26 – Episode 3. Unintended Attention is Declined. (4)
Before entering the academy, the dark elves disembarked from the carriage. They quickly concealed their traces as if melding with the shadows.
“You mentioned an escort, is it alright if we send them off as they are?”
One of the knights, still vigilant, approached cautiously and inquired.
“It’s fine. They haven’t disappeared. I’ll be keeping an eye on them from places I can’t see. Go ahead.”
I glimpsed in the direction where the elves vanished as I got back into the carriage. At least for a week, the executioner would be tailing us, making life uncomfortable.
That way, I arrived at the academy by carriage.
From Noble mtl dot com
As soon as the carriage was parked in front of the academy gate, knights in golden armor, waiting there, approached in their carriage. They were royal knights.
“We will verify your identities.”
Approaching with the characteristic clinking sound of armor, they noticed the dried blood on the carriage and frowned.
“What is this blood?”
Servants had wiped the blood once, but it was impossible to clean it perfectly without water.
“We were attacked by followers of the demon worshipers.”
A knight, who had been silent, stepped forward and explained the situation.
“Demon worshipers? The emblem on this carriage seems to belong to the Sirius family… Is Lord Sirius okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine. Thanks to Lord Abel, we were able to safely reach the academy like this.”
“Is that so?”
Although the royal knight replied, there was a puzzled look in his eyes.
It seemed incomprehensible that, with a cruel and inept character like Abel’s, they managed to repel the demon worshipers and arrive unharmed.
As the royal knight approached with an uncertain expression, I opened the door.
“Master Abel Sirius, it’s been a while.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
He greeted me with a smiling gaze. While doing so, he showed me a nameplate that proved his identity as Sirius. The knight alternated his gaze between my face and the nameplate.
“…It seems like something has changed in the atmosphere.”
“Is that so.”
The atmosphere could be different since the inner self is a completely different person.
“I’ve confirmed your identity. Since it’s late today, you can go straight to the dormitory.”
“Yes.”
Passing through the entrance safely, I headed towards the dormitory.
I was told that I could use the same room I used last semester, but honestly, I couldn’t remember which room Abel used. The only thing I remembered was that he used a very luxurious room.
Houston said that the servants were assigned as before, so I could find out by asking them.
“…So, this is how the academy looks.”
In the original work, the academy grounds were described as unnecessarily vast, and it’s true. The buildings were unnecessarily large as well.
It’s at the level of telling someone from the Seoul metropolitan area to go somewhere else. If I walked around here, I felt like I would be late for class.
After riding the carriage for a while, we arrived at the dormitory at the end.
The building looked brand new, as if it had been built recently. They seem to be managing it thoroughly, to the point where there’s nothing to criticize.
As I was about to open the carriage door and get off, two unfamiliar figures bowed their heads in front of me.
“Welcome, Master Abel!”
“We’ve been waiting!”
What’s this? Who are these guys…?
I was able to identify the guys messing with their hair after staring at them for a while.
Following Abel around, they were trash 1 and trash 2, flattering and instigating Abel for their own gain.
These guys were like wind-catchers, doing all sorts of devilish things at the academy, including unleashing demons.
As Abel was brought to trial for this incident, they quickly distanced themselves, like bats abandoning their prey.
“Hey!”
Just as I was about to completely get off the carriage, a thunderous voice rang out. When I turned my head, Lena was striding towards us with determination.
“Lena…?”
Could it be that she’s been waiting all this time?
“Hey, you! I distinctly told you to scram, didn’t I?!”
“But we still need to bring Abel-sama this semester—”
“I said scram! Abel won’t associate with the likes of you anymore!”
Lena, who had approached unnoticed, firmly grabbed their collars and pulled them away. With her strong force, the two had no chance to resist and tumbled onto the ground.
Honestly, it looked a bit pathetic.
“Mi… My lady…!”
“If I have to tell you one more time, I won’t stay quiet as a sponsor’s daughter. If you want to pick a fight with the Duke’s family, say it out loud.”
Though she was clearly talking to them, I don’t know why my spine shivered.
Eventually, the two losers who couldn’t withstand Lena’s momentum left. Only then did she sigh and look at me.
“Abel! Why are you so late—!”
As soon as Lena turned to me, her eyes widened, and she quickly began to touch my body at a rapid pace.
“What’s this blood?! And the carriage too!”
This. Did it stain even the clothes?
Rina, in a state of agitation, touches herself all over to check her condition.
“Are you okay? Your body? Where does it hurt? Should I call a doctor right away? What happened, seriously!”
What can I say? Sometimes, when she can’t control her emotions and reveals her dere side like this, I can feel that Rina truly likes Abel.
“Say something quickly!”
Her face seemed like she might cry at any moment. It feels good knowing that she genuinely cares about me.
“One question at a time.”
I used my hand to wipe away the blood on the white shirt.
“All of you! Explain what’s going on right now!”
Rina, her head turning sharply, interrogates the knights and servants who were standing awkwardly. Looking at Rina shouting with wrinkles on her nose, they hesitate.
“Rina, calm down. It’s not my blood.”
“What?”
I explained what happened on the way here, excluding the stories about dark elves. She grabs my clothes tightly in shock.
“The demon worshippers came to assassinate you?! That’s really dangerous! Did you tell Duke Houston about this?!”
“I told you to calm down…”
“This is not something to talk about calmly!”
“I had no choice. Since I kicked the beehive.”
But I do have insurance.
Even if I don’t know anything else, the quest always informs me when my life is at stake.
By now, I’m somewhat confident. I wonder why the one who gave me the quest attached ‘death upon failure.’
At first, it felt like they were pressuring me to move against my will, but in reality, it was to save me.
The one giving quests keeps telling me this.
If you don’t do this, you’ll die from some cause.
If they really intended to kill me, there would be no need to divide it into ‘main’ and ‘sub,’ and they wouldn’t give me a quest in a situation where I would die. Especially not a quest with a solution.
Well, it’s still eerie to write “death upon failure” at this point.
“Why are you talking about it so nonchalantly?”
“I only did what someone had to do. Besides, I’m the most suitable for this kind of thing with the least risk in Sirius. I’ve tarnished the reputation of the Sirius Duke with all sorts of incidents.”
“Even if that’s true, why should you take such a risk?!”
Lina’s voice didn’t calm down.
“Why are you so upset?”
“Of course, I am! You…”
“…I what?”
Her lips trembled. She seemed like she wanted to say something more, but no sound came out. She stared at me with teary eyes for a while before lowering her head.
“Just… even if it’s just in name, we’re engaged, so…”
She can’t be honest.
I chuckled and put my hand on Lina’s head. I wanted to mess up her hair a lot, but I refrained.
“Thanks. For worrying. But really, I’m okay.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah.”
At least now, the elves are protecting me.
“…When we go to the academy from now on, let me know. I’ll go with you.”
“Are you worried about me that much?”
It felt like the atmosphere was getting awkward for no reason, so I intentionally chuckled and asked. Then, Lena suddenly smacked my chest.
“Oof!”
“You wanna die for real?”
Ouch. My chest hurts. Feels like my chest muscles are torn.
I grabbed my aching chest and forced a smile. Lena seemed somewhat relieved by my joke, showing a hint of a smile. Her brow was still furrowed, though.
Anyway, we arrived safely at the academy.
I hope nothing happens here, but that’s unlikely. Lena and Mine still have their rivalry, and Yan is keeping an eye on me.
* * *
I chuckled as I looked at the dorm room where I would be staying for the next semester.
It was truly a luxurious dorm room.
No, can it really be called a dorm room?
It was at the level of a top-class hotel. How can a dorm room be divided into a bedroom and a living room, with a terrace attached?
One side looked like a bathroom, but it had a pool big enough to swim in.
It was ironic that this room was made for just one student.
“What, you’re looking around like it’s something amazing? You used this room last semester too.”
As I looked around with my mouth hanging open, Lena gave me a strange look.
“Where do the other residents usually stay?”
“What’s gotten into you today? Obviously, they stay in the room next to yours.”
Staying in the room next to mine……
There weren’t many doorplates stuck on the wall before entering this room.
Assuming that the servants stay here for a semester, this entire floor could be considered the floor used by the Sirius Duke.
“So, this whole floor is used only by the Sirius Duke.”
“Right. I use the entire women’s dormitory side.”
“Is that really okay?”
It seems like enjoying too many privileges.
As far as I know, even if someone takes the top spot at the academy like in other fantasy novels, they wouldn’t receive such treatment. This aspect was somewhat similar to a real university.
“It’s fine.”
But Lina answered without any hesitation. As if it was obvious.
“During the construction of the academy, Sirius Duke and Spon Duke provided a lot of financial support, and they continue to support it in the form of sponsorship.”
“Is that so?”
“Even the scholarships that commoners receive come from the dukes. Didn’t you know?”
How could I remember every detail from the original work?
Since these detailed setting parts were only expressed in a line or two in the original work, it wasn’t easy to remember.
“I knew. I was just asking to confirm.”
“Were you not interested?”
Was it because Abel was indifferent to these matters due to being a wastrel?
“Well, anyway…. The room is nice.”
I said, looking around the room again. Then Lina’s mood changed once, and she looked at me with a displeased face.
“…Why? Did I say something wrong?”
“Because if you mess with girls this semester, you’re really gonna die.”
“Ah….”
Abel was a scoundrel even at the academy, bringing broke female students to his room.
Damn. How much of a trash was he? Seriously.
I furrowed my brows, pressing my temples.
“No response?”
“Are you okay?”
“What?”
“You’re a girl too.”
Lena, who had been momentarily absent in my words, blushed angrily, clenching her fist.
“This, this pervert…!”
“No, did I say something weird?”
I shrank back at the threatening posture.
“Do you have any idea what it means for you to bring a girl here?”
“I can’t even make a joke?”
“It wasn’t a joke!”
Lena shouted, poking me as I shrugged my shoulders.
“Fine. Fine. I won’t do it again.”
Honestly, I didn’t have any intentions of being a scoundrel like Abel, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in the provocative.
I’m a man too, isn’t it natural?
“I’ll really keep an eye on you.”
I nodded my head for the time being.
Clara decided to talk about what she was going to do later. It seemed like she would only get cursed at if she said it now.
“Anyway, it’s late today, so I’ll head back now. Let’s eat… tomorrow. No, in the morning too.”
“Okay.”
“Wake up early. Don’t make me come wake you up.”
“Is Lina your mother? Why do you nag so much?”
“…You want to sleep now?”
Lina laughed, making a cracking sound with her bones. Looking at the blood vessels around her Adam’s apple, it didn’t seem like she was laughing because it was funny.
“Goodbye. Sleep early.”
“Whether I sleep well or not.”
She mumbled and was about to leave the room, but then she came back.
“Oh… and I’ve decided to have a formal duel with Princess Minerva in 3 days. The time is 4 o’clock. It’s after regular class hours at the Knight Department’s practice field.”
“…What?”
“I’ve already informed Princess Minerva and completed the formalities. Just come to the Knight Department’s practice field after class.”
She was really an impatient person.
It would be better to have the duel as soon as possible to beat Minerva, but isn’t it normal to be more cautious when you know there’s only one chance?
At least, I was planning to order the Chulsaelda to duel after I had attracted people’s attention. It was because the chances of the Chulsaelda’s infiltration being exposed would increase if I went to crowded places.
“Anyway, that’s how it is.”
Unilaterally notified, I just go as is.
Suddenly, my head began to ache. It seemed like I would have to report sick from the first day of the academy.
From Noble mtl dot com
The reason for illness is stress-induced headaches.
That would be nice.