novelzi Chapter 194: Bad Luck (1)
Chapter 194: Bad Luck (1)
Some people might wonder if I wasn’t trying to hide my identity. Or that I easily admitted it with such evidence.
Honestly, I originally intended to persist until the end. I was tired of the situation getting complicated for no reason. But it seemed that Cherry’s mental state was more serious than I thought, so I had no choice but to reveal it discreetly, considering it as saving one person. It wasn’t an empty statement,if I had pretended not to know back then, she might have been discovered in our dorm as a lifeless body.
If that had happened, I would have carried guilt for the rest of my life. Trauma from my past life of losing parents in a single day was already enough.
‘I should gradually tell others about it.’
After the counseling that was not counseling with Cherry ended, my daily routine remained the same.
After having a simple meal with acquaintances, I would go on a date with Marie or Cecily. After the date, depending on our circumstances, we would either return to our respective rooms or head to an inn. The lessons that followed the next day and the day after that continued just like the first day. This was true for the second year as well.
The repeating classes could have become slightly boring, but I was too busy to even notice. Instead, there were faces I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Isaac? Are you really Isaac?”
With dark brown hair, eyes, a sharp jawline, and overall a sharp and cold image, he was a cool handsome man.
I met Edin Mavi Signer, the eldest son of Count Signer, whom I had a connection with during the freshman event.
Naturally, we could only meet briefly after all the classes were over. Elena didn’t say anything, knowing that today’s classes had come to an end.
“Although I’m a bit different from the welcome party, it’s still Isaac.”
“Yeah. You’ve changed a lot from back then. I’ve seen someone with red hair occasionally, but I never thought it was you.”
As I shrugged in response, Edin looked me up and down in amazement. Back during the freshman event, I was barely over 170 cm tall, but now I had easily surpassed 180 cm. My physique had developed nicely, and after consistent exercise, my muscles had become firm.
Unlike a year ago when I was extremely frail, my father’s genes had manifested themselves rather late, which contributed to the change. Edin had grown taller and his shoulders had broadened slightly in the past year, but he hadn’t undergone as dramatic a transformation as I had.
“What’s with the hair? It’s gotten really long since I last saw you. Were you always a fast grower?”
“Yeah, something like that. Anyway, nothing major happened to you?”
“Well, not really. But you’re already performing your duties as an assistant?”
“The professor is giving me the opportunity. Have you been reading books lately?”
“Of course.”
Edin and I could engage in various conversations. We both knew that we were avid readers, so our conversations never ran dry. Occasionally, people who seemed to be Edin’s friends would approach, but as soon as they realized the topic was related to books, they quickly moved away.
“What’s your sister up to these days? Is she still performing her assistant duties?”
“No, she went to take the Navy Knight Order entrance test. It’s about time for her to come back...”
Nicole said it would take about a month, so she should be back soon. She’ll probably come back wearing the Navy Knights uniform that they provide. I’m really curious about the Navy Knights’ uniforms, I heard they’re supposed to be quite stylish. Maybe she’ll visit the mansion first to see our parents before coming to the academy.
“Navy Knights... Speaking of which, didn’t your brother also join the Navy Knights?”
“Yeah, he did. I don’t have the talent for it, though.”
“From what I can see, it doesn’t seem like you’re completely untalented. With a physique like yours, you could certainly have potential with a bit of exercise.”
“Enough about that. I’m just exercising, that’s all.”
In reality, I had been intensifying my physical training lately. It was not just for Marie but also for Cecily, it was more of a necessity than a choice. Moreover, since I couldn’t receive divine power from Mora, I had no choice but to rely on my physical strength. I planned to increase my basic stamina as it seemed like I was depending too much on Luminous for divine power. I just had to hold out until then, and I planned to receive plenty of divine power this weekend.
“You make a good point. By the way, there have been rumors that you’re dating Lady Marie. Is that true?”
“It is true, but did that rumor really spread to the department of martial arts? too?”
“Well, she’s the heir to the only duke in the Minerva Empire, so I guess it’s not surprising. But it turned out it’s true.”
Eddie looked at me with an amazed expression, then nodded to himself as if he understood.
“I guess with your looks, it’s not impossible.”
“Don’t only talk about others. How about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“I don’t have the luxury for that. How about you? I’m a little curious about how you started dating.”
“Well...”
Instead of answering immediately, I glanced around. A few people seemed to be pretending not to listen but were actually eavesdropping as the story of Minerva Empire’s only Duke heir and a common baron’s son unfolded. It seemed that the difference in our social status made it an interesting topic even for those who didn’t want to hear about it.
“We just got together because we liked each other. I can’t explain it any other way.”
“Oh, I see...”
“I’ll stop here. I don’t want to complicate things for no reason. Can you tell me your story, or do you have any interesting rumors from the department of martial arts?”
When I cut off the conversation abruptly, Edin looked disappointed for a moment but then brought up a topic that piqued my interest.
“Oh, by the way, have you heard about this? A transfer student has come from the Ters Kingdom’s academy. But the interesting part is that this transfer student is a member of the royal family.”
“What? What are you talking about... Oh.”
Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing about it. It was when I had revealed Michelle territory as Xenon’s birthplace after the exhibition. There was a rumor that, upon hearing this, the Ters Kingdom had decided to send one of the royal family members to Halo Academy in response.
The king of Ters, Friedrich, was widely known as a great romanticist, but looking at Adelia, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In many ways, Hiriya has a lot of sharp edges. If we only consider this, then Leort and Rina, who only pressure others, might seem like the reasonable ones. In reality, the two siblings were a bit hasty, but they were quite decent people even now, maintaining a friendly relationship between themselves.
‘Someday, I should definitely write in the book.’
The story of an abandoned royal family’s illegitimate child seeking revenge and overthrowing the kingdom was really great. Really excellent.
However, I planned to write it in my next work rather than including it in Xenon’s Biography. Not the one about World War II but the sequel to Xenon’s Biography.
The problem is that I’ve been so busy lately that I had to force even my writing time into small bits of free time. As a result, I planned to send the new book to the publisher at the earliest a week from now.
‘I never expected to be this busy.’
Who would have thought that there would be 150 literary freshmen? During this vacation, I didn’t even have time to work on Xenon’s Biography because I was having a good time with Cecily in Helium.
Moreover, Elena has been asking for my help more frequently lately for her research. This is probably because she suspects me of being Xenon.
‘I need to meet Leona too... I’m busy, very busy.’
I learned a lot about the beastmen during the vacation from my father. To be more specific, I referred to the beastmen’s combat techniques.
Leona knows much more about the beastmens way of life, so she was playing the role of the only advisor. I planned to ask her for help again next time, probably using food as a condition.
‘By the way, I wonder what kind of reaction the beastmen will show.’
I thought about Animers, the beastmen’s nation that didn’t react even though Xenon’s Biography went up to volume 14. Even Alvenheim showed a reaction, but Animers remained silent.
I’m confident that there will be a reaction in the next volume, whether it’s because Xenon’s Biography is uninteresting from the beastmen’s perspective or because there’s some internal issue. Especially since I’m briefly revealing the beastmen’s strengths and weaknesses and ending with “Satan” challenging the tribal chief to a duel. And that tribal chief’s head goes flying.
Prick
“Hm?”
As I contemplated each step, heading towards Adelia’s lodging, I suddenly felt a tingling sensation on the back of my head. It was as if someone was staring at me.
I turned around, but there was no suspicious corner to be found. Only pedestrians on the street. If my head was tingling like that, it meant someone was sending a strong gaze my way. I involuntarily tilted my head.
‘...Is it my imagination?’
It must be. I continued confidently towards Adelia’s lodging. Even as I walked, I occasionally felt a prickling sensation on the back of my head, but I ignored it. Every time I looked back, there was nothing to suspect.
Eventually, I arrived at the lodging reserved for the escort knights. Just to be sure, I looked back once more and confirmed that no one was there.
Knock knock knock
I lightly tapped on the door to Adelia’s lodging and waited quietly. I could have pressed the summoning gem, but this was more courteous.
Soon, the door opened, and Adelia appeared. I was about to greet her warmly, but when I saw her attire, I had to stiffen my body.
Usually, Adelia rarely wore outfits that revealed her figure, but right now...
The top was a workout tank-top, revealing a well-defined abdomen without reservation. Not just an ordinary six-pack but the kind of abs that could only be achieved through extreme training.
In addition, her slightly protruding lower belly, a slender waistline, and the pelvis that followed below exuded a refreshing charm as a woman.
Lastly, her lower body. Even though I knew she looked great in leather pants, now, with her shorts, her strong thighs were prominently displayed.
Even the sweat caused her scent to permeate the air, and my heart raced a little.
“Cutie?”
“...”
When I was absentmindedly examining her body, Adelia called me again. I hurriedly snapped out of it and turned my head.
No matter what, it was a bit surprising to see her like this. If it were Marie or Cecily, I would have just chuckled a bit, but Adelia was different.
“Um... noona? Were you working out?”
“Yeah. So what?”
“Uhm... your clothes...”
“...Huh?”
As I cleared my throat and spoke, Adelia blinked her sky-blue eyes and then glanced downward. Subsequently, she realized her attire and her face turned rapidly redder.
“S-Sorry!”
Bang!
Adelia forcefully closed the door to the extent that the wind blew. I waited with a wry smile.
[You’re crazy! Absolutely insane! Get a grip on yourself!]
I pretended not to hear Adelia’s scream mixed with her cries coming from behind the door.
‘Even so...’
Seeing Adelia in different clothes made me feel a bit different.
Translators note: