Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Runaway Teenager
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Caaw—
Sparrows flew over the splendidly built Yoram building.
But this Yoram was quite different from the one today.
A Yoram from the past... traveling back in time.
—"It's so cool!"
A cheerful voice.
Exactly the same as back then.
A bit brighter and more carefree than the current Veronica, with a touch more immaturity.
And almost simultaneously—
"...Not that cool, little sis."
—"Not that cool, little sis."
The current Veronica and the past Veronica.
The current Veronica atop the building opened her mouth and said, "Not that cool?" but...
That voice didn't reach this memory.
A moment already passed, a frozen record.
The two beings from the past couldn't see or hear the current Veronica.
—"You'll never understand, sis."
—"Little sis, I don't wanna die."
—"Sis, if you keep using violence like that, you'll never get married."
—"I couldn't care less about stuff like marriage."
—"Don't rationalize it, sis."
Veronica turned her head.
Two beings sitting at the top of Yoram.
Two dragons.
"......"
One had violet hair that seemed to hold an emptiness.
A deep, dark shadow flowing out like a hole in the night sky.
The other had mint-colored hair brimming with the splendor of life.
A color embracing the breath of new sprouts, the sparkle of the word "life."
They sat back-to-back, but their auras were polar opposites.
—"Students from all the countries will be flooding in soon."
—"Yeah."
—"The thrilling start of school life!"
—"You're the dean."
—"My heart's still a student."
—"At least you're not called an old hag."
The mint dragon, Spinel, spoke energetically, while the violet dragon, Veronica, replied indifferently.
Chirrup—
Their bickering, carried on the wind, seeped into the empty Yoram.
Two dragons with different colors, different temperaments, different worlds within them.
Like two semicircles joined to form a perfect circle, the two beings carrying different worlds sat back-to-back at just the right angle.
"......"
The current Veronica watched that scene.
In the spot where the Veronica and Spinel from the memory sat back-to-back, she leaned her own back into that gap between them.
—"Old hag's you, sis."
—"Wanna die?"
She wanted to turn her head at the voice coming from beside her, but...
She didn't.
If she turned and looked at that face... she'd be trapped in this moment forever.
—"I wonder who my first disciple will be!"
—"Stop worrying about that and hire some professors first. You gonna teach everyone yourself?"
Spinel looked up at the sky with her mouth formed in an O.
Veronica lazily tilted her chin.
—"Huh?"
Spinel turned her head toward Veronica in surprise, but Veronica shot back without even glancing her way.
—"There'll be over a hundred kids trying to enroll. You gonna teach them all alone?"
—"R-Really?"
—"Don't ask 'really?' and start recruiting professors now."
—"You'll help too, right sis?"
—"Nah. I hate humans."
—"You're so petty, sis."
—"It's a hassle. Pouring effort into fleeting moments? They're just that—fleeting."
The current Veronica let out a smirk.
As if it was absurd, or perhaps an old memory suddenly resurfacing, the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Hey."
The current Veronica spoke.
Uttering words that couldn't possibly reach the two from the past.
"I've got some kids I'm raising right now."
—"You really need to work on your morals, sis."
Words tossed into the void.
She knew the frozen moment of memory couldn't hear anything, yet she opened her mouth anyway.
"You'd be shocked if you heard."
—"Humans this... Fleeting moments that..."
Spinel grumbled irritably and poked Veronica's side with her tail.
The current Veronica flinched at the reaction but didn't retort.
Not because she felt she'd lose if she spoke.
Because she knew speaking wouldn't bring her back.
"Laphia... Charlotte... Erwin."
Whoosh.
Veronica raised her hand into the air, naming them one by one.
"Roughly three prodigies, each masters in their fields... Especially that bastard Erwin, he's insane."
A madness that worshipped magic like a god.
A rare combination of talent and madness.
For "insane" to slip from Veronica's mouth—Spinel would've freaked if she'd heard.
"Ruphus... He'll be emperor someday, but he seems reluctant deep down. Serros just looks like he's here to have fun."
Crown Prince Ruphus, but inwardly reluctant to become emperor.
Serros... more about enjoying the day than academic achievement.
"Then there's Reb, the Saintess from the Holy Kingdom... She's kinda pitiful, seems like she's here purely for diplomatic reasons."
Reb, dragged in by others' hands without a shred of her own will.
That was what Veronica hated most.
"Still... they seem pretty decent. Got this weird guy attached to her side."
Twitch twitch.
Someone's tail danced in front of Veronica's eyes.
A dragon's tail twitching happily.
The current Veronica reached out toward that tail.
She thought she'd touch it with a light tap.
But—
"And then there's this damn teddy bear."
Whoosh.
That warmth grasped nothing, merely scratching the air.
"He's actually worrying. Solid talent, but no clue what he'll do with it. Sometimes looks like he doesn't wanna do anything."
Neru.
Her talent was real.
But the problem was where she'd use it.
A child standing on the thinnest boundary between genius and disaster.
"And the last one."
Swipe—
Veronica's gaze fixed on the ground.
She hugged her knees, burying her face between them, and let out a long sigh.
"This guy's a mystery too. Talent... there's definitely something there, but not quite. Feels suppressed by some external force."
Rumble.
A white pigeon landed beside Veronica.
"But... my eyes keep going to this one."
Veronica slowly raised her head.
Far off, the sky embracing the sunset burned golden.
—"Selfish bastard."
—"Yeah, I'm a selfish bastard. So what're you gonna do about it, sis?"
"A guy wearing the mask of 'selfish.'"
Mask.
Always a mask.
Adel always wore a mask.
Not just a literal one.
"Always wearing a mask."
The curse that brought pain with every word became a "mask that silences speech," and the habit of hiding emotions became a "mask that hides the heart."
"I kinda wanna rip that mask off..."
That was her honest feeling.
She wanted to know what face the kid named Adel made when he laughed or cried.
"...But I can't, right?"
—"A so-called educator can't be that selfish, little sis."
"An educator's role is to guide... I can't just do that."
Wanting to remove the mask was personal desire.
As an educator meant to lead the child, it was something she mustn't do.
She had to wait until Adel removed it himself.
"So..."
Crackle—
The sky crumbled.
A sign that the trial was ending.
"I'll come again."
Not "success," but "failure."
Veronica... forcibly severed the trial.
And the next moment—
"......"
"Hm? You're out quick, Veronica."
In front of the World Tree.
Kaden was sprawled on the grass, while Delphin fidgeted like a dog desperate to pee.
"...Dean."
"What."
Swipe—
Spotting Veronica, Delphin immediately held out a piece of paper.
"What's this."
"......A note from Student Adel."
"Note?"
Veronica looked down.
A slightly crumpled paper—precisely, a note left by Adel.
[I'll be running away for a few days. Don't look for me.]
"...Hm."
"What do we do? Shouldn't we look for him, Dean?"
"Why bother?"
"Pardon?"
"It says a few days. He'll come back on his own."
"......"
Veronica smirked and pocketed the note.
Sure... she'd told Adel to "act like a kid," but she hadn't expected him to take it this literally right away.
"Right... kids should act like kids."
"Is that really okay, Dean...?"
"Puberty."
"......"
"Hey, Professor Delphin. An educator opens the path—you don't walk it for them."
Delphin blanked at those words.
His eyes widened, mouth agape...
Then awkwardly closed.
"Who are you... The dean I know would never say something like that—"
"O~ Veronica. That was pretty educator-like just now."
"Yeah. Fuck off."
'This sucks.'
Deep in the Great Forest.
Beneath a perfectly obscured sky, in a gloomy woods where not even a breeze could penetrate properly.
No shred of sunlight, just ominous shadows crawling between the trees.
There, I was perched awkwardly on a rock.
Alongside one damn fish.
'My spot.'
"My spot. Move."
A fish with zero give.
A small stream babbled in front of it.
Not clear or clean—dark, murky water from some unknown pollution source.
【.......】
Across the river—
A massive nest piled from gathered branches, with a lizard sprawled atop it.
Bahamut.
Dripping pitch-black shadows, lying peacefully like it was on vacation.
'Weird.'
Strictly speaking, these two were my familiars, and I their master.
But reality?
Master who? These two reptiles were having a wild picnic in the Great Forest.
'This sucks.'
I muttered in my head.
"Sucks for me too, human."
Mukurebi reached the same conclusion.
What a bizarre camaraderie.
"Ptoo."
Mukurebi spat water at me. Ptoo ptoo ptoo.
All because I'd claimed the "comfy sitting rock."
'You a dog or what?'
"Dragon for now."
Where the hell did this thing anchor its identity?
Hidden under this rock or something?
"Hmph."
Splish.
In the end, Mukurebi just huffed and squatted beside me.
And—
At the end of its slimy fin... a fishing rod.
Made by weaving branches and vines—grotesque yet inexplicably sturdy-looking contraption.
Fling!
Mukurebi tossed the float onto the water.
Splash—
The float bobbed halfway along the current before slowly sinking into the black river.
'What're you even gonna catch? Wait... does anything even bite?'
"It bites."
'What.'
"Your heart."
'Got it.'
"Or your lifespan."
'Stop.'
"Or the doom that'll devour you."
'Fuck off.'
Before I could even finish sighing—
───!!
The float went berserk.
Jerk, jerk, jerk!
The water surface churned.
"Whoa!"
I casually stood and backed away, while Mukurebi gripped the rod tight with its fin and yanked back with all its might.
"Nngh...!"
That tiny body... holding firm to keep the rod from snapping.
A fish catching a fish—what a ridiculous sight...
Then—
Screeeeech──!!
The river split.
The black surface tore left and right, and a beast with glowing red eyes burst out from between.
'Whoa...'
I'd come all the way here because staying near the World Tree felt like it'd keep my mind restless...
Turns out here, my body couldn't stay still.
Screech— screeeeech──!?
The beast thrashed wildly, splashing water, while Mukurebi growled "Grrr..." in some unknowable noise and pulled the rod harder.
And I...
'Jackpot. For real.'
Glanced up at the invisible sky, then brushed the mask over my face with my fingertips.
Looks like today ain't gonna be peaceful either.