<722 – A Peaceful Day (2)>
Were Jonna and Reap having a delightful meal together so long that even the sky was touched?
Darknodi could feel that the difficulty level of the lectures had dramatically decreased.
The infamous Professor Diemon, comparable to the merciless Professor Plato who tolerated no student walking on their two feet, had a lecture on [Demonology] that exemplified this.
“Professor, didn’t you say today we’d learn about the various dark magics that trample on the personalities of the servants of darkness?”
“The desire for sleep makes a person lazy and corrupts their character. Thus, wrapping oneself in a blanket and lying on a warm floor during lecture time could be considered very demonic.”
“Indeed…!”
It’s possible that while sleeping, Professor Diemon had ambushed nightmares lurking outside of the students’ perception.
Among students trembling in fear about what nightmares might come if they fell asleep, the time spent under the blanket with eyes closed was truly a terrifying hour for Darknodi as well.
But if they didn’t sleep, it was also an opportunity to recover from the fatigue and depletion caused by the intense lecture schedule.
“You… haven’t slept at all, have you?”
“To prevent laziness in character, not sleeping on the battlefield is the wisdom that Professor Diemon wished to impart in this lecture. I faithfully executed the professor’s teachings.”
“This crazy… just a little sleep wouldn’t hurt!”
“No way. An A+ grade cannot be compromised. I won’t doze off for even a moment. From now on, I’ll preemptively drink the awakening tonic every day so I’ll never feel sleepy.”
“… Teaching Assistants! Activate the defensive magic circle of the Dark Citadel at once. An ambush is unavoidable. Hurry up!”
Might there be a fourth-year lecture following?
I bowed my head slightly so as not to waste the precious time of the professor in a hurry preparing for war and dashed through the portal gate heading to the next lecture hall.
Using dimensional magic inside the academy was naturally against the rules, yet I had no choice but to break them, as I couldn’t finish the lecture as quickly as Oknodie.
“… Did you come?”
“Deadcat Senior?”
“The [Life-Ending Last-Moment Evasion] lecture is canceled, huh? If you’ve come, mark your attendance and scram.”
“Where are the TAs? You’re doing their job, Senior?”
“For some reason, both the professor and the TAs ended up in the medical building and now I’m working as a makeshift TA for points.”
Truly a competent person maintaining the position of one of the Four Kings of Class.
With the fastest information grasp and pragmatic judgment that was truly exceptional.
Oknodie may call them a lousy senior, but they were a respected senior to Darknodi.
“That’s amazing, Senior. Snatching the chance for easy points faster than anyone else! The agility of Cat Beastfolk is truly unrivaled.”
“… That’s annoying! Quit the undeserved compliments and get lost!”
Today, perhaps in a good mood, they didn’t scratch at their claws but simply huffed, showing a bit more maturity with each passing year.
If it were the senior from last year in my memories, they would have immediately clawed and chased me off without a care; seeing them hold back was quite impressive.
I also needed to become a model senior who demonstrates restraint for juniors like them.
“Oknodie! It’s lunch break; can we eat in the cafeteria?!”
“Uh…? It’s lunchtime, so let’s eat the school meal.”
“No, but today’s menu is just a repeat of all the same dishes we’ve had before, right?!”
Realizing what Dorothy wanted from her exclamation of horror, I placed roasted chestnuts from my tray onto her plate.
“It’s okay. Sometimes I want to enjoy a normal meal without training or collection. It’s something I’ve eaten before, so you can have it, Dorothy. If I remember correctly, it’s very sweet and delicious.”
“W-what is this sweetness?!”
“You haven’t even eaten it yet.”
“It’s not the chestnuts but Oknodie! Oknodie’s attitude is way too sweet. This isn’t like Oknodie!”
“…!”
Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down even during meal time.
While enjoying precious daily life with friends, the difference between the original and the clone, a feeling that could not be filled with just memories, created an uncanny atmosphere around us sometimes.
Darknodi tried to cheerfully recall Oknodie’s usual high tension and spoke up.
“Just kidding, just kidding~! Dorothy, were you really that happy just because I offered you roasted chestnuts? Haha. As if I would give up something edible!”
“R-right? I was really surprised just now.”
“I mean, since it’s free, just give me 10 points!”
“Oknodie is selling food?! At an incredible low price?! This is so Oknodie, but it feels off!”
“… You don’t like roasted chestnuts?”
“I don’t dislike them, but I just happened to want them really badly! Ugh… Fine, just give it here! I’ll buy it for 10 points!”
After finishing the meal, I went to the lounge in the lecture building armed with a stack of question books, ready to tackle afternoon lecture assignments, only to find Bigston Senior gaping at me from inside.
“You, caught red-handed!”
“Huh?”
“You usually just skim through the textbook and act all smug, but turns out you’re a person after all! You’ve been secretly studying all this time?!”
“Oh. Not really.”
“Don’t lie. Then what’s that stack of question books?”
“I just wanted to experience the process of acquiring the information I already know from memory.”
“So you came to review questions you already know? And during study hours at that? This demonic idea… I acknowledge it. You’re definitely the real Oknodie!”
“…”
Sometimes, I inadvertently received the judgment of being Oknodie, catching myself off guard. But I felt confused about what benefited me this time.
Still, I was worried about how to handle the quiz. Was my memory intact? Thankfully, the afternoon lectures were also canceled.
“The [Predators Disguised as Humans] lecture is canceled. If you came, mark your attendance and get lost!”
“Oh. I see you again, Deadcat Senior.”
“Oknodie?! Why are you even attending this absurd lecture?”
“Senior, how did you end up taking attendance for lectures you don’t even attend?”
“I got a side job to request a professor’s absence in the next bed over in the medical building.”
“I see… Your networking skills are quite impressive. I can feel the expertise of one of the Kings of Class.”
“Are you mocking me?! If I decide to, even becoming the top student is trivial! Compliments like that don’t make me happy at all!”
While huffing, the senior carelessly scratched their claws and pointed them sharply.
Realizing this action a bit late, they startled and hid their hands behind their back, yet the joy was still evident on their upright and trembling tail.
‘Deadcat Senior is adorable too. They’re clearly happy but are forcing themselves to seem upset, yet their body is honest, huh?’
Increasing my favorability toward Deadcat Senior by another point today, I headed to the next lecture hall, where this time a professor with a splint on their left arm and using a cane on their right was grimacing while chalking on the blackboard.
[Self-Study]
“Do whatever you want.”
Not long ago, Professor Sadako had also taken a day off for the Sabbath. It seems the academy also had a day of rest similar to a Sabbath.
With professors feeling relaxed and joyful enough to recharge, before I knew it, it was time for dinner.
Wanting to try something from the snack bar this time, I dropped by there and ran into Titosso and friends, who exclaimed, “Oknodie at the snack bar?!”
“I just wanted some snack bar treats today.”
“But every snack bar treat is something Oknodie has already tried!”
“… Still, sometimes I might want to eat something I’ve had before.”
“Got it! Oknodie is testing us right now, right? I heard from the third-year seniors in the [Predators Disguised as Humans] lecture that when someone does something out of character, they must be disguised predators! Haha. You wanted to share the teachings of a third-year with us, but you’re already too late!”
“… I’m frustrated. My intentions have been uncovered!”
Trying to act indignant, I was actually just feeling down.
Wandering around campus with a growling stomach from not being able to have a snack, I was approached by Isabel, who spotted Darknodi.
“Why are you walking so slowly? Not flying in the sky or rolling over the Mana Shield? Feeling unwell?”
It seemed she couldn’t understand the original’s good mood.
Realizing that today Oknodie’s act had gone up yet another difficulty tier really put me in a bad mood, I timidly replied, “No…”
Isabel spread a mat and told me to sit, unveiling a magical three-tiered lunchbox that always contained a fresh preservation feature they could hand to Oknodie without fail.
“Eat. I brought it for you.”
Joy bloomed on Darknodi’s face.
Even though the academy life was tough, there was something that real memories couldn’t replace in this joy of interacting directly with friends and peers.
When I opened the lunchbox with a beaming face, an oddly-shaped insect poked its head out, going “peekaboo.”
“… Isabel, what is this food called?”
“Cicada fritters. Since Oknodie has almost sampled every food, I prepared it today as a special insect dish.”
“……”
“Don’t like it…?”
“Ah, no. It looks tasty, and I was just debating where to start chewing.”
“Just do as you always do and shove it all in your mouth at once!”
Sadness followed by happiness, followed by more sadness.
In this day comprised of sweet and salty moments, Darknodi tried to mask their troubled feelings by temporarily nullifying their taste buds using [Sensation Prevention], mechanically chewing and swallowing whatever was in their mouth.
“You’re eating slower than usual. Was it that bad…?”
“… I’m savoring the taste.”
“Good! I’ll make it for you again next time.”
“…… What will it be?”
“I think Oknodie likes insects and also poisons, so poison spiders would be great.”
Goodbye, Isabel.
It was nice meeting you, but let’s not see each other for a while.
Darknodi vowed that even if they would spin around campus wildly like Oknodie, they would avoid running into Isabel while looking for them during meal times.
“The [Boss Mob Raid] evening lecture is canceled. If you’ve come, mark your attendance and get lost… why is it you again?!”
“Seems like you’re the model student. I should follow your example.”
“YAAAH!! How many lectures are you attending?! Scary! So don’t come close!!”
Still, it lightened my mood a bit to see a respected senior and have classes canceled.
While following Oknodie’s daily life is hard, days like this that surprise me like a gift give me the strength to endure.
“I hope tomorrow is as easy as today.”
After finding Oknodie in the training room and having the usual small talk with shocked classmates, I returned to the dormitory, smoothly dealing with the assassins who appeared weekly on the way back.
It felt so fulfilling to help the goo left with Hat Senior grow vigorously with a potion of darkness before lying down to sleep.
“Oknodie.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you preparing well for the midterm exams?”
“…!”
The casual comment from Ishtar, who sleeps beside me every night in the dormitory, was a bombshell declaration heralding the end of my peaceful daily life.
