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Chapter 49: Sharin's Friend

Rumors travel fast.

It took less than half a day for everyone to hear about the mess I caused in the Magic Arts Department.

Even among the Martial Arts students, no one treated me like I was in my right mind.

I already didn’t have the best reputation in the Martial Arts Department.

The students who didn’t want to fall out with the Magic Arts students used this opportunity to badmouth me even more enthusiastically.

Before, only the Martial Arts students insulted me.

Now that the Magic Arts students could join in, they seemed overjoyed.

“Wow, Lightning Potato, that was wild. Why’d you do that?”

Seron looked at me with curiosity in his eyes, having clearly heard about it from somewhere.

“Maybe you emit some hormone that makes you crave being insulted constantly?”

“Yeah, so I’m figuring out right now what I can do to make you insult me, Seron.”

“Don’t worry, you don’t need to do anything special. I can insult you for free.”

Seron snorted.

The same consistent girl as ever.

“So, what exactly happened?”

Seron propped her chin on her hand and looked at me.

“I know you’re weird, but you wouldn’t do something like that without a reason.”

Unexpectedly, Seron thought of me somewhat positively.

“Judging by what I did for Isabel, it doesn’t look like I’d have a reason.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t think I’m blind. I’ve got eyes, you know?”

“Do you, though?”

Seron lunged at me as if to kill, but she must have sensed I wouldn’t explain, so she grumbled.

“If you don’t want to say, fine. I was just asking because you went there to confess and came back like this.”

“Confess, my foot.”

Even now, thinking about it made me want to punch Dorara square in the face.

Time passed, and soon it was dismissal time.

I stood up from my seat.

I planned to return to the dormitory, balance training with studying, and gradually prepare for the next chapter.

“You.”

At that moment, I ran into Isabel.

“I heard you caused another scene in the Magic Arts Department.”

Isabel stared at me intently.

I shrugged my shoulders, having stirred up a reputation.

“I just put those Magic Arts jerks in their place.”

“For Rin, wasn’t it?”

Had she noticed?

I played dumb, but Isabel let out a sigh.

“There were rumors spreading about Rin, weren’t there?”

Apparently, Isabel had also heard the rumors about Sharin.

“I was about to step in myself.”

Isabel looked at me quietly.

It seemed I had unintentionally acted just as she was about to move.

“Thanks to you stepping in, those rumors disappeared.”

“Must’ve been a coincidence.”

Isabel’s gaze felt sharp, almost piercing.

There was also a hint of hesitation in her expression.

Isabel had changed a lot recently due to various events.

As I waited for her to speak, she finally continued.

“…You know, I’ve been wondering about something for a while. That time you insulted Lucas…”

The conversation took a strange turn, and my heart sank for a moment.

She couldn’t finish her sentence, her lips quivering slightly.

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Isabel stopped there, turned around, and walked away.

Maybe seeing me intervene in Sharin’s situation made her reflect objectively.

It wasn’t a good development.

Even though Isabel had improved a lot recently, there was still an air of uncertainty about her.

‘I just hope she doesn’t start spiraling on her own again.’

She remained a main heroine I couldn’t help but worry about.

But for now, there was nothing I could do.

Isabel needed time and steady observation.

Ending my conversation with Isabel, I started walking back toward the dormitory.

Whoosh—

And before I knew it, I was flailing in midair.

Suspended mid-air, I slowly turned my head.

In the shadowy space between the buildings, hair shimmering like a galaxy caught my eye.

A girl stood there, gazing at me lazily with her sharp eyes.

The light in her eyes wasn’t kind in the slightest.

It’s here.

“Hannon, is there something you’d like to say?”

“I’ve never done anything in my life to be ashamed of.”

“Good, then.”

My body floated even higher into the air.

I felt like a balloon.

“I’m sorry! I lost my temper and acted recklessly!”

As I hurriedly apologized, Sharin returned me to the ground.

I thought I was about to become one with the stars.

As I sighed in relief, Sharin stepped out from the alley.

“Why did you do it?”

She asked for a reason.

Sharin was smart.

She must have guessed why I acted impulsively but asked to confirm.

Hiding the truth from Sharin, the person directly involved, would only upset her.

That wouldn’t be considerate.

“Like I said, part of it was anger. The other part was that I didn’t want to see my valuable ally caught in a difficult situation.”

I confessed honestly, and Sharin stared at me, as if trying to uncover my true intentions.

But I had nothing to hide.

“You chose to get insulted in my place with that kind of intention?”

Sharin’s eyebrows furrowed sharply, showing her anger.

It was the first time I’d seen her so upset.

“As you know, I’m already constantly insulted in the Martial Arts Department. Adding the Magic Arts Department to the list doesn’t make much of a difference now.”

“How can you say it doesn’t matter? From now on, you won’t even be able to talk to the Magic Arts students.”

Sharin asked how I’d handle teamwork or related issues in the future.

In the Magic Dungeon, cooperation is critical.

Having a bad relationship with a long-range dealer could spell disaster.

“It’s fine. I have you, Sharin.”

Sharin blinked in surprise.

“…Who said I’d team up with you?”

“Oh no, this is bad. I thought you’d team up with me, so I went ahead and acted.”

“You’re terrible at lying.”

Was it that obvious?

I grinned.

“Even if the entire Magic Arts Department hates me, earning the trust of its top student is worth it, don’t you think?”

Undoubtedly, I could say this:

There’s no one in the Magic Arts Department who’s a better asset than Sharin.

Sharin opened her mouth as if to say something but soon sighed deeply.

“I knew you were reckless, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.”

“Keep it in mind for the future.”

We’d have plenty of dealings from now on.

“Honestly, I still don’t understand why you went so far. It’s nosy.”

Sharin is the type to handle her affairs on her own.

Even if she got ostracized in the Magic Arts Department, she’d find it a minor inconvenience at best.

To someone like her, my actions were a risky overreach.

“But thank you.”

Even so, Sharin expressed her gratitude.

“I don’t like it when people badmouth my mom like that.”

Sharin briefly closed her eyes as if recalling something from the past.

She’s intelligent and has a sharp memory.

Even though she acts like she forgets everything quickly, she remembers everything clearly.

Even the painful experiences she’d rather forget.

That’s why I acted nosily.

Someone like Sharin would remember the pain of being ostracized for the rest of her life.

No one needs memories like that.

“Hannon, can I ask you one thing?”

Sharin’s face, illuminated by the setting sun, looked somewhat lonely.

“What is it?”

“Your name.”

Sharin knew through her "Mirinae" eyes that I was hiding my appearance with the Veil Bandages.

“Can’t you tell me your real name?”

Even so, Sharin had never asked me for my real name before.

Our relationship was ambiguous, somewhere outside a simple friendship.

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Sharin and I were tied together through Isabel in what could only be called a transactional relationship.

But now, she was asking for my name.

I didn’t know what had shifted in her heart, but for the first time, she seemed curious about my name.

“It’s not allowed.”

So I gave her a curt response.

I couldn’t reveal the fact that I was Vikamon yet.

Sharin looked at me with a dumbfounded expression, as if she hadn’t even considered the possibility of my refusal.

“After you graduate from the academy.”

Instead, I set a condition.

“I’ll tell you then.”

In a world where the bad ending had concluded, I would no longer need to hide my identity when that world finally arrived.

Sharin, who had been staring at me intently, turned away without another word.

“Suit yourself.”

Was she slightly upset?

The fact that she was showing this much emotion must mean we had gotten quite close.

I smiled faintly.

Sharin, walking through the sunset, didn’t seem so lonely today.

* * *

Time passed slowly, and midsummer had arrived before I knew it.

It was the time when everyone was fanning themselves and dressing lighter.

Before we realized it, the next Dungeon of Trials was fast approaching.

“It seems everyone’s completely drained because it’s summer.”

Professor Vega, who was holding her usual morning class, sighed as she looked at the exhausted students.

As she said, the students were all tired.

Even though cooling magic was cast in the classroom, living in the heat every day took its toll.

“Hang in there until the Dungeon of Trials. After that, you’ll get a short vacation.”

After completing the summer Dungeon of Trials, students would receive about 10 days of vacation.

What they did during that time was up to them.

But her words of encouragement didn’t do much to motivate the students.

Clicking her tongue, Vega set her book down.

“I was going to tell you later because I thought you wouldn’t be able to focus, but… there will be a barbecue party outdoors today.”

The students’ eyes lit up in an instant.

There wasn’t a better time to enjoy eating than at that age.

The idea of a barbecue was irresistible, especially for the combat studies students, who moved their bodies intensely and had hearty appetites.

Excitement broke out among the students, with cheers echoing everywhere.

Since the student council was already helping prepare the barbecue, I knew about it beforehand.

“So, everyone, focus on class. It’ll all be for your own benefit.”

With that, Professor Vega resumed her lecture.

But the students were already eagerly awaiting the barbecue party.

“It’s over!”

“Barbecue time!”

Finally, as the afternoon classes ended, the students let out triumphant cheers.

They all rushed toward the barbecue party venue with enthusiasm.

This barbecue was divided by academic year, so combat studies students from all grades—first, second, and third years—gathered together.

“I’m heading over to help with the student council.”

“What? Then where am I supposed to eat?”

As I prepared to fulfill my student council duties, Seron let out a panicked cry.

She was the type who didn’t get along with anyone else in the combat studies class except for me.

It felt a bit pitiful to leave her alone.

“Then come help with the student council.”

“Ugh, no thanks.”

Any sympathy I felt immediately disappeared.

Just then, a familiar face passed by in front of me.

“Ban.”

When I called out his name, Ban turned toward me with his usual laid-back expression.

“What is it?”

“Could you take Seron with you? I need to go to the student council.”

Ban looked at Seron.

Lately, Seron hadn’t interacted with anyone except me, so she fidgeted awkwardly while nervously jabbing me in the back.

“Y-you lightning sweet potato!”

“If you follow Ban, Isabel will probably be there too. She’d welcome you, wouldn’t she?”

“Well… I suppose so.”

After hesitating briefly, Seron eventually decided that going with Ban was better than eating alone.

Seeing Seron off, looking visibly uneasy, I headed to where the student council was gathered.

The combat studies student council consisted of five members:

Two third-years, two second-years, and one first-year.

Though Nikita spent the most time in the student council office, the others also regularly checked in and participated.

“Hannon.”

As I arrived, a fellow second-year and student council member, Hamel, greeted me.

We weren’t particularly close, but we got along well enough.

Hamel was one of the most neutral students in combat studies, which made him easy to get along with.

“Ah, Senior Hannon, you’re here!”

Next to him was a cheerful first-year boy with bright blue hair, wearing a yellow name tag.

He greeted me with a beaming smile.

This boy was Midra Fenin, a first-year and the second-ranked student in combat studies.

We hadn’t had much interaction, but he tended to act especially friendly toward me.

“I heard about what you did in the Magic Arts department! You really put those mages in their place, huh?”

“Don’t speak poorly of the Magic Arts students. It’ll make things difficult when forming teams later.”

“Got it! I’ll keep that in mind.”

Since he wasn’t a significant character in the Blazing Butterfly arc, I had no idea what he was thinking.

“Where are the third-years?”

“They’re over there, helping the assistants.”

Hamel pointed to where the two third-years were talking with the teaching assistants.

One of them was the vice president, Nikita.

“Senior Nikita.”

When I approached and called her name, Nikita turned to look at me, smiling brightly.

“You’re here, junior.”

I froze.

Her smile was different from before.

It was clearly distorted, as if something had broken.

Her eyes no longer held me in them.

Instead, an inexplicable sense of oppression emanated from her.

And along with it, a chilling coldness.

I realized it instantly.

‘Ancient Dragon.’

She had finally touched it.

Act 3, Scene 6

‘The Dragon of Disaster’ has begun.

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