episode_0016

It’s none of my business.

I had quietly vowed to graduate from the academy.

Without getting involved in troublesome relationships, just quietly.

As long as I do what I have to do well.

“….”

But why is it like this?

Swinging the wooden sword alone in the training ground, I kept missing the track due to unnecessary tension.

“…Sigh.”

Why is this happening?

Could it be that the conversation from earlier is bothering me?

Although I may be meddlesome, I am not someone overflowing with a sense of justice to intervene in matters unrelated to me.

Even though I have a slight curiosity about her, I’m not going to go out of my way to help her.

Yet, why is it like this?

-Huung!

Once again, the wooden sword veers off course from where I intended.

“…Haah.”

Perhaps it’s because I feel uncomfortable about turning a blind eye to potential school violence conspiracies.

Human conscience can be quite inconvenient.

“…This won’t do.”

I don’t have any particular interest in her.

If I continue like this, emotions like impurities might affect my swordsmanship.

Yes. All of this is because of sword training.

I gently set down the wooden sword.

“I shouldn’t be late if I leave now.”

And with quick steps, I headed towards the backyard of the adjacent building.

Reminding myself that it’s to rid myself of uncomfortable feelings.

.

.

.

It was strange.

I came outside and approached the neighboring building closely, but I didn’t sense any presence.

This area is already deserted, with no people around, which made me wonder.

“Was it just the boys’ boasting?”

Teenagers in their early teens often make up stories or boast unnecessarily.

It was entirely possible.

Feeling somewhat relieved, I continued walking towards the backyard just in case.

“Huh?”

“…?”

My eyes met with someone standing inside the backyard.

Eyes tinted with purple hues. Sharpness accentuated by the fading shadows.

Hair cascading down to the shoulders in navy blue.

It was Hedy.

There were no other boys around, so why was she alone in the backyard?

As soon as the question crossed my mind, I lowered my gaze.

And froze in place.

…It was my mistake. Hedy wasn’t alone.

A male student was being held by the collar, looking beaten up, while lying unconscious on the ground were other male students who seemed to have been thoroughly thrashed.

Hedy stood at the center, nonchalant as ever.

As if it were an everyday occurrence.

“What’s this? Was there another fight?”

Gradually, Hedy approached me.

Dragging the boy by the collar.

With a rough gaze contrasting her cute appearance, she stared at me as if ready to kill.

Clearly a defensive posture to anyone.

It seemed like there was a significant misunderstanding.

I gestured urgently with one hand as if to stop her, replying. It was to avoid a confrontation.

“Just a moment. I was just passing by.”

“You’re lying. You came out for a stroll in this deserted backyard?”

In an instant, when Hedy flung the boy to the ground, he groaned in pain.

The situation was on the brink of escalating into a fight.

Desperately, I tried to explain.

‘…!’

-Clang!

Closing the gap in an instant, I deflected Hedy’s swift kick reflexively.

It was close. If I had been a bit slower, it would have hit my jaw, possibly causing me to black out.

“…Blocked?”

“No, wait….”

As I was about to speak, Hedy retracted her leg from the missed punch and swiftly threw a punch again.

“Ugh!”

I momentarily leaned my upper body backward to dodge her fist, taking a step back to create distance.

And to correct the misunderstanding, I opened my mouth again.

Or rather, I tried to.

Until she spun back after her missed punch.

-Swish!

Hedy closed the distance with a spin and swiftly aimed a hook at me.

I had a gut feeling. I couldn’t avoid this situation any longer.

At least until someone burst, Hedy seemed unwilling to end this fight.

“It can’t be helped…!”

It was do or die.

I summoned my mana.

Circulating the mana to strengthen my body, I dodged her fist, then swiftly stuck close behind her in the blink of an eye.

As I vanished in an instant, she was taken aback.

Of course. Using mana in movement would have been unexpected. We were just first-year students after all.

Except for a few who were called geniuses, they probably wouldn’t have thought that about delinquents. Of course, I wasn’t a delinquent.

She tried to turn back again, but it was too late.

I created a blade with my hand, aiming to knock her out, and swiftly swung it towards the back of her neck.

“Let’s talk once you regain consciousness!”

– Whoosh!

That was when it happened.

– Thwack!

“…?!”

I was startled.

An astonishing sense of combat.

She wedged her fingers between the blade and minimized the damage by blocking it.

I stared at her in disbelief.

“This can’t be right. Does she possess such abilities without being a heroine-level character?”

It was unbelievable. Was she really just an extra in the story?

If so, why did she have such talent? Is there a hidden heroine that I don’t know about?

While pondering this, Hedy turned back and prepared to attack again.

So, I urgently said, “Wait…!”

“…!”

She flinched and stood still.

Finally, a moment to make her listen to me had arrived.

“Just listen to me! You’re misunderstanding. I have nothing to do with those guys over there!”

“Lies.”

“It’s true! If it was a lie, why didn’t I attack more when you blocked my blade earlier?”

“….”

After listening, she slightly glanced sideways and tilted her head.

Then she asked, “…Really?”

“I’ve been saying it since earlier. It’s true. We have no reason to fight, right?”

“….”

She hesitated for a few seconds.

Then she asked again, “Then why are you here?”

…Yeah. Why am I really here?

If I had known this would happen, I would have just minded my own business and swung my sword around.

I despised my past self who had vowed to come.

“…I was just passing by. As a new student, I came here to look around and see what’s here.”

“Hmm….”

She scrutinized me,

And perhaps realizing that I truly had no intention of fighting, she relaxed her stance.

Then she said, “Don’t wander around places like this in the future. There are no watchful eyes here, so dangerous things happen frequently.”

With those words as her final remark, she walked briskly towards the lecture hall direction without a word of apology.

Alone, watching her walk away, I stood there dumbfounded until she disappeared.

“….”

I turned my head as if entranced and looked back at the scene in the backyard.

Male students lying unconscious, bloodied.

All thanks to that girl named Hedy.

…What kind of life has she lived? Even her reactions seemed accustomed to such events until a while ago.

“Sigh… Anyway, I almost witnessed bloodshed for no reason.”

I turned my gaze back to the male students.

Calming my previously shocked heart, I headed back to the training ground.

“…I should get rid of this meddling.”

*

Two days passed since then, and it was the weekend.

Realizing that unnecessary meddling might not be needed, I spent two days.

I was struggling with severe financial difficulties.

“Pablo talks about family discipline and support, but he hasn’t provided any money for me to use on my own needs lately.”

Value the importance of money or something… Sara gives me pocket money, but it seems like it’s only me.

Does she still think I’m a wastrel who spends money recklessly on alcohol?

“I can’t go on like this. I’m running out of money for tuition.”

Tuition at Ariel Academy is unbelievably expensive.

As it’s a school attended by high-ranking nobles, they don’t consider the price but focus solely on the quality and taste of the food.

Thanks to that, after classes and training, I had to go down to the village to buy cheap oat bread or sandwiches.

“Should I join an adventurer group?”

Building muscle through strength training requires various nutrients.

So, I had to eat well. Tuition is essential.

Since I can’t earn enough working part-time to afford meals three times a day…

“I’ve made up my mind.”

Indeed, joining an adventurer group is the answer.

I put on the iron longsword and armor I used at home and headed out.

Then, I made my way to the adventurer group in the village.

It took me two hours to get to the village.

“It’s really exhausting…!”

In the past, I would have fainted on the way.

Despite losing a lot of weight and being at a normal weight, this is tough….

Currently, I feel like I’m around 170cm tall and weigh about 70kg.

Since I’m still growing, I might get taller.

“It’s so hot in the summer….”

Although there are romantic Western-style buildings in the wealthy Liana Empire village, none caught my eye.

I wanted to escape the scorching sun and head to the adventurer group.

The adventurer group I arrived at.

Inside, there was a saloon-like swinging door made of wood that reminded me of the Old West.

I opened the door and walked in.

And that was the moment.

-Bang!

As soon as I entered, I heard the sound of something breaking.

Startled, I turned my head towards the direction of the noise.

“Is there a fight going on…?”

A muscular man lay sprawled under the table, looking defeated.

“Hahaha! You idiot! Is this all you got after making such a fuss?!”

A man sitting across from him mocked the fallen man.

His face was flushed red as if he had been drinking in broad daylight.

Other men who seemed to be adventurers at nearby tables chuckled as they watched the scene.

“I almost forgot.”

Living only among the affluent aristocracy and within the academy, I had forgotten what kind of world this was.

A world where swordsmanship and magic are everything.

Even though it’s an adventurer group under the wealthy Liana Empire, it’s a gathering of adventurers.

Barbarian adventurers from various countries lack formality and manners.

The smell inside the adventurer group was filled with male hormones, sweat, and musty mildew.

Truly a slum in itself.

…I strangely liked it.

The reason I enjoyed playing Ariel Games was because of this raw charm.

The female employee at the counter seemed resigned, simply enjoying the chaos.

I approached her and handed over a small amount of copper.

“I’ve come to register as an adventurer.”

“Oh, a new adventurer! Please wait a moment amidst the chaos.”

Despite the commotion, the female employee calmly processed the registration.

She was a dedicated employee. As she rummaged through documents in a drawer and scribbled something down,

Suddenly, a woman in her mid-twenties, appearing to be of Elven descent, approached me and spoke out of the blue.

She was quite captivating.

“…Hmm, hey there. Haven’t seen your face before. Are you here for new registration?”

With her fair and sensual thighs and exposed navel, wearing a mesh dress that barely covered the center of her chest.

Given her provocative attire, the current situation seemed just right.

The adventurers who aim to turn their lives around by targeting the seemingly affluent little ones… They were adventurers frequently seen in stories.

The armor I am currently wearing is armor made by Brace Workshop’s exclusive blacksmith.

It is a high-quality armor that doesn’t look cheap at all, with various magical protection enchantments.

The sword is also a high-grade emergency longsword made from the finest Amandatium ore. If you can’t recognize it as an adventurer, then you’re just foolish.

I greeted the approaching young adventurer with a smile without any hostility.

“Yes. I am here to register as a new member.”

It won’t be good if things turn sour.

I must stay in this area’s academy for more than 5 years for now.

So, if I unnecessarily appear hostile to the local adventurers, it will become troublesome.

I plan to make good use of the adventurer association, so it’s better to leave a positive impression.

“Adventurer work, huh? Are you perhaps a fallen noble, sir?”

To speak so bluntly about being a fallen noble, truly a bold way of speaking typical of adventurers who have thrown etiquette out the window.

But I didn’t mind.

It seems better than a noble society full of hypocrisy and lies.

“My family history is a secret. It’s true that money is tight.”

I smiled pleasantly and brushed it off.

“Hahaha! A sly gentleman like you is an adventurer?”

A burly man with a tanned complexion at a nearby table exclaimed loudly while pouring wine.

Upon which, a native woman smiled awkwardly and kindly reassured me, mixing in a bit of formality.

“Don’t mind him. Adventurer men are usually rough like that.”

“No, it’s not that. It’s true that I may seem weak right now. I think I just need to prove myself going forward.”

“Hehe, you seem young but speak well. What’s your name? I’m Shuria.”

“I’m Cyan.”

“Cyan! Such a lovely name… I really like you, sir.”

Shuria smiled like a fox and subtly linked her arm with mine.

Shuria’s generous heart reached mine.

A sweet and soft touch.

Her heart was so much larger than what I had ever seen from the academy’s little ones.

Even if she’s a fallen noble, a noble is still a noble, isn’t it? Seeing her approach like this, she also seemed eager to marry.

But I shouldn’t overlook this.

Balancing between giving attention and pretending not to… as mentioned earlier, maintaining a good relationship.

“I’m glad you like me.”

“Sir, do you have time for dinner tonight? If it’s okay, would you join me?”

It’s about time to gently pull away.

Just when I thought that, the counter staff asked me to sign some registration documents. They had finished the computer preparations.

I showed Shuria a friendly smile, politely excused myself, and went to the counter.

I wrote my name and signed with a feather pen.

The counter staff took back the documents and proceeded with the computer work again.

Now, should I go to the request board and find a suitable request? As I was processing the computer at the counter, the staff member spoke to me.

“Is Mr. Cyan an Ariel Academy graduate?”

How did they know when I didn’t even wear the school uniform shirt?

“How did you know?”

“Oh, well… Recently, a person who attends Ariel Academy registered as an adventurer. Since Mr. Cyan looks like a peer, I assumed.”

Indeed, it’s rare for someone of my age to work as an adventurer.

But, attending Ariel Academy…?

Am I from a harsh family background like mine?

“He mainly takes on dangerous requests like C-rank monster subjugation at that age. He seemed quite restless… Do you happen to know who he is?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have many friends, so I’m not sure who that might be.”

“Huh? I thought a handsome person like you would have many friends…”

This employee is good at lip service.

Seems like customer service is their forte. In my original world, I might have been a successful salesperson.

Continuing the conversation with the employee in an informal manner.

From the adjacent table, the sound of a chair being roughly pushed back and someone getting up could be heard.

It was the rude man with a sallow complexion who had mocked me earlier by calling me “young master.”

Approaching me abruptly, he says, “Hey, young master! Are you from Ariel Academy?”

It was a day when human relationships seemed to be particularly tangled.