NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
Success or failure aside, the attention was inevitably focused on me, but as I stood there, regret washed over me, making me wish I had just calmly turned back and given up.
Just moments ago, the students who had been either lounging around or busy gossiping about the instructor were now all staring at me. They each held different feelings, but one sentiment was shared.
Doubt. They all looked aghast, wondering how someone who didn’t know magic or mana breathing techniques could do something like this.
Especially Georg, whose expression had shifted from shock to sheer pallor. With the pressure of the Golden Sun alone, I was already uneasy; now everyone was looking at me as if to say, “What’s up with this kid?” It felt like the cream puff and steak I’d eaten earlier were about to make a comeback.
Let’s be honest, if I puked on my very first day at school, wouldn’t that basically ruin my social life? I could already taste the saltiness from my saliva building up.
This is dangerous. It’s definitely coming up.
…All of this is Georg’s fault for testing me like this. He poked at the pride of a social outcast who didn’t need to be bothered.
Telling me to just give up. Saying something like that with such a face would make even Buddha angry.
Yet, it felt like it was my fault for escalating the situation out of irritation. But it felt somewhat gratifying to topple his air of arrogance, even if that brief pleasure dissipated the moment I thought it resembled the fantasies of a loser I’d seen online.
Even social outcasts might squirm if stepped on.
My mind was clouded by a petty little victory while my body was diligently preparing to send up what I had consumed. The salty taste was fully present now.
I glanced desperately between Georg and the cube, waiting for his response.
Honestly, wouldn’t he admit I proved myself with this much? I worried someone might argue I hadn’t even dropped it on the floor and call me a liar if I claimed I had.
It just looked like that. Even to me, someone with no sense of people’s judgments, that look was filled with pure malice and a frown that screamed skepticism. Being an elf made it even more believable.
The series I was reading had only given vague info about how the protagonist enters the academy and starts building a harem, but even in that limited context, you could see the elf’s racist tendencies shine through.
“I’ve proven myself now, so I shall take my leave.”
I knew it was rude, and he might not allow it, but I had to say it anyway. There was no time to hesitate. My focus was drifting, and it felt exhausting just to stand there. Just resisting the urge to vomit was clouding my mind.
And those gazes—those eyes were piercing right through me.
“…You… that power is… no, it’s too early to jump to conclusions. Alright. You may leave.”
Georg swiftly gave me the okay to go out. For a moment, he seemed as if he wanted to say something to stop me, but I quickly brushed that unworthy thought from my mind.
Right now, I was too busy feeling boundless respect and gratitude towards Georg.
Maybe I was the one who had too many preconceived notions.
Now that I took off my ‘old man elf’ tinted glasses, I liked him more. He never discriminated against me or the other students, and the frown that had seemed menacing now looked more like the signs of someone with vast experience.
He looked angry, but… well, people can look like that. It wasn’t like he was ugly; perhaps that was acceptable.
While a flicker of affection sprouted within me, the bile was still threatening to come up. After offering a respectful bow to the instructor, I hastily turned away from the gaze and exited the gymnasium.
The air was still horrid, and even the warm spring sunlight felt unbearably uncomfortable, but just the fact that those gazes had vanished helped settle my stomach.
With the salty taste still tingling on my tongue, it felt like any moment of running would send it right back up, but as long as I didn’t push it, I should be fine.
Running out of the gymnasium like I was escaping, a sudden thought struck me.
I had nothing to do.
In my previous life, I would have followed around my elder brother who was the captain of the guards, sparring and teasing him, so boredom was out of the question. But there was nothing like that here for me to enjoy.
Chasing after the protagonist’s coattails? Or maybe reading a book from this world? Chatting with the god, the landowner? That could be fun, but somehow it didn’t feel right.
It felt like I was rousing a dying person to have a chat. Compared to my hometown gods, they seemed to barely cling to life, like someone relying on life support to get by.
Perhaps if I tried conversing a few more times, they’d kick the bucket. I was too scared to approach.
So, should I head to the library? It’s a prestigious academy, so there must be plenty of books. As I stepped forward brimming with hope, another realization hit me.
Where is the library?
Considering I couldn’t even find my way around the gym, how could I possibly find the library alone? Thinking it through, it was nonsensical. I had only found the gym by stumbling into my homeroom teacher, and now it was in the middle of class; I doubted anyone would be wandering around.
There might be one person continuously wandering, though.
Han Dogon. He hadn’t shown up at all until I came out. I thought he’d be off munching on bread in the lounge and then heading to the gym; maybe he had also gotten lost like me. Would Georg forgive him too? Despite his rugged appearance, he was a kind person.
Looking at the clock tower, physical education class was almost over. Only four out of six periods of it had been completed. There were still over two hours before all classes finished.
…In typical academy stories, students would dash out during class and get embroiled in all sorts of events. But for me, not being the protagonist, such dynamic events simply didn’t happen.
I didn’t really expect it, so it didn’t bother me. Honestly. I didn’t want to deal with any dangerous conflicts like fighting evil or uncovering dark conspiracies anyway.
With plenty of time on my hands, I thought I’d memorize the layout of the academy while walking wherever my feet took me when I spotted someone slowly walking toward the gym from a distance.
As I squinted to see who it was, it turned out to be Han Dogon.
What was he doing, and where had he been all this time?
—
Perhaps I had underestimated this world too much. Since it was based on a novel, I had arrogantly assumed that, while there might be slight differences, the major flow would follow the story.
Iris Stargazer. If the original story held true, she should be lost in a vast academy right now, desperately wandering around trying to find the second gym near the dormitories. However, when I went to the place she would be lost, I found no sign of her.
Fearing I might have missed her, I briefly recounted the original content.
Having lost her way near the dorm, she ultimately arrived late to gym class. Her PE teacher merely chided her lightly for being late, but this resulted in her becoming an outcast from the group she had been fitting in with.
As a character drenched in misfortune, she was constantly bullied in various ways.
In one instance, a sudden gust of wind had her flashing her underwear at the protagonist, and at another, a monkey had appeared out of nowhere to snatch her backpack. Or she was manipulated in various ways by Stephanie, who held the purse strings of her family.
So, after persistently showcasing her misfortunes, she ultimately became part of the protagonist’s harem, which rendered her almost invisible in importance in both plot and presence.
Being a secondary character, events connected to her were few, especially when compared to the rivalry between Anastasia and other heroines over the position of fiancée.
But she was still a heroine. Since I had to win her over eventually, I was fraught with anxiety.
“…Not here.”
In conclusion, she was nowhere to be found. Wondering if she was in another location, I enhanced my physique and began scouring the academy, but the distinctive violet hair was nowhere in sight.
It wasn’t easy. How many events had been shattered in just a day?
But I couldn’t give up. If I allowed myself to be discouraged over just this, I would have done nothing but cross over to the east alone and missed all the adventures.
The reason I didn’t do that was simple. I wanted to laugh with these heroines.
I couldn’t find Iris right away, but since she symbolized misfortune, I figured that by wandering around the academy regularly, I might just spot her getting bullied easily. Thinking positively, I contemplated where to hide the fruit.
Several places flashed through my mind, but the safest spot was, as expected, inside a locker.
True to aristocrats whose money seemed to rot away, all manner of magical protections had been placed on everything. The lockers were equipped with biometric locks and magical security systems. They were perfect for storing something.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling of why we hadn’t figured out the schemes of demon-worshippers, especially with so many magical enhancements.
Even if that was necessary for the story to progress, the lack of detail felt too flimsy.
But I would figure it out later. For now, I had to prepare what I could.
I hadn’t met Iris yet and had hidden the World Tree’s fruit well, so my next task was clear. I needed to prove my abilities to Georg.
He made it seem easy enough, claiming I’d be recognized if I could use attack magic or even lift his special kettlebell somehow, but there was one catch.
The kettlebell was packed with all sorts of magic. It was saturated with sadistic malice like gravity enhancement and spatial compression.
I would unravel the secrets of that kettlebell and learn magic from him. That was the next plan. Despite his bad personality, arrogance, and being a know-it-all, he was a wizard of the hero’s party, and I could learn plenty from him.
Ignoring his suggestion to show some attack magic to leave, I aimed to unveil the magic imbued in his kettlebell, and I hoped he’d acknowledge me.
I was really curious what it actually looked like. While thinking that, I headed to the first gym and found White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter trudging out of it.
…How?