Scumbag Fate System-Chapter 93: This Life Is Nice

Reinhard noticed just how empty the fountain near the History Department was. No students walking around or even lingering. All of them had run towards the library to check out the chaos.

Even the professors in the building followed.

Rika turned to face him with anticipation clear in her crimson eyes. She fidgeted with her hands while waiting to see if he would sense anything unusual.

"Well?" She asked hopefully. "Do you feel any void of energy?"

Reinhard closed his eyes and focused on his Void Sigil. He reached out with that part of himself that could sense distortions and corruption. Searched for any lingering traces of the void that had briefly formed here, according to Rika’s senses.

Nothing.

He opened his eyes and shook his head. "I don’t sense anything. The Void Distortion is completely gone from this place."

Rika’s hopeful expression dimmed slightly. "You’re sure? No traces at all?"

"Nothing," Reinhard confirmed. "Whatever formed here vanished without leaving any residual magic behind."

That was strange in itself. Normal void distortions left traces that could be detected for hours or even days afterward. It’s how Rika could sense it even though she isn’t near it because the residual would spread out.

But these rapid formations seemed to also make the residual energy fade away quickly as well.

"Let’s check the other two spots." Rika said with her expression shifting into determination. "Maybe one of them will have something."

They walked to the storage room beneath the Combat Department. Reinhard descended into the dim basement while Rika waited at the entrance to keep watch. He searched carefully with both his normal senses and his void perception.

Nothing.

The old training ground near the eastern wall was the same. Reinhard walked the entire area where Rika’s precognition had shown a distortion forming. He focused intensely on detecting even the smallest trace of void energy.

Still nothing.

By the time they finished checking all three locations, the sun was setting. They walked through campus together in the gathering dusk while magical lamps flickered to life along the pathways.

Rika was uncharacteristically quiet.

She walked beside Reinhard without speaking while her hands twisted together nervously. Her usual fidgeting had intensified.

"Are you okay?" Reinhard asked gently.

Rika glanced at him before looking away quickly. "I’m fine. Just worried."

"About what?"

"How the Void Distortions keep changing and evolving." She explained while her voice grew quieter. "First, they were rare.... Then they started appearing regularly at the academy. Now they’re forming and vanishing within seconds. It feels like it’s leading to something terrible."

She paused, then added. "Or maybe it’s reacting to something. Some change in the environment that’s making them behave differently."

Reinhard fell silent, but internally he agreed completely with her assessment. The timing was too convenient to ignore. Yor had gained full control of her void power just days ago. And immediately after, distortions started exhibiting new behavior patterns.

The connection seemed obvious. But then this brings up a few questions.

Why would Yor’s sealed power cause distortions to act differently? What was the mechanism behind it?

He didn’t believe his Sigil had a connection, as the system would have already told him. He even asked it before, but it already told him his Sigil isn’t connected to the Distortion. But based on the Fate System words, completing the mission would put an end to all the distortions.

This meant the answers would be revealed then.

Rika stopped walking suddenly after reaching a quiet area, and then she turned to him. "Do you think multiple distortions might appear at once someday?"

"I wouldn’t be surprised," Reinhard admitted honestly.

Rika sighed while hugging herself. "I’m worried that one day we’ll be too late. That the distortion will erupt faster than we can respond and hurt the others."

Reinhard smiled before he reached out and gently caressed her hair. "You look cute when you’re worried. And incredibly kind."

"I—what?" Rika’s face flushed bright red. "That’s not—I’m trying to have a serious conversation!"

"I know," Reinhard said while his hand continued its gentle motion through her hair. "But I can appreciate both your concern for others and how adorable you are at the same time."

Rika’s blush deepened, but she didn’t pull away from his touch. Instead, she leaned into it slightly while her eyes closed for a moment to enjoy the gentle contact.

When she opened her eyes again, something had shifted in her expression. The worry was still there, but she seemed to have relaxed and wasn’t as nervous as before. "You did that on purpose, didn’t you?"

"I have no idea what you mean," Reinhard replied with a smile.

Rika giggled before looking down, and she shifted from foot to foot while her hands twisted together. Then she looked up at Reinhard through her lashes.

"Do you want to go on a date with me tomorrow?" The words came out in a rush.

Reinhard blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "Sure. But I’m surprised you’re the one asking."

Rika’s face went even redder, and then she pouted.

Oh? I have never seen that look before from her."

"I can ask you to do stuff like that! There’s nothing wrong with a girl asking!"

Reinhard laughed. "That’s true, especially a very cute one." Rika’s blush grew even more as he continued. "I just expected it would take much longer before you worked up the courage."

Rika trembled while looking down. The setting sun cast golden light across her face and made her look even more beautiful and cute than usual. Her black hair caught the light while her crimson eyes reflected the sunset colors.

Reinhard found himself staring and appreciating such a sight.

"When it comes to you," Rika said softly while still looking down, "it feels so much easier to be bold."

She looked up and reached out to gently caress Reinhard’s face. This surprised him as Rika was rarely the one to initiate contact until she really got in the mood or after he did it.

"With you, there’s no need to pretend or worry I might say the wrong thing." She continued while her fingers were tracing along his cheek. "You make it easy to just say what I’m feeling without fear."

Reinhard gently caressed her face, making her tremble and softly sigh.

Then her eyes looked towards his own silver ones. "That’s why I could ask you out. Because being around you makes me brave enough to try."

Reinhard’s expression softened at how far this girl who struggled to talk to most people had come. Before he could respond, Rika’s blush intensified to an almost impossible shade of red. "I’ll pick you up at your dorm at ten o’clock in the morning! Don’t forget or I’ll..."

She trailed off while clearly not having thought of an actual consequence for him forgetting.

Then she turned and rushed away in the direction of the female dormitories. He watched her figure slowly fading away as she ran from the conversation and his response.

Reinhard stood there staring blankly at her retreating figure. The suddenness of her departure left him momentarily frozen in place. Then he sighed and smiled while shaking his head at the adorable awkwardness of it all.

"My current life is pretty nice," he muttered to himself.

He started walking toward his own dormitory while the evening air cooled against his skin. The campus was peaceful now, with most students already inside for dinner or evening activities.

Reinhard’s mind drifted to his previous life as a spy. The constant suspicion, paranoia, and loneliness of maintaining cover identities. And the inability to connect with another person because of the chance of them ruining everything.

It was tiring.

Compared to that existence... Things here felt amazing and easy. Sometimes it made him question if it was real... Like he’d somehow stumbled into a fantasy life.

As he climbed up the steps, he had to admit to himself.

This life was definitely nice, even if the beginning was hard.