Neck Snapped
Neck Snapped
Morning.
I went down to the lobby for roll call.
The atmosphere was different.
Usually, the kids would come down in tracksuits with half-dead expressions.
Today, their eyes were sparkling.
"Hey. Did you pack?"
"Not yet! What do I need to pack? A swimsuit?"
"A swimsuit is a given. And sunblock. Oh, right, a hat too."
"Where's the lodging this time?"
"They said a villa near the lake! It's huge!"
Buzz buzz.
Giggle.
The lobby was like a marketplace.
I stood there blankly, holding the list.
Then, from the front row.
"Hey, hey, hey. A senior I know asked me to go together?"
A blonde girl grabbed the arm of the girl next to her.
2nd-year student.
Room 208.
I don't remember the name, but I've seen the face.
The kid who always answers "Here~" brightly during roll call.
"Oh? Which senior?"
"3rd year, Department of Swordsmanship. Tall, brown hair."
"Him? Isn't he interested in you?"
"I-I don't know! He probably just asked me to go together!"
"Ayy~ You're so innocent~"
"Hey!!"
Giggle.
She was stomping her feet with red ears.
'MT.'
Academy Annual MT.
A group trip for all grades.
An event that appeared in the original novel too.
The scene where Siegfried saves Elise at the lake happened here.
'Doesn't concern me.'
Obviously, I won't go.
I didn't sign up.
Skip the MT and game in the Dormitory Warden's room.
Since the dorm will be empty for a few days, no one will knock on the door.
I can binge-raid bosses.
It's a blessing.
There couldn't be a better event for me.
"That concludes today's roll call."
I finished roll call in a good mood.
Thud.
Returned to the Dormitory Warden's room.
Closed the door.
Lay on the bed and started planning my gaming schedule for the MT period.
Day 1 — Enter Stage 10. Figure out boss phase 3 patterns.
Day 2 — Boss speedrun. Goal: 10 minutes.
Day 3 — .......
Perfect plan.
Then.
The Communication Crystal Ball in my pocket vibrated.
Took it out.
Academy Administration Office notice.
[Academy Annual MT Guide]
[Date: Next week Mon-Thu (3 nights, 4 days)]
[Location: Aberdeen Lake Villa]
[Target: All grades]
So far, as expected.
[Participation: Mandatory for all. No exceptions.]
One sentence caught my eye.
'Mandatory for all. No exceptions.'
I swallowed dryly and scrolled down.
[Dormitory Warden included. The Warden's accompaniment is mandatory for student management.]
'Dormitory Warden included'
This sentence. What is this.
What the hell is this.
[Non-participation is grounds for revocation of Warden status.]
'..............'
I stared down at the Crystal Ball.
[Mandatory for all. No exceptions.]
[Warden included.]
[Non-participation = revocation of status.]
'Revocation of status....'
Ha.
My gaming plan was shattered.
4 days.
I can't game for a whole 4 days.
I could bring the console.
But what happens if I take out a console in a group lodging?
There's no way I'll get a room to myself.
I pulled the blanket up over my head.
'Ha.'
'Life.'
It never works out easily.
11 PM.
Was gaming.
[STAGE 49 — Guardian of the Old Tree]
[HP: 38%]
Phase 3.
I'll catch it today.
Focus.
Click-click-click—
An acrobatic feat with all my might.
[Guardian of the Old Tree HP: 21%]
Good.
It's going well.
Knock knock.
'.............'
The door.
'What now.'
Checked the clock.
1 AM.
'At this hour?'
Should I ignore it?
Ha. Boss is at 21%.
Knock knock.
"Um...... Warden-sunbae-nim......"
Female voice.
Not crying.
But a bit urgent.
"S-sorry for the late hour...... I'm from room 208......"
Room 208.
The one who said "Here~" earlier.
The one from that group that giggled, "Isn't he interested in you?"
"The window latch is broken...... so the wind keeps coming in...... I tried to fix it alone for an hour but it didn't work......"
The voice trailed off.
"If I put in an A/S request at this hour, it feels like it'll come the day after tomorrow...... I'd like it fixed before the MT......"
'.............'
Boss HP 21%.
'.............'
Put down the controller.
'Ha.'
Picked up the Toolbox.
Opened the door.
Creeeak.
She was standing there.
Blonde.
Wearing a cardigan over pajamas.
Holding a screwdriver in her hand.
'She tried to fix it herself.'
Looking at the screwdriver, there were signs she'd turned it the wrong way.
The screw head was mangled.
'She wrestled with this alone for an hour?'
"Follow me."
I walked ahead.
2nd floor.
Room 208.
Opened the door and went in.
The room was a bit messy.
Tools similar to mine were scattered on the floor.
Clothes were strewn on the bed.
Signs of her having been picking out MT luggage.
The window was open.
The night wind was blowing in.
The curtains were fluttering.
'Must have been cold.'
November night wind is quite cold.
She wrestled with this for an hour.
I went to the window.
Looked at the latch.
'Ah.'
The screw was mangled.
Turned the wrong way.
Someone who didn't know the direction of the screwdriver forced it, crushing the screw head.
The latch itself was twisted too.
It should have been fine just tightening the screw.
She pushed with force, bending the latch too.
'She made it worse trying to fix it.'
I opened the Toolbox.
First, I had to remove the mangled screw.
Grabbed it with pliers.
Creeeak-
Applied force.
The screw turned.
Pulled it out.
"............."
Felt a gaze from behind.
Ignored it.
Inserted a new screw.
Straightened the latch.
Grabbed the twisted part with my hand and forced it back to its original position.
Creeeak-
Sound of metal turning.
Tightened the screw with the screwdriver.
Accurately.
Firmly.
Click.
Closed the window.
Opened it.
Closed it.
Click-
It locked.
The wind stopped.
The curtains settled.
"It's done."
Turned around.
The girl from room 208 was standing there.
Looking at me.
But the gaze was strange.
She wasn't looking at my face.
'What is she looking at.'
Followed her gaze.
My arm.
I had my school uniform sleeves rolled up.
My forearm was visible.
Even the distinct veins above it.
The girl snapped her head away.
"T-thank you, Sunbae!"
Her voice was a tone higher.
Her ears were red.
'Why are they red.'
I pulled down my sleeves.
"It's nothing. You just have to align the screw direction properly. Next time, turn it clockwise."
"Ah...... clockwise......"
The girl nodded.
But I don't know if she heard what I just said.
Her gaze was still a bit unfocused.
'What is it.'
"Then, excuse me."
I picked up the Toolbox and headed for the door.
"U-um, Warden-sunbae!"
Stopped.
'What now.'
"Thank you so much. I was struggling alone for an hour...... but it didn't even take a minute when you came."
"It was just a screw issue."
"No, still......"
The girl stopped as if she wanted to say something more.
Closed her mouth.
Opened it again.
"As expected...... men are men."
'............What?'
It was a small voice.
Didn't sound like she was talking to me, but talking to herself.
But I heard it.
I didn't pretend to hear it and left the room.
Walked down the hallway.
Went down to the 1st floor.
'What was that just now.'
'As expected, men are men?'
'Over turning a screw.'
Didn't understand.
Didn't want to understand either.
Entered the Dormitory Warden's room.
Closed the door.
Thud-
Looked at the console.
[Guardian of the Old Tree HP: 34%]
'Ah.'
It recovered again.
From 21% to 34%.
'Fuck.'
Grabbed the controller.
Click-click-click—
But it was bothering me a bit.
The girl who giggled, "Isn't he interested in you?" during the day.
At night.
Was looking at my forearm.
'.............'
[Guardian of the Old Tree HP: 19%]
Cut it down.
'None of my business.'
[14%]
[7%]
[3%]
No one came this time.
2 AM.
Quiet Dormitory Warden's room.
Click-click-click—!
[Guardian of the Old Tree HP: 0%]
[STAGE 49 CLEAR]
Caught it.
I put down the controller.
Quietly clenched my fist.
'Good.'
This is what I live for.
Turned off the console and changed clothes.
Suddenly wanted to get some air.
Put on a jacket and left the Dormitory Warden's room.
Dormitory front gate.
The night air was cold.
Left the Academy front gate.
Walked down the street lined with streetlights.
After walking a bit, I saw a small shop.
Something like this world's version of a convenience store.
Open 24 hours.
Mana lights were shining brightly.
Opened the door and went in.
Picked up a canned beer from the refrigerated shelf.
An ale made somewhere in the Empire.
Cheap.
But this tastes good.
Paid and came out.
Sat on the bench in front of the shop.
Tap.
Opened the can.
Tsssss-
Foam rose up.
One sip.
'.............'
Cold.
Bitter.
Good.
Looked up at the night sky.
There were fucking many stars.
Because there's no pollution in this world.
In my previous life, I never saw stars in Seoul.
Here, I see them every day.
'Things like this are nice.'
Took another sip of the canned beer.
It was quiet.
2 AM street.
No one was there.
'This is right.'
A place with no one.
A place where no one watches.
Alone.
This is my place.
Then.
Heard footsteps from the side.
Not light footsteps.
Not heavy ones either.
Just.
Precise footsteps.
Each step landing at a regular interval.
Someone stopped next to the bench.
"Hello?"
Low voice.
Calm.
I looked to the side while holding the canned beer.
Black hair.
Cold eyes.
A sword was strapped over the school uniform.
'.............'
Siegfried von Waldstein.
The future Sword Saint.
At 2 AM.
On a bench in front of a convenience store.
Was greeting me.
The hand holding the canned beer stopped.
'.............'
My heart froze.
'Why are you here.'
'Why are you talking to me.'
'Fuck... did I do something wrong?'
My head spun like crazy.
Siegfried looked at me.
No expression.
And opened the convenience store door and went in.
Came out.
Holding a canned beer in his hand.
Tap-
Sat next to me.
Tsssss-
Opened the can.
Took a sip.
"............."
"............."
Silence.
On the bench in front of the convenience store at 2 AM.
The future Sword Saint was sitting next to me, drinking canned beer.
'............'
'What is this situation.'
'Am I going to die?'
Siegfried took a sip of beer.
And looked up at the sky.
"Stars are visible."
"You couldn't sleep either, so you came out?"
He spoke to me.
Naturally.
As if it were natural for him to be sitting next to me.
'Why is he talking to me.'
This man is the most famous human in the Academy.
The type where people gather wherever he goes.
Top of the Department of Swordsmanship.
Future Sword Saint.
The man women line up for.
Such a guy is sitting next to a nobody no one knows at 2 AM, drinking beer.
'I don't understand.'
"............Yeah. Well. Something like that."
Barely answered.
My voice was low.
Because I was nervous.
"Me too."
Siegfried shook the can.
"I have a bit of insomnia. I come out often at dawn."
'Insomnia?'
The future Sword Saint has insomnia?
That man can't sleep?
That setting wasn't in the original novel.
"After sword training, my brain doesn't shut off. My body is tired, but my brain won't sleep. So if I drink a can of beer and go in, it's a bit better."
He said calmly.
'.............'
What.
He just came out because he couldn't sleep.
Same reason as me.
"What's your name?"
"............It's Ian. Ian Valentine."
"Ian."
He nodded.
"I'm Siegfried. You can call me Zeke."
'Zeke.'
The man who killed four people in the original novel is saying "Call me comfortably."
"............Yes. Zeke-ssi."
"-ssi?"
Zeke looked at me.
"We're classmates, why are you using honorifics?"
'We are classmates, though.'
"Speak comfortably. I'll speak comfortably too."
'Speak comfortably?'
'To the future Sword Saint?'
'Use casual speech in front of this man?'
But if I say "No, I will maintain courtesy" here.
It's even weirder.
Since we're in the same grade, using honorifics alone means keeping distance.
'............Just speak comfortably. Naturally.'
"............Yeah. Zeke."
It came out of my mouth.
It was awkward.
Fucking awkward.
But Zeke smiled.
"Haha."
It was a smile I was seeing for the first time.
Not the expressionless face when he cut the doll in half at the training ground.
Just a face smiling comfortably.
"You're an interesting friend."
'What is.'
"Because you're the first friend who feels this awkward using casual speech with a classmate."
'That's because I'm scared of you.'
"Good. Because it's comfortable."
'I'm not comfortable at all.'
Zeke took a sip of canned beer.
"Do you come around here often?"
"............Sometimes."
It's a lie.
It's my first time today.
"I come almost every day too. It's good because there's no one here at this hour."
'He's saying the same thing as me.'
It's good because there's no one.
That's true for me too.
But I'm like this because I'm a loser.
And this man.
'He's an insider, why does he like being alone?'
Then.
Rustle-
A sound came from the forest side.
A small sound.
To the extent that the grass was shaking.
I didn't hear it.
To be precise, I heard it but didn't pay attention.
Thought it was the wind.
But Zeke was different.
Stopped.
The hand holding the can stopped in mid-air.
In that exact posture as he was about to bring it to his mouth.
His eyes changed.
0.5 seconds.
Not the eyes that were talking about stars while drinking beer until a moment ago.
Not the eyes when he was cutting practice dolls at the training ground either.
More than that.
It was the eyes of a beast.
Pinpointing the direction of the sound.
Measuring the distance.
Judging whether there's a threat.
The eyes of a hunter.
For a moment, my spine turned cold.
0.5 seconds.
Rustle-
A squirrel popped out of the forest.
Grabbed an acorn and ran away quickly.
Zeke's eyes returned.
To the original state.
Softly.
"It's a squirrel."
Brought the can to his mouth and drank.
As if nothing had happened.
'.............'
I just saw that.
0.5 seconds.
It was only 0.5 seconds.
But I saw the essence of this man.
Soft tone.
Comfortable atmosphere.
"Speak comfortably" "It's a good major."
All of it is real.
But underneath that.
There was a sword.
A sword that is always awake.
A guy who catches sounds within a radius of tens of meters even while drinking beer and looking at stars, and switches to combat stance in 0.5 seconds.
To the woman who will be connected to such a guy, I.
'Fuck.'
Said she was pretty.
Zeke looked at me.
"Why? Are you surprised?"
"............No."
"Are you scared of squirrels?"
"I said no."
Zeke smirked.
'Don't smile. I'm fucking scared right now.'
Fuck.
It's not that I'm scared of the squirrel.
It's that I'm scared of you.
Then Zeke said.
"What's your major?"
"Department of Magic."
"Department of Magic? What's your combat major?"
"............Druid."
"Druid?"
Zeke blinked.
And.
"It's a good major."
'............What?'
No one ever said that.
Applicant in 2 years.
A major that grows grass.
Everyone either said "Why that?" or wasn't even interested.
"It's a good major?"
I asked back without realizing.
"Handling nature is harder than a sword."
Zeke looked at the sky.
"A sword is about breaking things. Anyone can do it. You just need strength."
He tilted the can slightly.
The beer sloshed.
"But growing things, not just anyone can do."
'.............'
What is this person.
I was scared of this man.
Because he's a guy who cuts people in the original novel.
Because he's Elise's man.
Because he's an existence I shouldn't touch.
But this man who is sitting next to me now, drinking beer and saying "Druid is a good major".
He was just a decent guy.
Zeke emptied the can.
Crushed it and put it to the side.
Stood up.
"I'm going first."
Calmly.
Without any formalities.
"Let's have a drink next time we run into each other."
'.............'
'Next time?'
"See ya."
Zeke turned and walked away.
The footsteps were regular.
One step, one step.
Moved away.
Disappeared into the darkness.
I was sitting on the bench.
Half the canned beer was left.
'.............'
'He comes almost every day?'
'At this hour?'
'Here?'
I looked down at the canned beer.
'It's this time after I catch a boss too.'
'Fuck.'
'That means this guy is here if I come out at dawn.'
In the dormitory, the heroines.
In the club, Aria and that man.
At the dawn convenience store, the Sword Saint.
'Where is the time I can be alone.'
Drank the remaining beer.
Bitter.
'Ha.'
'Life.'