Episode 35
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 35
Returning to the Prefect Office, Elysia found herself being grilled by Adrian and Evan.
When they asked what happened, Elysia had to figure out how to sugarcoat the phrase ‘Go on, run wild all you want’—a sentence that could only be described as malicious. So, what she ended up telling them was:
“He said I could do whatever I want?”
…Which, well, wasn’t entirely wrong.
A look of disbelief flashed across Adrian’s face. He kept tilting his head, making his curly red hair, which looked warmer than usual in the sunlight, bounce around distractingly.
Annoyed by the distraction, Elysia moved away, but he stubbornly followed her.
“Be honest. You hit him, didn’t you? Threatened him?”
“This little shit, I said no!”
Adrian snickered as if Elysia’s outburst was hilarious, but upon seeing her sharp glare, he seemed to realize he might actually get hit if he pushed any further.
He hastily tried to focus back on his studies, but then he looked up again and teased her.
“Did you kick him, then?”
“For fuck’s sake, I told you I didn't beat him up!”
♥ SYSTEM: Adrian Campbellton's Favorability +10 | ‘Fun-to-Tease Big Sis’ route in progress ♥
Elysia stared at Adrian’s favorability window with a dumbfounded expression. The route that had once been ‘Completely Close Friends!>0<’ had changed to this at some point and stayed that way ever since.
Does this bastard think I’m a joke?
“Hey, I’m just checking, just checking. It’s not like you have an ordinary temper, is it?”
Muttering, Adrian pouted and tapped the floor with the tip of his shoe. Elysia irritably stuck out her leg to stomp on it, but then she noticed his shoes and tilted her head.
“…Your shoes are the same as the senior’s?”
“Isn’t that obvious? The shoes are part of the school uniform, so of course they’re the same.”
The shoes are part of the uniform, huh… Lost in thought, Elysia realized that her bickering with Adrian had inadvertently led her right next to Evan, who was reading quietly. He looked up from his book and asked:
“I’m glad you didn’t resort to violence again, but… you didn’t swear either, did you?”
“…”
“You did swear. Right, that’s more like you.”
She was annoyed at being treated like a thug, but she couldn’t lash out because, well, she was that kind of delinquent. And she had, in fact, sworn… She might have a foul temper, but she wasn't incapable of self-awareness.
Evan slipped a bookmark between the pages he was reading. “So, what’s the plan?”
“I need to dig a little deeper. I’m planning to go to the Art Hall again once I’m done with this. God, this shit is so hard to memorize…”
Grumbling, Elysia looked down at the dense cram sheet she’d filled out and stretched her stiff wrist. She had just been kicked out of class by the professor thirty minutes after it started.
Seeing Elysia constantly repeat “Huh?” with a look that screamed ‘I have no idea what you’re saying,’ the professor had looked at her as if she were an orangutan picking its nose with a stick it was supposed to use as a tool. Then, he asked her a few questions.
Since some of the questions were about things she’d pulled an all-nighter to memorize, she managed to stammer out a few answers. After assessing her level of knowledge, the professor promptly shoved a stack of papers at her and said:
“At Minerva, where the problem is usually students studying too far ahead, you’re the first I’ve seen with such a blank slate. Let’s work on this together. I’ll be canceling class for the next week. Let’s meet again next week.”
The intention was clear: he was going to drag her through the mud if he had to, but he was determined to fill that empty head of hers. She had one week to memorize everything.
Instead of being displeased with her blank-slate state of knowledge, the professor looked at her as if he’d discovered a raw talent with limitless potential. Seeing his expression, Elysia looked like she was about to cry.
What the hell is that look? Is this… good? I don’t think so. I feel like I’ve walked into a trap.
In any case, she had now fallen into another hell of memorization.
Adrian glanced at the papers in front of her.
“He’s a really strict professor. You must have made a good impression on him, huh?”
“You think this shit happened because he likes me?”
“…Well, the amount you have to memorize in a week is pretty brutal, but let’s be honest, you don’t know anything, do you? How did you even pass the entrance exam?”
You guys may have taken an exam, but I didn’t. I just woke up and found myself here. …Does this count as some kind of admissions fraud?
As she thought this, Elysia pulled out a new sheet of paper to start writing down the items she had to memorize, but she spotted something and frowned.
Huh? Why the hell are these substances in this world?
“…Hey.”
“Why the murderous tone all of a sudden—”
“Can you run experiments with these?”
Adrian glanced at the page Elysia’s hand was on and replied as if it were obvious.
“Of course. It’s not like the materials you’re pointing at are particularly rare.”
“Really? Okay.”
She said it as if it were nothing, but she had actually discovered something very concerning. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. After reading over the paper one more time with a troubled look, Elysia stood up.
“By the way, why the experiments?”
“None of your business.”
At her sharp dismissal, Adrian pouted and grumbled, “You’re usually so brutally honest… it’s not like you to be so secretive.”
“What was that?”
“Aah, don’t hit me!”
Adrian theatrically crossed his arms in an X to defend himself and cowered. Dumbfounded, Elysia muttered, “This little shit must think I’m a joke…”
“A joke? No! You’re scary!”
She was amazed at his gall—to be so cheeky to someone he claimed to be scared of. The kid had some serious nerve. Evan, who had been leisurely turning the pages of his book, naturally stood up with her.
“Are you going to the Art Hall?”
“I finished what I needed to do.”
He glanced down at her hands as if trying to hide his concern, then smiled and asked, “Planning on climbing the wall again today?”
“…I have the student council’s permission, so today I’m going through the front door with my head held high…”
She looked up at Evan, who had followed her out of the Prefect Office as if it were the most natural thing in the world, with a bewildered expression.
“Are you coming with me?”
“Were you planning on going alone?”
She gave a reluctant nod at his calm retort. Wasn’t that the obvious plan? Seeing her guarded expression, Evan smiled.
“You’re going to need me.”
“Hmm…?”
“I don’t mean to offend you, but… El, you get hurt, fall down, and pass out all the time.”
Now that he mentioned it, he had a point…
Even if she’d leveled up, she was still squishy. Her HP was constantly getting cut in half at the slightest provocation. Besides, the last time she climbed the wall, she’d confirmed that the system of <You’ll Fall in Love> was actively changing the terrain as if trying to eliminate her, which doubled the risk.
It was an offer she had no reason to refuse.
“Alright.”
Seeing her agree so readily, the man smiled brightly, as if in relief.
♥ SYSTEM: Evan Sylvester's Favorability +10 | Current Favorability 190 (LEVEL 4) | ‘Trusting Person’ route in progress ♥
Elysia dismissed the lovely, sparkling pink system window with an indifferent gaze and went to stand beside him with a faint smile.
He had made a promise with her. Unlike the other characters who acted according to their programming, Evan was real to her. So this had to be just friendship. It had to be.
Anything else would be a betrayal.
*
They chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they were in front of the Art Hall. The guards stationed there saw Elysia’s confident face and gave her a bored ‘You again?’ look, but then they spotted the man standing behind her and paled, bowing deeply.
What the? What’s with them? Unlike the bewildered Elysia, Evan pressed his lips into a thin line as if embarrassed, but he didn’t seem flustered.
“The student council has given the Prefects permission to investigate the student artwork vandalism case as we see fit.”
“Yes, you may enter.”
This easily? This quickly? It was hard to believe she’d had to resort to climbing a wall because she couldn’t manage something this simple. Hmphing, she started to walk past the guards, but something caught her eye.
“What’s with this guy?”
A young soldier, who had been staring blankly at Evan’s back as if gazing upon a legendary hero, gasped in shock when the woman suddenly grabbed him. Seeing her annoyed, narrowed gray eyes, the soldier couldn’t help but stammer, “S-Sorry?”
“What’s with that look? You look like a pervert.”
“It’s just that he’s so famous…”
Hmm? Elysia looked puzzled.
“…As the cast-out disgrace of the House of Sylvester?”
“What! The higher-ups might curse him for having no honor, but guys like us know better. We know how deeply respected he is…!”
The soldier clenched his fist, his eyes sparkling as he spoke to Elysia. She wanted to hear more, but she had to leave to catch up with Evan, who was walking ahead hastily as if trying to escape. Sighing, Elysia pulled out her notebook and quickly asked:
“Ah, well, we can set that aside for now. There’s some kind of chute in the Fifth Painting Room. Is that a trash chute? Like an iron door, about 104 cm wide and 60 cm high.”
“Ah, yes. Each studio has a chute like that. The art department produces a lot of large waste, you see. The waste from the chute falls directly into the wagons positioned below, and they’re moved out at midnight… but how did you know—”
“Never mind that. Where does all the collected trash go?”
Caught off guard by Elysia’s rapid-fire questions, the guard answered, “There’s a disposal site about an hour from here by wagon that buys the trash. They seem to buy it, sort through it for anything usable, and then sell that for a profit.”
“Do they incinerate it?”
“I’m not sure about that…”
“Well, okay. Thanks for your cooperation.”
「Waste transported via wagon at midnight. Destination: disposal site 1 hr away. Incineration status unknown.」
Scribbling the information in her notebook, she rushed forward without looking and ran smack into something hard. She looked up and saw that it was Evan, standing stock-still. She carefully moved to stand beside him again and glanced at his face.
His expression was hard, as if he were reliving a nightmare he didn’t want to remember.
Elysia suddenly found herself curious about his past, about what he was thinking.
But could she ask?
This was the man who had fled as if burned by her casual comment about thinking he was a soldier. Still, maybe it would be okay to ask now.
Elysia took a deep breath and grabbed the wrist of the man who, having forgotten even to match her pace, was about to walk blankly past her.
“Hey—”
“Don’t follow me!”
It was then that someone else’s voice suddenly cut in.