Chapter 5 - Raising A Flag (3)

When I brought over their orders, they didn't bother giving me a glance as I placed the dishes on their table. Since they were acting that way, maybe I should try a bit harder to grab their attention.

"Uhm, ma'am, sir, anything else you'd like to add?"

"Not really," Charlotte replied in a curt tone, not even bothering to look my way. Well, that crushed my hopes of catching her eye. But hey, it was still early in the day. I could make her interested in me before the sun sets... at least, I hoped.

I sauntered away from their table, heading back to where the orders were being prepared. The cook wasn't busy because there were no new orders. That meant I could take a breather for now.

"Good job," the cashier said, giving me a warm look. She had this onee-san vibe going on, even more so than my actual sister in this world, who oozed nothing but sexual energy.

"Yeah, you did well too," I replied.

"It's a relief to have a new worker. Managing this store with just my daughter and me has been a bit tough," the cook chimed in.

"Oh, so she's your daughter?"

"Yeah. We don't really look alike, do we? People are always surprised when I mention it."

"Nah, I think you two look pretty similar," I said.

The only noticeable difference was their build, considering Cook Papa was a dude and the Cashier girl was all woman. Both sported orange hair, with Cook Papa even rocking an orange beard. Couldn't help but wonder if the carpet matched the drapes for the cashier. Well, no time to find that out now; I had a certain objective in mind.

Since I was on a break, it seemed like the perfect time to gather some intel. Sharpening my senses, I zeroed in on Charlotte and Daemon's conversation.

"Don't you think we should... take it to the next level now, Charlotte?"

Whoa, this guy wasn't wasting any breath, huh? Starting with that? Wasn't the standard move to build it up, tease a bit, so the lady wouldn't be caught off guard? I've navigated through my fair share of eroge games in my world, and the playbook dictated a smooth approach to capture those heroines. What was this guy thinking? I bet he'd veer off into a bad end if he kept this up. Well, for me, that might be the ideal outcome.

"Next level? In what?" Charlotte asked.

"In our relationship."

Oh, wow. No beating around the bush with this one, huh? Straight to the point. I sort of admired the guy for being so unapologetically direct, but at the same time, I couldn't stand him for it. Reminded me of some dude back in my world. Well, at least this guy wasn't as much of a bastard as that one.

"I've already told you, Daemon, I'm not ready to dive into a relationship. Can't you see I'm swamped with my studies and training? Entering a relationship would only distract me from reaching the gold class."

"It's just our second year. There's an eternity ahead for you to ascend to the gold class. You're already ruling the roost in the silver class, right? Scaling up to gold should be a breeze for you now. And if that's truly your desire, how about I shake up the lowest-ranking chick in my class? She'd plummet back to silver, and you could swoop in to take her spot. I can orchestrate it, all you gotta do is go out with me."

Now that's a cringe-worthy line.

"What in the hell are you even talking about?"

See that? Furrows etched deep into her forehead now. You're steering full throttle toward that bad end, pal. Keep this up, and you might find yourself catapulted out of the picture with one swift kick.

"Listen, if you give me a shot, I can work some magic, bring down the lowest of the gold class even further. Then, when that happens, you can easily snag her spot. You're the silver class queen, after all. That prince trailing you can't pull off such maneuvers, because he's stuck in the same class as you. Professor Sesillian, bound by the rules, can't toss a lifeline your way either," he smirked.

Confident that he had the upper hand, he was blissfully unaware that he was just digging his own grave.

"Oh, and let me throw this in—bet that prince is a total dud in bed. He exudes inexperience; you can practically smell his virginity from a mile away. As for Professor Sesillian, sure, he might have some notches on his belt, but do you really think he'd commit to you, Charlotte? It's glaringly obvious he's just lusting after your body. Now, on the flip side, I'm head over heels for you, and I've got some serious bedroom expertise. If you take the plunge into a relationship with me, I promise you'll be drowning in satisfaction."

That was another cringe-worthy move. 

Charlotte gritted her teeth, tightly clutching the teacup in her hands, and I feared it might shatter. I could easily guess what was running through her mind. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she hurled the still-steaming hot tea right into Daemon's face.

"Asshole! How dare you!"

"Gah! W-What the...?! What the fuck are you doing, Charlotte? Ah, fuck! It's hot! It's hot! It's so fucking hot! Agh!"

"Do you really think I need your help to reach the gold class?! I'm perfectly capable on my own, and I can reach that class just fine without your twisted assistance! I want to get there fair and square! And don't you dare think I'm an easy woman!"

"How dare you do this to me, Charlotte?! You will pay for this!"

"I hope this finally gets you off my back," Charlotte said, rising from her seat and striding away from the table.

"Wait! Where are you going?! I'm not done with you!" Daemon also shot up from his seat, hot on Charlotte's heels.

I observed them as they exited the establishment, and I wasn't the only one. Everyone's attention was on them, except for Titania, who muttered under her breath, "Why are they looking at them instead of me? How ungrateful!" I brushed her off for now and focused on eavesdropping on Charlotte and Daemon. Even from outside, I could still catch their conversation.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" Charlotte protested. It seemed that Daemon had caught up to her.

"I won't. You'll run away from me if I do that, right?" he said.

"That's right."

"Listen to me for a moment. Can you consider the benefits of going out with me? I mean, I'm the heir of the Hunters Guild, and I'm currently in the gold class. Not to mention, I'm handsome. All the women in the academy are dying to have a relationship with me. Isn't it really beneficial to be with someone like me?"

This guy was beyond direct. I'd bet he's the type to jump straight into the action without bothering with foreplay. And why the hell was he pushing the idea that being handsome is some kind of superpower? That's just pure, unadulterated narcissism. And as a crucial note, not every girl in the academy is falling over themselves for him.

"Is that all? Then release me," Charlotte declared, her voice now a cold, cutting edge. Understandably so, given the bomb Daemon just dropped on her.

"W-Wait, Charlotte! Can you genuinely find happiness with someone other than me? That professor won't do jack for you, I swear! And that pathetic, virgin prince will never deliver the joy you seek! I'm the superior choice! You should be with me!"

I heard Charlotte sigh after his desperate plea. "Is that all?" she repeated, unimpressed. "Then, I should go now. Bye." It seemed she finally managed to slip out of Daemon's desperate clutches.

Yes! This meant Daemon was now out of the picture. However, there were still two bugs I needed to deal with. And, of course, I had to spark her interest in me.

As I thought that, I heard something unsettling—footsteps that definitely didn't belong to Charlotte. Several pairs of footsteps, and they were closing in on her.

"Huh? Wh-What? What's happening? What are you going to do to me?"

"Shut your mouth if you wanna live."

"Eeek!" A suppressed scream clawed its way out of Charlotte's throat. "D-Daemon! Help me!"

Her desperate plea hung in the air, but Daemon, once the relentless pursuer, had transformed into a spineless coward.

"Huh? Uhm... T-There's no way I can deal with this many! You think I'll risk my neck for a woman who just rejected me?! No way. I'm outta here!"

"You jerk! Wait up! Don't leave me here!"

"I said shut the fuck up! Or do you want me to slit your throat?!"

Daemon bolted, abandoning Charlotte to her fate. As the echoes of his retreat faded, I couldn't shake the perplexity. What the fuck was unfolding?