I Will Carry as an Academy Veteran

51

Milije thought.

Lately, isn’t she a bit excessive in her actions?

Rumors have it that Senior Adrian often goes on dungeon explorations with Senior Snow White, or wanders around town frequently with his fiancé, Senior Wolfgang.

Not only that, recently she became an aide to Princess Rejelilias and built a friendship with Senior Relvrian, the sole descendant of the ‘Elves.’

Yes.

In all these aspects, Milije felt.

‘All of them are women!’

Of course, Senior Snow White isn’t a woman, but she has a strangely feminine side, and well, aside from that, isn’t the gender ratio leaning too heavily towards one side, compared to the average person like herself?

Moreover, each one of them overflows with charm unlike ordinary Milije, so Milije’s worries were not just about this and that.

I couldn’t achieve remarkable grades at the Physical Education Department… and I haven’t done anything properly either.”

At this rate…

“I can’t stand by the senior…!”

Millige Hale is an innocent girl.

She still doesn’t realize the emotions she felt when facing the huge Lycanslope alone with the senior.

She just wants to stand by the person she admires. She wants to follow in their footsteps.

She can only recognize such pure and unmatched emotions.

[A truly foolish sister.]

“Nero?”

[Why can’t you realize it? Ugh… I, who isn’t even human, understand ’emotions’ better than you.]

The name of the slime cat washing its face in the corner is Nero.

Former dark spirit, manipulated by Melwood senior to attack as Adrian senior put it.

But now, Nero is a spirit contracted to Millige herself, unable to do any harm except following Millige’s orders.

Millige herself doesn’t know the conditions of the contract well. The moment “Nero” faced Millige, due to a contract that prevented “Nero” from causing harm to Millige, or rather, “forbade” itself, it happened.

Therefore, “Nero” cannot refuse Millige’s orders.

“I, Nero, am truly fortunate to have you.”

[…Why?]

“Because I have someone to talk to. Even though it’s a dorm for two, being alone is lonely. hehehehe…”

[Geez, you’re really foolish.]

After sighing, the jet-black slime cat turned its head and looked up at its owner.

“Sister, how about making a friend?”

“Friend?”

[Yes, a friend. Someone you can laugh and spend time with.]

A friend.

“I am Adrian’s senior…”

“That damn Repelheight sees you as just a good junior 1! Are you going to bet your life on that damn Repelheight? Where does your life stand in all this?”

Millige widened her eyes.

“Nero, are you worried about me?”

“Hmph, if you’re so gloomy, you won’t even get proper snacks.”

“I know.”

Millige forced a bitter smile.

“But being so ordinary like this? How can I make friends? My roommate left because she was afraid another incident might occur.”

[Geez, this burns me up…]

The cat shook its head and buried its face in its paws.

“Sister, do you know you might not be able to keep up like this?”

“What?”

“Right now, you’re too ‘ordinary.’ If you continue like this, you’ll fall behind. That damn Repelheight is far ahead, will you just struggle to catch up alone?”

“…You’re right.”

Come to think of it, it’s true.

She is too unremarkable. Too ordinary.

It seems like my grades have improved after the midterms, but I am far from being able to keep up with seniors like Adrian or Reyna.

[Why don’t you try going out and exploring? If you’re lucky, you might find a solution, right?]

“Yeah… You’re right, Nero.”

Sitting here and complaining won’t be of any help.

If I want to get stronger for the sake of my seniors, I need to go out and do something.

Whether it’s exploring a dungeon alone or cautiously venturing out to a nearby field.

Surprisingly, the solution might be closer than I think.

“Okay. I’ve decided. Let’s go to the western forest.”

After changing into her school uniform, the girl carried the slime cat on her shoulder and confidently left the dormitory.

That’s right.

Millize, who had arrived in front of the exit leading to the western forest, swallowed her breath.

She had been to this place once with her seniors, but she had only followed behind them and never set foot here herself.

She didn’t remember much. She just walked, staring at their backs.

But Millize remembered what Adrian had said.

“At first, only squirrels and rabbits come out, but if you go deeper, slimes and goblins will appear.”

She was prepared. She wanted to know how strong she was right now. She wanted to know what she lacked.

That’s why she came out.

Step by step. They entered the wide forest that stretched out beyond the entrance.

And at that moment.

“Sis, what’s… that?”

“Yeah… what is that?”

They saw something incredibly strange.

“It’s a person, right?”

“Yeah, um, it’s a person?”

Someone was lying face down on the ground.

* * *

Come to think of it.

To me, Selenium Saga is no longer just a game, but a definite ‘reality’.

The NPCs who used to assign quests in the game are now just students.

And the playable characters, including the heroine, are living students.

They are not programs that move according to predetermined code, but real people who feel pain when hurt, laugh, cry, and have their own emotions.

So, I promised myself not to be surprised anymore.

They are all people, just like me, living beings. The butterfly effect, or the inevitable changes from the original story I knew, is already being proven by my existence.

Ebonyss was twisted from the heroine, and Reyna had transformed into something huge, far beyond the original stance of ‘melancholic, mature senior, sad woman who can’t forget her ex-fiancé.’

Because of that.

She was confident she wouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“……?”

“U-um, Senior, I know it’s a terribly rude request… but, could it be…?”

That oath was broken in less than three minutes.

Of course.

“I, I went to the western forest for an exploration, and found this child collapsed on the ground…”

The junior brought the collapsed person to my room.

Glancing back, Nero was standing on two feet, using his transformed body to support ‘that guy’ with two other feet.

What kind of form is that, not sticking to the cat concept?

So.

You brought it to me?

Why did you bring it here?

“Shouldn’t you go to the infirmary?”

“U-um, I thought the person had collapsed, so without realizing it…”

I see.

Milije is still a first-year student. Young.

Maybe because she relies on her senior, she thought that by bringing it here, this matter could be resolved.

“For now, let’s take care of it, but if the same thing happens again, take them to the infirmary first.”

“Yes, yes!”

Nero, who was roughly holding ‘that guy,’ threw him onto my bed, and as if waiting, the guy opened his eyes and sat up slowly.

“……Gasp!”

He squinted his eyes, looked around, then slowly turned to me with a surprised expression.

“Adrian Senior… Why are you here?”

“That’s right. Soufflé.”

“I was definitely… in the western forest.”

“You fainted and collapsed. That’s why this guy brought you here.”

As I took a step back, Milije, who had been hiding behind, fidgeted and then bowed her head.

“Ah, hello.”

“Uh, hi…”

Followed by silence.

What’s with this atmosphere?

Truly an awkward greeting.

“This is also an opportunity to introduce ourselves.”

“U-um, I’m Soufflé, a first-year student in the Department of Magic…”

“Soufflé! Are you the top student in the Department of Magic?!”

“You… know me?”

Milije nodded eagerly, and Soufflé asked with the same sleepy expression.

“I see, then who are you?”

“I’m Millige Halo. I’m in the same Magic Department, first year…”

“Millige, Millige!”

This time, Supple’s eyes sparkled.

“Millige, Halo, I was looking for you!”

“Me, me?! You were looking for someone like me?!”

Hm.

Watching from the side, this is quite an interesting situation.

One is a student who couldn’t overcome trauma and dropped out in Act 1.

The other, holding onto trauma, firmly keeps the top spot until graduation as the valedictorian.

In the original work, they wouldn’t have met, let alone exchange such formal introductions.

Moreover, Supple told Millige to befriend her because of me.

Is all this happening because of me?

Then it happened.

[Sis.]

Upon hearing the cat-like figure standing beside her with a hand on her waist, Millige nodded.

“Yeah, senior, …does networking count as a skill?”

“Networking… it naturally does.”

“Alright. From today, I’ll become stronger! If I’m the valedictorian, I can learn more. It might even be helpful to seniors.”

In the determined eyes of the junior making this resolution, there was an indiscernible passion. …What is it exactly?

“Yeah, Millige, I also find you intriguing.”

“Me too! So, Supple, would you like to be friends? Helping each other where we lack, if you don’t mind…”

“Sure. Friends. I’ll have things to ask of you, and you’ll have things to ask of me, so… being friends would be nice.”

“Yes, yes! Then, from today, we’re friends!”

Saying so, the two nodded.

Wait.

Is this how friends are usually made?

Isn’t it about cultivating pure friendship while understanding and needing each other, rather than an exchange of favors?

Let my romanticism go.

Well, regardless of the process, these two becoming friends in the long run is beneficial for me as well.

Millige is in my faction, and if Supple becomes friends with Millige, it’ll be easier to receive help in the future.

Furthermore, Millige will grow stronger with Supple, and Supple will gradually overcome her trauma with Millige’s support.

Good, it’s all good.

Thinking so, I turned my head.

“Hmph, the term ‘friend’ means an ally who doesn’t betray. Only when each other’s lacking understandings align can they truly become friends. hehehehe.”

You.

Don’t stand on two feet with arms crossed, laughing so wickedly just because your body is that of a cat.

Where did the concept go?

“Supple, I forgot to ask earlier, but why were you collapsed in the western forest?”

“…I collapsed from exhaustion momentarily on my way back from a walk.”

No.

I have translated the novel excerpt into English while preserving the original atmosphere and tone. Please find the translated text below:

#### Roughly as I expected, was that the reason?