Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Noel Snow
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"Proud students of Esterro Academy, the sweltering summer heat has begun to subside as we race toward autumn. Though the warmth hasn't fully faded yet, it's just right for starting the second semester."
Taylor Curtis delivered a weighty opening speech from the podium in the auditorium, drawing it out at length.
As he said, even in this lingering heat, not a single wrinkle marred his impeccably tailored suit.
His neatly combed-back white hair was the result of age bleaching its original color.
Yet his blue eyes, deepened by the weight of years, carried a profound gravity.
That was one thing.
But the opening ceremony speech showed no sign of ending anytime soon.
It seemed school principals' addresses were long and tedious everywhere.
Ah, a yawn was coming on.
I clenched my molars desperately to hold it back.
Getting caught like I did with Dray would just be a hassle.
Even so, I couldn't stop the tears welling up in my eyes.
I discreetly wiped away the pooled tears with my fingertip.
In that moment, my eyes met Giacomo's, who stood alongside the professors on the podium.
Still dressed in that ill-fitting priestly robe, he suddenly winked at me.
What was that about?
No, don't think about it.
I couldn't understand him anyway, so I just ignored it.
I rolled my eyes slightly.
Edmund and Bailey, unchanged from the first semester, were also up on the podium.
Shifting my gaze to the other years, I saw Louis looking haggard, staring blankly into space.
Kane, with his title as the duke's eldest daughter—not mere decoration—stood straight, seemingly focused on the speech... but probably lost in other thoughts.
I didn't yet know anyone in second or fourth year.
Fourth-years were graduating soon, making it harder to build connections.
Well, it wasn't much different for first-years.
Looking around, the only people I could call acquaintances were three: Leon listening rigidly to Taylor's speech, Ethan desperately stifling a yawn, and Merrill standing ramrod straight in concentration.
I hadn't even exchanged names with the other students.
Being a failing student, no one approached me anyway.
Those three coming up without hesitation were the exceptions.
Still, NPC recruitment was ongoing.
There were a few candidates even among the first-years.
As I turned my gaze to check on them... a familiar yet unfamiliar profile caught my eye.
A face I hadn't seen during the first semester.
But it was one I knew well.
His hair, neatly trimmed to expose his ears, was almost purely white, close to snow at first glance.
The sharp shape of his eyes framing vivid golden irises oddly evoked a cat.
He was much shorter than me.
Of course, his setting was 166cm.
His slender build made him look far from same-age, but the neatly worn uniform declared him a classmate.
His name was Noel Snow.
A student absent in the first semester... in other words, a transfer student.
A gunslinger who freely wielded all manner of firearms despite his small frame, destined to serve as Leon's party's ranged damage dealer.
Originally, he got involved with Leon in the second year.
Noel's transfer timing matched the second semester of first year.
It was just a story setting, nothing more.
Hmm...
Letting him rot until second year felt like a waste.
He must already have considerable skill, so pairing him with Leon early might be good.
I'd already given Leon the holy sword ahead of schedule and brought Memphis early too, so attaching Noel early should be fine.
How to pair them up?
I ran through various calculations.
In the meantime, sensing my gaze, Noel turned his head toward me.
His sharp golden eyes stared straight at me.
With a look like a wary cat glaring at a human, Noel scowled and whispered,
“What’re you staring at...?”
The weather was still mild.
But a chill had begun mixing into the blowing wind.
The humid, scorching midsummer was long past.
I sat on a bench, leisurely enjoying the breeze.
Students trickled out of the auditorium in small groups, each heading their own way.
Hanging out with friends, returning to dorms... with no classes on the first day, everyone was savoring their freedom.
Noel Snow moved alone.
I watched him from a distance.
Sure, I'd eaten some lip from him face-to-face by chance, but I didn't take it to heart.
Noel's appearance made it impossible anyway.
He probably thought he'd scowled fiercely, but at most, his eyebrows just twitched a bit.
His awkward tone felt less threatening and more like soulless textbook reading.
Even after spitting it out, his eyes trembled as if an earthquake had hit, betraying his unease.
In short, it was like a kid who'd never sworn in his life forcing one out.
Actually, that was spot on—he'd never done it before, and this was his first try, so he sucked at it.
Look at him now, kicking trash that had fallen beside a bin.
Whether that looked delinquent or not aside.
The trash he kicked arced perfectly into the bin.
The small bin toppled sideways.
Its contents spilled out.
Noel froze for a moment.
Then he scurried to pick up the trash and refill the bin.
After even gathering the piece he'd kicked, he meticulously washed his hands at the faucet.
With a proud expression, he started walking again... only to freeze in shocked realization.
-What an absurd guy...
Agreed.
Noel was absurdly good-hearted.
Similar to Leon, but the difference was he was deliberately acting tough.
To any third party, even that act just looked cute...
Shaken, Noel resumed walking.
To observe a bit more, I suppressed my presence and tailed him.
-Hmm, your stalking has improved a touch. Not entirely hopeless.
Uh, thanks.
Thanks to growing proficiency in dimensional magic, I understood how to erase my presence.
Not just suppressing aura, but blurring my existence in space itself.
Master it fully, and I could slip into the dimensional underside to hide completely.
-So casually saying something terrifying...
Says the one who's a magic sword.
Anyway, I minimized my presence and followed Noel.
After a staring contest with an academy cat—and losing—Noel circled toward the dorms.
In the midst of that.
Without any warning, Noel whipped his head toward me.
The motion was so sudden, but I slipped into the shadow of a nearby building just in time.
It wasn't coincidence—he'd turned my way.
His gaze had fixed precisely on me, without scanning around.
He'd detected the tail.
-Hoo, quite the sharp senses. Even most beasts couldn't sense you now.
Hunting's his calling.
More precisely, gunslinging.
His senses were unmatched.
Hidden in the shadow, I spread only mana.
Using dimensional magic, I tracked Noel's movements.
After cautiously scanning around, he headed to the dorms, avoiding blind spots as much as possible.
Only after confirming his gaze fully excluded me did I cautiously emerge from the building shadow.
His basic potential was already ample.
Response and judgment would need real combat to assess.
But potential alone was enough.
-I get he's talented, but... why's he acting like that?
This morning, he'd tried blowing a hangover off with wine, but wrinkled his nose at the smell and gave up.
Anyone could see he was green.
I understood his circumstances.
Before transferring, Noel had endured a string of misfortunes.
Even in second year, somewhat recovered, he suffered notable trauma.
Right after transferring now, he hadn't healed that much.
His clumsy tough act was a defense mechanism to hide the trauma.
-Calling himself a hunter fits perfectly. A hunter showing weakness just gets hunted.
Yeah, something like that.
I couldn't detail his backstory.
Anyway, this was all within expectations.
With confirmed potential, sticking him by Leon ASAP would let him fulfill his role well.
His issues could resolve quickly under Leon's influence too.
In Broken World, Noel had no close ties before meeting Leon, so teaming them up posed few variables...
-Something's bothering you?
One thing nagged.
Later, Noel would trigger a major incident.
Hard to dismiss as mere mishap.
If he advanced it...
Unclear what crisis it might cause.
-Then exclude him?
Can't just do that.
Noel was essential for Leon.
Few ranged dealers could match Leon's level.
Coldly put, only Noel could sync breaths with Leon's combat to fire shots.
An average gunslinger or archer would struggle just keeping up, no chance to support.
Plus, his mistake wasn't purely his fault.
Noel Snow was unlucky, or disproportionate results to effort—good intentions, motives, but poor outcomes.
Official setting even noted 'maybe misfortune-prone?'
So, with Noel around, big and small incidents were inevitable.
Troublesome.
Without expelling him, variables were likely.
But expelling meant no replacement ranged dealer.
X-Wise's laser was a one-shot finisher, not viable.
I weighed Noel's pros and cons coldly.
The mental scale balanced tensely.
What variables his future events might spawn here: unknown.
Early gains in combat power: definite.
Unknown meant possibility.
Could balloon into huge event, or fizzle as trifle.
Definite gain vs. uncertain loss.
Even match, but considering the future tipped it.
Second semester events snowballed like a runaway five-ton truck with failed brakes.
Noel in those?
Might breeze through many easily.
Meaning, safeguard my peaceful life.
Decision made.
All for my peaceful life.
Noel Snow must join Leon's side.