Chapter 313
Chapter 313
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 313
Chapter Title: Hearts at Cross-Purposes
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The weekend was over, and the eleventh week of the academy had begun.
And the academy was not on break.
As the new week started, I left the dormitory to attend my lectures. My eyes took in the sight of many people.
I could immediately sense the unsettled atmosphere of the academy.
“...”
The faces of the cadets I passed were still far from bright.
‘Maybe this is to be expected.’
This wasn't an incident they could recover from in a few days.
...Perhaps I was the abnormal one for trying to move forward as if nothing had happened.
As I thought this, I instinctively glanced to my side.
“David. Are you okay?”
“Well… I’m fine.”
David’s calm reply couldn't hide the significant change in his demeanor.
A shadow had fallen over the face of a boy who was always cheerful; his grief seemed profound.
“If you’re not feeling well, taking a break is an option.”
“Hearing that from you… does my expression really look that bad?”
He responded with a faint smile, but I was still a little worried.
Truthfully, aside from a select few in our class, I had few connections, but David was an outgoing guy who got along well with everyone.
Since some of the cadets he was close with had been seriously injured or even killed in this incident... the grief he must be feeling was bound to be far greater than my own.
“That said, Han Cheon-seong, you don’t look so great yourself.”
“I’m just… a little tired.”
I gave an awkward smile at his counter-question.
“And I heard you sparred with Luna again yesterday. Aren’t you pushing your body too hard?”
“I’m not overdoing it. I only do it because I can handle it.”
I was literally not overdoing it.
The reason my body was so tired right now wasn't due to the aftermath of the spar, but because of the mana Ariya had injected into me.
‘She said it was to forcibly increase my mana capacity.’
I vaguely recalled the explanation Ariya had given me.
She had injected her mana into my body to temporarily stop mine from leaking out, allowing it to reside within me.
But her mana had a considerable effect on my condition.
It felt like a foreign substance remained in my body, which, to be honest, was quite bothersome.
“Right. I’m sure you know what you’re doing, but still, get some rest.”
“I’m resting a fair amount, so don’t worry.”
Soon after, we entered the lecture hall.
*Step….*
As I walked toward our usual seats, the many empty spots in the hall caught my eye.
Seats that should have been mostly filled by this time were sparsely occupied.
The thought that all those empty seats belonged to injured or deceased cadets weighed heavily on my heart.
“...A lot of seats are empty.”
David seemed to have noticed as well, and I replied a bit calmly.
“Yeah. Still, I think things will be a little quieter for a while.”
Kalli had informed me that lectures would proceed as normal.
Due to the frequent cancellations from the recent string of incidents, they had fallen far behind the curriculum of previous years, making the continuation of lectures unavoidable.
However, I heard the content of the lectures, which would continue amidst repeated dangers, had been drastically changed.
“I hope so.”
Seeing David’s composed response, I thought we could finally catch our breath for a while.
‘At least…’
An incident on the scale of this recent tragedy was unlikely to happen again for a little while.
In the original story, around this time, outdoor lectures decreased, and access to various dangerous locations was restricted, making it a period when Leonhardt focused on his growth.
*Screech.*
After some time, Kalli entered the lecture hall. The unsettled atmosphere inside was instantly quelled.
*Thump!*
As she arranged the textbooks she brought on the lectern, Kalli scanned the room.
“I know that all of you are going through a difficult time, and I believe it is at times like these that we must steel our hearts.”
Kalli’s voice rang out calmly.
The cadets who met her gaze straightened up and listened intently, and I, too, paid closer attention to her words.
“I know this won’t be of much comfort, but I want to address the reality we face. I cannot promise that a tragedy like this won't happen again at the academy.”
After a short pause, Kalli’s eyes grew more somber as she spoke with conviction.
From my perspective, she looked as if she was feeling a sense of guilt.
The heavy burden of failing to protect so many cadets. Seeing her like this, I didn't feel at ease either.
“……”
Then, she continued.
“The instructors are doing their utmost even now. To eliminate the dangers and ensure such an event never happens again... the reality is that all assistant instructors are being mobilized for outdoor lectures. The Imperial family, recognizing the danger of this incident, has promised to dispatch a large contingent of knights for protection, and high noble families have also pledged various forms of support.”
At the mention of the Imperial family and high nobles, the expressions of most cadets brightened, while a few others hardened.
I belonged to the latter, smaller group.
‘It doesn’t mean much.’
The cadets from noble families would realize just how unexpected this tragedy was.
It wasn't an incident that happened because they were unprepared.
It happened *despite* being prepared…
So even with the promise of additional forces from the Imperial family and support from high noble families, they wouldn't be able to let their guard down, considering the dangers yet to come.
“Therefore, lectures will proceed with extreme caution from now on. The suspension of all outdoor lectures for the time being is for that reason. We will only resume outdoor lectures after the knights dispatched from the Imperial family and the support from the high noble families are firmly established at the academy.”
Kalli paused and looked at us all once more.
Her gaze held a clear intent.
And yet, the quality of her eyes had changed from moments before.
As she looked at us, her eyes were filled with a firm resolve, as if she were making a vow to herself…
***
—They were drifting apart.
Even when they were together, she felt an indescribable distance.
Though she didn't want to think it... Luna could feel it.
That in just one day, the relationship between her and Millia was about to change so drastically…
“Good work in class today, everyone. I hope you can all find some peace of mind.”
As the afternoon lectures concluded, the cadets began to leave one by one.
Luna cautiously glanced to her side.
‘Cold…’
Millia’s face, which had always been gentle and kind, now felt cold.
“...Millia?”
Despite this, she called out to her softly, and she saw Millia’s head turn toward her.
“Yes. What is it?”
“I was hoping we could go to the café together. I have a few things I want to tell you…”
Even as she spoke, her voice lacked confidence.
The feeling that she had done something wrong to Millia was suffocating her.
“……”
Millia stared at her for a moment without a word.
This time, Luna forced herself not to look away.
She felt it faintly.
That she had to somehow get closer to Millia right now.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
“Th-thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t mention it.”
As Millia gathered her things with a brief reply, Luna’s heart pounded in her chest.
*Thump.*
*Thump….*
‘I just have to do better from now on.’
She knew full well why Millia was being so cold to her, so she thought that if she just corrected her actions from now on, things would be fine.
And what happened during the spar yesterday was…
It was just a momentary accident.
Nodding to herself, she was about to get up from her seat when.
“Luna.”
The sudden voice seemed to freeze her body in place.
It was a voice she shouldn't have heard. A voice that absolutely should not have called her name, especially at this timing.
“……”
But before she knew it, her body had reacted.
Slowly turning, she saw a man standing there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Beneath his black hair, dark eyes were fixed on her.
“Do you have a moment today? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
As he looked at her with a faint smile, she instinctively shook her head.
At the same time, her gaze naturally shifted to Millia beside her.
“……”
Millia’s eyes as she looked at her were so empty.
As her already cold gaze grew even colder, Luna felt a genuine sense of crisis.
“No! I don’t have time today. I have a prior engagement, so I absolutely can’t.”
Just as she rejected Han Cheon-seong with an overly strong reaction.
“...No. It’s fine, Luna.”
In a voice that anyone could tell was not fine at all... Millia spoke to her.
“Han Cheon-seong said he has something to tell you.”
At that voice, so cold it was devoid of emotion... it felt as if her heart had plummeted.
“……”
It was so frigid.
...The look in her eyes, and Millia’s voice, were so indifferent that her mind felt like it was going blank.
‘That’s not what I meant at all…’
The unspoken thought echoed through her heart, filling it completely.
Her body had just reacted in that moment.
It wasn't that she was interested in Han Cheon-seong or anything of the sort.
“...Millia?”
She called out to Millia again in a daze, but now, she wouldn't even look at her.
That, more than anything…
Felt even more frightening.