Should I stop things before they happen or just let them unfold?
Recently, this conundrum had settled in my mind.
Both options had their own merits, making it quite a dilemma.
If I intervene before anything happens, I could prevent any victims and hog all the rewards from the Secret Archive.
But the rewards in the Secret Archive weren’t that appealing to me.
I already knew the identity of the “wish-granting item”, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to use it even if I got my hands on it. There’s no reason to covet something I can’t take without meeting the conditions.
It would be better to hand it over to someone useful… but that wasn’t going to be easy.
To hand over the item, I would have to get involved in the incident somehow but still allow things to happen.
Luckily, this episode belonged to a sub-story that slightly deviated from the main plot, so the scale and difficulty weren’t that high. Of course, since it wasn’t a game, the likelihood of unpredictable variables interfering was high, but if I committed to intervening, it wasn’t impossible.
After all, it was just an early episode.
[Contractor, on your right—]
I looked to the right, stretching my stiff neck from holding the same position for too long. The wolves, who had been eyeing Karina, made awkward faces and backed off when our eyes met.
If you want to talk, at least go through the proper channels.
These fanatics really didn’t know the concept of boundaries.
What’s with bringing disguises when they’re not even assassins? When I first saw them, I seriously thought they were assassins and almost shoved a shovel into one’s neck. I eventually took their weapons away after hearing other students’ testimonies, but seeing the look in their eyes, as if they thought they were some kind of martyrs, made me think I should have just done it.
It’s truly exhausting.
How come the seminary students are more dangerous than the others? Since the danger is born out of supposed goodness rather than evil, my means to respond were limited.
I could either shove them away, glare to chase them off, or use mind control magic to send them back to their seats. Even that was a waste of mana since they could only manage mind control for about ten seconds, pretending to be priests.
[Those perverts are seminary students, a knowledge I don’t want to have… to the left, two.]
Today, I could hear Rue’s lament, efficiently functioning as the seminary student detection radar.
Such dreadful folks.
During breaks, it shouldn’t feel like a zombie defense game. Karina’s face beneath her veil must be tired. With her cursed state, she can’t be feeling great under this kind of pressure.
I completely understood how burdensome it must be for Karina to hold her position as a saint, almost moved to tears.
This is what living as a superstar who can drive both fans and haters crazy looks like.
Karina must live like this for her entire life.
I should treat her normally. Even the noblest being in the world sometimes needs to be treated like an ordinary woman.
“…Good evening, everyone. It’s nice weather today. Please don’t fall asleep just because it’s warm. Hehe… Let’s start the lecture.”
Finally, class was starting. I couldn’t hide my disappointment as I watched the wolves return to their seats, quietly whispering behind Karina.
“Well done, Karina.”
——————
“Johann~”
Suddenly, I felt a heavy weight on my back. Without turning my head, I called out the name of the one clinging to me.
“Millia. Don’t do that; it’s dangerous.”
“But I’m Johann.”
…What does that even mean? I sighed, feeling Millia’s breath clinging to my neck. Meeting Millia on my way back was a regular occurrence.
These days, she tends to bring a bunch of friends, but today, she’s surprisingly alone. I kept pushing the wheelchair while asking Millia.
“Where are your friends?”
“They all scattered!”
“Is that so?”
Well, there’s no need to stick together all the time.
I left Millia, who showed no signs of letting go, and moved towards Yeomyeong-gwan. Karina seemed tired from class today, her head nodding against the wheelchair.
“Johann Johann, I heard a funny story from Charlie today—”
“Millia. Lower your voice a bit. Karina is asleep.”
“…Got it.”
Millia’s voice dropped to a whisper just audible to my ears. She began chattering nonstop in her quieter voice, sharing stories about how Sion got caught dozing in class and then suffered a barrage of questions from the professor, or that there were hot rumors among friends about the secret archive in the library. She even mentioned that someone suggested actually going to find the secret archive.
“Karina dreams of entering the Empire’s Human Resources Department. It’s the dream of every bureaucrat.”
“The Empire’s Human Resources Department…”
Looks like bureaucrats are the hotspots here too.
Considering one could work in the Empire’s government means they’re elite among elites. They’d have a solid path ahead, with plenty of honor and money.
The problem is that the Empire isn’t in a good state right now.
Thinking about the incident that will happen in two years, it seems the girl named Karina—wait, she is a female student, right? Anyway, her dream will be crushed like weeds under a carriage wheel. I almost let that fact slip from my lips but caught myself.
Can’t reveal secrets, can’t reveal secrets.
As I swung Millia like a bag, Yeomyeong-gwan was coming into view. Distractedly listening to her chatter while walking, I felt I’d reached the grand hall way quicker than I had anticipated. I was admiring the view when I realized two figures waiting at the door.
“G-Good e-e-e-evening…”
“Oh my… Hello.”
Elisa and Martina.
A strange combination stood at the door. I saw Elisa flushing red and Martina with a fox-like smirk.
Why are they here? I wheeled over to them.
“Good evening. Why are you two just standing here?”
It was Martina who replied.
“Oh, we were just chatting for a moment as we walked.”
Martina smiled gracefully, then whispered something to Elisa, who was blushing and hesitating beside her.
“…Not that, but still… There are some advantageous parts, so… Let’s do as I told you…”
What are they scheming?
Suddenly, right in front of me, it’s like they’re plotting something.
“What’s this? Are you two having fun without me? Let me in on it!”
“Oh, Millia. This is a secret between ladies. It’s something you can’t share with others.”
“I see~”
Millia, unable to contain her curiosity, sighed in disappointment as if she wanted to join in. She really looked like a puppy that wanted to be part of everything.
“Millia. Walk properly from here.”
“Can’t you take me to my room like this?”
“No.”
I didn’t entertain Millia’s sulking.
That was only natural.
Giving in to spoiled behavior would just spoil her further.
“Elisa, Martina, if you plan to keep chatting, come inside and talk.”
“I’m curious about Yeomyeong-gwan’s interior, but entering without a formal invitation goes against the rules. So, I’ll head back to the dorm. Elisa, Millia, see you tomorrow… and you too, Karina.”
Martina turned on her heel and vanished into the sunset. We watched her for a moment before turning to enter Yeomyeong-gwan.
And thus, the day’s agenda came to an end.
————–
“Jo-Jo-Johann…”
Late at night after dinner, just as I was about to return to my room, Elisa called out to me. It was rare for Elisa to engage me so actively, so I turned to look down at her.
Her face, flushed as usual, was as beautiful as a rose.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Um, well… I-I’m curious about what your ideal type is…”
Ideal type?
I stared at her in disbelief, taken aback by the unexpected question. Elisa’s face was about to explode from her embarrassment. I crossed my arms and pondered over her question, but I couldn’t decipher the intent behind it.
“My ideal type…”
Ideal type, ideal type… Honestly, I’ve never thought about it in the ten years living on a deserted island.
With zombies lurking around, who’s got time to think about ideal types? I should be worrying about how to gather more food or whether a shipwreck might wash ashore instead.
For this reason, I had no answer to her question.
“It’s a sudden question.”
“B-But still, p-please…”
Elisa twirled her fingers nervously and looked up at me. I wondered why she was asking this despite her embarrassment. Since it seemed serious, I decided to give the question some thought and responded with the first thing that came to mind.
“I’d prefer a woman who can be a haven for my heart.”
Yeah. That’s all it needs to be.
With my answer, Elisa sighed in relief and lowered her head.
“Th-Thank you. Well, then…”
“Elisa, you’re headed the wrong way from here…”
But Elisa vanished in an instant, as if her usual clumsiness had disappeared.
Left alone in the corridor, I pondered the meaning behind Elisa’s question and tilted my head in confusion.
What a strange question to ask.
Forget about it; I should just get some sleep.
I turned and walked toward my room.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.