Yoori: Igni, its your turn.

Igni: ...........hm? They took turns every few hours to have someone stand guard of the camp, and Ignis turn came up.

Inside the tent, Yoori shook his body, and with half his brain still asleep, he headed towards the campfire.

Alicia: Good morning, Igni. Igni: Mmm....

Igni, being the complete opposite of a morning person, gave Alicia an incoherent response and sat next to her.

Alicia: Still sleepy?

Igni: Mm

Although he couldnt pronounce the words, Igni meant it as an affirmative yeah. Alicia is wearing her trademark witch's hat, and she hid her eyes underneath it as she peered at Igni.

Alicia: (IIsnt he...sitting closer to me than usual? Is the potions effects already coming out??)

The potions effects are actually appearing on herself, but without that thought crossing her mind, Alicia looked away from Igni as her heart beat furiously.

Igni: Were there...any Monsters.?

Alicia: Theres none nearby.

Igni: Okay.

Alicia: We really did choose a good camping spot. Igni: Well...be going home.tomorrow, but yeah. Alicia: You seem pretty tired.

Igni: Since eating dinner...Ive been..pretty sleepy. Alicia: (Is it a side-effect of the medication?)

Alicia tilts her head to wonder.

Igni definitely seems much more sleepier than usual, and hes almost falling asleep as he sat.

Alicia: (........I wonder whos potion is taking effect right now?)

Alicia is washed over with worry and concern as she gazes at Igni, but Igni does not notice her gaze and suddenly places his head against her shoulder.

Alicia: (HMM?!)

Alicia instinctively jerks her body away.

Igni: Sorry

Igni starts leaning the other way.

Alicia: IIts okay. You can lean against me.

Alicia seems more emboldened than usual and pulls on Ignis sleeves towards herself and lets him lean against her.

Igni: You.sure..?

Alicia: If youre sleepy, you can sleep. Ill stay on guard. Igni: ....no..cant...not right.

But while speaking, Igni falls back asleep.

Alicia: .......looking at him like this, he has such a cute face. Alicia lets Igni fall past her shoulders, and lets his head rest across her lap.

Alicia: Hehe. And she takes a long look at Ignis sleeping face.

She could stay like this forever and keep gazing at him.

Alicia: Hes sound asleep. I wonder if he was really tired?

And she gently brushes his hair with her hand as he continues to lie across her lap.

Alicia: (.....so cute)

And right then, Igni rolls over slightly and now his face is looking upwards towards the sky.

Alicia continues to gaze at Ignis sleeping face his eyebrows, eyelids, nose, and lips.

But in the next moment, Alicias heart suddenly jumps.

Alicia: (......no ones looking, right?)

Alicia glances at the tents around them. Both tents were quiet.

The others who just switched rotations as guards probably fell asleep by now.

Igni is also sound asleep.

And there are no other classmates camping around them.

Alicia: .............. Alicia holds her pounding chest, and without anyone noticing..she tries to lay her lips on Ignis when..

Igni: .............!!

Igni <snaps awake> the next moment when he sensed a sweet smell.

Alicia: Huh?! IIgni?! And Alicias face blushes a bright red right in front of his

Igni: ...........potion.?

Igni grabs Alicias arm and mumbles those words.

In the [Demon Kings Realm], Lucas was helping Igni build a poison resistance, and Igni now has a habit of waking up instinctively when a Monster with poison comes near him. And because the difference between a potion and poison is a very fine line, Igni woke up by pure reflex.

Alicia: PPotion? What are you talking about?? Igni: Sorry, Alicia. Dont move. Alicia: WhWhat?! And Igni began smelling around Alicias mouth.

Igni: (A sweet scent.what potion is that?)

The scent that Ignis nose picked up was a phantom smell.

In order to confirm if the [Love Potion] is working correctly on the target, the [Love Potion] allows the person who gave the love potion to sense the effects of it through one of the five senses. In this case, Igni was able to confirm the effects through his sense of smell.

But Igni has no knowledge of this and continues to smell around Alicia.

Alicia: HHey! Igni! Igni: Sorry, just a bit more.

Igni is analyzing the smell coming from Alicia with his brains data bank.

Igni: (Where is it? Where did I smell this before?)

Igni <knows this smell>.

Igni: (This is.)

And Igni arrived at the answer.

Igni: (A Love Potion?!)

<<<<>>>>

[GGrandpa! Look at that!!]

[What? Its an Alchemist's atelier.]

[ThTheyre saying they make Love Potions!!]

Igni was able to pick up the sweet scent that was flowing from the atelier.

[So?]

[What do you mean, So??! Grandpa! You want a Love Potion too, right?!]

[Dont be stupid!!]

<SLAP!!!>

[UGHHH!!!]

Igni flies about 3 meters (10 ft) from a harsh slap across the face.

[WhWhat was that for, Grandpa?!]

[Im disappointed.Im so disappointed in you, Igni..!]

Lucas mumbles curses under his breath as he looks down upon his grandson.

[WhWhat..! If you want to be Popular, isnt a Love Potion a fast way to accomplish that?!]

[If you only want the effect to be short and temporary, yes. But Igni, why would you rely on such a thing?]

[TTo be Popular!]

[Thats impossible, you fool!!]

<SLAP!!!>

[OWWWW..]

[STOP BEING SO CHILDISH!! EVEN IF YOU USE THE POTION TO MAKE ONE PERSON LIKE YOU, YOU ARE STILL NOT POPULAR!! YOURE ONLY USING THE POTIONS EFFECTS!!]

[But whats wrong with that?!]

[In this world, there are those who can be Popular without relying on such potions.]

[ThThats.]

[Oye, Igni..I understand...I understand your feelings..I understand your anxiety..! But rushing forward blindly will only end up with nothing in the end.! If you depend on Potions...its over..! People are weak! They will move towards the easy path..! But if you lay your hands on such simple methods.you will forever drag that baggage with you for the rest of your life..!!]

[.............!!]

[Answer me, Igni! If a man uses a Potion to become Popular..can you truly say that that man IS Popular.?]

[Hes.not!]

[EXACTLY! Even if he uses a Potion to be Popular for a moment, hes only fooling himself with delusions! He is not in any sense TRULY POPULAR!!]

[........GGrandpa!]

[The Path to Popularity is a long and treacherous road...but for those who walk on top of it..the Goddess will smile upon you]

[Ill.Ill definitely walk over that path! Just watch me, Grandpa!!]

[Dont forget it, Igni!!]

<<<<>>>>

Igni: (Thats right.!)

Igni: (This is the same smell as that [Love Potion] back then.!!)

Igni: (Im sure of it.!)

Igni: (Alicia has currently <fallen in love with me>........!!)

Alicia: IIgni? Whats wrong?

With his hand still on her arm, Igni lets his eyes fall back on Alicia.

Igni: (DDangit! But shes so cute.!!)

Igni: (Shes..Shes really into me right now?)

Igni: (Its an amazing feeling!!!)

Igni: (But, if I accept her right now...its over!!)

Igni: (Ill fall farther and farther away from a Popular man..!!)

Alicia: HHey..Igni?

If either one of them moved just a little, their lips would touch. That is how close they stood, and Ignis logic, reason, and desire all fought tooth and nail in a frantic battle.

Igni: (Maybe.its okay..? It might be due to the Potions effects, but Alicia really likes me right nowso..)

Igni: (NNo...I cant!)

Igni: (How could I call myself truly Popular if I do.! A man relying on potions to make girls like him.!)

Igni: (Thats not a Popular man at all!!)

Igni looks directly at Alicias face.

Igni: (BBut..maybe.just a kiss is okay?)

But as Ignis resolve falters and shakes dangerously from its foundation, he saw an image of his Grandfather in the back of his mind.

[Oye, Igni]

Igni: ..........!!

The Ultimate Secret to Popularity No. 5Women love men with conviction.

And with those words, Igni felt the cool splash of cold reason across his head and became instantly calm.

Igni: (.right now..my conviction is faltering..)

As he lets go of Alicias arms, he takes out a spherical medicine from his pouch.

Igni: Alicia, you should take this medicine. Alicia: Huh? Um, okay. Being completely enamored with Igni at the moment, Alicia obediently takes the antidote medicine that Igni gave her and immediately swallows it.

After a while, the effects of the antidote should start surfacing, and the [Love Potion] effects should start wearing off.

Igni: (Im...going to be popular.)

Igni confirms his resolve within himself several times, over and over.

Igni: (Im going to be Popular.without depending on Potions!)

But being completely distracted by this, it never once occurred to Igni to consider why Alicia was showing signs of a [Love Potion] in the first place.

Igni: (Dont underestimate me!!)

Igni doesnt know that there are still two others under the same Potions effects.

<<<<>>>>