Chapter 165: Bet — Interlude
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 165: Bet — Interlude
Today’s events were etched vividly into my mind.
Trying to decipher Alice Carroll’s intentions while staying on high alert had been utterly exhausting. I had parted ways with her without any further incidents; she hadn't tried any tricks or even attempted a subtle interrogation.
Is she laying the groundwork?
Was this all just a process of building a foundation to eventually corner me? For now, I simply knew too little about her.
Perhaps because she was an antagonist meant to oppose the player, her portrayal in the game had always felt restrained.
Take Dorothy, for example—the girl who sacrificed herself using the 9-star spell [Last Light of a Dying Star] in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱. From the very beginning, the game dropped hints that she was destined to die, allowing players to glimpse fragments of her inner thoughts.
For instance, Dorothy’s empty room served as an indirect way for the player to understand her gradual acceptance of her own death.
On the other hand...
There was never any implication that Alice would commit suicide.
Unlike Dorothy, Alice was a character who never exposed her heart to anyone. Because of that, I had no clue how to approach her. I couldn't fathom what was truly inside her head, from start to finish.
Does she also want to travel to beautiful places?
Does she want to experience love?
Does she have dreams?
“…”
I shook my head. Such thoughts were a luxury I couldn't afford.
Regardless of her personal circumstances, the fact remained that Alice desired the death of Ian Fairytale—the being who posed the greatest threat to the Evil God.
As for me, if I wanted to defeat the Evil God in my third year, I just needed to extract whatever benefits I could from her. In that context, delving into Alice’s personal affairs was necessary, as it could prove advantageous. And, of course, I was genuinely curious.
The sky was glowing with the deep hues of sunset. Evening had arrived.
In a quiet corner of the Hydrangea Garden, I sat on a stump, lost in thought, until Princess Snow White and her escort knight, Merlin Astrea, arrived.
I stood up to greet them.
“Hello, Whi—”
“Senior Isaac!!”
“Hmm?”
What’s with the sudden shouting?
White came charging toward me, her face a mask of shock.
Thud!
She tripped and fell forcefully, collapsing right in front of me. That definitely looked like it hurt.
“Princess White!” Merlin cried out.
“Ugh…”
As Merlin rushed over, White groaned in pain, slowly pushing herself up. I bent over and reached out a hand to her.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay… sniffle.”
I helped White up and brushed the dirt off her snow-white hair and uniform. She tried to act like she was fine, but tears were already welling up in her eyes. She was clearly in a lot of pain.
Merlin scolded her, “Please be careful! You’ll hurt yourself!” but White just offered a shaky apology.
“I’m sorry…” her voice faltered through her sniffles. “More importantly, Senior Isaac! I heard that you joined the Student Council?!”
So the rumors had already reached the first years.
That makes sense.
Erin had called me out far too conspicuously in the middle of the Orphin Hall corridor. And since I’d been seen walking around the academy grounds with Alice Carroll, it would have been weirder if rumors hadn't spread.
Moreover, through the student grapevine, the news of me being summoned by the President had mutated into the false claim that "Isaac joined the Student Council."
“Also, an elite member of the Black Tiger? I heard such a strong person came looking for you, Senior Isaac!”
An elite member of the Black Tiger? The only one I was involved with was Verga Rayphelt. Did he really come looking for me?
“That person was shouting in Orphin Hall, demanding you come out for a duel…! But then, I heard he was defeated by a second-year senior! I wonder what happened?”
“…?”
There was nothing like this in the game.
However, it didn't truly surprise me. The game knowledge I possessed was merely a reference point. With a variable like "me" involved, it was only natural for unexpected situations to occur and for the plot to go off the rails.
But Verga was defeated?
“This is the first I’ve heard of it. Tell me everything.”
“I don’t know the details either. I only heard bits and pieces. I didn't expect you to be in the dark about it, Senior Isaac…”
“…Alright. I’ll ask someone I know later.”
It was a waste of time to pry for details from someone who didn't have them. I’d just ask a friend later. Since the situation seemed to have been resolved without my involvement, there was no need to dwell on it.
“And no, I didn’t join the Student Council. I was just summoned by the President.”
“Ah. Then why were you called?”
I briefly explained the proposal to become an “Honorary Student Council Member.”
“Honorary Student Council Member… I didn’t know such a thing existed. But Senior Isaac, you totally deserve it. You’re so capable!”
White seemed visibly relieved after hearing the truth.
“I was worried when I heard you joined… I wondered what would happen.”
“Why?”
“If you become busy, we won’t be able to see each other as often…”
I was White’s ideal mentor, so it made sense she didn't want to lose me. Of course, it wasn't just about utility; White was genuinely attached to me. She considered me the most trustworthy person in the academy.
Well, hearing her say that did make me feel good.
“Is that so?”
When I gave her a broad smile, White smiled faintly in return.
That’s enough of that.
I quickly shifted my expression and adjusted my round glasses, a dramatic change fueled by my acting skills.
“By the way, about that assignment I gave you? The five types of [Wind Sword] magic circles you were supposed to memorize.”
“Uh… heh… heh…”
An awkward laugh. Lacking any confidence, White avoided my gaze, a cold sweat breaking out on her brow.
“…Let’s see them.”
White hesitated before beginning to manifest light-green magic circles one by one in the air.
Three of them were decent enough, but the construction of the remaining two took far too long, and the mana lines were a complete mess.
“Haa.”
White withdrew the magic circles and hung her head in shame.
“You didn’t memorize them all. I thought I gave you more than enough time.”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at her.
“White.”
“Yes, yes, Senior Isaac…!”
“I’ve told you repeatedly how vital it is to know how to add and adjust lines on basic magic circles. It’s what expands your tactical range. [Wind Sword] is one of the most versatile spells, and it’s closely related to the 5-star magic, [Gale Fang]. Memorizing the shapes is a fundamental skill. Application comes later. That’s why I told you to memorize the five most useful primary shapes first…”
“I-I’m so sorry!”
After my long reprimand, White quickly bowed her head in a hasty apology.
“Explain. Why didn’t you memorize them?”
“I was too sleepy yesterday! I think I ate… a bit too much for dinner and dessert…”
At least she was honest. Smart girl. Lying to me would be immediately obvious, and it seemed White had learned that from experience.
“Alright. Since you failed to complete the assignment, I’m moving up the deadline for your debt, as promised.”
“What? Then…?”
“You have one month left.”
“…!”
White looked up at me, her face pale with shock.
“Let me reiterate: if you don’t pay off the debt by the due date, I will end this mentorship, regardless of your promise to take responsibility. If you work hard, you can earn enough gels to pay it off by then. If you can’t, it’s only because you’ve been negligent. There would be no reason for me to continue teaching you.”
“…”
It’s obviously a lie.
Whether White paid her debt or not, I intended to keep mentoring her. I just wanted to prevent her from getting lazy and maintain a sense of urgency.
“So, if you want to stay with me, work harder…”
Uh… is she about to cry?
“Senior Isaac…”
Her voice was trembling on the verge of a sob. I panicked.
“Wait, White?”
“I’ll pay off the whole debt, so please don’t leave…! I like you so much, Senior Isaac…! Waaah!”
“Ah, no… I was too harsh. I'm sorry!”
…I really need to work on my empathy.
[Why did you make such a bet with Isaac, Alice?]
The sunset light filtered through the windows of the Student Council room.
Alice Carroll sat in the President’s chair, gazing at the distant sky and feeling the cool breeze. She held a teacup filled with black tea in her hands.
The plump magical beast, Phantom Cat Cheshire, sat on the sofa wearing its tiny fedora, watching Alice with a wide grin.
[It’s not like you’ve suddenly developed an interest in romance. Could you tell me what you’re thinking?] Cheshire asked in its eerie, distorted voice.
“Indeed. Want to take a guess?” Alice replied playfully, taking a sip of tea.
Cheshire paused. “Huh?”
Then, it let out a strange, high-pitched laugh.
[A riddle! How delightful!]
Caught off-guard by the unexpected challenge, Cheshire grinned broadly, lost in thought. It found the game of guessing her motives quite entertaining.
Alice ignored her foolish familiar and took another sip.
[Ah!]
Eventually, Cheshire laughed as if it had reached an epiphany.
[So you can keep a closer eye on Isaac?]
“Close enough.”
[I’m a genius!]
Cheshire wobbled its protruding belly, dancing with joy.
[But Alice, what if you actually develop feelings for Isaac?]
“That’s a pointless question.”
[I think it’s a fascinating question. What if you really fall for him, and he turns out to be the Black Monster, and you have the perfect opportunity to kill him…! What will you do? How will you kill him?]
“…”
[Will you slit his throat? Pierce his heart? Kill him as painlessly as possible? Or just leave him barely alive so he won’t be a nuisance…? No, you have to kill him. Yes, you must. It’s the right thing to do. Will you cry then? Grieve? Laugh in resignation? Won’t you answer me, Alice?]
Almost instinctively, Alice’s fingers drifted to the black choker around her neck. Because she had scratched at it so often, the soft fabric now felt slightly rough to the touch.
“…Well, who knows.”
Alice uttered that single sentence, her voice trailing off into a breath, before quietly lowering her hand.
I had a conversation with some of Mateo’s subordinates, whom I was on good terms with.
Apparently, Verga Rayphelt had shown up at Orphin Hall looking for me, only to get severely beaten by Tristan Humphrey. The fight broke out because Tristan took issue with Verga harassing his subordinates.
Unexpectedly, Tristan had scored an overwhelming victory.
Was he really that strong already?
Tristan was known for his work ethic and exceptional skill, but it felt odd to hear he could already overpower someone like Verga.
Regardless, fighting outside the sparring arena was a clear violation of academy rules, but neither Tristan nor Verga received a severe punishment. Students who witnessed the event defended Tristan by submitting petitions.
The incident was concluded lightly with a few penalty points since the two "reconciled" and settled the matter amicably. Of course, that reconciliation was likely insincere on both sides. It was said that Verga seemed strangely disheartened, which led to the smooth resolution.
Due to the penalty points, Tristan looked sour all day, his face a mask of dissatisfaction. Driven by his obsession with maintaining top grades, he was now volunteering for every task a professor mentioned to make up the lost points. Since his current goal was to surpass me, he refused to fall behind.
“Haa.”
Anyway, I put that aside for now.
In a corner of the Butterfly Garden, I channeled all my mana and fired a pale blue blast into the sky, where it blossomed beautifully. Using [Defrost], my ice magic crumbled into powder, falling like shimmering snowflakes.
In the chill caused by the ice mana, my breath turned into a white cloud of mist.
“Wow…!”
In front of the oak tree, Dorothy—the girl with light purple hair and a witch’s hat—cheered.
I felt a surge of accomplishment. I wanted to satisfy my urge to show off, and luckily, I had the perfect witness. I grinned and flashed Dorothy a "V" sign.
“Did you see that? I can handle 6-star spells with ease now.”
“Hehehe. Yes, I saw it clearly! Well done, President!” Dorothy cheered, giving me a double thumbs-up.
6-star ice spell, [Frost Glitter].
6-star ice spell, [Frost Wave].
I had finally reached the level where I could utilize these spells properly.
There were only two days left until my duel with Miya.