Chapter 290: A Secret Night. A Night of Reflection.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 290: A Secret Night. A Night of Reflection.
Late at night.
Two people were having a clandestine meeting in the Academy’s Chairperson’s office.
“Please, hurry. I can’t stand it any longer.”
“Just a moment. Don’t rush me.”
It was a time when the fatigue from the dungeon raid hadn’t even fully dissipated—a moment when one would normally be resting in preparation for the next day. However, the Chairperson had summoned Kang So-hyun, claiming she couldn’t wait a second longer.
Kang So-hyun had also come to her room, thinking that delaying this might lead to some sort of accident.
The Chairperson seemed even more desperate than he had anticipated, her eyes fixed on him as she continued to urge him on.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited? It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I’ve lived for this very moment.”
To put it simply:
She wanted her diary back.
* * *
…Just how dangerous is that diary for her to be this worked up?
Her attitude suggested she might declare war if he didn’t hand it over immediately. It was almost terrifying.
“Alright, alright. I’ll take it out now.”
To be honest, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered taking a peek before handing it over.
However, doing so would almost certainly result in his death. Moreover, it wasn’t morally right, so he decided to suppress his curiosity.
Doesn’t everyone have at least one notebook from their past they’d rather see burned?
It was probably just some self-indulgent novel or poetry.
An adult should know how to look away even when they stumble upon someone else’s unsightly side.
“Bring it out. Gourd.”
Upon his command, the Gourd spat out three items in order.
The first was the Divine Bow, said to be used by the King of the Elves.
Though not overly ornate, its design was clean and practical, adorned with only modest decorations. Yet, the aura it radiated was unmistakably extraordinary.
Upon seeing the bow, the Chairperson blankly caressed it, tears welling in her eyes.
“…The day has finally come. The day I truly get this back.”
Next was a Branch of the World Tree, which the Elves worshipped as a god.
Even though it was just a raw, unprocessed branch, it pulsed with a holy life force that put any ordinary recovery-type Artifact to shame.
Wiping away her lingering tears, the Chairperson carefully cradled the Branch of the World Tree in her arms.
“I was so dizzy when I heard that the treasure meant for the next King of the Elves had been stolen. I wondered how on earth they were managing the treasury.”
And finally, the moment the modest diary emerged from the Gourd.
The Chairperson unceremoniously shoved aside the Divine Bow and the Branch of the World Tree she had been so preciously holding to secure the diary.
The sequence of movements was so natural and swift that, had it not been for his Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, he might have been fooled into thinking she had been holding the diary from the very beginning.
“…Did you happen to see it?”
“I don’t think I even had the time to look…?”
“R-right? Yes. Good. That’s a relief then. Well, these are all treasures of the Elves, so I must go return them to the Elf District.”
“…At this hour?”
“Cadet Kang So-hyun. This is no small matter. This is news that the Elven treasures, which had vanished for years, have returned. It wouldn’t do to delay delivering them even by a moment.”
…Your words sound perfectly fine, but to my eyes, you look like someone about to start a campfire and toss that diary right in.
“Yes, preparation. I must prepare. This diary is made of a peculiar material, so it won’t even burn in a normal fire.”
Aha, so there was a reason for the rush! You really are going to burn it!
Honestly, it was a bit scary, but whatever.
“I’ll be taking my leave then.”
A wise man does not linger near danger.
“Ah, yes. Cadet Kang So-hyun. On behalf of all Elves, and personally as well, I want to say thank you. I’ll find the time to express my gratitude properly later.”
“Haha, it was nothing. It wasn’t that difficult. You helped a lot with the dungeon raid too, Chairperson…”
Just as they were sharing those heartwarming parting words and he was about to leave the office…
Information began to flow into his mind.
It was likely a memory from the still-slumbering Sun Wukong.
He didn’t know the principle behind it or why it was happening at this specific timing, but there was no way to block the incoming memory.
The residual thoughts of Sun Wukong, who had been enduring boredom alone inside the Gourd, vividly conveyed the memory of reading a certain notebook.
The story seemed like a novel written from a sort of fantasy, lacking somewhat in plausibility. It was a type of… well, erotica, starring a beautiful silver-haired Elf as the protagonist.
It was a story about an Elven princess-like figure whom no one would approach, being defiled in various ways by different villains in every chapter.
Since there was no connection between the chapters and the heroine was a virgin every time, it was clearly a collection of short stories.
The variation of villains appearing was quite broad.
From an Orc general who raided the Elven palace to a Goblin who repaid the kindness of a soft-hearted Elf girl with betrayal.
Slave traders who used beautiful treasures and tales of adventure as bait to enslave Elves were standard. Later on, as if even that buildup became a chore, villains using hypnotism or aphrodisiacs became the main focus.
However, as the number of short stories grew, perhaps the author’s tastes became more fixed, because eventually, the appearance of the villain narrowed down to almost one type.
A villain with a mysterious atmosphere and overwhelming power.
One who acted only by his own standards, specialized in gaslighting, and even during scenes of defilement, would claim he was in no rush, teasing and driving the other person frantic first.
Nearly hundreds of chapters dealt with the story of an Elf gradually falling into corruption, slowly being stained by such a villain.
Ah, the author’s favorite lines seemed to be: “Why don’t you say it with your own mouth? What is it you want me to do to you?” and “The pride of the High Elves has truly fallen to the ground,” and “I’m just Master’s lewd slave…!”
So, basically.
Fuck. I can’t laugh.
If he laughed, or even flinched—if he showed any reaction other than walking out calmly—he would surely be suspected.
Why was such a trial being bestowed upon him at this exact moment?
Why on earth did the Chairperson have such tastes in her youth and commit the atrocity of recording them…!
He felt like he couldn’t hold back his laughter at the feast of dialogue being updated in his head in real-time.
‘Something that big won’t fit in thereeeeee…!’ ‘You will never be able to defile the pride of the Elves…!’ ‘Noooooooo…!’
It was hopeless.
The Chairperson, who was usually so benevolent and prioritized the public good despite having a bit of a playful side, had been writing such delusional diaries in private. How could he possibly hold back his laughter?
If this were anyone else, this would be a prime opportunity for a decade’s worth of public humiliation…!
Just before the laughter burst out, he had to make a choice.
Whether to laugh his head off right here and face the Chairperson’s “affectionate” interrogation, or to sacrifice something small and escape.
The choice was simple.
“…Is something wrong, Cadet Kang So-hyun? Why have you stopped?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Your mouth is bleeding.”
“I bit my tongue.”
“Oh dear, you should be careful.”
He just had to blow away the urge to laugh with pain.
This wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t specified whether it was intentional or an accident. His conscience was clear.
A person can bite their tongue on purpose sometimes.
Thus, he successfully escaped the Chairperson’s office and ran toward a place where no one would be.
He had reached his limit; he needed to laugh first before he could think.
How could the Chairperson’s fetish be submission?
* * *
Only after setting up a soundproofing barrier in an empty training ground and having a good laugh was he able to return to the dormitory.
Actually, thinking about it now, it might not have been something to laugh that hard about.
It was just that the situation at the time, combined with the emotions Sun Wukong felt in the memory and the pressure of having to hold it in, had made the urge to laugh feel more urgent.
Honestly, the Chairperson could have those tastes.
She wasn’t hurting anyone, and she wasn’t actually trying to do those things. Whatever.
“Daddy!”
As he opened the dormitory door with a chuckle, Luna flew into his arms, apparently not having gone to bed yet.
“Luna, you weren’t sleeping yet?”
“Yes! I was waiting with Mommy!”
While he was stroking Luna’s head with a warm feeling, her words sent a chill down his spine.
…Huh?
Waiting with Mommy?
Slowly raising his head to look forward, he saw a delicious-looking but cold dinner table, and Ha-ni sitting behind it, smiling brightly.
I’m fucked.
It was a strange thing.
He didn’t think he had done anything terribly wrong, but his conscience ached far more than when he had killed that Wild Dog bastard in Labyrinthos or when he had snapped the Con Artist’s fingers.
How should he put it?
It was an instinctive feeling that if he didn’t make an excuse right now, something truly terrible would happen.
“It’s been almost a week, and since you said you were coming today, I prepared this. You’re later than I thought.”
Hearing the thorn in her tone made the suffocating feeling in his chest much stronger.
What was the right answer?
That he was late because the Chairperson called him? That he didn’t know she’d prepare dinner and wait? No, that wasn’t it.
“I’m sorry.”
He didn’t know exactly why, but he felt that apologizing first was the priority.
“You’re quick on the uptake, as always. I’m not really that angry.”
At that, Ha-ni gave a small smirk and began to clear the dishes.
“These are things I can just reheat, so wait a moment. You can’t eat them cold.”
“No, I can just eat them as they are…”
“Ah. Just sit down. Honestly, I’ll probably only see the Professor and Ga-eul tomorrow anyway, so I’ll just be satisfied with seeing you a day early.”
For some reason, her usual friendly smile didn’t reassure him; instead, it made his chest feel even tighter.
What was the right answer?
While he was thinking, his body was already moving.
He hugged Ha-ni from behind as she hummed while reheating the food.
“Eek…!?”
Wait. What kind of crazy thing did I just do?
“S-So-hyun…?”
Ha-ni also seemed incredibly flustered, as if she hadn’t expected him to act like this. Since he hadn’t done it with any thought, he couldn’t think of the right thing to say.
“J-just because.”
“…Just because?”
“You looked lonely. I wanted to hug you.”
Ha-ni stared at him with a blank face for a long time after hearing his words, before finally clutching her stomach and bursting into a loud laugh.
“Ah, seriously. That was freaking cute for the first time in a while! Our So-hyun was worried I’d be pouting?”
…It was a bit embarrassing, but fortunately, this action seemed to be the right answer. Ha-ni appeared to be in a very good mood.
“But don’t you know you shouldn’t do that while someone is cooking? It’s dangerous because of the stove~”
After moving the reheated food to the table and sitting back down, Ha-ni looked at him with a smile and spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
“Welcome back.”
That greeting felt strangely fresh to him.
“Thanks. I’m back.”
He wondered if his reply sounded a bit awkward.
“Whatever, no need for thanks. Instead, I’m going to monopolize you until tomorrow morning.”
“…Huh?”
“We decided that from tomorrow afternoon it’s Ga-eul’s turn, and the Professor’s turn will be last.”
“…Oh, really? Why does this sound like the first time I’m hearing this?”
“Because I didn’t tell you. Why? You don’t like it? The girls are really sharpening their blades, so you’d better be prepared.”
…It’s not that I don’t like it, but is that how it works?
“Let’s eat quickly before it gets cold!”
Seeing her laugh at his troubled expression made her look cute too; he really was a hopeless case.
But Ha-ni.
I wonder if the girls will still be able to be upset with me once they see the gifts I brought back?