Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Campfire
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Was it because no one had died?
Aside from the festival stalls turned into a total mess and the academy grounds, there wasn't actually much damage.
However, we had to light quite a large fire to dispose of the bug corpses, and that had turned into something like a late-night campfire.
"Ugh, does something smell?"
"Isn't it because we burned the bugs?"
Tana and Eve were squatting nearby, munching on hotcakes they'd grilled, while I picked at bites here and there.
"Hand-to-mouth eater, super gross!"
"Didn't you say you weren't going to eat any?"
"Did I?"
Staring blankly at the campfire flames, I let out a sigh without realizing it. My mind was so scattered I couldn't even properly remember what I'd said earlier.
Seeing me act so out of character, Tana and Eve whispered to each other, muttering about what could be wrong—but sorry, I could hear everything.
Eris, who had left saying she was going to meet the Dean, had vanished.
I didn't know if she was still talking with the Dean, but half a day had already passed, and I couldn't stop my lips from twitching with the urge to speak with her.
'She wouldn't just leave without a word, right?'
Even without remembering her past life, as a comrade who'd taken down Abbiel together, surely she'd say something before going.
As if telling me not to worry, a golden-haired elf approached from the far end, the campfire's soot wafting toward her.
Not only her overwhelming beauty but her extraordinary aura made the surrounding students buzz as they stared at her. Yet Eris didn't spare them a glance and came straight to me.
"Huh? Not blonde, black hair?"
"Ah, earlier it was a wig."
I lightly touched my hair as I answered, and Eris chuckled with a smug 'hmph' through her nose.
"That suits you better."
It made me embarrassed for no reason.
Good thing the campfire made it hard to see my face.
"You really worked hard today, Daniel. It seemed like a pretty strong beast, but you handled it alone impressively."
Hearing Eris call my name—not 'sherpa'—felt awkward yet joyful, bringing a slight smile to my face.
"Yeah, thanks. You worked hard today too."
I'd been thinking just moments ago that I'd chat about this and that when we met, but now that Eris was here, my mind went completely blank.
Was she always this pretty?
Maybe because it had been a while, but she looked enchantingly beautiful, as if under a spell.
Tana and Eve munched on their hotcakes, starting to say weird things like "Wow, this is so fun" or "The total loser in real life gets all the elf's attention at the festival?"
"Sorry about the misunderstanding earlier. I came to meet the person chosen by the god Helios, and you strangely gave off that vibe."
"Well, understandable."
"...Um, but do you always talk so casually?"
Eris asked me with a pouty expression.
It slipped out naturally from old habits, but I had no intention of taking it back.
Because I wanted to show her somehow that I remembered her.
I shrugged without answering, and Eris sighed, nodding.
"Alright. Since you showed courage and conviction worthy of it today, I'll allow casual speech as a sign of recognition."
"Thanks."
"More importantly, about the person chosen by Helios I mentioned—could you help me find them? Someone who feels hot like the sun or warm like sunlight."
"..."
Someone came to mind, but I'd die before introducing them.
I was about to say I didn't know when Tana tilted her head and spoke up from the side.
"Ares?"
"Ah, I was thinking Ares too."
"That guy the sun? Sunlight?"
I snarked back, and they casually replied.
"Well, kinda similar vibe, right?"
"I hate the sun. Staring at it hurts my eyes."
Eris whipped her head around at Eve's words—the true homebody and bookworm.
"Ares? Who's that?"
"Perfect timing, he's passing by—that guy."
Ares and his gang passing right in front of us.
Fewer than usual, though: Sen was resting in the infirmary with Rin due to her injury, Hayun was obviously absent, and Adriana was nowhere to be seen.
So only Arni Duratan and Elise remained flanking him.
Ares scratched the back of his head at the call and looked our way.
Right away, the strange pattern embedded on his right hand caught my eye.
As far as I knew, Ares didn't have any such mark, but Eris nodded vigorously upon seeing it.
"Yes! That's the mark of Helios's chosen...... mark......"
But as she confirmed Ares's face, her expression grew increasingly strange.
"Do you know about this mark?"
Ares naturally realized it was about the pattern on his hand and tried to ask something, but Eris covered her mouth and stepped back.
"Um, sorry, but could you not come closer?"
With a disgusted expression, she made the request to Ares politely but sharply.
"Pardon?"
"Because I hate being in the same space as repulsive people."
"What did you say?"
"The mark on your hand checks out...... Sigh, you're really the one chosen by Helios? You, who shook off a woman's pleading hand for help and ran away alone?"
Ares's face flushed red in an instant.
Arni and Elise looked at Ares with "no way" expressions, and he hurriedly spoke up.
"At the time, I had no choice! I couldn't beat that beast...!"
"Who said to fight and win?"
Eris scoffed.
"With Helios's power, you could've easily escaped with that female student, right?"
"Hah, but!"
"If Daniel had been even a little later, that girl wouldn't be alive now."
"...!"
Lucky the surrounding students didn't know it was Adriana—if they did, it'd hit his image hard.
But Eris didn't let up and landed another blow.
"Her name was Adriana, right? Even if she died, you couldn't say you killed her. But you abandoned a life you could have saved."
"What do you know?!"
"I saw everything—my eyes are pretty good."
Eris pointed lightly to her blue eyes. Momentarily, a pattern appeared in them and vanished.
Ares realized it was a similar but different god's mark, and Eris smiled coldly at him.
"I've been watching everything through these eyes on my way here. Honestly, I don't know what plan Helios has for you, but that power is too much for you right now."
"..."
"Please, use power befitting your vessel."
"No, I'll use this power even more actively."
Ares clenched his fist and glared clearly at Eris.
"If I were stronger, I would've faced the beast without abandoning her. Conviction comes from strong power. Conviction without ability is just bravado."
"Really..."
Eris pierced him with completely icy eyes.
"Disgusting idea. Conviction built on strong power is ultimately the strong's. Such conviction is self-centered and arrogant. As expected, you're not worthy of that power."
Eris lightly placed her hand on my shoulder.
"You're on the opposite side of Daniel. He has power but the conviction of the lowly. You lack power yet covet the conviction of the strong."
"I'm inferior to this guy, is that it?"
His voice lowered dangerously, as if she'd touched a nerve.
Arni Duratan and Elise on either side even panicked and stepped back a bit.
Ares was furious, but Eris nodded without hesitation.
"Isn't that obvious?"
Light surged from the seal on Ares's hand, and he thrust his fist forward.
Tremendous speed and destructive power beyond a mere punch—I hurriedly tried to react, but.
Kudangtang.
Eris held the title "Guardian of Yggdrasil," bestowed only on the strongest elf among those living centuries.
In short, even the storm transfer student of Aios Academy, Ares, was no match for her.
Before I knew it, she pressed her foot on his fallen right wrist and looked down at him.
"Kid, get your head straight. I came to teach you how to handle Helios's power, but also to execute if that divine power falls to an evil person."
Her words dripped with killing intent, crumpling Ares's face with each syllable.
"You're young, so I'll let this slide, but watch your behavior."
She lifted her foot and jerked her chin for him to scram.
Ultimately, Ares dusted himself off, swallowed his rage, turned, and left. Arni Duratan and Elise followed with awkward expressions.
'He'd just get his pride scratched more if he stayed.'
Insulted by Eris aside, being humiliated in front of so many people was probably Ares's greatest shame.
'Well, I found it satisfying.'
Our wife is the best!
"Ahem."
I'd thought it inwardly, but feeling embarrassed, I fake-cleared my throat, and Eris turned to look at me.
"I really can't understand why Helios chose that guy. Sigh, this needs some thought."
"You'll really execute Ares if he's unworthy?"
"Of course. Even if chosen by Helios after centuries, if unworthy, he must be cut down. Horrific if he abuses it and turns evil."
I wondered if she'd just insulted such a person like that, but Eris smiled without regret and changed the subject.
"The campfire's pretty. For us, doing this would be disastrous."
"Yeah, since it's a forest."
"It'd be more atmospheric without burning bugs."
"Well, this isn't bad either."
"True."
We conversed in soft whispers like that, together gazing at the blazing flames.