Chapter 111: Academy City is Smaller Than You Think

The Academy ended earlier than expected.

After the individual interviews, Juyeon returned to Class 1 and explained the situation.

The important conclusion was that they had a holiday.

All the days originally scheduled for exams were designated as holidays.

Since the weekend followed right after, it was practically a long holiday for the cadets.

Rohan checked his phone as he headed to the meeting place. It was 11:40 AM.

Just before lunchtime.

Since I have some free time, should I increase my training?

He would have to make good use of this holiday if he wanted to even clumsily learn the third sword.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just focus on the sword after finishing today’s business?

“Oppa!”

“Rohan. Over here.”

Rohan, who was pondering while looking at his calendar, raised his head.

Shion and Clara, standing on the street, definitely caught the eye even amidst the crowd.

Shion was wearing jeans and a knit sweater, giving off a spring vibe suitable for April.

Judging by the size, they definitely weren’t his clothes, and considering the style, they were absolutely not borrowed from Clara either.

It was definitely an outfit he was seeing for the first time.

“What, did you already buy clothes?”

“I only bought this one. I plan to buy a few more today.”

“Oh.”

As Rohan nodded with a short exclamation,

Shion fiddled with her clothes and asked,

“…Is this outfit strange after all?”

“Strange? It’s pretty.”

“!”

Aside from the saying that fashion was completed by the face, it seemed like Shion already knew the style that suited her.

Perhaps it was natural talent.

“Oh, Oppa, what about me…?”

“No need to ask twice. You are beautiful.”

At Rohan’s casual compliment, the girls looked at each other and smiled with blushing faces.

Clara bowed her head deeply to hide her expression.

Shion took a step towards Rohan.

“Rohan. It would be difficult if I asked who is prettier, wouldn’t it?”

The Elf girl asked, her smile deepening and her voice rising in excitement.

Rohan quickly raised his head and looked at the sky as if running away.

She knew him well.

“…Let’s hurry. Where are we going first?”

Meeting the real estate agent Yoho from Tigrova had introduced was in the afternoon.

First, they headed to a large shopping mall located in Academy City.

Since the Academy had ended early, there were many first-year cadets around.

“Oppa, don’t you have anything to buy?”

“Ah, I do, but I can’t buy it here. It’s something I can buy later. I was going to ask for your advice then.”

“Hmm?”

“From me and Unni…?”

Two pairs of eyes looked at him simultaneously.

Rohan raised the corners of his lips and gathered Mana at his fingertips, then flicked it!

It was an action with no power whatsoever.

However, the girls’ eyes widened, understanding the meaning and intention behind the release of Mana.

“I discovered a new talent. Maybe I realized it while living with you two?”

“Oh, Oppa, can you use a firearm too!?”

“I tried it once during the exam. The firearm broke because I couldn’t control my mana.”

“You weren’t able to use it from the beginning, but suddenly became able to?”

“Yeah. I suddenly figured out how to do it. I was trying to use a Skill, and it just popped into my head!”

“…That’s unheard of.”

The talent to imbue projectiles with mana wasn’t something that could be acquired through training.

Just like some people had dimples when they smiled and others didn’t, just like how eye and hair color differed, it was an element given regardless of one’s will.

Since it was difficult for Rohan to explain the concept of Skill leveling up,

He gave up on explaining and just stated the main point.

“I want to get recommendations from you two for a Handgun to carry around.”

Intrigued, Shion and Clara’s eyes lit up at the same time.

“Oppa with a Handgun…!”

“If Rohan has a preferred style, recommending one shouldn’t be a problem. What model of Handgun did you use on the Uninhabited Island?”

Rohan crossed his arms and stroked his chin.

He barely managed to recall the faded name.

“Gangseol-75?”

“That’s a standard choice.”

“It’s a standard mass-produced model.”

Rohan’s lips curled up, feeling like he had come to the right place.

Agreement was a good sign, wasn’t it?

“I’ll trust you.”

As if they had firearms in mind while looking at Rohan saying that,

The two girls began to chatter like canaries.

“Oh, Oppa, I think a heavy handgun with a bolt-action mechanism would suit you! One that uses magnum Ammunition…!”

“If it’s gas-operated and has a bolt-action mechanism, it would be too big and get in the way when using a Sword, wouldn’t it? If it’s meant to be a secondary weapon, a stainless steel revolver would be good too. Holsters are well-made these days, so a 2-inch model wouldn’t be inconvenient.”

“But still… Oppa has big hands and thick fingers, so I think a masculine handgun would be perfect…”

“Hmm, that’s not wrong, and I understand. However, we can’t ignore portability.”

The deeper they delved, the more Shion and Clara’s opinions diverged.

Just looking at them, Rohan could already picture the future.

Just looking at this, it seems like I’ll have to buy two.

At some point, the group had stopped walking.

Rohan started walking again.

“Let’s talk about the handgun after we’re done shopping. Firearm shops open late.”

“Ah! Okay…!”

“Let’s do that.”

Rohan let the two girls to the escalator first and asked while standing behind them,

“So, what are we buying first? Clothes?”

“Clothes are clothes.”

“…”

Clara shut her mouth tight, and Shion gave a vague answer.

Rohan asked, sensing a strange atmosphere creeping in.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see if you follow me.”

Rohan obediently followed the girls who got off the escalator.

They arrived at a shop specializing in women’s underwear. A few Academy City female cadets were visible inside.

“…”

Rohan looked at Shion.

Shion raised the corners of her lips and said confidently.

“Underwear is clothing, isn’t it?”

“If you’re going to say that, then why not just call Charizard a grapefruit?”

“Charizard?”

“Never mind… Let’s go in.”

Seeing Rohan entered without refusing, Shion and Clara began looking at the items with excited faces.

Shion grabbed a hanger and held it up for Rohan to see.

“I need underwear, but I also wanted to buy some comfortable pajamas.”

The pure white fabric was light and see-through.

Shion’s fingers holding the garment were visible.

“…Isn’t this a negligee?”

“It’s classified as sleepwear. Am I wrong?”

“Well, you’re not wrong, but still… um…”

Having it held up in front of him made it impossible not to imagine.

Wouldn’t it be rather revealing?

“Hmph, don’t worry. I’m not careless enough to show my skin to just anyone.”

“That’s a relief.”

He pretended to be okay, but he felt a little stiff.

Shion secretly found Rohan’s reaction amusing.

“Rohan. Do you think it would suit me?”

“Uh…”

“Oh, Oppa! How about this one?”

Clara seemed to like a black negligee, the opposite of Shion’s, and held one up, circling Rohan.

An iron-wall-like Gegenpressing¹.

Rohan’s mouth went dry.

Having finished preparing to leave the Dormitory, Noa Frozenheart spotted her prey.

She wagged her tail, lowered her stance.

As usual, she spread her arms and ran towards her friend.

“Nose! Come here!”

“…”

“Huh?”

Ichinose, who she naturally expected to dodge, didn’t.

As if lost in thought, she stood still, not moving her feet.

She fit perfectly into Noa’s embrace.

“Nose?”

Aeng-ae Nose Yui.

No, her real name, Ichinose Yui.

The first meal she had invited a male outside her family. Experiencing failure.

I’m looking back on it now. Why did I think it would definitely work without considering failure? On what grounds?

Did all the men who had offered her a place endure this pressure?

Even though having a prior engagement was a perfectly understandable explanation, she wondered if they were avoiding her out of discomfort, or if they were uncomfortable dining with her. All sorts of thoughts came to mind.

I might be too used to being respected…

With this, what audacity did she have to go around saying to think of her as a warrior and not a woman?

The more she recalled the times she spoke before thinking, the more she rebuked herself, hitting her head.

“Nose? Are you listening? Hello?”

Poking her soft cheeks a few times while holding her.

The petite girl finally moved her head.

“Ah… You’re here.”

“What’s wrong with you today? Should we just rest?”

“I’m fine. Rather, let me go. I can’t breathe.”

Ichinose escaped from Noa’s embrace and naturally started walking.

“Before we eat, can I go shopping first?”

“Sure. I don’t mind. What are you going to buy?”

“My chest grew again, and my bra is uncomfortable. I can’t breathe!”

“…”

Ichinose didn’t reply to Noa’s words.

She gripped her sword tightly and quickened her pace.

Noa just followed her, laughing as if she found the reaction amusing.

Arriving at the Academy City shopping mall.

Noa and Ichinose got on the escalator.

“But what do men like so much about these lumps of flesh?”

Feeling the men’s gazes, Noa made a puzzled face, grabbed her breasts, and kneaded them.

Ichinose sighed and stopped Noa’s hand with her scabbard.

“…Stop doing that outside.”

“Eung~ Nose. Are you sulking?”

“I’m just saying stop because it attracts attention. And please refrain from acting cute, it’s burdensome.”

“My dad says my cuteness is the best.”

“…”

Ichinose knew.

If she said anything here, Noa’s cuteness would double.

Just quietly going to the store was the best option.

“Ah! After the exams, it’s heaven! Heaven! I’m going to sleep in tomorrow!”

“If you sleep too late, it will be hard when the Academy starts.”

“It’s okay. Nose will come to wake me u… Huh?”

Noa, who had been hopping around Ichinose, full of energy, suddenly stopped.

At the unexpected action, Ichinose also had to stop and look at her questioningly.

“What’s wrong?”

Noa, who had been staring intently inside the store, spoke to the prominent black hair.

“Isn’t that Rohan?”