Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

"Ugh... This can't go on... But... Tsk..."

Arisa Fujito didn't participate in the conversation. She huddled in a corner, burying her head in her hood, seemingly muttering something to herself. If Chang Rong were to approach and lift her hood to observe her closely, she would surely discover that Arisa's current reaction was, to some extent, satisfying Nanoha Kurobe's 'needs'.

"Huh... how come I'm surrounded again without even noticing...^q^? Um, everyone... my plan for today was to go with Nanoha Kaori to investigate and deal with the magical traps in the castle."

Chang Rong suddenly realized he was surrounded by girls. He quickly spread his arms to try and calm their enthusiasm, while also indicating that this Sigma man had serious business to attend to today.

"Mine clearance... Um, please take me with you, Chang Rongjun. I... I have a very sensitive nose!"

However, Chang Rong's confrontation did not deter the witches who were already excited about breakfast. Instead, Emma, ​​who was struggling to figure out what excuse to use to lure Chang Rong out, immediately approached her after hearing about Chang Rong's mine-clearing task.

"Ugh... I, I can float!" "I see, then the culprit must be Hannah!"

Hannah Tono mustered her courage and blushed as she approached, while Sherry, who was part of the accompanying soul chain, was also refreshed in a formulaic manner.

With Emma and Hannah volunteering, the people who had already been keeping Chang Rong under wraps submitted their resumes again.

"Hmph, I can assemble makeshift weapons!" "I, I, I can... heal everyone...!" "I think you're all idiots..." "Noah can draw the outlines of victims at crime scenes~" "Oh dear, I'm afraid I can only cheer everyone on in turn~"

"Waaaaah, calm down, everyone—" Chang Rong was unknowingly cornered by a group of people. Their expressions were all resolute, forming a shield wall that was impossible to break through.

"Um...this mission isn't safe, everyone, please don't do this..."

Nanoha Kurobe was also taken aback by the momentum of the prospective witches. She tried to persuade everyone not to join in the fun, but she didn't know how to respond. She could only stammer and stand helplessly by, watching Chang Rong being overwhelmed by a group of witches, feeling like a powerless accomplice.

"—Stop fooling around!!"

"Whoa!?" "Hiro-chan...!?" "Ugh...!"

When the restaurant was in complete chaos, Nikaido Hiro stepped forward. Her voice wasn't deafening, but it was full of undeniable authority, instantly silencing almost everyone.

"As mentioned before, this castle is riddled with various magical traps left behind by the veterans. If you accidentally touch one, whether you're a witch or a human, you're likely to be in grave danger. To find and safely break these trap spells, currently only Kurobe Nanoha's [Vision] and Chang Rong's ability to prevent Nanoha from being corrupted by witch factors due to excessive use of magic are relatively useful—everyone else, don't cause trouble, this is a very serious matter."

"I know, I know... really."

After listening to Hiro's explanation and seeing her serious expression, everyone finally understood and returned to their seats to continue eating their buttered toast.

"Hiro...!"

Having narrowly escaped death, Chang Rong, who had almost been devoured on the spot, looked gratefully at the gentle, classically beautiful girl with long, straight black hair in front of her.

"Furthermore—I believe that Chang Rong, you will also take this matter seriously and work diligently while ensuring your own safety, instead of ending up in a dark room with Nanoha while clearing mines, right? Right—right—?"

"Of course, that's for sure..."

Looking at Nikaido Hiro's overly bright smile, Chang Rong swallowed hard and nodded guiltily, indicating that she would not forget their promise.

"Remember to protect yourself when you're out and about, and call for help if you encounter any emergencies," Hiro said earnestly as she straightened Chang Rong's collar.

Be careful of stalker women when you're alone; you might end up being kissed by them without even realizing it.

Before the regression, Hiro had received motherly treatment from Chang Rong, and now he finally had the chance to repay her.

"Don't worry, Hiro, Nanoha won't do anything weird." Chang Rong waved his hand to show that he trusted Nanoha. After all, she was a reliable jungler who came to his bedside to protect him just because she saw that the door was unlocked!

"...Don't cause trouble. If you encounter a problem that you can't handle, come back and discuss it with everyone."

Hiro glanced at Nanoha Kaori's strictest father, who was guarding her with a hairband, and could only respectfully offer his blessings.

Fortunately, Nanoha Kaori is a nobody, and Nanoha Kaori's sister has reproductive barriers. One can't sleep with the rabbit and the other is too embarrassed to sleep with the rabbit. Otherwise, this group would never have agreed to let Chang Rong act together.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After breakfast, the [Mine Clearance Team] officially began their operation. Chang Rong, Nao Ye Xiang, and 'Big Sister' started their search from the dormitories where everyone was sleeping on the basement level.

"I must apologize again, Chang Rong... I misunderstood the images I had previously perceived, which caused you considerable trouble..."

As she used her vision to touch the walls of each dormitory cell, Kurobe Nanoha Kaori tugged at her hat again, looking embarrassed.

"It's alright, it's alright. It's really hard to figure out the truth in that situation. After all, my sister used transformation magic to become Nanoha Kaori and even slept with me... cough cough. Anyway, let's forget about it and continue to get along well!" Chang Rong coughed twice. No matter how you look at it, this debt between the Nanoha Kaori sisters is a mess, so it's better to turn the page as soon as possible.

"Chang Rong, do you mean... I'll have a chance to have a one-night stand someday?" Kurobe Nanoha asked, her eyes sparkling as she listened to Chang Rong's words of comfort.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant!"

"Oh, I see..."

"Uh, well... I didn't mean I hate Nanoha Kaori!"

Seeing that the core of the main force of mine clearance had been shot down before they even started working, Chang Rong quickly tried to reassure and salvage the situation.

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

Seeing Nanoha's dejected state, the older sister couldn't bear it any longer and quickly went over to her.

"Big sister... um, is big sister here to comfort me? Huh? What, what do you mean by 'don't even think about it'... Waaah, I, I'm not a nobody... I'll prove it to you, big sister, you're just a nobody who ate my skin redness profit...!"

"Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!"

"Eeeeeeeee!? What, what does that mean? What's going on???"

Chang Rong was unclear about how the two were communicating, nor could she hear what they were saying. When she came to her senses, Chang Rong's left hand was already firmly secured by Kurobe Nanoha Kaori's noose, while her right hand was bound by her older sister.

Good news, Naoya Kaori is no longer depressed.

Bad news, Nanako Seven Stars Entertainment.

"Hiss hiss hiss!" "I, I will never let go!"

—What are these gossipy sisters up to?!

Caught in the middle, Chang Rong's face was ashen and filled with terror. Less than 20 minutes into the mine-clearing operation, things had already turned out like this. Could he really keep his promise to Hiro...? No, no, no, I am a Sigma man, a Promise Superman! I will fight to the very last moment!

Fortunately, the scene of the sisters breathing on each other to protect their food did not last long. After realizing how 'obsessive' her behavior was, Kurobe Nanoha regained her rationality.

Blushing shyly, she let go of her hand and fiercely covered her eyes with her cycling helmet. Then, as if in revenge, she rubbed the wall hard, wishing she could visualize how many times Meruru had secretly slurped noodles in this little nest.

"Actually...actually I'm very happy."

As she stroked the wall, Nanoha Kurobe spoke softly, almost as if talking to herself.

"Being able to act together with my older sister and Chang Rong like this feels like a dream."

Kurobe Nanoha temporarily stopped her hallucination, looked at her palm, then turned to look at the white-haired boy in front of her, a shy but incredibly happy smile on her face.

"I... although I said I was prepared for this day and had been preparing for it for two years, actually... I was really scared. I was scared that I would die meaninglessly in the witch's trial, scared that I would actually take someone's life with my own hands... scared that I would never see my sister again, or that I would see something that could no longer be called my sister."

Nanoha Kurobe's body trembled slightly. Almost every vision she had on Witch Island was accompanied by terrifying images. Those images were like paint that could not be peeled off, constantly staining Nanoha's already fragile yet pretending-to-be-strong heart.

"But...! But like now, acting and even bickering with my older sister who, despite her strange appearance, is still my older sister, and acting with Chang Rong who, for some reason, always makes me feel incredibly safe, makes me feel really, really safe, really happy, and I even feel like there's nothing left to be afraid of...!!"

"This...this is something you can't say, Naoka!?"

At first, Chang Rong watched Naoya Kaori pour out her heart with a loving motherly smile, but the more she listened, the more her expression changed. Finally, as if she'd just eaten a watermelon shaved ice, she rushed over and covered Naoya Kaori's mouth, saying, "Okay, stop talking."

What a joke! I'm here to help everyone defuse death flags, but Nanoha Kaori, why are you putting a flag on your own head right from the start?!

"Um, I'm sorry... I said something unnecessary. Anyway, let's get down to business, right?"

Nanoha Kurobe's cheeks were flushed, seemingly still immersed in Chang Rong's bold actions. It was a pity he had his mouth covered with his fingers; if he had used his mouth to cover it...

Waaaaah...

Thinking of this, Nanoha's cheeks became even hotter on their own, while her older sister had a helpless expression that said, "I've tasted enough, you nobodies, get out of here."

"Yes, and there's something you're wrong about, Nanoha Kaori. We're far from 'happiness' right now—we have to figure out a way to restore Onee-sama to normal before we can really start trying to find happiness, right?"

Chang Rong ruffled Naiye Xiang's hair and said with a smile.

"Hiss..." "Hmm...hmm, you're right, Chang Rong!"

The headband-wearing guard stared blankly at Chang Rong, while Naoya Kaori blinked and then became energetic again.

Although Chang Rong didn't have the ability to 'communicate' with the guards like Nanoha Kaori, she could still feel the extremely powerful... oppressive aura emanating from her older sister through the mask.

Honestly, once my older sister turns back to normal, will I really be able to get out of bed completely...?

"Well--!"

Nanaka Kurobe's voice interrupted Chang Rong's somewhat aching back as he pondered the matter. At that moment, the group arrived at the infamous punishment room.

"That innermost room... seems to contain some kind of trap."

Nanoha Kurobe covered her eyes with one hand and pointed to the innermost room of the punishment room with the other.

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Only one update today (8K words), but I will be leaving the server and becoming a dragon tomorrow!!

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Thanks to Ciera for the 68 blades.

Thanks to Chenguang Moxin for the unexpected help; the year is almost over!

Thanks to Ruoye**yu, Hanliuzhiren, Abingbushibing, Rudaoyuzhe, and Wuhenmeng for the donation.

Two extra chapters today, still 106 chapters to go.

183. The corridor where you can't leave without doing XX.

"I was hallucinating...some images."

Inside the punishment rooms on the basement floor, Kurobe Nanoha pointed to one of the rooms and frowned as she spoke.

"It seems someone went into this room and never came back. It's as if she just vanished into thin air."

"Disappearing directly... I didn't expect to start with this kind of space-based attack, which is the most troublesome one." Upon hearing the information that Kurobe Nanoha had obtained through illusion, Chang Rong frowned and looked at the tightly closed door of the punishment room in front of him.

"His-"

"Waaaah, calm down, big sister! Didn't I tell you before, don't run around recklessly just because you're immortal? Being immortal doesn't mean you're invincible!"

Without a word, the guard with the hairband suddenly decided to kick down the door and go inside to check. Chang Rong had to quickly pull it back. As a result, because physical contact was required during the process of pulling someone, it ended up being a bizarre scene where the older sister was smoking and desperately sticking to Chang Rong.

"In short, now that we know this is a variant of the 'can't leave without doing XX' room, the most urgent thing is to find an 'investigator'."

After pulling her older sister off, Chang Rong rested her chin on her hand and said thoughtfully.

“A regular investigator is definitely not suitable. We need to find someone who can be ‘used multiple times,’ has ‘recording capabilities,’ and is mentally stable and won’t break down under pressure.”

"Hmm, are there really people on Witch Island who meet all these conditions? I don't think Meluru Ice meets all the conditions." Nanoha Kurobe frowned. The candidates Chang Rong mentioned sounded a bit too demanding, and it seemed difficult to find a candidate who met all the conditions.

"Hmm... there really isn't anyone who meets all these conditions, but..."

"what?"

Nanoha Kurobe blinked. It was the first time she had ever seen such a scheming, mischievous expression on the white-haired boy's face.