Chapter 42: Nice to Meet You
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: Nice to Meet You
My exam results were comfortably in the top tier.
Of course they were. After all the hell I went through, I would’ve flipped the whole place upside down if they hadn't given me a good grade.
I wasn't exactly fighting for the number one spot, but considering I knew absolutely nothing about magic before this and still managed to rank above the elite cadets, I was satisfied.
Actually, it was more than just satisfaction—I felt a bit smug.
I mean, think about it. These kids had been training and studying for over ten years before coming to Yggdrasil.
There were even guys in their thirties with actual field experience, yet a newbie who just started learning magic had surpassed all those high-flyers. It was definitely something to brag about.
Hiring Frey was the best decision I ever made.
When I first made the request, I figured her 'Drill Instructor' trait would be helpful, but once we got started, she turned out to be more of a star tutor than a mere instructor.
From theory to combat, strategy, and even survival—she taught me everything with meticulous detail, even things unrelated to magic. Without Frey, I never would have achieved these grades.
"Yeon-woo, I'm in the top 30%!"
"Usually, when people talk about the 'top tier,' they start at 20% at the lowest, not 30%."
"Hey, anything above 50% is the top half. Stop being so picky."
Masayoshi ignored my comment and celebrated with Rio.
Is this… okay?
If the story follows the original plot, these two should be bottom-feeders.
They were supposed to stay at the bottom until their second year, eventually begging Akito to let them join his team just so they could take on commissions…
But it seems the Deserted Island Exam gave out so many points due to its length that the Comedy Duo’s grades had skyrocketed.
What the hell did they even do? They moved as a group, but isn't the evaluation individual?
Fine, I’ll give it to God Sayoshi. Honestly, God Sayoshi did the work of three people.
But why Rio?
This guy didn't even do the work of one person; he just coasted. Why are his scores so high?
If they do well on the finals too, they’ll actually be eligible for commissions.
… …
Oh, shit. A bad omen just flashed through my mind.
I feel like the strange power of the narrative is trying to force us into a 'Gag Trio.'
Noooo—I want to form a party with harem members and go on commissions like Akito.
Isn't this forced misfortune a bit much? I mean… yeah, I’ve been doing well lately.
I have Yukina, my looks are a huge plus, and I’m living a much happier life than in my previous one.
But sticking me with the Comedy Duo for commissions is crossing the line. Let Yggdrasil be enough for them.
I was feeling anxious, but since nothing was set in stone yet, I decided I’d complain when the time came or find a way to dodge fate. Just then, Derek walked in.
"These are the teachers who will be in charge of you: Professor Penny and Professor Lumia."
As soon as they saw the two women following Derek, Rio and Masayoshi both pumped their fists in excitement.
What’s the point of you guys getting excited? Akito’s just going to conquer them all anyway.
"Nice to meet you~! I’m Penny. This is my first time teaching, so I might be a bit clumsy, but let’s do our best together."
Penny looked exactly like she did in the game.
With long, straight black hair and large, bright reddish-brown eyes, her small stature made her reminiscent of a small animal.
"I am Lumia. I look forward to working with you for the next year."
Lumia, a blonde, gave a curt introduction and stepped back.
In contrast to Penny, she was tall and slender. Perhaps her cold attitude made her even more attractive, as Rio and Masayoshi were clutching their chests and panting.
"I wish she’d look at me with that expression while stepping on me…"
"The more overbearing they are, the weaker their backside is."
Stop breathing so much, you bastards. You’re polluting the air.
But… why? Is it because I saw her in the game?
Lumia felt strangely familiar.
I didn't get that feeling from Penny. Did I see her somewhere in passing…? No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't find an answer. The two professors in charge of Class A announced they would conduct individual interviews to get to know the students.
Whether it was by grade or just protagonist privilege, Akito went first, followed by Shiori, Yukina, and Mary… Wait, Mary’s grades were good too?
Despite looking like the type who only cared about playing around, Mary, who had better grades than me, finished her interview and told me I was next.
Since there were other classes, they couldn't interview everyone in one day. Ignoring the jealous glares from Rio and Masayoshi for being picked on the first day, I headed to the counseling room.
"Hello, I'm Seo Yeon-woo."
"Yes, nice to meet you. Have a seat."
"Okay…"
Huh?
Ignoring Penny’s friendly greeting, I stared blankly at Lumia.
I thought it was just because I saw her from a distance earlier, but seeing her up close…
Lumia seemed to recognize me too. She stared blankly for a moment before raising her hand.
I raised my hand as well. We both slightly covered our eyes, looking only at the lower half of each other's faces.
"Oh? What’s this? Is this a trendy new greeting? Teach me too!"
The oblivious Penny tilted her head with innocent eyes while we continued to stare only at each other's mouths and chins.
You’re the one who sucked my cock at the sex party—
"Nice to meet you."
Lumia beat me to the punch, her voice stiff.
Her eyes were filled with murderous intent. It was terrifying; it felt like she’d kill me on the spot if I said a single word.
"Nice. To. Meet. You."
Stop saying it. I get it.
"Nice—"
"Ah~ Nice to meet you too! Wow, you two are so beautiful that I just lost my train of thought."
"Oh? What are you saying~? Yeon-woo, you’re the handsome one. Ah, I can call you Yeon-woo, right?"
"Yes, that’s fine. Lu… Professor Lumia, please feel free to call me Yeon-woo as well."
Lumia’s eyebrow twitched for a split second, but she managed a stiff, forced smile and nodded.
Wow… what do I do about this?
Is this good? Or bad? I go to an anonymous sex party and end up meeting my homeroom teacher? This reality is more variety-packed than an eroge.
Penny was chatting away energetically, but none of it registered.
Lumia seemed to be in the same boat, sitting there anxiously, focusing all her attention on my every word and gesture.
"Lumia is a bit quiet, right? But she’s not as cold as she looks. She’s just shy."
"Yes, she did seem quite warm…"
"See? Yeon-woo, you can tell! Lumia is a very warm person."
True, her mouth was quite warm.
But I probably shouldn't have said that.
Out of Penny’s line of sight, Lumia’s expression had turned demonic. I did my best not to look at her and focused on the conversation.
"Well then, I’ll be going."
"Okay! Professor Derek told me you were an excellent student, and I think he was right. I look forward to working with you."
I stepped out of the interview room, stared at the closed door for a moment, shrugged, and headed back to class.
It really is a small world.
Does that mean I might run into that perverted Lady too? If she’s the type to order Lumia around… could it be Professor Erin?
No. Professor Erin’s breasts are one-of-a-kind. There’s no way I wouldn't have recognized them.
"Seo Yeon-woo."
As I walked, lost in thought, a cold voice from behind made me flinch. I turned around slowly.
Lumia was walking toward me from down the hallway, tapping her stick against the floor.
… Is she going to silence the witness?
"Wh-What is it?"
"Let’s talk for a moment. Stop right there."
"You’re the one who keeps coming closer, Professor. Don't you know anything about social distancing?"
Man, this is scary.
An Yggdrasil teacher shouldn't be trying to murder someone in broad daylight.
Lumia kept walking toward me. Simply backing away wasn't enough to keep the distance, so I turned around and bolted.
"Gah—!"
But since I was useless for anything other than my mana barrier, Lumia quickly caught me by the scruff of my neck and dragged me into a nearby storage room.
"Why did you suddenly run away?"
"Why are you holding a stick, Professor?"
"I used magic when I called you earlier."
Ah, right.
We were the only ones in the hallway, but there were plenty of classrooms and offices lining it.
Lumia had narrowed the range of the sound so only I could hear it, and I had misunderstood.
"… …"
Embarrassed, I shut my mouth. As the surroundings fell silent, Lumia also seemed to recall that night, falling silent and looking away.
Was Lumia… always this kind of character?
In the game, she was just haughty and cold, drawing a clear line between herself and the students… You damn developers, why didn't you show this incredible setting of her being a masochistic slave behind the scenes? You lack the basics, the basics!
Is it like a hidden backstory? But then again, she acted normally when she had sex with Akito.
Every time I see a side of a character that differs slightly from the game, it really hits home that this is reality.
"Um… just so there’s no misunderstanding, I’ll say this first. That was… my first time at a party."
"But you are the Bird Mask Lady’s slave… right?"
"… …"
So she is.
Lumia remained silent and turned her head away.
She could have denied it to get out of the situation, but it seemed the True Lady had trained her well; she didn't lie.
Hmm… in a typical eroge, this is where I’d use the weakness to make her blow me…
But I still haven't forgotten that Lady’s handjob.
If I try to snatch someone else's slave for no reason and the Lady gets angry, what if she comes to turn me into a slave too?
… … Wait. That might not be so bad? I have no intention of becoming a slave, but slave play is great.
"Akad… I guess that wasn't your real name either… What was that persona you showed at the party?"
"Ah… that. It was a disguise. I can't give you the details."
If she’s an Yggdrasil professor, she should understand what I mean.
Lumia seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
"I was in disguise too."
"Bullshit."
Ah, I see.
"… …"
"Sorry. My inner thoughts and my words got swapped. I meant to say, 'Ah, I see.'"
"You don't have to force it."
Lumia sighed, brushing back her neat blonde hair as if resigned.
If I were in her shoes, I’d be sighing too.
You show up at your first day on the job, and there’s a student—and not just one you’ve seen passing by, but one whose cock you’ve actually sucked?
If it were me, I’d have been so uncomfortable I would’ve resigned on the spot.
"I’ll forget about what happened then. You were there for work, and I was there for work. Let’s just leave it at that. No, wait. That is how it was."
As I turned to leave, Lumia called out from behind me.
"Don't you want anything from me?"
"… … Did you think I was going to ask for something lewd?"
Is this person like Lynette? Secretly wanting it?
However, there was no sign of desire or excitement from Lumia.
Her guarded posture suggested she expected me to use this as leverage to blackmail her.
Don't lump me in with the Comedy Duo. It’s insulting.
I stared at her for a moment and then walked toward her.
As I approached silently and stood unhesitatingly close, Lumia’s body tensed up.
But there was still no sign of arousal.
It was the tension of someone ready to blow me away if necessary.
What would be the best line here to get her going?
I leaned in close enough to feel her breath and looked down at her.
Even though Lumia was tall, I was nearly 190cm. I lowered my posture to meet her eyes.
Tap, tap.
I was terrified of a magic spell flying my way, but I lightly tapped Lumia’s cheek.
"You should get permission from your Master before doing that."
"… …"
"Go tell your Master you met me. And come back once you've got permission to spread your legs."
It must have been the right answer, because I could feel Lumia flinch and catch her breath.
With this, I’ve moved one step closer to being a True Gentleman.
Step by step, I am reaching the level of a True Lady.
I gave the frozen Lumia a smile, then turned and walked away.
A gentleman never looks back.
Because that’s what makes it cool.