The Reason the Childhood Friend Became the Symbol of a Defeated Heroine Is Because She's Too Strong
The Reason the Childhood Friend Became the Symbol of a Defeated Heroine Is Because She's Too Strong
"...Seo-yeon-ah. How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Instead of answering, I pulled the blanket up over my head.
I must not make eye contact with that guy right now. The imprint effect the system warned me about is a disaster.
If I face his haggard face during a fever time where affection points are copied just by making eye contact?
Isn't that just advertising, "Please hurry up and collect me as insurance money"?
"...Seo-yeon-ah?"
As I mumbled from inside the blanket, vaguely avoiding an answer, I felt Si-woo's energy turn cold.
Chi-ik—
With a small friction sound, I felt the air seal off. He had naturally cast a soundproofing spell.
Normally, I would have grabbed him by the collar and told him not to use magic, but right now, defending my blanket was the priority.
Just then, his hand grabbed the edge of my blanket tightly.
"Let go! Are you not going to let go?!"
Is this crazy bastard Si-woo out of his mind?
"...Why are you like this? Don't tell me, are you scared of the mages?"
? What kind of bullshit is that all of a sudden?
"The guys who attacked... they were mages, right? So, are you scared of me too?"
???
I was so dumbfounded I couldn't speak, but perhaps he took my silence as affirmation, because the strength in Si-woo's hand slowly faded.
"...I guess so. It makes sense. You almost died because someone like me was by your side. I'm sorry for being a descendant of a mage. I wish I were just an ordinary human... I can't stand to see your life ruined because of me anymore."
I see why this stupid bastard Kang Si-woo is blaming himself so much.
According to the original setting, Han Seo-yeon's parents died trying to save Kang Si-woo.
Si-woo's father was a defector who betrayed the mage society.
He was the number one target that the Mage Alliance had to kill, and his son, Kang Si-woo, was also a seed that needed to be exterminated.
On the day the assassins sent by the Alliance stormed in, Si-woo's father resisted until the end before passing away, and it was Han Seo-yeon's parents, who were magicians, who shielded young Kang Si-woo like a human shield and blocked the assassins at the scene.
They succeeded in saving Si-woo, but they couldn't save their own lives.
That sense of debt is what's becoming poison and leading to the 11-children ending, you clueless protagonist.
Well, Han Se-rin was also a top-priority target for the mages, so it seems they attacked while they were at it.
"Inside the academy... let's stay apart if possible. That will be safer for you."
At those words, I reflexively kicked off the blanket and sat up.
"That won't do!"
I shouted without realizing it and grabbed the hem of Si-woo's clothes as he tried to move away.
It won't do! If you move away, who's going to clear my main quest, and who's going to guarantee my life!
If you can't save the world, I'll be wiped out along with the Pangaea continent!
Besides, I need to shove you onto another heroine quickly so my insurance gets canceled, but if we stay apart, I won't even have a chance!
"Seo-yeon-ah?"
Looking at Si-woo, who was looking down at me with surprised eyes, I frantically spun my mental search engine.
Work, my 530,000 IQ.
I can't say "The world will end without you," and I can't say "I need to use you as a meat shield."
"Th-that's..."
"...I know. I know what you're trying to say."
Si-woo smiled bitterly and gently removed my hand.
"You want to say that I'm not the childish Si-woo who needs you to take care of him forever, right? I can take care of myself now. No, I have to. Because that's the only way I can protect you."
No, that's not it. The interpretation is going way off track?
"I'm really going now. Get some rest."
He grabbed the doorknob, paused for a brief moment, and turned his head.
"...Still, we're still friends, right?"
Leaving those words behind, Si-woo left the room.
"...Fuck, things have escalated."
After Si-woo left, since my recovery was already complete, I put my complicated thoughts aside, changed into my school uniform, and walked slowly through the academy campus.
The complex and subtle expression Si-woo showed a moment ago wouldn't leave my head.
The biggest dilemma is how to approach him.
To connect him with another heroine, I need to stay close to Si-woo while maintaining a line where I'm absolutely never seen as a romantic interest...
The problem is this damn wall called "childhood friend."
It's not that we're too close to be seen as romantic interests, it's that we're so close that it's become a defensive wall with no room for another woman to intervene.
Damn it. The reason the childhood friend became the symbol of a defeated heroine is, conversely, because the childhood friend is too strong.
Damn it!
While walking, I pulled up the status window and scanned the academic management system.
[Pangaea Central Military Academy Academic System]
[Credits: Minimum 18 ~ Maximum 24 credits (including 12 mandatory major credits)]
[Daily Schedule: 07:00 ~ 22:00 (Morning classes / Afternoon personal schedule)]
[Notes: All cadets are matched with a dedicated support organization.]
The first-year schedule isn't too tight.
From the second year, we get deployed into real combat under the guise of practical training, but you can't deploy mere first-years into real combat, right?
It's the responsibility of a first-year to take packed major classes in the morning, and in the afternoon, go to an assigned research institute or government agency for practical training or personal training to grow quickly.
The background of this world view is much larger than I thought.
Even if we deal with the monsters rising from the sea with giant battleships, there are only a few hundred people out of the world's 1 billion population who are top-tier 2nd generation or 3rd generation magicians capable of opposing the mages who are still terrorizing parts of Pangaea.
And this place is the giant academy city created by gathering millions of researchers, agents, and support personnel to support these few hundred superhumans.
Then, which organization is Si-woo attached to...
Si-woo's existence is humanity's last card and a top-secret matter.
So, outside of class hours, he receives research or training in secret at a paper company under Leviathan. He also handles requests there.
In other words, it means that for the time being, even if I want to hook Si-woo up with another heroine, it's difficult to create a point of contact itself.
I went to where Si-woo lives just in case, and he had already moved.
He's very quick with things like this.
"Sigh."
For now, I need to take care of myself first.
If I'm too weak, I'll be excluded from the late-game battles and it'll be hard to interfere with the subsequent developments, so I need to get stronger myself in order to interfere, and to get stronger, it would be better to receive help from the dedicated organization assigned to this body.
So, I decided to contact the organization right away.
The place is Café de l'Étoile, a French-style cafe famous for being the most elegant in the academy's commercial district.
As I entered the cafe with the sound of a jingling bell, the savory scent of butter and the rich scent of coffee tickled the tip of my nose.
By the window seat. A woman wearing a plain nun's habit was desperately shoving a croissant into her mouth in front of me.
Did I come too early, or was she just that hungry?
"Cough, hack! Ugh...!"
She must have choked, because her face turned red and the way she gulped down coffee didn't look reliable at all.
I sighed, pulled out the chair opposite her, and sat down.
"Please eat slowly. I'll pretend I haven't arrived yet."
"Oh, oh... Sigh. Th-thank you..."
Only then did the woman start chewing the bread, looking relieved.
She looked like a small rabbit gnawing on a carrot.
Even though she looks like that, she was a character who made a name for herself as a fairly competent researcher in the original work.
[Isabella van Rose]
Affiliation is Eden Synchronicity Research Institute.
This research institute mainly supports students among the 3rd generation who have religious elements, and since my ability's motif is Heaven from the start...
In the game, these dedicated organizations were in charge of essential elements for growth, such as character awakening, variant management, and exclusive weapon enhancement.
The reason I went out of my way to find this clumsy nun was also to officially register my variant and receive support.
As soon as Isabella finished eating the croissant, she cleared her throat, "Ahem," and pulled out a thick stack of documents from behind her.
"Seo-yeon-nim's ability is a support type that opens the Heaven's Gate and converts that energy into healing or enhancement. First, the research goal our institute has set is how to make that output more accurate and how to use it on multiple people simultaneously..."
"Ah, about that. Sister. My ability changed a bit when I was attacked this time."
"...Yes? Changed?"
Seeing is believing. Instead of explaining in words, I took out the key right away.
"Epheta, Video."
The Watching Eye that popped out of the air rubbed its sphere against my cheek, acting cute.
The whining vibration sound feels quite pleasant. However, Isabella froze like a statue on the spot.
"...You're saying your supporting ability changed into a summoning ability?"
"Ah, this isn't the only thing. Epheta, Rota."
The one summoned next was the Burning Wheel.
Unlike the last time it burned down the mountain behind the school, it was now shrunk to a size slightly larger than my palm, spinning rapidly.
The heat radiating from it was just pleasantly warm.
The problem was the relationship between the summons.
As the Watching Eye glared with its dozens of eyes, wary of the Burning Wheel, the wheel also threateningly increased its rotation speed and sparked flames.
[Watching Eye: (Eyes full of jealousy)]
[Burning Wheel: (Flames as if to say, 'Where do you think a newbie is acting up?')]
"...What are you guys doing? Don't fight."
Even though I said a word, they kept each other in check with a zzziririt sound.
And Isabella, who was witnessing this bizarre scene in real-time....
"Ev... even the summons, there's more than one...? Just a first-year...?"
Isabella's pupils lost focus and rolled back.
"This is not an academic report level that I can handle..."
Kudangtang!
Isabella frothed at the mouth and fell backward over the chair, passing out.
"...Excuse me? Sister? Hey, Isabella-ssi!"