I got into school for nothing - Chapter 130
I got into school for nothing (130)
Lesson 26. Pushing Away When Getting Close - 5
Dealing with Constellations is an extremely tiring affair.
For joint successes, the merit (功) goes to the Constellation.
And for joint failures, the fault (過) falls upon the contractor.
That's why Cantone loathed his Constellation.
—My foolish contractor.
“Lord Yergel, why do you blame me?”
Cantone retorted with a somewhat sharp voice to the Constellation, who was clearly blaming him with distinct intent.
—You are foolish for failing to recognize the qualities of a rival.
“A rival? If you're referring to that lowlife...”
—Lowlife?
The Constellation’s voice also sharpened.
—I warned you. Not to use such words in my presence.
“But, Great Yergel, he is a student from a lower-rank dimension where mana isn't even properly dispersed.”
—And that student is now shaking the Academy. Though I despise the Tower, I must admit that its choice was not mistaken this time.
“No, it was mistaken.”
Cantone immediately retorted.
“It seems that the sandcastle he built with his crude hands is still barely holding on, but it is bound to collapse when a strong wind blows. It has always been so.”
—So, you intend to become the typhoon yourself?
“Great Yergel.”
—I will not help you.
The Constellation spoke decisively.
—This is not for a grand cause (大義) but merely for your personal desires. As your contractor, I lent you a hand once, but there will not be a second time. Furthermore, I will not permit you to use my power against him in the future.
“Yes, Lord Yergel!”
—That is your karma; bear it yourself. And I warn you, contractor. A debt you must repay to ‘us’ has accumulated. If you look away, you will suffocate, unable to bear the burden of your debt.
“......I will bear it in mind.”
The Constellation's presence soon vanished.
Even after that, for a moment—waiting until he had reclaimed his own space entirely—.
*Grind*, Cantone gritted his teeth.
“Don't think I'll be groveling forever. ......It's me, not you lot, who will obtain the Tower.”
However, Cantone knew well that now was not the time to unleash his rage.
He had to keep this anger intact, but for now, he needed to close the lid tightly and conceal it within.
To take a bolder approach just because the direct method of meddling with the Tower was blocked was clearly a bad move.
Even the Constellation had declared he would withdraw his aid. It was clearly a disadvantageous time for him.
Success would lead to problems, and failure would be the worst outcome.
That lowlife was infuriatingly annoying, but for now, he had no choice but to leave him be.
‘But......’
He still had cards he could play.
Cantone recalled the face of Lyu Cheolmyeong, who had approached him with dirty deals, his eyes filled with lust, and forced a smile onto his own face.
There were many ways to manipulate that brutish man.
He'd heard that the man had been walking a rather dangerous tightrope for quite some time.
A man who had somehow managed to remain a full professor at the Academy, capable of wielding only a greatsword and Or.
If he succeeded, Cantone could eliminate the nuisances without lifting a finger, which was good.
And if he failed, only one full professor, obsessed with power and women and unfit for the Academy, would disappear.
‘It bothers me that I have to leave him alone until the vacation arrives...... but it can’t be helped. Let’s look forward to the second semester. Mutual destruction wouldn’t be bad either.’
There were plenty of stand-ins to spare, anyway.
Whether professors, students, or Constellations—.
Only two things remained unchanged: the Tower and the Chancellor.
Cantone's goal was to change those two seemingly immutable entities.
It wouldn't be long.
It wouldn't, be long.
* * *
Having rested sufficiently in Room 39, Team Rebellion merely collected the rewards from Room 40 and immediately bypassed it, continuing their rapid advance to Room 50 over the next two days.
Their unobstructed progress simply meant that no Chain Rooms or Trick Rooms appeared, yet the traps that would have terrified an ordinary first-year student and the overflowing number of monsters remained constant.
Nevertheless, Team Rebellion, possessing combat power that surpassed not just the average first-year but the entire Academy's student body, pushed forward without any hindrance.
Ban Yuwon, who had achieved the Archmage feat in Room 39, consciously focused on swordsmanship from Room 41 onwards, though naturally, there were no achievements to be made. He merely practiced activating Thought Acceleration with the concept of Acceleration and laid some basic foundations for martial arts utilizing the Stormrain Sword.
No treasure chests appeared in Room 50, but the Fruits of Eden ripened abundantly. Ban Yuwon succeeded in creating enough Elixir Jam, including the amount from Room 40, to last for at least a year, and at an even more advanced level due to his growth.
“If Lilyth had been here, we would have reached Room 60.”
“If four of us could ride it, that is.”
“I believe it. That Lilyth, after absorbing the Myriad Changes, will transform into a combat tank.”
“Don't bother pulling out the egg from your inventory while saying that. It won't listen to your words anyway.”
On Sunday evening, Team Rebellion, having completed their exploration, disbanded without their usual self-reflection meeting, a rare occurrence.
Since they had even taken refreshing showers in Room 50 before coming out, there was no particular need to visit the dorm.
The female members departed for their rooms first — more precisely, Dokgo Yeon dragged Rucell away as she tried to cling to Ban Yuwon — leaving the two men to face each other.
“Go to your room, Light. I’ll probably eat dinner before coming in.”
Light’s expression furrowed slightly.
“Ban, aren’t you coming to our room? Don’t tell me you have another appointment with Professor Yumina?”
Light believed that Yumina was making a move on Ban Yuwon, and he harbored a strong dislike for it.
“It’s not that, so don’t worry.”
“Then? We just came out of the Tower......”
Ban Yuwon grinned and explained to Light, who was looking at him with questioning eyes.
“I told you the day before yesterday, I’m going to make the armor into a familiar. I’m going to Mira. There’s something I need help with.”
“Oh......”
However, despite his explanation, Light’s expression only furrowed further.
Only then did Ban Yuwon recall that Light harbored a sense of rivalry and inferiority towards Mira.
“Right, that woman. For artifact creation, she would certainly be helpful......”
“......Light?”
“B-Ban. You know me.”
Just as Ban Yuwon, surprised by how visibly dark Light’s face was becoming, was about to say something, Light suddenly spoke with a look of great determination.
“Actually, lately, I’ve become quite close with Aire.”
“Mm-hm.”
“......And?”
“What do you mean, ‘and’?”
What was this conversation about?
Was this a "my amazing friend" contest?
As he tilted his head, Light said with an impatient expression.
“Uh, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“That I’m close with Aire?”
“And?”
As Ban Yuwon merely blinked, Light, as if frustrated, thumped his own chest and added.
“We even went out together!”
“I know. You two skipped training and went off to have fun.”
“You knew?”
“Of course. And Light.”
Finally understanding what Light was trying to say, Ban Yuwon nodded vigorously and placed a hand on his shoulder.
At that moment, Light’s expression brightened considerably.
“Ban......!”
“A person’s value isn’t determined by the people they associate with. Being close to Mira doesn’t make me any more special, you know.”
“......Huh?”
Light clearly wore an expression that said, ‘This isn’t right,’ but Ban Yuwon ignored it and continued.
“And it’s the same for you, Light. Even if you don’t hang out with Aire, you’re still a special person. So there’s no need to worry.”
“Uh, uh-huh......”
Light slowly nodded, his face showing that while it wasn’t what he expected, he wasn’t upset.
With an expression of incomplete combustion, he backed away, saying:
“Be back before the date changes.”
he urged Ban Yuwon.
“Of course.”
“Right, and...... actually, I’m not really that close with Aire. It’s just, there was something I needed help with. So don’t worry about it. Uh, it’s a bit embarrassing, but. Well.”
Ban Yuwon calmly prepared himself for the incoming shock.
Hesitantly, Light finally squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“I think my best friend is you. Anyway, that’s how it is, o-okay?!”
What the hell was "that's how it is" supposed to mean?!
But without giving him a chance to question it, Light vanished from the spot.
Left alone, Ban Yuwon let out a dramatic sigh and slumped his shoulders.
Actually, he had a slight inkling of what "that's how it is" might imply.
‘Possessiveness......’
Possessiveness wasn't something that only occurred in romantic relationships.
Many people disliked or worried when close friends became close with others, so it could easily be understood as a form of friendship.
Ever since confiding about his kingdom and the Holy Sword, Light seemed unusually fixated on concepts like friendship and camaraderie.
‘The only problem is, Light isn’t actually a man.’
Yet, if he were to definitively call it love, then he'd have to embark on a deep contemplation of whether friendship could even exist between a man and a woman.
Wasn't this a problem that became more cringe-worthy the deeper he thought about it?!
As Ban Yuwon vigorously scratched the goosebumps on his arm, the merciless Cellon interjected.
—It’s certain that the feelings he has for you aren’t ordinary friendship. It’s something more annoying, clingy, and pathological.
Just because Light couldn't hear, she was really saying such harsh things.
While inwardly agreeing with her words, Ban Yuwon made an excuse for his friend.
“That might not be true. Maybe Light just... has lived hiding himself for so long that... he can only express his feelings like that.”
It was the most polite way of saying, "It's obvious he didn't have any friends."
—That’s an even bigger problem.
That’s true, he thought.
“If Light becomes closer with Aire, it seems like this problem might resolve itself to some extent...... Should I think about it later?”
—You know that’s called reality evasion, right?
“I don’t know, I’m going to make armor.”
Just then, a reply came from Mira, saying she would be waiting in the Artifact Production Department's workshop.
Ban Yuwon immediately activated his student ID and headed to the workshop.
* * *
“Yawn...... Hello, Yuwon.”
Mira greeted Ban Yuwon, wearing a thin cardigan over a silk slip dress.
Along with a somewhat languid yawn.
It was a bit funny that she was fully equipped with a crowbar in that attire.
“Yuwon, I’m sorry but I can’t stay up all night today. I’ll just make one thing and finish, alright?”
“No, let’s stop for today.”
He could immediately tell that the slip dress she was wearing wasn't for fashion but genuinely sleepwear.
It was obvious she had been about to go to sleep and had rushed out, only throwing on a cardigan, as soon as she received Ban Yuwon's call.
Realizing this, Ban Yuwon was quick to apologize.
“I’m sorry for calling you for nothing. I knew you were diligently climbing the Tower. It’s my mistake. Let’s rest today and do it tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about strange things.”
But Mira, in response to his words, pouted her lips and retorted.
“Just because I said I’d give you everything doesn’t mean I’ll truly follow your every word. If it affects my body, it would be a long-term loss for you too, so I can definitely refuse such requests.”
“Even so, you’re sleepy now.”
“Yeah, pleasantly sleepy.”
Saying so, Mira smiled languidly and added.
“I thought it would be nice to see your face before going to sleep, and then your call came just at the right time.”
“You’ve seen it, so let’s go to sleep now, sleep.”
“Since you’ve shown your face, I should do something too. It’s not bad to move your body a bit before sleeping.”
So, Mira gestured with the crowbar in her hand, urging him to quickly produce the work item.
“Even so...... didn’t you purposely not change your clothes to appeal to me that you’re sleepy?”
“I didn’t have time to change.”
“Really?”
“Actually, that was a lie.”
Mira replied honestly.
“I came like this because I wanted to show you myself in thin clothing.”
“Right, it truly seems fine. Let’s work.”
“......”
He had given Mira the answer she wanted, yet she seemed dissatisfied.
“You said you’d accept everything, so why do you keep pushing me away?”
“Let’s discuss later when our contract became so ‘sweet and loving’, for now, let’s work.”
“......Alright, I’ll work so hard that you’ll naturally want to give me a ‘sweet and loving’ reward.”
Mira, regaining her motivation, soon saw the armor placed before her and her eyes widened.
“I heard this was obtained from Room 40.”
“That’s right.”
“But why is it so...... Hmm, I’ll check the video later.”
Mira, recalling that Ban Yuwon’s party’s explorations were anything but ordinary, understood on her own and nodded with a wry smile.
However, she couldn’t remain calm even after seeing the changes Ban Yuwon brought about by reaching out to the armor.
“What are you doing now......?”
“I gained a lot from this exploration. If I extract the 'armor' (甲) separately from the carapaces obtained from armored creatures, and combine it with the overflowing 'magic' (魔) I acquired.”
It becomes a magical armor, a 'Magic Armor' (魔甲).
In truth, this was also a core concept that the artifact he obtained this time originally possessed.
So, the work Ban Yuwon was doing now wasn't about bestowing something that didn't exist, but rather greatly expanding an existing concept.
Very greatly.
“Honestly, I obtained so much this time. ......In terms of concept depth alone, it might surpass the others.”
“I don’t really know about that, but.”
Mira smiled wryly, watching the Magic Armor’s mana capacity and surface hardness increase in real-time.
“I can somewhat understand Professor Campanella’s desire to bring you into the Artifact Production Department.”
“......Hmm, is this really the limit?”
Even after separating the 'armor' from the carapace, it had a depth of almost 1,000, yet the Magic Armor before him seemed to have reached its limit at 600, showing no further movement.
Still, its core concept depth was clearly higher than that of other familiars, including Eve.
“Then, could you do some processing work here? I’d like to make something like this possible......”
“Hmm...... yes, hm-hm. I understand, it’s simple.”
*BANG*, *bang bang!* *CRACK*, *BANG!*
As Ban Yuwon explained, Mira repeatedly nodded and struck the armor several times with her crowbar.
The power of the magical crowbar, which skipped all manufacturing processes and created the desired outcome, instantly transformed the armor.
During this process, its form didn't change significantly, but in terms of functionality, it was immediately clear that it possessed the performance Ban Yuwon desired.
If Mira hadn't helped him, he would have struggled for a long time!
“So?”
Mira, having finished her work, turned to him with a somewhat proud expression.
“You’re going to make this move on its own, aren’t you?”
“Of course. Honestly, I’m personally even more excited about this one than the last.”
What Ban Yuwon had prepared was a pile of low-depth 'Life' (生).
A fragment of his own soul, created by tearing off a piece using the Authority of Soul Flame.
And 'Evil' (惡), 10 units obtained by separating 20 units of heinousness.
“In our world, there’s a legend like this: if a perfectly normal suit of armor moves as if alive and attacks humans, it’s because an evil spirit (惡靈) has entered and is controlling it......”
Living armor, a 'Living Armor'.
To create that, Ban Yuwon combined the evil and soul held in his hands.
Comments