Ch.4444 – Children Should Go to Bed Early

<44 – Children Should Go to Bed Early>

Lotta spoke with a terrified expression.

“I’m telling you, it’s true. That kid definitely said it before the blackout happened. That there would be a power outage today. How could anyone know such information at that exact timing?”

“Are you sure you didn’t mishear?”

“No, I didn’t! It was definitely caused by that child. If not by them directly, then something behind the scenes must have helped them!”

Lotta’s peers exchanged glances.

“Lotta. When you’re tired, it’s best to get some rest.”

“You look quite ill. Please don’t come to our gatherings for a while and focus on recovering.”

A polite way of telling her not to show her face at their meetings anymore!

Though she realized these people, with whom she had been acquainted and shared friendship since their days in the Empire, didn’t believe her words, Lotta had no choice but to accept it given her already ruined reputation.

She had been used and discarded, but protesting would only invite open ridicule.

“…Fine. I’ll contact you when I’m feeling better.”

“I wish you a speedy recovery.”

‘Cowards.’

She didn’t believe such empty well-wishes.

Now that she’d been expelled from the faction, she probably wouldn’t see their faces again.

They would gradually drift apart until one day they’d become complete strangers.

Whoosh! Clang!

Late at night.

Lotta emerged from the training grounds, having worked up a sweat to ease her troubled mind.

A chilling premonition crept into her heart, which felt as heavy as her exhausted, sweat-soaked body.

“Who’s there!”

“Hmph. Too slow.”

Someone had her from behind.

Even with her body tired from training, allowing someone to get behind her so easily…

This was no ordinary skilled person.

Thump

As she pushed off the ground to create distance, her opponent remained standing there, not even attempting to flee.

A masked female student waved her hand in greeting.

“Is what you told your friends true?”

“…What do you want to know?”

“That Oknodie knew about the blackout beforehand.”

“It’s true. Everyone may think I’m making cowardly excuses out of shame for losing to a child, but facts are facts. I didn’t lie.”

“I believe you.”

“…Really?”

“I saw it. That child using an impressive sword technique the moment the blackout occurred. They might fool others’ eyes, but not mine.”

The masked assassin, Zhang.

Her eyes never dim even in darkness.

Especially if someone used ‘mana’, she would know.

‘When I use my eye technique, I can see it. Even the movement of mana.’

It was a sword that precisely severed a leg the moment the safety guard in the arena disappeared. That kind of sword.

The moment the lights went out, instead of retreating or hesitating, they took exactly two steps toward their opponent and unleashed a sword imbued with sword energy aimed at the leg.

The reaction speed at that moment was at a level impossible to respond to unless one knew in advance.

‘My master said the Foundation’s scholarship students were mere small fry not worth being wary of, but…’

That child is different.

Zhang twirled around and turned her back to Lotta.

“Still, don’t go around talking about it too much.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Threatening? I don’t bother with such troublesome things. I could just cut you down and be done with it. This is merely a courtesy for the interesting story you shared. Advice I’m giving for your own good.”

Zhang warned her.

“It means there’s an organization that can tamper with Academy facilities, even those for freshmen, and cause a blackout at the exact timing they want.”

“…!”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t openly defy an organization that could easily make a freshman disappear.”

Lotta staggered and collapsed in fear.

“Ah, ugh, ah…”

I’m scared.

Help me.

She tried to reach out with those words, but Zhang, who had been right beside her, had already vanished.

They were on different levels.

Private tutoring with martial arts instructors arranged by her family. Manufactured reputation. Flattering praises.

None of it mattered before true masters.

Today, she had hit a wall three times.

Oknodie.

Hestia who stopped her.

And the masked child who was no less formidable than those two.

From now on, she would keep her head down.

Thanks to this humbling experience, Lotta resolved to live as a good person, finding humility she never had before.

* *

Upon leaving the arena, I was scolded by Giselle and Son Ocheon.

“That was dangerous. Swinging your sword with such intent against such a weak opponent. If an accident had happened, you could have faced severe disciplinary action before even starting school.”

“Wahaha! Little squirt, if you develop a taste for cutting people down, your photo will appear on wanted posters before your graduation album. Do you want to become a five-star national celebrity?”

“Ugggh. You’re so mean. I fought hard and all I get is talk about becoming a five-star wanted criminal.”

It was an accident, an accident!

Anyway, not my fault!

“It’s not mean at all.”

“Isabelle unnie!”

“If Hestia hadn’t stepped in herself, it would have been a disaster.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Never mind the apology, just make sure to thank her properly.”

“Yes…”

If someone had died like in the original game, it couldn’t have been smoothed over like this.

I couldn’t even cut off one leg as I had planned.

With no casualties, the duel ended rather anticlimactically.

Lotta ran away looking like she’d narrowly escaped death, and the senior B group students who had picked the fight glared at us resentfully before retreating together.

[You have completed the Group Competition (2) event.]

[You have prevented the early corruption trigger of the chapter boss. You acquire 50,000 points as a successful event reward.]

[Students who feel affiliated with Group A have all increased their favorability.]

[Due to the dishonorable duel, students who feel affiliated with Group B do not decrease their favorability.]

[Students who feel strongly affiliated with Group B have all decreased their favorability.]

[Some skilled individuals feel uncomfortable with your quick reaction.]

[Your noticeability among skilled individuals increases.]

[Favorability of skilled individuals fluctuates.]

Unlike fighting for Dolphin Pants, I wasn’t very motivated to fight for the muscle woman.

I jumped in because I was provoked, but seeing the fluctuation in favorability makes me feel sick.

If I became friends with those people, my path to success after graduation would be guaranteed!

With favorability now plummeting…

Forget the path to success, I’ll need to achieve better grades and build solid skills just to avoid being crushed by the power of authority.

“Ah, excuse me!”

Hestia was walking away quickly.

I called out to her, but when Hestia turned to look at me, her eyes scanned the crowd gathering around me.

She immediately put on a stoic face and left the arena alone.

‘Poor loner…’

As someone uncomfortable in crowds, she probably didn’t want to be near people.

Her quick escape was both pitiful and somewhat enviable.

“Hey, what was that sword technique earlier?”

“They said you were the top student, and you really are strong!”

“Want to train with me sometime?”

I’m a loner too.

My head spins and I feel dizzy from the numerous hands of sweet-smelling female students.

“Uwaah. Help me, Isabelle.”

“…Sigh. Everyone, step back. Oknodie just finished a duel and is tired. Crowding around a tired child like this will scare her.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“If you’re interested, come out in front of the dormitory at 4 AM tomorrow. Let’s go running together!”

4 AM?

That’s way too early to wake up.

“No thanks.”

“Aww. So mean~”

“You need proper sleep to grow taller!”

I speak my mind clearly.

The female student who made the offer raised her hand and poked my head.

Then she pulled her hand toward herself and…

Squish

Measured it against her chest height.

“Eh? What’s that? I want to try too.”

“Hehe. She really is a baby.”

“At this height, you should sleep until 10 AM, right?”

My lips pouted at the malicious teasing from these Dolphin Pants girls, no less cruel than the bullying from the Pantyhose girls.

“Ugh, mine’s just below the chin.”

“Hmph. Mine reaches the underbust.”

“How frustrating… only reaching the collarbone.”

These mean Dolphin Pants girls.

Don’t get competitive over someone else’s head height!

* *

After being humiliated about my height for quite some time, I returned to the dormitory with a gloomy face.

Walking toward my room with tired steps, I found my path blocked by a large figure.

What’s this?

Did I hit a wall?

When I looked up, it wasn’t a wall but someone’s legs.

Eh?

They’re so tall.

I feel defeated as a human being as I keep looking up and still can’t see their face.

“Oknodie.”

A voice I’d heard just hours ago.

The owner of this tremendous height was none other than Hestia.

“Did you follow me here?”

“N-no. I was just going back to my room…”

“Ah. You were on your way back. Sorry for getting in your way.”

We walk side by side to our rooms.

Even walking behind her, Hestia’s enormous shadow not only covers my face but even engulfs my own shadow, which felt humiliating.

Ugh.

If I had been reincarnated as a male character, I could easily surpass the head height of 190cm Hestia.

It feels really strange to look up at someone when I’m used to looking down at everyone.

With people weaker than me being taller, I almost feel like I’ve become the weak one.

I need to grow at least another 100cm.

As I was opening my door with this resolution, I heard a startled reaction behind me.

“O-Oknodie.”

“Yes?”

“You… you’ve been living in room 111?”

“So what?”

“Then the one who helped me… every night…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Hestia hurried away to room 112 as if escaping.

It was such an honest reaction that even the most oblivious person would notice.

That person thinks she had those conversations with me instead of the <Responding Wall>.

‘I was planning for this, but it feels awkward not knowing what they talked about.’

Probably things like: I feel uncomfortable eating alone with people making a fuss around me.

It’s hard having to stand in line at the training grounds because I don’t have friends to hold my place.

That kind of stuff?

“Um, Hestia.”

“What?!”

“Nothing. Good night.”

As I rubbed my tired eyes and yawned, I heard a flustered voice saying, “Oh, you too.”

I glared once at the wall that wouldn’t listen, then just threw myself onto the bed.

Let’s just sleep.

* *

Hestia realized.

‘Oknodie hasn’t been getting enough sleep because she’s been talking to me every night!’

Though she had received much comfort thanks to that child, it wasn’t very adult-like to have the child so exhausted because of her selfish behavior.

Hestia reflected on her actions.

From now on, she would only talk to the wall between 9 and 9.

Between 9 AM and 9 PM.