Chapter 25
Translator: True Detective
### Chapter 25: Resolve (2)
The road heading to Asterion Academy.
A strange silence flows amidst the rattling vibration.
Inside the carriage are me and Yveline.
And Celly, the guide for this investigation.
Perhaps feeling the awkward air, Celly carefully opened her mouth first.
"Ms. Yveline, you came after taking the Academy entrance exam in the past, right? Your scores were so unrivaled then that the professors still talk about you."
"I went for a bit. But it wasn't that great. Because I absolutely hate wasting time getting entangled with low-level kids."
Yveline replied indifferently looking out the window.
"Certainly, with a skill level like Ms. Yveline's, you have long surpassed the level of a general graduate!"
Listening to the conversation between the two, I narrowed my eyes that were looking out the window.
She already took the entrance exam and came back?
*'If so, it means that incident, which is the starting point of the original work, already happened.......'*
Originally, a rival recognizes a rival.
There is a famous passage the heroine Yuna spits out when she runs into Yveline in the introduction of the original novel.
The novel starts after throwing out such a resolute monologue.
But that very rival suddenly evaporated from the next day.
"............"
Even I feel embarrassed.
"Rihan, look at that building over there. I think it's shabbier than our lab."
With that destined rival saying such things next to me.
It's somewhat natural that Yuna's growth has stopped.
At that time, Celly changed the subject towards me.
"By the way, Mr. Rihan, didn't you attend the Academy? Imperial noble mages usually all graduated from the Academy, right."
"I didn't attend school."
"Yes? Ah...... then did your family hire a mage separately for you to learn? You must have grown up very preciously!"
"I just read books and figured it out on my own."
"........."
It became solemn.
No, why are you looking at me like that.
A gaze exactly like looking at a self-made person who grew up in a poor family.
"......I apologize for asking carelessly. To think you had such a painful past......."
"No, it's not to the extent of a painful past."
It's the truth.
Even Rihan before the possession was just treated as an invisible person in the family, there was no crisis of starving to death.
Just an abandoned child because his magic talent was zero.
*'I wonder how they are doing.'*
The Hayes family.
It's been quite a while since I lost contact.
I wonder what kind of expressions everyone will make if they hear the news that I became the Chief Researcher of the laboratory.
I'm a little curious.
***
"Then, I will give you the basic information first."
Celly opened her mouth again.
Sparkling eyes befitting a guide.
"First, there are three people you must be most careful of at the Academy."
From my perspective having read the novel, I can guess before even hearing it.
The national rule and obvious lineup of romance fantasy.
The Crown Prince, the Duke's heir, and the genius mage, right.
Celly unfolded one finger and gave a warning.
"The first is the current Crown Prince of the Empire, Sir **Edwin van Valencia**. There's nothing good about catching his eye, so it's better not to get involved."
The main male lead of the original novel
The Magic Flower Language of the Academy
.The guy who should have his first romantic fling with the heroine Yuna in the ghost disturbance episode.
"Of course, since the Estal Duke family is backing you up, Mr. Rihan, even the Crown Prince probably won't be able to touch you easily though."
Certainly, Duke Cassian's prestige is at a level even the Imperial Family cannot treat carelessly.
He will cut off any harm coming to me on his own.
Having one good backing is truly reassuring.
"The second is **Damian von Beltor**. If the Estal family is the Duke family responsible for the north of the Empire, Beltor is the Duke family dominating the exact opposite, the south."
This one is the second male lead, and a typical obsessive guy tinged with madness.
A family with crazy overflowing money because they tightly hold the southern trade routes, right?
"He has a lot of money, but there's a rumor that his personality is a bit...... like a sociopath. If he doesn't like someone, he forces them to drop out first?"
"That guy, is unimpressive. The way he smirks like a snake is very unpleasant."
Yveline, who was listening from the side, clicked her tongue.
In the early part of the original work, he was trash to the point where even Yveline shook her head.
Although they say he turns over a new leaf later thanks to Yuna.
None of my business.
Because not wanting to get involved is all the same.
"Lastly, it is **Silas von Crowell** belonging to the Magic Tower."
The third male lead.
Prickly but has a setting of having an innate talent for magic.
"A genius cherished like gold and jade in the Magic Tower. If you touch him wrong, the entire Magic Tower might mobilize."
As expected of romance fantasy male leads, their backgrounds are uniformly flashy.
[Hoo, Rihan. I am a little curious about the one named Crowell. I want to see if he can take pride in being a genius even in front of my eyes.]
*'He probably won't be much of a big deal yet. Since he is just at the stage of sprouting.'*
Well, it will be exactly as described in the novel.
Actually, the real problem is Yveline sitting next to me.
In the original work, Yveline had a setting of having an unrequited love for Crown Prince Edwin.
But now?
What if she falls for the Crown Prince again when she meets him again at the Academy?
Fuck, I absolutely cannot see that sight.
Even if dirt gets in my eyes, I decline NTR.
With an anxious heart, I checked Yveline's reaction and asked slyly.
"Yveline, what do you think of those three? You must have seen them often since you were young, right."
Yveline opened her eyes wide as if my question was unexpected.
And soon answered with a disgusted expression.
"All three are unappetizing. If they just open their mouths they say unlucky things, and they think they are the center of the world."
Um, at this level, I don't have to worry, right?
I can believe that Yveline has now completely derailed from the trajectory of the original work, right?
***
While running for a long time.
Yveline stared intently at me and opened her mouth.
"Rihan. Don't play any weird tricks when we go. Don't turn your eyes to the students. We came strictly in the capacity of mages and researchers. Got it?"
No, since when were you so thoroughly filled with a sense of public responsibility.
And I don't know what you take me for.
I am a terribly pure-hearted guy who goes all-in only on that person once I give my heart.
"I'm not that kind of weird person."
"Yeah. It's a promise."
There is a strange weight in the voice drawing out the pledge.
It was then.
"There it is! Asterion Academy!"
Turning my gaze at Celly's shout, the scenery I only saw in the novel unfolded into reality.
"Wow......."
It's more ignorantly huge than I thought.
Antique buildings line up endlessly.
And above it, a transparent dome-shaped magic barrier was covering the sky.
Certainly, the sense of overwhelmingness is different from reading it in text.
They must have spent quite some money?
[Hoo, quite something! In my era, there was no such bustling place of learning. It seems the level of the Empire is slightly better than my expectation.]
***
Getting off the carriage, we unpacked.
"The accommodation is quite nice?"
"Of course. I can't book a cheap-looking place for a position serving Mr. Rihan. Especially in a situation where even Lady Yveline is present, my neck might fly off if I do it wrong?"
Celly chattered.
As expected, money is the best.
It's a luxury unimaginable during my poor graduate student days in my past life.
To think it's a top-class suite enjoyed on the Duke family's budget.
"Where are you staying, Ms. Celly."
"Ah, I have a separate building for the Imperial Strategic Magic Branch in this city. I think I'll stay there."
As soon as Celly's answer ended, Yveline intervened.
"Then are just me and Rihan, the two of us, staying here?"
At Yveline's seemingly expectant question, tactless Celly smiled brightly.
"I booked two rooms! Because I thought it might be uncomfortable if you stay together."
"......Celly, I really don't like you."
"Yes? Ah, then shall we combine them into one again?"
"No, it's fine. We'll just use them separately."
I hastily cut off her words.
Yveline pouts her lips and makes a mean expression.
Actually, I did hesitate for a very brief moment.
But considering Eleanor's presence or my knowledge, maintaining an appropriate distance is essential.
It's a pity, but nothing can be done for now.
"We can just come over to play sometimes. Isn't it nice feeling like a student?"
"......Then I'll go over every morning and evening. Got it?"
As expected, Yveline's stepping method is different from the start.
Having barely struck a bargain with Yveline, we scattered to our respective rooms and changed into the prepared school uniforms.
****
Coming out to the front gate of the accommodation a moment later, I ran into Yveline.
A white blouse and a black skirt.
It's a flashy school uniform with gold thread embroidery unique to romance fantasy academies.
"......How is it? It's not weird?"
Seeing her fiddling with the hem of her skirt, I was speechless for a moment.
"......."
Really freaking pretty.
At the level of just popping out of an illustration.
"It suits you incredibly well? You could be a school uniform model."
"......Really? If you say so to that extent, I guess it's not bad."
Yveline jerked her head away.
The tips of her ears flushing red are quite cute.
Looking at her lately, she is just unmistakably a pure romance comic heroine.
Celly handed us a student ID each.
"You can just take this and go! Don't worry too much since I've already pulled strings so you passed the written exam."
This person.
She is amazingly competent at handling work, so it's really comfortable.
"The assigned professor will be waiting at the main gate. I will investigate the barrier around the school, so please scan the internal rumors a bit, you two."
Parting ways with Celly, we headed to the school gate.
Walking with Yveline smiling brightly next to me.
It feels like going on a school uniform date I couldn't do in my past life.
I feel like I got a bit younger, and my heart flutters strangely.
Now I somewhat know why everyone goes to Lotte World wearing school uniforms.
It was then.
[Rihan.]
Suddenly Eleanor wriggles inside my sleeve.
*'What is it? Did you find a ghost already?'*
[I can feel my Spirit Vessel. Right here, inside the Academy.]
"......Yes?"
My footsteps stopped abruptly.
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