Chapter 201

Chapter 201. Traitors (2)

Disciplinary Committee’s decision.

Suspension extended by one month. Reduction in national funding.

Well, the meager national funding from the Republic wasn’t really necessary anymore.

‘Doesn’t feel like I’m attending school at all.’

After a two-week suspension followed by a one-month suspension, it really felt like I had dropped out of school.

“Sigh.”

The sun was high in the sky.

I lay sprawled on the bed, exhaling a lazy breath.

At least until recently, I had something to do by joining Lanes’ blessing control training, but now, during actual class hours, I had nothing to do and was experiencing the life of a jobless person.

‘There’s a limit to training too.’

The newly acquired “Calamity Fire” drained my magic power like a bottomless pit every time I used it, making continuous training difficult.

As for basic martial arts or swordsmanship, I had already reached a level where further training wouldn’t make much difference.

In other words.

To put it bluntly.

‘I have nothing to do.’

Yeah.

I had nothing to do.

Painfully so.

“…Ah, by the way, is the holy relic complete?”

The holy relic left behind when Grace’s soul disappeared.

I had secretly delivered it to Professor Jade and asked him to craft it into an artifact.

Since I had nothing else to do, I sent a message to Professor Jade right away, but.

[It seems I need more time.]

The reply was that he still needed more time.

[As per your request, I’m crafting it as discreetly as possible, so gathering the necessary materials is difficult.]

“Ugh.”

It couldn’t be helped.

I was already being disciplined for trespassing into Grace’s grave, and if it was discovered that I had her holy relic, I’d be marked as a public enemy by the Holy Kingdom.

[Understood. Please take your time crafting it.]

[Leave it to me.]

[Thank you as always.]

[What’s there to thank? A holy relic filled with this much divine power is a first for me too, so it’s quite interesting to research.]

I wish he’d prioritize crafting the artifact over research.

As I was about to close the message window with a bitter smile.

Ding.

A clear chime echoed.

I thought it was another message from Professor Jade, but there was no new message from him.

“Iris?”

A message from Iris, not Professor Jade.

[Have you had lunch yet?]


[No, not yet.]


[Then, want to eat together? I’m at the Central Plaza right now.]


[I’ll be right there.]

It was welcome news amidst the boredom.

I quickly got up, changed my clothes, and headed to the Central Plaza.

“Hahaha!”


“So? What happened?”


“Want to go to Valhalla City this weekend?”


“Oh~ That sounds great, senior!”

As I approached the Central Plaza, I saw pairs of candidates chatting and laughing together.

“Ugh.”

Right.

This was what the Central Plaza was like during lunch.

Since I usually stuck to the student restaurant, I had forgotten.

‘The place with the most couples in school.’

Candidates who, instead of staying in the perfectly fine student restaurant, came out to engage in embarrassing displays of affection.

That was the Central Plaza during lunch.

‘They used to feel like people from another world.’

Was this how the people from the Republic, who came from another world 500 years ago, felt?

The scene at the Central Plaza, where it was hard to tell if people came to eat or to mark their territory by hugging each other, was so alien that it made me wonder if I was really attending the same hero school.

‘But.’

Looking at the Central Plaza from a distance and swallowing my frustration was a thing of the past.

Now…

“Ah, Dale’s here!”

Iris, waving her hand with a bright smile.

Seeing her sitting on a picnic blanket on the grass near the Central Plaza, a smile naturally spread across my face.

“How was class?”


“Same as usual.”

Iris, with a faint smile, took out a sandwich from the basket and handed it to me.

As I reached out to take it.

“Dale.”


“Huh?”


“Say ‘Ah~’.”

Instead of my hand, Iris brought the sandwich directly to my mouth.

Taking a bite of the sandwich she offered, I clenched my fist.

‘Yeah, this is it.’

In my past life, I used to complain about the couples gathered at the Central Plaza, thinking that candidates who were supposed to become heroes and take responsibility for the continent’s future shouldn’t be fooling around like this, and how dare they occupy public spaces.

But honestly, I was insanely jealous.

Back then, I had neither the leisure nor the ability to enjoy my youth.

“Is it good?”


“Yeah.”


“Hehe. I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Seeing Iris’s beaming smile, the regrets of my past life seemed to wash away.

“By the way…”

Looking down at the picnic blanket spread on the grass, I asked.

“Didn’t you bring too big a blanket?”


“Ah, Yurina and Lanes senior are coming soon too.”


“Oh. You invited them both.”


“…To be precise, they found out.”


“Found out?”


“Sigh. It’s complicated.”

Iris sighed and shook her head.

Well, I didn’t know the exact details.

But anyway, it meant Yurina and Lanes would be here soon.

“Here you are.”


“Ah, Iris… you’re mean…!”

Yurina and Lanes arrived just as the conversation ended.

For some reason, Lanes was pouting with a sulky expression.

“Let’s talk about that later and eat first.”

We gathered on the blanket and ate the sandwiches Iris had made.

Yuren in Yurina’s form, Iris, and Lanes.

‘With us like this, it looks like a double date with couples.’

Of course, the reality wasn’t a heartwarming scene of couples on a double date, but a fierce battle over a single prey.

“Hmm. I prepared a fairly large size, but with four people, it’s a bit cramped. Come closer to me, Dale.”


“No, come to my side.”


“Hmm… I’m small, so can I sit on Dale’s lap?”

The intense psychological warfare continued.

As I was swallowing a bitter smile at the excessive gap between my past and present lives.

“Oh my!”


“Kyaa!”


“Are you crazy?”

The Central Plaza suddenly became noisy.

Turning my head, I saw a couple passionately kissing in front of everyone.

Even though the Central Plaza was famous for couples engaging in embarrassing displays of affection, such bold physical contact was rare.

“Umm. That’s… bold.”


“Aren’t they embarrassed doing that in front of everyone?”


“I… I’m jealous…”

Iris, Yuren, and Lanes also added their comments while watching the kissing couple.

“Hehe. Should we kiss too, Dale?”


“If we did that, Camila would throw a fit later, right?”


“Eh, what’s the big deal about a kiss?”

Iris shrugged nonchalantly.

Yuren frowned at her.

“What do you mean, ‘what’s the big deal about a kiss’? Do you know how hard it is?”


“Oh, Yurina… no, Yuren, you’ve done it a lot too, so why are you like this?”


“Ah, I haven’t!”

Yuren shouted, her face red.

Iris’s eyes widened as she asked again.

“…You haven’t? Not even once?”


“What? You have a problem with that?”

Yuren puffed out her cheeks (please don’t do that in male form).

“No… I just… thought you’d have done it by now.”

Iris looked flustered, as if she hadn’t expected Yuren to have never kissed anyone.

“I’m different from you, Iris! Listen. It’s not about who did it first or how many times. What matters is how beautiful the experience was.”

Yuren continued with a composed expression.

“They say first impressions determine more than 90% of a person’s image. Similarly, the first kiss plays a crucial role in the future of a relationship!”

“……”

Did she know?

That her first kiss was when she was drunk, and she immediately ran to the bathroom to throw up after kissing.

‘Good thing I didn’t tell her.’

I sighed in relief internally and watched Iris and Yurina argue.

“Hmm. Well… to me, it just sounds like the pitiful excuse of a virgin who’s never kissed anyone.”


“Pi, pitiful…! Are you calling me pitiful now?”


“No~ Not pitiful, but… um, how should I put it… pathetic? That’s the feeling.”


“Ugh…!”

Yurina’s clenched fist trembled.

Watching Iris teasing Yurina with a gleeful expression, I stifled a laugh.

‘She really doesn’t hold back with people she’s close to.’

Back when they weren’t close, Iris would call Yurina “Ms. Yurina” and act as proper as possible.

But just like with Camila, once they became close, her true nature (?) showed.

“Of course, I thought you and Yurina had kissed Dale a long time ago~ Who would’ve thought you hadn’t done it yet?”


“You, you…!”


“Hohoho. That’s right~ Keep waiting for your chance like this forever?”

Iris, riding high, and Yurina, biting her lip and trembling.

“Hmph! Just wait. I’ll have a first kiss so romantic that Dale will never forget it!”

Yurina, clenching her fist, turned to Lanes, who was munching on a sandwich.

“Lanes senior, don’t just sit there. Say something sharp too.”


“Uh, me?”


“Yes. You haven’t kissed Dale yet either, right?”


“Uh… that, that is…”

Lanes blushed slightly and averted her gaze.

The strange atmosphere emanating from her made Yurina’s eyes widen.

“Se, senior… don’t tell me…?”


“Uuuu…”

Lanes hung her head low, seemingly embarrassed, and let out a groan.

“…Huh?”

Yurina’s face turned pale.

Iris, even without considering her past life, had kissed Dale long ago.

Professor Elisha had experienced her first kiss with Dale even earlier than Iris.

‘If even Lanes senior has kissed him…’

In other words.

“Th, then… everyone except me… has done it?”

Yurina’s voice trembled faintly.