I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

A day had already passed since I woke up.

“Mmm♪ Fully recovered―☆”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Alvit, Rota, and Kara who came to visit me in the hospital room looked at me with complicated eyes. Though they didn’t open their mouths carelessly, their constantly shaking eyes were filled only with worry and guilt.

Seeing that appearance, I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘I don’t know why they’re looking at me like that. I’m really fine at this level.’

In one day, I changed clothes, took a bath, drank water and rested, so my physical condition quickly improved.

Compared to common sense from my past life, it was recovery ability no different from a superhuman, but in this world it seemed to be a level of barely returning from the brink of life and death. The gazes of the health department students who were shocked seeing my appearance are still vivid.

Around the time some time had passed after Hilde left the hospital room.

The health department students came with all sorts of testing equipment to check my physical condition.

-There’s… no… ether at all.

-Completely… empty. This is the first time I’ve seen such a case.

-This is the backlash from using forbidden power…

‘That’s just because the remaining ether is little compared to the size of my fuel tank…’

But they seemed to have understood after finishing all the tests, muttering something, so I didn’t particularly correct them.

The test results came out right away, perhaps because it was an intensive care room. Fortunately, except for the part related to ether, they said everything had recovered to a level where I could maintain daily life.

‘Though I’m no different from an empty can since all the ether recovery buffs flew away.’

It wasn’t a bad thing since I survived thanks to Urd’s help, and it became the key to break through beyond the realm of wuji. Anyway, that was a problem that could be solved.

Ether is on hold for now.

I looked at my physical condition.

‘Fortunately my physical condition isn’t as bad as I thought.’

My hands and feet are still a bit numb.

Dark bruises have formed on my arms and legs.

The vivid pink color of my hair has faded a little.

Eerie vein-like scars have formed around my neck and heart area, but.

“…”

Hmm… well, this level wasn’t bad.

Scars are like everyday scratches on a smartphone.

It also gave a mysterious feeling like a magician who had mastered magic arts.

Didn’t Hua Tuo also chew his own eyeball and use it well as a fashion element?

It was even better than Don Hyeongbo who was mocked as the ‘Complete General’ for having no eyeballs, sarcastically playing on the fact that he was missing an eye. This side was really fine all over the body, just with the skin changed a bit.

That’s right.

I had obtained the event skin [Faded Spiral] Clara.

‘…Not bad.’

So scars are on hold.

But it was unexpected that the hair color had faded a bit.

‘Now I’ve become a light pink airhead instead of a pink airhead.’

I was really satisfied that the cheap-looking pink hair had now become calm, giving an elegant atmosphere like Hilde. Someday when I meet Hilde again, I want to play a joke asking ‘Is there anything different about me?’

‘I couldn’t say it then because of the confusion, but from now on let’s go see Hilde whenever there’s a chance.’

Wasn’t she a pitiful friend who couldn’t overcome longing and smelled the unpleasant hair odor of a patient? It wasn’t bad to see a new side of her who was always reliable and elegant.

‘As [Faded Spiral], it wouldn’t be strange to go meet an old friend…’

Hair is on hold too.

There were minor changes here and there… but anyway, I’m alive so it’s all good.

All clear.

Surprisingly, the physical condition of [Faded Spiral] was much more intact than I had prepared for.

But the juniors who came after all the tests were finished burst into tears as soon as they saw me and made a fuss saying they were sorry.

-Senior…! If I… if I had been a little stronger…

-I’m sorry… I’m sorry for being too weak…

-Damn it… damn it…!!

Alvit was holding my hand and sobbing.

Rota was sitting on the floor muttering with trembling shoulders.

Kara was hitting the wall with a gloomy expression while shedding tears.

Hearing that sound, a minor incident occurred where students mistakenly thought I had finally crossed the rainbow bridge and caused a disturbance.

-Commemorate the hero―!!

-Hiyaah!! Light the fires―!!

-You crazy bitches!! Why are you setting fire to buildings that are almost finished―?!

I felt dizzy recalling that chaos again.

“You’re really making a fuss―☆”

“Making a fuss…!”

“Anyway♪ Rota had a promise to keep with me―☆”

“Ah.”

After going through such twists and turns.

I was rubbing my face against Rota’s two cat ears.

“Hmm♪”

“Eek?!”

Rota was sitting in a chair placed in front of me. As I rubbed my hands and face to savor that soft texture, her small shoulders trembled slightly with my breath.

Alvit and Kara were feeling embarrassed watching my skinship.

“Senior, isn’t that… touch too blatant?”

“Honestly, if there were students from or , it would be a gesture with nothing to say even if arrested for harassment.”

‘Yeah, no. I’ll do as I please.’

I don’t care about such reactions at all.

I grab the orange cat ears with both hands, smell them and savor the texture.

Rub rub

Lick lick

Sniff sniff

“Fuuum☆ Nom nom♪”

“Ack…?! Heek…?!”

I savored a modern softness that can hardly be felt in this world full of crude arcane punk.

An extreme softness that can only be felt from microfiber blankets or sleep socks…

‘Strangely, the animal parts of beastkin really have a luxurious feel.’

To begin with, beastkin in the academy city are mostly aristocrats attending prestigious schools, so they take good care of themselves, but. The animal parts they have innately possess a noble texture that can’t be found in rural dogs or stray cats from my past life.

‘Still, there were some kids with strange textures or shapes.’

Except for children with strange appearances even from the objective perspective of other races, most strive to cultivate themselves into the shape they consider ideal.

Especially in Rota’s case, thanks to her cat fur standing up properly and growing moderately lush, she could be considered quite beautiful.

I was shamelessly enjoying those cat ears, which were among the most beautiful even among cat beastkin.

“Hmm… nom… this is heaven―☆”

“Ahi…?! Uhi?!”

Perhaps she still couldn’t refuse despite that.

Rota spoke in a pitiful voice to me who was constantly sniffing and blowing air through my nose.

“Se-Senior. Um… beastkin are quite startled when wind enters their ears? So the nose breath is a bit…”

“Fuuum―☆”

“Ahyaah―?!”

Unlike the flowing hair, the orange cat fur has a somewhat tough feel. When I rub my cheek against that part, it slides away smoothly as if it had never been there.

“Nom nom nom―♪”

“Agigik?! Hueah?!”

The softness of the fur with a fragrant flower scent and warmth of sunlight. No matter what high-quality fabric is brought, it can’t reproduce this natural texture containing the warmth of a living being.

‘So soft… this is heaven…’

Kara tilted her head looking at Rota making strange noises.

“Um… I know it’s a very embarrassing sight to see, but. Is it something to make such strange sounds while twitching fingers to that extent?”

“Ugik?! Auk~!! Hey!! Beastkin ears are…! Ahuit?! The closest to…! Hyah!! The brain I’m saying!!”

“Ah, I see. That’s knowledge I didn’t know.”

Alvit smiled bitterly hearing that conversation.

“Well, there aren’t many people in the academy city who would grab the ears of high-class beastkin and treat them so carelessly like this.”

“Yeah―♪ It’s good Rota came to our school―☆ Ububuup…!”

“Agik?! Uhit?! Ook…! Gook…! Ook?!”

While we were having such a friendly time.

There was a presence approaching from far away with steps that seemed like they would melt weakly. And soon that presence came and opened the hospital room door.

Creak…

The one who entered with a weak door sound was Bell.

She wasn’t wearing the red tracksuit like in my last memory of her, but had changed into the uniform worn by executives. Her appearance decorated with more gorgeous ribbons and frills than when we first met befitted the upper class of the academy city.

But Bell’s face was haggard to the point where her cheekbones were sunken.

Tremble tremble…

Bell raised her hand weakly and greeted in a small voice.

“He…llo. Long time no see… It’s the first time… since then…”

“Hello Bell―☆”

“Oh… pinky… no… Clara… you woke up… that’s good…”

“I don’t mind any nickname―☆”

“No… I can’t… to the one who saved my life… Yeah…”

Alvit and Kara greet Bell who is waving her hand weakly with worried looks.

“Senior Bell, long time no see. You seem to have been very busy.”

“Bell senior comrade. Your physical condition doesn’t look good?”

“Ugit?! Unhook?! Oook…!!”

“Hm…? Why is… she… like that…?”

“An expression of affection I’m sharing with Rota―☆”

“I see…”

Bell took out a folding chair for guests with sluggish movements and plopped down on it. It was a movement that looked like ice cream placed on a road on a summer day.

Clatter…

Plop…

Bell soon bowed her head and sighed.

“Huu… After that, I was punished in solitary confinement for a while…”

“What?! Solitary confinement?! But I heard Senior Sigrun avoided punishment by having her merits recognized.”

“Well, she… if you think about it, did what was supposed to do originally… And things happened during the time I needlessly left my post…”

“Oh my…”

“Even ending with this much… is being treated leniently compared to originally… Originally it would have been a situation with dismissal from position and various penalties following, but it was made up for with solitary confinement punishment… Haah…”

Bell sighed and bowed her head deeply. And when she raised her head again, she started speaking in a lively voice.

“Yeah! Well, the cute secretary has fully revived! Haha! I’ve returned to normal duties again!”

“What are your plans from now on, Senior Bell? Will you still be guarding ’s garrison?”

“Well… There are movements from the Eastern Alliance… And above all…”

Bell scratched her cheek and answered.

“It seems we learned through this incident that the group called is not simply a group urging the kidnapping of students.”

“…”

“And according to the analysis of the magic analysis club, this incident was showing only larval chaos insects because it was suppressed early. They say if it had been a little later, sub-adults or adults could have been generated outside the dungeon gates.”

“…Adults.”

Alvit swallowed hard hearing those words.

“…”

“Unhook!! Oot…! Now…! That’s enough…!”

I was still kneading and touching Rota’s ears while recalling the fight with [Priest of Erosion]. And how to move now in the changed flow of the original work.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The hospital room that had become quiet with everyone harboring their own thoughts.

The one who broke that silence was Bell who had organized her thoughts for a while.

Bell looked at me with serious eyes and spoke.

“Thank you. Clara. Though it was a sudden incident, I’ll definitely remember how you sacrificed yourself by burning your whole body to protect everyone in a threat that could have turned the entire northern part of the academy city into ruins.”

“It’s nothing―☆ That wasn’t a sacrifice but something that had to be done♪”

“Really… [Pink Spiral] isn’t some legendary saint… Anyway, I’m not sure if this can be called repayment, but.”

Bell took out 4 tickets stiffly coated with high-end finishing materials from her uniform pocket and handed them over.

“This is my minimum sincerity. Use these when you have trouble or just want to come play at the garrison.”

Alvit and Kara were greatly surprised seeing those tickets.

“This is…!”

“ exclusive route regular pass?!”

“It’s something originally issued only to high-ranking executives of the , but I insisted and got them. With these you should be able to use all ether trains between and .”

Bell smiled softly with her still haggard face and said:

“We met through such an unfunny connection… I never thought it would turn out like this.”

“Hehe…”

“Hehe.”

“Unhoot?! Oook… Wait… Let me match the mood too…?!”

We also laughed recalling our first meeting with Bell.

“Well~ Now the cute secretary will return to her original duties!”

“Senior Bell…!”

Bell stood up smiling energetically like when we first met. That smile somehow looked refreshed, and also seemed to contain playfulness so as not to be embarrassed when we meet again.

“Until now, I was the cute secretary of the … Bell!”

“Thank you, Senior Bell!”

“Bell senior comrade! If you have any troubles, come to !”

“Yeah―♪ We’re friends beyond just being in the same union~☆”

Hearing those words, Bell giggled and was about to leave the hospital room.

“Oh right…!”

“…?”

“Is something the matter?”

“[Crimson Trajectory] called an airship going to , so come to the temporary dock. She said she wants to say goodbye.”

“Eir?”

“Well then, I’ve said all I needed to say so I’ll be going~”

With that, Bell left the hospital room with her side tails swaying.

“…It’s time to go back now.”

“Really… I thought we’d only have to endure for one night.”

“That’s right☆”

“Uooo…! Oooh…”

We realized it was time to leave and return home.