Chapter 54: Monolith (1)

“It’s a shame I couldn’t treat you to a proper meal.”

Rohan poured crispy french fries onto the wrapping paper.

He squeezed ketchup into a corner and distributed the burgers and sodas, one by one, in front of the girls.

Shion carefully touched the warm burger, as if it were a novelty. Although she tried to keep her emotions hidden, her usually expressionless face was on the verge of cracking at the mere sight of food.

“I, I… ! This is… more than enough…”

“Me too.”

Unfortunately, this was the best he could do. Aside from fast food, there was nothing else permissible for these three.

Time was literally of the essence. Orion Academy’s lunch break was limited.

Any restaurant offering proper meals was already packed with office workers and Academy Cadets.

Searching for a decent place was out of the question given their remaining time. This was the best option.

“Eat a lot. It’s okay to ask for more if you’re still hungry.”

“Thank you…!”

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

At Rohan’s words, Clara expressed her gratitude with a bow while sitting.

Seeing her actions, Shion followed suit.

As Rohan rustled open his wrapper, Shion watched carefully and imitated him.

It seemed she was concerned about the proper way to do even trivial things.

“Eat it before it gets cold.”

After Rohan took a large bite, the two girls, who had been hesitant, started to nibble cautiously.

“…!”

A spark lit up Shion’s eyes as she tasted the burger. The speed at which she ate increased exponentially with each bite.

Unlike Clara, the Elf girl wasn’t quiet because she was awkward.

She was utterly focused on savoring the food.

Clara was eating with small, delicate bites.

The girl would glance at him from time to time, but Rohan was now accustomed to her behavior.

Were they hungry? They’re both eating well.

Rohan was satisfied seeing the girls eat. He even felt a sense of pride.

Even with the gazes of passersby outside and the occasional stares from inside, the two girls ate without a care.

“Whew.”

When Shion looked away from her burger to take a sip of her drink, Rohan seized the opportunity to resume their conversation.

“You both must have been surprised today, right? I bet it was unexpected.”

“Hmm…”

“Indeed. More than that, I was surprised by Clara’s abilities.”

Shion and Clara had briefly exchanged names.

Clara, feeling somewhat guilty, struggled to suppress the heat rising to her face.

“Clara is quite exceptional, isn’t she?”

“Mm.”

Shion readily nodded in agreement.

Then, she returned her full attention to the burger. Rohan simply chuckled.

He figured it was best not to interrupt her for now.

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Lunchtime, during which Shion displayed a near-ferocious concentration, ended.

The three stepped outside, breathing out sighs of contentment. Rohan checked the time and saw they had just enough to spare.

“Th-thank you for the meal…!”

“Are you full?”

Clara nodded vigorously in response to Rohan’s question.

A subtle shyness tinged her nod, which Rohan found genuinely endearing.

“I feel bad… just accepting a meal like this…”

“It’s fine. Hearing you say you enjoyed it is enough.”

Shion, of course, also expressed her gratitude, hurriedly adding that she had enjoyed the meal.

Before returning to Orion Academy, Rohan led the two girls back towards their dormitory.

We still have some time.

He wasn’t sure about Shion, but he doubted Clara would remain in her room.

Even if he were to see her off, a quieter place would be better.

After walking a short distance, the crowd thinned out noticeably. The earlier bustle felt like a figment of his imagination.

“It’s surprisingly quiet near the Dormitory during lunch. Clara, you’ll come to the Bookstore after resting, right?”

“Yes!”

“Get some rest since you’ve eaten.”

“I-is that alright…?”

“Huh? Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”

It was peculiar how she sought permission even to lie down on the bed.

Since it was Clara, Rohan simply nodded without giving it much thought.

After a few more steps…

“Rohan.”

“Yeah?”

As they neared the dormitory, Shion fiddled with her goggles and spoke in a less-than-enthusiastic tone, giving Rohan a slight pang of disappointment.

“I’ll be heading back.”

“Are you busy?”

“It’s not urgent. But I’d like to return with some time to spare.”

If it had been the weekend, he might have invited her to stay longer, but he couldn’t suggest that now. Asking them to rest together in the same room would be problematic for both of them.

“Wait a minute.”

Rohan rummaged through his pockets, retrieved two coins, and flicked them towards Shion.

The coins arced through the air and landed gently in the girl’s palm.

“Let’s make sure the call doesn’t get cut off next time. I nearly went crazy.”

“I’ll accept these and repay you without fail.”

An offer she couldn’t refuse. Shion suppressed her negative emotions and subtly lifted the corners of her mouth.

Then, the Princess gazed ahead.

Behind her, Clara fidgeted, glancing nervously between Rohan and Shion.

Rohan met Shion’s gaze directly.

Shion, etching an inexplicable sense of warmth into her memory, asked,

“Aren’t you going to ask… why I came today?”

“Why would I ask when I told you to come? That’d be indirectly telling you to leave.”

Seeing Rohan’s straightforward reply, Shion couldn’t help but chuckle.

Rohan smiled back at her less guarded smile. He could see that their Princess’ expression had brightened.

“Indeed, that is like you.”

“Why? Is there something you wanted to say?”

“No.”

Shion indicated her intention to leave by pulling down her goggles.

She raised the black fabric, covering her mouth and nose.

“Take care.”

Shion nodded at Rohan’s farewell.

But it didn’t end there. An unexpected voice rang out.

“I-I’ll greet you properly next time…!”

As Clara mustered the courage to speak, Shion’s face registered a moment of surprise.

In response, she suggested they have a longer chat next time, concluding with,

“Then.”

Shion turned her back to the two.

She tensed her thighs, preparing to push off the ground.

That should have been it. Rohan and Clara should have watched her receding figure, hoping she’d endure until she reached a safe distance.

That’s how it should have been.

“!”

Simultaneously, the three sensed an ominous Mana.

The fleeting awareness stopped their movements and breath.

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

The tumultuous sound came from right behind them.

Rohan and the girls, maintaining their silence, turned around.

A black Monolith had appeared.

Ominous. Unsettling. Unusual. Wrong. Sinister.

Having experienced Abyss City and diligently attended his theory classes, Rohan knew best what it was.

A Monolith!?

The Monolith emanated Mana, its surface densely inscribed with unreadable characters.

The characters on the stone tablet glowed brightly with absorbed Mana, beginning to distort the surrounding space.

“Come here.”

Regaining his composure, Rohan took out his Smartphone, confirmed the lack of signal with a click of his tongue, and returned it to his pocket.

He grabbed the hands of Clara, who stood beside him, and Shion, who had been about to depart Academy City.

“B-brother…!”

“This is…?”

He pulled them closer. They needed to stay together.

He had anticipated this moment and had experienced similar situations countless times in the past, so he quickly regained his composure.

“Stay still. If you try to move away when the Mana fluctuates, your body could be torn apart.”

At Rohan’s unusually low voice, both girls fell silent.

“When a Monolith appears, there are two possibilities. The first is that Monsters will pour out. In that case, we assess the situation and deal with them. Or, if something truly impossible appears, we run for our lives.”

If the Mana signature was too powerful, he could contact Juyeon.

Even if he did nothing, the Peacekeepers would sense the disturbance and arrive soon enough.

“And the other possibility?”

At Shion’s question, Rohan, keeping his eyes fixed on the Monolith, replied,

“It swallows people and drops them into a Dungeon.”

This information wasn’t in any textbook.

It was a new phenomenon that started occurring after the Protagonist’s appearance in Abyss City.

Drrrrrr!!!

The air vibrated. The ground began to crack around the Monolith.

The Mana fluctuated even more violently.

“In that case, we can’t get separated, so staying close together is our best bet.”

At his words, Shion nervously tightened her grip on Rohan’s hand.

“Ugh…!”

“It’s okay. It’s alright. Breathe.”

Clara began to tremble, seemingly in a state of panic.

Rohan embraced her and gently stroked her back to calm her down.

Kiiiiing!!!

The characters inscribed on the Monolith emitted an intense light.

Simultaneously, a notification window appeared before Rohan’s eyes.