I got into school for nothing - Chapter 88
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I got into school for nothing (88)
Lesson 19. Changeling - 3
It was an excessively one-sided relationship.
Their positions differed, their thoughts differed, their tastes, their personalities—nothing aligned.
Even their views on the opposite sex.
There was a vast difference in their perspectives on romance.
To him, love was a short, burning flame that simply could not be contained, could not help but show itself.
It was too clumsy to be called love.
Yet, it was a bit too obsessive to be called friendship.
Perhaps she had simply wanted to lean on him.
Perhaps it had been mere admiration.
Most likely, over sixty percent of that emotion was nothing more than childish indulgence.
―Still, she wanted to stand by his side.
All the immense achievements she had made through Solo Exploration, despite starting far later than others, were thanks to him.
"I've made a contract. It seems to be a Constellation that's a bit too flashy, but its abilities align well with mine, so it's fine."
"What? Having tried it, I can tell you it's better not to get involved with Constellations. Do you understand if I say it's like gaining another heart, but that heart feels incredibly heavy?"
"Don't be impatient, Mira. You're already a Student Council executive and Professor Campanella's top student."
That's why, upon hearing he had contracted with a Constellation, she grew anxious.
It felt as if he, who was already difficult to catch up to, was now leaving her far behind.
But he, oblivious to her feelings, dissuaded her from making a contract with a Constellation.
It felt like he was mocking her, who had never once been approached by a Constellation.
She liked him, but.
That's why she hated him even more.
Him, who had first approached her kindly, yet then drew a firm line and retreated.
Him, who always achieved great results without much effort, and yet failed to acknowledge her, who was desperately striving to catch up.
Him, who rendered her efforts meaningless, and yet arbitrarily considered her merely a proud younger sister.
She came to detest him.
―"Your precarious and sharp spirit is truly sweet."
That was the first time she had heard a Constellation's voice.
If it had appeared before she started to hate him, there would have been no problems.
―"Then I wouldn't be able to enjoy the current you, would I?"
The Constellation demanded the mental power of others as a price for a contract with it.
And it said.
They would not die, but they would suffer for the rest of their lives.
In return, she would become a master of negative dimension magic.
There's no reason not to, she thought.
But the Constellation spoke as if teasing her.
―"You could fail, though. You are, after all, an inferior student who has never even spoken to a Constellation before."
The method the Constellation proposed to extort the mental power of others was none other than a curse.
And if a curse failed, it would backfire on the caster.
There was a saying, 'A curse always claims at least one life.'
This wasn't a baseless confidence that curses never failed, but rather a saying born from the fact that a curse, failing to kill its target, would instead kill the caster.
―"So, let's take out insurance."
The Constellation said.
"Conveniently, you possess a good Authority."
"If, by any chance, this curse ritual fails and backfires."
"Then we just need to prepare someone to take it in your place, won't we?"
"You will 'Changeling' with someone whose conditions are similar to yours."
―"With the man you hate most."
She could have refused the offer... but then the Constellation probably wouldn't have spoken to her again.
For the Constellation had only ever wanted to revel in her precarious spirit, her anguish, from the very beginning.
So, she nodded.
She thought, As long as it doesn't fail.
She thought, It couldn't possibly fail.
She even thought, Even if it does fail, it might be alright.
And then 'he' appeared.
A man who, in many ways, was similar to her.
And yet, in another way, similar to him.
* * *
"...!"
It was on her way back, after completing the 'contract' with the last sacrifice, that her eyes first met his.
Despite concealing her presence with high-level magic and even artifacts, and manipulating perceptions with her Authority, his chilling eyes, which seemed to pierce right through her true identity, were unforgettable.
She thought it was a coincidence, but the next day, she realized it was fate.
"Professor Campanella, what's this?"
"I received it from a student today, Mira. What do you think? Isn't it amazing?"
"It truly is... incredible. Will he be a junior in our department next year?"
"Are you interested? It's Ban Yuwon, from the popular Rebellion channel. He doesn't have the same weighty charm as Professor Zenon, but he's quite popular with the female students."
"Is that important right now? ...But perhaps he could be helpful in this matter. I'll talk to Ketra about it."
At first, she didn't realize that the man whose eyes she had met was Ban Yuwon.
She had simply recommended the freshman whom Professor Campanella had recently been keeping an eye on, to the Student Council members who had requested her support.
But the moment she saw him with Ketra at their usual cafe, she realized something was wrong.
A mind that remained unshaken even by the beauty of the fairy race.
An inherent composure, and a subtle nobility that emerged even in his casual words and actions.
A sweet voice that burrowed into her mind.
And―transparent eyes that, when met, seemed to see right through her deepest thoughts.
Everything fueled her anxiety.
She fidgeted, wondering if he would recognize her, and intuitively felt he was dangerous, despite having no evidence.
It was the first time her heart had fluttered for a man other than Ketra, but it was also pounding for another reason.
The thought that the curse ritual might fail because of the man she had carelessly drawn in.
If that happened―since the Changeling had already been completed, Ketra would be the one to pay the price.
Should I stop it? But how? On what grounds?
But in the end, he seemed not to have recognized her.
She dismissed it as baseless anxiety and tried to forget him.
She felt something amiss on Saturday morning.
She sensed that those who had made contracts with her and consumed the potion were, one by one, shaking off the effects of the curse.
She intuitively realized it was related to that man―Ban Yuwon.
A message that arrived belatedly from another Student Council executive confirmed her intuition.
Her mind went blank, incapable of any thought.
Even knowing that the curse was already complete and could no longer be stopped or reversed, she set out to find Ketra.
With a desperation she herself couldn't comprehend.
When she finally found him and realized he was with Ban Yuwon, it was so absurd she felt like laughing.
Did that wise yet foolish man know that his attempt to help his senior had, in fact, only cornered him?
And how pitifully amusing it was that he, unaware she was the culprit behind this entire situation, had dressed up to impress her.
But hating Ketra for meticulously understanding her preferences, yet openly teaching them to a junior and even trying to connect them―.
―and seeing him, who had no idea what she was thinking or how deeply she had struggled, maintain an unchanging demeanor until the end, disgusted her to such an extent―.
She was able to turn away without a smile, without a word.
She resigned herself.
On the contrary, she felt relieved.
Why had she even tried to contract with a Constellation, anyway?
Ah, right.
It was because she wanted revenge on Ketra.
* * *
The curse ritual had a predetermined activation time from the moment it was conceived.
Monday afternoon, a time when the false contractors would normally be at their most mentally focused.
However, with their connection severed, the burden of the ritual would fall entirely upon Ketra.
A curse of too dense a concentration for an individual to bear would instantly drive Ketra to ruin.
Knowing this, Mira remained remarkably calm, sitting in a corner seat of her usual alleyway cafe in Ronica, silently awaiting the moment the contract would be established.
"Hello, Senior Mira."
A junior appeared at her table.
Ban Yuwon, a rising star gaining attention both inside and outside the academy for his unconventional actions and abilities.
The one who had thwarted her plan―no.
The one who had completed it.
"Can I sit?"
"Seems like you're already sitting."
The junior was unmistakably like Ketra in his unreserved words and actions.
Even his handsome face and the subtly lighthearted aura he exuded.
What differed, however, were his eyes.
Ketra never emitted a gaze that chilled one to the bone.
Ironically, that very difference gave her a sense of relief.
"First-years must be busy today."
"I finished two written subjects by morning, and duels tend to end early if you get a winning streak."
When she was a first-year, duels terrified her.
She utterly detested how individual characteristics and roles were ignored, and ranks were assigned based on simple criteria to determine superiority.
But Ban Yuwon seemed to be different.
―Even in terms of artifact creation, he had already surpassed her achievements, and yet.
She bluntly asked the junior, who wore a peculiar smile:
"You, are you interested in me?"
"Yes."
She couldn't believe herself for feeling even a slight flicker of happiness at his immediate reply.
Was she truly such a frivolous woman?
By abandoning Ketra, had she already completely severed her feelings for him as well?
Or was it precisely because she hadn't yet, that she yearned for a new love even more?
...A love to replace Ketra, whom she would never meet again after today.
"Actually, I'm interested in you too. It's a bit surprising even to myself."
"Then that was close."
Ban Yuwon's smile deepened.
It was a smile that made one's heart uneasy.
"What was close?"
"Because if your interest had been just a little bit greater, I would have failed."
Failed.
Failed what?
The moment she considered the meaning, a chill spread through her, as if she had swallowed a large piece of ice.
Ban Yuwon, who had received a sweet cafe mocha she hadn't noticed him order, took a sip, then leisurely reached out and scrawled words on the table.
Soundproofing (防音).
Vision Block (視野遮斷).
Barrier (結界).
"There, no need to worry about prying eyes anymore."
"You, what are you doing?"
"I'm being considerate of you, Senior. I don't know how intense the curse's rebound will be, but it's for dozens of people, after all."
"Wait, you know what...?"
At that moment.
An excruciating pain, as if sharp thorns had instantly pierced her from head to toe, engulfed her.
With that, she realized the curse had activated.
―Thump
―Thump-thump
―THUMMMMP!
"Guh―!"
"I don't really know what happened between you two, Seniors, but frankly, it's not my business."
Is this what happens when the mental power of dozens of people is simultaneously stolen?
A strong shock was followed by an even stronger one, an even more horrific pain that surged in successive waves.
Her mind went blank, and countless curses began to fill it.
She wished she could die, but her supreme soul, inherent to her fairy race, would not permit it.
"You, h-how, Ketra is...!"
To her, who gasped for breath in agony, clutching the chair and trembling violently, Ban Yuwon replied with an indifferent expression.
"Still, cursing someone who did nothing wrong isn't really fair, is it? It's the worst way to end a one-sided love."
"You, you... *cough*!"
"What's so unfair about it? You brought this upon yourself. Surely I don't need to explain in detail how I figured out your little scheme here, do I?"
The pain intensified, now preventing her from even uttering a sound.
She had long since reached her limit, yet with every attempt to exhale, a pain far exceeding it would strike, escalating sharply.
What else could one call it but hell?
"I actually had a few questions I wanted to ask, but seeing this now, I don't feel like it anymore. Well, in the end, no one but yourself got hurt, so it wrapped up nicely. ...And it seems the Constellation's mental manipulation played a part."
Ban Yuwon sighed, setting down his cup.
Above the half-empty cup of sweet coffee, he suddenly drew out his staff and aimed it.
"There's one thing I've always wanted to do, Senior."
Various concepts, activated by Language Magic, settled into the coffee.
Concepts to reduce pain, heal the mind, boost regeneration, and weaken the Constellation's interference.
But this much was ultimately a temporary, ineffective measure.
As if Ban Yuwon knew this well, he finally took out a blazing, flame-like magic core crystal and dropped it into the cup.
"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse."
Ban Yuwon pushed the liquid, which could no longer be called mere coffee, towards her, and spoke.
His tone had changed, starkly demonstrating the instantaneous shift in their positions.
"Drink it, if you don't want to become a wreck. Though, in return, you'll have to give me everything you can, Senior."
Ah―.
In the endless agony, she realized.
Wasn't this the exact same scenario as when she had deceived her 'victims' into making contracts?
She had been completely read.
Who, then, was truly foolish and pathetic?
It was herself.
It was a perfect defeat, leaving no room for a single complaint.
'This man, me―'
Strangely, at that very moment, a thrill akin to the pain filled her mind.
The man who had utterly shattered her plan.
This tyrant, who had transcended her, transcended Ketra, and even scoffed at Constellations.
He was attempting to utterly dominate her, in exchange for a single cup of sweetness before her eyes.
He desired her.
―Indeed, he is different from Ketra.
"Ah, ahh..."
Extending a trembling hand, she picked up the cup.
Strangely, at that moment, all pain and trembling vanished.
Even the lingering emotions and anguish in her heart were cleanly erased.
Only the presence of the dominator, Ban Yuwon, remained.
―Gulp
Without hesitation.
She emptied the cup of the contract.
The curse was undone.
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