Chapter 13

Eden strolled through the school halls, searching for a specific room. Last night, after getting the room, he had shown Asia around the Under Plance. Asia had really loved the grand garden and expressed a desire to create her own field. So, he purchased a farm room for her, where she could do some planting. The Mansion, being magical, had rooms that perfectly replicated outside weather; it even had a beach.

However, upon checking his missed calls, Eden noticed messages from both Amano and Ichigaya. He returned Amano's call from the previous night, discussing how he had jeopardized his fleeting relationship with Tendou, resulting in a "Game Over." Eden advised him to calm down, not to rush over every little thing, and to persist unless Tendou explicitly expressed her disdain. He suggested being as kind to her as possible. Afterward, he went to bed and called Ichigaya upon waking up. Ichigaya instructed him to come to Sewing Room Number 2 after reaching school, so he did.

Upon finding the room, he entered to discover two individuals. The first was Tomozaki, strangely wearing a mask. The second was an attractive girl with medium-length brown hair and green eyes. "Tomozaki, why did you summon me here during your rendezvous with your girlfriend?" Eden asked. "She's not my girlfriend; this is Noname," Ichigaya clarified.

"Oh, Noname attends our school; it's a small world," Eden responded. Up until now, the girl had simply observed him. "You're Fateless."

"Guilty as charged. You can call me Fateless or Eden. I'm a first-year. And you are?" Eden introduced himself. "Yes, I'm Aoi Hinami, a second-year. Eden, how have I not heard of you?"

"He's a serial truant," Tomozaki interjected. "Again, guilty as charged," Eden confessed.

"So, Tomozaki, Hinami-chan, what are you up to?" Eden inquired. After asking that, Ichigaya briefed him on how they had met, argued about the meaning of life, and how Hinami had compelled him to reconsider his entire lifestyle.

"So, all it took for you to change your entire life was a cute girl verbally challenging you?" Eden teased.

"No, that's not it," Tomozaki retorted. "Okay, okay, you're not a dirty masochist. But Hinami-chan, how do you plan to get this guy to change?"

"Well, like a video game, of course. I'm going to give him daily challenges and small goals," Hinami explained. Hearing this, Eden found it intriguing. "So, is today's challenge for him to talk to three girls?"

"Wow, that's easy; he can definitely talk to three girls," Eden responded. However, looking at Tomozaki, he seemed troubled. "Really, man? I was also planning to take on the challenge, but that's too simple."

"Well, if you're seeking a real challenge, Eden, what about talking to three girls from each grade? And for first-years, they can't be from your class. Additionally, you need to obtain at least half of their phone numbers," Hinami proposed. Eden pondered; it sounded quite challenging. "Okay, I accept your quest, Lady Hinami." After uttering those words, he left the room.

While walking, he pondered the challenge. It still seemed pretty easy, but he needed to figure out how to manage his time effectively. He planned to approach the first-years during the initial half of lunch. Since his sister, Nina, usually ate with her track friends at that time, he could join them. However, the issue was finding a way to isolate himself with them to ask for their numbers, or he might have to forego obtaining third-year numbers altogether. As for the second years, he would play it by ear.

Upon reaching his class, he headed to his corner seat and noticed that everyone was looking at him. He realized he had forgotten to cast the "Classmate A" spell, which he had intended to do before returning. However, he had been preoccupied with contemplating the challenge. Now, there was only one option: act as if he had always been present, which was technically true, but he had made himself unnoticeable. A girl wearing glasses and of average appearance, whom he recognized as their class representative, approached him nervously. "Um, are you in the wrong class?" she inquired.

"No, Lihosi-chan, I sit here. I've been sick for a while, so I've been absent from class. It's understandable that you don't remember much. I'm Tsubakihara Eden, but you can call me Eden," he explained.

He emitted a hint of allure, which proved effective in diverting her attention as she blushed, nodded, and returned to her seat. In that moment, he accelerated his mental processes to craft a new spell. It took him about fifteen minutes, but in the perception of the world, it was merely a split second. He named the spell {Alone Time}. This spell ensured that whenever someone approached him, they would become distracted or assume he was busy, leading them to engage in something else. This way, until the first break, he could read a grimoire just like usual.