Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Confession?
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"It's not what you're thinking, so don't get the wrong idea!"
A beauty on Serin Arjen's level was holding a matching pair of rings, her face flushed red.
In a situation like this, what man wouldn't assume it meant something intimate?
...Anyone could see this was a confession.
Of course, Serin seemed aware her actions could be misinterpreted and was hurriedly trying to explain.
She was so flustered that her usual stiff tone of speech slipped out.
"Professor Serin? Why are you suddenly giving this to me..."
"I told you not to make that face. Rowen! There's no special meaning behind giving you this ring!"
I hadn't even said anything yet...
Still, to check if her words were true, the silver ring emanated a clear, pure energy, while the inky black one felt like an abyss sucking in the surrounding aura.
Just looking at the engravings on the rings made it obvious they weren't ordinary equipment.
They were probably some kind of artifact she possessed.
But I'd never seen artifacts like these before.
I couldn't have overlooked gear that screamed top-tier performance just by looking at it.
"As you suspect, Rowen, these rings are artifacts. Legend says an ancient alchemist poured all his immense power into creating them."
"An ancient alchemist...?"
"No one knows exactly who it was. But he must have been an incredible craftsman. This silver ring boosts the wearer's vitality just by wearing it, and the black one aids mana circulation."
Why hadn't artifacts with performance like this been in use until now?
Simply wearing them enhanced physical vitality and supported mana flow.
It might sound simple, but pure beneficial effects like these were rare in artifacts.
Plus, there was no sense of the resistance typical of high-grade artifacts.
Perfectly containing such vast energy within those tiny rings meant they were likely a masterpiece from the greatest alchemist of his era, made with everything he had.
As I leaned in for a closer look, a translucent window appeared with detailed information engraved on it.
Apparently, something specific was needed to unlock their abilities.
"However... the creator had a weird, twisted sense of humor and attached a condition to wearing the rings."
As expected. Nothing in this world came free.
Artifacts with that level of performance couldn't be without drawbacks.
But whatever the condition was, it seemed even more outrageous than I'd imagined—Serin hemmed and hawed for a while without spitting it out.
Eventually, she took a deep breath as if steeling herself and began to explain.
"To wear these rings... a man and woman must perform a ceremony. They have to exchange rings while vowing their... love..."
"...Pardon?"
Had I heard that right?
A man and woman had to swear their love to wear them?
What kind of joke was that?
I must have misheard—I looked up at Serin's face, and she was blushing like she was embarrassed too.
"I know! I know it sounds weird. I know you don't like older women like me. But this is the only artifact you can handle right now!"
What was this, some pure knight's tale?
Even with conditions, who attaches that kind of condition?
Such harsh trials for a dense guy like me.
The fact that I had to confess my love to my favorite character hit me cruelly.
"But don't worry. It's just for show. I never used this artifact before because I didn't want to go through that... but it'll be a huge help to you, Rowen."
With that, Serin handed me the inky black ring from the pair.
She must have figured the vitality-boosting silver one would help me, since I tired out often during training.
The mana circulation one would be more useful to her, though.
It might even help purge the lingering demonic energy from her wound inflicted by that sealed archdemon.
As I touched the inky ring, still warm from her body heat, I looked up to see Serin with a strange expression.
Her seductive black hair, flowing like the rings themselves, gleamed under the light.
Her enchanting red jewels—those eyes—wandered aimlessly, unsure where to look.
Her lips, usually curved in a relaxed smile, stammered in this unfamiliar situation.
...Making a lady wait like this wasn't very gentlemanly.
No matter how meaningless the act, thinking of the courage she'd mustered for my sake made standing there frozen unacceptable.
I quickly made up my mind, took the inky ring she'd given me, and looked straight into her eyes.
"I, Rowen, swear this. I will live for you."
The sight of her sacrificing for everyone had always shone brighter than anything.
Even if the end was utter despair, her bold steps forward...
Always dragged out that one person from my shattered memories.
...Though she was far too good for someone like me.
Maybe that's why I fell for Serin.
She showed a guy lost in darkness a brilliant light, then up and left on her own. How was I supposed to live properly after that?
"I swear to be the lighthouse that shines brightly for you, sailing the night sea."
I'm not the fool who repeats the same mistakes.
With a chance to change fate handed to me, better give it my all.
...And keep that promise to create a happy world, too.
"No matter what happens, I swear to make Serin Arjen happy."
I gently took her trembling left hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
A moment of silence.
Serin's pupils shook wildly, her ears burning bright red.
'...I know I'm trash, but...'
I didn't have the luxury for romance yet.
Seeing the ring sparkle on her ring finger brought an involuntary smile to my face.
"I swear to always love you."
At that, a beautiful light began to emanate from the engravings on her ring.
The conditions she mentioned must have been met.
"Oh! Professor Serin, looks like it worked?"
"...Ugh! You cheeky little brat!"
Serin's nuclear knuckle-flick—strategic weapon class—came flying at me in an instant.
What did I even do wrong this time!
Thanks to the ring's effect, her flick packed double the power and successfully brought tears to my eyes.
Sure, there might've been a tiny bit of ulterior motive, but I only said what I'd always wanted to...
Well... We'd only known each other three days, so it must've flustered her.
"Just saying 'I love you' would've been enough—why go all out like that...!"
"I thought it had to be as sincere as possible..."
...It was that simple?
I'd worried it might not work and went full dramatic, spouting all sorts of nonsense.
I had no idea "just for show" meant this casual...
Realizing I'd gone WWE while everyone else was doing UFC made my face burn crimson.
I wanted to dunk my head in ice water and die right then.
I could never show my face at the academy again from the shame...
Having accidentally assaulted Serin with an over-the-top confession, I looked up at her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, steadying her breathing to recover from the shock.
Once resolved, she lifted the ring in her hand and looked at me.
As she extended her left hand, clearly aiming to keep it short and sweet...
Serin strode forward and suddenly dropped to one knee before me.
"I, Serin Arjen, swear this."
...Isn't kneeling usually the guy's job?
"I swear to be your shield and always protect you."
Words befitting the eldest daughter of the Byeonhwa Baek Clan, full of knightly resolve.
"I swear to be your sword and handle all the dirty work for you."
She whispered it while gazing into my eyes.
My heart began pounding like it would burst.
"I swear to always love you."
She gently took my left hand and slipped the ring on with exquisite care, as if it might shatter.
A blue light flowed from the intricate patterns, signaling the conditions were met.
To think Serin would go this far...
She must've matched my dramatics so I wouldn't feel awkward alone.
But it was clearly her first time too—her face was beet red.
"That's it, right, Professor Serin?"
"...Probably."
I could feel energy surging through my body now that the light had faded from the ring.
The ceremony seemed complete.
And so, Rowen and Serin stood there for a while, faces flushed crimson.
Only when Rowen staggered from exhaustion did they hurriedly return to their rooms.
The sky was dyeing orange with sunset as the sun began to hide away.
Arriving at the dormitory entrance, I fiddled with the ring on my finger, replaying what had just happened.
'What possessed me...'
Saying things I didn't have to.
Lucky Serin was so kind—anyone else would've pierced my heart with a look of disgust.
A gaze like that would've shattered me.
What was I even thinking?
Still, voicing what I'd always wanted to say left a strange sense of relief in my chest.
I'd learned Serin's swordsmanship and gotten a precious artifact—best outcome possible.
In exchange for massive embarrassment and awkwardness, sure.
But for the greater good, a little sacrifice was inevitable...!
Self-justifying inwardly while shedding tears, I arrived at my door before I knew it.
Not wanting to barge in without knocking and stumble into something awkward again, I rapped 'knock knock' and entered.
"Oh, Arien, you're already back?"
"..."
Arien was already changed into pajamas, looking prepared for bed.
It was barely 7 PM.
He probably came straight back since he didn't have friends...
His usual sullen expression made a bit more sense now.
Though today he seemed to be frowning a little extra?
"...Where'd you get beat up this time?"
"Sparring a bit. Gotta work extra hard since I'm weak."
Too tired to hit the infirmary, he must've misunderstood my battered body.
He'd worried a lot last time after Hardin's gang roughed me up.
His gruff tone aside, it touched me that he saw me as a friend.
As he eyed my body up and down suspiciously, his gaze suddenly locked on my left hand.
The ring that hadn't been there yesterday piqued his interest.
"What's that ring on your hand? Looks too pricey for you to afford."
"Haha, a gift. An artifact that boosts recovery. Someone took a liking to me."
Hearing my answer, Arien scowled even harder, looking more baffled.
What? Did something rub him the wrong way?
"That slick personality of yours snagged some rich young lady? Focus on training, weakling."
Seemed the ring on my ring finger bugged him.
As I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, he stomped to his bed and buried herself under the covers, as if he didn't want to hear it.
If he fixed that attitude, he could be super popular...
he had that cute boy-next-door look, which girls ate up.
But I got where Arien was coming from, so I let it go, headed for a bath to soak my weary body.
After a refreshing wash, the moment I hit the bed, irresistible sleepiness crashed over me.
'Way better than I expected, at least...'
Things hadn't gone as planned, but...
They turned out even better, so that was a win, right?
Ah... Now I had to grind credits and grab artifacts for midterms too.
Thinking of the upcoming midterms made my eyes droop.
Soon enough, I passed out cold.