59 – Lady Freyja
After concluding the conversation with the Emperor and entering the dormitory the next day, I threw myself onto the bed.
Lying on the bed, I threw something that looked like a small bead up and repeated catching it.
If someone else were to see this appearance, what kind of reaction would they have?
What I am playing with, like a toy, is a potion.
And it’s a top-grade potion that’s hard to get no matter how much money you spend.
Well, it’s because the emperor has a big influence.
“I should take the potion tomorrow morning.”
I put the potion I was playing with into a space.
I wanted to take it and sleep right away, but it was more effective to strengthen it in the space and then take it.
“There’s one more reason I can’t sleep yet.”
Even though I’m tired, there was one more reason I couldn’t fall asleep.
“Well, then, I guess there’s still time. Shall we check where to sleep?”
I put the potion into the space and took out an ordinary-looking box.
“Oh, right. I forgot to wash my hands.”
After going to the bathroom and washing my hands for 5 minutes, I opened the box with trembling hands.
Crack.
“Wow, it’s dazzling!”
The not-so-small box was filled with gold coins.
With this much money, I could buy a mansion in the capital.
I received it from the emperor as a reward for dealing with the necromancer along with the potion.
“hehehe.”
Just looking at the gold coins in the box made laughter flow out.
With this, I can execute the plan I’ve only thought about.
“To catch up with them, I need to spend at least this much money with my average talent.”
I’ve never thought of myself as talentless.
But I’ve also never thought of my talent as being on the same level as those in the special class.
The talent of the special class students is tremendous.
Even with the same amount of effort as others, they grow several times faster.
The reason I’m overwhelming their growth speed right now is because of the ability of the mask.
“…But if they ‘awaken’, they’ll catch up quickly.”
Awakening.
A phenomenon only experienced by the special class students in Croaca.
With just a slight trigger and creativity, the special class students awaken.
The difference in abilities before and after awakening is like night and day.
One second. In just one second, they become several times stronger than before thanks to this insane system.
Someone once said that true geniuses should know how to make people despair with just their talent.
“But I don’t despair to that extent.”
Even though I’m only better than them in terms of appearance, I don’t envy or despair over their talent.
If I had that level of talent on my face from the start, then it was a mistake on God’s part.
“Hmm. Just by looking at my face, it seems like God made a mistake.”
If God was trying to balance things out because of my face, they should have at least given me a deadline for my lifespan.
Thinking about their talent, sleep drifted away, and thoughts about how to become stronger dominated my mind.
“Ah, right. I remember now. I got so angry just by looking at it that I forgot.”
I took out a thick book from the space.
The identity of the book was a skill book of shadow steps.
[Move right as if you’re going left, but you must still exist on the right.]
That was the only phrase written in the original book.
But thanks to the emperor, I realized that what was written varied depending on the proficiency.
I opened the book. As I expected, there were other phrases written as well.
With this amount, I thought it would be written in detail.
[Move like a shadow.]
[Exist in front of the opponent, beside them, behind them, and even below them.]
[You are the shadow.]
Thump.
I closed the book and put it back in the space.
This is ridiculous.
I looked at the book to organize my thoughts, but my head felt even more dizzy than before I looked at it.
“Sigh………….”
I took out the book from the space again, thinking that there was nothing else to do until then… I should at least read this.
While looking at the skill book without understanding its contents.
Ring- ring- ring- ring- ring.
I heard a sound coming from the communication device placed on the desk.
This is the reason why I waited without falling asleep, even though I wanted to sleep.
I checked who called through the communication device.
As expected, it was Erika who made the call.
Ever since the incident where Emperor received the call, I’ve developed a habit of checking who called after Erika makes a call.
Erika casually blurted out words that would make the Emperor faint as soon as I answered the call.
[Jester, were you feeling bitter spending the night alone without me yesterday?]
Even though it had only been a day since we last spoke, I couldn’t get used to it.
“Yesterday, not being able to talk to Erika felt like hell to me. Honestly, last night, I even considered sneaking into the palace just to hear Erika’s voice.”
After saying that, I realized.
Ah… I unintentionally went a bit overboard with my words.
[…………..]
“Erika?”
[………Hiccup!]
Is something wrong?
I heard Erika’s hiccup sound through the communication device.
[Um… Ugh… Ah! Water! I spilled water, so please wait for a moment!]
So that’s why she spilled water.
It took 5 minutes for Erika’s voice to be heard from the communication device.
[Whew… Jester?]
“I’m listening~”
Erika took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her nerves, and spoke.
[I heard that you went back and forth to the palace.]
“I did go to the palace because the Emperor wanted to talk to me, but I didn’t stay long.”
[Well…if you ever come to the palace again, please say something to me. We’ve been talking, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen your face, hasn’t it?]
If I remember correctly, just as Erika said, I had never actually seen her after entering the academy.
“If I have a chance to contact you, I will definitely do so.”
Even if I wanted to contact her, I didn’t have the opportunity. I was always dragged to the palace as if being kidnapped, so when would be the right time to reach out?
[Is it a promise?]
“Yes, it’s a promise.”
From Noble mtl dot com
After that, Erika and I chatted for a while and then fell asleep.
.
.
While most students were sleeping,
I was on my way to the leadership room today for a leadership experience.
Normally, I would wake up earlier and do morning training as part of my routine, but I decided to take a break today because there were too many events yesterday.
“Ugh!”
I looked ahead when I heard a strange sound.
Platinum-like silver hair, brightly shining blue eyes, and a face so beautiful that it never ceased to amaze me no matter how many times I saw it.
Johanna was in the direction I was looking at.
Originally, I would have run over to greet Yo-hanna when I found her, but the words I said to her yesterday came to mind, so I cautiously spoke.
“…….Senior, shall we go together?”
Yo-hanna silently nodded.
As we walked to the leadership office, Yo-hanna glanced at my mask from time to time.
Whenever I felt her gaze and turned my head.
“Ugh!”
She made a strange sound and turned her head in the opposite direction.
Come to think of it, she had been doing that since coming out of the Idol’s Graveyard yesterday.
What’s going on?
“…………………….”
“…………………….”
But neither I nor Yo-hanna said anything and continued walking to the leadership office.
The continued silence made me anxious to ask what was wrong, but just as I was about to ask, our words overlapped.
“Um…………”
“Senior, you go first.”
“Um… My father wants to meet you at home.”
Surprised by her words, I asked her.
“Me??”
Yo-hanna silently nodded.
“Why?” There were too many guesses to give a clear answer.
So I asked another question.
“When?”
I needed time to prepare myself too.
Johanna lowered her head as if embarrassed and said,
“Today.”
It seems like there’s no time to prepare my heart after all.
.
.
Even during our time as team leaders, Johanna and I spent awkward moments together.
Whenever I saw Johanna, my poker face would immediately break, making it impossible to speak.
The other team members took turns giving me and Johanna suspicious glances.
Somehow, I managed to finish my duties as a team leader and started walking towards the special class.
“Fool!”
Academy correction.
Someone ran towards me, shouting.
It wasn’t the Academy, but there was only one person who called me by that title in the world.
“Why didn’t you come yesterday?”
I said to Sepia, who looked at me with a worried expression.
“I caught a cold yesterday. I kept sleeping in the dormitory.”
Actually, it was because of the Necromancer, but I couldn’t tell Sephia about it.
“Oh, really? So, is everything okay now?”
“Yes! I’m very healthy. There’s just one small concern.”
“What’s the concern?”
I said playfully to Sephia, who was wearing a serious expression.
“I’m worried that my face is getting more handsome as time goes on.”
Sephia made a face as if she thought worrying about her face was foolish.
“Why don’t you just show your face and say that?”
“hahahahaha, I can’t just show my face recklessly.”
In fact, besides the concern about her face, there were other worries.
“Sephia, want to go together like this?”
“Hmph, do as you please.”
The Sephia in front of me is the first among the special class students to ‘awaken.’
Through Sephia’s awakening, she shows the players how amazing awakening can be.
And Sephia is the first among the special class students to die.
.
.
The road to the Marquis’s workshop.
I was lying in the carriage, taking off my mask, resting my head on Johanna’s lap.
Johanna, without looking at me, kept her gaze fixed straight ahead and gently stroked my head.
How did it come to this?
Si, ¿Cómo llegó a eso? XD