Gerald rubbed his half-spinning head. It was far too early in the day to be drinking, and he had completely forgotten about his body's… condition. Something akin to a vulnerability to debuffs.
Which meant that anything that negatively affected his body lingered far longer than it should.
He'd poured himself a drink after Nadia left—two entirely unrelated events, obviously. He had simply thought that drinking after sex might feel nice.
The problem? That had been only six hours before his first class.
And now here he was, stumbling his way to the faculty office.
Though… it did come with a strange sort of 'compensation'
[Sensitivity +200%]
This so-called compensation was always random. Sometimes it granted increased mana capacity, sometimes enhanced stamina, sometimes even heightened libido.
A friend of his who specialized in ecology and applied biology once told him it was some kind of mana fluctuation disorder.
In short, Gerald's body processed debuffs in its own bizarre way, creating random side effects. They could certainly have been worse, but so far, Gerald had only ever received effects that were positive—or at the very least, neutral.
Like now. With his sensitivity doubled, he could practically smell the nervousness radiating from the restless figure fidgeting just outside the teacher's office.
Gerald frowned. New staff?
Her outfit looked far too formal for a Wednesday uniform—Wednesdays were casual days at the academy.
So Gerald tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey."
She turned around.
Shit.
Gerald tried to suppress the flood of prejudices surging into his mind when his eyes caught her striking features.
Her ponytail had been let down, long hair cascading freely. Her sweet, petite face contrasted sharply with the generous mounds jutting from her chest.
And with his sensitivity doubled, Gerald was acutely aware of his own nervousness in that moment.
"M-Maya?" he greeted awkwardly.
"Ah."
He expected an equally awkward reply, but instead Maya gave him a confident smile with a graceful bow.
"I was a little worried I might make mistakes on my first day at work. Luckily, I ran into a familiar face."
Gerald blinked. A dozen questions crowded his mind, but all that came out was:
"…What?"
***
From his office window, Gerald watched as Maya—despite being here only a few hours—had already become a commanding presence.
It was no mystery why.
Together with Arthur, Gerald, and nine others, she was one of the names praised throughout the world.
The Twelve Wonders.
Heroes who had fought the Demon King directly. Of course, that description downplayed the contributions of countless other officers who had risked their lives, but people always preferred the simpler story.
Even so, Gerald's brow remained furrowed. As did something else between his legs.
What was the meaning of this? Was this part of Arthur's plan—to drag him even deeper into some twisted fetishistic game?
Okay, stop thinking with your dick. Find a non-sexual reason. Maya was, after all, one of the kingdom's most accomplished swordmasters.
Her skill and experience alone easily surpassed the academy's minimum teaching qualifications.
But why now?
Why right after that incident?
Still nursing his pounding head, Gerald left his office.
The noise in the staff room dimmed briefly, eyes flicked toward him, then quickly turned away, uninterested—attention pulled back instantly to the sudden spotlight Maya commanded.
Grateful to remain unnoticed as always, Gerald slipped out of the room toward his destination.
Until he felt a tap.
He glanced sideways.
Though she was a legendary swordswoman, Maya was no taller than he was. Gerald had to tilt his head down slightly when their eyes met.
"Hey." Somehow sneaking away from her own welcome party, Maya gave him a friendly smile. "Want to grab lunch?"
Gerald froze. He hadn't expected her to be this casual—or maybe he was simply overthinking things.
"Uh… no."
Maya frowned.
"I want to go to the Temple."
***
"I never knew you were religious," Maya whispered as they stepped inside the holy building.
Honestly? He wasn't.
Gerald knew better than anyone that none of the gods in this world were real.
If there was a god here, it was the developer of the game.
And Gerald saw no reason to worship some corporate entity making fortunes off unlucky players throwing their money at gacha rolls.
His reason for being here was… more personal.
"I have this condition," Gerald explained, telling her about his mana fluctuations and how disruptive they were.
Of course, he left out the detail about the 'compensations' that boosted his stats. That was either unimportant—or too important to share with someone he didn't fully trust.
"But I don't think drinking before bed is a good habit," Maya said gently. "I heard it can damage your digestive system."
Gerald shrugged. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
"Ah…"
Gerald clasped his hands in front of his chest, ready to begin the usual ritual—when he realized just how wrong his earlier words must have sounded.
So he froze, the debuff-cleansing cut short.
"I-It's not because of what happened the other day!" Gerald blurted quickly.
But Maya only gave him a knowing look, a faint, bitter smile tugging at her lips—one he couldn't quite read. "I understand why it bothers you—because it bothers me too."
Gerald bit his lip. Damn it. I thought she'd let it go, but now it feels like I dug my own grave.
Since Maya didn't continue, Gerald carefully ventured, "Did… Arthur force you?"
"Hm?" Maya glanced over, seeming a little unprepared for the question. "Well, not exactly forcing me. But… he always asks my opinion about what I'd think if he were to 'hand me over' to another man."
Gerald couldn't help wondering. What the hell had really happened to Arthur? Did he take a blow to the head or something?
"And how do you feel about that?"
"Me? At first, I was shocked. I asked myself—does he not want me anymore? Did I do something wrong? Could I at least improve myself? But do you know what he told me?"
Maya hugged herself, her voice raw and hoarse. "He said he actually liked the thought of me being ruined by another man. Ruined so badly I wouldn't even recognize him anymore. So ruined I might not hesitate to leave him."
Gerald slapped his forehead. Arthur, you bastard.
He used to think people with a netorase fetish only existed in porn. Because really—were people actually that stupid in real life?
But sometimes reality was stranger than fiction.
Gerald cleared his throat. "That's… well, that's pretty messed up. And confusing." He lifted his shoulders. "You probably don't need my advice, but think of it as me trying to protect Arthur from himself: just refuse him if you don't actually want it—"
"Who said I didn't want it?"
Gerald blinked.
Eh?
"I-I… at first, the idea of being touched by anyone other than Arthur disgusted me. But after what you did that night, I…"
"…I might not mind doing it again. If it's you."
As Maya turned her face away, Gerald saw the crimson blush bloom across her cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears.