Chapter 140: I’m So Jealous (3)
Chapter 140: I’m So Jealous (3)
“What on earth are they doing in there?”
“Who knows? Are they fighting?”
“No, it doesn’t feel like that.”
“Then what is this energy…?”
Alex and his companions waited outside the door, pacing restlessly.
They had no idea what was happening inside, but a terrifying aura was clearly overflowing from the room. It was a massive presence, so potent that even those without particularly sharp senses could feel it vividly.
Just then, one of the Elves approached them.
“Step aside.”
Alex frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“We must go inside. Something is clearly wrong.”
The Elves seemed to have sensed the strange atmosphere as well. However, Alex stood his ground.
“That wasn’t the deal. Didn’t we all agree to step out so the two representatives could speak privately?”
That had indeed been the agreement. However, the Elf glanced toward the door and spoke firmly.
“The situation is unusual. We must check on them, so move.”
“And if I refuse?”
Alex’s hand went to the sword at his waist. The Elf clicked his tongue.
“Reckless.”
“……”
“If you’re mistaking what we showed during the tournament for our true strength, you will regret it.”
Alex gritted his teeth.
“Damn it, I know that much.”
‘Blast it, of all times, the professors aren’t here….’
Alex was a 4-Star Swordsman. Standing face-to-face with the Elf, he could gauge whether his opponent was stronger or weaker than himself. And yet…
“Whether you’re strong or not isn’t a reason for me to back down.”
Alex stood firm, prepared for the worst. Beside him, Isabella, Gerard, and even Karin drew their swords. They were standing their ground to fulfill their duties as seniors.
The Elf across from them narrowed his eyes.
“I have lived for hundreds of years, yet I still cannot understand humans.”
“Then you must be slow.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps I am….”
As he spoke, the Elf reached for the knife at his belt.
“Regardless, you’re going to have to move.”
As the opponent leaned forward slightly, Alex tensed his entire body. It was a hair-trigger situation, ready to explode at any moment.
But then…
“Huh? What’s this? Why is the mood so heavy?”
The door behind them swung open, and Patrick appeared. Bright smiles instantly broke out on the tense faces of Alex and the others.
“Patrick!”
“You bastard, why did you take so… so….”
“…What are you doing right now?”
Their bright smiles rotted away instantly.
In fact, anyone seeing the sight before them would have reacted the same way. Standing next to Patrick was Elione, affectionately linking arms with him and looking up at him as if he were the most precious thing in the world.
Then, she spoke in a dazed voice.
“Lord Patrick.”
The way she said it was almost unbearable to listen to.
Karin scratched his ear vigorously. “Senior, did I hear that correctly?”
“It seems so.”
“Is it possible that among Elves, the word ‘Lord’ is a synonym for the word ‘Lout’ used by humans?”
“I certainly hope so, but that was the Continental Common Tongue. Dammit….”
“I feel faint.”
Gerard’s expression was sour, and Isabella actually swayed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Amidst the horrific scene, Alex spoke up.
“What the hell happened in there?”
It was a question everyone wanted answered.
*
“To be honest, I didn’t expect the effect to be this good.”
“Fufu. I didn’t know either. That it would be this… ecstatic.”
“No, wait—”
“It was the first time in my life I’ve had such an experience.”
“Stop phrasing things so weirdly.”
“I want to experience it again right now.”
“Just shut up.”
Patrick hurriedly covered Elione’s mouth as she continued to spout misleading statements with a dreamy expression. But by then, his companions’ expressions had moved past sour and reached the stage of pure contempt.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. What I did inside was—”
Before Patrick could finish, Elione spoke up again. She cupped her cheeks with her hands and said shyly, “He bestowed a new life upon me.”
“Wait, you can’t say it like that!”
“It was my first time experiencing such rapture.”
“Are you doing this on purpose? Are you saying it like that on purpose?!”
“Now that I know what this is like, I can never go back to the way I was before.”
“I told you not to say it like thaaaaat!”
The atmosphere froze instantly. The Elves looked deeply shocked, while Isabella took a step away from Patrick with a look of utter disdain. The other companions stared at Patrick with expressions that were a mix of absurdity and envy.
Patrick was utterly flustered. It was the first time since his reincarnation that he had been this panicked. If it were true, he wouldn’t feel so wronged. He couldn't let this misunderstanding stand.
“Seniors, you know me, right? Am I that kind of guy? Think about it. Am I really that kind of guy?”
In response to Patrick’s excuse, the companions huddled together and whispered.
“Did you hear that? You heard him.”
“Does that bastard seriously think he has any credibility?”
“He has no conscience.”
“Exactly!”
“But seriously, what did he do to make a haughty Elf of the forest melt like that?”
Patrick roared at them.
“I’m telling you, it’s not like that, you idiots!”
As Patrick raged, Karin walked over and put an arm around his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Patrick. I believe you.”
“Senior Karin….”
Patrick was moved. He thought that, surely, at least one person would believe in his innocence—
“So, next time we’re alone, pass some of those secret techniques to me… Gwah!”
Karin was kicked squarely and sent flying to the far corner of the room. He slammed into the wall like he was being executed, stone dust crumbling down beneath him.
“I told you… it’s not… like… that!”
Patrick’s killing intent, growled out against the backdrop of that gruesome scene, was genuine.
But still. No matter how one looked at it….
“Would you believe it if you were us?”
“You’re going to take responsibility, right?”
“Scum. A disgrace to the kingdom.”
“The secret technique… ugh….”
Honestly, it was a situation no one would believe.
*
“Lady Elione.”
“Yes, Sian?”
“What has happened? Did that human do something unspeakable to you?”
The bewilderment the Elves felt was even greater than that of Alex and his group. Their superior, a proud member of the Elven Knights, was swooning over a mere human. They even suspected that some malicious brainwashing or dark magic was involved.
However, they couldn't sense a single trace of evil energy from Elione’s body. On the contrary, she was filled with an aura that was clearer and purer than ever before.
‘How can this be?’
‘What on earth happened?’
As her companions wore expressions of total incomprehension, Elione spoke with a gentle smile.
“That man has given me new life.”
“……”
“And that new life will become the hope of our race.”
“I don’t understand. What are you talking about…? Huh?”
Elione pulled a branch of the World Tree from her robe. The Elves gasped in shock.
“Ah?!”
“This can’t be.”
Unlike before, the branch of the World Tree was now overflowing with vitality. The wood was supple, and tender green leaves had sprouted. But above all, at the very tip…
“A… a flower?”
“A flower of the World Tree?”
“Unbelievable….”
There, small and delicate, was a pale pink flower bud. Considering the World Tree had last bloomed a thousand years ago, it was only natural for the Elves to be stunned.
Elione spoke with eyes full of conviction.
“He is the only hope and the savior of our race.”
Well, that’s unfortunate for him.
*
“Phew, that was hectic.”
“Indeed it was.”
Sitting across from each other in the carriage, Professor Late and Professor Marox Baroque shared tired but pleasant smiles. They had been incredibly busy lately.
The prestige of being professors from the academy that produced the Arcana winner was far more impactful than they had imagined. There were those trying to establish a connection with Patrick at any cost, those wanting to learn the teaching methods of the Atronia Kingdom’s academy, and even those wanting to send their sons abroad to study….
Dozens of invitations arrived every day.
Professor Late chuckled to himself.
‘This is incomparable to when I made it into the Round of 16.’
The memory was still vivid. The numerous recruitment offers and marriage proposals that had poured in when he reached the Round of 16 of Arcana. Furthermore, when he returned to his country, he had received a citation directly from the King at the palace. It was truly the golden age of Justin Late.
Above all, the memory of Marquis Panola’s sour face in the corner while he received his citation was a top-tier digestive aid that made him feel refreshed every time he thought of it.
But the impact of a victory was on a different level entirely. He never imagined that such hospitality would be showered upon him, who wasn't even the winner but merely the supervising professor.
“My word, I never thought I’d enjoy such luxury because of a student,” Professor Baroque said.
Professor Late laughed. “It’s amazing. Especially since we didn’t really teach him anything.”
“Teaching that fellow would probably be impossible even for the Imperial Academy.”
“That’s true.”
No matter how they looked at it, Patrick was an outlier. How could one teach such a monster? They were even cautious about speaking to him, fearing their dignity as professors might crumble if they tried to give him advice haphazardly.
Thinking about it, a realization struck him.
“Hmm, we should be careful with our words in front of Alex and the others.”
“Right. Do you think they’ll be jealous?”
“It would be stranger if they weren’t.”
“Mmm….”
“It’s fine for us since we’re from a different generation and hold the position of professors, but from their perspective, he’s a fellow student and even a junior, isn’t he?”
“Ummm….”
“Regardless of our faith in their character, we must be careful. The other children are also talents who will lead the kingdom, so we must ensure they don’t develop an inferiority complex.”
“That makes sense. The others actually achieved good results this time as well.”
“Exactly.”
In truth, the other students had done their part, though they were overshadowed by Patrick. They had broken the Atronia Kingdom’s decade-long streak of defeats, and Alex and Isabella had shown quite impressive performances. It was only natural for them to feel upset if no one acknowledged them despite their good results.
“Let’s make sure to take care of the other kids first when we get back.”
“Yes. And let’s warn Patrick not to get too arrogant.”
“Well said. No matter how skilled one is, arrogance is a deadly poison for a young man.”
“It’s been a while; I’ll have to become a strict ‘Viper Professor’ again.”
“Hahaha. Sometimes that’s necessary. It’s all for the student’s sake, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”
Having made their resolution, the two professors intended to take measures to ensure Patrick didn't become any more conceited once they returned. They certainly intended to….
*
“Mmm… this is great. The aroma is incredible.”
Patrick exclaimed in admiration as he sipped a clear liquid from a wine glass. It was top-quality Elven liquor, aged for over a hundred years. Its value was hard to measure in money; it was a treasure that even kings of nations only drank during great national celebrations.
As soon as Patrick emptied his glass, it was refilled. Elione herself filled the glass to the brim and spoke.
“It is an honor that you find it to your liking, Lord Patrick.”
Exquisite liquor poured by an exquisite beauty. As Patrick enjoyed a luxury like no other in the world, another Elf approached him.
“Lord Patrick, please try this.”
It was a small confection. Seeing its faint luster, it looked like a honey-glazed cookie.
“Let’s see….”
Patrick picked one up and put it in his mouth. Before he could even chew, the cookie melted away, spreading a fantastic flavor throughout his mouth.
“Oh, this is good. The subtle sweetness is excellent.”
“I am glad it pleases you.”
“What is this made of?”
“It is an Elven-style confection made by gathering honey from maple flowers.”
“Heh, I thought sweet things wouldn't go well with alcohol, but this is perfect. I like it.”
“Thank you. I will give you some as a gift when you depart.”
“I’d love that. But didn't you say these were gifts for the Royal Family of the Magellan Kingdom?”
“It is fine. If you would accept them, it would be the honor of our race.”
“Well, if you put it that way, it would be rude to refuse, so I’ll take them.”
“Thank you.”
Patrick tilted his glass again, then spotted Professor Late standing there with his mouth agape. He raised his glass and spoke.
“Oh? Professor, you’re here?”
Seeing Patrick being waited on by beautiful Elves, Professor Late thought to himself. Originally, he was supposed to scold him sternly to ensure that pride and arrogance didn't take root in Patrick’s heart. But….
‘I’m so jealous.’
Yeah. Honestly, he was incredibly envious.