ALL NOVEL Chapter 15
Chapter 15
—–CROW—–
After Oz left, Arietta slumped back in her chair and rested her head on the desk.
And someone approached her.
It was Olivia Blue, the girl with neatly tied blue hair.
“Saintess.”
“Thank you for waiting, Olivia.”
“No, but are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I can’t cling to past relationships forever.”
Arietta lifted her head again.
There was disappointment on her face, but no regret.
However, the pain remained.
Saying she was fine was a lie. How could she be fine?
“So, we can just start over. We’ve changed too much anyway.”
[Saintess of Hope], Arietta Domine, never lost hope, no matter what.
She had to be someone’s hope. The guide who had to stand at the forefront and lead others couldn’t remain slumped over.
“We can just start over.”
“…Saintess.”
Olivia hesitated for a moment, as if in thought, and then spoke to Arietta.
“Excuse me, but would you mind if I went out for some fresh air?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Go ahead.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
Olivia bowed her head to Arietta and carefully left the room.
But contrary to her words about getting some fresh air, Olivia slumped against the door as soon as she left Arietta’s office.
Arietta could sense anyone within the disciplinary committee room, but Olivia didn’t care much about that.
-Liar…
A moment later, she heard a sobbing sound from the other side of the door.
-You promised to come back for me.
Just because she had ended the past relationship, just because she had accepted reality, didn’t mean it wasn’t painful.
Olivia, sitting on the floor, pretended not to hear the sound and guarded Arietta, separated by a small door.
-Oz is a liar.
The master she served should never shed tears in front of others.
She occasionally gave Arietta time like this.
Although she couldn’t cry in front of others, it was too much for her to bear everything alone.
So, separated by a small door, she let out her emotions.
“Sigh…”
If only Oz had gone missing.
Olivia thought that, but also respected him.
Oz had already noticed Olivia’s hidden presence when he talked to Arietta.
It was impossible not to notice.
Even if it wasn’t Oz, anyone could have noticed.
Even within
Moreover, the lights were on in the disciplinary committee building.
There was no need for the lights to be on if Arietta was alone.
“This is tiring.”
Oz pretended not to know, even though he knew everything. Both his relationship with Arietta and Olivia’s vigilance.
He focused solely on Arietta. It was the last consideration he could offer, but for Arietta, who had been waiting for him, it was a rather indifferent response.
“What should I do…?”
Arietta wanted to reach out to Oz. Even though she had ended their past relationship, she couldn’t give up on him. That was her nature.
On the other hand, Oz tried to distance himself from Arietta. He was well aware of his precarious situation, walking through a minefield. That’s why he tried not to involve Arietta.
That was his nature.
Arietta, who could never sever ties, and Oz, who could cut off all ties if necessary.
“This is so difficult…”
Olivia couldn’t take either side.
Her heart wanted to help Arietta, but rationally, it was right to respect Oz’s wishes.
That’s why she couldn’t do anything.
She did nothing.
* * *
I left the disciplinary committee room with a strange feeling.
The erosion rate that had surpassed its limit and the unfamiliar emotions that bloomed after seeing Arietta’s smile were suffocating me.
“Tch…”
I should go eat.
Although it was late, there were many places within
Among them were students aspiring to be chefs, and outsiders who were simply there to make money.
I randomly chose a nearby store that still had its lights on and entered. There was an NPC I had seen in the game.
He wasn’t a major character, but I occasionally saw him when buying stamina recovery items.
But even seeing these game-like elements didn’t lower the [Erosion Rate], which had surpassed 20%.
“May I take your order?”
“…This.”
I was still not used to speaking informally to strangers.
But I was the [Successor of the Demon King], even if I was currently on the run.
Speaking formally to commoners might make them uncomfortable. So, it was better to maintain an arrogant tone.
I had been thrown into such a world.
But it was harder than I thought to maintain such a tone, so I often trailed off at the end of my sentences.
“Let me confirm your order. One sirloin steak. Is that correct?”
“And are there any dishes available for takeout…? Something that can last until tomorrow would be good.”
“Hmm… I’ll ask the owner. Please wait a moment.”
The brown-haired employee left after a moment of contemplation.
Speaking informally was still difficult.
How was I just now? Did I act like Oz?
A short while later, I mechanically ate the steak, not really tasting it, and packed the takeout food. It was food without easily perishable vegetables. Good meat.
I liked the extravagance.
“Have a good night!”
As I walked through the academy, the world suddenly felt dark.
Even with the streetlights and the brightly shining stars, it felt like dark clouds had gathered.
* * *
[Erosion Rate 21%]
A dream. Yes, this was a dream.
The [Erosion Rate], which had finally surpassed its limit of 20%, was showing me a dream.
That’s why I was dreaming. But it wasn’t my dream.
This was Oz’s dream.
A dream of living an ordinary life in an ordinary monastery.
“Oz!”
Someone called me, who was sitting quietly reading a book. No, they called Oz, not me.
I turned around and saw a girl with pure white hair and sparkling mint-green eyes.
“Arietta, you’re loud.”
There were only four children in the monastery: Oz, Arietta, and the red-haired siblings.
For them, life was nothing special.
They woke up in the morning, prayed, and ate breakfast.
They cleaned the monastery, received simple education, prayed again, and ate lunch.
They each took care of their assigned tasks, played during their free time, prayed and ate dinner when evening came.
They read books and went to sleep.
That was how their days repeated.
It might seem monotonous and ordinary, but they were undoubtedly happy.
Oz, perhaps because of his personality since childhood, didn’t express his emotions outwardly.
On the other hand, Arietta was bright and cheerful.
It was quite different from her current demure appearance.
“This child.”
“Yes, this child is…”
“We’ll take her from here.”
“Understood…”
And that seemingly eternal, ordinary world began to be tinged with something special.
The specialness eroded them, even though they didn’t want it.
Arietta had to part with everyone because of that specialness.
The one who came for her was none other than the Pope. The head of the small monastery couldn’t refuse.
“Hey, Oz.”
“…What.”
“I, I have to go tomorrow. God chose me, so I have to go.”
“I see.”
“Oz, you won’t forget me, right?”
“…”
“Promise? Don’t forget me, and come back for me later, okay?”
Oz was indifferent.
Even at Arietta’s words, who would be leaving tomorrow, he didn’t turn his head.
He seemed callous.
He simply answered briefly and curtly.
“Yes.”
But I could understand.
What kind of arrogance Oz held at that time, what a truly Oz-like sentiment it was, I understood.
Oz, that arrogant and talented boy, answered without turning his head, engrossed in his book.
He was pretending to be calm, but he was in a maelstrom of intense emotions.
After saying goodbye to Arietta, Oz muttered quietly.
His eyes, as if trying to absorb everything within, didn’t leave the book.
“…I’ll definitely come back for you.”
If the being who took Arietta was God…
He wanted to surpass God.
[Erosion Rate 20%]
* * *
Morning came as usual.
The difference from before was perhaps the lack of fatigue? Oz’s body was more resilient than I imagined.
“Ha…!”
The dream I just had.
I didn’t want to learn the game’s backstory this way.
Wasn’t it too late?
[Erosion Rate 15%]
Was it because of the dream?
[Erosion Rate 10%]
The [Erosion Rate], which hadn’t gone down since the incident with Arietta, started plummeting again.
[Erosion Rate 10%]
Even so, it didn’t go below a certain level.
I wasn’t sure if the minimum value had changed or if I was still struggling, but it didn’t feel good.
“Sigh…”
I put on my school uniform, attached the disciplinary committee armband, ate the food I packed yesterday, and left the dormitory.
I felt alienated by the fact that I was alone. I was starting to accept this world.
As I walked through the academy, I saw a familiar face.
Our attention-seeker, Eleanor.
“Hah!”
Eleanor was practicing, swinging her greatsword, which was rare.
It felt strange, remembering how she usually only thought about how to attract attention.
“Noah, what’s going on? You’re training in the morning, of all times.”
“Ah, Master Oz… Huh? M-Master, you joined the disciplinary committee?”
Eleanor, who was approaching me with a bright smile, froze when she saw the white armband on my shoulder.
Was it just my imagination that she looked like a thief with a guilty conscience?
“Confess. What did you do this morning?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“…Are you planning to do it later?”
“Master tends to see me as a criminal.”
You have a colorful criminal record.
The mere fact that she, who usually strived to attract attention, was swinging a sword in the morning made me nervous.
I hated to say it, but I couldn’t help but think that she was preparing for some future mischief.
“Then why are you training?”
“The freshman welcoming party is coming up soon, right?”
“That’s right.”
“But at a party, everyone wants to be the center of attention, right?”
“I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but let’s just say it is.”
“The nobles will probably be wearing pretty dresses… Anyway, they’ll definitely dress up. Isn’t that unfair?”
“You…”
I almost said, “Aren’t you royalty?”
What amazing camouflage skills. Was it an act so convincing that she even fooled herself? Why did she, of all people, hate nobles?
Come to think of it, it was also sad.
Yes, Eleanor must have been thinking about the times she enjoyed parties at the Chrysos royal palace.
She was a beloved princess, so she must have been happy.
Perhaps this kind of party reminded her of the past.
In her current situation, even getting a dress would be difficult.
And even if she could, it would be hard for her to be the center of attention because of the people around her.
That’s why she was working so hard to rebuild the Chrysos Kingdom as soon as possible, wasn’t it? Perhaps that was why she was swinging a sword and training her strength in the morning.
Perhaps I was mistaken. She was indeed an attention-seeker, but she was also royalty with a noble mission.
I felt guilty.
“So, I’m going to turn the party upside down. Yes! I’ll destroy it! That’s why I’m training. You’ll help me then, right, Master?”
No, now that I thought about it, there was no need for guilt.
Eleanor was simply more insane than I had imagined.
“…Shall we discuss the details at the disciplinary committee room?”
Although she was saying it with a cheerful smile, her mindset of destroying things if she couldn’t have them was somewhat chilling.
Having achieved an early morning disciplinary committee achievement, I left Eleanor behind and quietly attended class.
* * *
After the morning common classes ended, Eleanor approached me again with a seemingly dissatisfied expression.
“Master Oz, don’t you think it’s strange?”
“Yeah, it is strange.”
Mainly your head.
“I’ve been wondering this for a while, but do the disciplinary committee members not attend classes? Why do they always keep me until I’m late? This is the third time! Both morning and afternoon classes are marked with tardiness! I’ve already started receiving warnings!”
Three times…
Once on orientation day, once today, and another time somewhere I didn’t know?
Since there were only morning classes on orientation day, it meant she had messed up every single time.
It hadn’t been long since the semester started.
Wasn’t it a problem that she had already become a regular at the disciplinary committee to the point of wondering this?
What was she doing to get caught by the disciplinary committee so often? What was she doing in places I didn’t know?
“They’re probably free since there are no common classes from the second year onwards.”
Putting aside Eleanor’s strange mind, I answered her question.
“Are their credits okay?”
“They get credits for disciplinary committee activities.”
“That’s unfair. Then I’m the only one getting penalized.”
“Sometimes, I admire your shamelessness…”
The problem was that she only did things that warranted penalties.
I got up from my seat, ignoring Eleanor’s absurd complaints.
“Are you skipping afternoon classes and going out to play again today? That’s unfair. I’m envious. I want to be a noble too.”
“…”
I barely managed to swallow the words that were about to come out of my mouth.
How could she, who was born royalty, not just a symbolic noble like me, have such natural animosity?
If it was an act, it was incredible.
“I’m going to class today.”
“Is that so? So, Master’s schedule today is… basic combat skills, right?”
“How did you know…?”
“Ehehe…”
[Contemplation – Activated]
This was strange.
There was no reason for her to memorize my schedule.
I had never shown it to her.
Moreover, even if the class names were the same, the schedules would be different if the professors were different.
There was no way she could know unless she investigated separately.
“Are you investigating the disciplinary committee’s movements in preparation for causing chaos at the freshman welcoming party?”
I stared at the silent Eleanor with [Contemplation].
Say something. I would see through all her lies.
“…Ahem.”
“Noah of Class 1-4. I’m giving you a penalty under the authority of the disciplinary committee.”
“Ah…!”
* * *
As Noah informed me, my afternoon class was basic combat skills.
Since it was a combat skills class, it was held outdoors.
There weren’t many students.
Students aiming to be warriors or guardians, whose main focus was combat skills, started from the beginner or intermediate level, where the subjects started to become more specialized, skipping the basics.
Similarly, students aiming to be mages also learned from the beginner or intermediate level, skipping the basics.
Of course, I skipped the beginner level too.
There was no reason to spend time on it since I could copy it.
“Hahahaha! I never imagined the famous Oz would attend my class.”
“Ah, yes…”
The one speaking to me so casually was Gerard Oren, the professor who taught basic combat skills and intermediate hand-to-hand combat.
A muscular man with a friendly demeanor.
“You made a wise decision. No matter how strong your magic is, close-range combat is dangerous. Learning simple self-defense techniques can help you catch your opponent off guard.”
“I agree.”
I wouldn’t learn much from Gerard Oren.
As he said, it would be just self-defense level techniques. Most of the students attending this class probably had the same thought.
But I had another reason for attending this class.
“Let’s start with warm-ups. You’ll regret it later if you make sudden movements with tense muscles.”
Gerard Oren, the boss of Chapter 1 of the main story, was from the Chrysos Kingdom.
He was fine since he was a professor at
The outline of Chapter 1 of the main story was him directing his anger and resentment towards Eleanor.
The reason Gerard attacked Eleanor was because of the rumor that the Chrysos royal family had incurred the wrath of heaven and were being punished.
It was unlikely for someone of his position to believe such a rumor, but Gerard chose to believe it.
He needed a place to vent his anger and resentment.
[Contemplation – Activated]
I looked at Gerard with [Contemplation] and saw a burning rage hidden behind his friendly smile.
Unfortunately, it seemed difficult to intervene beforehand.
Judging from the circumstances, he had already noticed Eleanor’s presence.
There was no way he wouldn’t recognize her, since she liked to mingle with the commoners.
Just cutting her hair a little wouldn’t be enough to fool those who knew her well.
“Hmm? Is something the matter, Oz?”
Gerard Oren was strong.
It was natural for an instructor who taught up to intermediate hand-to-hand combat to be strong.
In terms of game characters, he would probably be an SR-rank character.
There was no way I could win against him in my current state, having just started learning intermediate magic.
So, I couldn’t confront him directly.
“I’m currently being targeted by numerous assassins.”
“…”
“I’m curious if the techniques you teach will be useful to me. Whether they’re worth learning.”
It was a class I chose myself.
But I had to act arrogant, as if it were a natural question, like Oz.
I declared to Professor Gerard, “Show me your skills. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
I needed to know his fighting style in advance.
Although this was a game world, it was obvious that the opponent wouldn’t act like a game character.
They wouldn’t simply follow a monster’s pattern.
“…Very well, Prince Oz. Considering your current situation, it’s understandable that you would have such doubts.”
His address changed from “student” to “Prince.”
[Contemplation] read Gerard’s emotions once again.
“But I hope you understand that you’re not the only one attending this class. Shall we finish this quickly?”
The emotion hidden behind his friendly smile was still a burning rage.
“This might hurt a little.”
And contempt.
I wasn’t sure about anything else, but I could guarantee one thing.
My acting was perfect this time. Gerard started rushing towards me.
—–CROW—–