Chapter 19 : Nope

The inside of the Academy after classes had ended was bustling.

Students chattered amongst themselves as they walked down the hallways.

Bright, lively, and full of energy.

These were all words that didn’t apply to me or Amiter.

“Noisy.”

Just that one word from me was enough to quiet the students around me and make them hurry their steps.

What kind of image do I even have?

“It’s over there.”

Amiter’s hand was pointing towards the Spiritology classroom.

Spiritology, huh.

Since it had nothing to do with me, I’d never even been there.

Perhaps due to the required environment, Spiritology occupied an entire floor of the building.

‘This is quite impressive.’

An entire floor of the Academy was landscaped like a small forest.

They must have created an environment suitable for the nature-loving spirits to live in.

The floor wasn’t the usual wooden planks but soil and grass.

It felt like walking through a forest rather than being indoors.

“There, I see the person I mentioned.”

As I expected, the person Amiter pointed to was Teferi.

I knew it, but a sigh escaped me nonetheless.

“Just as I thought.”

“Do you know her?”

“A little. Let’s go inside first.”

We were acquainted by me calling someone with a speech impediment mute and breaking the pen she asked me to pick up.

Even with her kind personality, I doubted she would listen to my request.

Amiter opened the classroom door and went inside.

“There she is.”

True to her popular nature, Teferi was always surrounded by friends.

Like a fragrant flower, perhaps.

Always surrounded by insects.

When Amiter looked her way, Teferi and the people next to her looked towards us.

‘An elf.’

There was a female elf next to her.

I entered the Spiritology classroom and perched on a desk.

Unlike the outside, the scent of grass filled the air, different from a regular classroom.

A few low-level spirits, invisible from outside, were visible.

The problem was they avoided me and went to the corners.

Teferi and the female elf’s expressions stiffened when they saw me enter the classroom.

“Hello.”

I greeted Teferi, looking at her.

With my legs crossed and my voice lowered, I struck the pose of a much more detestable villainess.

She forced a smile and responded.

[Hello to you too.]

Hardly pleased to see me, judging by the emotions I sensed from her.

It seemed she found this situation awkward.

“…What business do you have with Teferi?”

The elf standing right next to Teferi asked, her expression crumpling.

Judging someone by their gender and race right from the first impression makes me feel like a discriminatory person.

The mentally male human woman looked at her.

Elves really do have pointed ears.

Elves, a race known for loving spirits and nature, forming their own villages.

They weren’t a rare race, but not common enough to see just walking down the street either.

“I came because I have a favor to ask.”

“What favor?”

And why does this one keep interrupting the conversation?

We’ve only exchanged greetings, yet her sharp interjections are unpleasant.

“Setting that aside, is this elf your guardian or something? Her constant chirping beside you is getting on my nerves.”

“What did you say?”

[Isabel, calm down.]

I only acted casually around Amiter; in front of others, I was still the seemingly cold daughter of the Duke.

One characterized by spitting venomous words.

The elf named Isabel glared at me disapprovingly.

“I heard elves were gentle.”

My muttering made her expression sour even more.

Amiter, who had been standing with her arms crossed, spoke to Teferi.

“We want you to come with us to the Black Forest.”

At the mention of the Black Forest, Isabel recoiled.

As expected of an elf, she seemed well-informed about such places.

“The, the Black Forest? Are you crazy? How can we trust you! Besides, that place is…”

“Ah, I wasn’t asking you.”

As I interjected occasionally, Isabel approached me.

She raised her staff and aimed it at me.

It was a clear sign of hostility, and depending on the region, it could have led to an immediate fight.

“How rude.”

“You’re the rude one. What gives you the right to be so arrogant?”

Elves are beings who exist halfway into human society.

Living in their own villages, elves aren’t heavily influenced by human social status.

Seeing someone point a staff at me for the first time in the Academy piqued my interest slightly.

‘Though the woman right next to me bared her claws from the start.’

I glanced at Amiter, but she showed no reaction.

Instead of looking at the unresponsive Amiter, I looked at the staff pointed at me.

It was a plain staff with no star patterns.

Taking out a staff was proof that the opponent was an amateur.

It meant they needed help manifesting magic.

True experts, ‘like me’, either carry nothing or wield large staves.

I lost interest.

“You just stay right there.”

“What are you talk—”

Snap!

When I snapped my fingers, Isabel’s body froze.

It was the same method I used at the black market.

Isabel’s eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

“Interesting.”

Amiter dismissed this feat with a single word: “Interesting.”

If I had my way, I’d use it on this one too.

However, what I just did was mana control, restricting movement by increasing mana density.

Simply put, it was like increasing the current against someone swimming upstream.

A human would find it hard to even stand, but wouldn’t a fish be able to move at least a little?

It was a technique that only worked on those weaker than me.

Of course, Head Paladin Lloyd was strong too.

But divine power is also a type of mana, making it a fatal magic against paladins who entrust their bodies to God’s grace.

Against beastkin with high mana resistance, it only makes their bodies feel a bit heavier and isn’t very effective.

“See? Like this, your safety will definitely be taken care of…”

[The black market. You’re the person I saw at the black market!]

“……No, I’m not.”

Ah.

I forgot.

Right, I was wearing a mask back then.

“Do you know her?”

The elf managed to ask, barely moving her lips.

Her eyes continued to glare at me.

Teferi nodded at her.

Perhaps confirming that the person who fought at the black market was me, her wariness seemed to have lessened compared to before.

“…I don’t know who it is, but the person you’re talking about has nothing to do with me.”

[Of course. I understand.]

What exactly do you understand?

Teferi looked at me with her characteristic goofy smile.

I decided to stop telling lies that wouldn’t fool anyone.

I wore the mask to avoid getting involved with her anyway, but now that things turned out like this, it was a meaningless act.

Amiter, watching silently, muttered.

“Pathetic woman.”

“What. What do you know?”

Amiter narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

Her gaze felt incredibly insulting, but I didn’t make any excuses.

“…Anyway.”

“Anyway what…”

“Quiet. Teferi, won’t you come with us?”

Regardless of my inferiority complex, Teferi needs to grow much stronger from here.

Based on the original story, demons and apostates start appearing in earnest from the second semester of the Academy.

They cause harm directly or spread demonic energy, engaging in various villainous acts.

To stop them, Teferi’s growth is essential, and this Black Forest will further aid her development.

‘Of course, I won’t be doing it.’

I have no intention of actively stopping the villains. I’m too busy trying to survive right now.

The plan to maintain moderate relationships and avoid becoming a lizard’s tail seems to have gone down the drain, so I need to find a more

certain way to become stronger.

While dumping the villains onto the protagonist.

I don’t feel particularly sorry. It’s something the protagonist handles in the original story anyway.

[What do you need me to do?]

“Teferi!”

Isabel shouted at Teferi, who had answered quietly.

This woman keeps ruining the mood.

“Do you know how dangerous that place is? You can’t even catch a single orc by yourself right now!”

No, listen here, why do you keep discouraging the kid?

Someone with such an overbearing attitude needs firm advice from the side.

“Teferi.”

I approached her, firmly grasped her shoulders, and met her gaze.

She wasn’t shorter than me, but since she was sitting, matching eye levels was easy.

Teferi looked at me with extremely flustered eyes.

“You. Can. Do. It. Right?”

Is it still not enough?

I heard talking to kids like this, eye to eye, was effective.

I moved my hands from her shoulders up to her nape and brought my face even closer.

Her green eyes were right in front of me.

“Please do me this favor. Hm?”

Become my personal gofer.

Let me live a little easier too, please.

With her personality of being unable to refuse and helping others, she wouldn’t be able to say no if I went this far.

[O-Okay.]

“Good.”

Only then did I release her and step back.

The emotions radiating from Teferi felt strange.

Confusion, embarrassment, trembling?

Why are these coming out now? Is she burdened because the request was sudden?

I should probably flee before she changes her mind.

“Hey, I got her permission. Let’s go quickly. Teferi, we’ll see you on the morning of the day.”

Amiter looked at me strangely, but I didn’t know the reason for her gaze.

Like before, I felt insulted.

And somehow, an uneasy feeling too.

In the classroom left behind, Teferi was tracing the lingering touch of my hand on her shoulder.