Chapter 94 |
About the Truth
"Class E top ranker."
"Dad..."
A morning-drama scene had suddenly begun.
And it was already hurtling toward the climax, seconds away from turning into a total mess.
Lua stood there with teary, trembling eyes, and Rin stubbornly clung to my sleeve.
Both pairs of eyes kept poking at my cheeks.
The whole setup weirdly reminded me of some mass-produced Chinese game.
'Trust your daughter vs trust your mistress.'
Around us, the Class E students watched with sparkling eyes.
A few of them were even eating popcorn.
"..."
I memorized every face holding popcorn.
You bastards are dead in training.
I forced down the sigh that was about to escape.
Then I broke the silence and stepped in to clean this up.
"Lua-yang."
I reached out gently.
The one I approached first was the little black-haired girl.
I quietly dropped to one knee in front of Lua.
Sliiide.
Our eye levels matched.
Her eyes, like a mixed-up night sky, were wet and trembling.
She looked like she might burst into tears at any second, so I carefully stroked her cheek.
"Sniff, Dad..."
Her voice was damp and unsteady.
My fingers moved softly, wiping the moisture from the corners of her eyes.
"Lua, don't throw me away..."
Anxiety trembled in her pupils.
Come to think of it, I'd heard ego weapons form extremely strong attachments to their owners.
And Lua had only just developed a sense of self, so she probably needed her owner's presence desperately.
'She's really anxious.'
Like separation anxiety, maybe.
Seeing her react like this over and over made my chest ache for no reason.
I patted her head a few times, then spoke to reassure her.
"Lua-yang."
"Uuuh..."
"Why would I ever throw you away, Lua-yang? Do you know how important you are to me?"
"I-important...? Really? Sniff, am I really someone you need, Dad?"
"Of course. I can't live without Lua-yang."
Naturally.
Without you, my combat power drops by 35 percent.
I pulled Lua into my arms and lightly lifted her up.
The girl who had been sniffling widened her eyes.
"H-huh...?"
"Such a good girl, our Lua-yang."
It was a trick I used a lot in my previous life when I took care of my younger siblings.
If I held them close and fussed over them, the crying always stopped before long.
Lua clung tightly to my chest.
I gave her a little tickle, and she burst out laughing.
"Kyaaah! Dad, that tickles! Hehe...!"
Thankfully, she calmed down quickly.
Lua stuck to me and rubbed her cheek against mine.
Moments like this made me realize how unfairly cute she was.
She clung to me nonstop, but I never found it annoying.
"Ahem."
Lua dangled from one of my arms.
With my daughter (not) in my arms, I looked toward the mistress (not) this time.
"..."
The girl stared at me in silence.
Between strands of fallen blue hair, eyes like ice crystals glinted.
Even while I soothed Lua, Rin still hadn't let go of my sleeve.
"Um... Lady Glacia?"
I was pretty sure she'd said something strange too.
With an awkward expression, I asked.
"Could you repeat that proposal from earlier?"
"I said I want you to come to Class A."
"You mean... me?"
"Yeah."
A short answer.
She said it so easily that I was left speechless.
I scratched my head without thinking.
'This is awkward.'
Was this a scouting offer?
As I tilted my head, Rin added a few more words.
"I want to be in the same class as you."
"Hm...?"
"I told you. I liked you."
Simple words.
But what they said was anything but simple.
At a glance, it could even sound like a confession.
The students watching all widened their eyes at once.
No one expected a sentence like that to come out of those expressionless lips.
'What is this.'
I had no clue either.
What was wrong with her.
What did she eat to start acting like this?
"...First of all, isn't it still a long way off before class transfers are possible?"
"It's fine. If your grades are far beyond your current class, you can qualify for a discretionary transfer. I took first in the year on this midterm, so that's not a problem. Honestly, it's strange that you're still in Class E with those grades."
"Hm."
So she had even looked up the rules in advance.
For some reason, she looked very serious about recruiting me.
The academy's top ranker (a loser from the previous era) wanted me this badly, so as a man, it was hard not to feel tempted.
I answered without hesitation.
"I don't want to."
Why would I go there?
(Seriously, no idea.)
Maybe because my answer was so firm.
Rin froze, stunned.
Her usual lifeless expression turned blank in a different way.
You could practically see question marks floating over her head.
"...Huh?"
"I decline. I'm satisfied being Class E top ranker."
I still had quests to clear.
I can't ditch these kids and move up.
Ding-!
[Sub Quest]
-Objective: Develop all Class E students to B-rank or above.
-Quest deadline: Before graduation
-Failure penalty: None
-Reward: Character-exclusive item 'Scales of the Black Arbiter (S-)'
[Progress: 31%]
And I should throw away this progress?
This quest only triggers for Class E students in the first place.
And is Class A really so special that I should abandon an S-grade item just to join it?
Lately I'd even pushed their loyalty to MAX, and they played well with Lua too. Tossing kids like these aside would be a serious loss.
'Besides, when she said she liked me, it probably wasn't in that kind of special sense...'
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Rin.
She gave off the feeling of something carved from ice.
There was no way this emotionless doll had spoken for that kind of reason.
'If she said she liked me, she literally just liked me.'
It was closer to interest.
Not Like or Love, but interest.
After losing to me in practical combat, she probably just became interested in me.
I shrugged.
"It's not a proposal I'm interested in."
So yes, my answer was still no.
After hearing it, Rin stood there in a daze.
Looks like she never expected to be rejected.
Well, what kind of lunatic says no when offered a spot at the top of the caste system?
"Why? You don't want to be in Class A?"
"Not particularly. I'm more comfortable here."
"Comfortable?"
"Yes."
"Is that really important enough to stay in Class E?"
"Then let me ask the reverse. Is Class A valuable enough to give up all this comfort and still go?"
"Normally, probably."
"Not for me."
"..."
I said it flatly, and Rin lost her words again.
Her eyes sank in a strange way.
Her pale red lips murmured.
"...But."
"Hm?"
"I really wanted it. Same class."
Her usual emotionless voice dragged slightly.
I couldn't read her expression clearly, but disappointment hung around her.
She had come confidently, but once rejected, she looked like she didn't know what to do.
'What is this.'
Did she really want to recruit me that much?
She was basically the poster child for no emotion, and she was reacting like this...
'Still, no means no.'
Why would I go under Class A in the first place?
Unless she came down to mine.
I tossed a joke at Rin, who was still standing there stiffly.
"Then... how about Lady Glacia comes to Class E instead?"
"Really? Can I do that?"
"Wha-"
Rin stepped right up to me and asked again.
Unlike before, her blue eyes were suddenly sparkling.
"Can I join Class E too?"
Her gloomy look softened for a moment.
She looked strangely full of anticipation.
That sudden reaction left me flustered.
"Excuse me? No, I..."
"It'll be hard right away, but yeah, I'll find a way."
"L-Lady? I only said that as a joke..."
"I'll come find you after the school trip."
Whoosh.
Without even listening to me, Rin turned and walked away.
With her swaying blue hair, she left the classroom.
Only a faint winter scent remained on my sleeve.
"..."
This time, I was the one left frozen.
A girl who struck like lightning, then vanished like a storm.
'What was that, seriously.'
I didn't expect that kind of reaction to a throwaway joke.
She wasn't originally this kind of character.
What kind of wind blew through her to make her act like that?
As I stood there lost in thought, the Class E kids who had watched everything rushed over in a swarm.
"Hyung-nim!"
"Are you all right?!"
They surrounded me.
For some reason, a few of them were even tearing up.
"Ugh, Hyung-nim! I can't believe you'd stay in Class E...!"
"We were worried you might transfer to Class A!"
"To think you gave up Class A for us..."
"Hyung-nim! We'll work even harder from now on!"
"We'll make sure you never regret today's decision!"
They seemed deeply moved that I had stayed in Class E instead of abandoning them.
The Shuttles wiped away tears while cheering.
Everyone was clapping.
But even then, my thoughts stayed fixed on Rin.
'...Fuck.'
She's not actually coming, right?
It was a joke.
Please tell me you were joking too.
***
A few days later.
After that eventful midterm, school trip day had finally come.
From early morning, the first-year cadets had gathered at the tram stop.
Every one of them carried a large travel bag.
They were ready to set off.
When I turned my head slightly, the teammates I'd be with on this school trip were there too.
"So it's finally school trip day! Personally, it's my first time seeing the sea, so I'm excited!"
"M-me too... it's my first time, b-but Viktor-nim, h-have you gone before?"
"Hold on...! Why am I in this group? You guys can hang out without me, can't you!?"
Ranne, Alice, and Caitlin.
The three of them stood in a neat line.
We waited for the tram to arrive.
'Tram.'
A train that ran both inside and outside the academy city.
Fitting this world, it was transportation powered by magic, not science.
From here, we'd take the tram to the port, then board a cruise ship to our destination.
As everyone waited with excited eyes, the homeroom professor arrived last.
"Attention."
Javert stood before the students.
Even for the school trip, she insisted on her usual uniform.
She checked the final headcount and took command.
"Everyone, board your assigned cars. We depart immediately."
The students each moved to their seats.
Hissss-!
Not long after, the long train announced its departure with a loud rumble.
The tram's wheels passed through the academy's main gate and cut across the landscape.
Bright eyes stared out the windows.
'Of course they're excited.'
This hellish elite academy.
In that packed schedule, this was one of the very few real breaks.
I wore a relaxed smile too, savoring the anticipation building inside me.
'Of course.'
I had a slightly different objective hidden underneath it.
A blue screen rose before my eyes.
Ding-!
[Main Quest]
-Title: Calamity from the Deep Sea
-Objective: Infiltrate the Cultist Branch hidden in the deep sea.
-Failure Penalty: The end of the coastal city 'Geltin'
-Success Reward: ???
[Time Limit: Before the school trip ends]
Ding-!
[■□ Quest]
-Title: About the Truth
-Objective: Visit an ancient archive. Among millions of books, find one related to ■■■.
-Failure Penalty: None
-Success Reward: ■■■
[Time Limit: Before the school trip ends]
Two main quests were stacked at once.
And one of them was tied to ■■■, what I'd been chasing all this time.
'Let's go.'
I leaned back against the seat and thought.
This time, I'd finally learn the name beyond that status window.
===
This is Rin Glacia.
