50 - Friend
Yeriel, close your eyes for a moment.
Why had he told her to close her eyes at that instant?
Back at the Selafi Black Dorm, Yeriel had prepared dinner and waited for Lev, but when he still hadn't come down after a long time, she stood in front of his door. She was clearly the party leader, an upperclassman. But an utterly unexpected hidden boss had appeared. From the mana wavelength, it was a high-ranking demon. And yet, she hadn't been able to do anything. She had been powerless. Because of her personal feelings toward Lev Denek, she had overlooked something crucial that she should have handled.
In the end, it was Lev Denek who had cleaned up the mess.
"Everyone, just say we coordinated our breaths together. That's what we reported to the academy—that the five of us combined our strength to take it down."
'He considered me again...'
If the truth of the incident came out, Yeriel, as the one responsible, wouldn't have escaped accountability.
'...What kind of... person is he?'
Within the academy, he was seen as just lucky for beating Gailon Sharptee. Of course, Yeriel didn't agree.
'It wasn't luck...'
Even with Aria there. Was a flame demon something the two of them could handle? No. She could answer that definitively. And there were plenty more mysteries surrounding Lev Denek. New students panicked and caused accidents just facing low-grade monsters, let alone demons or high beasts. Yet this time, against a demon, he hadn't a single scratch.
—...
Suddenly, another scene replayed in Yeriel's mind. The moment she barely found Lev, when Aria was holding him... And then... her own foolish misunderstanding, closing her eyes and puckering her lips... her appearance as a woman.
Even though it wasn't the time to think about such things, the embarrassment made her want to crawl into a hole. Should she knock? Or not? Yeriel was still hesitating in front of his door.
—...
No sound came from inside. And to dispel her embarrassment, Yeriel's defense mechanism kicked in.
'No way...?'
Facing a demon could leave aftereffects, like being corrupted by black mana. What if the backlash was hitting now?
"Lev, can I come in for a sec?"
Her sense of duty as dorm supervisor made Yeriel more proactive.
—Jingle!
Just as she reached for the spare key...
—Creak!
Lev Denek, whom she'd been waiting for, opened the door.
* * *
—Creak!
Before my door could open on its own, I opened it myself. Yeriel looked like she came to chew me out, but upon seeing me, her words seemed swallowed.
"Mind if I come in for a bit?"
...
There weren't really any chairs in my room, so we sat on the edge of the bed.
"It was quiet for so long, I thought something happened."
Yeriel's voice carried the tone of a school senior on official business. I'd stood her up, after all... the awkwardness was inevitable.
"What, you think I'm gonna collapse now?"
I shot back casually, and Yeriel let out a small sigh.
"Everyone's tired, and above all, you fought alone, Lev."
"I'm fine, drop it."
We'd reported to the academy that we'd all taken it down together. I didn't particularly enjoy hiding my strength, but this world had evil organizations alongside the pure good ones. Too much attention on me would just get annoying.
"Can I ask a few things?"
Yeriel spoke coldly and curtly, her gaze still downcast and lonely.
"Sure."
"I'm curious why you told me to close my eyes... and did that sudden thing."
I couldn't exactly show off my Mainhwa transformation. It was the only way in the heat of the moment. But I couldn't say that.
"Sorry."
I had no excuse, so I apologized briefly. Finally, Yeriel met my eyes.
"Lev, I was the party leader. You could've explained the situation to me first..."
She gave a faint smile. With her sense of responsibility, she must feel bitter about not stepping up.
"Sorry."
"So I really am a hindrance? As an upperclassman, as a teammate..."
Her gaze dropped again. This was Yeriel's self-deprecating pattern... Not a good flow. With no choice, I broke the chain.
"Yeah, you were a hindrance."
"?!"
At my curt words, Yeriel stared like she'd received a death sentence, tears welling in her eyes like morning dew.
"I knew it, I..."
"That's why I'm apologizing for thinking you were a hindrance."
"..."
"I don't think that anymore. Sorry again."
"I was really upset? I thought we'd gotten close, Lev..."
"..."
"You never ask me anything, never tease me, always seem uncomfortable..."
Oh no. Looks like I misjudged my concept with Yeriel. Who knew she paid this much attention to others. At this rate, she might change in a different way before her Taicheonsa Transformation.
With that thought, an embarrassing line slipped out.
"Then from now on, we can get close..."
Her pretty silver hair swayed as she turned to me.
"Are you saying... we should be friends now?"
"...Yeah."
Offering 'friends' as a favor should be fine. As long as it doesn't develop further, no risk of her going dark...
Yeriel looked down, nodding repeatedly, then met my eyes with a warm smile.
"Lev as my friend..."
A girl with so many friends... happy about this? At least we'd cleared one hurdle. Still smiling, Yeriel asked,
"But from now on, no more pushing yourself alone, okay...?"
"I'll try."
"This is me speaking as party leader, senior... and dorm friend."
"Got it."
"Then, as new friends, can I ask one thing...?"
"Huh? Sure."
Healed by her warmth, I answered lightly.
"Why were you... holding Aria back then...?"
"..."
...Plenty of hurdles left, it seems.
* * *
The next day, aside from the imperial investigation into the double dungeon—which hadn't been anticipated—the Clarice Academy curriculum proceeded without issue. The dungeon practical had passed thanks to the flame demon, so to reduce my accumulated penalty points, I needed good grades in other subjects.
Yesterday was...
—It wasn't a hug, I tripped.
—Oh, right! Got it!
—............
I'd brushed it off like that, but whether she bought it... Anyway, upcoming schedule: the ranking matches in just over a week, then the written exams after. A few incidents in between, but that wraps up the first semester of freshman year.
Right now, prep for the ranking matches is key. Checking Kaeran His is top priority.
Held Gems: 25,788
To that end, I'd spend some of these academy gems I'd accumulated. So I scanned the recruitment posters on the academy bulletin board.
Intramural activities—clubs—gather people, and where people gather, I can leverage my foreknowledge.
One that caught my eye:
—Alchemy Club Recruiting New Members!
Alchemy Club... Alchemy already has a department in the Yeogudi Green Dorm. But a separate club? That stemmed from alchemy's precarious status.
Take Hazel the Wonder, whom I'd helped in the selection exam: holed up researching, ignored outside, lost her spot, became passive. Nearly expelled.
So the alchemists banded together. But crowds don't mean good times.
Perhaps from their frustration, they create absurd homunculus monsters. That's the core of Chapter 3: [Academy Homunculus Disturbance].
These created monsters respawn endlessly no matter how many you kill, spawning academy ghost stories. But the truth? Not homunculi—parasitic monsters bred via alchemy.
Cadets get infected, mana drained, turned powerless—chaos.
Now in late Chapter 2, they're probably starting cultivation. Preventing disaster for main characters matters, but knowing ahead, I sense an opportunity.
'Parasitic monster... skill probably parasitism?'
I don't like bugs, but the host is likely named-grade. Killing it nets a skill reward. Can't pass on parasitism.
Grinning at the fun idea, I headed back to class.
…
—Class starts. Today's lecture: [Party Member's Qualifications]. Same class as Aria.
"Hm?"
Aria's absent. The mascot of perfect attendance...?
'Skipping...?'
* * *
Rapha Blue Dorm, Aria's room.
"Ugh..."
A groan escaped Aria's lips. High fever since last night. Pure virgin with holy power talent, but barely apprentice priest level—not a saintess.
Yet she'd directly absorbed and purified a B-class demon's black mana. Overload was inevitable.
Aria, who'd never missed a class, had no choice this time.
"Hnn... no strength..."
Her body wouldn't obey. The towel on her forehead was bone-dry like a hand warmer, but she lacked strength to change it.
But she'd chosen this.
—Aria.
—Don't speak.
—Huh?
—...Just stay like that.
She didn't know why, but...
—Aria.
Lev Denek had called her name like he'd resolved something.
"..."
Maybe she feared his truth. But 'That back view... I couldn't just leave it.'
Beautiful, clear yet hollow and lonely wind. In that moment, Lev Denek looked so alone.
Loneliness. A familiar emotion to Aria—she couldn't ignore it.
"So hot..."
Aria hadn't sought the recovery ward. Didn't want him seeing her like this. He might barge in like the selection exam, scold her.
Like a precious childhood memory:
—I was worried sick! The day you came home late picking flowers for Mom, and got scolded instead.
"..."
That peaceful past was gone. This distance suited their relationship.
'Maybe Selena was right...'
As Aria mustered strength to change her towel.
—Knock.
Knock!
"...!"
Someone knocked on her dorm door.