that she hadn't even remembered the message Shinomiya Oko had entrusted her to deliver.
"Anyway, Shinomiya Oko wants to know if you'd be willing to transfer to Shuchiin Academy. If you're interested, the Shinomiya family can immediately arrange all the admission procedures for you."
"Shuchiin Academy?"
Shin froze for a moment, then processed what she meant—Shinomiya Oko himself was the chairman of Shuchiin Academy, which meant the school was entirely under his control.
If Shin agreed to attend Shuchiin, it would provide Shinomiya Oko with more opportunities to interact with him.
In the original story, Shinomiya Oko was a textbook heir of a large conglomerate, willing to do all the stereotypical things associated with securing his succession of the Shinomiya Group.
Even Kaguya Shinomiya, who posed virtually no threat to his claim, was under constant surveillance by a planted informant reporting on her every move.
That informant was none other than Ai Hayasaka.
Perhaps after witnessing Shin's strength, Shinomiya Oko wouldn't be foolish enough to openly oppose him. However, he was undoubtedly eager to cultivate a relationship with Shin.
Whether it was to win him over to increase his chances of inheriting the Shinomiya Group or to gain some of Shin's special abilities, it would be a win-win for Oko.
"...I'm not interested, so forget it."
After some thought, Shin decided against transferring to Shuchiin Academy.
Although Shuchiin was an excellent school, it was clear from the original story that, as a gathering place for the offspring of the elite, the atmosphere was tense.
While the story might portray it as a comedy, the underlying family pressures faced by the students made it far less carefree than it seemed on the surface.
Shin's primary reason for attending school in the everyday world was to enjoy the casual atmosphere and alleviate the mental strain from fighting and killing in the task worlds.
Transferring to a high-pressure school? No way he'd agree to that.
"I thought so."
Ai Hayasaka could tell what kind of person Shin was. For someone like him, who attended school to unwind, Shuchiin was not the best choice.
Back home, Sayu Ogiwara was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and her cheerful movements clearly showed she was enjoying herself.
After setting down his backpack, Shin headed to the guest room to check on Irisviel.
A day had passed, but Irisviel's body remained in a deep sleep, her posture and the folds of the bed exactly as they had been when Shin left that morning.
Clearly, she hadn't moved all day, rather than waking up and lying back down.
Sensing her "Ki," Shin noticed it was slightly weaker than when he'd left in the morning.
But it was only a slight decrease, likely because she hadn't eaten all day—an expected outcome.
Due to her body's extremely low metabolic state, her consumption was minimal, so her "Ki" hadn't diminished much.
At this rate, even if Shin left her unattended, she'd be fine for months.
Of course, he had no intention of ignoring her. Tonight, he planned to visit Moro to ask about extracting magic energy.
As for whether Moro would cooperate… Shin could use something like a Dragon Ball wish as leverage to get Moro to comply.
After all, having been imprisoned by the Galactic Patrol for over ten million years, Moro had completely lost his magic power and the strength he gained from consuming planets. He was undoubtedly desperate to escape.
In the original story, when Frieza's subordinate Cranberry mentioned the Dragon Balls, Moro immediately agreed to escape with him, without hesitation.
This demonstrated his mindset—he wouldn't let go of any opportunity, no matter how slim. So, if Shin proposed exchanging magic refinement techniques for Dragon Ball-related assistance, Moro would likely agree.
Of course, Shin had no intention of actually using the Dragon Balls for Moro. He was planning to trick him.
Based on the original story, Moro would need decades to begin regaining magic power and several more years before escaping.
By then, Shin's strength would have grown exponentially. Even if Moro sought revenge, he wouldn't pose a threat.
In fact, Shin had considered that if the imprisoned Moro truly lacked the ability to resist, he might use the Blackbird to directly devour him.
Whether this was possible would depend on their eventual encounter.
"Let's hope I can find a way to cultivate magic tonight."
Looking at the unconscious Irisviel, Shin chuckled softly.
If he failed to obtain a cultivation method, Irisviel would have to wait a bit longer.
For now, Shin wasn't inclined to expend his own magic energy on her—it might be useful in the future.
After confirming that her physical condition was stable with no signs of waking, Shin left the guest room.
However, this time, he left something behind on Irisviel's body.
The "Blackbird: Lover."
A small black crow perched on her, ensuring that if her body made any movements, Shin would immediately sense it.
To be continued…
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