Chapter 28

“You really are a weakling.”

There was one person who would go out of their way to come to the infirmary and get on my nerves.

That name would be Laurel Arens.

She was suspended, so why on earth was she in the infirmary?

Laurel, regardless of whether I was dumbfounded or not, sat on a chair and crunched on the peanuts she had brought.

I'm really holding back because it's as good as my fault that she got suspended, I'm holding back.

“Are you really not sick?”

“It’s nothing.”

It was just something that happened because Zephyros made a fuss, and my father jumped on the bandwagon.

Thanks to that, I had to stay in the infirmary all the time except for class time.

“So what brings you here, senior?”

“Of course, I came because I thought you’d be bored.”

“To come all the way to the infirmary for that reason. You must be close to the professor.”

She shouldn't be able to enter an Academy building without a professor's permission during her suspension, right?

“You can’t go around saying things like that anywhere else, alright?”

I had meant it as a joke, but Laurel grabbed my shoulder with a pale face and said resolutely.

“A professor is the enemy of all students.”

“But I have that professor as a father.”

Laurel asked with a rather serious expression.

Anyone who saw her would think she was going to die on some battlefield.

“Is he an enemy?”

“He’s an ally.”

“A spy, then.”

“In the first place, he’s just a professor.”

“A professor at the ‘Academy’ is not just a professor.”

I could fully agree with that statement from Laurel.

Well, the professors at the ‘Academy’ are not ordinary people.

A mage who is called the strongest in history, a witch who is said to be writing a new history of fire magic, and a master of healing magic who can heal anyone as long as they don't die.

Not only are they outstanding in magic, but there is also a scholar who is also called a sage for writing several papers that will go down in imperial history, and an administrative expert who has been involved in imperial administration for decades.

In fact, it was safe to say it was an all-star game of the education world.

The problem was that they all had such high standards that they saw most students as nothing more than talking apes.

“Still, Professor Lisitoel definitely seems more human because of you.”

“What’s wrong with my father?”

He’s just normally called the strongest among all mages in history.

Hmm… even I think that was a bit shameless. If you call the strongest person normal, then all the normal people in this world are as good as dead.

“The reason I’m here is thanks to Professor Lisitoel.”

“…Pardon?”

What on earth is this about?

I opened my eyes wide and looked at Laurel.

“He said he was worried you’d be bored alone in the infirmary, and asked me to be your conversation partner?

He said he could reduce my suspension period by a day or two, so I came running.”

“My father did? But you didn’t come out of pure goodwill either, did you, senior?”

“Well, you could say that.”

Laurel laughed with a ‘hehe’ sound.

Well, it wasn't unpleasant. In the first place, the suspension itself was fundamentally because of me.

Rather, it doesn't matter if I'm used like this once or twice.

“Want some peanuts?”

“I’ll gladly have some.”

I ate a peanut that Laurel shared and looked at her.

She was one of the many people who died in the final battle scene of Part 1.

NPCs died all the time, but it was the first time a playable character, even if it was a 1-star, had died, so I remember being quite shocked.

I tried to fill the bitter taste in my mouth from remembering something unnecessary with the savory taste of peanuts.

“Ah, right. Should I introduce you to a good place?”

“A good place?”

“Yeah. I’m going to work part-time somewhere far away this summer vacation, and I thought you’d be around the Academy.”

“Are you treating me like an Academy-bound spirit?”

“Am I wrong?”

In fact, there was a high probability that I would be.

Lucian mostly stayed at the Academy or the Imperial Palace throughout Part 1, and I, who cannot deviate from the main story, will also be like that.

My father will also stay at the Academy to prepare for the next semester.

There was no reason to go down to the Lisitoel County territory bothersomely.

“It was originally a secret hideout passed down only among people who knew, but the seniors who used it before all graduated or went far away. They'll hardly ever come back. It won’t be bad to use.”

Uh, this is… something I’ve heard before.

“I’m only telling a trustworthy junior, and the other seniors probably won't say anything if it's you.”

…It would have been more perfect if he had changed that ‘you’ to ‘the hero candidate’.

I swallowed a laugh and looked at the sky. There was no sky, only the clean marble ceiling of the infirmary.

* * *

In a game set in an academy, what should you do if you want to add content like decorating your own room?

It’s simple. You decorate a hideout room.

And, when the My Room content first came out, the one who introduced that room was Laurel.

At the time that content was introduced, Laurel was the only senior character who had a story connection with Lucian.

“Let’s go take a quick look.”

“Is it okay to go out so freely?”

“Of course, it’s fine~”

Did she perhaps forget that the last time we went on a dungeon outing together like this, that incident happened?

But, without even a chance to stop her, Laurel led me out.

After walking along a slightly secluded path in the Academy, just as I was getting tired, a small house appeared in the forest.

It looked like a mountain cabin that the protagonist of a foreign drama would use as a villa.

“Wow…”

“Here, this is the key.”

Laurel handed me an old key as I was admiring it.

“This is the last key, so if you lose it, you’ll have to install a whole new lock, so be careful.”

“Understood.”

When I tried to open the lock with the received key, it was quite stiff, so it seemed like I would have to change it soon anyway.

When I opened the door and entered, dust was piled up thickly.

How long has it been since it was managed?

“It’s in the forest, so dust accumulates easily.”

Laurel’s unfunny excuse was a bonus.

Cough, with a light cough, I immediately started cleaning.

Come to think of it, even in the game, they would tell you to clean periodically and drop the necessary brooms from dungeons.

“senior, by any chance, do things like brooms not come out of dungeons or gates?”

“What’s that? I don’t know. It’s not just strange, it’s a little scary.”

“It’s just a ghost story.”

What do you mean, what is it, it's a setting that the game company forcibly added to sell new items.

When it was first updated, I was short, so I bought the package that sold ten brooms for the ambiguous number of 9,900 won a few times, but in the end, as time passed, it became a white elephant that piled up by the thousands, a sad true story of a veteran player.

“Be honest, senior, you forgot about this place, right?”

At my question, Laurel whistled a whistle that didn't even come out properly instead of answering.

I wanted to ask where she sold her conscience, but I can’t say I wasn’t grateful.

Originally, she would have handed the key to Lucian a little later.

“Don’t clean alone, make sure to boss the other kids around.

I refuse to be misunderstood by Professor Lisitoel for making you work.”

“What’s wrong with my father?”

“He’s a f*cking scary person.”

…Undeniable.

“Ugh. If I dream of him cornering the demon back then, it’s 100% a nightmare.”

I agree with that too.

Come to think of it, I hadn't explained about Albedo to my father.

Lucian didn't seem to notice, I wonder if my father will be the same. I really hope so.

“Anyway, make good use of the hideout.”

“Thank you, Laurel-senior-nim.”

“Just make sure you don’t clean alone.”

Yes, yes, I understand.

That fellow Zephyros will be happy.

Lucian and I share a dorm room, but that fellow, as befitting a duke’s son, had a room to himself.

I’m dying of envy, but Zephyros himself seemed to dislike it, saying he felt like he was the only one being ostracized.

I thought it was something like a common bourgeois’s personality flaw.

“First, I’m definitely going to boss Zephyros around.”

If I say it's a place to hang out together, even Zephyros won't be able to back out, kekekek.

“By any chance, is it the one I’m thinking of…?”

“You’re right, Zephyros Nevera.”

In this Academy, who else would be called Zephyros besides Zephyros Nevera.

Moreover, as hinted by the name Zephyros, the Nevera family, called the ducal family of wind, was almost the only one that used names related to the wind.

Zephyros would probably be called Zephyros V or something if you only count within the ducal family.

“Just you wait, Zephyros Nevera.”

I’ll boss you around very thoroughly.

Kekekekek. Laurel’s mumble was heard behind me as I swallowed a wicked laugh.

“I don’t know such a junior.”

“We’re besties.”

“Don’t use expressions that would have been used 10 years ago! It’s not like you’re an old man!!”

The sound of Laurel’s scream echoed through the dusty mountain cabin.

* * *

“Where have you been?”

On my way back from looking at the mountain cabin, I was caught by Professor Artemia.

Hmm, this wasn't in the plan.

I was about to use Laurel as an excuse, but Laurel disappeared faster than the wind.

It turns out Laurel’s surname might be Nevera, not Arens. Otherwise, there’s no way she could have disappeared like the wind like that.

“Just a light walk…”

“It would have been very amusing if you had collapsed from coughing up blood while on a walk.”

That’s true, but. My track record is so colorful that a rebuttal doesn't come easily.

“Hoo… be good and stay in the infirmary until tomorrow morning. Don’t go anywhere else.”

Professor Artemia’s glasses glinted menacingly.

Yes, I should do that.

I was about to go back to bed with a sigh when Artemia’s palm was placed on my forehead.

“You don’t have a slight fever.”

What I definitely felt was a warm energy.

Did she use healing magic? I’m not sick anywhere.

“Get plenty of rest.”

With those words, Artemia quietly closed the door and left.

Thud!

As I was left alone in the infirmary again, I flopped onto the bed.

Artemia is also surprisingly kind.

She was what you would commonly call a tsundere.

Even that Artemia will die at the end of Part 1.

“Ah… really.”

This is why I didn't want to come to the Academy.

I keep getting involved with people who are bound to die.

Laurel is one, and Artemia is another. More than anything… My father will also get caught up in the tragedy of that day and pass away.

“Alright, it starts now.”

If so, I have no choice but to approach them first.

First, the first plan is to become friends with Lerwon.

I’ll become your bestie, Lerwon Viden…!