Chapter 141: Variable (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Variable (3)
Star Class.
Pew!Pew!Pew!
Electronic beeps echoed from the very back row. Two female cadets turned around to look in that direction.
Sitting in the last row, a female cadet was completely absorbed in tapping away at her phone. It was Yoo Se-in, the transfer student who had arrived just today.
Staring at Se-in with dumbfounded expressions, the two female cadets began to whisper.
"What is she doing?"
"I asked her earlier, and she said it's some mobile game...?"
"...A game? Wow, that's hilarious. Is she an attention seeker or what? She thinks she can do whatever she wants just because she's pretty... And what did she say during her introduction earlier? 'Name: Yoo Se-in. No special remarks. The end.' Didn't she say something like that?"
"Yeah. And she talks in that weird, blunt text-speak... She just looks like someone trying way too hard to act 'special.' It's ridiculous. What on earth is the placement department at Joaquin Academy even doing? Sigh. Putting someone like her in the Star Class."
"Exactly. Being in the same class as someone like her drags our level down. And from what I overheard, Se-in is just the third daughter of some minor noble family from the countryside."
"No way. That's basically a commoner. Why is she acting so high and mighty?"
"Right? Who does she think she is?"
The female cadets sneered, making sure Se-in could hear every word.
But Se-in completely ignored their shallow mockery. Keeping her eyes fixed solely on her phone screen, her fingers danced rapidly across it.
Pew!Pew!Pew!
At that, one of the female cadets twisted her lips in annoyance.
"...Is she seriously ignoring us?"
"This is unbelievable. I can't take this. The bell hasn't even rung yet, so I'm going over there to give her a piece of my mind. I need to teach her about the difference in our 'status.'"
"I've got your back. Go teach her a lesson."
At that moment.
"Hey. You two."
A sharp voice cut in from the front. The sheer sharpness in that tone froze the female cadet just as she was about to stand up.
The female cadet stiffly turned her head like a robot. Her gaze landed on Abel, who was staring back at her with cold eyes.
Next to Abel, Rachel rested her chin on her hand, watching the scene unfold with an amused expression.
Finding herself under the simultaneous glares of the Nibelung and Myura families, the female cadet's face turned pale.
Of all people...
She herself was the child of a prominent noble family in Britain, but she was nothing compared to those two.
No matter how prestigious a family was within a single nation, they were bound to look pitifully small before two transnational powerhouses.
It wasn't even a metaphor; the gap in their status was literally as vast as heaven and earth.
To make matters worse, Abel and Rachel were the two cadets in the Star Class who cared the least about aristocratic notions.
In particular, Abel would openly scowl whenever situations like this arose.
Abel snapped at the female cadet.
"The bell hasn't rung yet. What business is it of yours what someone does in their own free time?"
"No, it's just... she's being too noisy."
"So badmouthing someone out loud is fine, but the sound of a game isn't?"
"……."
Abel ruthlessly shut down her excuse. Rachel, who had been watching, suddenly chimed in.
"To me, it looks like you're just trying to haze the new transfer student. Well, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. But you see..."
"……."
A strange gleam flickered in Rachel's heart-shaped pupils. Looking at the trembling cadet, Rachel let out a mocking chuckle.
"Usually, it's only fair to establish a hierarchy through physical force. Bringing up status is just so tacky~ Or, how about we settle our hierarchy right now, you and me?"
"……!"
The female cadet lowered her eyes. Her already pale face drained of all color, turning completely white.
She desperately cast a glance toward her desk partner, who had been gossiping with her just moments ago, seeking help...
...But her partner had already slipped away to sit somewhere else.
That cowardly bitch!
Meanwhile, leaving the terrified cadet aside, Abel and Rachel began bickering with each other.
"Rachel! That's completely missing the point!"
"Why~ Lady Abel, did I say anything wrong? It's already getting chilly since it's early autumn, so what's wrong with warming up our bodies a bit?"
Amidst the contrasting moods, Se-in frowned and scratched the back of her neck.
"Ah—they call this a burning event, but the EXP payout is seriously stingy. Is this for real? The event items suck too. What a trash RNG game!"
Se-in tossed her phone onto her desk with a thud and slumped back into her chair.
"……."
"……."
"……."
Abel's expression also deflated. Se-in was just staring blankly at the ceiling.
No matter how I look at her, Se-in is just too bizarre.
The second transfer student after the first one, Leon von Reinhardt, was Yoo Se-in.
From her very first impression, Se-in had been extraordinary. Her somewhat unique appearance was one thing.
This morning, quite a few male cadets had tried to hit on her.
Her silver hair and tiny, doll-like face were more than enough to capture the attention of any guy. Se-in had found herself in a similar situation to Abel at the beginning of the semester.
Yet, none of those male cadets could even get her to look at them. She treated them even colder than Abel did.
Eventually, Se-in had plugged her ears with earphones. And then it was just game, game, game.
What on earth is her purpose in coming to Joaquin Academy? Did she come here just to play games?
Just as Abel was staring blankly at Se-in.
Slam!
The classroom door was flung open with force. All the cadets turned their heads. Abel, who had been standing straight like a meerkat, also shifted her gaze.
An outsider stepped into the classroom. It was Kang Geomma. His mere presence caused the air in the room to turn freezing cold.
Kang Geomma stood at the podium and swept his gaze across the room.
"Geomma!"
Rachel called out in delight. She stepped onto her desk and leaped forward.
"It's been so loooong!"
Rachel spread her arms wide, attempting to throw herself into a hug.
Kang Geomma lightly twisted his shoulder to dodge.
Crash!
Rachel's face slammed directly into the blackboard. The green surface dented deeply in the shape of her face.
With her face planted in the blackboard, a cracking sound echoed, followed by muffled, high-pitched groans.
Her entire body twitched like a frog before her limbs went completely limp.
While silence descended upon the Star Class, Ryozo rushed in panting. She was out of breath, having run in a hurry.
"Haa... haa... Geomma, are you sure you were just walking? How are you so fast?"
The Star Class was utterly dumbfounded. Their expressions asked, Why are they here right when the bell is about to ring? Abel looked the same.
Step, step.
Kang Geomma began to walk. No one dared to say a word in the face of his heavy expression.
Passing by Abel and the other cadets, Kang Geomma reached the very back row.
He spoke in a low voice.
"Let's talk for a moment."
Se-in slowly raised her head from where she had been leaning back. A small smile played on her lips.
Se-in asked Kang Geomma.
"Here? Or outside?"
"……."
Kang Geomma glanced around the room before shifting his gaze back to Se-in.
"The hallway."
Se-in shrugged.
* * *
Kang Geomma and Se-in stepped out into the hallway. The Star Class cadets wanted to follow them out, but the classroom door was already occupied.
Three girls poked only half of their faces out to watch Kang Geomma and Se-in. Stacked vertically from top to bottom, they were:
```
Door | Rachel
way | Ryozo
[ ] | Abel
```
—in that order.
Rachel muttered as she snapped her broken nose back into place.
"What is it? What's going on? Do Geomma and the transfer student already know each other? Or could it be... like, a hidden ex-girlfriend or something?!"
Rachel snorted, and a clump of clotted blood splattered out. She huffed, exhaling breaths thick with the scent of blood.
"Oh, come on, Rachel! If you're going to be that brainless, at least keep your mouth shut. And go over there if you're going to wipe your nosebleed. No matter how stupid you are, who in their right mind slams their face into a blackboard?"
Ryozo's eyebrows furrowed. She clicked her tongue and muttered.
"And it's not what you think, so stop getting worked up over nothing."
"Then what is it?! Why did Geomma initiate a conversation with the transfer student first?! He's always so cold to me!"
"……."
Abel nodded in agreement. With a deep sigh, Ryozo spoke in a hushed voice.
"I ran into her by chance during lunch earlier. Apparently, Yoo Se-in is Geomma's distant relative."
"!"
"!"
The two girls positioned above and below Ryozo flinched. A subtle tension flowed among the three. Rachel's eyes sparkled.
"A relative? Family? ...Then, my in-laws?!"
Her heart-shaped pupils dilated to their limits. Seeing her about to leap out at any second, Saki headbutted Rachel's chin with the crown of her head.
"Gack!"
"Seriously, moving to the Wolf Class was the best decision I ever made, if only to get away from you, Rachel. But..."
"……."
Ryozo glanced down. Abel was quietly and intently staring at Kang Geomma and Se-in.
Those golden eyes fixed on Kang Geomma. Watching Abel, Saki felt a lingering sense of anxiety.
Abel, you're never honest with your feelings. You always pretend you don't care. Honestly, it's better to be like this blonde wild horse and just lay it all out there than to be like you.
Ryozo's cheeks puffed up, and her eyes sharpened.
Eventually, her subconscious drove her body to move. Ryozo slammed her forehead with all her might against the crown of Abel's snow-white head.
"Argh!"
Steam practically billowed from the crown of Abel's head. Clutching her head, Abel whipped her face upward.
"Hey, Saki! What the hell was that for?!"
"Sorry."
Ryozo apologized while rubbing her reddened forehead.
"An accident."
* * *
"So, who are you?"
I didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point, even though the rustling noises coming from behind us were rather annoying.
As my brow furrowed, the silver-haired girl let out a soft chuckle. She shifted her gaze from the classroom door behind me to look directly at me.
"For now, our concept is distant relatives. So wipe that look off your face. Anyone watching would think we're mortal enemies."
I flinched. What was up with her tone? Even the MZ generation didn't talk like this.
"I've always kept my distance and only delivered messages, so seeing you in person like this is fascinating."
"……."
"Name: Yoo Se-in. Affiliation: Outer God Papacy. Title: Saintess."
The Outer God Papacy and the Saintess. These were unfamiliar concepts even to me, who had played Miracle Blessing M. No matter how much I searched my memories, I had never heard of such an organization.
Saintess. Literally, a holy woman.
Why would such a person enroll in Joaquin Academy? And how did she know about the 'status window'? There were too many questions.
And is a Saintess really just a kid like this?
Se-in smiled faintly. A pretty dimple appeared on her left cheek.
"Normally, my intervention is like a 'variable.' To use a game metaphor... a minor cheat skill? So, technically, it's not right for me to interfere. Besides, I can't get deeply involved anyway because of the penalty called divine punishment. But I can at least act as a guide or a walkthrough."
"Stop beating around the bush with variables and cheat codes. Who are you?"
"Seriously, I've dropped this many clues and you still haven't figured it out? You're so dense. No wonder those three back there are always suffering in silence."
Se-in gestured with her eyes behind me. I turned my head slightly. The blonde, sky-blue, and blue heads that had been poking out of the doorway instantly popped back inside like moles.
"Your sins are truly heavy."
Se-in shook her head. My gaze locked onto her.
Se-in quickly added.
"Now that I'm at the Academy, I'd love to tell you everything, but there's a limit to what I can say. If I say too much, I'll face a game penalty—divine punishment. And since I'm just a mere human, I can't answer everything anyway. Well, if you still don't get it..."
Se-in brought her hands together in front of her chest in a prayer position.
Then, closing her eyes, she quietly chanted. Her pure, serene voice tickled my ears.
"May the Blessing of God be with you."
I gasped. It was a voice I had heard all too often.
"...It was you?"
A gentle smile spread across Se-in's face.
♬~♩♪♫♪
As if answering in place of words, the bell for the fifth period rang out.
Se-in brushed past me. Her pure silver hair flowed through the air like a wave.