Chapter 127
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Side Effects of Overimmersion
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This is definitely a side effect of all that overimmersion and fantasizing!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A irritable knocking sound, as if trying to smash the door down.
Isaac slowly made his way across the floor littered with materials he hadn't yet tidied up and opened the dormitory room door. There stood Robert, his expression icy cold.
"Robert. As far as I know, the Knight Department should be in the middle of classes right now, no?"
Seeing Robert show up in his room, Isaac's curiosity got the better of him, and he fired off a question before even a greeting.
"I handled that somehow, so don't worry about it. Skipping class isn't exactly hard."
Robert stormed into Isaac's room, radiating bad vibes, and yanked out a chair irritably before sitting down.
"Robert. Even I can tell you're in a foul mood—no eye for people's feelings, huh? Did you get into an argument with someone?"
"...Not really. So, when can we do it? I've been waiting plenty long already."
Isaac was well aware that he owed Robert a hefty price for the massive funding support he'd received.
That attitude made sense, too, since he'd taken the money and hadn't reached out while plotting with Philip. Thinking rationally, it didn't bother him.
"Hmm... Yeah. How about we hash out the plan right here?"
Philip, with whom he was scheming, had been busy traveling to other territories outside the capital, scouting and recruiting talent from the bottom rungs. Until then, Isaac had some free time.
"Plans, schman. Can't we just head to the back mountain and test it? You activated the magic circle in the dorm before, and nothing happened after."
"Robert. Sure, it might turn out fine... but in an experiment like this with zero intel, assumptions and safety measures are the top priority. Even if it connects to another dimension, there's no guarantee it won't link to some hazardous space like last time."
"..."
"We don't know if the connected space changes by location, time, weather, total mana, or maybe it's limited to the user. Nothing's certain right now. So we need to prioritize safety, then consider weather and—"
Seeing Isaac's eyes start to gleam with mania, Robert cut him off in horror before the ramble could fully unleash.
"Stop...! Fine, just tell me when the experiment can happen once you've prepped all that safety stuff or whatever."
"Ultimately, it depends on how fast we can ship the materials. If we can source everything from the capital... we could do it right away. But for reliable stuff, it'd be smarter to procure from our territory. Even the capital's materials aren't always top-notch..."
Sensing the chatter stretching out again after barely interrupting it, Robert let out a sigh and stood up.
"Haa... Just send a letter to my dorm when you're ready."
Watching Robert head out the door, Isaac smacked his lips regretfully at the cutoff conversation and nodded.
"Sure thing! Take care~ You'll hear from me soon."
With Seria hooked arm-in-arm—her shoulders a good head lower than Chloe's—Chloe rolled her blue eyes sideways to glance at Rike's profile.
The usual cynical charm in her blank expression always shone through when they were together, but now, heading to practical class...
Maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks because she was hyper-aware, but deep at the bottom of those violet eyes, there seemed to be a flicker of heat.
—Not scary, exactly. More like manly... cool, even.
'No deeper meaning... right?'
Rike's casual remark had tickled Chloe's senses like the tip of a bird's feather.
Was it because it came from Rike, who never showed or mentioned any interest in guys?
No. Chloe and Seria were the same way.
Then, was it the awkwardness from her own position, hiding the secret between her big brother and Seria?
That seemed like a solid answer with high odds.
Yet Chloe couldn't pin this sensation down to a single word.
'Rike said she broke off her own engagement on her own will...'
Before becoming friends thanks to Seria.
Chloe still remembered Rike looking frail, like she might collapse any second, utterly drained. Her transformation now was astounding the more she thought about it.
From some point, Rike had shed those dead, hollow eyes, regained her vitality, and started glowing in appearance. Rumors had quietly swirled through the academy about the engagement between the Bolt Marquis family and Skadi Marquis family.
But Rike herself had told Chloe and Seria directly that her engagement to Robert Bolt of the Knight Department was long called off.
'What would Rike do if she actually fell for a guy...? I can't even imagine.'
Even that day at the mansion, with her sister's permission for the three to stay over, Rike had worn a deadly serious face and declared she'd rather die than marry someone she didn't love. Her principled stance had left a deep impression.
That day, Rike had shown truer sincerity toward the emotion of love than anyone, and despite her extreme, sharp-tongued side, Chloe had thought her the closest to the word "girl."
Today, watching her sister radiate brilliant life force—not as flashy as the blue aura she'd unconsciously unleashed amid emotional overflow, but still...
It felt like some inner clarity, akin to enlightenment, was settling her thoughts. Maybe that's why she was reacting more keenly, more sensitively to emotions and vibes than before.
What if! Just maybe! For real! No way, but!
If her precious friend Rike harbored feelings for her big brother, what position should she take? What should she do?
And if that bombshell dropped while she was still keeping her sister and brother's relationship secret...?
'Chloe Dreitna... you idiot! Dummy! This isn't the time for stupid fantasies...'
If no one was watching and Seria wasn't clinging to her arm, she'd have smacked her own foolish ash-gray head.
Spinning wild, trashy-novel delusions off one offhand comment from a friend. Must be backlash from overimmersing in all those romance novels she'd read.
Self-reproach for her own narrow-mindedness—thoughts and gaze laser-focused like a single track—Chloe let Seria lead her along.
Entering the academy's indoor arena, Seria's arm finally unlinked.
Checking the remaining time, the three did light stretches while grabbing academy-issued standard weapons for class.
"Whew! Holding a sword really calms me down."
Seria flashed a satisfied smile, green eyes gleaming, shortsword and plain round shield in hand. Rike, as usual now, drew her staff, twirling it to loosen her wrists.
Shing—
Last, Chloe pulled a simple longsword from the wall rack. Feeling strength grip her hand instinctively, she pushed aside worries about the upcoming class.
She didn't know what today's lesson held, but most were feedback exchanges based on personal spars with her big brother.
'...I absolutely can't worry big brother!'
Feeling cold sweat slick her palms, Chloe pulled herself together.
Both her sister and big brother possessed transcendent senses beyond ordinary folk.
If she acted off or broken anywhere, her brother would notice instantly, just like he'd spotted her sister's odd vibe that morning.
Closing her eyes briefly for deep breaths, she etched Rike's advice into her mind.
The front doors opened, and in came priests from the Church—not cadets. The cadets greeted in unison; the priests chuckled heartily and returned the nod.
Finally, her big brother entered and shut the door.
"Assembly!!"
His booming voice echoed through the arena, cadets rushing to form up.
Movements crisp beyond compare to the first class. No bold souls piping up with chit-chat like before.
"Any absentees from each department, report."
Unlike their private talk, in class her big brother exuded intimidation and chill. Chloe actually felt relieved.
"Swordsmanship Department: no absentees!"
Seria volunteered loudly. Big brother nodded, hands clasped behind his back.
"Knight Department: one absentee. Robert Bolt Cadet, excused for illness!"
Brom Basti's voice rang out, disciplined sharp after his first-semester gum-smashing wake-up. Big brother picked up a pen and paper from the floor, eyes scanning for the name.
"Robert... Robert Bolt. He skipped last time too..."
Finishing the absentee check, he tossed the paper and pen aside, swept his gaze over the cadets, and asked.
"Any special notes or cadets feeling unwell?"
"""None!!!"""
High nobles' heirs, once stiff-nosed, now fully disciplined unlike first semester. Chloe felt a fresh wave of awe.
'Big brother really is amazing...'
Grabbing a standard longsword from the wall, he smacked it rhythmically against his palm like a baton as he explained.
Smack! Smack!
"Today, we'll spar one by one again. But this time, name the weapon you find toughest to face, and I'll use it to teach countermeasures."
Crossing between the spaced Knight and Swordsmanship lines, nearby cadets held their breath under the pressure.
"Non-sparring cadets: personal training and fix instructor feedback. Knight Department starts one by one. Dismissed."
At his "dismissed" cue, cadets scattered familiarly. The front-line Knight Department cadet stepped forward, tense, sword in hand.