I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

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Walter carefully touched each scroll, totaling seven, combining the first edition and the sixth. He immediately found the original scroll that Jeongjae had personally written in his own hand.

Jeongjae was genuinely grateful that he hadn’t attempted to deceive Walter. Walter seemed to have an eye that could see through everything, accurately picking only the originals.

“The name of the scroll is… let’s see, Manhattan? Manhattan? That sounds familiar.”

Walter squinted at Jeongjae’s scroll as if using a magnifying glass, bringing the lens up close and then pulling it away, closely examining it.

Walter was a contemporary genius with near-expert knowledge in various fields, but even he couldn’t readily recognize the content of this complicated scroll at a glance.

In fact, it could be said that it was an extraordinary case that Margaret grasped the essence of the scroll merely by staring at it for ten minutes.

“Manhattan… Right, I remember. It was the name of a city in the old colonial Americas. I think I’ve seen it in a book left by my ancestors… New York, Manhattan, isn’t that right?”

“Speaking of old colonies, hardly anyone nowadays refers to America that way…”

“That’s true. There must be a gap of about 120 years between us and the last of our ancestors from your planet.”

“At least, from what you said, it seems that hero was British.”

“British?”

“Brittany, England. It doesn’t matter which.”

“I’ve read both names before. Yes, that’s right. Simon Harriet. His home country was definitely that England.”

Just chatting about Earth brought a sense of nostalgia. As Jeongjae became confused yet fond while reminiscing about his dear home planet, Walter, having roughly deciphered the scroll with the help of his glasses, set the magic book down and turned towards Jeongjae.

“This item… can it only be activated by human power?”

“Huh? Why do you ask that?”

“I’m just checking. After all, there could be various possibilities to keep open…”

Walter spoke vaguely. Though there was no evidence, Jeongjae somehow felt that Walter seemed more afraid of wanting to use the scroll than interested in it.

“According to my research, it’s purely impossible to operate this scroll using a magic device instead of a human. There can’t be a machine capable of that level of precise control. As you can see, if that scroll fails in magic control at any moment, it could lead to a major incident.”

“Indeed, it’s clearly unfeasible with a magic machine.”

Walter bit his lip. The hero, who had continued to stare at the scroll, suddenly gathered all of them into his hands with a determined expression.

“As of now, all of these are confiscated. Don’t even think about getting them back.”

Though it was a tough situation of having one’s research results taken away while wide awake, Jeongjae couldn’t argue against it. He not only heard Walter’s earnest persuasion for him to stay alive but was also troubled by the future Walter had seen.

Walter Hellhound occasionally seemed to engage in irrational behavior that could not be understood by normal reasoning, but that was because he could see things that others could not.

‘In any case, Walter Hellhound is right.’ Once he adapted to that truth, Jeongjae found it somewhat easier to accept the hero’s somewhat unreasonable decision.

But the next words Walter spoke were something even Jeongjae, who had that mindset, couldn’t easily accept.

“Oh, and you’re fired, Park Jeongjae.”

“I see. To be fired from the research material confiscation to getting fired, I’ve really come to the end of the line.”

However, right after, Jeongjae’s eyes widened as he stood up abruptly.

“What? I’m fired?”

“You heard me right. You’re fired. From this school and from our party. Pack your things and get ready to leave.”

“Wait, why are you going that far?”

Though he didn’t say it out loud, the thought “If you’re worried about me committing suicide, wouldn’t it make more sense to keep an eye on me instead of throwing me out?” crossed his mind.

Of course, Jeongjae wasn’t a crazy person or a depression patient. There would be no way he would be found hanging from a rope like a character from a once-popular fake dating sim horror game.

But… even so, isn’t it a bit excessive and sudden to just have your scroll confiscated and be kicked out of the party? Jeongjae looked at Walter with intense demand for an explanation, but Walter, wearing his eyeglasses, simply avoided his gaze.

“I’ve decided that it’s for the best.”

“What kind of ‘best’ is that! Are you saying I can’t fight anymore? Are you treating me like a risk factor who could cause an even bigger accident due to delusions?”

“If that’s the case, can you argue otherwise? Since you’ve done this kind of thing, how can I be sure you won’t recklessly engage in a suicidal charge based on your own judgment?”

“The reason I considered extreme methods was precisely that there were extreme effects!”

“That’s your subjective judgment! I can no longer trust your assessment.”

Walter awkwardly tried to dodge the conversation, but Jeongjae caught the trembling look in Walter’s eyes and realized he was hiding something deep.

Yes, he was a hero. A hero who must carry what he must, no matter the situation.

Yet suddenly, he was declaring he would abandon Jeongjae. And provided the ridiculous reason of ‘I can’t trust Jeongjae’s judgment any longer.’

Not long ago, in the battlefield, he had given advice that he would have to make many more tough decisions, and now he was excluding him from the party and even expelling him from the school.

It was hard to believe that this action served merely to stop Jeongjae’s research.

“You’re not going to say anything, are you?”

“I’m sorry.”

Walter uttered just that one word and lowered his head. He left behind not a shred of evidence for Jeongjae to guess why Walter made this decision.

After a brief shock passed, Jeongjae began to slowly accept the reality.

This was yet another aspect of Walter’s eccentricity. However, didn’t he know from experience that Walter always had a legitimate reason behind his actions?

“Alright. I’ll accept it. When should I clear out of the dormitory?”

“Not much, right? Most of it is just books from the school’s library. Get out by tonight.”

“Where am I supposed to go after clearing out my stuff? Since you said you would exclude me from the party, I don’t suppose you plan to send me back to the battlefield?”

“Stay at the Magic Tower for a few days. I won’t refuse you. After that, I’ll help you find a place to stay.”

If Jeongjae’s question had received the response, “Do whatever you want,” it could signal true banishment—like being told you are no longer a part of anything and it doesn’t matter what you do.

But Jeongjae confirmed through that last question that Walter still intended to interfere in his life.

Especially for Walter to specifically get involved in determining his place indicated that he might want to keep track of Jeongjae’s position when necessary.

“Alright. But what will I tell the others? Do you have a reasonable explanation?”

“If you tell Rose and Bernard that I said so, they’ll accept it without question.”

Walter took off his eyeglasses as he spoke. Just wearing those glasses significantly enhanced brain function and caused considerable fatigue.

“Don’t you have any confidence in persuading Margaret?”

“Margaret is always difficult. Especially regarding the issue of firing you. Yes, since it concerns you.”

Jeongjae found it hard to comprehend Walter’s words slightly.

“Well, while it’s awkward, wouldn’t Margaret accept it if you told her? She might not like not knowing the reason, but…”

“You’re not only selfish, but also stupid. Furthermore, your insensitivity is almost criminal. You fool, the hardest part is telling Princess Margaret that you’ve been excluded from the party.”

“Insensitive?”

Jeongjae scratched his head. Such words are usually reserved for protagonists in romantic comedies who can’t recognize the affection of the heroine, aren’t they?

The situation was so cliché that Jeongjae couldn’t help but recall a scenario that perfectly fit the current situation.

“You speak as if Margaret likes me or something.”

“You’re really hopeless. If you can’t even speak, isn’t it better to live your life oblivious to it? Huh?”

Walter bolted upright from his seat. Jeongjae, who had just been shocked by the firing announcement, blinked furiously at Walter’s reaction.

“Hey, wait a minute. Is there such a thing as April Fools’ Day in this world? I’ve never heard of it?”

“April Fools? What the hell is that?”

“It’s the only day in a year where it’s allowed to tell awful lies to deceive other people. Is that what’s happening? Starting with the firing, was this all an April Fools’ joke and I just fell for it spectacularly?”

“I get what you’re saying, but it’s definitely not that, so just pack your things properly. And that firing notice is because I’m suspecting that now you’re starting to unveil Margaret’s feelings for you.”

“What? Really?”

Jeongjae stared blankly as the hero who’d just fired him left the lounge.

Walter rarely made mistakes; however, could it be that he sometimes did? Why would he hear that he was insensitive? Logically thinking, if Jeongjae thought to himself ‘Oh, the girl likes me,’ he would truly be an insane person.

Margaret despises wizards and hates axes. They are both the main culprits destroying the forest.

“I can’t understand. What on earth makes him say something like that to me?”

Jeongjae had never once thought that he was the insensitive one. Of course, he tried to refrain from making unnecessary assumptions, but even so, he had never put such effort into interpreting any feelings from Margaret.

“Was she really an extreme tsundere…?”

If that was the case, then from the start, it was an impossibly difficult problem. No, if she were a tsundere, normally one would show that ‘overly harsh words actually indicate affection,’ wouldn’t they?

In his late twenties, Jeongjae was certainly of an age where he was not far removed from the concept of tsundere. Moreover, if he could name several characters that fit the tsundere archetype, then if he couldn’t notice Margaret’s feelings, she might as well be a master of poker face or a prodigy at gambling.

Margaret had never shown any particular embarrassment or affection towards Jeongjae but, she also hardly ever fussed or acted too roughly.

Margaret’s attitude towards Jeongjae consisted of nothing more than appropriate advice and suitable encouragement. While the strength of her advice was occasionally a bit strong, Jeongjae perceived it more as ‘being straightforward and strict’ rather than finding it romantic, and thus he couldn’t feel any romantic feelings whatsoever.

Therefore, up until now, Jeongjae had found not a shred of evidence to infer such feelings from her…

Ah, perhaps there was something worth considering.

Right, just yesterday, when he showed her the scroll and requested her cooperation.

Margaret’s tears that burst forth. Her words seemed to complain that it was too cruel to do this to him…

Looking back, that was the first time Jeongjae had witnessed Margaret’s ‘feminine weakness.’ On the other hand, seeing her cry, despite the numerous events of slaughtering that she had witnessed thus far, was something that could only be seen from a woman who held some level of affection.

“Speaking of which, those pieces of advice and encouragement…”

Margaret had consistently shown her disdain for wizards through many comments and guidance. In truth, that could have been, in her own way, a sign of more than ordinary interest? Could Walter have been sharp enough to notice that delicate atmosphere?

Just a little, Jeongjae began to consider that perhaps Margaret might really have some feelings for him. However, even so, his doubts were certainly not fully dispelled.