6. Do You Think I'd Care About That?
6. Do You Think I'd Care About That?
There were more than just a couple of things I needed to point out.
First and foremost. Just how the hell did she know I was the Hero in the first place?
And what was up with those cringe-inducing, bullshit titles?
What was she even talking about?
I thought about lying, saying that I wasn't any Hero and had no idea what she was talking about.
"......."
Just look at those unwavering eyes of the principal.
Those were eyes 100% convinced that I was the Hero.
"...For now, why don't you stand up?"
"...No. How could I dare look up at Hero-nim? Even His Imperial Majesty on the throne would bow his head before the benefactor who severed the head of the Demon King threatening the continent and saved the world, so how dare a mere principal like me...."
"No, even so, you're the principal, so please stand up."
"It is quite alright. This posture is comforta—"
"I said get up."
Only after I lowered my voice and spat out those words at the limit of my patience did the principal quietly rise to her feet.
Her face, which had seemed somewhat sharp when I saw her in the main auditorium, was now slightly drenched with running cold sweat.
Man, when I first saw her, I thought she looked cool like a chic career woman.
Give me back my good impression.
"Haa...."
Looks like my cover is completely blown.
And even if I try to deny it now, it's not like she'd believe me anyway.
Holding my throbbing forehead, I crossed my legs and plopped down onto the reception room sofa.
Annoyance was annoyance, but I had to ask what needed to be asked.
Just who on earth told her that I was the Hero?
"Where did you hear that? Was it the Saintess, or someone else?"
"There was an oracle delivered through the Saintess. It said that the Hero who once saved the world would be enrolling in Eldain Academy, and that we must treat him with the utmost respect."
'Fuck....'
Should I say I knew it?
Or should I say as expected?
I thought it was strange from the moment the principal, whom I'd never even met, said she was looking for me, but it turns out she set everything up behind the scenes before I even arrived.
"⋯⋯."
'I had a hunch ever since that Saintess Special Admission bullshit, but still⋯.'
"⋯Principal-nim."
"Yes."
"That⋯ drop the title of Hero. It'll give me a headache if anyone overhears, so you can just comfortably call me Student Kang Han. It looks weird anyway, so speak comfortably and just treat me like an ordinary student."
"Even so, you are Hero-nim who saved the world. How could I dare...."
"Tsk. Don't make me say it twice. Just do as you're told."
"Understood, Student Kang Han...-nim."
It was an awkward mix of formal and informal address, but since I was tired, I decided to let it slide for now.
To be honest, it was a flustering situation.
Yet maybe this worked out for the better.
"Since Principal-nim knows my identity, it actually makes things easier to communicate. Do you know why I came to this academy?"
"From what I heard... it was for the weary Hero-nim to experience the romance of youth, fresh love, and passionate memories of school days...."
"Excuse me?"
Kkadeudeuk.
As I absentmindedly gripped the sofa armrest, the handle made of solid obsidian shattered into pieces like cookie crumbs with a ppasasak.
"......!"
The principal seemed startled by the sight, unconsciously taking a step backward.
It was my mistake for failing to control my physical strength, but I couldn't suppress the rage surging inside me.
'Romance of youth? Fresh love? To the bitter end, she⋯.'
⋯Let's be calm. Take a deep breath and settle the rage.
"Principal-nim. Let me be blunt. I don't give a single fuck about any of that."
"...Pardon?"
"There is only one thing I want. Safe graduation."
"Safe graduation?"
"Yes. In three years, no matter what, I'm taking nothing but a diploma and getting out of this damn... no, excuse me. I got carried away. This magnificent academy."
"......."
"If a situation leaves me no choice, I will have to use my power. But if possible, I don't want to stand out, I don't want to get caught up in factional strife, and I don't want to play at romance."
I wasn't saying I'd play the loser hiding his true strength.
People picking fights or unavoidable situations were bound to come whether I wanted them to or not.
In those cases, I would naturally have to use my power.
I had no intention of enduring it, nor was I patient enough for that.
It was simply that I wouldn't use it if I could avoid it.
"...⋯."
At my words brimming with firm resolve, the principal was looking at me as if she couldn't understand at all.
"However, according to what I was told, Hero-nim was supposed to mingle with the top talents, achieving true growth through various trials and bonds among them...."
Ah. Is that so? What a wonderful purpose.
She meant I should endure some modest trials alongside elite talents, and enjoy an academy life laughing and giggling with beauties. Sounds great.
Except what can you do?
I said I have zero interest in that, didn't I?
I firmly believed she would send me back home, but suddenly I got tossed here and told to live out school life!
"If the Goddess tells me to jump, do I have to ask how high? She can eat shit."
"Eat shit, you say... Even so, the Hero⋯."
Why? Not something a Hero should say?
What does it matter? It's fine as long as I fulfilled my duty. Now she's even trying to correct my tone of speech.
And didn't I tell her to stop using the word Hero?
"⋯⋯."
"⋯No, rather, Student Kang Han⋯-nim. Even if you are the Hero, such an attitude toward the Goddess is⋯."
What, why? What of it?
As I stared at the principal, Irina, with a sullen expression,
she let out a small sigh and slowly continued speaking.
"I am fine with it. However, as Student Kang Han⋯-nim is aware, there are many believers in the academy who worship Goddess Serenoa, one of the three major principal religions. And if you show such a demeanor before them, pardon my presumption, but trouble may arise for you."
"Something of that level is⋯."
"Yes. It would be fine for you, surely. However, I am saying there is no harm in being cautious. Besides that, we also do not know how the religious order might act."
Ah.
I wondered what she was getting at, so that was it.
To put it simply, it meant this:
She herself, having no connection to religion, didn't mind.
However, the fact that an oracle was conveyed through the Saintess all the way to her, the academy's principal,
must mean that whether the Saintess wanted it or not, the oracle would inevitably spread by word of mouth within the religious order.
And.
'⋯The oracle delivered by that damn Goddess could potentially be distorted and spread, is what she's getting at.'
So she was telling me to be careful.
Among those who believe in God, there may be devout individuals, but there also exist those filled with madness.
Because with bastards like that, nobody knows what kind of shit they might pull.
Even if it ends up going against the will of God.
"Principal-nim."
"...Yes."
"You see, I beat down even that terrifying Demon King."
"Frankly speaking, do you think I'd care about something like that?"
"That is...."
When you think about it, it's true.
The entire world was trembling in fear, unable to defeat a single Demon King.
Doesn't killing such a Demon King mean that no armed group could easily stop me alone?
Do I really need to give a damn... about trivial things like that?
At the terrifying words flowing calmly from my mouth, the principal's face turned as pale as a sheet of white paper.
Right now, the principal might be imagining inside her head that I could flip out and commit a mass slaughter.
"Well, I'm not saying I'll slaughter people or stain the streets with blood or anything."
"What I'm saying is, just cover for me adequately on your end, Principal-nim, so I can graduate safely."
"⋯⋯."
I dusted off the powder of the shattered sofa armrest with a tak tak and smirked.
"If I happen to cause an accident, you just need to clean up moderately behind me. You can do that, right?"
...Kkudeok kkudeok.
The academy.
To the point of overshadowing her past as someone who must have been an outstanding mage to rise to the position of academy principal, she gulped dry saliva and nodded her head. No, she probably had no choice but to nod.
Just what on earth was she imagining behind that pale face?
Was she afraid because I was completely different from the Hero she had envisioned?
'Isn't she thinking there's something seriously defective about calling me a Hero?'
Even so, what could I do?
Whether I wanted to be or not, I was that Hero.
I saved the world, didn't I?
They said I saved all of humanity, so surely this much shouldn't be a problem.
"...I shall keep that in mind. I will strive to ensure that Hero⋯ Student Kang Han-nim may lead a peaceful life."
As expected of a smart person, I knew she'd be easy to talk to.
Even if I spoke vaguely, she understood it perfectly.
"Great. I'll trust in Principal-nim. Ah, and please say that I wasn't the one who broke the sofa."
"That was... originally a cheap item whose time had come to rot and crumble, so please do not pay it any mind."
Anyone could see it was clearly brand new, but the principal lied without even a twitch in her expression.
It was such an excellent worldly tactic that I personally wanted to learn from it.
You really can't ignore the vibe born from years of experience.
I stood up from my seat with a much lighter heart.
At the very least, I had secured a shield that could cover for me even if I caused trouble within the academy, so while this might not be sufficient compensation for what the Goddess did, it would do.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
"Are you leaving already? If there is any inconvenience or anything you desire, please at any time...."
"There is nothing. Honestly, I hope you won't have any reason to call for me in the future either."
As those words with her came to an end, just as I turned around and grabbed the doorknob,
"O Hero-isiyeo, safe travels. I, Irina, shall pray for Hero-nim's pleasant academy life."
No, seriously, I told her to stop calling me Hero.
'Haaa.'
"...Whatever you say."
Kkirik.
As I opened the principal's office door and stepped into the hallway, I heard the sound of the soundproofing barrier deactivating as the door closed.
Warm morning sunlight was shining through the hallway window.
"...By the way, where was the dormitory again?"
*
"...This is a dormitory?"
Teodeol-teodeol.
After asking for directions from students and guards wandering around the academy and somehow arriving in front of Elysium Dormitory, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
Because even though I was seeing it with my own two eyes, no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't believe it.
Because what stood before my eyes right now was less of a dormitory and more of a massive marble mansion that would be believable if called an imperial detached palace.
A crest gorgeously decorated in gold leaf was embedded in the main gate, and fountains on both sides of the entrance were pointlessly spouting water.
"Seriously ridiculous."
I'd never seen such a luxurious structure even in the Demon King's Castle.
Then again. Those bastards were guys who only took pleasure in slaughtering people.
So it was only natural, considering they had no idea about the fun of decorating anything.
Clicking my tongue as I stepped inside, not falling short of the exterior's splendor,
the lobby was laid with red carpet from the floor up, and chandeliers shone dazzlingly.
"......."
There's a limit to how extravagant something should be.
When it's this extravagant, it makes me feel uncomfortable rather than amazed.
'Second floor, Room 201 on the second floor.'
Casually heading up the stairs, I stood in front of Room 201 located at the end of the hallway.
'They said to tap the student ID against the handle, right?'
Chalkak.
When I brought the student ID against the magic circle near the doorknob, the door unlocked with a chalkak sound and opened.
Kkiiik.
"Oh."
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, an exclamation of admiration burst out of me without realizing it.
The interior was even more spacious and pleasant than what it looked like from the outside.
Not to mention a private bathroom, there were two bedrooms flanking the living room on either side, and even a kitchen.
What pleased me most was the panoramic view of the academy visible outside the window.
I thought it would be perfect to attend classes moderately, come back, and have a drink while looking at the scenery.
"No, maybe not, since I'll have a roommate."
Because there was no way they'd give two whole bedrooms just for guest use.
No matter who looked at it, this was clearly a double room.
'A double occupancy room, huh.'
While satisfied with the spacious room size, a small complaint was unavoidable.
If they were going to place me in the lodging used by the academy's top talents anyway, they could have at least let me have a room to myself.
Is this their way of telling me to spend a fulfilling school life with a roommate just because this is a rom-com game?
"...Whatever."
Who cares who I share a room with.
As long as my roommate wasn't some sleazy delinquent or royalty, we could just mind our own business and live our lives as long as boundaries weren't crossed.
"Let's wash up first and lie down."
I broke out in a heavy cold sweat back in the main auditorium earlier, too.
And after running like mad to avoid that brat Lucia, my uniform shirt was soaked in sweat and felt utterly gross.
Standing in the middle of the living room, I roughly unbuttoned my tight and uncomfortable uniform top as if tearing it open.
Tuk, tuduk.
When I stripped off the shirt and tossed it casually onto the sofa, my body, hardened by three years of rough struggles, was revealed.
"Ah, now I can finally breathe."
Feeling as though my body had become much lighter now that I was freed from sweat-drenched clothes, I tilted my neck from side to side to loosen up my stiff muscles.
Even to my own eyes, my upper body reflected in the mirror looked far removed from a fresh protagonist of a rom-com academy story. If anything, I looked more like the protagonist of a dark fantasy.
The claw mark of an enormous beast slashing across my chest.
A vivid red burn scar distinctly remaining on my flank.
Besides those, terrible medals earned from crossing through all sorts of life-and-death boundaries were densely engraved over my lean muscles.
"......."
The sight of an upper body full of scars that I could never show in front of others, nor would I ever have reason to show.
Someone might say it like this:
That these were glorious wounds earned while fighting to protect this world.
'Bullshit.'
World or whatever, I never gave a damn about that from the very beginning.
Because in the first place, I didn't have a shred of affection for this damn world I was dragged into out of nowhere.
I merely struggled just to survive, because I couldn't die.
"......."
Looking in the mirror, it was inevitable that a bitter feeling would arise.
My eyes were looking at my altered physical body. But what I was looking at beyond the mirror,
was not this tattered body, but my soul that had become twisted somewhere along the way ever since coming to this world.
If I ever return to my original world,
would I really be able to treat my family the way I used to through this altered perspective?
"......."
Nobody knows.
Not God. Maybe not even myself.
"...Let's wash up."
I tried to brush aside the thoughts cluttering my head.
Because that wasn't what mattered right now.
"Before my roommate comes, a shower first...."
Vigorously shaking my head to erase the lingering thoughts,
I was just about to move my feet to find where the bathroom was.
Chalkak!
"...Huh?"
Along with the sound of the door unlocking behind my back, the sound of the closed front door opening again echoed.
Is it the roommate?
Right as I casually turned my head toward the entrance while half-naked,
a familiar scent of flowers was tickling the tip of my nose at the same time someone entered the room.
"A-Ah, hello! I-I'm the one who'll be sharing a room with you this... ti...."
And standing right there,
dragging a large luggage carrier the size of her own body while panting heavily—the owner of that floral scent,
Ciel was standing there with her eyes wide and round.