Chapter 255
Chapter 255
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 255
Chapter Title: Whoa! Double the Nightmare! (1)
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Aphria Academy had two gates.
One was the main gate leading to the main road, bustling with people.
The other was the back gate connecting to the Harmein Forest, utterly deserted.
I chose the latter, but Chloe, trailing behind me, didn't seem too pleased with the decision. A quick glance back revealed her shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Sigh..."
Chloe let out a deep, world-weary sigh.
Her face was full of dismay.
"Why the long face?"
"But Sir Garahal came all this way."
"And?"
"And yet...!"
Chloe shot me a reproachful look.
"We're heading to the back gate right now. The complete opposite of the main gate where Sir Garahal is!"
"Garahal didn't come through the main gate."
"...Pardon?"
I blinked.
Chloe blinked back in tandem.
"I never said he was coming through the main gate from the start. The stuff at the main gate is just his baggage."
Rox had told me last time.
The carriage arriving at the main gate would signal Garahal's arrival. Once it did, head to the back gate.
"He wanted to talk to you first, before all the attention piled up."
"...Sir Garahal?"
I nodded.
"Can't exactly chat about you being a hero candidate in front of the students. Setting up a private spot would take time too. So we agreed to meet here first."
"Really...?"
"Why would I lie after coming all this way?"
Chloe's dimming eyes lit up again.
Her slumped shoulders straightened in an instant. Watching her flip attitudes like a pancake, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Did you think I dragged you out here to 'greet' him just to train you in the woods or something?"
"I figured Professor Lania would totally do that... Ow!"
"Got a mouth on you, huh."
I flicked her forehead sharply.
Kids these days have no filter.
Belnoa cracked up every time she heard 'great,' holding back laughs, and Chloe here seemed to see me as some kind of nightmare.
"Quit whining and walk faster."
"It really hurts...!"
Tearing up a bit, Chloe still scurried after me. We followed the forest path for a while like that.
A cool breeze tickled my ear.
Brushing back my fluttering hair, I looked ahead. We'd arrived at a clearing before I knew it—the spot where Kalt and I often gathered to chat.
Crack.
A dry twig snapped underfoot.
The sound echoed, but it wasn't alone. The same crunch came from across the clearing. Chloe and I turned toward it.
"Oh."
I stopped with a short exclamation of admiration.
"Here he comes."
The man we'd arranged to meet here.
"The hero who looks most like a hero."
"Overly kind of you to call me that."
Holy Spear Garahal.
He gave a wry smile, as if he'd overheard my mutter. The moment he spotted us and opened his mouth to greet—
"H-Huh?! Hnngh!"
A choking gasp came from beside me.
Garahal and I both fell silent, turning to the source. There stood Chloe, eyes wide as saucers, hands clamped over her mouth.
Her dream meeting realized, she struggled to even breathe, gulping air desperately.
"Guh—cough—gack!"
She'd choked herself from inhaling too hard, hacking it all out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
Heroes receive special uniforms.
Based in white, each hero's was slightly different. Kyle's had armored shoulders...
Destel never wore his, saying there was no need to advertise he was a hero.
And Garahal's was unique.
He had a muffler-like cloth around his neck. I'd once asked him about it.
"What's the deal with that rag on your outfit? It flaps around and bugs me."
"Uh, don't laugh when I tell you?"
"Spill it. That funny?"
Tilting my glass, I'd pressed him on the cloth's meaning... and he scratched his head, answering.
"It's mimicking the hero from my favorite fairy tale."
Not that funny. I nodded, listening.
"Which one?"
"The legend of Guardian Ganyur."
"Ah, that Ganyur from a hundred years back? Savior Ganyur, right?"
Savior Ganyur.
The hero who saved the most lives.
"Yes. Secret, but... his hometown is my village. Fairy tales about him were everywhere."
"Oh, so that's why you copied Ganyur's outfit?"
"Exactly."
Draining his glass, Garahal grabbed and shook the cloth around his neck.
"Know what all fairy tale heroes have in common, Raniel?"
"They're exaggerated?"
"Ouch. Besides that."
"They're cool?"
"Close enough."
Nodding, he continued.
"History's different, but in those exaggerated tales, Ganyur's a symbol. That unique outfit."
He looked happy recounting it.
"Ganyur stands before everyone, his cape like twofold wings fluttering. Some feel safe seeing his back; others sense victory. Just his silhouette gives hope."
"Oh..."
"That's, Raniel."
More than ever.
"Pretty cool, right?"
"Is it?"
"Yeah, I thought so. So I tried mimicking it my way."
Finished, he belatedly flushed, pouring more drink and downing it.
"Call it boyish whimsy. It fits."
"Who am I to judge? I walked out in my tower robe, advertising Ashen Mage Tower everywhere."
"Haha. That works."
Recalling that, I looked ahead.
Garahal's uniform was symbolic.
He joked he wouldn't change it—changing it meant he'd broken.
...Good.
Smiling at him, unchanged.
Hasn't changed a bit.
His clothes fluttered in the wind.
The Garahal I remembered stood there as is. Seeing my battlefield comrade after so long warmed me inside.
"Glad to..."
"H-Hello! Sir Garahal!"
As I stepped forward, Chloe shoved past. I might as well have been invisible beside her.
"It's an honor to meet you...!"
Her voice brimmed with tension.
Anyone could see she was nervous.
Garahal glanced at her, then nodded with a faint smile.
"Yes, good to meet you too, Chloe."
"Y-You know my name...?"
"Of course. We're both heroes."
Both heroes—Chloe clapped hands over her mouth. Tears seemed imminent.
Common sense said he'd know her name to seek her out, but current Chloe had no room for that.
"S-Sir Garahal!"
Shivering, she thrust her tightly gripped notebook at him.
Huh?
Head bowed, offering it without checking the page...
"I-If it's not too much, a signature...!"
"Chloe. Wrong page."
Looked like she'd opened to the wrong spot.
Not Garahal's article page, but mine. Must've mixed up the one wedged between fingers from cafe chats.
"Ah...!"
Too late—the notebook was in Garahal's hands.
"Hm, 'Supreme Genius Who Even Blasphemes Ancient Liches'... Raniel, that guy's got a flashy name."
Chuckling, he signed with her quill.
"There you go, Chloe."
Ignoring her crestfallen face, he turned to me. His green eyes met mine. Brief silence, then he spoke.
"Heard a lot from Rox. Guide, Lania van Trias. Even rumors from the front lines."
"Nauseating—call me Lania."
"Feels odd getting formal from a friend's sister. Drop it."
Music to my ears.
"Sure?"
"Quick adapter."
"Always have been."
I hadn't prompted casual speech on purpose. Knew it was futile.
Screamed at him on the battlefield to drop it daily, but he stuck to polite till the end.
I nodded, removing my glove.
Offered my bare hand for a shake.
"Good to see you, Garahal. Rest well during your stay. Ask about Chloe's training anytime."
"Yeah, looking forward to it."
He gripped it.
Hero bodies heal wounds fast, but his palm had deep calluses.
Kyle used to be like this.
As I went to release—something off in the feel. Familiar yet alien.
This...
Eyes narrowing, I stared at him.
Tightened my grip instead.
"...Mind letting go?"
I stared straight.
He smiled awkwardly, but I saw past it. Then I realized the sensation.
Faint, but unmistakable.
One I'd never miss.
Crushing.
Crumbling.
Too familiar.
Silence hung. Neither spoke. We both sensed something off.
"P-Professor Lania?"
Chloe broke it.
I released and stepped back. Garahal rubbed his palm, eyeing me suspiciously, but no time to address.
Head was a mess.
Pushing complications aside, I turned to Chloe.
"What, Chloe."
"W-What did you just say...?"
"What."
"About questions on my training. What...?"
"Oh, that?"
I tilted my head.
"Why else would Garahal come?"
"Huh?"
"Check the next hero candidate, advise as a senior hero. Part of his purpose. Black Tower Lord didn't tell you?"
Chloe's eyes bulged.
First she'd heard.
"Thought he would've."
"Never heard that...!"
She glared at Garahal with trembling eyes.
He nodded slightly.
"Inexperienced teacher, but please."
Thud.
Her notebook hit the ground. Utterly shocked.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
Garahal's visit threw the faculty into chaos. Students lured by the main gate carriage flooded the auditorium, where he already stood on stage.
Followed by a light speech and welcome.
Formalities, but students' reactions exploded. No surprise.
To me, who'd traveled with heroes, they weren't rare—but to students, different.
Humanity's hope, star-blessed few. They'd only read articles on feats. 'Hero' existed but felt unreal.
A distant being.
Now right there, arm's reach.
Even prim noble heirs dropped masks, screaming amid the crowd.
My take on witnessing it...
Exaggerating a tad, like mass hysteria.
"Heard you'll handle a class."
"Yeah, got the heads-up."
In the Mana Trading professor's office.
Master skimmed the circulated memo, continuing.
"Aaron's over the moon. Saintess Sara, Hero Kyle, now Garahal. Calls it blessed ground."
Not just heroes visited.
Remembering the skullhead knocking twice, I wryly smiled at 'blessed.'
"Magic academy, so Garahal's got little to teach, but..."
Aaron insisted on assigning him. Just attending would inspire students.
"Basic physical training tied to Combat Magic. Original prof Mackhart happily yielded."
"Oh..."
Basic training by Garahal.
Maybe audit it?
Intrigued personally.
As I rubbed my chin, Master warned lowly.
"Don't even think of crashing to wreck it."
"Huh? Wreck?"
"No barging in on a whim to trash the class in front of everyone."
"Hey, when do I wreck stuff."
I waved it off.
Lately, folks saw me as a rampaging brute—but I gauged situations.
No reason to meddle in Garahal's class.
Too much else to ponder; no time for nonsense. Still, Master eyed suspiciously.
"Your record's your record. Can't fully trust. Lania."
"...What's this?"
"Pledge."
"......"
"Sign. Now."
Master finally stopped nagging after my signature. I sighed, staring at my palm.
That feel from Garahal's hand.
Before this body, I'd felt it daily. Only one cause I knew.
Hence the doubt.
Heroes too?
Should be impossible for heroes.
Chance for unblessed mere humans only.
"Hmm..."
Head spinning.
Wanted to grab Garahal's collar now, but too much spotlight on him.
Students trailed everywhere.
Any odd vibe, rumors would fly.
Happened at Kelrhal too...
No repeating mistakes.
As I checked his schedule for a collar-grabbing window—
Knock knock.
Someone rapped the door.
Master nodded; I rose and approached.
Outside was noisy.
Commotion leaked through—crowd outside.
Something up?
Casually opened it.
"Ah."
Met Garahal's eyes at the door.
And the horde of students behind.
Students buzzed in my ears.
Sir Garahal and Professor Lania.
They know each other?
Suddenly?
Amid murmurs, Garahal spoke.
"Got time?"
......!
Just now...!
Did before.
Now? Probably not. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇