I got into school for nothing - Chapter 289
I got into school for nothing (289)
Lesson 56. The House Next Door is Also on Fire - 2
Due to Ban Yuwon’s party’s unusual Tower exploration, the tension that had been subtly escalating, not only within Union Academy but also, in particular, among the higher-ranked dimensions, burst open with a *bang* following the massive clash between the Ketiuses dimension and the dimension pirates.
No, or rather, to be more precise, it forcibly snatched away the attention that had been focused on Ban Yuwon.
From Ban Yuwon’s perspective, he couldn’t be grateful enough to Ortima; even a deep bow of thanks wouldn’t have sufficed.
How could he have possibly imagined that the impromptu suggestion he made to Dokgo Yeon would sublimate Ortima’s twisted affection into a rampaging frenzy!
“Yu-wonnie... Wonnie... Darling... My scabbard...?”
“Whew, I wonder if we’ve bought ourselves some time?”
After finishing his information gathering, Ban Yuwon took the wine glass placed in front of Asha, who had just begun pondering what endearment to call him, and, moistening his throat, muttered.
“We still need to be cautious, but this might slow down the movements of the other Ten Great Families.”
“Huhu, how long has it been since a space war of this scale occurred?”
Meanwhile, peering at the screen, Mira, who was watching the Union Net pages update in real-time, imagined the endless explosion of spaceships and the scene where powerful individuals, each capable of rivaling any of their current companions, were dropping dead like flies, and wore a look as if she found it all absolutely hilarious.
“The entire might of the Ortima Family has mobilized; this is a major upheaval unseen in centuries. They’re renowned as one of the most powerful among the Ten Great Families. For them to step forward to subjugate mere dimension pirates, the other Ten Great Families can’t help but be wary, can they?”
She paused for a moment, turned to Dokgo Yeon, whose face was still flushed, and let out a giggle.
“You... I thought you were holding some weakness over my boyfriend’s head behind my back, but it turns out you seduced him with your skills? If you made an heir of a Ten Great Family go wild, I suppose I have no choice but to acknowledge it.”
“It’s... it’s not like that...!”
Dokgo Yeon now began to wonder if she should use her aura to pressure Mira into silence.
Sensing the mood, Ban Yuwon cleared his throat, drawing their attention to himself.
“Unless we’re formally allying with the Ortima Family right now, we should just let them be. More importantly, there’s something we need to confirm... Mira?”
“Yes.”
As Ban Yuwon turned his gaze to Mira, Mira, who had been giggling at the Union Net until moments ago, straightened her posture and met his eyes.
This was why he couldn’t hate her, despite her acting so arbitrarily, like a noble lady.
It was because she always placed Ban Yuwon at the top of her priorities.
“That thing you mentioned earlier. Is that really true? I mean... would the fairy race accept me as your... hmm, spouse, even knowing my current situation, my abilities, and my status?”
“Is that even a question? You’ve already heard roughly what kind of race the fairy race is, haven’t you?”
Perhaps the term ‘spouse’ pleased her, as Mira reached out, took one of his hands, and smiled at him with her eyes.
“They’re a race who believe they’re the best in the world. I’ve been a bit subdued since coming to Union Academy, but every fairy born in the homeland, A-1 Fairytale, looks down on even S-rank dimensions, denying their validity, you know.”
“Uh... hmm? Ugh!”
You’ve been subdued?
Shatie shot a meaningful look at her best friend, but Mira stretched her leg under the table and stepped on Shatie’s foot, making her look away.
“To such a people, the story of you being targeted by the Ten Great Families during your ascent of the Tower only serves to prove your qualifications. Besides, the fairy race can’t back out anyway, not after deciding to take on the Prominence Family.”
“It’s the same on our side. In fact, the Demon King might provide an even greater army than he gave me. Thanks to you, the Demon King has a firm grasp on Diabolo now.”
Shatie said, rubbing the top of her foot where Mira had stepped.
If the main forces of the A-1 Dimension and A-4 Dimension lend their strength, they might certainly be able to contend with an S-rank dimension.
And now, with Lusein Ortima rampaging on his own initiative, it’s much sooner than they’d anticipated, but—the time has come to act.
“Alright, then let’s head straight to Fairytale next week.”
“Great!”
Mira’s radiant smile was as beautiful as a blooming rose.
...to the extent that he felt a little afraid of what might happen once they arrived in Fairytale.
Ban Yuwon deliberately erased the surge of unease, then turned his gaze to Aire and said.
“Melodia will be next. But I don’t think we can go there as part of an extra-curricular activity.”
Recalling how the Chancellor was wary of dragons, it seemed unlikely he could ask for his cooperation.
However, despite his repeated warnings, Ban Yuwon somehow had no feeling whatsoever that Melodia would become his enemy.
A kind of intuitive certainty, perhaps.
Even if he wasn’t sure about Melodia, Aire wouldn’t be his enemy.
And as long as Aire protected him, Melodia wouldn’t attack him.
Aire wore a triumphant smile.
“It’s fine. We can just go quickly without the Chancellor’s permission and come back.”
“Oh.”
Had her spatial magic grown that much?
Or perhaps it was an artifact provided by the Melodia Family Head.
Whichever it was, Ban Yuwon vowed to carefully check the flow of concepts later, nodded, then looked around at his party and spoke again.
“Although the situation seems to be escalating rather quickly, our task hasn’t changed in the end. We’ll attend school, climb the Tower, and beat up anyone who dares to challenge us. That’s all we need to do. Everyone here, I assume we can consider ourselves one team from now on?”
“Then, will you include me in Rebellion too?”
Was this what he meant by ‘be wary of the dragon’s obsession’?
Sighing inwardly, Ban Yuwon met the eyes of the other Rebellion members, and after gaining their implicit consent, he opened his mouth to speak.
“Alright, you can’t join us for explorations, but you can be an honorary Rebellion member.”
“Oh, so we’re all becoming Rebellion too? Is Team Fairydevil becoming a sub-team of Rebellion?”
“Huh? Uh—.”
Shatie, who pounced on any chance to tease as if someone would punish her for missing it.
Even if they were honorary members, nothing would practically change, so he might as well nod, but why...?
Ban Yuwon, who had a gut feeling that nodding would lead to immense trouble in the future, tried to gloss over her words, but before he could, Mira clapped her hands with a bright smile.
“That’s great. Until now, even when we gathered together, it felt like we were somehow being left out. But being bound by the name Rebellion already makes me feel like family with Yuwon, and I’m happy. ...It’s also much better than a monster name like Fairydevil.”
“What’s wrong with Fairydevil?! Ah, no. Mira, you’re right. I like Rebellion too, yeah.”
“Tsk, Yuwon’s stake has fallen again...”
“Huhu, family. That’s nice. Mira really is something.”
“Right, Rucell?”
It was too late now.
Everyone present had become part of Rebellion.
Sighing and accepting reality, Ban Yuwon finally turned his gaze to Yumina.
“Yumina.”
“Family... U-uh, yes?!”
It seemed Rucell wasn’t the only one moved by Mira’s talk of family.
At Yumina, who was blushing and staring intently at him, Ban Yuwon let out yet another sigh, he didn’t know how many times today, and spoke with an utterly serious expression, as if he’d exhaled all traces of humor with that sigh.
“Precisely at times like this, please keep a close eye on the academy’s interior. With me receiving attention, and dimension pirates embroiled in war right now, someone will surely take action.”
“U-uh, alright...! Just trust me!”
Watching Yumina clench her two fists in front of her chest and reply in a slightly lisping voice, the party members whispered behind her.
“She’s not even trying to hide it anymore, is she?”
“So she knows how to speak informally. I thought thorns would grow in her mouth if she didn’t use honorifics.”
“Look at her acting like a child. I heard she’s at least five centuries old...”
“What do you expect from someone who appeared clinging tightly to Yuwon?”
After that, since they were already gathered at the restaurant, the party held a short bonding session.
In terms of everyone present holding a degree of affection for Ban Yuwon, whether great or small, it made the future seem daunting, but at the very least, they could rally tightly around Ban Yuwon, making them a more reliable force than any other group.
“――Yes, ‘Darling’ is definitely the best!”
“Rejected.”
“Whyyyy?!”
* * *
“Hah...?”
Alec de Cantone could not suppress his utter incredulity.
It was Sunday afternoon, the time when most academy students streamed into the outer city, and he had just confirmed that pictures of Yumina hugging Ban Yuwon, drawing everyone’s eyes from the plaza street, had completely taken over the intranet.
“Th-this... what kind of... what utter nonsense...”
Yumina, though possessing foolish and naive aspects, he believed was a wise woman with outstanding qualities, capable of discerning right from wrong.
Her being half-blinded by Ban Yuwon’s talent and attempting to foster him, yes.
He thought was unavoidable, given her current position of following the Chancellor.
But to think she had actually developed a romantic relationship with that young brat?
“No, that can’t be right. She would know her position well; she’s not the kind of woman to abandon her position as a full professor and engage in an illicit affair with a student.”
He muttered loudly, as if trying to convince himself.
However, watching her pull Ban Yuwon’s head and practically bury it in her chest, he couldn’t endure the furious bubbling within him.
It was, at the very least, clear that she held a strong romantic interest in Ban Yuwon.
Could she really be the kind of woman to fawn over a man just because he climbed the Tower a little faster?!
“How, how could she commit such foolishness? Leaving me for a lowly commoner like that?”
The second semester had begun, and he had deliberately not made his presence known.
He had sunk into contemplation, deliberating.
This was because he had realized Ban Yuwon was not a bug he could simply swat away, and had resolved to seize a more certain opportunity to corner him.
Victory was his anyway.
He had influence, and the backing of a Constellation.
The only thing obstructing him was the Chancellor’s surveillance—the moment that damned eye looked away from him for even an instant, he could pluck the brat’s head as easily as harvesting fruit.
But—he had merely been ‘showing restraint,’ and that commoner dared to covet his woman, not knowing his place?
Yumina’s existence was one of his biggest reasons for wanting to conquer the Tower.
The most valuable trophy in the world, one he could only obtain by conquering the Tower.
And yet that lowly commoner.
“Guhhhhh—!”
He could no longer suppress the surging indignation within him.
If Ban Yuwon had known this, he would have found it preposterous, thinking both Ortima and Cantone were going crazy over women.
But what could be done, when that was the most primal and intense desire that drove people?
‘Right, there’s no need to wait any longer anyway.’
Cantone clicked his tongue, watching the dimension pirates and Ortima’s fleet battling it out in a space war that had engulfed entire dimensions, a war no one knew who started.
If not for Ortima, Exodus could have been a pawn to be used for much longer than now.
As things stood now, he had to demand their final role before it was too late.
He knew that rushing often led to mistakes, but.
The thought of Ban Yuwon and Yumina clinging to each other while he remained idle made it impossible for him to remain calm.
‘It’s fine, the plan has already been thoroughly refined. I’m not rushing at all. I’m simply finding the optimal timing and executing it.’
Feigning ignorance of his own desires, and repeatedly trying to justify his actions to himself, he initiated a communication.
To Exodus’s main force, currently preoccupied fighting Ortima... to their supreme commander.
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