Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: White Beast Festival (2)
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“Doppelgangers are being put on public display for the first time. A full pair of Alpha and Omega, at that.”
“Doppel… what?”
Ronan furrowed his brow at the unfamiliar word. It was something straight out of the fairy tales Iril used to read him as a kid. A mysterious creature that could freely change its appearance.
“Those things are real?”
“...You really had no idea. Then you probably don’t know much about that ridiculous ability either?”
“Ability? Like changing appearances?”
“Yeah. But doppelgangers read their target’s mind to change. Alpha turns into someone the target loves, and Omega into someone they hate. Isn’t that fascinating?”
“What?”
Ronan’s face hardened. Marya twirled a lock of her hair as she continued.
“It reveals your true feelings, even the ones you didn’t know you had. No one our age could just walk past that.”
“...Into someone they hate?”
“That’s what they say. What, you interested in Omega instead of Alpha?”
“What’s the point of knowing who you love? Useless.”
“Hmph, Mr. Hotshot. Just gonna take it and run, huh?”
Marya pouted. Ronan’s interest, regardless, was fixed solely on the Omega doppelganger. For all his complaints about everything, there was only one target worthy of the lofty term “hate.”
...Not a bad way to steel my resolve.
For a split second, Ahayute’s pallid face flashed in his mind. Just that made his forehead burn. A sudden question popped up.
What the hell happened?
Marya treated doppelgangers like common knowledge, but he’d never heard of them in his previous life. A creature that bizarre would’ve been the talk of every poacher buddy he had.
As Ronan pondered, Marya tapped his shoulder and let out a low chuckle.
“Hehe, anyway, the White Beast Festival’s definitely happening now because of the doppelgangers. And it’ll rake in some serious coin.”
“Coin?”
“Yeah. Students can open stalls during the festival, right? I’ve already got big plans.”
Marya was already scheming business amid all this. It didn’t surprise him anymore. The mindset of someone destined to be the empire’s top magnate was on another level.
Come to think of it, the Karabel Merchant Group had reportedly grown several times larger since he first saw it. Thanks to monopolizing Doron the blacksmith’s scrap gear and successfully investing profits from the Baidian Mountains.
Impressive.
It was like a sturdy wildflower thriving without a drop of water. He hadn’t paid it much attention lately, yet it was fulfilling its role perfectly. As both merchant and warrior.
Ronan’s lips curved into a proud smile as he patted Marya’s head. The moment his callused palm touched her scalp, her eyes flew wide and she recoiled in shock.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“You’re doing great.”
“Even so, not out of nowhere like that…! Did you eat something bad?!”
Marya stammered from a couple steps away, her face red as an apple. Ronan scowled.
“I just touched your head. My hands are clean.”
“That’s not the point…! My hair’s still wet!”
Marya fussed with her damp locks. It was ridiculous—she’d clung to him first, and now she freaked over a head pat. And it was already soaked anyway.
“I-I’m here, Ronan. What’s up?”
The clubroom door creaked open, and Asel entered. Fresh from class, he clutched three or four thick books under his arms. His gaze suddenly landed on the two.
“...Huh?”
“C-Cutie’s here?”
Marya waved with an awkward smile. Sensing the awkward vibe, Asel froze. His mage’s keen observation pieced it together instantly.
Marya’s pale face was flushed red. Water still dripped from her hair. Following the droplets on the floor, Asel noticed they trailed all the way to Ronan.
No way.
Asel’s face stiffened. Ronan’s shoulder was soaked like he’d been caught in the rain.
Ronan slumped at the desk, staring blankly into space with a utterly drained look. The kind you only get after extreme exhaustion or ecstasy.
“Uh… ugh…”
Tears welled in Asel’s eyes. The books slipped from his limp arms and crashed down.
This was too much. Asel wiped his eyes with his sleeve and grabbed the doorknob.
“...Sorry for interrupting. I’ll head out.”
“Huh? You just got here—where you going?”
“I-I…”
Asel looked up. His big eyes were brimming, ready to spill. Ronan frowned.
“Cut the nonsense and come here. Called you for a gift.”
“...I’ll take it next time.”
“What’s with you today? Want me to beat you senseless?”
“Ugh… uwu…”
Asel shuffled over sniffling. Ronan pulled Bajura from his back pocket. The cover and pages were crisp, like newly bound. Hard to believe it had been shredded and crumpled trash before.
Creepy. Forbidden tomes live up to the name.
He’d infused it with sparkling mana just in case, and this happened. Mysterious stuff, that mana. Asel tilted his head at the book.
“W-what’s this?”
“Magic book you’d like. Took hell to get, so read it.”
“...It’s all black.”
Asel’s eyes widened as he flipped through. Seeing how well it suited him, Ronan nodded.
A guy who swings a blade needs to wield this.
No matter how hard Ronan tried, he couldn’t comprehend Bajura. It wasn’t just tough content or unknown words—the knowledge itself rejected him.
So he handed it to clever Asel. Frustrating habits aside, the kid had a sharp mind.
Someday, he might unlock Bajura’s infinite power or whatever. Suddenly, Asel gasped while leafing through.
“A-amazing. How does this mana structure even…!”
“Eh?”
“R-Ronan. Where’d you get this book…?”
Asel’s voice trembled. Not even a minute since handing it over.
“...You can read that?”
“Y-yeah… I only eyeballed the first page, but.”
“Eyeballed?”
Asel nodded. He explained the entire contents were encrypted. That’s what caused Ronan’s weird feeling. Only those who deciphered the mana logic could read the text and uncover the hidden knowledge.
“H-honestly, it’s insanely hard. Gets tougher toward the back.”
“Can’t read it?”
“N-not that bad… Give me time, I can crack it. Though decoding’s different from understanding…”
“You’re better than the Tower Lord. No joke.”
Ronan chuckled dryly. He hadn’t expected anyone to actually read Bajura. As long as Asel didn’t show up to the club with blacked-out eyes standing over members’ corpses, he had no more wishes.
Everyone’s doing great.
Ronan’s lips quirked up. His comrades were exceeding expectations.
Not just these two—Braum, Ophelia, even annoying Schlieffen. They were all growing through their own efforts. Ronan stood, hand on knee, and turned to Marya.
“Marya. It’s been a while—let’s spar.”
“Huh, now?”
“Yeah. Body’s itching bad. Come on.”
“W-wait!”
Ronan grabbed Marya’s wrist and dragged her out. Asel, absorbed in Bajura, forgot they existed and dove into reading. Soon, voices echoed from the training grounds.
“Ow! What’d I trip on?!”
“Eyes open. Your sword’s gotten slower.”
Cicadas chirped through the half-open window. Twilight blanketed the campus. The noisy day faded away.
Time flew by. As the White Beast Festival neared, Phileon’s atmosphere heated up noticeably.
“It’s really almost here. Man, to think I get to join the legendary White Beast Festival.”
“That Manticore from last time’ll come too, right? Ugh…”
Festival talk was everywhere on campus. Students debated favorite or must-see beasts, conversations blooming.
“Gonna go with my boyfriend. If it doesn’t turn into me, I’ll kill it.”
“Heh, what if Omega turns into you?”
The doppelgangers topped the hype, of course. No student could dislike a creature that read minds and transformed. Phileon Academy as the first public venue swelled their pride.
“Animal biscuits… food carts and balloon stalls checked… Cutie, what’s left?”
“S-street portraits, I think.”
“Right. Got the artist but no easel. Let’s go!”
“T-together!”
Marya mobilized every contact for stall prep. Festival-goers wouldn’t dream her nine differently themed shops were all hers.
But some couldn’t enjoy it.
The night before the festival.
Arena 1 bustled despite the late hour when it should’ve been empty. Adeshan’s voice trembled.
“R-Ronan. You sure? Isn’t this too many?”
“It’s fine, Senior. Need this many to improve.”
To be precise, only Ronan and Adeshan were people. Knights in full plate surrounded him—magitech knights, training tools for third-years and up.
“Th-then… go?”
Blue glows leaked from narrow helmet slits, like Lord Madros from the entrance exam. Adeshan squeezed her eyes shut and incanted the activation spell.
“...Move.”
The knights’ eyes flashed red in unison. Ronan rolled aside. Clang! Nine blades stabbed where he’d stood.
Ronan focused on evasion and defense, not direct clashes. Whoosh! Blades sliced perilously between his limbs. Confirming them clustered, Ronan stomped.
“Eat this!”
Boom! A hemispheric shockwave burst from him. Glistening roots ensnared the knights’ legs. Crash! They toppled into each other.
“S-success!”
Adeshan clapped. Just days apart, her skill had leaped. Slash! Ronan fired sword beams at the disabled knights.
They froze from excess damage. Seeing roots on all nine, Ronan chuckled breathlessly.
“Hah… damn… huff, finally.”
Mana nearly depleted, but it didn’t matter. Achievement was what counted. Ronan collapsed, panting.
“Ugh… huff, gonna die…”
“Good work.”
He’d poured all time into honing his second core and borrowed aura. Growth speed wasn’t slow, thankfully.
It outpaced his own mana growth, even. Like awakening shadow mana? Adeshan clasped hands, awed by the fallen knights.
“Incredible. Such progress in just half a month!”
“Hah… thanks to you… Balance okay this time?”
“Yeah. Felt a bit floaty, though. Lower the output slightly?”
Ronan nodded at her advice. Sounded right.
“For real… Whew, thanks.”
“Hehe, glad I could help.”
Adeshan smiled. She alone knew Ronan’s secret: he could copy auras. He’d decided to tell her after deliberation.
“Think I could copy Instructor Naviroje’s All-Slash someday?”
“Damn, not even close. Can’t handle these roots properly yet.”
“I’ll help. Step by step.”
“Heh, thanks.”
Ronan grinned and lay flat. The dark ceiling loomed. Empty arena made voices echo.
Adeshan aided with her insight. Her advanced perception-based advice proved invaluable. Hesitating, she crouched beside him.
“Festival starts tomorrow. Time flies.”
“Yeah.”
“Weird. Since meeting you, a decade’s worth of events crammed into moments.”
“Just a feeling.”
Ronan said flatly. Adeshan just smiled softly, no retort. Silence fell—heavy enough to hear dust float. Hesitantly, she spoke.
“...Ronan, during the festival… just training?”
“Hm… maybe sightsee a bit? Stuff I wanna see.”
“Okay.”
Silence again. So quiet, dust seemed audible. Adeshan ventured carefully.
“Then… maybe with me…”
Bang! The arena door flew open, lights blazing on. A familiar voice boomed.
“Unbelievable. What’re you doing here in the dead of night?”
“I-Instructor?!”
Adeshan jolted up. Ronan looked over. A familiar silhouette stood at the door, arms crossed. Naviroje continued.
“First you massage legs in class, now secret rendezvous? Bold for your age.”
“S-secret what…! It’s not…”
“What’s going on?”
Ronan sheathed Ramancha and stood. Naviroje’s expression wasn’t joking. She eyed them alternately, sighed.
“...You two might handle it. The doppelgangers are gone.”