Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 164
>Chapter Title: This is the Virtual and Real
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"Then have a pleasant time."
Thud.
As Ransi, who had escorted the two of them, left the room, silence settled over the space.
"......"
Meanwhile, I stared fixedly at Chenbi, taking him all in.
The brilliant morning sunlight illuminated the room, making the smooth marble floor sparkle.
The distinctive summer scent of grass tickled my nose. Birds chirped like a melody in my ears, and suddenly, a thought struck me.
'Crazy... he's completely lost it.'
"Aster, I prepared this to show you too—look. This is clay I dug up from behind Blandoga Manor, and among the dirt I've tasted, the flavor is..."
He pulled flask after flask of dirt from his pocket, handling them like priceless treasures. This was anything but normal.
And it wasn't just his actions.
Look at that face.
His pupils half-dilated, his mouth corners curled up unnaturally. His expression was as awkward as a wax doll's.
But for some reason...
My instincts were telling me.
'Chenbi... isn't crazy.'
And that was just the start.
My gaze sharpened as it swept over Damian.
"Friend, during vacation, I learned what kind of impact the empire's political situation has on making society go mad. I also learned about the strange sheep that famous houses pursue and what kind of nutrition they bring to society. So that's why the horns of that nutrition grow..."
He spouted words that seemed so mature at first glance, but the more I listened, the less sense any of it made.
'The empire's political situation making society go mad?'
He meant its impact on society.
'And then what? Famous houses pursuing strange sheep?'
What famous house pursues sheep, let alone crazy sheep?
It must be utopia.
'And nutrition... he doesn't mean that sheep-like animal; he's talking about influence.'
Still, there was a positive side.
His vocabulary had expanded a lot.
Politics, society.
Words that are hard for a twelve-year-old to use... hmm, come to think of it, that's exactly two words.
Anyway, I turned my gaze back to Chenbi.
Sure enough, Chenbi wasn't crazy—
"Here, look, Aster. This dirt's pretty salty. If you rub it on your hand like this and eat it..."
No, is he crazy?
Crazy as hell—he scoops up dirt and licks it like it's delicious.
They say the craziest of the crazies are those who eat dirt, and right now, Chenbi was pulling off that feat.
Was it because of that?
My fists trembled.
Burr—
I didn't ignore that rage.
What do I mean I didn't ignore it here?
It means I swung my fist straight at Chenbi.
"And this dirt is... Gah!"
I smashed one into his mouth to stop him from eating any more dirt, then hugged him tight to soothe his aching heart.
"Chenbi, just hold on a bit. I'll fix you right up."
"Ah, As... that's not..."
Chenbi tumbled over from the punch and tried to say something, but I didn't listen.
'The thing in front of me right now isn't Chenbi.'
It was a madman wearing Chenbi's skin.
So, how do you drive out a madman?
'An old saying goes that a stick is the cure for a mad dog. Since "person" and "dog" differ by just one letter, twice the beating should do it.'
"Aster, what are you...!"
"Shut it! Get out of Chenbi's body already!"
I unleashed my fury, vomiting fists.
The madman flailed to dodge my blows, but fat chance. My fists never miss a target once they've locked on.
"Chenbi, don't worry. As the continent's second-best reformer, I'll definitely bring you back."
And so the beating began.
That was when New—Prototype Damian sidled up beside me.
"Chenbi, don't worry! I don't know what's going on, but I'll fix you too!"
Damian extended both hands, healing Chenbi. Had his skill really leveled up? His already miraculous recovery power was now even more miraculous. Honestly, I couldn't think of a stronger word than "miraculous," so I just added "even more."
Anyway, I nodded at Damian.
"Damian, healing—successful."
Only Chenbi was left.
"Chenbi, hang in there. You can overcome this."
"Ugh! Ack! As, Aster..."
"Chenbi! You got this!"
And for a while, Chenbi's—no, the madman's—cries echoed through the room.
* * *
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, feeling refreshed.
"Man, that hit the spot."
Everything was perfect.
The perfect weather, Damian back to normal, and Chenbi who had magnificently endured the ordeal.
In the end, Chenbi's treatment was a resounding success.
But was it a side effect of the treatment?
"......"
Chenbi glared at me with sharp, axe-like eyes I'd never seen on him before.
Was the madman still not out? Worried, I clenched my fist, and that's when Chenbi's steely voice rang out.
"Stop it. I've taken enough."
"Yeah, Chenbi's taken a lot."
"Damian, you're even more trash."
"Recyclable?"
"......"
Chenbi turned his gaze from Damian with eyes of resignation.
Honestly, I knew it all along.
'Chenbi wasn't crazy, and Damian hasn't changed.'
I'd figured it out the moment he started eating that dirt.
Why?
Because I caught a faint whiff of chocolate at the tip of my nose.
No idea how he did it, but the texture looked perfectly like dirt on the outside. He couldn't hide the scent, though.
'He pulled a prank on me since it's been a while...'
Honestly, I have no clue which part I'm supposed to find funny.
Ah, so this is what it means to play with kids.
I felt all grown up and smug... no, wait.
I'm a regressor.
'I am an adult.'
Anyway, after venting our reunion like that, my gaze naturally shifted to Damian.
"Friend, I don't like getting hit."
"Damian, you're not recyclable."
"Ah, really? Then burnable? Non-burnable?"
"We'll have to watch a bit longer."
"Then watch closely and let me know."
...What kind of otherworldly conversation is this?
Anyway, looking at Damian brought a thought to mind.
'Now that I think about it, Damian hasn't tasted justice yet... no, that's not it.'
What the hell happened in these short few weeks?
I'd felt it a bit earlier, but Damian's presence had changed so drastically, it was like a whole different person.
And it wasn't just Damian.
'...Chenbi too.'
Damian's dramatic change overshadowed it, but Chenbi had grown beyond recognition too.
Vacation was just over two weeks.
What kind of sorcery was this?
Curious, I glanced back and forth between them, and that's when Damian looked at me.
But why...
"You don't look any different, friend?"
"......"
What? There's a sense of superiority in his eyes.
Forget that— I'd thoroughly hidden my presence, so how does Damian know?
Sure, back at the start of Jenion Academy, my level was much lower than now, so he might've glimpsed it somehow... but not anymore.
But that doubt didn't last.
I realized it soon enough.
'This punk... he's talking about height?'
He was eyeballing the top of my head. Height.
Damian's voice came right then.
"Ransi said so."
"Hmm, what'd Ransi say?"
"He said if you don't develop, you're not human. But you haven't developed at all in the meantime?"
"......"
Today, I'm punching Blandoga's young master.
As I gripped my fist—
"Pfft."
Chenbi laughed.
Hearing that, I turned with twitching lips, and he instantly straightened up.
"I said I've taken enough. Hit me more and I'll really get mad."
What is this sense of alienation?
Chenbi's gotten slyer in the time apart. Damian's gotten all smug somehow. And even in a magic noble house like Blandoga, I'm being shunned.
I get the hardship at the swordsmanship noble house Lortel. I get it, but...
I didn't expect this from a magic noble house too.
'Where do I belong?'
I looked up at the sky and asked the moon.
The sun greeted me.
Twinkle twinkle.
Twinkle twinkle is little star. But the quills at Lortel School of Magic sparkle just as much.
Ah, suddenly feeling refreshed.
Shaking off my gloom with a smile, Damian asked.
"Friend, you crazy?"
I looked at Damian and imparted some life wisdom.
"Damian, listen up. I'm not the crazy one—the world's crazy. If someone calls you crazy, say this."
"The world is, not me?"
"No, you are crazy. But if someone asks you, 'Is Aster crazy?' say that."
Damian clapped like he'd gained great enlightenment.
Then, with an innocent smile, he looked at Chenbi and asked.
"Chenbi, is this the kind of trash that doesn't burn?"
"Hmm... kinda. But you seem similar..."
Damian straightened up right then.
"Chenbi, don't insult me."
"Ah, s-sorry."
Damian, what the hell is with this guy.
'He seemed kinda smart just now.'
Maybe that beast-man in-between act was actually high-level smokescreen.
Otherwise...
As I thought that far—
Damian smiled innocently and turned to me.
"Right, friend. Know what?"
"What."
"Today's my birthday."
"...So?"
Damian's eyes sparkled right then.
Looking at those eyes, I felt a familiar sensation.
No—more precisely, in Damian's pupils reflecting my image, I sensed a familiar vibe.
That wastrel brother who showed his "affection" to me.
That wastrel brother's face overlapped with my reflection in Damian's eyes.
And this ominous premonition—
"On birthdays, you give presents."
Never missed its mark.
But who am I?
The East Continent's top evasion maneuver expert.
I regained my composure, sipped my tea leisurely, and smiled.
"Yeah. You give presents on birthdays. So, what'd you prepare?"
"Prepare?"
"It's your birthday. And you give presents on birthdays."
"Right, yeah...?"
"So, shouldn't the birthday boy be the one giving the present? Think about it. It's your birthday—why would your house prepare the party? Didn't you know that's all part of it?"
"It was... like that?"
"Yeah, exactly. So, what are you giving me?"
Damian's pupils trembled faintly.
I wore a victorious smile.
'How's that, you punk!'
If you're really smart, you'll spot the logical hole in my words and counter.
But you can't. If you're not smart, obviously not—and if you are, you won't drop the mask...
"Chenbi, you see that?"
"Yeah, saw it."
"That's what I call bullshit."
...Damn it.
Anyway, one thing was clear.
'Smarter than I thought.'
Can't bully him like old times anymore. New—Prototype Damian wasn't just empty words.
Anyway, nursing my bitter defeat from the unexpected loss—
Damian circled back to the topic.
"So, the present?"
This was unforeseen.
Ransi had definitely said Damian didn't care much about birthdays...
"You didn't prepare anything? I didn't say it, but I figured Ransi would've..."
Yeah, you're right.
I didn't prepare.
But.
"A present... of course I have one."
"You do?"
"Obviously."
The heart is what matters most in a gift.
In other words, for a materially rich Damian, a heartfelt gift is perfect.
So, what is it?
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat.
Licked my lips.
"I've got this tower, right? I'll give you one floor."
This is the virtual and real.
A scheme to feint the false and seize the real—giving away a future floor to dodge the present crisis. Of course, I just made that up.
Anyway.
If I'm the tower's first lord, Damian becomes the first floor lord.
"The top one?"
"Nope."
No way, you punk!