I got into school for nothing - Chapter 290
I got into school for nothing (290)
Lesson 56. The Neighbor's House Is Also Burning - 3
“Alright, you're ‘Honey’, and I'm ‘Darling’. I won’t concede any further than this.”
After the unity meeting concluded and he returned to their dorm room to wash up, Asha, who had already showered and was now lounging on the bed in her pajamas, spotted him, shot upright, and blurted out those words.
Ban Yuwon, halfway through towel-drying his hair, looked at Asha with a foolish expression... no, with an expression one would reserve for a fool, and spoke.
“You were still thinking about that? What’s with ‘Honey’ and ‘Darling’?”
“Our relationship—!”
“Since when did we become so... sticky-sweet with each other?”
“S-Sticky-sweet...!”
Yet immediately after, Asha overcame her embarrassment with a surge of courage and lifted her head.
“N-Now that you mention it. You come and sit here too, H-Honey.”
At Asha’s words, as she patted the spot beside her, Ban Yuwon frowned.
“Don’t you dare do that. Before I give you a cutesy double knuckle-rap on the head.”
“Tch... Fine, just come and sit down, Yuwon.”
Surely she wasn't seriously planning to call each other by such crazy pet names.
While genuinely concerned for her mental health, Ban Yuwon nevertheless approached Asha’s bed and sat down as she instructed.
Putting aside the unfortunate contents of her personality, if one merely looked at her exterior, Asha possessed a beauty that, when in close proximity, quickened one’s pulse and aided blood circulation—dazzling blonde hair and deep blue eyes, like a European princess sprung from a comic.
Moreover, her freshly showered, soft skin, the warm heat emanating from the intimate distance where their bodies almost touched, mixed with the faint scent of shampoo, was excessively stimulating for a virile young man.
But it was Asha.
“If only you weren’t Asha....”
“What? I feel like I just heard something incredibly humiliating.”
Asha, bristling, said this, watching Ban Yuwon mutter with genuine regret.
Ban Yuwon, to gloss over it, placed a hand on her head, and the sight of her body immediately stiffening was truly amusing.
Freezing up at such simple skinship, what was all this talk of ‘Honey’ and ‘Darling’?
“A-Are you really going to give me a knuckle-rap?”
“No, so what do you want to talk about?”
“Ah, right.”
A slightly relieved Asha cautiously reached out and took hold of Ban Yuwon’s hand, which was resting on her head.
Ban Yuwon briefly considered pulling his hand away, but didn’t.
“So what I mean is—about our relationship...!”
“We’re friends.”
“Sniff.”
At Ban Yuwon’s rather cold words, Asha’s eyes welled up with tears.
No, no matter how amusing it was to tease her, he shouldn’t make a girl cry.
Ban Yuwon hastily reached out to wipe away her tears and spoke.
“You said that yourself. I can’t just arbitrarily deny it.”
“That’s... that’s true, but it felt a little disappointing when you actually said ‘friends’.”
Her brows were furrowed, and she wore a strange expression, as if her feelings were complicated, but perhaps reassured by Ban Yuwon’s touch, she didn’t shed any more tears.
Ban Yuwon internally replayed the word ‘Darling’ that Asha had tried to use as a pet name today, sighed, then opened his mouth and spoke.
“Asha, everything in the world has an order. It’s hard for me to just keep up with your feelings running ahead on their own.”
“Still, I thought Yuwon would understand....”
“It’s okay, let’s not rush and do things one by one. Then I’ll keep pace with you.”
At his gentle words, Asha pressed her lips together and nodded, seemingly deep in thought, then finally took a firm grip on his hand and spoke.
“Th-Then. First of all.”
“What is it?”
“Please come to our dimension again.”
I told her not to rush, but she’s just accelerating again.
But seeing Ban Yuwon narrow his eyes, Asha panicked and shook her head.
“You know the conversation we had today! So, I think I can also provide support on a dimensional scale.”
“Aren’t we just talking about our relationship?”
“Yes, so as a dowry... Ah, no. Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Dokgo Yeon had just said that military forces aren’t a dowry.
Ban Yuwon sighed, but Asha seemed serious.
“I’m not rushing; I’m thinking about the most important thing right now. What’s important now is Rebellion, right? I thought it’s right to solve the immediate problems before redefining our relationship....”
“And what else?”
“I don’t want to be pushed aside by the others.”
Seeing Asha frankly reveal her inner thoughts, Ban Yuwon gave a wry smile, thinking, ‘Just as I thought.’
Perhaps that’s what she had wanted to say from the beginning.
“Alright. I agree that now is not the time for dating.”
“D-Dating!”
The moment she heard the direct word, Asha’s face flushed red like a tomato.
The hand that had been gripping Ban Yuwon’s lost strength and let go, then she buried her face in the bed, flailing her legs, and let out an inaudible scream.
It seems dating this one is going to be incredibly troublesome in the future—Ban Yuwon thought, as if it were someone else’s problem.
He had already guessed Asha’s feelings ever since he freed her from her ancestor and heard her true name.
Honestly, recently he had been busy with explorations, training, and wars, and moreover, his relationship with Dokgo Yeon had taken an unexpectedly rapid turn, so he hadn’t been able to pay much attention to Asha.
‘Still, she’s a valuable team member, so I should take better care of her.’
As he gently stroked the back of Asha’s still flailing head and waited quietly for a few minutes, she soon calmed down and lifted her face again.
Her appearance was so wretched that one might wonder if it would be better not to ask again.
What on earth had she imagined? A trickle of blood was even flowing from her nose.
“L-L-L-L-Lovers seems a bit too fast. W-We’re still friends. Friends....”
“Then pet names are even faster. If you’ve calmed down, let’s talk about your dimension.”
“Calmed... Yes.”
Ban Yuwon wiped Asha’s nosebleed, then momentarily got out of bed to make some hot chocolate.
After Asha drank the hot chocolate, which had become a panacea exclusively for Rebellion members, and seemed a little calmer, Ban Yuwon cleared his throat and spoke.
“To speak a little seriously, with the D-13 Dimension’s level, it seems difficult to play an active role in a war centered around higher dimensions.”
“That might be true, but...! Our kingdom’s soldiers, if I command them, become much stronger!”
Is it some kind of tactical formation?
Is it a title effect?
For a moment, Ban Yuwon had such foolish thoughts, but he soon shook his head to clear them.
It’s easy to forget due to her unfortunate personality, but Asha is a descendant of a True Dragon.
Furthermore, considering the kingdom’s foundation, she might truly possess such power.
The D-13 Dimension, from Asha’s birth to the ruins hidden on the satellite, gives the impression that everything was ‘strategically’ prepared.
It might sound ridiculous to say this after having surveyed A-rank dimensions, but indeed, Asha’s home planet, Camelot, harbored a powerful aura unbefitting of a D-rank.
“Moreover, our kingdom’s soldiers are specialists in space warfare, hardened by centuries of ceaseless, repetitive wars. They won’t be pushed back by ordinary dimension pirates.”
“Centuries, you say....”
It was truly an immense span of time.
Ban Yuwon deliberated for a moment but concluded that since not everyone would be fighting the enemy’s main force anyway, having a large number of troops, even if their individual level was low, wouldn’t be a bad thing.
‘Still, it’s unsettling like this. I need to quickly complete the plan I’ve been working on.’
A plan he had been developing during the process of advancing his Authority, such as through his training to create goblins in the Tower.
He also gained much inspiration from seeing the monsters the Observer of All Things controlled during this Tower exploration.
“Alright. Let’s go to your dimension too. Since we’ve become a community of fate, your dimension can’t just keep hiding either.”
“Yes, because I am Rebellion. My father might resent me for it—.”
Asha, who had been contemplating with a complicated expression, soon shook her head vigorously and clenched her fist.
“I’ve been devoted my whole life. It’s my country now, and there won’t be any problems if I lead it as I wish.”
“Good, that’s the spirit.”
It would have been perfect if she hadn’t simultaneously glanced at him, trying to gauge his reaction as she said that, but Asha had this charm, which made her cute, so he decided to let it slide.
And the next day, Rucell, whom he met in the dining hall that morning, also asked him to visit her dimension once more before the vacation.
Ban Yuwon felt uneasy, as it seemed even she was thinking of military forces as a dowry, but he couldn’t refuse Rucell’s request, given her serious expression—.
* * *
Another week passed.
The battle between the dimension pirate groups and the Ortima family continued in the form of a war of attrition, with the Ortima fleet pursuing the dimension pirates, who were trying to avoid a full-scale clash and maneuver their forces.
Such clashes were occurring not just in one dimension but in multiple locations simultaneously, and as expected, Lusein Ortima was not seen at the Academy throughout that week.
Ulrike Prominence seemed to be calmly going about her school life—yet she appeared before Ban Yuwon the following Monday.
“Junior Yuwon, I’d like to speak with you for a moment. Outside.”
She, who usually maintained an overbearing attitude towards other students, though not in Ban Yuwon’s presence, now seemed somewhat deflated, yet her eyes glinted sharply, bringing to mind a she-cat meticulously sharpening her claws.
The ‘outside’ she spoke of was, unexpectedly, outside Union Academy.
As it was his free period, he immediately teleported with her to a quiet cafe in Ronica, and Ulrike, forgetting the situation for a moment, was filled with admiration at his skillful use of spatial magic.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but speak calmly. ...It’s done now.”
“Ah, thank you. How truly thoughtful of you....”
As soon as the two sat down, Ulrike noticed that Ban Yuwon had flicked his hand to create a barrier, and even then, she offered him a soft smile and flattered him.
“The reason I called you, Junior—is to discuss a somewhat sensitive issue concerning our family. It’s normally not allowed, but you are not entirely unrelated to our family.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Ban Yuwon had no doubt that this woman was out of her mind.
However, he was certain that what she was about to say would be very important to him as well, so he patiently played along with her.
“Alright, then I’ll get straight to the point. We are preparing for war.”
“War.”
“Yes, war. Unexpectedly, a favorable turn of events has occurred. You know this well, Junior Yuwon, don’t you? That the Ortima family’s scoundrel issued a decree as the acting head and initiated a large-scale war.”
“You mean the task of eradicating dimension pirates?”
“It’s not that simple. The movement of the Ten Great Families’ full forces is a situation that violates the Dimensional Treaty. Even with a legitimate reason, one cannot undertake such a large-scale operation, and the reason that brat put forward is far too flimsy.”
Even though Ulrike treated dimension pirates as mere insects, perhaps because her family’s subordinates were suffering at their hands, she poured out malicious criticism while discussing Lusein Ortima.
“But putting aside that brat’s foolishness, it’s also true that thanks to his rampage, it has become easier for the other Ten Great Families to move.”
“So Prominence is planning to make a move?”
“Precisely. From now on—it’s important. You really must be the only one who knows.”
Ulrike said, tightly grasping both of his hands.
When on earth did I ‘conquer’ this person?
Why does she trust me so blindly?
Could this all be a trap?
Ban Yuwon, for a moment, entertained various thoughts, but Ulrike Prominence’s eyes, staring intently at him, were utterly serious.
Moreover, perhaps because they shared the same bloodline, even without a deep relationship, he could clearly see the concepts within her body.
Through this, Ban Yuwon, who had thoroughly grasped her true intentions, was beyond dumbfounded—he was impressed.
[Romantic Feelings, Conviction, Affection, Empathy, Rage]
Indeed, she couldn’t even imagine that Ban Yuwon would oppose her.
She already believed that Ban Yuwon was completely smitten with her and wanted to become one with her as soon as possible.
Though it was preposterous, recalling Lusein Ortima’s attitude towards Dokgo Yeon at the beginning of the semester made him nod in understanding.
Having never had anything go against their will in their entire lives, they interpreted everything in a way positive to themselves, so if he showed even a slightly plausible demeanor, they would immediately take the bait.
“Junior Yuwon, please don’t misunderstand. The fairy race will be extinct. Prominence will make it so.”
In that moment, Ban Yuwon was extremely proud that he hadn’t pulled away from her grasping hands.
“But I will protect your pet with my own power. I promise you. So won’t you help me with my task?”
“Task?”
“Yes. It’s an incredibly important task. A crucial task to restore the disturbed balance to its original state. The greatest ritual on earth—the task of seizing dominion over all dimensions.”
Ulrike whispered quickly.
“If you distinguish yourself here, the family will seriously consider bringing you in as a direct descendant. Even if it’s difficult to be adopted by my father, wouldn’t marrying another direct descendant suffice? You wouldn’t have to struggle and toil in the Academy with those other commoners. No, you wouldn’t even need to climb the Tower anymore. It’s that important a task...!”
Ulrike’s words continued from there.
“In three weeks. The main force, including the head of the Prominence family, will attack Fairytale—the A-1 Dimension. They will unleash grand magic utilizing the unique traits of the fairy race. If we borrow the power of your pet, Mira, it will be an even simpler task to accomplish. I promise you again, she will be safe, because she is your property! So help me, for our future...!”
It was the moment a spy in love reeled in a big catch.
Ban Yuwon, while internally thinking it was a ‘total chaos party’, nodded reliably, all the while acting like a young man deeply in love with her.
“For our happy future, I will cooperate.”
And without her noticing, he quickly contacted his sister.
Three weeks later, three weeks later!!!
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