Want to Make a Bet? (1)

How much time had passed?

"...An unfamiliar ceiling."

For the first time since transmigrating, I delivered a line worthy of a possession-novel protagonist and sat up.

An IV drip hung at the edge of my vision. The mattress was vaguely uncomfortable. A sharp medicinal smell stung my nose. Apparently, right after I'd passed out, they'd transferred me to the infirmary inside the academy.

How long has it been?

I got up at once. Just like in the noir films I'd seen, I grabbed the IV line and yanked it out with gusto.

Psshk.

"Uh."

Blood welled up from where I'd pulled the needle.

"Ugh, uuugh, ughh?!"

And quite a lot of it, too.

"Fuck, it worked in the movies!!"

I hurriedly clamped a hand over my forearm and yanked aside the curtain hanging around the bed.

"Be at ease. This is a hospital."

A doctor in round black-rimmed glasses approached me as if he'd been waiting for this exact moment.

"I have good news and bad news. Which would you care to hear first?"

"How about the treatment first!!"

"No. Choosing takes priority."

A composure that verged on madness. If I didn't pick, I had the distinct feeling I would not be treated at all, so I finally chose one.

"Bad news first!"

"Hah... Do not force a choice upon me. I should like to deliver the good news first."

I knew this bastard would pull something like this. Those eyes were far too clear — I'd figured he was pretty far gone, and I'd been right.

"First, the bleeding."

The black-haired doctor drew something from his coat and held it out.

"Take this. A miracle medicine of my own making. Da for many, Wi for peril, Rae for darkness, Nol as a phonetic character. Crafted to be usable against many perils and darknesses — commonly known as Dawiraenol."

"So what exactly is it for?"

"Wherever it hurts."

The name of the medicine, the doctor's attitude — it suddenly brought back my time in the military.

Back then, at least the medicine actually worked. No way a drug cooked up by a lunatic like this would be any good.

"Huh."

The bleeding stopped. Like a time-lapse video I'd seen back in Korea, the small, deep needle hole closed over in an instant.

"How many of these can I buy?"

"I shall simply give you some."

Clink.

As if it were nothing, the doctor handed me a small pouch he'd already prepared.

"Come whenever you need more."

"From now on, I'll call you Father."

"Suddenly?"

"Because I'm grateful."

The doctor snorted a laugh and shook his head.

"That is too much pressure. I refuse."

"Then Dad?"

"...I refuse that as well."

"Hyung-nim?"

"...That is enough."

"Understood. But what about Oppa—"

"Kindly shut that mouth of yours."

"Oh."

Didn't think he'd reject Oppa.

The doctor let out a sigh and added,

"I am Nahan, recovery mage of Academy Zion. You may simply call me Han."

"Mmph mmph."

"...This lunatic."

"Mmph?"

"...It is nothing."

The madness that had been flashing in Nahan's eyes had vanished without a trace.

"More importantly, I shall now get to the point."

"Mmph."

"Just speak, would you."

"Yes, Father."

"..."

Looking like a man who had given up on something, Nahan dragged a chair over and sat beside me.

"First, the good news. Eugene, you have a unique constitution. Mana and aura barely affect you."

"That's the good news?"

"Would it not obviously be good news? Had you not possessed this unique constitution, the one facing you now would not be me, but an undertaker."

"Excuse me?"

I'd thought I'd survived because Vivian held back. Turns out I'd lived because of a unique constitution.

"Okay. Fair enough."

I nodded cleanly.

"So, what's the bad news?"

Nahan's expression hardened. He fidgeted with the chart in his hands, composed a blank face, and opened his mouth.

"It is gone."

"What is?"

"...Your aura has vanished. The A-Rank equivalent aura you would have honed over a lifetime. Gone, as if it had never existed at all."

"What?"

What the hell was he talking about?

It was never there to begin with?

Eugene was originally an F-Rank extra. Thanks to Admiration he'd used skills, but when it wasn't active, F-Rank was exactly right.

"I heard you were a leading candidate to enter as the top student. And yet you have suddenly become an F-Rank admittee. I cannot even begin to imagine the sense of loss. And since the cause is Lady Vivian, you would not even dare to protest..."

That's when it hit me. Nahan — and an unspecified number of other people — were laboring under a serious misunderstanding.

Everyone thinks I'm a powerhouse.

Why? Wondering what on earth had caused this misconception, I retraced my steps since transmigrating.

Mediating between Yuria and Rania. Destroying the scarecrow. Playing Bright like a fiddle. Surviving Vivian. Even at a glance, it was a laundry list of things an F-Rank extra should never have been able to pull off.

...Yeah. I can see how they'd get the wrong idea.

I was still racking my brain over where to even begin explaining this when Nahan went on.

"To shatter a promising student's future and then offer a mere ten gold in compensation... As a fellow member of the academy, I am ashamed."

I found my hint in his words.

What if a leading top-student candidate suffered an unfortunate accident and got knocked down to F-Rank?

I wouldn't need to convince anyone. I'd be demoted to F-Rank all on my own. Extra Eugene would become F-Rank just like in the original, and I could quietly step back and help Rania.

And that wasn't all.

"Did you just say ten gold?"

"That is correct. I am truly ashamed."

"AAAAH, AAAAAAH, HWAAAAAAAGH!!!! SuddenlyitshittingmetheA-RankauraIspentalifetimebuildingisgoneawaveofviolentgriefiscrashingovermeAAAAAGH!!!!"

I could even get ten gold for free. One gold was worth roughly a million won, which made ten gold a cool ten million.

Living expenses ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠aside, I'll need money when I'm going after Yuria, too...

For someone who currently owned nothing but a single sword, that was exactly what I needed most.

Rather than giving some half-baked explanation, let's just act out the lie everyone already believes as if it were the truth.

Having made up my mind, I rummaged through everything I'd ever seen across every form of mass media. From countless scenes, I selected the actor who had lost the thing most precious to him.

"D-Doctor, sir!! I cannot feel any aura or mana in my body at all!!!"

I acted with every ounce of my soul.

"Why in the world has this happened to me!!!!"

Whether he'd fallen for my desperate performance, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Nahan chewed his lip and answered.

"...Of all places. Lady Vivian's aura struck a most unfortunate spot."

"I... I've become an aura eunuch. I've become a mana eunuch!! This can't be happening!!!!"

Thank you, Shim Young. Thank you, Age of the Wilds.

And so I lay back down on the bed, scrunching my face as hard as I could, still acting, when—

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the infirmary door.

"Who is it!!"

"The faculty. May we come in?"

Nahan glanced at me for a cue. I froze my expression like a dying man watching the last leaf, then slowly nodded.

"Enter."

The moment Nahan gave permission, several professors barged in without the slightest restraint.

"Eugene!! If you have any conscience left, disappear from this place at once!!"

"Vivian showed up because of you!! We won't even ask for compensation, so get out!!"

"It's a blessing this was just the entrance exam — we nearly had countless people injured!! Don't tell me you're planning to repeat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same thing?!"

Aha. Because Vivian came looking for me, and they don't know when she might come again, I should leave?

Do these bastards have no shame?

The snout that housed the very soul of Korea gave a twitch, but now was not the time.

"What is the meaning of this! We agreed to explain the situation and follow the student's choice!!"

"Student? What student!! Anyone who'd still enroll after hearing this isn't even human!!"

"That's right!! If Vivian comes again—"

"It's Lady Vivian, you son of a bitch!!! How dare a lowly human casually take the all-powerful Lady Vivian's name in vain, and on top of that omit the honorific — I will kill you for this!!"

"Wha—?! Did you just curse at me?!"

Seeing the opinions split down the middle, it seemed not everyone was trying to kick me out.

In that case, now's the time to stir the pot.

Create a reason they can't expel me, and unify the divided opinions into one. Having finished the thought, I quietly raised my hand.

Silence fell in an instant. Every eye in the room locked onto me. I didn't let the opening slip. I put on a smile as relaxed as I could manage — and, at the same time, almost benevolent.

Then I looked at Chulsoo and opened my mouth.

"Professor K-Charles de Lumiere, Head of the Swordsmanship Department. Might I trouble you to explain what exactly is going on?"

Even in pain, I maintained impeccable manners — a posture of utmost courtesy and warmth. The moment Chulsoo faced that version of me, his expression crumpled.

He quietly approached, bent down, and whispered in my ear.

"...You little shit. Who the hell are you, impersonating Eugene in here? Are you another spy those bastards planted?"

"Excuse me?"

"The disguise is fairly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impressive, I'll give you that, but you can't fool my eyes. Reveal your identity now. I'll kill you painlessly."

"Professor? I am Eugene."

I stared at Chulsoo, speechless.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh."

Chulsoo drove the point home as if he were certain.

"If you're going to impersonate that bastard Eugene, you should've at least skipped the manners."

"Haa..."

I already have my hands full dealing with those other bastards, and now you too, Chulsoo? Come on.