"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 35

Yuri: “My name is Yuri.”

Prof Nox: “Oh? I see. And your academic background?”

Yuri: “Ah, well… I’m an adventurer, so I don’t really have one.”

Alice: “Haha! He may be an adventurer, but he’s incredibly talented! He’s agreed to assist me with my experiments. Treat him well, Professor Nox!”

Prof. Nox: “I see… is that so? Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Yuri-kun.”

Yuri: “Likewise.”

He offered me a handshake—his hand was cold to the touch.

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Prof. Nox: “Ah, right. Alice, about that lecture we discussed—”

Alice: “Oh! Don’t tell me…!”

Prof. Nox: “Unfortunately, no one signed up. Your class won’t be running this term either. But that just means more time for your research, right? Since you’re a genius, there’s no need for you to teach. No paperwork either. You just stay here and focus on your studies.”

Alice: “Haha! Is that so? Well, it can’t be helped! I am a genius, after all. I guess the students just can’t comprehend my brilliance! Hahaha!”

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I stood in silence, listening.

Yeah… I think I get the picture now.

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Prof. Nox: “Well then, I’ll take my leave. Oh, and I’ll share the meeting minutes with you later.”

Alice: “Uh… I could’ve attended the meeting too, though.”

Prof. Nox: “No need. A rare genius like you doesn’t need to attend such things. Just keep doing what you do best.”

Alice: “Haha! You’re right! I’ll do just that!”

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As Professor Nox left, he gave me a quick glance—and let’s just say, it wasn’t a welcoming one.

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Yuri: “Hey, Alice.”

Alice: “Hmm? What is it?”

Yuri: “Who is that guy?”

Alice: “Professor Nox. He’s one of the faculty here. I guess you could call him my superior? Though I’m technically a professor myself. Anyway, he’s one of the few people who treats me well. I don’t need to do administrative work, but he always shares everything with me, like just now!”

Yuri: “I see…”
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I didn’t buy it. But I nodded along for now. Just from this brief encounter, I got a sense of the kind of environment Alice lived in.

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In the afternoon, Alice and I began discussing my magic formula.

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Alice: “Yuri! Let’s dive into analyzing your spell formulas, shall we?”

Yuri: “Sure. Here’s how mine works—”

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Back in her lab, we jumped right into the discussion.

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Alice: “How much strain does this formula put on your magic circuit?”

Yuri: “Quite a bit. I can barely maintain it for an hour at most. In combat, it’s even shorter.”

Alice: “Hmm… Your formula is beautiful. But there’s a bit of inefficiency when overlapping two dark elements. If you fine-tune the collision energy, you can better control the light element output. Right now, it’s a bit unstable—producing more light than necessary, right?”

Yuri: “…I’m impressed. You got all that just from looking?”

Alice: “Hehe. My eyes are special, remember?”

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She tapped lightly under her eye. They shimmered in iridescent hues—Alice had already analyzed everything.

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Alice: “Now we just need a control sub-formula. But running two simultaneously is a tall order… and to make it precise… Hmm. This’ll take longer than I thought.”

Yuri: “Sorry about that. You’ve got your own research to worry about too.”

Alice: “Haha! Don’t be silly! There’s no such thing as wasted research. It’s all connected—every detour, every dead end, leads to breakthroughs! That’s the joy of discovery! Hahaha!”

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We kept talking, and before I knew it, the sun was already setting. It was about time to head back—but I had a suggestion.

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Alice: “Wow, it’s that late already. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Yuri: “Alice, are you free tonight?”

Alice: “Hmm? Hehe… Don’t tell me—you want to spend the night with me?”

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She gave me a teasing grin.

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Yuri: “Not quite. I have to go home tonight. But how about dinner? I get the feeling you were planning to survive off coffee and nutrition bars again.”

Alice: “Well, yes. Efficient meal management is important, after all.”

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Man, why do all the girls I meet have such terrible eating habits?

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Yuri: “Sure, but once in a while you should have a proper meal. How about we go to a restaurant tonight?”

Alice: “J-Just the two of us…?”

Yuri: “Yeah. Is that a problem?”

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Alice looked startled. She lowered her gaze, almost uncertain.

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Alice: “All I have is my lab coat… Is that okay?”

Yuri: “Of course. Clothes don’t matter.”

Alice: “But… if people see me out with you, I mean, you’ll…”

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Ah. So, she does understand. She’s not oblivious or insensitive—Alice picks up on the subtle ways people treat her.

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Yuri: “Alice. Let’s go. I want you to have dinner with me. No one else.”

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She froze for a moment, then flashed a bright smile.

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Alice: “Haha! If you’re going to insist like that, I have no choice! Very well—this genius shall accompany you on your little culinary outing! It’ll be my first time dining out, so it could be valuable research!”

Yuri: “You said it yourself—no such thing as wasted experience, right?”

Alice: “Exactly! Haha! You’re starting to get the spirit of research too, Assistant Yuri-kun!”

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We left the university and entered the city. It was unusually crowded.

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Yuri: “Whoa. Lot of people out tonight.”

Alice: “It’s almost time for the Seisui Festival. Tourists are flooding in.”

Yuri: “Seisui Festival?”

Alice: “Ordina’s biggest event. The magic university helps with it too. They float magic circles in the sky and create shimmering lights that mimic the stars. Boats and food stalls light up the lake—it turns the whole city into a festival of lights.”

Yuri: “Sounds amazing.”

Alice: “I suppose. Not that I care. I’ll be in my lab as usual. Research is my one true love, after all!”

Yuri: “…”

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My response came naturally.

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Yuri: “How about coming with me?”

Alice: “…Huh?”

Yuri: “If you’d like, I’ll go with you.”

Alice: “R-Really? With me? You’d go with me?”

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Alice stared up at me, eyes filled with a mixture of hope and uncertainty.

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Yuri: “Yeah. Of course.”

Alice: “Yay—! Ahem. I mean, sure. Strictly for research purposes! Understanding human festivals may provide inspiration, after all. Don’t get the wrong idea, Assistant Yuri-kun!”

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She rattled it off so quickly it was almost comical.

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Yuri: “Haha. Sure, sure.”

Alice: “Hmph… That laugh says otherwise!”

Yuri: “Alright, here.”

Alice: “Huh? Why are you holding your hand out?”

Yuri: “With this crowd, we might get separated. Let’s hold hands until we get to the restaurant.”

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It wasn’t even the main day of the festival, but the streets were already packed. Alice was petite—she’d easily get swallowed by the crowd.

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“W-Well, I suppose that’s a rational decision. Logical. Sensible. Holding hands is, indeed, the optimal solution…”

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I caught the beginning of her rambling, but the rest was lost in mumbles.

I took Alice’s small, delicate hand. She hesitated at first, but slowly gripped mine in return. Her hand felt faintly warm.

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Yuri: “Shall we?”

Alice: “Yeah!”

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Hand in hand, we weaved through the noise of the city. But as we moved forward, I accidentally brushed against a pair of people ahead of us.

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Yuri: “Oh—excuse me.”

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I apologized reflexively… but then I saw the familiar gold and silver hair.

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Ria: “My, Yuri. What a coincidence.”

Eve: “It truly is. Isn’t it, Big Brother…?”

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Ria and Eve. What the hell were they doing here?

Their eyes weren’t on me—but on the hands Alice and I were holding.

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Ria: “Well, well… So, you’re that close, huh?”

Eve: “Big Brother… would you care to explain?”