Chapter 166: Complex Classmate Relationships
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: Complex Classmate Relationships
"So, this is what you meant by a 'celebration'?" I looked at the spread on the table. Calling it "light" would be an understatement. It was just... well, it’s hard to put into words.
"Um... funds are limited, funds are limited!" Annie said, looking rather embarrassed.
"What do you mean, funds? Don't we contestants have a reimbursement allowance? You're not using it?" I looked at the few dishes on the table and felt my appetite vanishing.
"Huh? What reimbursement allowance?"
"You seriously didn't know? During the Freshman Competition, contestants can have their expenses reimbursed just by showing their ID! Didn't Teacher Lina mention this before?" I explained, rubbing my temples in exasperation.
"Wait, really?!" Annie’s eyes widened in disbelief. She double-checked with me, "Can we really get reimbursed?"
"Why would I lie to you about that? Hurry up and order some better food."
I picked up my chopsticks and poked at the vegetables in front of me. I was genuinely curious—didn't Annie know that inviting someone to a meal like this was a great way to ruin a friendship?
She had begged me to come for so long, which made me worry about her current financial situation. If she was struggling that much, why was she so insistent on treating me? Was it just to establish a connection so I’d tell the students in my class to take it easy on hers?
"Annie, let me ask—is your financial situation not doing so well?"
"Eh? Um... you noticed... Sorry, I guess it was a bit too obvious. Inviting you to dinner when I barely have any money..."
"Don't your parents send you anything?"
"I don't have a family."
"Oh... then... what about close friends?" I was momentarily stunned by her answer, so I awkwardly pivoted to another question.
"I don't have friends either. Before entering the Witch Academy, 'friends' were a luxury I couldn't afford..."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up such a buzzkill topic. Since this meal is being reimbursed, let's eat something good! Waitress! More food!"
With Annie’s call for more dishes, she seemed to briefly cast aside her worries. After all, getting something for free is a surefire way to boost one's mood.
As the lavish dishes were served, Annie finally showed a sense of joy and satisfaction she hadn't revealed before. It was as if she was finally tasting the perks that should come with being a class monitor.
As we ate, I got a general sense of her background. It’s only natural to chat during a meal.
Actually, it wasn't so much a conversation as it was her venting to a captive audience. She needed a friend to confide in. Even though school had only just started, Annie had clearly taken quite a few hits.
She had entered the Witch Academy full of hope, thinking an environment full of girls would be harmonious. Instead, it had turned into a den of intrigue, full of schemes and threats.
"Sister Xiao Han, what should I do? I didn't want this, but now it feels like there's no turning back. I never wanted to be a class monitor, but a moment of greed led me down this path of no return. I can't imagine what would happen if I lost the status and the resource allocation. What would I even be in that class? I just wanted a normal academy life..."
"It's okay, everything will pass," I offered, though I knew these were just empty comforts. When you take one wrong step after another, the cause and effect become impossible to untangle.
"I feel like I'm walking a tightrope every day. My counselor manages several classes, so she can't look after everyone. But she’s always emphasizing 'collective consciousness,' and I just can't do it..."
"It's fine, it's fine..."
I sighed along with her. Annie was rambling as if she were drunk, even though we were only drinking non-alcoholic beverages.
"Things will get better. If you feel something is wrong, then have the courage to question it. This so-called 'collective consciousness' doesn't necessarily mean submission. When an individual's power is great enough to override the collective, the collective becomes a shackle for the strong. The issue is how you handle it. When you are strong enough—so strong that your voice is the only one in the entire group—isn't that also a form of collective consciousness?"
"That... what kind of twisted logic is that?!"
"Twisted? So what? Why are you so sad right now? Isn't it because of other people's twisted logic? You are the class monitor born from the will of the class, the final result of a lottery. You are the legitimate leader. Why not just step up and announce: 'By Heaven's Mandate, Long Life and Eternal Prosperity'?"
"What 'Mandate of Heaven'? What century is that meme from?!" Annie finally burst out laughing at my words.
"The principle is the same. People bully the kind-hearted. Since they chose to isolate you, why not use your own power to isolate all of them? Otherwise, you're letting their efforts go to waste."
"Wicked paths and prejudice are the easiest ways to get stuck in a rut. While they're still fixated on the title of 'class monitor,' you should be looking toward the long-term future. Don't forget, this is a Transcendent world. Strength isn't everything, but it can solve the vast majority of problems."
"You're right! You're absolutely right! I need to get stronger! Sister Xiao Han, teach me the secret to getting strong! You're so amazing, you must have your own methods!" Annie dropped her chopsticks and grabbed my hand.
"Hey! Annie, don't do that! Girls shouldn't be so touchy-feely!" I hurriedly pulled my hand away.
"Sorry, I got a bit too excited. Anyway, thank you for eating with me, Sister Xiao Han. And... for telling me about the reimbursement!"
"I'm very happy today. I'm going to go prepare for the afternoon matches."
"Yeah, take your time. I heard the rewards for the top-ranking students are very generous this time. Good luck~"
"I will!"
I nodded slightly. Someone filled with hope wouldn't give up easily. Still, there wasn't much I could do except pray she didn't run into me or Tan Han in the afternoon.
After putting down my chopsticks, I prepared to leave. However, just as I was about to say my final goodbye to Annie at the door, she was blocked by someone.
It looked like she’d run into an acquaintance.
"Oh? Our class monitor still has the leisure to eat here? I thought contestants were provided with boxed lunches?"
"Where I eat is none of your business, is it?" Annie looked at the person in front of her, her voice simmering with suppressed anger.
Seeing the tension, I stepped forward.
"Annie, what's going on? Who is this?" I could tell Annie didn't get along with this tall girl, so I naturally moved to her side to back her up.
The girl had a single-digit number of Mana Sources and one spellbook. She was likely a freshman, but she didn't seem to be a class monitor. Being able to get a Mana Source and a spellbook without being a monitor meant she was quite capable.
"Xiao Han... sorry. This is a class matter. I've dragged you into it," Annie said apologetically.
"It's fine. But since you said it's a class matter, is she your classmate?" I looked at the girl. Her eyes held a trace of arrogance, but when she met my gaze, she froze. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, her expression shifted drastically.
"You! You're that Explosive Witch!"
"Don't call me the Explosive Witch. I have a name."
Being called that was honestly quite embarrassing. There were probably plenty of witches called "Explosive Witch," so it lacked any sense of uniqueness. Besides, I wasn't even a specialist in explosive spells.
However, rather than this girl, I was more interested in the figure behind her. She looked familiar. I tilted my head to get a better look.
"That... is... Yang Yuehan? Um... this is all a misunderstanding..." The girl’s attitude did a complete 180. It seemed she was the type who knew when to bow and when to bluster—she knew exactly who she could and couldn't provoke.
If Annie’s class was full of people like this, I wouldn't mind Annie using my name to win some of them over. Forming cliques and small groups—who doesn't know how to do that? It was just that Annie’s "clique" currently consisted of only herself.
"Um, my name is Feng Chengyin. Miss Yang Yuehan, are you looking at my sister? This is my younger sister, Feng Yuzhen. She's very introverted. Sorry, she's a bit shy around strangers." Seeing my gaze drifting behind her, Feng Chengyin immediately turned around and pushed the person hiding in the back forward.
"Feng Yuzhen..." I raised an eyebrow. The girl kept her head down, not even daring to meet my eyes. She was indeed the introverted type, but her sister was the complete opposite.
Of course I knew Feng Yuzhen. She was a student in my Class 14. When I first arrived at the classroom, I thought I was the first one there, but she had been there before me, sitting quietly in the back, too afraid to speak.
"Feng Yuzhen, I didn't expect to run into you here," I said softly with a smile.
"Yuzhen, say something... Wait, Miss Yang Yuehan, you know my sister?"
Feng Chengyin was stunned. Even Annie, standing to the side, looked bewildered, not understanding the situation.
"Feng Yuzhen is also in Class 14. She's my classmate," I introduced her simply. Logically speaking, shouldn't this sister know which class her own sibling was in? I was in Class 14 too; she should have been able to make the connection.
However, after I revealed our relationship, Feng Yuzhen seemed to become even more constrained.
"What? Yuzhen, you never told me about this!"
"Isn't the problem with you? This seems like a failure on your part as an older sister," I interrupted Feng Chengyin’s questioning. As expected, extroverts naturally suppressed introverts.
"Feng Yuzhen~ if you run into any trouble in the future, you can contact me. As the class monitor, I'll help you." I sighed and gave her a word of encouragement. My main goal was to give Feng Yuzhen some leverage to make her sister think twice. Having a sister like that must be a real headache.
Though I knew full well that an introvert likely wouldn't go out of their way to contact someone to solve their problems—they’d just endure it in silence—I said it for Feng Chengyin’s benefit. Whether she understood or not... well, I wasn't going to be particularly friendly to her anyway.
The relationship between the four of us had become quite complex, but Feng Chengyin was likely the biggest clown in the room. The class monitor she was targeting was my friend, her introverted sister was my classmate, and I was someone she couldn't afford to offend at this stage. From her perspective, it must be quite a desperate situation.
"Well then, see you around." After saying goodbye to Feng Yuzhen, I turned to Annie. "Annie, let's go. We have matches this afternoon."
"Ah? Oh, right." Annie quickly snapped out of it, gave Feng Chengyin a triumphant smile, and followed me out.
Left behind and embarrassed, Feng Chengyin was fuming, but she didn't dare vent her anger there. She had originally just wanted to take her sister around the academy to experience the lively atmosphere and help her overcome her shyness. She hadn't expected to run into this.
"Dammit, that Annie is actually friends with her? If I were the class monitor, I could have made that connection too..." she muttered bitterly. But she quickly remembered her sister was there. "Yuzhen, why didn't you tell me such an important thing, that you and Yang Yuehan are classmates?"
"I told you I was in Class 14..." Feng Yuzhen whispered after a short silence.
"Right... a missed opportunity... Tsk, whatever. Let's eat. We're going to the Arena this afternoon to get you used to being around crowds. Yuzhen, you really need to change that introverted personality."
"Can we... not go?" Feng Yuzhen argued weakly.
"But I already spent money on entry tickets. Even if they're second-hand, just think of it as going to cheer for your class monitor~ You need to work hard to get on her good side."
"I'll... try..." Feng Yuzhen sat with her head down, but only she knew how impossible that was.
* * *
After accompanying Annie out of the restaurant, I walked with her all the way to the spectator area of the Arena.
A bit of time had passed since noon. The morning matches had concluded, narrowing the field down to the winner and loser brackets of two hundred people each, and the Freshman Top 100 had emerged.
The hundred people in the loser's bracket would continue their matches in the afternoon to determine their final rankings within two tiers before taking their rewards and heading home. The rewards for the two tiers were different, but within the same tier, the rewards were identical, with no further fine-tuning of the rankings.
The focus was on the Top 100 rankings. The higher the rank, the more specific and valuable the rewards became.
Of course, to prevent a repeat of the accidents from the first round of the Freshman Competition, the academy had switched from random pairings to behind-the-scenes manipulation. Naturally, they wouldn't announce that they were rigging the matches, but as the competition progressed, anyone with half a brain could see the signs.
The top-tier students were kept from facing each other, so the morning matches often featured complete stomps. The weaker students were eliminated quickly.
The afternoon matches kicked off shortly after. First, the specific match schedules were announced, followed by the various batches of duels.
The afternoon match was even easier for me. My opponent was roughly at the same level as Chen Yu from the morning. After a few symbolic exchanges and a couple of spells, the opponent surrendered before I could even learn anything from the fight.
Their goal was clear: cast a few spells and then forfeit at lightning speed. It could hardly be called a proper match.
Thus, this person became the first one to walk off the stage skipping and jumping after facing me. Even in the Great Melee, no one who faced me had it this easy; those who weren't injured had the referees' quick reflexes to thank.
"Sister Xiao Han~ Oh? Are you heading back early?" Annie came bouncing toward me, clearly in a great mood.
"Yeah. But congratulations on your victory this afternoon. I told you that you celebrated too early at lunch, didn't I?"
"Hehe~ I didn't expect it either! Winning like that feels almost surreal. Um, Sister Xiao Han, you're not staying to watch the rest?"
"No, I have things to do. I won't waste any more time here," I said, nodding. Instead of wasting time here memorizing basic rune knowledge, I’d rather go back to the laboratory and find Teacher Ji Niang.
I also wanted her help integrating those Mana Sources into my body. Looking at so many Mana Sources without being able to use them was agonizing. Besides, the more Mana Sources I had, the faster the Witchification process would be, right? I felt like my body really needed the Witchification. Even though I hadn't had those Mana Sources for long, I could feel that the changes over the past few days were greater than the entire period from enrollment to the start of school!
It had reached the point where I’d need a larger size in a few more days. It was hard to imagine how much change seven hundred Mana Sources would bring.
Of course, Witchification was just a side effect. My main goal was to learn about that Ley Line crystal—a name I’d temporarily given it. I really didn't know how to use that thing, so it was best to use it under Teacher Ji Niang’s supervision.
"Okay then... goodbye~ See you tomorrow!"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."