Splinter

Leaving the club room, we headed to our respective search areas. I left the Academy’s main building and headed towards Lacar and the Third Annex, searching separately.

While I was focusing on searching places where people wouldn’t easily notice, places where Ross could accidentally get his hands on something, someone approached me, making footsteps.

,Ross? What are you doing here?

Turning around at Roel’s voice from behind, Roel approached with a bright smile.

,I was doing club activities.

,Club? Ross, if you joined a club, you should have told your hyung-nim!!! What kind of club is it? Should I join too?

Seeing Roel’s interested expression, I hurriedly waved my hands.

,It’s a friendship club made by the kids who became close during this practical training. Only first-year students can join.

It seemed to be quite surprising for Roel that I had made another friend. He snorted and roughly tapped my forearm.

,Now you’re really living the Academy life!

Roel, who had been wearing a proud expression, glanced around and then whispered softly.

,So, are there any decent girls?

I was dumbfounded by Roel’s unusual appearance, poking my side and making a sly expression. He smiled and raised his eyebrows as if to tell me to answer quickly.

,There are two girls out of the five club members.

,One must be lonely. That one isn’t going to be Ross, is it?!

I pushed Roel away, meaning to tell him to get lost, and he finally stopped joking.

,More than that, did you find a partner to go to the ball with?

,Ball?

Looking at Roel with a slightly bewildered expression at the sudden question, Roel shrugged as if asking if I didn’t know.

,The Emperor’s birthday is coming up soon. That day is usually a holiday, but this time, with the Academy attack and all, they’re holding a ball to change the atmosphere, or so I heard?

At Roel’s explanation, I stroked my chin. Originally, taking advantage of the weakened security on the Emperor’s birthday, a black magician attacked the Academy through the sewers.

I wondered if this was also a result of changing the predetermined flow, and as I made a slightly troubled expression, Roel slyly approached and whispered.

,How about… Should hyung-nim give you some dating advice?

I was dumbfounded that Roel, who had a fraudulent ability to make a good first impression and be easily liked by everyone, was offering advice.

Unlike Roel, who could easily become friends with anyone by just going up and talking with a friendly smile, I had similar characteristics to Roel but lived with an ordinary appearance and a perpetually gloomy expression. Even I thought I looked a bit depressed.

,No, I’ll take care of dating myself.

As I said that with a reluctant expression, Roel, looking disappointed, took out a gold coin pouch from his pocket.

,Since we met like this, I’ll give it to you now.

I was taken aback by Roel’s action of handing me a pouch heavily filled with gold coins, and Roel continued.

,Would a commoner like us have clothes to go to a ball? When the first ball was held, I was in a lot of trouble because I didn’t have a dedicated outfit. If it weren’t for Flavia’s help, I probably would have gone to the ball alone wearing my school uniform… Don’t have the same worries as me and buy some nice clothes. Use the remaining money as pocket money.

Roel, who had a bitter expression as if recalling that time, realized I was in front of him and quickly erased his expression, wearing his usual warm smile. But seeing Roel like that, my heart ached.

I, who wrote the story myself, knew better how emotionally and physically difficult Roel had been before his first ball.

Roel had promised to go to the ball with Flavia, but he later realized that a ball gown was basic etiquette. To earn money, Roel reduced his sleep and went out every weekend to work hard, but in the end, he couldn’t save enough money to buy clothes.

Roel wearing an old school uniform that didn’t fit, the sleeves having to be folded once because it was a hand-me-down from who knows how many people, standing next to Flavia, who had even prepared an expensive custom-made dress for the ball, was just perfect for gossip.

Revealing one’s shortcomings in front of a girl one likes was a story that any man would feel ashamed of.

Rather than Flavia being harmed because of him, what if he didn’t attend the ball and let Flavia go to the ball with another partner? Flavia, who found out that Roel was having such concerns, threw a fit.

She gifted Roel a new school uniform, a custom-made suit, and a ball gown. She secretly helped Roel get a good job so he could earn money separately… It was a story created for the heroine Flavia’s main love interest screentime.

A story created for the readers’ interest remained as a shameful scar for Roel. I couldn’t bear to lift my face in shame at the guilt about that and Roel’s kindness towards me.

As if reading my expression, Roel forcibly put the gold coin pouch in my hand and patted my shoulder.

,Are you worried about picking out clothes alone? I guess it’s scary since you’ve never bought clothes before. If you need hyung-nim’s help, I can do it right now…!

At Roel’s actions to lighten the mood with a playful voice, I smiled bitterly and shook my head.

,No, I can do it alone… Thank you always, hyung-nim.

As I said that with sincerity, Roel smiled and replied.

,That’s why I’m your hyung-nim. Tell me whenever you have a hard time. I’ll help you as much as I can. Well, I’ll be going now. I have a dinner appointment with Flavia.

Saying that, he lightly patted my shoulder and left with his usual bright smile.

I had a strange feeling as if the weight of the heavy gold coin pouch was pressing down on my heart rather than my hand. With a sigh, I organized my emotions and put the gold coin pouch into my spatial storage.

I swept my face once and started searching again.

Since I had set the search time to a light two hours, I had to look around the Third Annex within that time.

After carefully looking around the inside and checking even the places where people’s hands didn’t reach, I was walking through the annex’s campus to go to the club room when I stepped on an acorn that had fallen from a tree growing next to a secluded bench.

Without thinking, I looked up at the tree where the acorn had fallen from the sensation felt under my shoe, and I found a strangely shaped mask hanging on a branch.

The moment I looked at the mask, I felt something like déjà vu that I couldn’t describe. The word that had been lingering in my mouth disappeared without coming out.

I wondered if it was a cursed artifact and looked at it closely, but I couldn’t confirm it with my bare eyes.

Thinking that even if I touched the artifact because of my Indomitable Courage, I wouldn’t succumb to the Demon King’s temptation, I used spatial magic to take out the mask hanging on the tree.

I was worried that something might happen if I touched the mask, but there was nothing particularly strange.

Looking closely at the mask, I found a very small acorn drawn inside the mask.

,Is it just a lost item…?

Since it was time for the appointment, I put the mask in my spatial storage for now and headed to the club room.

I arrived the latest. The members were already lying on the sofa and chairs, slumped over.

,We didn’t find anything. What about the club president?

The mask came to mind at Lacar’s words, but since it wasn’t certain, I just shook my head.

,Then let’s meet again in the club room after lunch tomorrow.

As I said that, the members nodded and left the club room one by one to enjoy the rest of their weekend evening.

Lacar, who had cleaned up the club room that the members had messed up, said.

,Let’s go eat.

,Ah, I’ll eat a little later. Eat first today.

,Okay. Ah, I’m going to skip physical training today. I’m meeting my fiancée.

,Okay.

As Lacar even left the club room, the noisy club room was filled with silence. The ceiling that had been filled with sunlight had already turned into a night sky with twinkling stars.

I took the mask out of the spatial storage and looked at the acorn drawn on it.

What is the identity of this mask?

I don’t remember, but why do I feel déjà vu about this?

I instinctively knew that the easiest way to find out its identity was to wear the mask directly.

If this was a cursed artifact, I could get a chance to face the Demon King. Thinking that if I had Indomitable Courage, I wouldn’t succumb to the Demon King’s temptation, I wore the mask.

Suddenly, I felt as if my whole body was melting, and at the same time, I was overwhelmed by an irresistible force. As if someone was forcibly pressing down on my head, I trembled all over as if convulsing, with my forehead on the ground.

Blood vessels were tearing, muscles were bursting, and my heart was growing twice as large as before, breaking my ribs and continuing to grow. Along with the excruciating pain, someone’s cry was heard in my ear.

,You could have saved everyone!!!

The emotion of despair contained in the voice dug stickily into my ear.

How much sadness and loss must one experience to make such a voice?

The voice was so desperate that it was frightening to even imagine, and the feeling of sadness was clearly conveyed.

For some reason, all sorts of emotions surged in me, and I shed tears.

Contrary to that voice, a resigned voice asked.

,What did you lose this time?

I felt pain pressing down on my whole body at the question. A part of a huge madness was pressing down on me.

,Everything.

Along with someone’s answer, all sorts of voices began to spout incomprehensible words.

I felt like my head would explode from the overlapping of countless voices, but I used my Indomitable Courage to forcibly lift my head and look forward.

In the vast universe with no end in sight.

The stars danced, spiraling something.

Things swallowed by darkness twisted and exuded a vivid presence, but I couldn’t withstand its pressure.

,Then, step forward once more.

In front of a huge throne, something indescribable threw the mask it was wearing into the abyss of the universe came into view.

Even though I was seeing it with my own eyes, the existence I couldn’t recognize gestured.

At the same time as a dimensional passage that could overturn the world appeared behind that existence, I escaped from the illusion as if it were a lie.

The mask I had been wearing was shattered beyond repair and fell onto the carpet.

I breathed roughly while lying face down on the carpet from the pain as if a drill had stirred through my brain.

What did I see?

Even if I tried to recall the memory, my Indomitable Courage instinctively blocked it.

As if recalling it itself was impossible for me now….