<121 - Changed Attitudes Around>
Today, the attitudes of those around me have suddenly become strange.
“Oknodie, you poor thing! Someone like you will eventually find their points decreasing, and you’ll end up eating the whole wheat bread you’ve been saving for a meal!!”
“Are you crazy? What kind of kindness are you showing a corpse carrier? You might end up buried in the cemetery!”
Suddenly, an unknown student approached and started sharing food, only for others to come over and scold them.
I caught a mob passing by in the hallway and asked, “Mob, people are calling me a corpse carrier. Why is that?”
Mob spat out the water they were drinking and coughed, cough cough.
“Who said that?”
“The people passing by.”
“I’ll check it out after the lecture.”
“No need for that.”
“No, I’m just worried about it.”
Since it seemed unnecessary to stop them from doing it, I let them be. However, during dinner time, they came looking as pale as someone who hadn’t eaten all day.
“Oknodie, there are strange rumors going around about you. This isn’t my opinion, just what I heard, so don’t misunderstand.”
“Okay!”
“People think that because you’ve seen a lot of corpses, your affinity for dark attributes is high. There’s also a rumor that you’re part of an assassin family.”
“Ahh.”
So that’s why!
I thought it was a little strange for some reason.
Nodding my head, as if I finally had my questions answered, Mob still stared at me seriously, as if nothing was resolved, and asked, “So… is it true?”
“What’s true?”
“The rumor that you transport corpses and act as an assassin, which increased your affinity for dark attributes.”
Well, I don’t know.
If it were a game, I could definitely call it nonsense, but since this is reality, it’s a bit confusing.
As the player, I’ve experienced deaths and committed murders that number in the hundreds, and at times, I even faced ‘world destruction.’
If that gets calculated as my affinity, my dark attribute affinity would be maxed out.
But could it be possible that the same results might occur if calculated through Oknodie’s affinity?
What kind of character was Oknodie, really?
I had no knowledge about the background of this character in this round either.
Since the random papa event, I haven’t received any information related to my character’s past.
“Um… I don’t really know!”
“Why say you don’t know? It’s your life. Can’t you confidently say no?”
“But it’s confusing!”
“What’s confusing?”
“Whether it’s because of the ones I killed before or this time’s situation.”
Mob seemed shocked as if they had stumbled upon a side of the world they shouldn’t know about, looking around cautiously.
There wasn’t anyone passing by or eavesdropping close.
“Oknodie, don’t say such things anywhere.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t!”
“Um… no!”
“It’ll put you in danger!”
“Me?”
“Kids are scared of you. If they hear that kind of talk, they’ll be even more scared than they are now. Maybe… their parents will tell the school to expel you!”
That’s quite a concern.
This country wouldn’t even entertain a request to expel a single student from its royal family, no matter the king’s status.
In reality, the third princess Yayoi, without any backing, entered the academy all alone, and if she gets caught later, she’ll be summoned by the emperor.
Of course, the princess would brush it off and stick around while the emperor would try to take her away.
Participating in that situation would earn rewards, so should I manage my favorability just enough?
“Oknodie, think about it seriously since it’s your life!”
“Um… Unless Papa calls, I won’t get expelled!”
“Papa…? Oknodie’s father?”
“Yup!”
“That Papa is referring to your real dad, not the one who trained you in assassination, right?”
“Yup, yup!”
The only one who could send letters during the random papa event is Dad! So, it’s definitely Dad.
“Ha… I don’t get any of this. Anyway, be careful. Don’t get hurt by the kids’ changed attitudes.”
“Mob is a good kid?”
“W-What are you talking about! It’s natural to repay favors, take care of kids, or be kind to women!”
“Pong pong?”
“Pong… what?”
“Nothing!”
Even though Mob’s not particularly handsome, I’m slightly worried about how much they care about their values.
Instead of worrying about me, they should be more concerned about themselves.
Mob, who had been looking at me suspiciously, finally ran off, reminding me not to forget my advice, as Jiang and Titosso came over to join the next class.
“Who are they?”
“Is Oknodie your boyfriend~?”
“Just a nice kid!”
As Mob kept running and suddenly tripped over in the hallway, Titosso couldn’t help but chuckle.
“That one’s cute!”
“Do you want me to introduce you?”
“What are you talking about? No way!”
Right, I shouldn’t care what others think.
As long as my close friends stay the same!
*
Oknodie’s expression, actions, and attitude remained the same as usual.
After closely observing each movement, Jiang reached a conclusion.
“Well, worrying was a waste.”
It was only natural for an exposed assassin to be a target of fear or loathing.
Oknodie had already become too much of a topic of discussion.
I expected something like this would happen, and the heavy gaze would be overwhelming for a child. Yet, surprisingly, her demeanor remained unchanged.
The only difference was one thing.
If she encounters those who fear or insult her in the hallway, she would look embarrassed and try to turn away or find another path.
“Isn’t it a bit sad for Oknodie?”
“Not really. It’s something an assassin has to endure.”
“Is that so…? I don’t quite understand.”
“Titosso isn’t an assassin, so that’s why.”
Though Titosso wasn’t an assassin, they had somehow ended up making friends with two assassins.
Jiang suddenly became curious.
“Titosso, aren’t you scared?”
“Of what?”
“Us.”
“Oknodie and Jiang?”
Jiang blinked rapidly.
After a moment’s thought, the expression that appeared in her eyes reflected trust, not fear or disgust.
“Not at all!”
“Really?”
“Compared to the students in the Developing Insight lecture, Oknodie and Jiang are much cooler friends.”
“Such a strange child, Titosso.”
“Pfft. Jiang, you’re a child too. The third smallest one in the academy.”
Despite panicking and screaming at the sight of undead creatures, it’s impressive that she trusts and counts assassins as friends.
“Titosso, don’t change.”
“Suddenly? Did something happen?”
“Not really.”
If it was an event that happened long ago and has already ended.
It’s a common tale for a child who became friends without knowing an assassin’s true identity to realize and drift apart.
It’s an unavoidable fate for assassins, including their mentor, themselves, or perhaps a future disciple.
Once educated as an assassin, Oknodie cannot escape that fate.
“Lucky for you, Oknodie.”
She will not have to endure the scars she bore when she was Oknodie’s age.
Or maybe that makes it even more unfortunate.
If betrayal is inevitable, it’s better to turn into a stranger a bit sooner to bear less pain.
“Titosso.”
“Yeah?”
“If you betray me, I’ll kill you.”
“What did I do?”
“Anyway, I’ll kill you.”
“Hmph. If Jiang betrays me, I’ll kill Jiang too!”
I genuinely hope that at least you will stay a good friend to Oknodie.
Jiang sincerely wished so.
Killing someone who had been a friend is simply unfathomable.
*
I had high hopes for the magic I learned to drive away mosquitoes, but unfortunately, it didn’t help much.
Dark magic can be extremely dangerous when misused before mastering it.
Even as a player, every use could lead to different side effects, necessitating great caution; going outside where swarms of mosquitoes dominate is quite intimidating.
“Professor Sadako, can’t you use a pest repellent magic circle on the return path too?”
“Are you interested in dark magic?”
“No?”
“How about dealing with the undead?”
“Not really?”
“Just go back on your own.”
Professor Sadako coldly sent the students away.
“So, Titosso was frantically pressing the button to change the color while yelling to chase away the mosquitoes gathering at the spotlight, and the mosquitoes gathered even more, you know?”
Goo.
After a series of events, I returned to the dorm and started sharing today’s happenings, but Goo Mandragora didn’t seem too amused.
“If you keep that up, it’ll get annoying?”
Goo.
Mandragora lifted its little roots as if to say “bring it on,” holding a droplet of water and then splash it down.
“Hey…! You’re in for a scolding!”
[Amplification]
It was hard to amplify the Mandragora concentrated liquid, so I filled a cup with water and amplified it.
In an instant, the water in the cup turned black and started bubbling, gurgle gurgle.
Mandragora, terrified, adhered to the wall of the bottle and trembled.
“Hiccup.”
Really, what am I doing to a creature that can’t even understand me?
“Sorry; you got a bit scared, didn’t you?”
Feeling depressed, I dumped the water and apologized.
I lulled the terrified Mandragora into sleep and lay down on the bed.
“Am I a bit stressed out?”
When I faced Isabel from the Esonia Exploration Team during the entrance exam.
When I confronted the Western Noble Union, who were neutral at the time.
When I fought against the Red Fanged Mushroom illegal cultivation manager association made up of second-year seniors.
Those times were different.
Avoiding a student who might be a dangerous person with a high dark attribute affinity is an implicitly accepted social custom.
So there’s no fault in those discriminating and suspecting me.
Honestly, you might be an upcoming mass murderer. It’s useless to complain when already branded as such.
I feel obligated to feel like the perpetrator.
The fate of someone with a high affinity for dark attributes.
When a character is discriminated against, I just accepted it.
But now that I’m experiencing it firsthand, my chest feels tight.
It’s not a pleasant feeling.
“Do you want to consult with me?”
The Answering Door decided this was the right moment to speak up.
Creepy little thing.
Glancing at the wall once, I turned away and pulled my blanket over my head.
