LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 24
24th Chapter. Not a Shining Star, but a Bodhisattva. (1)
I was only able to receive the exact news from the Academy after being discharged. There were limitations in getting updates occasionally through visitors.
Travell Viole was immediately imprisoned in the Empire’s jail. With evidence and circumstances caught, that guy’s life was effectively over.
The main branch of the Viole Family permanently disowned Travell to avoid a bigger scandal. With no place to go other than jail, he met an ending where he couldn’t live or die.
It’s an academy that even royalty attends, yet he practically attempted a monstrous murder. It’s strange that the nobles’ heads aren’t spinning over this.
Having smoothly navigated that crisis, I was able to enjoy a period of peaceful repose.
“How peaceful.”
Despite the expanse of the lake before me, it was eerily calm with no sounds of waves. Occasionally, the sound of a gentle breeze rustling was the only interruption, and there could be no better place to indulge in romance than this.
Despite such a lovely lakeside, why were there so few people around? But I was extremely pleased that I could privately own such a good view.
That said, it wasn’t entirely devoid of life. I could see some wildlife and monsters roaming nearby, but they weren’t a serious threat.
As a curious rabbit from a nearby burrow approached me, I patted its head. A junior griffin with wings came up and growled, but it was just as cute as the rabbit.
Unfortunately, my moment of happiness was short-lived. After all, I was merely stopping by while finishing my daily routine. And then…
“Ha ha ha! Fish! Let’s compete! Ha ha ha!”
The once tranquil lake suddenly erupted with splashes. Something was swimming rapidly towards me.
It displayed power that one wouldn’t expect from such a small body. There was no particular reason for the girl’s actions.
Soaked in her precious school uniform with her pink hair flailing about, Mary Ryudshiel was just that kind of being.
“Puhaaaa!~ Poooooo! Look at this!!~
She swam while spitting out the water she had gulped. What is she, a dolphin?
The girl who could very well have downed a bowl of cocaine was still the same today.
Sometimes, I wonder. If Mary hadn’t been born as the daughter of a mage tower’s noble but instead as the chief’s daughter from a native tribe, wouldn’t she suit that role perfectly based on her current behavior?
“Hey? My friend!”
“Hello.”
When Mary noticed me with her round eyes, she casually greeted me. But this time, she didn’t rush over to hug me; she simply stared intensely.
Is she challenging me to a staring contest? I could see her eyes sparkling with eagerness, like she was craving something. Understanding what she was after, I tossed her a fish from the container.
The fish I took time to catch. I was curious about Mary’s reaction, and as expected, she snatched it up like a seal and started munching on it.
“Yum~ Delicious! My friend is the best!”
It was my first time seeing her munch on a raw fish like that, without even cooking or boiling it. And eating bugs too! She was on par with some explorer in England who sought out protein sources.
She ended up chewing right through the bones and leaped out of the water, landing next to me. Then she set her eyes on the rice ball I had packed for lunch.
“Just one for me!”
“……”
This empty-headed girl…
“Just one.”
“Yay!!”
Mary, with a childlike expression, snatched a rice ball.
However, her wet hand compromised the stickiness of the rice, causing it to slip and fall to the grass.
“Uh…?”
“……”
“Just one…”
“Shut up.”
When I firmly rejected her, Mary pouted, sticking her lips out. I quickly shifted the topic.
“Aren’t you cold? Why are you swimming in that get-up?”
“This way, I can become one with nature! So I can feel the connection with the spirits.”
Forest bathing, blending with nature, is an exceptionally beneficial mana training practice.
The air in regions with little human presence is infused with powerful natural mana. That’s also why spirits often appear in such places.
As you repeatedly train and become one with nature, you can awaken hidden powers.
It doesn’t pertain solely to the forests either. The same goes for the sea or volcanoes.
“Somehow, I feel like the spirits that should be feeling that connection were all scared off by your antics.”
“Not at all. I’ve already made friends with many. Can’t you see them, Radon?”
“……”
Coincidentally, the spirit realm was on a completely different level for me, who has low sensitivity. For Mary, born with innate talent, it’s no wonder she could see spirits since she was a baby.
Additionally, among the students, there are those who can materialize spirits. Crona Delaware is one of them.
“I told the spirits a lot about you. They found it super entertaining.”
“Good for you.”
“They also told me about the Nobel record you gifted me!”
“What?!”
Who went blabbing about that? Are they trying to corrupt the spirit realm?
“But I couldn’t show the spirits the record. Such a shame.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But I can’t give up like this! I will definitely spread the word about my friend Radon’s deeply significant work to everyone!”
“Knock it off!”
-Ouch!
I slapped her because I was tempted to give her a playful hit. What’s so great about that disgusting thing anyway?
Or maybe it’s just natural curiosity at that age, much like how I was once caught sneaking a peek at something similar during school and got scolded by adults.
“But, hey. Can Radon draw well?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I heard while playing in the study building today that the head of the Art Department was looking for you? They said that picture that was hung during the duel with Jenny and Crona was yours?”
“What?”
I clearly asked Crona to keep it a secret, so why on earth? Who leaked it?
“Who spread that kind of falsehood?”
[Resilience Rate Decline: -2%]
[+200 Credits]
“I don’t know either. But is it true that Radon drew that picture?”
“No! I don’t know the first thing about drawing.”
[Resilience Rate Decline: -2%]
“Is that so? But the shining head of the Art Department is probably looking for you right now. I caught a glimpse, and they seemed ready to stir up the whole Academy.”
What an absurd human. Do they plan to scout me from the Newspaper Department where I need to be? Not a chance. They better not expect me to do them any favors.
“Ah, time’s up. I’ll be going! I agreed to meet with the magic department folks for a meeting!”
“Sure.”
She bounced away as she left. If she wore a top and a flower in her hair in that state, she’d be perfect.
“Oh right! The spirits said they felt the mana of Yoyo in that forest. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but be careful anyway!”
Mary shouted that from afar before disappearing over the ridge. Yoyo? I think I know who that might be.
Yoyo is a descendant of the Thousand-Year Fox that drove out the Demon God long ago.
Even though it’s a being comparable to a dragon, it is considered safe for now as it is a juvenile divine beast, since it will presumably debut as a new character in the future.
Twilight was slowly descending. It seemed wise to stay for just 10 minutes longer before heading back. For me, fishing was as sweet as honey since I only have credits as a means of making money.
Moreover, engaging in fishing, which operates on the same mechanism as “deception,” automatically reduced my resilience rate.
Thus, I could obtain credits while decreasing my resilience rate, which was a perfect deal.
The mid-evaluation was approaching. With only 10 days left, the students would be scrambling about now.
During that time, the intensity of classes would increase, along with competitive tensions rising among classmates. Mary probably left because of that too.
‘To the point that even Jenny is distancing herself from her friends for competition.’
I was included in that “friends” category. The look she had when she mentioned it felt like a declaration of rivalry, making me chuckle inside.
‘True friends, but… The others wouldn’t see it that way.’
There were more than a few who clung to Jenny pretending to be friends. It’s only natural for them to find me annoying for being accidentally caught up in it all.
Rumors that I’m riding on Class A’s coattails occasionally reach my ears, but right now, they were just insignificant whispers.
The representative first-year student and a hater of the weak, Kent, had been silent for now.
“By the way, how should I deal with this?”
I noticed the rice ball that Mary accidentally dropped.
I thought about retrieving it and disposing of it myself, but decided to leave it alone. I trusted that either the bugs or animals would take care of it eventually and headed down the hill.
Swoosh-
As soon as I noticed no one around, the darkness fell quickly.
In front of the lake, which started to brightly reflect the moonlight, a white figure appeared.
It was a girl. She had hair like a white mane and wore nothing but a white cloth, with skin that was also pure white.
Despite her ambiguous attire, her appearance suggested she hadn’t strayed too far from the village.
Grrr—
A growl erupted from the girl’s stomach. What caught her eye was the rice ball that the young man had dropped. Driven by curiosity, the girl grabbed the rice and took a bite.
“……!!”
Her eyes widened.
Inside the rice was ham that melted in her mouth and a soft-textured egg. The girl savored the delightful flavor for the first time, her eyes trembling as she gulped it down.
Unable to resist the delicious delicacy, the girl revealed… nine tails.
*
By the time I exited the forest, it was already dim.
I had caught quite a few carp. Thanks to my proficiency in “fishing,” I had turned into quite the master fisherman.
I planned to sell half of the ones I caught today in the fish market, and the other half would end up on my kitchen cutting board.
First, I dropped by the market to sell them and also to shop to prepare a hearty dinner.
Flour for frying and soy sauce for dipping. Also, gochujang for making spicy dipping sauce. For someone like me who enjoyed cooking alone in my studio apartment, gathering ingredients was a breeze.
Even if the recipes were complicated, students from the Academy had the privilege of sharing tips with each other.
[Radon Crawler – Approval Completed]
A multitude of records became visible in the mirror on the back of my student ID. The system known as the “Archive” holds the footprints of students, including articles from the Newspaper Department.
The cooking club students always graciously post various recipes. Additionally, the artworks from the Art Department and records from other departments are shared in such a manner.
By the time I completely decided on what to eat, I had arrived at the dorm.
Creeeak—
I opened the door to enter, fully intending to relax without a worry. I was just going into my room, after all, so no need to be cautious.
But a surprising situation unfolded.
“I’ve been waiting. Radon Crawler!”
“Yikes!”
Did I forget to lock the door properly? Someone was waiting inside. The moment I opened the door, he jumped out in a jump scare style.
His completely bald head without even a single hair tuft was an impressive sight even in the game.
Only the head of the Art Department, Niprain Halo, possessed that characteristic.
Surviving as an Academy Scammer.