Why did Bella approach me?
I couldn’t figure out why someone who didn’t seem that close to Elisa had to use her name to get closer to me.
She was the main villain of the library event, spreading rumors about the secret archive and waiting for its door to open, hoping to steal the items inside.
Bella… what was it again? Arshe? Arur? Asher?
Ah, maybe it was Asher. I think that was the surname.
Her family was a mid-tier noble one in the empire, closely connected to the royal family. With a prickly face that would make anyone say, “That girl looks so unpleasant” and a voluptuous figure that might hit someone’s taste, she was not exactly someone you, like, warm up to.
You could say she was the type that couldn’t stand to see others succeed.
Her character was tightly wrapped in insecurity and jealousy. She concealed it behind noble etiquette, but contrary to the typically “rational” image of a magician, she was excessively emotional.
The title of “witch” suited her more than the kind-hearted Elisa.
Her basic idea was to stir up rumors to get her hands on something in the secret archive to secure the top position.
The story had a lot of holes, but because it was treated as a minor event, it received fairly decent feedback.
After all, there were plenty of plot holes in the main story of the game, so it was to be expected… I wonder if the final ending DLC fixed those parts.
Anyway, the protagonist of this sub-story was likely to be Shuri. Since she was the top student of the Magic Department, her curiosity as a magician would lead her to check out the secret archive at least once.
Bella was setup to hide surveillance artifacts near the entrance of the secret archive, waiting for the moment the door would open so she could slip in.
That meant I had quite a bit to do.
First, I needed to understand Bella’s intentions behind contacting me and intentionally lead Elisa and Shuri toward the secret archive. Then, I’d make sure they would raid the dungeon, encouraging them to eat the hidden rewards from the archive to boost their specs.
So, I needed to prepare.
To get Shuri and Elisa on board, I had to subtly keep an eye on them to ensure they wouldn’t get hurt… and also do my part to prevent Bella from pulling any tricks.
Though there was a chance that Elisa and Shuri might not clear the secret archive, it was designed for training talented students, so they should manage somehow.
What was crucial was that I had to completely control the situation.
To suppress any variables that might come up.
That way, I could enjoy the fruits of the secret archive left behind by the unknown guest principal—
…Should I really go that route? But that sounds a bit—
“Johann? Johann~?”
A palm flailed in front of me like a fish just caught. I finally noticed Milia, who had been talking to me.
Was I too lost in thought?
“What’s up?”
“I finished my question!”
“Alright, just wait a moment.”
I approached Karina, who was chatting with Elisa and Martina, and asked for her understanding.
“We need to move soon.”
“Ah, it’s alright, Lady Karina. I hope the rest of your class goes smoothly.”
With a graceful greeting, Martina joined the group waiting for her. As I glanced at Karina, she looked in a better mood than usual.
“You’ve done well in today’s lecture.”
“Thank you.”
“Johann, are you having that red meat for lunch again today?”
“I’m pondering that.”
I had already tried all the Korean dishes served in the cafeteria, so I was considering sampling some of the local food.
I liked Korean food, but sometimes it wouldn’t hurt to try Western dishes too.
“Uncle really loves that food from over there. He eats it so naturally, it’s suspicious… is that your hometown’s cuisine?”
“…Yeah, it’s the food from my hometown.”
I answered vaguely. It’s helpful when your origins are unclear. They just naturally accept whatever you tell them. By now, Viola must have thought, ‘He comes from a distant place.’
“I see.”
“Hometown? Didn’t you say you don’t remember old times, Johann?”
“…Seeing the food jogged a bit of my memory.”
It was a clumsy excuse, but luckily nobody pressed for more details. They probably viewed my past as a sensitive topic.
“C-Congratulations…”
“Congrats! The fact that you remembered even a little means there’s a chance to recover more of your memories.”
“Thank you, Karina.”
I grabbed the wheelchair’s handles and pulled back. The wheelchair, which had been placed at the classroom desk, made a rhythmic noise as it moved back. The kids stood up, as they always did. Time to go.
We made our way to the cafeteria. It was quite early, so it wasn’t crowded yet.
At that moment, I had to place our orders as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught in the crowd. We went straight to the counter. The staff member standing there blankly gave a nervous smile as we approached.
“Welcome! What would you like to have today…?”
“I’ll have the cream pasta!”
“I’ll have the steak, please.”
“I-I’ll have the salad…”
“Is eating just grass okay?”
Milia said with a look that seemed to ask how anyone could survive on salad while looking at Elisa.
…Personally, I agree, but it’s not weird for girls that age to care about their figures. Though I don’t have anyone around me who checks their diet so diligently.
“F-Fatty foods might make you gain weight, you know…”
Why are you looking at me while saying that? No, I should also think about what I want to eat today.
I scanned the menu with serious eyes. Buried between the typical Western dishes were some Korean delights. Maybe I should go for a simple stir-fried pork rice bowl. Just as I was about to order one, I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to find Elisa.
“U-Uh, I want the same as Johann.”
“…Add two stir-fried pork rice bowls, please.”
“Got it, thank you.”
…But can she handle the spicy food?
It’s not too spicy here, but it might be quite hot for someone trying it for the first time—
“It looked scary because of the red color, but it’s tastier than I expected!”
“Is it not spicy?”
It felt like it should be spicy.
“A little spicy, but I’ll manage with recovery magic…”
A Saint using sacred magic just to enjoy spicy food.
But if Karina likes it, then it’s no issue…
I blankly stared at the rare sight of a saint eating stir-fried pork rice.
Seeing her smeared with red sauce at the corner of her mouth, it was a strange feeling. With her beauty, even getting sauce on her face made her look sexy.
This is terrifying. Really.
“Johann, I want to try some too!”
“M-Me too…”
“Uncle, can I have a piece?”
“…Sure.”
Should I order another bowl?
With everyone begging for just one bite, I felt tears welling up and pushed the plate forward.
———————-
“Why won’t it open…?”
Am I really not cut out for this?
In a corner of the library, Bella frowned in front of the entrance to the secret archive she had stumbled upon. Despite her prickly expression that radiated an atmosphere difficult to approach, she didn’t care about that now.
At this point, such things weren’t important.
“Guess I’ll have to get someone else to open it for me…”
Bella bit her lip and glared at the door of the secret archive. A door that wouldn’t budge no matter what she did. Discovering the secret archive was great and all, but at this rate, it meant nothing.
Bella wasn’t unaware of why this door wouldn’t open for her.
‘Why am I not worthy…?’
For 19 years, she had lived with recognition as a genius. Having never seen anyone surpass her among her peers, she couldn’t accept the reality that she was now overshadowed by an unknown beast-man magician and a gloomy girl.
Her lips twisted in a fit of rage.
A red line appeared along her jaw.
A liquid, whether it was tears or blood, dripped from her chin, blooming a red flower on the ground.
But she remained oblivious to this fact.
“If I just have this…”
I can become ‘the best’ again.
The girl, harboring poison within, finally noticed the wound and pulled out a towel to wipe her chin. Though it became bloodied, she didn’t care.
Was this small wound a big deal?
Her heart was already wrapped in scabs.
“Definitely, it’s better to bait them myself…”
Bella’s eyes gleamed with malice.
A gaze of someone willing to stop at nothing to obtain what she desired.
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