Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: There Are No Lines I Won't Cross☆ (4)
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‘This girl… I’ve thought it before, but her way of speaking is really something else…’
After hearing my story, Freyja criticized me, saying she now understood why I’d suddenly become an imbecile. So, I replied with a hint of injustice in my voice.
“Waaah~♪ That’s so mean~☆”
“H-However… saying that… won’t change anything… Not that I plan on saying anything… Now that I see you… y-you’re also quite… p-pitiful…”
“Uuu~☆ If you say such nasty things, I’m going to hate you~☆”
“Perhaps that… that is a crappy… f-fate you must carry forever.”
I was reeling from the relentless barrage of insults.
‘…I have no excuse. This is all my own doing.’
It was true that I’d committed to a variety of personas.
But to be berated so harshly for it…
However, Freyja’s attitude seemed to soften, if only a little.
“B-Both you… and I… are slaves to [Fate]… in the same way…”
“…?”
Freyja looked at me, her violet eyes glowing faintly like jewels. The color was strangely reminiscent of an amethyst embedded deep within a cave… which was a little frightening.
“…”
“…Why are you looking at me like that~♪”
Freyja didn’t answer my question and instead approached me. With a nonchalant expression, she climbed onto the Red Hare, then timidly tapped my back and spoke.
Tap.
Tap.
“W-What are you doing, you ruffian? Hurry up and ride the bicycle… I’m getting… hungry…”
“Okay, okay~☆”
“The r-ruffian… may speak like an idiot and be insensitive… but his speed on a bicycle is second to none… Rather than living this pathetic life… if you pulled a rickshaw in the G-Golden District… you might… make a good living…”
“Ahaha…☆”
“Th-Then I… will reserve an exclusive seat… so the r-ruffian had better serve me well…”
“Ahaha…”
“C-Consider it an honor… The number of laborers trying to work in the Golden District… is… o-overwhelming…”
“…”
The words, shot out in a timid voice, were sharp. But her once-closed heart was opening a little, and I could feel a sense of familiarity in her actions. Thanks to that, I felt like the subtle distance between Freyja and me had been resolved.
But I also felt a little… just a little bit resentful.
‘She’s been timidly lording it over me nonstop just because I’m taking it quietly…’
Was this how Zhang Fei felt when he first saw Pang Tong acting all high and mighty? I seriously began to wonder if I should play another adorable prank on our dear Master Fledgling Phoenix sometime soon…
***
We rode the Red Hare and quickly returned to the school.
Perhaps because of the time we spent walking leisurely, the sun had completely set, and darkness had fallen. The facilities at Central Prism Academy had been extensively repaired by Maya and Kara while I was away, so the lights shone more vibrantly than ever.
Seeing this, Freyja once again lorded over me with her timid tone.
“H-Hmph… It’s just a beggar’s village with the lights on… but it’s… surprisingly romantic…”
“Hey~☆ The dreams of young girls reside here too~☆”
“H-Honestly, I don’t know what kind of vision you and your riffraff have… but… c-certainly… one of them… is quite plausible…”
Freyja seemed to find Lotha’s unconventional interpretation of the magic left by The Golden Witch quite convincing, as she nodded her head and mumbled.
‘Normally, Freyja, an outcast within her own school, would never have crossed paths with Lotha, a main story protagonist… Could Lotha’s awakening be happening sooner than in the original story…?’
At this point, Lotha’s talent hadn’t even begun to sprout.
Yet The Violet Spindle, the strongest magic user in the Academy City, had recognized it so quickly.
It was the first time I had ever seen her, a person so indifferent to others, speak so favorably.
Sensing an opportunity, I started to get a little excited.
‘If by some chance… Freyja were to give her private lessons, the synergy would be incredible…!’
What’s a little meddling for the sake of my junior?
I decided to subtly poke at the pride Freyja held as a scion of a prestigious magic family. Maybe then this timid, arrogant girl would jump at the chance to tutor her.
Recalling Lotha’s future from my knowledge of the original story, I put a little sincerity into my exaggerated fuss.
“Oh my~☆ For a picky stray cat to nod and acknowledge her like that~☆ Does that mean our cute little housecat has an incredible talent for mag-sci♪ Oh! Does this mean the title of the prestigious☆magic academy will now belong to our Central Prism Academy~♡”
“D-Don’t get ahead of yourself… You never know about talent until you’ve dug all the way to the bottom… A r-ruffian who doesn’t even know the first thing about magic…”
“…”
I was shut down in an instant.
My spirits fell, and I couldn’t say another word.
‘I’m sorry your dad is so useless…’
As I parked the bicycle and we walked toward the dormitory, I sensed a presence and smiled quietly to myself with satisfaction.
Freyja’s ears also perked up as she looked in the same direction.
“…Hehe♪”
“Hmph.”
In the distance, a girl with orange hair fluttering in the wind was approaching.
“Senior~!!”
The first to greet us was Lotha.
She welcomed us, waving both hands while wearing an apron and a bandana.
It was adorable how she scurried toward us, her short limbs wiggling.
‘Oh, my… What a good girl.’
I waved back at Lotha and ran toward her.
“Senior—!”
“Waaah~♡”
Poof—
We expressed our joy at this small reunion with a hug.
Lotha, who had grown closer to me over the past few days, now nestled into my arms without hesitation. Her orange hair tickled the back of my hand. Because of our height difference, I had to bend down, and I caught the sweet smell of bread coming from her cat ears.
‘The only thing better than a cat… is a cat who cooks for you…’
This was definitely heaven.
A cat greets you, hugs you, and even cooks for you.
The Academy City is a paradise for cat lovers.
‘…Though there are also stray cats who won’t stop timidly lording it over you.’
Feeling the warmth of those cat ears and the embrace, I said to Lotha.
“I’m back~☆”
“Welcome back, Senior! Welcome back, Senior Freyja!”
“I-I’ll be going slowly…”
“Ah… Yes, please take your time…”
“W-Why are you giving me orders… I-I’ll go at my own pace…”
“…?”
A tilt of the head, accompanied by swaying orange cat ears.
Lotha was flustered by Freyja’s constant retorts.
But Freyja paid her reaction no mind and walked haughtily toward the dining hall.
“…?”
“…?”
The back of the violet stray cat as she walked away.
I spoke to Lotha, whose eyes were filled with question marks.
“Were you waiting because you were worried? I appreciate the thought~☆ But I’m all better now~♪”
“No… I just finished preparing dinner and came out now.”
“Hehe~☆ I see~♪”
In truth, I’d already seen her waiting anxiously…
Lotha had finished preparing dinner and had been waiting the whole time.
‘She’s still really worried.’
A delicious smell wafted from the dormitory dining hall.
Drawn by the scent, students were gathering after finishing their respective tasks.
The table was laden with all sorts of dishes.
Smoked fish, grilled ham, and a stew with vegetables and meat.
And a basket was piled high with warm bread.
Freyja was sitting primly, eating as if it were her due.
“It’s… b-better than I expected… for what it is…”
“…”
I stared at the sight, dumbfounded. Just then, Alvitt entered the dining hall, having finished cleaning the room for our new guest and even taken a shower.
“Lotha!! Meat, meat~! Today has to be a meat dish, right?!”
“Hmm…? What are you talking about? I always prepare meat dishes.”
“It’s only a meat dish if the whole table is covered in meat! Lotha, those dishes you always serve with… greens or flour are not meat dishes!”
“Hiss—!!”
The blasphemy of the carnivorous Alvitt.
Lotha hissed, her pride in her cooking skills apparently wounded.
I saw it and waved at the giggling Alvitt.
“Welcome, Alvitt~☆”
“Ah, you’re back. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Nope~☆ Perfectly fine☆”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Aww~♪ So mean☆”
Alvitt completely ignored my words.
She came over and examined my wrists and calves with her rough hands.
The wounds and bruises on my arms and legs had faded completely, so there was no longer a need for bandages. But the scar on my neck, visible through the collar of my uniform, was still vivid.
The wound had healed… but the scar looked like it would remain forever.
“…”
Alvitt’s expression turned grim at the sight, but she quickly changed it and said to me with a smile.
“This is… hmm. Passable.”
“Yay, I’m so happy~☆”
“But you still can’t overdo it.”
“Yes, ma’am~♪”
Freyja glanced at us before lowering her head again and focusing on her meal.
After Maya and Kara joined, the dormitory dining hall became bustling with noise. It was a dinner shared by everyone living at Central Prism Academy. After the whirlwind of a meal passed, the tea time, where everyone sipped a cup of tea, was quiet.
Through the open window, we could hear a broadcast from the United Student Council’s press department.
[Good evening, everyone in the Academy City. This is the evening news from the United Student Council Press Department.]
[I am Hel, a second-year from the Press Department, always here to bring you the latest news. The season for mid-term exams is approaching for many schools.]
[I hope all of you achieve results worthy of your preparations for your first semester, first exams. To ensure all student councils can conduct their exams safely, I, Hel of the United Student Council Press Department, will pray to the light.]
As soon as Freyja heard that, she spoke in a low voice.
“That… that Hel person… must be one of the pointy-ears… The white ones… from… H-Holy Alfheim High School…”
Maya replied, sipping her tea.
“Ah… They’re certainly the ones who talk a lot about light and prayers. The black ones from Svart Industrial High School don’t pray for anything but money.”
“Indeed, those black ones worship only mammonism and materialism.”
“Mm, that’s right.”
Since Kara and Maya were also from Mimir Industrial High School, they seemed to hold a grudge against the dark elves… the kids from Svart Industrial High School.
“Ahaha…☆”
I flinched as I listened to the casual, everyday racism.
‘Now that Lotha is at the school… I should probably tone down my inner thoughts about furballs and whatnot.’
Even if I only thought it, I felt like I might make a huge mistake and actually say it out loud one day.
‘Even the Pretty Filter lets some sharp words slip out sometimes…’
With that thought, I glanced at Lotha, who was drinking her tea.
Glance…
Fortunately, Lotha was holding the teacup with her small hands, blowing on it repeatedly to cool it down. Even though it had been poured a while ago and was lukewarm, she still couldn’t drink it.
Sitting next to Lotha, Alvitt suddenly looked at me and spoke.
“Senior, by the way, how will our school handle mid-terms? All I know is that the student council is supposed to run it directly…”
“Schools with fewer than 50 students don’t need the student council to do it~☆ We just have to go to the local United Student Council branch and submit a simple assignment♪”
“Ehh… I was worried about that for so long.”
“Hehe, hang in there, Student Council President~☆”
“Y-Yes…”
Sip.
Silence returned.
In the quiet, Freyja spoke again.
“C-Come to think of it… at our school, those aristocratic faction losers with nothing but blue blood and no abilities… instead of presenting a thesis… they said they were going to substitute their m-mid-terms… with some dungeon conquest results… Just an excuse for illiterates who don’t want to study…”
Freyja sipped her tea and continued in an aggrieved voice.
“S-So when I… as the representative of the research faction, said something about it… th-they suddenly came and set fire to my camp… while I was away on a solo dungeon exploration… B-Because of that, I lost all my supplies and maps…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…What did you say?”
The sudden reveal of why Freyja had been wandering the wasteland.
Hearing that, the comfortable silence instantly turned ice-cold.
I, too, was shocked to hear it.
‘I knew from the original story that Freyja was on bad terms with the aristocratic faction kids… but I thought she left home on her own accord this time…? To think they’d actually mess with The Violet Spindle like that.’
If Freyja went back to school, it would be a fight to the death.
In the original story, they were so afraid of that, they only made timid checks against her.
What were the aristocratic faction students thinking, and how did they plan to deal with the aftermath?
‘No… seriously, why are you only telling us something so important now…!’
That’s why I kept trying to probe, reading the situation.
But she kept trailing off, so I thought it was nothing serious.
I squeezed my eyes shut at Freyja’s bombshell announcement.
The aristocratic faction, a clique of students centered around the nobility.
The research faction, a clique of kids serious about mag-sci research.
The two factions were the powers that determined the direction of Public Vana Boarding School.
‘But in the story… at this point in time, the research faction relied solely on Freyja’s reputation, and the aristocratic faction students had completely taken over the student council.’
Freyja, disgusted with such a school, had spent most of her time wandering. The aristocratic faction, who had never dared to touch her despite that… had finally crossed the line this time.
“…”
“…”
We could only stare in utter shock.
Freyja, oblivious to our gazes, muttered in a chilling voice that didn’t match her teary eyes.
“Th-They probably hoped I’d wander for at least a few days… but if I go back tomorrow… I’ll have to… t-teach them a lesson… Just because I was running away by myself… they think I’m some… k-kind of fool…”
It was at that moment.
Hel’s voice, which had been calmly reporting the news from outside, turned flustered.
[And… what? Ah… yes. I understand.]
[This is an emergency announcement for students residing in the northeastern part of the Academy City.]
[We have reports that a large number of armed students have appeared in the northeastern wasteland. Uh… and.]
The sound of paper rustling echoed vividly.
[The… the school affiliation of those students is…]
[…presumed to be Public Vana Boarding School. A forced breakthrough by high-level Ether users is anticipated, so students residing in the northeast, including those from Mimir Industrial High School, are advised to exercise caution.]
“…”
I was at a loss for words after hearing the news.
‘So “conquering a dungeon”… meant someone else’s dungeon…’
What the…?
The furballs were arrogant, sure, but they weren’t a group that would act this recklessly…?