Chapter 144
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Absolutely Not That Side, No Misunderstandings!
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I had figured that possessing a protagonist like you see in games or novels meant my life would be set from there on out.
No matter how much I slacked off and gorged myself, I'd have rippling muscles, inexhaustible stamina, a chiseled face with a beautiful voice, a solid family backing, and a stunning fiancée to boot.
But in this barbaric world where life was treated so cheaply, a half-baked mind like mine couldn't survive.
'Fuck! Fuuuck... This is really it, the end...'
This sort of thing was supposed to stay a dream.
A horrific nightmare that left me drenched in cold sweat, making me truly feel the preciousness of reality upon waking.
My mind was so hazy that I barely remembered the trek back to the mansion.
I was practically dragged out of the capital and back to the estate.
Every time I tried to move, that one unresponsive arm threw me off so badly it felt like my head would explode from the stress.
Being this wrapped up in anxiety and depression, losing all drive for everything—it was a first, even after scraping together memories from two lifetimes.
Knock-knock.
"Y-Young master..."
"You damn...! Didn't I tell you to get lost?"
The family had assigned me a female servant for daily needs, but even that grated on me.
I'd told her I could handle myself and to scram, but her coming back felt like she was mocking my busted arm, which lit my fuse.
If the servant, her face pale with terror, hadn't bowed her head quick...
Robert might not have held back and blasted her with a skill.
"S-Sorry! That's not it... The family head is looking for you..."
"...Father?"
His anger evaporated in an instant, replaced by tension shooting straight to the top of his head.
In the Harun Empire, a hardcore patriarchal society incomparable to his past life, his father—the marquess of House Bolt—held sway in the mansion like an absolute god.
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Upon returning to the estate from the Church, Robert was summoned by his parents before he could even catch a proper break and learned of the existence of the 'family registry.'
Handed a musty old book that smelled like it was growing mold, Robert read the words with his eyes and couldn't hide his shock.
[Name: Deganello]
▷ A villain from Gray Dust, an occult superhuman.
▷ His body, influenced by the Deep Book Box, is vulnerable to sex magic or similar attacks.
▷ Raised under the criminal group Black Neck, he's adept at acting to stir maternal instincts and pity in women. As a pickpocket and beggar for Black Neck, he can cry on command if he wants.
▷ Favors corrupted spirits of water and wind; when sensing danger, he'll burn his life force to win at any cost.
"No records of a place called Gray Dust or a group called Black Neck exist, no matter how far we search. But our house's ancient registry wouldn't lie."
"... ."
Hearing the info and rereading it, creases formed on Robert's forehead.
The oddly familiar yet contrived list of text gave him a headache.
'Villain? Superhuman? What kinda bullshit... game is this?'
In his spinning haze of mounting stress, a cold voice fell on Robert.
"What on earth were you two doing? Getting jumped by some thug was bad luck, an act of God maybe... but we didn't send you to the academy to skip classes and live it up."
"Your mother and I are worried about your future too. Can you even keep attending the academy in that state?"
Robert could tell.
Despite their words, his parents didn't see this as an act of God.
These people on his family register didn't scold with the fiery passion of old.
Their eyes, stripped of any expectation or affection, were just icy.
Even beggars approaching on the street would get warmer looks than that.
'Yeah. This is what I hated most...'
This world, where you could go from prized possession to worthless lump based on ability or circumstance, just didn't suit him.
It wasn't that his self-proclaimed noble blue-blooded parents were weird.
From the empire's nobles' view, this was normal, aristocratic behavior.
Showering an untalented kid with love would make you the odd one out.
No matter how much time Robert spent with his sharp memories from before possession, he couldn't accept or understand this world—the resentment spread faster than wildfire, now beyond control.
No will to make excuses and dodge the heat, he bowed his head and spat out words to end this suffocating mess.
"Just... let me finish the academy, and I'll find my own way to live..."
"Tch—out."
Bam—
Only after awkwardly shutting the ridiculously huge door with his bad arm and turning his back on his parents' room did Robert breathe easy.
"Huuuuh—"
Spotting the servant he'd told to stay away lurking a step back, Robert clenched his one good fist and raised it like he was about to swing.
"Get lost!! Fuckin' seriously...!"
"Kyaaak!"
The thoughts that used to stay as mere fantasies in Robert's mind, fading naturally with time.
The incident and negative emotions had shattered the dam holding back his rationality in one go.
Turning what should've stayed in his head into unfiltered real-world outbursts.
"So annoying."
Leaving the trembling servant after just faking a swing, Robert stormed back to his room and started packing.
'If only I had a competent servant like Isaac's...'
No matter the outcome or reality, sticking around this mansion with this treatment would drive him mad for sure.
Robert decided to head back to the academy ASAP to meet Isaac first.
Didn't care if it wasn't his original world anymore. Didn't care if it wasn't this body.
He wanted to chase the chance of possessing into some warmer, cozier world than this.
If it happened once, twice wasn't impossible.
After blowing off the entire first period, the cadets gathered in the auditorium.
In the venue housing everyone from first-years to third-years regardless of grade, Dean Doran—looking slightly fatigued, his empty sleeve flapping—took the stage.
He turned his head, cleared his throat a few times, then broadcast his deep voice through the magic amplifier on the podium.
—We'll skip the formalities and just relay the necessary info before wrapping up. Some of you may have heard the rumors already... but there was an unfortunate incident at the academy.
Not murder, but a tragedy on par with it—the perpetrator remains at large, whereabouts unknown.
No further victims or injuries from the same person have turned up yet.
Still, they urged avoiding remote areas around the academy just in case.
—We're coordinating with the imperial guard too, so until things settle or resolve, try not to go out alone. Outside the academy, stick to main roads and avoid alleys as much as possible.
Only after announcing the perpetrator's description based on Isaac and Robert's testimonies did the assembly end.
The cadets filed out in perfect order, then immediately buzzed with chatter about the incident.
'Where are they...?'
With Knight Department exiting first, then Swordsmanship, Chloe rolled her blue eyes searching for Rike and Seria amid the flood.
"Oh! Chloe!"
Following the familiar, cheerful voice, she spotted Seria—head poking out among the taller Swordsmanship cadets, her red hair bouncing.
And Rike trailing behind her.
First period got axed for the dean's emergency assembly, and it wrapped quicker than expected—no real reason to skip the whole day—so the trio linked up.
"Where to?"
Plenty of time till next class; other cadets were already grouping up and heading to their spots.
"The café we always hit seems fine."
Seria's suggestion got a crisp agreement from Rike, no objections, so off they went.
The path out of the academy was way more jammed than end-of-day rush.
Usual dismissal times varied by department and year, so it felt roomy; but everyone moving at once cramped the pace.
"Uwaaah~ So crowded!"
Seria whined, latching onto Chloe's arm; Chloe laughed and let her.
"Looks like everyone else had the same idea."
Sure enough, academy grounds and front gate teemed with cadets seizing the sudden break.
Good for business, but...
The three preferred quiet spots for chatting without yelling, so they stuck to their usual haunt.
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Rike always ordered the same thing here.
Pour—
Starting with Rike mixing milk into her usual black tea.
Seria and Chloe, ever experimenting with new drinks, critiqued each other's picks.
Chit-chat flowing into occasional comfy silences.
As Seria yawned wide and a lull hit, Chloe spoke up.
"Um, not really a worry, but I'd like your opinions on something..."
"Follow-up from last time?"
Chloe shook her head at Seria's question.
"No! That one's... tough, so I'm still mulling it over."
"If there's time, better to think it through plenty."
Chloe smiled faintly, thanking Rike.
"...Thanks to you guys."
Seria, polishing off her dessert, licked chocolate off her fork and prodded Chloe.
"So, what's this about?"
Chloe, steeling for the main topic, did her signature lip-waving before blurting it out.
"Pl-Please don't misunderstand—it's absolutely not that side!"
"That side...?"
Regardless of Seria's confusion over the vague 'that side,' Chloe pressed on.
"Someone I've owed a lot to—I need to show thanks with a gift and treat them to a meal... but picking the gift and menu's tough..."
"Hmm~ I see."
Rike listened quietly while Seria nodded with a hum.
"H-Heard they aren't picky with food... For the gift, I thought perfume at first, but tastes vary, and men's cologne's kinda iffy since I don't know much, so I considered something else—"
Clink!
Seria's fork she'd been licking hit the empty plate.
"A guy?"