I clutched the professor's ID card in my hand and headed to the Library.
As I'd felt earlier, there was always something about the smell of books that brought peace. Though I couldn't read them, I rather liked the atmosphere of the place.
People climbing ladders to select books, others heading to the checkout desk with volumes cradled in their arms. Seeing so many people gathering knowledge and culture made me feel smarter just by being there.
Even though I couldn't read the titles on the book spines.
Karen seemed delighted just to have received permission from the professor to borrow a book. She was moving about, seriously contemplating which book to choose.
I glanced at her and carefully asked, "...Karen, was it?"
"Oh, you can speak comfortably with me! You're with the professor, and I'm younger, aren't I?"
"No, that's not quite it..."
I broke into a sweat. Even if we discussed age, I didn't know my own. I knew my age, but it was difficult to gauge the age of this body.
If we were simply talking about physical age, I might be considered young, but this was a fantasy world. It was already difficult to judge age by appearance, and I was a Demon God with the strange condition of becoming younger each time I died.
So I couldn't say I was young, but I also couldn't estimate how old I actually was in reality.
From my memory, I thought I might be around Karen's age. I was fairly tall with long limbs.
When I gave my ambiguous answer, Karen tilted her head slightly.
"Then, shall we speak comfortably... with each other?"
"Whatever's comfortable."
It was a consideration for Karen, who seemed unsure how to address me—neither senior, junior, nor assistant. When she awkwardly made her suggestion, I answered smoothly, and she broke into a bright smile.
"Then, I'll call you Urr?"
She turned her face toward me, bringing her sparkling eyes close. Her black hair seemed familiar, but her red eyes were unfamiliar and a bit frightening.
More importantly, she seemed to have remembered my name from earlier. I felt relieved that we wouldn't need formal introductions.
"Umm, okay... aren't you going to pick a book?"
When I shifted my gaze to the bookshelves, she seemed to realize her task and began scanning the book titles again.
After careful consideration, Karen pulled a book from the shelf.
"I'll go with this one. ...I don't really have enough money to buy books like this, so I was quite desperate."
She offered an explanation though no one had asked, seemingly embarrassed about borrowing the professor's ID card before even attending the entrance ceremony.
"What is it?"
Not being one to enjoy watching others feel uncomfortable, I tried to shift the conversation. Karen fidgeted before opening her eyes wide.
Then she pronounced each word clearly to answer my question.
"This is 'On Basic Mana Operation Techniques.'"
"...Even if you show me, I can't read."
Karen held out the book to show me, but I couldn't meet her expectations. I couldn't read letters, so even when running book errands, I had to ask the librarian—how could I possibly read this?
"Huh?"
A dumbfounded voice. It seemed my illiteracy was unbelievable to her.
She probably assumed I had some education since I was with the professor.
I wanted to tell her it wasn't good to make assumptions about things she didn't know, but honestly, it would be difficult to imagine someone under an Academy professor's guidance being illiterate.
I took the ID card from my pocket, signaling that we should borrow the book and leave. Karen silently followed behind me.
"...So you can't read."
"No. I never learned."
Even as the barcode scanner beeped, I could hear her muttering in disbelief.
"Thank you for letting me borrow this. I'll return it on time, I promise!"
Karen went all the way to the research lab to thank the professor before leaving. After the door closed, the professor sighed.
"How bold. ...Well, I suppose it's easier to think she had her reasons for needing to borrow a book."
Professor Yuria shook her head as if she couldn't help it. Her voice carried a tone close to resignation. Perhaps she thought it was easier not to worry since Karen had already borrowed the book using her ID card.
I looked at the professor once, then pulled out a nearby chair and sat down. After shifting around a bit, I loosened my belt.
One of the truly annoying things was how the skirt would sag and slip down without a belt. When I grabbed it and tightened it again, I finally felt secure.
With nothing particular to do, I was folding up my rolled sleeves when the professor, who had been watching quietly, spoke up.
"Did you just meet that friend today?"
"Yes."
"At the Library?"
"Hmm, more precisely, she followed me as I was leaving the Library."
Hearing this, the professor nodded slowly in understanding.
The atmosphere was always like this. As a Demon God, I was essentially classified not as a person but as supplies, so my job was to stay by Professor Yuria's side.
Except for when they needed to draw blood samples from a Demon God, my only task was to run simple errands like fetching books. So I had nothing proactive to do.
"I see. There's nothing particular to do today. We just need to wait for the results now."
"Yes."
I nodded at the professor's words.
"Urr, shall we head home for today?"
"...I don't mind."
"Then let's go."
The professor took off her snow-white lab coat and put on an overcoat. Though it was the same white color, the difference in material and design completely transformed her impression.
She looked like she had changed from a professor to a noble.
I followed behind the professor. This world was a fantasy world. Whenever I saw the curious mix of modern and early modern elements, I always felt amazed.
One year. And even that was a restricted life, so I hadn't had time to get used to my surroundings.
We used a Warp Point to instantly cross an entire city.
Suddenly, an apartment building by a river came into view. It was quite a nice apartment. After entering, I found myself captivated by the view through the living room window. The night scenery reminded me of Seoul, making my heart ache.
"Urr, do you want friends?"
"...I'm not sure."
As I was quietly looking at the scenery, the professor, who had taken off her coat, suddenly asked a question.
After my halfhearted answer, silence seemed to linger, but the professor didn't give up and continued. I heard the sound of hands clapping.
"Ah, would you like to try making friends?"
"I don't know. I can't enroll anyway."
"That's true..."
Realistically speaking, it was impossible. Humans and Demon Gods absorb the same mana from the air but emit different types. Since the difference was so clear, I couldn't hide and enter the Academy.
Having died several times, I had become younger and my mana capacity had decreased, so there wasn't much I could do anyway.
The professor came closer and put her hand on my shoulder.
"But you could attend Academy classes as supplies instead."
"...As supplies?"
"Since you're technically school property, it doesn't matter where in the Academy you are, right?"
The professor's hand, which had been on my shoulder, slowly moved until it was touching my cheek. I could see my cheeks being gently stretched in the reflection of the living room window.
"...Pwofessow."
"Ah, sorry, they're just so squishy."
The professor said that but didn't remove her hand from my cheek.
"Shall we eat, wash up, and go to bed?"
"...I don't really feel like eating."
"Please eat anyway."
Demon Gods don't need to eat. We can live without feeling hunger. The concept of starvation doesn't exist for Demon Gods.
But we can eat if we want to. The professor knew this, so she asked me again today. If she felt lonely eating alone, I could at least do that much for her, so I nodded.
"Great. I'll make something delicious."
After eating, the professor dragged me to the bathroom. At first, it felt like I was being pulled along by her strength, but by now, I had completely given up and surrendered my body.
The professor, stroking my hair that reached down to my buttocks, asked me casually.
"Isn't your hair uncomfortable?"
"...It's fine for me."
I expressed my refusal because both the volume and length of my hair would be difficult to manage if I started styling it. Above all, since I wasn't the original owner, I still wasn't sure if I should be making changes on my own.
Though I had become younger after dying several times, I thought I should avoid tampering with it otherwise. Thinking this, I stared at the mirror.
Behind me, the professor, who had undressed, sighed.
"Alright. Shall I wash you then?"
A rough sigh escaped her, probably at the thought of shampooing such a massive amount of hair. I took that sound as a signal and squeezed my eyes shut.
Water began pouring down like rain. My previously weightless hair became heavy with water. Feeling like I might fall backward, I bent forward.
The professor grabbed my body and pulled me back.
"I need to do it this way to wash your hair."
"Ugh. My nose, my nose...!"
"Ah, sorry...!"
Leaning against the professor's body, I struggled as water went up my nose. The professor just held my nose and repeatedly told me to sniff.
Bathing was always arduous. Of course, the professor did everything for me, but somehow today felt more exhausting.
"Urr always looks for oversized clothes. ...We still don't know how your body will return."
"...Just in case."
Wearing loose pajamas, I climbed onto the bed following the professor's guidance.
It was a bit awkward having to be with someone who was like a supervisor 24 hours a day, all because I was the first captured pet Demon God.
"Don't go anywhere while I'm asleep. People are afraid of you."
The professor said this as she held me tight. I closed my eyes, feeling her warmth.
I didn't need to sleep, but if I didn't, the long night would feel unbearably lonely, so I had to force myself to sleep.
Today was just another day like that.