Chapter 225 |
"Look at those guys, sprawled flat on the ground."
"Don't they know any manners?"
Several kids mocked the children of the Holy Kingdom who were praying as they passed by.
"Tsk tsk, ignorant fools. I wonder if they even know what prayer is."
"Let's just leave them be. Mocking them is all we can do right now."
A few days of pointless rivalries ensued.
Teachers, instructors, and Rodelin, who seemed overly fond of trash cans, were among those watching.
The inability to openly clash due to the many watchful eyes was one reason, but it was also a time for gauging each other's skills.
"How long must we just watch..."
It was enough time to fuel mutual anger.
‘It's about time things kicked off.’
This marks the beginning of the second episode, where Victoria and the protagonist, Alex, become aware of each other's presence.
The 'exchange meet' was drawing near.
Not only for Alex, but also for Teron and Yuridia, this episode of the exchange meet would bring significant emotional changes.
For the players, it was a busy episode as it provided opportunities to form connections with the main and supporting characters.
However.
"Yawn~."
I was too busy yawning. It was an episode with nothing much for me to do.
‘The Teron faction, the Yuridia faction, and the Victoria faction.’
One had to be affiliated with one of these three factions to participate in the exchange meet.
Since I belonged to none, the exchange meet episode might as well have not existed for me.
‘Alex and Raymon just happen to get involved...’
But that’s because they are the protagonists.
Unlike them, I was just a custom-made extra character.
In my current faction-less situation, participating in the exchange meet was an impossibility.
‘Not participating is no loss. It's actually a gain.’
I knew the outcome of the exchange meet, and being a character who should maintain distance from the main and supporting characters, it automatically excluded me.
‘The important thing is the next episode... I should spend this time training and conserving strength.’
The 'dispatch' episode that would follow.
For me, who was preparing for that, the exchange meet episode was utterly unimportant.
I didn’t want to arouse Adonis’s suspicion unnecessarily.
"Those kids..."
"Insolent brats!"
Everything seemed to be proceeding according to the fixed storyline.
There was just one problem...
"Squeak!"
Rezé moaned and stumbled at the same time.
Luna supported her and turned her head back.
Far down the corridor. Adonis was standing there.
"That young bastard again...!"
Luna, her eyes blazing, rushed toward him. But Adonis had already disappeared.
"Aaaaaaah! This is driving me crazy!"
Luna’s explosive behavior was perfectly normal, given the days of repetition.
It appeared that Adonis was repeatedly targeting Rezé with his gaze (?) and then fleeing.
The sixth quest, 'Adonis's Suspicion', was underway, so it wasn’t strange that Adonis was following me.
‘But it seems he's targeting Rezé, not me...’
It seemed like he was conducting some sort of experiment.
Had he sensed something from Rezé?
"Rezé, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for catching me."
"Oh, that damned kid. Showing his interest through violence. That's just like men..."
"Keke, you show your interest through violence just the same, Luna... Ouch!"
I couldn't help but double over. Well, my waist bent automatically.
Because Luna had just punched me in the stomach.
"What does that mean? Surely you’re not saying I'm interested in you, are you?"
"Keke, well, if not, that's a relief. But... you've become violent again. Have you decided to return to your old ways?"
"Sorry. But it's annoying, isn't it? That young brat keeps tormenting Rezé, and you just tell me to endure it. It's infuriating!"
Luna stomped her feet in frustration.
The reason I stopped Luna was simple.
Even if Adonis and Luna fought, the outcome was predictable.
'I'd rather not draw more suspicion from Adonis.'
There is an option to abandon the quest, but Adonis boasts lightning-fast speed.
He could cut my throat faster than I could declare my withdrawal from the quest.
We haven’t yet found a solution to the quest.
In such a situation, I didn't want to unnecessarily provoke Adonis.
"I'm fine. This... this kind of torment is... familiar to me."
"Rezé..."
"Keke, she says she's fine. So, Luna, maybe it's time for you to back off... Argh!"
Luna then climbed onto my back and started biting my head.
Hmm, it brought back memories. This used to be routine in the past.
Of course, it was a routine I had no desire to return to.
As if remembering something, I raised a finger and said,
"Don't worry. They'll be sorting things out soon."
"Sorting things out?"
"Yes. Not only Yuridia, but Teron especially dislikes this unnecessary drain on our energies."
At Annwood Academy's Advanced Class, the hierarchy is determined by academic performance.
Teron's faction held the reins, but Yuridia's faction had also absorbed the middle ground and expanded their power.
Thinking of distinguishing ourselves during the midterms, we were conserving strength when the 'Holy Kingdom's Dispatch' threw a spanner in the works.
Victoria's faction, much larger than anticipated, turned it into a three-way battle.
Since none knew the others' capabilities, the Advanced Class was as noisy as it was at the beginning of the semester.
"Teron will be taking action soon. So, just bear with it a little longer."
"Hmph~ Really? Well, that makes sense. He's not one to hold back."
Luna momentarily smiled in satisfaction before thrusting her face forward.
"But... you two seem close?"
"Excuse me?"
"You didn’t talk but shared thoughts, right? When did you two become so close?"
Luna’s eyes flickered oddly.
Hmm, that's not a normal look in her eyes.
It had always been so, but now it was even more abnormal.
"That... that happened. We met by chance during a night walk. It's not that we shared thoughts without speaking, but that we talked and got to know each other. Hahaha!"
"You went for a walk...? Together at night...?"
Luna's pupils rolled upwards and then disappeared.
That day, I recalled again.
Luna, the stalker.
*
The next day.
Crackle! Snap!
The sparks flew among the three factions' rivalries.
And.
"Squeak!"
Today, too, Rezé received... well, electrotherapy.
Another day, another routine.
"Ugh! I can’t take it anymore! Today I'm really going to smash him!"
I grabbed Luna by the nape as she tried to charge at Adonis.
It was for Luna's and my own safety but...
'This atmosphere, this position, this timing...'
I had a strong feeling.
Today was the day of the exchange meet.
"Let go! That little brat! I'll kill him!"
It was while Luna was scratching my face.
The protagonists of this game and members of the first party, Alex and Raymon, approached us.
"Is Rezé okay? She looks like she’s in a lot of pain..."
"It's definitely the old witch's torment."
Guys, don't you see the scratches Luna is leaving on my face? Why does everyone only worry about Rezé!
Luna slumped into a chair, hunched over, and covered her face with both hands.
It meant she was desperately trying to suppress her anger.
"Ha... both of you buzz off. I'm about to explode."
"What? You mean to say you could get even worse than your already foul temper? Luna, you're truly remarkable!"
"..."
Luna, who had been desperately holding back her anger with both hands covering her face, let her hands fall.
Hmm, her expression was indescribable. If I had to put it into words, it was like that of a demon?
"Die!"
"Argh!"
Luna, having knocked down Raymon with a stunner, continued her assault.
Raymon screamed, his back arching in pain.
It was then that someone approached us.
It was Teron and Yuridia.
Simultaneously, the children from the Teron and Yuridia factions began to surround us.
It wasn't strange. Followers always trailed behind them.
But.
'...Something's off.'
I could sense that something was going awry.
"Luna? Are you...?"
"Die! Die!"
"Please, save me!"
"Eeek!"
Clatter.
Luna was pummeling Raymon, Rezé had fainted amidst the surging crowd, and children were increasingly encircling us.
It was complete chaos. Yet, amidst this turmoil, the storyline was smoothly progressing.
The starting point of the 'exchange meet' episode.
It was the beginning of Teron and Yuridia's conversation.
"Yuridia, are you going to let those people run amok like this?"
"What can I do? There are too many eyes watching... Have you got a better idea?"
"Not a good one, but I know the worst option."
Allowing Victoria's faction to top the midterms and expand its influence, resulting in Teron's and Yuridia's factions losing their supporters and Victoria securing the position of the student council president.
"We can't let the position of Annwood Academy's student council president go to an outsider. Right?"
"So what do you propose we do?"
"How about we join forces? Until we break Victoria's faction, let's form a short-term alliance."
It was surprising that the proud Teron was the one suggesting an alliance.
It was natural for Yuridia's eyes to widen.
"At least Teron's people aren't as arrogant as that."
"Yuridia's faction might be a nuisance, but they aren't wrong."
The public opinion was even in their favor.
In fact, Yuridia's faction had no reason to refuse. They had expanded recently, but it was clear they were still outmatched by Teron's faction.
Moreover, while the capability of Victoria's faction was unknown, it was clear they were outnumbered in terms of members.
The weakest among the three factions. That was the reality of Yuridia's faction.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say."
"That's one way to look at it. I hate to make a deal with you, but being scorned by those who aren't even from the Empire is even worse."
"Well, I agree. So... do you have any good ideas? You know there's no way to settle the rankings until the midterms, right?"
Teron began whispering to Yuridia.
After a moment, Yuridia nodded in agreement.
"Leave the negotiations to me."
"Alright. When do we start?"
"Right now. Giving the opponent time to think is foolish."
Teron and Yuridia's rare dialogue.
Perhaps because it was such an unusual event, from a distance, Victoria was watching us.
"Hmph~ Very well. Let's get going then."
Teron and Yuridia started walking towards Victoria, followed by their followers.
So far, there was nothing to worry about. Everything was progressing according to the story.
The problem was.
"Eh? Why is my body floating?"
"The old witch finally resorts to magic...!"
We were being swept away in a wave of people.
As if we were part of their gang.
Raymon was lying on the ground with Luna on top of him.
Alex and I, even the unconscious Rezé, were diligently being carried by the children from Teron's and Yuridia's factions.
Naturally, our destination was all too obvious.
"...?"
We ended up right in front of Victoria and Adonis.
To be precise, Teron and Yuridia were a few steps ahead, but we were close enough to meet their gaze.
As if to prove it, Adonis's eyes flashed with suspicion.
'What trick are you pulling now? You orchestrated this, didn’t you?' his look seemed to accuse.
I countered with my own gaze.
'I’m just an innocent student swept along by the crowd,' my eyes conveyed, filled with an undeniable innocence. Yet.
"Cough!!"
Victoria suddenly spat out blood. It was her chronic illness flaring up.
"That demon is cursing us!"
"He must be casting a spell!"
"Victoria has been stricken!"
"Everyone, raise your divine powers!"
Haaah!!
What returned was a dazzling barrage of divine energy.
And so, under the guise of the exchange meet, I found myself at the center of a battlefield.
--TL Notes--
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