I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

29 – A Precious Guest -2-

Clack!

The princess returned after sincerely completing the daily repetitive training.

Today was the worst, drenched in the monster’s blood.

With every step, my shoes made a squelching sound.

“…Is anyone there?”

Even after returning from a hard day’s work, no one welcomed me.

These things, which I usually didn’t care about, started to bother me recently.

Ever since I became convinced that the elders were tracking my location.

‘They only call me royalty or princess when they need something…’

Now it’s time to return to my room, rest, check my firearms, and import supplies.

This is the time when the princess feels most at ease.

Just like that.

As the princess headed to her room with her gun, her sharp, long ears perked up.

I’ve always thought I couldn’t trust those guys…!

But can we officially hire anyone? If you’re going to get angry, at least do it in your room…

Isn’t this purely a matter of hindsight?

You didn’t object when we first hired them, and now…

…

…

The atmosphere had been bad since the day the princess returned alone without any guests.

The cause of the heated debates, which were usually loud, was a series of failures.

The elders were furious because things kept going wrong due to unknown factors they couldn’t grasp.

Who were the awaited guests, and why were they invited?

The princess subtly probed the elders, but they dismissed her, saying there was no need to worry about trivial matters.

“Hoo…”

Ignoring the ongoing argument, the princess moved on.

She stepped into her private space.

She unstrapped the sniper rifle and equipment she had been carrying and placed them on the table.

With a towel soaked in water, she wiped off the monster’s blood splattered on her face, then sat down and opened a drawer.

Before washing herself, she had to clean her equipment first.

Swoosh, swoosh.

The princess continued the now-familiar process with her eyes closed, deep in thought.

There must be many questions without answers.

What exactly happened to the elves living in the Tigrova coniferous forest?

Was it a gain or a loss to have sent that man away?

I still don’t know. There isn’t enough information to make a judgment.

‘Even so.’

It seemed certain that the elders were united in keeping some parts secret.

Thud!

After rolling up the cloth she used to clean the gun and throwing it into the trash can,

she touched the part sewn under her vest with her fingers.

Feeling the discomfort from the tracking device she had voluntarily put back in, she continued her thoughts.

Now, you should have a sense of how to use the tracker.

.

The feeling of being manipulated by that man was clear, making her uneasy and uncomfortable.

The princess had already made up her mind.

She casually opened one of her vest pockets and took out her cherished notebook.

The princess double-checked the phone number written there.

I should go visit.

She knew that gathering information would take quite some time.

Still, after all this time, she must have found out something.

With her resolve, the girl’s heart was filled with a subtle excitement about heading to the city.

Hmm-hmm~

The princess hummed a song she had heard during her visit to the city as she continued to prepare for her bath.

*

I’m sleepy.

Rohan stood at the counter, stretching to chase away his drowsiness.

He had tried to sit down and study theory with the time he had left, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing stuck in his head.

There was no room for other tasks now. He had to compress his focus to avoid any mistakes at work.

“Sigh.”

The condition caused by magical exhaustion was truly dreadful.

The weather outside was certainly cool, but my body felt limp and heavy, as if it were a humid day with rain.

Even so, I must endure.

How can one always be in perfect condition for work?

Bzzzz!!!

“Huh?”

The phone in my apron pocket vibrated violently.

Thinking it might be a call from the manager, I hurriedly took it out.

[ Clara: Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? ]

Clara peeked her head out from between the bookshelves, blinking her eyes.

She was fine talking about games, but for everyday matters, she preferred messaging over conversation.

‘Great. Healing 1 stack.’

For Clara to reach out about something other than games, despite the distance still between us, was truly touching.

It was a refreshing rain on my weary consciousness.

I sent a message back saying I was fine and gave the girl a small wave.

When I responded, Clara didn’t know what to do, her eyes darting around before she disappeared.

Rohan smiled at the sight.

‘I’ll clean up in 20 minutes.’

Today, with my mind feeling loose, I had set a rather leisurely cleaning time.

I had a hunch that if I didn’t, it would feel rushed.

In the moment of that resolved decision, the bell rang with a jingle.

Rohan turned his head towards the entrance and widened his eyes.

He recognized who it was immediately.

Even without the usual suit he saw every day.

The red hair and distinctive appearance left no room for doubt.

“Instructor!?”

“Rohan. Are you doing well?”

“What brings you here, Instructor…?”

“That’s a strange question. Of course, I came to buy a book.”

Ju-yeon stepped towards the bookshelf.

While looking around at the recommended books placed near the counter, he continued.

“And as the instructor in charge of Class 1, I also have the duty to supervise cadets working part-time.”

“Ah, I see…”

Rohan nodded in understanding.

When Ju-yeon spoke, it filled the air with credibility.

“Is your health improving? Your complexion seems a bit brighter.”

“It’s much better than when I just woke up.”

Rohan lifted the corners of his mouth to show he was fine.

Ju-yeon, relieved, carefully observed the surroundings.

“Are you working alone?”

“Yes. The manager has left for the day, so I will be closing the store.”

“If the owner were here, I would have greeted him… It seems you are trusted. That’s a good thing.”

In the meantime, did she find a book she liked?

Juyeon slightly raised her eyebrows as she picked up a book and headed to another bookshelf.

“Did you have dinner?”

“I plan to eat at the dormitory after I finish here.”

Normally, she would have had a cheap meal at the Orion Academy cafeteria before coming to work.

But today was an exception.

After receiving a blue-tinted IV drip in the infirmary, she had no appetite and came straight here.

“Going straight to the dormitory… It seems you don’t have any plans.”

“Where would I go at this late hour?”

As she answered nonchalantly, Juyeon met Rohan’s gaze.

“Then have dinner with the instructor.”

“What?”

Rohan blinked in surprise as Juyeon approached the counter and placed the books down.

She had brought a mystery novel and a historical novel.

“Is it too much of a burden?”

“No, I was just a bit surprised.”

Rohan picked up the machine to calculate the price along with the paper bag.

“That will be 4 coins and 31 tokens.”

Juyeon took the card and completed the payment.

“I thought it would be awkward for the instructor from the cadet’s perspective. But I couldn’t think of a way to put it delicately.”

“Although it’s sudden, it’s neither awkward nor burdensome.”

Juyeon, who had put away the card, glanced at Rohan’s calm eyes and then chuckled.

“It doesn’t seem like a lie, which surprises me. Rohan, don’t you feel uncomfortable being with a superior?”

“Doesn’t it depend on what kind of person the superior is? And I never refuse an offer for a meal.”

Although there are many conditions attached, it’s not a lie.

A pretty sister offering a meal, there’s no reason for Rohan to refuse Juyeon’s company.

“…If you seemed burdened, I was going to step back, saying it was a joke.”

“No cadet in Class 1 would refuse a chance to be with the instructor.”

“That’s quite the flattery.”

“Instructor, I’m not good at such things.”

Juyeon, holding the bag with the book, couldn’t help but laugh at how easily the situation unfolded.

“Unfortunately, it’s not a special treatment, so keep that in mind. I came under the pretext of supervision, so I can’t just leave.”

“I understand.”

If other cadets were working part-time somewhere and Juyeon had visited for supervision like now,

She would have offered and bought them a meal as well.

“Is there any menu you want? Any food you avoid?”

“I eat everything well except for tasteless food.”

“That’s a picky request.”

“Still, the standards are endlessly low. Even a hamburger visible right on the main street is good.”

“Hmm.”

Juyeon, expressing a subtle emotion with her lips and eyebrows, slowly moved away from the counter.

“Anyway, got it. The instructor will be busy, so contact me when your part-time job is over.”

With that, Juyeon gathered the book she had purchased and left the Flower Murut Bookstore.

Rohan, after collecting his bewildered thoughts, left the counter to clean.

‘What kind of sudden storm is this…’

It’s good but confusing. The exact words would be that it doesn’t feel real.

Reflecting on whether there was any mistake in the conversation just now, he was on his way to get the mop.

“Huuu…”

In the corner of the bookstore, Clara was trembling.