Chapter 174: Give Me a Chance to Be Your Friend
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 174: Give Me a Chance to Be Your Friend
After a brief chat with Sister Bai, I returned to the contestants' lounge. At least there, I wouldn't be bothered by outsiders.
Yao Beijuan’s appearance had truly caught me off guard. It was especially jarring that someone with her personality would be representing Afuhemi Academy in an exchange program with the Witch Academy.
And the way she found me was bizarre. Just because of a name?
Normally, if you meet someone of a different gender with the same name as someone you know, your first thought shouldn't be that they’re the same person, right?
Yet she went out of her way to come here and ask. Wouldn't it have been incredibly awkward if she’d been wrong?
Not to mention, she was interrupting a contestant during a tournament.
I didn't have a great impression of those two elves, either. They had completely shattered the beautiful image of elves I’d carried from fantasy stories across two lifetimes.
Whatever happened to elves being symbols of nobility and purity?
Was it all just a mask? Then again, it made sense. If elves were truly that ethereal, how could their race have secured a spot among the three top academies in this world?
Through my Spirit Vision, I could sense that their power was fundamentally different from that of a Witch.
Their power seemed to be born from within their bodies. Their physical structures had completely diverged from human anatomy, becoming literal vessels for that energy.
It was as if the elven physiology itself was a living ritual designed to carry that power.
That transcendent power was fascinating. It wasn't just affected by mental power; an elf’s physical state, emotions, and even their behavior seemed to interfere with the flow of that energy.
It was nothing like our Mana Sources, which remained stable regardless of the circumstances—so stable that even mental power couldn't interfere with them.
This was getting more and more interesting. I almost wanted to take them apart to see how that power—ahem. My "spellbook research syndrome" was acting up again; I was starting to want to see the internal structure of everything I came across.
At the end of the day, they were still humans... No, they probably weren't human anymore, either. Just something similar. Much like myself.
Just as I was about to open my rune book, a figure blocked my view.
Irritated, I snapped the book shut. Why did so many people insist on bothering me the moment I decided to study?
When I looked up, a familiar face was leaning in close.
"Tan Han?"
I recalled that we hadn't had any contact since our last conversation.
What did she want this time?
I watched as she sat down beside me, indifferent to whether anyone else was around. It was just like the previous times, though this time, the lounge was actually empty.
I remembered being quite cold during our last talk. Why was she approaching me again?
While I no longer had any external reasons to push her away, I assumed she had a motive. Was it because she saw me meeting with the students from the elf academy, or was it about the exchange competition?
"Mhm. From your tone, it sounds like you don't dislike me as much anymore," Tan Han said, leading the conversation.
"You can tell just from that?" I shook my head, wondering what she was up to.
"I didn't just hear it. Do you remember what I told you back then? About the power of fate I control?" As Tan Han spoke, she seemed to drift into her own memories.
"I remember. But those who think they can control fate usually end up being toyed with by it. Fate isn't something that can be mastered," I said, shaking my head to reiterate my stance.
Fate. Even for those who rebel against it, perhaps fate has already written a script where the rebel succeeds. Some unknowable things simply can't be reasoned out.
But did that mean one should just give up?
Of course not. Fate is nothing more than a Monday-morning quarterback, jumping out to mock everyone only after everything has ended.
If I treat it like a clown, isn't the outcome of events still up to me?
It might sound a bit arrogant, but I needed a way to convince myself. Without conviction, there is only hesitation. As long as I remain firm in my path, I won't lose my way.
After all, a day spent in happiness is still a day, just as a day spent in pain is. Human joys and sorrows are not universal, and that is exactly why the world is so colorful.
If the world were simpler, life wouldn't hold so much suffering.
Take the situation with Yao Beijuan, for example. Her appearance caused me a period of panic. I was afraid she’d harass me, afraid she’d mock me for being a "pervert," afraid she’d expose the fact that I used to be a boy...
So many worries were draining my energy and emotions.
But looking at it objectively, it was just an ex-girlfriend looking for me. What could she actually do?
The worst-case scenario was simply her exposing my past...
"Do you still resist fate that much? What if I told you I came to find you today because I was guided by fate? I feel like your resistance toward me has vanished."
"Guided by fate..." I looked at Tan Han with a hint of disbelief. She was so willing to be driven by fate, and she actually seemed to enjoy it?
My teacher was right; everyone has their own way of living.
Perhaps I was being judgmental. So what if she was the "protagonist" of a script? She didn't seem to be the type who shouted about "defying the heavens to change her destiny."
But she was right about one thing: my only remaining resistance toward her was her ethereal "trouble-magnet" constitution.
"I remember the excuse you used back then... that we weren't from the same world." Tan Han turned her head toward the arena. The morning matches were drawing to a close; the afternoon session wouldn't start for a while.
"But I don't see it that way. We are both ordinary people who have just stepped into the transcendent world. We belong to the same world. In fact, you're even ahead of me." Hearing her say this, it was clear she had done some serious self-reflection.
"I suppose there's no fault in that logic." I tacitly accepted her statement. But was it really just an excuse?
At the time, I truly believed it. From every perspective, she was someone who stood at a vast distance from me.
But looking at it now?
Her status as a young miss in the outside world? It was worthless in the face of the transcendent world.
Her status as a wealthy woman? I had plenty of money now. The academy had given me so much Orichalcum I didn't even know how to spend it.
Her status as a "protagonist" in a script? To me, she was just a puppet of luck. Teacher Lina and Teacher Ji Niang had made that quite clear to me.
"So, do you think we have a chance to be friends?"
"Hmm... that's a tricky question. I haven't even figured out my own definition of a friend. Asking so bluntly usually means the answer is no."
I spoke with a light, relaxed tone. It was a rejection of her formal attempt to "make friends." If friendship had to be negotiated like this, I felt it wasn't worth having.
"I see. Then let me clarify. There are many definitions and categories of friends. There are soulmates who know your every secret, fair-weather sisters for social drinking, casual acquaintances who just nod in passing, and even friends for academic exchange."
Tan Han rattled off a long list, but I could tell she had an ulterior motive.
"I've learned something new," I said softly. I understood these distinctions, of course. Most relationships in society were nothing more than superficial "surface friends."
"Then... let's make another bet. Let's bet on giving me a chance to become your friend. No complicated maintenance of friendship required—just purely... friends for academic exchange."
"Heh... you're practically hitting me over the head with your hidden agenda."
I almost laughed out loud. I recalled the last question she asked during our previous talk—whether the spellbook I used was a Fireball Spell.
This was likely related to that. How interesting.
"So, what's your decision?"
"Normally, I wouldn't bet again because I'm not a gambler. But since you've spent so much time talking to me just for this, I should at least give you a chance, shouldn't I?" I said, shaking my head.
Tan Han seemed to have realized her own problem. Like me, she had entered a Transcendent Academy, but everyone's understanding of the transcendent is different.
Initially, Tan Han had chased power blindly. She learned the common knowledge of the transcendent, found out about Mana Sources and spellbooks, and constructed a distorted self-perception based on that.
But I knew that the transcendent was nothing like that. If it were, how would it be any different from pressing buttons to use skills in a video game?
True transcendence should be the continuous exploration of the unknown, discovering how the transcendent forces constructed this fantastical world.
If Tan Han wanted to delve into the essence of the transcendent with me, I didn't mind. Setting aside the trouble she might bring, as a "protagonist," wouldn't she also bring benefits?
Risk and reward coexist.
Sister Bai knew this as well. She was only afraid of me being swept up in the risks because she valued my safety more than any potential reward.
"So, what do you want to bet on?" I asked nonchalantly, curious to see what game she was playing this time. Since she dared to bet, she was clearly confident in winning. But if it was a bet where the winner was obvious from the start, I wasn't an idiot.
That would also mean she didn't value this "friendship" enough. If she was going to use this method to make friends, I had to be a little difficult.
"The afternoon match is 25 into 13, which means one person gets a bye. Let's bet on who gets the bye. How about it?"
"And if neither of us guesses correctly?" I asked, a flash of surprise crossing my mind.
"Then it's a draw."
"And if I win?"
"Then... I will give you that spellbook with the thousand-point mana consumption."
"You're playing for stakes that high?" I asked, my voice tinged with surprise.
"Is it high? It's only worth one Fireball Spell. I think it's fair," Tan Han said seriously.
"Heh..."
It seemed Tan Han saw things more clearly than I did now. If she became my nominal "academic friend," she could learn how to use spellbooks as flexibly as I did.
If she couldn't, she had no way to learn that skill. Her strongest trump card could be countered by an opponent—or she might not even get the chance to use it.
She surely remembered the morning matches. A Flame Spirit... that was a spellbook with a hundred-point consumption. If she faced that, she might be taken out without even leaving a scratch on her opponent.
How could she not be nervous?
The pressure was immense! It even reminded her of when she first encountered the Witch Meditation Method.
She felt the gap between us widening, and she finally understood what I meant when I said, "We aren't from the same world."
She was the one being left behind!
"Fine. Who goes first?" I asked casually. Even now, I didn't really know the names of the remaining contestants. If I had to guess, I’d naturally guess Tan Han.
"You go first, of course."
"Then I guess you, Tan Han."
"Then it's my turn. I guess it's you, Yang Yuehan."
"Heh, is this really fun for you?" I laughed after hearing her guess. It was... a completely expected result.
"Of course it's not 'fun.' But after our first match, you've probably realized that the subsequent matches have been manipulated behind the scenes. It looks like there are many options, but if there's going to be a bye, it's most likely going to be one of us. But for the record, I haven't asked anyone, and I don't know the result. The bet is fair." Of course, she didn't mention her own ability. That was her own power, so it didn't count as cheating.
"Since you put it that way, I'll take your word for it," I said with a smile, shaking my head. "I'll take your blessing, then. Hopefully, I can rest this afternoon."
"It's not decided who wins yet. Are you leaving?" Tan Han asked as she saw me stand up.
"Yeah. My goal for being here is met, so I might as well go rest for half a day."
"Don't you want to chat more? I have plenty of topics I want to discuss. Like that elf from earlier."
"Since when were you such a gossip?" I didn't sit back down, as I really did want to leave, but I didn't mind a quick chat before I went.
"Of course. Who doesn't like gossip? I heard from a Senior Sister over there that the elf came specifically to find you. Do you know each other?"
"She's my ex-girlfriend," I said casually.
I hadn't said it without thinking. On one hand, it was a way to prepare for the worst-case scenario Yao Beijuan might cause—a way to get used to the idea.
On the other hand, it was a way to add some weight to my "friendship" with Tan Han by showing her trust.
I also wanted to see what this wealthy young lady thought about the fact that I used to be a boy.
If she couldn't accept it, it was better to end things now rather than deal with accusations of deception later.
Besides, she was a "script protagonist." God only knows if hiding my past would become the fuse for some bizarre event.
If Tan Han accepted it, she would also face a choice.
If the truth were exposed within the Witch Academy, and if it turned out to be something unacceptable... as my friend, how would Tan Han react?
Honestly, I was just curious about what she would choose. I didn't really care what the choice was. Even if the whole academy hated me, I still had Sister Bai to love and comfort me.
This was something I was destined to face from the moment I stepped into the Witch Academy. Yao Beijuan’s interference just made it more likely to happen sooner.
The main thing was that this secret felt like a thorn in my heart. And it wasn't like nobody knew; by now, quite a few Senior Sisters were aware.
From their reactions, the level of acceptance was actually quite high.
Still, I wasn't going to go around broadcasting it. That would just be looking for trouble.
"Ex... ex-girlfriend?"
Clearly, Tan Han was shocked by the "fact" I’d just dropped. But she recovered quickly, covering her mouth with her hand.
Fortunately, because Tan Han and I were here, many people had consciously stayed away. And since the morning matches were ending, most contestants had already left. Who would stay behind to watch nothing?
The spectators in the distance couldn't hear our conversation.
"Mhm. Exactly what you're thinking."
I didn't say anything more and simply walked away. Some things are better left unsaid.
And some topics seem exciting to talk about, but once you start, the desire to continue vanishes.
Tan Han watched my retreating back with a complex expression, her heart still reeling from the impossibility of it all.
"Xiao Han... she... she's a... lesbian?"