episode_0059

After finishing my conversation with the Emperor, I entered the dormitory and threw myself onto the bed.

Lying on the bed, I repeatedly threw a small, bead-like object into the air and caught it.

I wondered what kind of reaction someone else would have if they saw this.

What I was playing with, like a ball, was an elixir.

And not just any elixir—it was a top-grade elixir, hard to obtain no matter how much money you spent.

As expected, the Emperor was incredibly generous.

‘I should take the elixir tomorrow morning.’

I put the elixir I was playing with into my sub-space.

I wanted to take it and sleep right away, but I didn’t, as it was more effective to enhance it in my sub-space before consuming it.

“But there’s still one more reason I can’t sleep.”

Even though I was tired, there was still one more reason I couldn’t fall asleep.

“Alright then, since I have some time left, shall I check if it’s doing well?”

After putting the elixir into my sub-space, I took out an ordinary-looking box.

“Oh right. I forgot to wash my hands.”

I went to the bathroom and washed my hands for five minutes, then opened the box with trembling hands.

*Creak*.

“Ugh~ it’s dazzling!”

The not-so-small box was filled with gold coins.

With this much money, I could probably buy a mansion in the capital.

I received it from the Emperor as a reward for dealing with the necromancer, along with some elixirs.

“Hehehehehe.”

Just looking at the gold coins inside the box made me laugh.

With this, I could execute that plan I’d only dreamed of.

“To catch up to them with my modest talent, I’d have to spend this much money as a baseline.”

I’ve never thought I had no talent.

But I’ve also never thought my talent was on the same level as the special class students.

The talent of the special class kids is astounding.

Even if they put in the same effort as others, they grow several times faster.

The reason I currently overwhelm their growth rate is due to the mask’s ability.

“…But if they ‘awaken,’ I’ll be caught up to quickly.”

Awakening.

A phenomenon experienced only by special class students even in Kroaka.

If special class students gain just a slight trigger and a creative spark, they awaken.

Their abilities before and after awakening are a world of difference.

One second. A crazy system that makes them several times stronger than before in just one second.

Someone once said that a true genius should be able to make people despair with talent alone.

“But I don’t despair to that extent.”

Although the only thing I excel at compared to them is my face, I feel neither jealousy nor despair towards their talent.

In the first place, if I had that much talent *on top of* my face, God would have made a mistake.

“Hmm. Just looking at my face, it feels like God might have already made a mistake.”

If God tries to balance things because of my face, he should at least add a limited lifespan.

Perhaps it was because I was thinking about their talent, but sleep flew far away, and thoughts about how to become stronger dominated my mind.

“Ah, right. This was here. I was so annoyed just looking at it that I completely forgot.”

I took out a thick book from my sub-space.

The book’s identity was the Shadow Step skill book.

[Pretend to go right, but go left. However, you must also exist on the right.]

This was originally the only phrase written in the book.

But thanks to the Emperor, I realized that what was written in it appeared differently depending on my proficiency.

I opened the book. As I expected, other phrases were written there.

With this much content, wouldn’t it be written in detail?

[Move like a shadow.]

[Exist in front of your opponent, beside them, behind them, and below them.]

[You are the shadow.]

*Thud*.

I closed the book and put it back into my sub-space.

Bullshit.

I looked at the book to clear my head, but my head was more muddled than before.

“Haaah………….”

I let out a deep sigh and took the book out of my sub-space again.

“Anyway, there’s nothing else to do until then… I might as well read this.”

While I was looking at the skill book, not understanding its content…

*Trill- trill- trill- trill- trill.*

A sound came from the communicator placed on my desk.

This was the reason I waited without sleeping, even though I wanted to.

I checked who had called me on the communicator.

As expected, the caller was Yerika.

Last time I thought it was Yerika, but ever since that incident where the Emperor answered, checking who was calling has become a habit.

As soon as I answered, Yerika blurted out something that would make the Emperor faint if he heard it, as if it were nothing.

[Clown-nim, were you very lonely spending the night alone without me yesterday?]

I hadn’t talked to her for just one day, but I still couldn’t get used to it.

“Yesterday, not being able to talk to Yerika, felt like hell to me. Honestly, last night, I wanted to hear Yerika’s voice so badly that I even considered secretly infiltrating the imperial palace.”

After saying it, I realized.

Ah….. I might have slightly overreacted without realizing it.

[…………..]

“Yerika?”

[………*Hiccup*!]

What’s wrong?

I heard Yerika’s hiccuping sound from beyond the communicator.

[Uh….. Agh….. Ah! Water! I spilled water, so please w-wait a moment!]

So that’s why she spilled water.

Yerika’s voice was heard from the communicator after five minutes had passed.

[Hoo….. Clown-nim?]

“I’m listening~”

Yerika took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress her trembling, and then spoke.

[I heard you came and went to the imperial palace earlier.]

“His Imperial Majesty called me because he had something to say, so I did stop by the imperial palace for a moment, but I didn’t stay long.”

[Ohh…. Still, next time you come to the imperial palace, please tell me. We’ve kept talking on the phone, but it’s been quite a while since we saw each other, hasn’t it?]

As Yerika said, if my memory wasn’t mistaken, I hadn’t actually seen her in person since entering the academy.

“If I get a chance to contact you, I definitely will.”

Even if I wanted to contact her, there was no chance. I was always being dragged to the imperial palace as if kidnapped; at what timing should I even call?

[Is it a promise?]

“Yes, it’s a promise.”

After that, I chatted with Yerika for a long time before falling asleep.

.

.

While most students were sleeping.

Today, too, I was on my way to the disciplinary committee office for my disciplinary committee experience.

My usual routine was to wake up earlier for morning training, but since so much happened yesterday, I decided to rest today.

“Eek!”

Hearing a strange sound, I looked ahead.

Silken platinum blonde hair, brightly shining blue eyes. Even a face so beautiful I couldn’t get used to it no matter how many times I saw it.

In the direction I looked, Johanna was there.

Normally, I would have run over to greet her as soon as I spotted Johanna, but remembering what I had said to her yesterday, I spoke carefully.

“…….Senior, shall we go together?”

Johanna nodded her head without a word.

As we walked to the disciplinary committee office, Johanna kept glancing at my mask.

If I felt her gaze and turned my head…

“Eek!”

…she would blurt out a strange sound like that and turn her head to the opposite side.

Now that I think about it, it seems she’s been like that ever since we left the children’s cemetery yesterday.

What’s wrong?

“…………………….”

“…………………….”

But neither Johanna nor I said anything, and we walked to the disciplinary committee office.

The prolonged silence bothered me, and just as I was about to ask what was wrong, that’s when…

“”I…………””

My words and Johanna’s overlapped.

“Senior, you speak first.”

“He…….. My father asked me to bring you home sometime.”

Surprised by her words, I asked Johanna again.

“Me??”

Johanna nodded her head without a word.

As for “Why?”, there were too many plausible reasons.

So I asked something else.

“When?”

I also needed time to mentally prepare.

Johanna lowered her head as if embarrassed and said.

“Today.”

It seems there was no time for mental preparation.

.

.

Even while doing disciplinary committee work, I spent an awkward time with Johanna.

I couldn’t bring myself to be brazen about it; as soon as I saw Johanna, my poker face immediately shattered.

The other disciplinary committee members kept looking back and forth between Johanna and me with suspicious gazes.

After somehow finishing my disciplinary committee duties, I was walking towards the special class.

“Hogu!”

On the academy grounds.

Someone came running towards me, shouting.

No, in the academy—or rather, in the entire world—there was only one person who called me by that appellation.

“Why didn’t you show up yesterday?”

I spoke to Sepia, who was looking at me with a worried gaze.

“Well, I caught a cold yesterday. I just kept sleeping in the dorm.”

Actually, it was because of the necromancer, but I couldn’t tell Sepia that.

“Oh? So you’re fine now, right?”

“Yes! I’m perfectly healthy. However, I do have one small worry.”

“What kind of worry?”

I playfully said to Sepia, who was making a serious expression.

“My face, which gets more handsome with each passing day, is my worry.”

Sepia made an expression as if she was a fool for having worried.

“Show me your face first before saying something like that.”

“Ahahaha, I can’t just carelessly show my face.”

Actually, besides my worries about my face, I did have other concerns.

“Sepia, shall we go together?”

“Hmph, suit yourself.”

Sepia, who was right in front of my eyes, would be the first among the special class students to ‘awaken.’

Through Sepia’s awakening, it would show players how great awakening truly was.

And Sepia would be the first among the special class students to die.

.

.

On the way to the Freya Ducal House.

Inside the carriage, I took off my mask and lay with my head resting on Johanna’s lap.

Johanna didn’t look at me, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead as she stroked my head.

How did it come to this?