Chapter 26: Cafeteria 5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: Cafeteria 5
"Oops, are you alright? You shouldn't be sleeping in a place like this."
I spoke with mock kindness, extending a hand toward the man lying motionless, face-planted on the floor.
Despite my best efforts to be helpful, the man showed no sign of moving. Hmm, did he pass out?
"Just how hard were you studying to fall asleep in the cafeteria like this? As expected of an Academy senior, you're truly impressive. Though I can't say I'm eager to follow your example."
"Pfft!"
"Pwahaha!"
The other students watching the scene burst into laughter. Since everyone here was an Academy student, they had seen exactly how the man had fallen.
Simply tripping over my leg while running wouldn't normally knock someone unconscious. The reason he had blacked out was that he had been sprinting while reinforcing his body with mana. The sudden shift in momentum had turned his own strength against him.
"You little piece of—!"
Perhaps because his friend was being mocked, a man who appeared to be his companion shouted at me. Judging by his massive build and the sword at his waist, he was clearly a swordsman. He reached out, intending to grab me by the collar.
However, his hand never reached me. Before I could even move to dodge, someone else caught the man's arm.
The hand that intercepted the giant's reach was slender and pale, looking fragile in comparison to the man's thick, muscular arm. The man struggled with all his might to shake it off.
"Ugh...!"
But no matter how much he thrashed and resisted, he couldn't break free from that single, delicate hand. The woman holding his arm applied pressure and spoke in a low, chilling voice.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Jo—Johanna... Sto-o-op!!"
The person who had seized the man's wrist was Johanna. She had moved from her seat across from me in an instant to intercept him.
When did she even move?
I had clearly seen her sitting down just a second before the man reached out.
Johanna must have been applying incredible force, as the man fell to his knees in agony. The sight of a massive man kneeling and groaning in pain before a woman looked utterly surreal.
Since this man was one of the lackeys Vermin kept around, he was likely one of the stronger students among the third years. The reason a top-tier third-year couldn't shake off Johanna, a second-year, was simple.
Johanna was overwhelmingly stronger than him.
Johanna was ranked 1st among the second years. If you included the third years, she was ranked 2nd in the entire school. The implication was clear: excluding Joden, there wasn't a single student who could defeat Johanna.
With her characteristic expressionless face, Johanna ruthlessly twisted the man's hand. When she finally let go, the man let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Aaaaaagh!!"
His scream echoed through the cafeteria. Leaving the man behind, Johanna turned to me.
"You aren't hurt anywhere, are you?"
She spoke with a worried expression, a complete 180 from the coldness she had shown while breaking the man's arm.
"Yes! Thanks to you, Senior, I don't have a single scratch. Though I don't think the same can be said for them."
I pointed toward the man still sobbing on the floor.
"Are you sure you're not hurt?"
Ignoring the man I was pointing at, Johanna stepped closer, checking me over from head to toe to ensure I was truly unharmed.
"Do you want to go to the infirmary just in case?"
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm really fine!"
I hadn't been hurt in the first place. Joden had frozen the first guy who drew a sword, and Johanna had handled the one who tried to grab me.
Vermin, who had been watching the whole situation unfold, vented his anger on his remaining subordinates.
"What are you doing, you idiots?! Get these useless bastards out of here right now."
"""Yes, sir!"""
Vermin's subordinates scrambled to pick up the man who had been tripped and the one whose arm Johanna had twisted.
"My subordinates were quite rude. Johanna, I feel terrible about this. Would you allow me to treat you to a meal sometime to make up for it?"
Vermin spoke to Johanna, forcing a smile and trying his best to look composed.
"Johanna?"
Johanna didn't even seem to hear him, still preoccupied with checking if I had any hidden injuries.
"Pfft."
"Kuhuhu."
As Vermin was completely ignored, the sound of stifled laughter broke out among the watching students. Vermin whipped his head around to find who was laughing, but with so many people, it wasn't easy to pinpoint the source.
"Tsk."
Vermin glared fiercely at the spectators before leading his subordinates toward the cafeteria exit.
"You. Watch your back."
Before leaving, he placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke in a chilling voice. The moment his hand touched me, I felt a revolting sensation, as if insects were crawling all over my body.
"Thank you for worrying about me. You should be careful too."
In my heart, I wanted to chop off the hand this vermin had placed on my shoulder.
"I'll make sure your Academy life is very... enjoyable from now on."
But I couldn't do that right now.
"Wow~ I'm really looking forward to seeing how you'll make it enjoyable. I'll make sure your Academy life is just as fun."
This was why I liked the mask. I didn't have to manage my facial expressions; I only had to worry about the tone of my voice.
As I fired back at every provocation Vermin threw my way, I could hear the surrounding students gulping in tension.
"Let's go."
Vermin finally took his hand off my shoulder and walked out of the cafeteria, his subordinates shooting me glares as they followed. Interestingly, no one dared to glare at Johanna or Joden on their way out. Well, I suppose I am the easiest target among us.
I sat back down and looked around. Everyone in the cafeteria was watching me.
Lucas looked at me with concern, yet his eyes suggested he was already calculating his next move. Even if the Academy operated on the principle of equality, as the Crown Prince of the Empire, there were political considerations he had to keep in mind.
Sepia, who had been coldly ignoring my waves earlier, was now looking at me with worried eyes, likely because I had been marked by Vermin. Clara's eyes had been shaking uncontrollably since Joden appeared, but seeing me cause an even bigger scene seemed to have calmed her down slightly.
Aside from those three, all the students in the Special Class were looking at me with concern. To think they'd worry so much about someone they just met... Professor Elicia certainly picked her students well.
I raised my hand high and waved to show them I was fine. However, the worried looks on their faces didn't change. Normally, being targeted by a prince of a kingdom would warrant such looks, but there was one thing they were misunderstanding.
It wasn't that I had been marked by Vermin. It was that Vermin had been marked by me.
"Everyone, return to your seats and finish your meals."
The rowdy cafeteria fell silent at Joden's single command. Everyone returned to their places and resumed eating. After seeing the magic Joden had just displayed, no student was foolish enough to defy him.
Joden walked past me and whispered in a low voice.
"You've mellowed out quite a bit."
"Ahaha."
I couldn't say anything in response other than a small, awkward laugh. Dealing with Joden, who knew my past, was always a bit uncomfortable.
What would I have done if I were the 'me' from back then?
I fiddled with my tray, which was almost empty since I had finished my food. If it had been the old me, the moment Vermin touched my mask, I would have smashed his head in with this tray.
Doing what I wanted right then and there, without a thought for the consequences... Back then, I truly lived like a beast.
"..."
While I was lost in thought about those days, I felt a gaze and looked up. Johanna was staring at me with a somewhat displeased expression.
"Do you know that man?"
No matter how quietly Joden had spoken, Johanna, being so close, must have heard him. Moreover, since Joden had used formal speech with me, it was natural for her to be curious.
"Yes, he helped me out a lot in the past."
"How long have you known him?"
Since we met almost immediately after I arrived...
"About six months. Why do you ask?"
Upon hearing my answer, Johanna muttered "six months, six months" to herself. What was with her?
"You're not planning on joining the Student Council, are you?"
That came out of nowhere. Why was she bringing up the Student Council?
"I did receive an offer, but..."
The moment I mentioned the offer, Johanna leaned in close. Seriously, what was wrong with her?
"When?"
"On the day of the entrance ceremony, before I went to the inn. Ah, I turned it down, of course."
Johanna seemed relieved at my words. Realizing she had leaned in too far, she backed away, her face flushing slightly. Still, she seemed to have more questions.
"What did he mean by what he said?"
It seemed Joden's comment about me "mellowing out" was bothering her.
"It's nothing!"
Even if I could answer everything else, talking about my past self was a bit much. How could I tell her I used to act like a wild animal?
When I avoided the question, Johanna pouted slightly and stared at me intently. Then, she said something truly unexpected.
"Join my family after you graduate."
"Pardon?"