Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Acceptance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“The pancake stall is set, and next...”
The Class E class president pushed up his glasses as he kept the good mood going.
The atmosphere among the third-years had been great lately, all thanks to May whipping the delinquents into shape and bringing some peace overall.
‘Of course, she’s still cleaning up the ones complaining that she was gone for a bit.’
There were even rumors that she’d dealt with some fourth-year seniors who’d suddenly shown up to bully the students.
‘I need to focus on dates during the festival.’
Her comment about not wanting any noise before the festival started had been pretty shocking.
Now that she was stepping up like this, it even felt like the old hierarchy between us had flipped.
“So with Tana on serving duty, that settles the full roster? No objections from anyone?”
The class president wrapped things up neatly, but I scanned the blackboard and raised my hand.
“Class prez, where am I?”
My name was nowhere to be found. For a second, I wondered if I was being ostracized, but the class president looked flustered and turned to me instead.
“Huh? Aren’t you doing Professor Bertio’s play? I left you off on purpose since you’re in that.”
“Nah, I’m turning that down.”
The classmates started murmuring.
Eve, sitting next to me, slumped over her desk and gave me pleading eyes, but I ignored her completely.
“Ugh, what a waste of a golden opportunity.”
Tana’s mutter.
I’d heard that landing a major role in the play meant following Professor Bertio to a social party, where you could rub shoulders with famous nobles and knights.
It was a chance to make a name for yourself—or get envy and jealousy from the pros who saw it as luck.
“Once I graduate, I’m holing up in the forest anyway. What’s the point?”
By graduation, Rin should be back to normal, and my plan was to head to the forest and wait for Eris.
I couldn’t go find her first since I didn’t know what she’d been up to before we entered the forest looking for Sherpa.
The class president glanced at Professor Amanda, who was sitting nearby, and she slowly stood and approached me.
“You know who Professor Bertio is, right?”
“I’ve heard.”
“And you’re still not joining? It’s a shot to get your name out there with the nobles. Word is, royalty’s coming this time too.”
The classroom erupted in murmurs again.
But I didn’t budge.
“Yeah, pass.”
“Hmm.”
Professor Amanda didn’t push further. She turned and nodded to the class president, who scribbled my name under odd jobs.
*
After school.
“Huff! Huff! Spare us!”
“G-Gonna bite...!”
“Hah, I see Grandpa waving from across the river.”
“Didn’t you say your grandpa’s still spry?”
“Yeah. So who is it?”
Eve and Tana had been grumbling nonstop, so I was giving them a workout as punishment when Rin came rushing over.
“Daniel, Professor Bertio’s looking for you. Asked when you’re coming. Didn’t you know about script reading today?”
“I said I’m not doing it.”
Didn’t Professor Amanda tell him?
Rin tilted her head, puzzled.
“Huh? Everyone’s waiting for you.”
“I said no. I even returned the script.”
“R-Really? I was only doing it because of you...”
Rin looked at me sadly. Perfect timing—I had something to say.
“Speaking of, weren’t you sleeping in my room the other night...?”
“Gotta go!”
Her face flushed red, and she bolted.
It felt overly embarrassed, but anyway, I resolved to beef up my room’s security from now on.
It was nagging at me a bit, but nothing was missing, and we’d shared a bed plenty when we were kids.
‘When we were kids, though...’
No point picking on Rin and risking another personality shift.
One girl like May was enough headache already.
I left the two collapsed girls and resumed my workout when a man in a black suit came dashing up desperately.
“P-Professor Bertio?”
Eve scrambled up from the ground and shouted. That lanky guy must be him—he looked frantic.
“D-Daniel? You’re really not joining my play?”
“Yeah, not interested.”
Rehearsals would start right away, and it sounded like a hassle.
My tone must’ve been too firm. Professor Bertio wiped the sweat from his dash with a handkerchief and asked,
“I told Professor Amanda to give you the script. Did you get it?”
“Yes.”
“See the role and story?”
“Saw the role, skimmed the story.”
Professor Bertio clapped and nodded vigorously.
“Perfect. What’d you think of Gary?”
“Pardon?”
Did I have to answer that? His eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands, so I gave my honest take.
“Bad guy. Rough too. Wild vibe? But he’s got his own code...”
“Yes! Exactly! Gary’s the villain from his debut to mid-act, but late in the second half, that flips. He hooks the audience.”
“......”
I’d nailed it, apparently. Professor Bertio cut me off, excited.
Eve nodded beside him, hands clasped. “Yeah, yeah!”
“And I conceived Gary watching your secondary practical exam.”
“......Pardon?”
The one where I teamed with May to flatten Hayun and Ares?
“You’re feral, rough, sensual. Mind taking off your shirt?”
“Whoa, hold on!”
What the hell was this guy saying?
Eve was already tugging my collar, and Tana jumped in for workout revenge.
I tried shaking them off, but Professor Bertio joined in, and my buttons popped—uniform shirt gone.
“Ah, my shirt.”
Annoyed as hell, but Professor Bertio clapped in rapture.
“Perfect! This is it! Yes! This is Gary! Ruler of the arena! A scarred man who clawed from the bottom with nothing but his fists—for wealth, women, power!”
‘He’s nuts.’
“That gaze especially—like staring down a beast! Ready to rip out throats!”
If he weren’t a professor, I’d have decked him. Props to me for holding back.
“Wow.”
“......”
Tana and Eve had been all hyped stripping me, but now they just swallowed, staring oddly.
I started to cover my chest from embarrassment, but it looked weird, so I dropped it.
“Gimme my shirt.”
Buttons busted, but I threw it on and turned away.
“Daniel McClain! It’s you! I need you!”
“No thanks. Find someone else.”
I headed to my room to sew the buttons, but starting the next day, my head really started hurting.
“Daniel here?”
Every break, he’d show up in Class E.
“What’s this guy’s psyche like?”
He even requested a special lecture in our class, dissecting Gary in depth.
“Any favorites? I brought stuff kids your age like.”
Gifts started piling up.
Why obsess over me when anyone else would do? It pissed me off, but Eve just laughed: “That’s an artist’s stubbornness.”
Eventually...
“So you called me here?”
I stood in the dean’s office with a sour look. The dean eyed me warily while Professor Bertio rubbed his hands in anticipation.
This guy had convinced her that without me, the play—royalty scheduled to attend—couldn’t go on.
“Look, I’ve never acted.”
Not even been on stage. Why fixate on me?
Still, Professor Bertio was resolute.
“Acting’s teachable. Don’t worry—I’ll make you embody the role perfectly, short time or not.”
“......”
No reasoning with him. I glared at the dean, but she bowed her head and dodged my eyes.
Stuck between backing him or me.
About to snap when Professor Bertio pleaded,
“This is my masterpiece! You’re the final piece. Name your price—max support, money, hard-to-reach connections. I’m tight with nobles, dwarves, elves too.”
“No, I said—wait. You know elves?”
First spark of interest from me. He jumped on it.
“Oh yeah! Ever tell you? Visited Yggdrasil, the elves’ forest city!”
“Yggdrasil...”
The massive tree metropolis where scarce elves gathered. Off-limits to outsiders.
“Elf queen’s a huge fan of my plays. I’ll write you an intro letter.”
Eris was high up, I’d heard.
With that, I could see her in Yggdrasil?
Festival ends, exams, then break. Perfect window.
“Hah.”
I extended a hand to Professor Bertio, grinning ear-to-ear.
He grabbed it and shook wildly.
Told me script reading tomorrow and left.
Staring at the door, I wondered if I’d done right. Then the dean quipped from behind,
“Don’t you like Rin? Makes sense—guys your age go nuts for elves.”
“Cut it out. I’m about to blow.”
“......Sorry, so get out before you do?”
At her plea, I exhaled sharply and stormed out.