episode_0052

“Everyone, pay attention. If Gilbert has thawed, return to your seat.”

“Ugh···!”

The morning assembly continued with talk about Rohan.

The protagonist praised and encouraged everyone for the good deed, but he also said that the most important thing was to contact the instructor, who was his guardian.

And I’m glad it worked out well.

The longer-than-usual morning assembly ended with a statement that this was a very dangerous undertaking.

As soon as the lead actor left, Gilbert turned his head and immediately spoke.

“Friend, you did a great job!”

“Thank you. It’s nice that you don’t have to make noise.”

I guess the excitement died down a bit when I got stuck in the ice.

It’s a louder voice than the average person, but to Gilbert, it’s more like a whisper.

“You still don’t know. The depth of praise isn’t judged by decibels!”

“This kid knows it well···.”

“But! Sometimes a powerful sound becomes an irreplaceable seasoning!”

As expected, it seems like talking won’t break the habit of screaming.

After finishing small talk with a few friends who joined in the conversation by adding a word or two, Rohan took out his book to prepare for class, washed his hands, and returned, when Ichinose and Noah, who were passing by in the hallway, stopped and spoke to him.

“You really deserve to be praised. You’re great.”

“Okay. It’s not something to keep mentioning awkwardly.”

At Rohan’s words, Ichinose closed her eyes and shook her head.

“It’s not something that anyone can do, whether it’s intuitive or not.”

“Isn’t this person also a person of the same name?”

Ichinose opens her eyes and glances at Noah, asking what he is talking about.

“That’s one thing, but I also heard that you helped Noah with his studies over the weekend.”

“Oh, that? I get lonely when I do it alone.”

Noah wiggles his tail as if something important has come to mind at those words.

He confessed as if he was poking Ichinose with his tail.

“No-se! Rohan tried to torture me by reviewing my workbook! Hurry up and scold me!”

“Rohan did the right thing. Well done. If there is another opportunity like that, please do the same.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

Noah tried to hug Ichinose from behind, saying that it was too much.

Ichinose avoided Noah’s embrace with light steps without even opening her eyes. Her movements were like those of a small animal avoiding a tiger’s attack.

‘You’re playing well.’

In Rohan’s view, the two people’s actions are a piece of banter and a warm picture.

Noah Frozenheart must have known Ichinose would react this way. Maybe he just needed an excuse to hug his friend.

“Torture is prohibited under the laws of the Three Kingdoms! How can you encourage inhumane torture!”

“···Don’t just memorize what’s convenient for you, memorize other things too.”

Noah tries to hug Ichinose with both hands, but he still can’t catch her.

Without interrupting the light conversation, the three of them naturally walked in the opposite direction.

Break time is finally over.

“Is everyone there? Take your seats.”

Joo-yeon returned to class with his textbook and continued his theory class as if nothing had happened.

Noah swished his tail and grabbed his head, groaning as he tried to recite the formula.

Ichinose gives clear answers to the protagonist’s questions without a single hesitation. Rohan is overwhelmed just by following along and taking notes.

It was always class time.

So the theory class ended and it was time for the long-awaited lunch.

Rohan checked his phone as he walked to the Academy cafeteria as usual.

“!”

I stopped in my tracks when I saw the call from Clara.

As soon as Rohan came to his senses, he changed direction and started running towards the dormitory.

*****

Zion Testarossa.

The girl was worried that these steps might be a nuisance to Rohan.

Even though Rohan said to come whenever he wanted, wouldn’t it be burdensome for the other person to just swallow the words he threw and leave in one day?

The girl thought so. She definitely thought so.

With that determination, I put down the pay phone receiver, returned to my room, and lay down on the cold blanket.

‘cold···.’

I felt anew that the difference was huge.

The gap between the cold living quarters that didn’t allow for adaptation despite having spent a long time there and the warmth felt from chatting with Rohan on a public phone in Academy City.

The gap between joy and sorrow was vast. Could it be that falling from a running horse is this painful?

I used up all the tokens I had while making phone calls.

But I don’t regret it.

The thirty minutes or so I spent chatting with Rohan allowed me to take a break from the chaos before my eyes.

That’s why the girl couldn’t stand it.

So, Zion came to Academy City Elysium today as well.

I thought I had to endure it as much as possible, but then I remembered the words of encouragement I had heard from Rohan over the phone, and I thought it might be okay to go see him.

“···.”

It’s 11:50 AM on a weekday.

Who would be in the Academy dormitory at this hour? The area was bright and quiet enough for the middle of the night.

Still, Zion checked several times to make sure there was no one around to see him.

Bam! He stretched out his legs. He moved gracefully and climbed up the wall of the academy dormitory.

The closer he got to the window, the more he found himself laughing at his own actions.

Isn’t that absurd?

When I first met Rohan, he told me to call him if anything happened, but I coldly shot him back that that would never happen. How did it end up like this?

Knock knock──.

Zion felt relieved at the unlocked window and sat down on the window frame.

Before setting foot on the floor, Zion rolled his eyes and checked the room, taking off his thick combat boots.

“Rohan?”

I try to make a voice that is not loud but loud enough to be heard clearly.

So Zion called Rohan, but there was no answer. There was no noise that could be called a sound.

‘I felt it from outside too… but is it not there?’

Come to think of it, didn’t Rohan seem to be infiltrating the academy? Maybe he just went to take classes diligently.

Zion came down from the window sill and closed the window with one hand holding a military boot.

Before deciding whether to return to your quarters or wait for Rohan, at least show some basic courtesy.

Zion placed his combat boots neatly on the shoe rack and looked back.

“···?”

A room without an owner named Rohan.

Zion, who had been quietly looking at the empty space, narrowed his eyes and lowered his posture.

The right hand slowly moves towards the weapon.

A subtle sense of strangeness in a silent room.

A strange clue caught in the realm of intuition that cannot be explained in words.

Apart from the fact that Zion’s senses were comparable to Suin’s, this was a realization that came from the fighting style the girl had developed.

Those who try their best to avoid having their location discovered.

Snipers and assassins are always trying to hide themselves, so they are also good at finding hidden things. That part is what raised the suspicion that there is someone in this space.

The fact that Clara was not perfect because she was hiding in a time that was not lacking even for a moment would also be a significant factor.

How long must Zion have been frozen like that, even holding his breath?

“I, I, I···.”

“!”

As expected, there it is. My intuition was not wrong.

One thing was certain: it wasn’t Rohan’s voice.

Zion reflexively pulled out the dagger hanging from his waist.

Clang! Clang! Clara also took out the folded Bali Song and unfolded it with fancy hand movements.

‘right!’

Zion picked up a thin, tinkling sound with his pointed ears.

He swung his dagger towards the location where someone was hiding.

Jjaeng!

The short blades met and made a grinding sound.

Clara thought about it while blocking the attack.

‘Is this the person that my brother talked about yesterday···?’

[ Rohan Oppa: When I’m not there, there might be a guest coming to the dormitory for work-related reasons. I tried to call to tell you that there might be someone in the dormitory─── ]

I remember every single word of the long message I received yesterday.

There was a mention of elves, but no mention of women. Nor was there any mention of such beautiful women.

‘My brother is really···.’

Clara pouts without realizing it. Her cheeks look like they’re about to swell.

While expressing her anger to Rohan who was not present, Clara confirmed that the dagger that Zion had held out was a reverse blade.

There is no intent to kill, but rather the will to subdue.

Zion, whose dagger was blocked, did not continue the attack and jumped low to gain distance.

He turns the dagger he was holding in his hand around and observes the unidentified woman.

“Okay, just a moment···!”

A girl with twin tails appeared, who was either clothed or naked.

The sight of her buttoning up her underwear in a hurry so that it doesn’t show.

The sight of English being unknown heightened Zion’s alertness.

‘You’re strong. Can you win with the equipment you have now? And… you’re wearing shoes.’

Does this mean that there was an intrusion? It is highly likely.

Maybe he’s the one targeting Rohan.

From Clara’s perspective, it was an instinctive action to erase the traces, but even if it seemed that way, there would be nothing to say.

Zion asked his opponent, holding the pistol in his empty hand.

“Who are you?”