Chapter 119: The Deadliest Strategy Is the Invisible One

"Please, Teacher Ruby, you are the only one who can help me."

Teacher Bai Yu, having fully grasped the fine rule that one should reveal some cleavage when apologizing or asking for a favor, was currently bowed at a ninety-degree angle toward Ruby. As she leaned over, her chest swayed slightly due to some mysterious force.

"What is it?"

The academy had regulations requiring teachers to dress modestly, so Bai Yu was wearing a pale pink long dress today. As a result, Ruby couldn't see any of the "benefits" he might have otherwise, and being put in a position where he was supposedly the only person for the job was quite troublesome.

"It's about Xiao Bai."

The existence of Xiao Bai had to be strictly guarded. To muffle her voice, she leaned in close to Ruby, intending to whisper into his ear, but she neglected the distance between her chest and him. That plump hemisphere suddenly brushed against Ruby’s arm. Bai Yu evidently hadn't lost her wits entirely; she endured the strange sensation and finished what she had to say.

"I understand."

Since it concerned that skeleton, Ruby had no choice but to accept it. Secrets like these never brought anything good.

They headed up one floor. After Bai Yu opened the door, Ruby saw the skeleton still staring at them with its hollow eye sockets. It was clearly smarter than Ruby had expected; upon seeing him, it actually nodded, as if greeting someone it had met before.

*Click.*

A skeleton nodding wasn't scary, but the sight of that head suddenly dropping off its spine was quite unsettling. The oval skull rolled to Ruby’s feet, and after it fell, the entire skeleton collapsed into a pile of bones.

"Xiao Bai!!"

Bai Yu cried out in concern and quickly knelt to gather the bones, trying to piece it back together. Fortunately, undead creatures have decent vitality; eventually, Xiao Bai managed to pull itself back together using that same mysterious force. Throughout the whole process, Ruby felt like he was playing with a cheap model kit.

"Xiao Bai has been like this for the past few days. It just falls apart at the drop of a hat."

"This... it’s probably osteoporosis."

Ruby grabbed the skeleton's right arm bone and gave it a light tug, causing it to come right off. Ignoring the bespectacled woman’s shriek, he weighed it in his hand before putting it back in place.

"Osteoporosis?"

"In short, it’s a calcium deficiency in the bones. What do you usually have it do?"

Ruby didn't know if such things were normal for the undead, or what on earth one would have to do to develop a condition that primarily afflicted the elderly.

"I don't make it do much. Just cleaning, laundry, cooking, helping prepare lesson plans, and so on."

Bai Yu counted off Xiao Bai's daily chores on her fingers. It made Ruby think that necromancy might be the perfect profession for a lazy person. The woman in front of him seemed a bit pathetic; perhaps because her vision was poor, she had delegated everything to Xiao Bai. But that was no excuse for her to be lazy. No wonder all the fat had ended up in her chest.

"No, although I’m not a necromancer, for a creature of its level, isn't that a bit much?"

"How could that be... is it my fault?"

"Have you considered having it evolve?"

"That won't work. Xiao Bai doesn't have any mana right now, which is why it can be kept hidden. If it evolves and develops mana, it might be discovered."

Bai Yu shook her head and told Ruby Xiao Bai's level. By any conversion, it wasn't even as strong as a Rank 1 magical beast—the lowest of the low, the kind of undead that would be considered cannon fodder on a battlefield. It didn't even have mana. Feeding it something might trigger an evolution, but that would make it impossible to keep the secret.

"I see. But I’ve only ever treated humans. As for treating a skeleton's osteoporosis... how about holy water?"

This was probably the first time Ruby had been stumped by a problem in this other world. Humans could take supplements to replace calcium and other missing bone elements, but how did a skeleton take medicine?

"No, no! Holy water is for purification, right? Dousing it with that would be too cruel, Teacher Ruby!"

"The holy water I’m talking about is glue. The technical name is 502, one of the most versatile items on Earth. I just call it holy water for short."

The holy water suggestion was tempting, but considering Xiao Bai’s duty was to be a nanny, not a decorative statue, he abandoned the idea before it could be glued into a permanent display piece.

"How about giving it a milk bath? I’ll mix in some healing medicine. If it can absorb that, it would be for the best."

"Eh, a milk bath? I’ve never even taken one. That’s every girl’s dream."

Bai Yu looked wistful. Girls seemed to have a special fondness for such things, though she had never put it into practice. The bespectacled woman was currently debating whether she should indulge in such luxury.

"Alright, I’ll bring the medicine to you once I’ve prepared it."

"Ah, I also wanted to discuss the school anniversary with you. What do you think about my Attack Magic Department setting up a haunted house? I happen to know a few undead creatures who are... well, quite good at being ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Ruby tapped her on the head, warning her not to do anything stupid. What kind of world would use real ghosts to staff a haunted house!

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Just as Bai Yu was speaking with great enthusiasm, a knock sounded at the door. The bespectacled woman gave Xiao Bai a look, and it obediently walked over to a stand in the living room and hung itself up. Even Ruby couldn't tell the difference between it and an ordinary skeleton.

"Teacher Bai Yu, since it’s a rare day off, wouldn't you like to join me in visiting the students' projects? I heard the Support Magic Department is running a maid café."

As Bai Yu opened the door, there stood Swot, holding a crimson rose and wearing a very handsome smile as he invited his crush.

"I’ll go see that on my own."

Bai Yu replied with little interest. She felt helpless regarding this suitor; she had turned him down many times, but he refused to give up.

"Oh... what are you doing here?"

Swot couldn't hide his disappointment. He glanced into the room, where that skeleton was hanging on the rack as usual. He didn't know why Bai Yu liked that strange thing, but today was different—besides the skeleton, he saw someone else.

"Just visiting."

"Teacher Ruby, you’re already popular enough. It’s too much to try and steal Teacher Bai Yu away from me now, too."

Swot considered himself to have a good temper. Even though Ruby kept doing things that made him lose face, he hadn't sabotaged him, because he felt it was beneath him to target someone without mana. He hadn't expected Ruby to be overstepping his bounds like this.

"You’ve misunderstood. We don't have that kind of relationship."

Bai Yu shook her head, denying any such connection. Although Ruby was a good person, the better a person he was, the less she could afford to like him.

"Then why do you always refuse me!"

"Those are two different things. I’ve said I won't like anyone, and your thinking that I like you is just a misunderstanding."

Bai Yu’s voice was growing angry. It looked like the two were about to start arguing because of Ruby’s presence.

"Calm down, Teacher Swot. Doubting the person you like will only make her despise you more. We are just ordinary colleagues."

Ruby stood up, preparing to leave. He didn't want to get involved in this romantic dispute. However, before leaving, he spoke one more thing for Bai Yu's sake.

"Also, if you truly like Teacher Bai Yu, ask yourself if you can stand against the entire world for her. If you can't, give up sooner rather than later. It’s better for both of you."

"Nonsense! Can you even do that yourself?"

Swot hesitated for a moment upon hearing Ruby’s words. To be honest, there was no special reason he liked Bai Yu; it was just that his heart had fluttered the moment he saw her—what they called love at first sight. Standing against the world for a romance that hadn't even begun was a bit much, but he felt Ruby was just fear-mongering.

"I can."

Ruby’s answer was unexpectedly quick. If it were for the person who had shielded him from a blow that night, what would there be to fear in standing against the world? But he soon realized his answer was problematic, as Swot was clearly asking about Bai Yu.

"My words might be misleading. That wasn't for you, it was for someone else. Don't think too much into it."

Ruby looked back and saw that Bai Yu’s expression was indeed complex. To prevent the bespectacled woman from misunderstanding, he tried his best to explain. As for whether she believed him or not, that was up to her.