Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Something I Want
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【Lev, I'm really disappointed.】
“…….”
【To think you'd try to just die right there... I was truly shocked, you know?】
“…I wasn't trying to die.”
【Stay right there, right there.】
Lev walked down the hallway.
Slanted sunlight streamed in through the windows of the corridor, and her jealousy trailed after her like a shadow.
“…It was your fault from the beginning anyway.”
【That's hurtful, Lev.】
“…How ridiculous.”
【Why is it ridiculous? I was just reflecting your true feelings exactly as they are.】
“…Reflecting? More like twisting them.”
Jealousy twisted its fingers made of shadow, taking on the form of a mask.
【Wasn't Adel the cause to begin with?】
“…You're the only one who thinks that.”
【Adel was the one acting like he knew our true nature from the start, right?】
“…That's…”
Lev clamped her mouth shut.
Even as she reached the end of the corridor, jealousy followed without making a single sound.
Jealousy donned its mask of shadow and let out an unsettling laugh.
【Don't worry, Lev... I'm here. I'll take on all those uncomfortable emotions for you.】
“…….”
【So, don't hate me. I'm part of you, after all?】
“…Don't you know that makes me hate you even more?”
【I'm just pretending not to know.】
“…Why?”
【Why would I give up on absorbing your intense emotions...?】
“…I really can't like you.”
【Hee hee. Let's call that feeling 'love-hate,' Lev.】
Jealousy's voice sounded endlessly sweet.
Lev let out a long sigh and shook her head as if trying to shake off the jealousy.
Then...
Lev's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Jealousy stopped along with her movement and turned its head.
【Ah, it's that guy, Lev.】
“….”
【The masked man our Lev likes.】
“…Don't say weird things so casually.”
【Eeng... Weird?】
Jealousy's shadow slithered up like a snake, wrapping around Lev's shoulders and the nape of her neck.
【Sweet dreams then, Lev.】
“…I hope you have nightmares.”
【So mean.】
***
‘It's Lev.’
I spotted Lev in the hallway, just like always.
But today, her face appeared a bit later than usual.
‘Come to think of it, I didn't see Lev this morning.’
While I was getting scolded by Veronica in the morning, Rev was nowhere to be seen.
[Maybe Lev was late too?]
“…No, I just arrived late.”
[Isn't that being late?]
“…It's not.”
Haven't we socially agreed to call that tardiness?
Is the Saintess above the law like the Dean?
Scary.
[But why were you late?]
“…Just.”
[Just?]
“…It took some time to get ready.”
[Then that's tardiness, right?]
“…No.”
[What do you mean no?]
“…It's not.”
At this point, she clearly wants to erase the word 'tardiness' altogether.
Just then, a shadow writhed behind Rev and quietly wrapped around her neck.
‘Lament.’
Lev's manifested jealousy.
It tilted its head as if enjoying the situation and looked at me.
【Our Lev is in a bad mood today, so don't mess with her.】
Lament mouthed those words.
There was no sound, but that creepy whisper lodged straight into my mind.
‘...No matter how I look at it, it seems like it's because of you.’
I couldn't tell if it was pretending not to know the cause of her bad mood or doing it on purpose.
“…Why aren't you saying anything?”
[I was thinking for a sec]
“…Thinking?”
[What to eat for lunch today]
“…Useless thoughts.”
[It's useless but important]
“…Yeah.”
[I'll get going]
I flicked my finger toward the direction of the Dean's office.
Lev followed my gaze with her eyes and made a subtle expression.
“…Going to get scolded again?”
Why does everyone assume I'm heading to see Veronica means getting scolded?
Isn't that too stereotypical thinking?
Besides, this time I wasn't going to get scolded unjustly.
...Or was I?
Hm. Probably not.
[Not this time]
“…I see.”
Lev nodded with that same subtle expression.
Then, Lamenta poked its head out from the shadows and mouthed something.
【Even if you say that, the masked man always drags trouble around with him.】
I deliberately pretended not to hear, but it was hard to refute.
I gave Lev a brief wave and turned around.
And...
“…Adel definitely knows my true identity, right?”
My feet halted at the voice from behind.
I wondered why Lev was asking such a question.
Or maybe it was Lament whispering it?
Or perhaps she was just extra sensitive today...
After Lev's question, Lamenta's shadow stretched long, reaching all the way to my feet.
The shadow brushed past me, turning the whisper into a small chuckle.
[Lev is Lev]
I just answered straightforwardly.
“…I... see.”
【...That was an unexpected answer, masked man.】
The usual ambiguous response.
But in my heart, that was the only answer.
The Lev de Lumière standing before my eyes.
And Lev de Lament, her jealousy manifested.
Both of them were unchangingly Lev.
‘The problem is that the jealousy side is too extreme.’
When I turned back, Lev walked toward the end of the corridor as if nothing had happened.
Her jealousy's shadow silently followed behind her.
***
“Hey, Adel?”
At the end of the corridor leading to the Dean's office, Klaus's voice stopped me.
[Hey]
“Did the Dean call you too?”
I nodded silently.
“Wonder why.”
[Probably about that thing during the evaluation]
“Ah, yeah, that must be it?”
Standing before the Dean's office door, I raised my hand.
But before I could even knock...
Click.
The door opened on its own.
Light flowed out from inside, and Veronica sat there in a dignified pose.
...Up to that point, it was fine.
But before Klaus or I could cross the threshold, Veronica's gaze locked squarely on my face.
“…You little shit, that look in your eyes is impure.”
She'd clearly aimed for an atmosphere of a charismatic Dean that anyone would admire...
Honestly, the Veronica in front of me just looked like a chuunibyou kid.
“Uh, I wasn't thinking anything...”
Klaus tried to make an excuse but quickly realized how weird it sounded and shut his mouth.
“Whatever... Come here and sit.”
Veronica pointed at the chairs with her chin.
Klaus sat down tensely, practically jamming himself into the chair, while I casually leaned back in mine.
After a brief pause, Veronica tapped the desk with her fingers and spoke.
“You two... haven't told anyone about the calamity, right?”
“…Yes?”
[Yes]
Only then did Veronica nod in relief.
“Good. Don't tell a soul about that?”
“Yes...? But Dean...”
“Sparkly man.”
Klaus's question was ruthlessly cut off.
More shocking than that was Klaus being called 'sparkly man.'
“The Empire's dealing with a witch calamity going berserk, and the Cradle had a calamity descent.”
“…….”
“Does that make any sense to you?”
“But...”
“It might sound irresponsible, but in the end, you two are safe, there were no other casualties, so just bury it in your hearts.”
[Yes]
“Spreading it would only cause more chaos.”
“...”
“...It might even give other calamities an excuse to attack the Cradle.”
Honestly, there was no room to argue against Veronica's words.
The only ones hurt during the evaluation were me and Klaus; no other students were harmed.
The Empire was already tearing its hair out over one calamity called the 'Witch,' and the Cradle was in uproar from the massive calamity descent incident.
Chaos itself becomes a pretext for attack.
Calamities would inevitably seep in through those unprepared gaps.
‘Really hate that.’
Calamities are fundamentally extreme individualists.
If interests don't align, they ignore each other, and if they clash, they fight until one side is completely gone.
And those calamity battles might seem like mere games, but to humans, they're nightmares.
“…….”
Klaus seemed to realize why Veronica was emphasizing this so much and nodded heavily.
“Alright... that's all I have to say... wait a sec.”
Veronica leaned down from her seat and rummaged through the desk drawer.
Soon, two small potion vials appeared in her hand.
“Here, drink.”
“This is...?”
“Elixir.”
“E-Elixir!?”
I picked up the vial a beat later.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
【Elixir】
Grade: Legendary
The pinnacle of human-made potions!
: Perfectly heals the user's body.
It can even breathe life into someone whose breath has stopped with just a sip!
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘Wow.’
Such a precious item... from that stingy Dean...
It really was precious.
An elixir most people might never see in their lifetime.
“Your eyes have been impure since earlier?”
[It's your imagination]
Klaus carefully put the elixir to his lips.
I carefully placed the elixir into my inventory.
“You're not drinking?”
[I'll drink it later]
“Fiiiine, suit yourself~”
Honestly, using something this precious here would be idiotic.
“Hmm... Honestly, giving just this feels like it'd prick my conscience.”
[Did you ever have a conscience, Dean?]
“Wanna die?”
[It was shining so bright I couldn't see it]
“Right?”
Of course, that was a lie.
Far from shining, Veronica's conscience had probably charred black long ago and turned to ash.
“You two want anything?”
“Anything... I want?”
“Yeah. Whatever, I'll give it.”
“B-But we already got an elixir, so getting more...”
“You trying to make me out as stingy?”
“Uh... then just one sword...”
“Sword?”
“Yes... mine broke.”
“Hmm...”
Veronica nonchalantly extended her nails and slashed the air: ziiiip...
The space split open, creating a rift.
‘...Is that even okay?’
I'd seen the scene a couple times, but it always made me think the same.
Even for a dragon, it was too absurd.
“Here.”
“…This is?”
“It's cheap... but I'll find a better one later and give you another.”
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
【Benedict】
Grade: Epic
A holy sword imbued with radiance.
: Exhibits even greater power when infused with light mana.
Instills sublime courage in its wielder.
✦━━━━━━━━━━━━✦
‘Oof... and that's cheap?’
Klaus received the sword with both hands, bowing his head repeatedly.
Then, Veronica turned to me.
“You?”
[Good question]
“What do you want?”
[How about buying me a mansion?]
“What?”
[A mansion]
“I can't hear you.”
[I'm writing it]
“Ah... right.”
Veronica paused for a moment... then cleared her throat awkwardly a few times.
“Something else.”
[A house]
“No.”
[Money]
“I don't have any.”
[Half the world]
“That it?”
[I was kidding]
I clearly meant it as a joke, so why doesn't this Dean take jokes?
Veronica crossed her legs nonchalantly.
“Hmph. Boring.”
[Then it can't be fun]