Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Silver Rookie Theo #6
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“Assistant Marmar. Hurry up and pass them out. We need to start the lecture.”
“Got it…!”
Imp nun Marmar redoubled her efforts to distribute the handouts at Professor Stella’s command. When Marmar came by my side, I quietly asked her.
“Marmar. What are you doing here? And what’s this about being an assistant?”
“Ah…! Comrade…! I got hired as an assistant in this Ark…! I’ll tell you the details at Fairies’ Night…!”
“What’s Fairies’ Night?”
“You haven’t received an invitation yet, Comrade…? Understood…! I’ll make sure to send one to your dorm…!”
What’s she talking about?
And why does she talk like that?
Every time I saw her, she seemed to surpass my thoughts and expectations, getting stranger by the minute. She was a friend I’d hired for a whopping 12 gold. Yet she felt more like a consumable breaking down over time.
As I puzzled over it, Professor Stella slammed her palm on the lectern.
“Assistant Marmar! Faster!”
“Eek…! Sorry…!”
Marmar hastily placed handouts on every student’s desk. Unable to watch any longer, I said to her.
“Just give them all to the front row and have them pass back.”
“Indeed, there’s a method like that…!”
With that, Marmar finished distributing and stood by Professor Stella’s lectern. The students buzzed curiously at the sight of an imp in the school.
—An imp? Isn’t that a monster? Why’s a monster in the Ark? Isn’t this run by the Church?
—What’s the big deal about an imp? I just sat through a lecture with an ogre earlier.
—No way, an ogre attending lectures? Don’t lie.
—I’m serious. It was a faith and philosophy class. An ogre, of all things…
The murmurs grew.
As expected for a first lecture, the atmosphere was chaotic. Stella Bellhock slammed the lectern again.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s first lecture. There’s one tomorrow Friday morning too, so everyone come on time, no tardies. And Assistant Marmar, stay behind.”
“Eek…! I, Marmar, did nothing wrong…!”
“Did you forget to feed Twitty? Where’s Twitty now? Haven’t seen it since morning.”
“Don’t know….”
For real?
What did she even do to end it like that?
But running the lecture was ultimately the professor’s discretion. No student like me could argue when she called it quits.
—First day, so it ends early. Nice.
—Yeah. Professor Bellhock is so cool. If it were Professor Migollas, she’d pack the first day full.
The students praised Professor Bellhock with laughs as they filed out.
From what I knew, attending lectures here cost a hefty sum.
Was it okay for tuition to fly away so meaninglessly?
Come to think of it, I was like that as a student too. Kids hate studying everywhere, it seems.
Still, this lecture gave me a solid connection to that Bellhock lady. Worth it.
Stella von Bellhock, one pillar of the historic four great families.
I’d have to think slowly about how to approach her.
In the end, I left the classroom like that.
* * *
The Thursday Fairy Studies lecture was originally from 4:30 to 6:00.
It ended early, so by 5:00, I had an hour gaping until dinner at 6:00.
I pondered what to do with the spare time.
I didn’t want to waste even an hour pointlessly.
Practice more magic? See how many pigeons I can control at once? Recite yesterday’s Belial incantation?
As I thought that, a dizzying vertigo swept over my head.
What to call it? Sudden anemia would fit. My stomach churned like seasickness.
“Hm.”
I instinctively sensed it was a warning of depletion.
A signal that the energy—or mana—flowing in my body was nearly gone.
Yes.
I was a novice mage who’d just hit level 3.
About 1.5 circles, in circle terms.
So my mana pool was pathetically small, bottoming out after controlling a few birds. My mana circuits had been fried by red-hot pokers to begin with.
Red-hot pokers…
I wiped the trickling nosebleed and headed somewhere as an idea struck. My unhesitating steps led to the Ark’s central building.
It housed the central cadet council office, plus club buildings and various affiliates.
The grand structure rivaled mansions or government offices. I entered, scanning signs and plaques, making my way there discreetly.
It was a nurse’s office-like spot in the corner of the first floor.
Knock knock.
A presence stirred inside.
—Who is it?
“Dizzy spell. Mind if I come in?”
—Ah, come on in.
Only then did I open the door and enter.
White-sheeted beds, curtains everywhere, sharp alcohol scent—like a hospital room.
The woman seated wore a white coat with a stethoscope-like tool around her neck, just like a lady doctor.
She probably was one. Early thirties, mature-looking. Red eyes behind glasses held a bewitching intellect.
“What brings you here? Where does it hurt?”
She tied back her red hair and asked. Her laughing red lips screamed sultry.
Yet they hid a perilous venom.
And she did carry poison.
I was probably the only one in school who knew. Hoping it wouldn’t strike me, I sat in the chair before her.
“Kept casting spells, got dizzy. Nosebleed too.”
“Mana draining, huh. Sit here. I’ll give you a shot.”
The red-haired doctor rolled up my sleeve and swabbed it with alcohol cotton.
A shot?
That hurts.
This body was especially sensitive to pain. Shots sucked.
Half-fairy trait? Afraid of needles?
「Calm Situation Assessment!
Gain experience from Talent 《Composed Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
Got it. Now I understood half-fairies. Fussy little shits.
Swish, swish.
Pushing nymph thoughts aside, I spoke to the doctor applying alcohol.
“Lady Kallira. You really took a job here.”
“Theo. Wasn’t that your request? Infiltrate the Ark safely.”
“True. Didn’t expect you’d land in the central building, though. With your own proper office.”
I marveled at Lady Kallira of the fallen baronet Scol family’s infiltration skills. Originally a master poison assassin.
Circumstances led me to hire her. Just in case, I’d snuck her into the Ark as my ally.
It worked too well, surprisingly.
Squeeeze—
Kallira injected water with the needle.
“My mentor was here originally. But she fell suddenly ill. Out for a while.”
“Your doing?”
“Who knows.”
Quick on the draw.
“How’s the job?”
“Love it. Admission staff flirt, but that’s par for the course.”
“Good to hear.”
“And I was surprised. You planted others too, huh. That ogre. Quite thorough?”
“More cards, the better.”
“How many more besides the ogre and me? In this Ark. Your people.”
Even if asked, it was just pitiful imp Marmar Marmoy now.
Ogre Gorgor was exposed as mine to all. Marmar was only a matter of time like this. Only Kallira, whom I’d infiltrated, was truly useful as a spy.
But I muddled the info vaguely.
“Without that ogre, you might’ve had to fight as my champion against that barbarian.”
“Lucky then. I’m bad at letting people live halfway.”
She laughed hehe as the sharp needle pricked my arm.
“Ugh.”
Fleeting thought she might poison me—but I knew better than anyone she had no reason.
“How’s your sister?”
“Good. Thanks to you. Shocked by the sudden money. Enrolled here this year too.”
“Really? What classes?”
“No idea. We avoid contact as much as possible. Like you and me.”
“I see. Then pull some weight as health staff for now. Tip me off on key info from the central building.”
“Key info?”
“Same as always. Talk of the crossbow hero. Or the savage female warrior with the greatsword. Or the priest swinging a giant hammer.”
They were the protagonist party from the original Villainess Hunters.
I always stayed alert for their info. They were the eye of the storm they carried.
“Got it. You’ve gotten laid-back, huh?”
“A bit used to this Ark now.”
“No, how you handle women. My breasts are against your arm like this. You’re not flustered.”
“…….”
Come to think, her ample breasts pressed my arm. Thought it was for the shot, but it seemed deliberate.
“Must’ve gained some experience with women lately?”
Kallira was definitely sexually harassing me.
“Trouble anytime, come by. I’m health staff now.”
She shook the syringe hand up-down.
“Can refresh you in all sorts of ways. Special treatment for you, Theo. Doctor play’s fine too—.”
Sultry harassment oozed from her glossy red lipstick.
I was weak to this. No clue how to react to women saying such things.
Cool Friday insider Gold Theo would quip back wittily? But mess up and it gets awkward. Hate that.
“Ears red. Blood rushing to ears is a fairy trait. Half-nymphs too, it seems.”
“Ahem, anyway. I’ll come by later. Hold the fort till then.”
Fearing embarrassment, I bolted from the seat.
Kids my age like Elga or Narmi, I could handle.
But skilled older women like Lady Kallira were tough. Saintess Friga too. Professor Stella Bellhock was older-ish.
Picturing older women, I exited the central building. Saw a crowd buzzing around one spot.
“Someone grab my parrot! Help!”
“That’s a blue eagle. Blue eagles are viciously fierce birds…”
Pushing through the distressed crowd, I saw feathers scattered around a tree, a blue bird clutching something fiercely on a branch.
Child-sized body, wings spanning a fox’s length—ferocious raptor. Shorter beak than eagle, more hawk-like.
Powerade-blue hawk.
Professor Bellhock’s pet hawk.
Twitty, right?
Then someone yelled.
“Save my parrot! That mean thing’s tormenting it!”
Now I saw: Twitty’s talons gripped a parrot.
—Bad bird—! Bad bird—! Twitty—! Bad bird—! Guak—!
Situation clear: Bellhock’s pet raptor tormenting someone else’s pet parrot.
She’d asked Marmar if she fed her pet on time, where it was.
Hungry Twitty hunted another bird.
Then I wondered how far my bird-taming magic Halphas worked.
Could it tame that fearsome blue eagle?
Taming it might strengthen ties with Professor Bellhock. So I slowly extended a finger toward the blue raptor and softly incanted.
HalPhas.
Sssr.
Mana surged from my body intensely. Stamina from the shot drained instantly.
Drip.
Nosebleed again.
As vertigo hit—
「Mystic Reaching the Limit! 2nd Circle Achieved!
Job: Mage level up.
Mage Lv. 3 → Lv. 4
Now draw closer to the world’s mysteries and truths.」
Twitty’s talons loosened on the parrot’s neck. It flapped huge wings and perched on my outstretched arm.
—Kweeeng, kweeeng—!
Weird cry.