Chapter 21
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 21: Collector of Derangement
Voice of the assistant instructor ringing blankly.
The exam venue was soaked in silence for an instant. Stage where the bursting sound of flame died, and even thick heat subsided. Only two shadows shimmered in the empty place.
Red-haired girl sitting helplessly. Clown standing nonchalantly in front of her.
“Fufu.”
Mask laughed low. Sticky form of sound whether mixed with ridicule. As if breaking someone’s high nose.
“Ugh, uuuuh...”
Charienne looks up at such a clown. Hair soaked with sweat, ruined twintails add wretchedness to her appearance.
““......””
Spectators were watching. Expression of bluff driven to the tip, scorched and broken.
-Surely Charienne side won't lose right?
-Why are you saying obvious things.
Those who spoke lightly shut their mouths. Thus, everyone in the spectator seats lost their voice. However, even in the wide silence, the boy’s presence alone was loud. Gazes gathered.
Simple logic. Strong is above. Weak is below.
“Ugh, haa...”
Charienne with trembling breath. This situation itself approached her like a nightmare. Sharp arrogance broken, herself reflecting only miserably. Deep trauma in the heart swarms.
-What the... really lost? Class C Top Student lost to Class E trash?
-Is this real? Not one level, but a class with two levels difference?
-Even Viktor? Didn't they say that side has overall E-rank stats?
-Ridiculous. How can she lose this?
Sound. Sound stabs Charienne’s ears.
-Did they say Viktor? Is that guy really Class E? Seems quite good...
-No... Fuck, still does it make sense for Class C Top Student to lose to Class E?
-Who cares? She was beaten without being able to do anything at all.
-Didn't succeed a single attack right? Didn't make a single scratch on the body.
-Balloon... Puheup, couldn't pop even a single balloon with that proud magic.
Ridicule. Becoming the target of that ridicule, receiving stinging gazes. Breath kept choking whether because of sticky whispering. Feeling of being made to kneel in front of the execution stand.
“Haa, haa...”
I... lost? Even Charienne herself found it hard to believe. No, was it closer to not wanting to believe.
‘Nonsense.’
Vain breath leaks. Complexion dyes pale.
‘This isn't it.’
Genius of Pyromancy. Top Student of Grandia Academy Class C. Genius of Labriel Count Family.
‘This cannot be...’
Cracks form on every single thing she harbored. Mentality crumbles like glass, gaze losing place to go wanders in the air. Footsteps heard in the meantime.
“Lady Charienne?”
Smiling mask. Grotesque smile was looking down at her. Clown. Boy who neutralized her magic with a mere balloon. Charienne driven to the limit couldn't endure the pressure he gave.
“Hiiik...”
Teo-eok—.
Body flinching unconsciously. Did she want to get away from the clown. Buttocks that were sitting moved as if sweeping backward.
“D-Do not come closer...”
“Oh my, why are you like that? As if you are scared.”
Boy not stopping his steps filled with laughter. Seemed to be enjoying watching Charienne’s reaction.
“Don't come... I h-hate it...”
Girl already crushed by trauma, mentally driven to a pinch. Had no choice but to feel fear. At the fierce aura felt from the clown. At the sense of deprivation as if pressing and bursting her.
“I haven't done anything yet though.”
Mask. Mask smiled.
‘Ah.’
Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh. Huh.
Since When Did He Smile
“Princess Labriel.”
Jjeoeo-eok—.
Mouth of the mask tears up to the ceiling, and pitch-black maw opens endlessly. Vision covered in darkness. Abyss without light. Unfolding inside is a sea piled with discharge. Also, thousands of pairs of tentacles swarming without bodies.
“......”
Girl couldn't scream. Height that cannot even be gauged, gaze looking down at her from that far away. Eye. Eyeball opened hugely amidst tentacles twisted like a mountain. That surface was enough to cover several seas of discharge and remain.
“......”
Forgot even to breathe. Felt like that existence would move if she made even a small sound. Lungs hurt as if burning whether because of lack of breath. However, even such pain was trivial compared to fear. When only silence surged like that.
. -. -..
It spoke.
-.. --- .----. - . ...- . .-. -.-. --- -- . -... .- -.-. -.- .... . .-. .
Unintelligible language. Just by meeting eyes with that eye, brain circuits seemed to burn out entirely.
-.. --- .----. - - .-. ..- ... - - .... . -.-. .-.. --- .-- -.
Vision blacking out as if shock came. Consciousness drifts away.
Girl Could Not Regain Consciousness.
‘Oops, was it too severe?’
Viktor thought looking down at Charienne sprawled on the floor. Her having fainted biting foam in mouth. Trying to scare her a bit, seems he failed to control intensity well. As he was scratching his head quietly, assistants run over and check Charienne’s condition.
‘Well, probably just simply fainted...’
Viktor turns his eyes slightly. Just in time caught at the end of gaze were students in the waiting seats. Class C and Class E cadets were looking at this side. Soul-lost eyes. Reaction of those clearly shocked.
““......””
Glorious winner’s entrance. Clown showed V-sign with fingers toward them.
“So.”
Ceremony unbearable if you are a gamer.
“Anyone else having complaints about my shuttles?”
Mockery toward the beaten enemy team. It was a perfect Teabagging.
Afterwards. Class E’s Freshmen Welcome Exam ended like that.
After finishing the Freshmen Welcome Exam, the next day. I was walking amidst the morning sunlight. Refreshingly brushing wind.
‘Sometimes this isn't bad either.’
Walking to school directly. Since I rode the rickshaw for the last few days. Leaving the status window floating in front of eyes, I crossed the campus as if taking a walk.
Freshmen Welcome Exam. Immediately after sparring ended, message floated simultaneously. Content that reward is given by satisfying conditions.
“Hmm...”
Already skimmed through the reward roughly. After closing the message, I turn on the status window once again.
Ting—!
.
.
1. Step Skip
2. Slowdown
3. Parrying
Derangement. Perhaps a word meaning Bug. I read down the content organized in the status window.
‘Reduces burden huh...’
With this, there was a part guessed. Nausea and headache as if rummaging through the brain whenever using a bug. Because of this, restrictions were applied even to spamming bugs. Actually, after the exam ended yesterday, I vomited for a long time in the toilet.
‘If it reduces that, it is indeed an incomparably good reward for me.’
Trying Slowdown a few times as a test, certainly the queasiness decreased compared to before. Unexpected harvest.
‘Registration condition is 30 times or more...’
Certainly I used bugs like crazy yesterday. Perhaps as that accumulated, it reached the domain of function unlocking.
‘I wondered if I overdid it a bit yesterday, but rather ended up gaining.’
Thanks to that, the way to school today could also be light. While taking steps, school uniform front pocket wiggles. Bat with drowsy eyes whether still drunk on sleep.
“Yes, Princess.”
“I told the children to rest for today too. Since everyone must have had a hard time suffering humiliation yesterday.”
“Can't be helped. Should I say player protection dimension. Originally marathon runners also take a full rest for a few days after running a race once.”
“There is something similar to Malatang roughly.”
Don't know what she understood, but anyway Princess stretching. Blinking bat soon taps the chest tok tok.
“If it’s yesterday, you are talking about Princess Labriel.”
“I just paid back exactly what I suffered. If one intended to ridicule others, one must also have the resolve to be ridiculed oneself.”
“It is fine as that much will be enough. I don't particularly want to be respected by surroundings or have such thoughts either. Rather, it is comfortable for me to be active quietly with only Princess, two of us like this.”
Nodding head, Princess leaning back again. I walked carefully so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. Class E Main Building arrived before I knew it.
‘Everyone must be gloomy.’
Since they were trampled so much yesterday, I thought it would be a funeral house atmosphere. Expecting a gloomy air, I open the lecture room door.
Kkiiik—.
“......?”
The next moment, what reflected in my eyes were children lined up straight. As eyes met with me, Shuttles standing in the very front greet. Stiff waists bend 90 degrees.
““Did you arrive, Big Brother!!””
Right angle bow I only heard of in words. Greeting that was even loud unlike usual. Far from being discouraged, everyone with sparkling eyes. I had no choice but to be flustered at the unexpected reaction.
“Umm...?”
Class E collectively sparkling eyes. Those gazes were looking at me one and all.
“We were waiting, Big Brother!”
“Big Brother! Please come sit here!”
“We laid a cushion in advance!”
“E-Everyone...?”
What, what is it. Why are you guys like that.