I Tried to Become a Worthless Scumbag to Break Our Engagement for His Happiness, but Instead I Was Hugged, Kissed, and Sworn Eternal Love by the Ice Knight (BL) - CHAPTER 24

Deep inside the old school building, behind a heavy wooden door, lay a refined office lined with red carpet.

The black desk engraved with the crest of the Kingdom of Kamiokande was old, but solid. The décor, too, though aged, still carried an air of elegance.

“This was once the old student council room. Originally it served as the president’s office… come this way.”

Still being supported, Fleck followed Heliosphere to the right side of the room. There, bookshelves were packed tightly, overflowing with documents.

“This is… amazing, but…”

Fleck fell silent when he was led further inside. At the very back of the room, behind all those shelves crammed with records, there was a door marked with a plate: Archive Room.

Without a word, Heliosphere opened the door.

“Waaah…”

The smell of old paper wafted out. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant smell.
Since it was an archive room, the inside was very dark.

Fleck, who had lived through the Eastern Demon Territory Front, didn’t feel fear.
But the endless piles of records—far beyond what the original shelves could ever hold—gave him a vague sense of unease. A small groan escaped his lips.

“Your main duty, Fleck, will be organizing and recording these documents.”

When they returned to the office, Heliosphere guided Fleck to a chair at a desk set beside the black one in an L-shape. Fleck sat down quietly, letting himself be helped.

He was a little tired. So much had happened, and to think their destination turned out to be the very top floor, the farthest room of the old school building.

The chair, though, was comfortable. The mantle Heliosphere had draped over his shoulders earlier was now placed across his knees.

Fleck panicked—surely that was too much—but when Heliosphere gently brushed his knee and murmured, “Don’t let your legs get cold,” he found himself unable to protest.

“The old school building is scheduled for demolition. The unnecessary documents will be preserved in record boards before disposal. But there aren’t many who can use them yet. Even if we try to train people, knowledge and experience are lacking. Disposal is urgent. Therefore, I want to entrust the work of organizing these records entirely to you, Fleck.”

Fleck nodded again and again, finally understanding why he had been hired.

The record board—developed in the Warthworth Territory. A revolutionary magic device that allowed the storage and organization of documents.

Until now, clerks had written everything with ink on paper, tied the sheets together, and stored them as records. Managing the archives had always been done this way.

But in the Warthworth Territory, on the Eastern Demon Territory Front, there had been constant danger of raids and fires. Time and time again, unfinished documents, unused sheets, and even important reports had all turned to ash.

Thus, the record board had been born.

The size of a standard document, just about two millimeters thick. Thin, light, durable—and made of mineral material that would not burn.

By activating the board and typing on its input screen, one could create and save documents. As long as the board itself remained intact, the data would never be lost.

With the proper steps, it was also possible to duplicate the files onto backup boards or shared record boards.

It was the newest of magical tools, born from an obsession with preventing the loss of paper documents.

Fleck, of course, had used record boards at the Eastern Front as a matter of course. But since they were made from rare materials, their spread was limited. Even in Kamiokande Castle, adoption had only just begun.

That meant—within the Royal Academy of Kamiokande, Fleck might very well be the one most skilled with record boards.

And so, when entrusted with this task, he was able to answer energetically:

“I understand completely. Please leave it to me. I’ve done plenty of quick document input at the Eastern Front.”

Heliosphere placed both hands on Fleck’s shoulders in a comforting gesture.

“Thank you, Fleck. I’ll carry the records myself—just focus on the input.”

With those words, he placed a brand-new record board on the desk.

“I see… ah, this is the newest model, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Let me explain.”

“Oh no, it’s fine. The basic functions are the same, and if I’m unsure, I can just read the manual.”

“Fleck.”

With a thud, Heliosphere set down a thick bundle of records on the desk and smiled gently.

“I will explain it.”

“E–even so… I don’t want to trouble you…”

Fleck reached for the documents, ready to get started, but Heliosphere pressed down on them, making it impossible to pull them free.

What a mean thing to do, Fleck thought, looking up at him—only to find that Heliosphere’s smile had grown even warmer.

“Just listen. To my explanation.”

Heliosphere was unyielding, completely serious.
“…Alright… I understand…” Fleck finally murmured, though secretly he wished he could just have the manual.

Because just as he feared, Heliosphere sat down right beside him, their shoulders touching, and began carefully, patiently explaining every single new feature.