Way Too Competitive

Perhaps he had worn himself out taking in too much information at once. By the time Greg woke up, it was already evening.

"The placement exam event should be long over by now."

That was Greg's very first thought upon waking.

In the original story, the placement exam had been a fairly important event. Victoria and Sylvia had first shown their talents, and Lilith's romance route had officially begun.

But none of that had anything to do with him.

Right now, he had something more pressing to do: sneak out of the Dungeon under cover of night and stop his maid from turning into a terrorist.

The mission sounded a little absurd, but he knew this was no joke.

"Speaking of which, where's that black cat? Why is she gone? Don't tell me everything that happened before was just a dream?"

The thought had barely formed when a ripple suddenly spread through the shadow at his feet.

Then a black cat suddenly emerged from his shadow on the ground.

"Hey, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not a black cat. I'm the Goddess of Night. You really are rude."

Greg said, "You're the rude one! You went into someone else's shadow without permission. That's trespassing!"

Nightmare said, "Then could you please let me keep living in your shadow? I don't want to be out there freezing along with you."

Greg said, "No! If we're in this together, why should I be the only one suffering?"

Nightmare said, "Mm, I knew you'd say that."

With that, she ignored Greg's protests and slipped back inside.

Greg said, "Damn it, Hachimi, you little brat! How are we supposed to build our bond if you won't suffer with me? Didn't we promise to be each other's one and only angels?!"

Greg's shadow on the ground twisted.

"I don't remember saying anything of the sort, but if you insist on defining our relationship, I'd prefer you to call me Mistress."

Greg said, "Hachimi! Hachimi!"

Nightmare said, "...I don't know what that means, but I feel as though I've been insulted."

Greg said, "Don't doubt it. I am insulting you. From now on, I'm calling you Hachimi—no, wait, I was joking, my goddess. So could you please stop turning my shadow into a catgirl? Seriously, my stomach's already cramping. It won't do either of us any good if I throw up."

Only after hearing that did Greg's shadow on the ground gradually return to its original shape.

Then Nightmare's voice sounded in Greg's mind again, though this time she seemed to have lost all trace of playfulness.

"Human, yesterday was the first time we met, wasn't it?"

After suppressing his nausea, Greg answered weakly, "What else? If I'd met a little menace like you before, I'd probably have died of sheer frustration by now."

"Really... I see." Nightmare's voice grew quieter, as though she were confirming something, or thinking it over.

Then she fell completely silent.

Although Nightmare's sudden question left Greg a little puzzled, the silence suited him just fine.

He needed to concentrate on what came next.

He stuffed a few strips of the jerky he had made over the past few days into his mouth, then headed for the Dungeon's exit.

He had chosen to leave the Dungeon at night because very few students would still be wandering around the Academy at this hour. With curfew restrictions in place, most students would be in their dorms.

Besides, most events took place during the day, so the surface was relatively safe for him at night.

After killing a few minor monsters lurking along the way, Greg reached the Academy Dungeon's entrance without trouble.

He took a look outside.

Beneath the night sky, the Academy was utterly different from its bustling daytime self.

The grand buildings lay still beneath the stars, their outlines hushed, while only a scattering of streetlamps cast soft light over the main thoroughfare and plaza.

Most of the distant dormitory windows were dark, with only a handful still lit.

As far as he could see, there was hardly anyone around, save for one or two figures in the far distance who looked like teachers slowly making their night patrols.

"This shouldn't be too dangerous for me. I just need to be careful when I pass any spots with death CGs."

He took a few deep breaths and gave his equipment one final check, making sure nothing on him would make noise.

Then his gaze sharpened. He shot out of the darkness at the Dungeon entrance like an arrow loosed from a bow, heading straight for a patch of bushes beside a garden a short distance ahead.

It would provide good cover.

His movements were swift, his footsteps light and silent. Everything was going according to plan.

He would use the garden's trees and the shadows of buildings to make his way around to the Academy's outskirts.

But just as he rushed out of the entrance, his attention fixed on the path ahead and any possible patrols in the distance-

"Aah!"

Off to one side, a figure hurried out of the shadow beneath a statue's pedestal at that very moment.

Caught completely off guard, the two crashed squarely into each other!

Had he been spotted?!

But when he made out the face of the person he had collided with in the faint light of a distant streetlamp, now frowning and rubbing her forehead, all his vigilance and contingency plans caught in his throat.

A small, heart-shaped face, delicate features drawn into a slight wince of pain, unmistakable silky brown hair, and chestnut eyes that looked clear even in the dim light...

"Lily Carlo?"

Greg blurted out her name, his expression instantly overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of absurdity and bewilderment.

What was going on? Why was she here at this hour?

Greg looked at Lily Carlo, who stood before him in dark casual clothes suited for movement, her hair tied simply behind her head. He glanced at the path behind him, which plainly led into the Dungeon, then finally returned his gaze to her face.

A suspicion surfaced in his mind, making the corner of his mouth twitch.

Was she... trying to sneak into the Dungeon under cover of night??

Weren't the background characters in this world way too competitive?!