NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36
The next lecture was about alchemy.
“The ratio of material to mana must be 1:1. If you get the ratio wrong even a little, you will have to throw away the whole thing, so focus!”
The alchemy professor kindly wrote down the explanation on the blackboard. Wouldn’t there be a problem if I couldn’t make it after seeing this? I applied the mana to the materials on the table, chopped them in order, and boiled them.
Plop, plop! Clatter!
As I poured the materials into the pot, the professor ran to me angrily. “Huh! Adding the materials all at once like that requires more proficiency… Huh?”
“Yes?”
He glanced around, watching the reagent in my pot emit a golden light.
“Everyone, come here and check Theresa’s reagent.”
Why? Is something wrong?
As I blinked blankly, the professor opened his mouth in disbelief.
“It is a very well-made reagent.”
Is it the aftermath of the <Transformation Magic> lecture? Calm flattery began to trickle out of my mouth.
“Of course. I did as the Professor wrote on the blackboard, and the results came out well.”
“…
Cough!
Of course. Did you take notes?”
I nodded in wonder. “Yes. Didn’t Professor write it on the blackboard for us to take notes?”
“
Cough.
The other students just produce rat-colored reagents even when I already explained it.”
The students who came to see the reagent I made turned their heads away from the professor’s stinging gaze.
If I received praise like this, there would be more people who would become jealous.
Wizards are basically independent, stubborn, and out-of-the-box people. In particular, the Valhalla students thought they were very great geniuses.
And Theresa is the representative of those people’s ideology.
I said humbly, “I was just lucky.” I really meant it.
Originally, I was always poor at making things, but strangely, I made something well.
Since the explanation was correct, I assumed the correct result would come out. Rather, the problem lies elsewhere.
“Today, we will practice waltz. Come in pairs of two.”
Valhalla taught not only magic but also culture. Magic was important to nobles, but the latest ballroom dancing, the latest manners, and the ability to speak foreign languages were also very important. As a system was created so that not only was magic selected when nurturing a character, but they also had to take liberal arts classes as a necessity.
I’m in trouble. I don’t know how to dance.
Unfortunately, the dance skills didn’t have an automatic correlation function like beginner etiquette.
At that time, the store was activated after a long time.
Ding!
[There is a product in stock at the store.]
Clearly, a skill that corrected the dancing skills was in stock.
▼
[Store]
▹
Wish coupon [1,000,000,000 coins]
: Any wish will be granted once.
▹
Intermediate Dancing [39,800 coins]
: Wherever you go, you can show off your dancing skills to a level where you won’t get caught.
▹
Dancing machine [150,000 coins]
: You can become a legendary dancer.
▲
Ding!
[The Constellation ‘As Long as It’s Not Me’ has sponsored 1,000 coins.]
[Dancing machine? You should choose this.]
Without hesitation, I chose [Intermediate Dancing]. Dancing machine? Who do you think I am?
Ding!
[The Constellation ‘As Long as It’s Not Me’ has sponsored 1,000 coins.]
[You don’t fall for it…]
This wasn’t a 2000’s variety show opening stage, why would I need a dancing machine?
Shall we see how much sponsorship has been accumulated?
[Sponsorship: 527,600 coins.]
The sponsorship piled up far more than I expected.
What? When did it pile up this much?
Even so, I had no intention of buying dancing machine or anything like that. Anyway, in this way, the necessary items were stocked at the appropriate time, so I was able to safely attend the lecture.
The professor who taught ballroom dancing told me with suspicious eyes. “Today, you didn’t make any movements wrong for some reason.”
Other than the setting that Theresa was stupid, it wasn’t detailed much, but I guess she couldn’t memorize the dance moves well too. I smiled awkwardly and took care of why I was different.
“Thanks to the Professor’s excellent teaching, I finally understood the movements.”
“…Is that so?”
The professor seemed to find it difficult to accept Theresa’s polite attitude. Still, I could see the corners of her mouth twitching as if she felt good.
“I heard that among the nobles who became the flower of the ball, no one didn’t take dance lessons from Professor. Because of the teaching of such a person, it seems that my lack of skills has also improved.”
My unexaggerated plain tone of flattery must have sounded quite sincere, and the professor’s expression broke the boundaries. No matter how stupid she was, it wasn’t coming just from a noble lady but a princess. The weight of the words given by status was heavier than gold.
Ding!
[The Constellation ‘Conspiracy Theorist’ has sponsored 1,000 coins.]
[Have you ever been a disloyal subject in your previous life? Why are you so good at flattering?]
…Did I?
I didn’t make up a completely empty word.
All the lectures were interesting and good. It was so easy to understand, so it was pointless to worry about whether I would be able to follow the fourth-year curriculum. And flattery was the worst thing I could do.
If I had been really good at it, my life as Jiwoo wouldn’t have been so difficult.
I shrugged my shoulders, packed my things, and headed to the library on the first floor. I had to read the book that Professor Ilya gave me, and that place was the most comfortable to do so. The space was large, and there weren’t many users, and anyone won’t notice you. You could enter the private reading room and be cut off from the world.
I have to go into the private reading room today.
It was a pity that the private reading room had no window, so I couldn’t see the outside landscape, but my mind was comfortable there. As I entered the private reading room, I put my bag on the desk.
“Hmm….”
It’s weird. Why do I feel so stuffy today?
At that moment, Damian’s voice flashed through my mind.
“If you’re going to hide in the future, you’d better not choose a place like this.”
“You will be caught in no time.”
“Ah… really.”
I rubbed my tired eyes roughly with my dry hands. Seeing the heat rising from the spot I touched, my fair skin must have turned red.
It’s alright here. Damian doesn’t use the library on the first floor.
…Was it really so?
What if another developer, not me, added such a setting, which I hadn’t checked out yet?
Suddenly, being in a private reading room made me feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t safe here.
No. No matter where I go, I’m not safe.
Sticky thoughts like a string of black oil tore through me.
What was the male protagonist’s behavior pattern like when there was only one red heart?
How did I get a good impression?
That’s stupid. Did I think I might be able to live here like everyone else?
I have to do something right now.
Otherwise, no one will love me.
Like Shin Jiwoo.
I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out. I want to go out.
I want to get out of here right now!
“Slowly.”
It seemed that I was hyperventilating without even realizing it. Someone hugged me from behind and quietly whispered to me while I was breathing so roughly that my eyes were spinning.
“Breathe slowly. I already stopped time.”
Leaning on the red wooden table, I forced myself to exhale slowly, not even thinking about wiping away my tears. A soft hand stroked my cheek.
“You shouldn’t be broken already, Miss Theresa. Do you understand?”
I desperately held onto the hand that was stroking my cheeks as if I had met a savior. The hands were warm and larger enough to cover all of my face.
“…”
Then I couldn’t hear a voice that was whispering to me.
It’s safe.
“Hmm.”
There was a quiet voice that seemed to be something the savior didn’t like.
“This is not fun.”
Snap!
After I heard the snapping finger.
.
.
.
“…Why was I lying down?”
I got up from the table with a puzzled face. My memory had evaporated cleanly since I entered the private reading room.
I was a bit tired, but did I fall asleep?
Strangely enough, I didn’t see the sponsorship notification window where they were chatting while I was asleep, as usual.
I furrowed my brows in an uncomfortable feeling and got up to pack my things. Strangely, I wasn’t in the mood to use the private reading room today.