Chapter 12: Stray Cat (1)

Chapter 12: Stray Cat (1)

As was common knowledge, games were usually played from the protagonist's point of view. This meant there weren't a lot of things I could do since I've already had my downfall, played my part, and essentially left the stage.

However, the great news was that since I've already played the game several times from the protagonist's point of view, I could roughly guess what event was currently happening, just based on the timing and the academy's schedule.

This meant there was no reason for me to feel frustrated from not knowing the state the academy was in or what was going on. I felt comforted by this fact.

On the contrary, I was surprised by how many things I didn't know because the game progressed from Taylee's point of view.

An example would be the Magic Department's curriculum.

As the main character, Taylee was a student of the Combat Department, hence the game's title, 'Failed Swordmaster'. This meant there was no way for the player to know what kind of life the Magic Department students had.

Another example was the things that happened outside of Taylee's activities.

Like the new buildings and statues being built under the sponsorship of ‘The Golden Daughter, Lortel’. As well as the royal knights stationed at the entrance of the academic district to escort ‘The Benevolent Princess Penia.’

Even though these things were not part of the main story, they made the world look and feel alive.

In fact, I had quite a few stories I was curious about that were never revealed in the game.

There were countless of them, but if I had to pick just one... it would have to be Yennekar Palerover.

As the final boss of Act 1, the story of her being possessed by the high-ranking dark spirit Velosper was not seriously fleshed out.

She might have been considered the final boss on paper, but the real boss was Velosper, whom she summoned, the right-hand man of the highest-ranking dark spirit Glasskan

But high-ranking dark spirits descended through an Elementalist's pessimistic thoughts or the darkness in their heart.

And while there was darkness in everyone, no matter how big or small... wasn't Yennekar someone who was completely removed from such darkness?

She had a bright personality by nature, born with such liveliness and joy.

Just what in the world happened to Yennekar that she would fall under the influence of a high-ranking dark spirit?

... not like I had the time to pay attention to that.

Whatever it may be, Taylee would take care of Velosper and save the student center.

* * *

“This is too hard...”

It had been ten days since school started.Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

“Wouldn't I die at this rate? Like, seriously...?”

I was resting on a bench in the academic district, the sun setting over the horizon, when I was hit with a moment of post-nut clarity* out of nowhere.

* TN: metaphor, a moment of realization

My daily routine every school day was as follows:

I would wake up before sunrise and thoroughly wash myself in the stream, making sure to clean every nook and cranny as I was afraid of smelling.

I would then run to the academic district through the northern forest wearing casual clothes that I could wash every day.

I would always be covered in sweat by the time I arrived, so I would secretly wash up in the bathroom of Glockt Hall.

Then I would change into my school uniform, and hide my casual clothes in the grass in the Rose Garden to take with me after school.

After all of that, I would head to the hall where my classes took place. It was where I met and mingled with children from noble families and top students alike, so I had to be careful of maintaining an upright behavior.

My reputation was already rock bottom in the academy, so I had to deal with all sorts of gossip whenever I passed by. I even started feeling empty when I didn't hear such gossip around me these days.

I also got used to being invisible in my classes.

After focusing on my studies, it was lunchtime.

I would eat lunch boxes because I couldn't afford the expensive and luxurious cafeteria at Ophelis Hall, nor the cafeteria in the student union building. My lunch boxes were my usual wild meals I brought from my camp.

I had been using rock salts to make beef jerky lately. I would hang the cured meat for about three days in the simple drying rack I crafted. This, somehow, enabled me to make decent beef jerky.

There was no better and simpler food than a jerky as it was a portable meal that also satisfied my hunger. My cooking proficiency also increased due to it, which was a bonus!

After filling up with lunch, I would finish the afternoon lectures like an invisible ghost, all the way to the end of the school day.

I would then take the casual clothes I hid and head back into the northern forest. Leaving around sunset allowed me to arrive at my camp just as it was getting dark.

I tried training my Vitality stat in the beginning by running back home as much as possible. But ever since we started magic practical classes, the use of magic power left me without much energy so I've had to walk back home slowly.

The first thing I would do when I returned to camp was wash the sweaty casual clothes I wore that morning. I always had to dry it in advance so I could wear it again the next day.

I would also inspect my school uniform to make sure it was kept elegant and neat at all times. I had to make sure there was no dirt on it, nor any tears. And if any was found, I would immediately repair it using thread I took from other fabrics.

After dealing with my clothes, I would then do everything else I needed to do for the day, which differed from day to day.

“Hello!”

“What are you eating?! Dried meat?”

“Good Morning!”

“What’s your next class? Elemental Studies?”

“Do you want to eat at the student cafeteria with me?”

These past ten days, whenever Yennekar saw me around the academic district, she would always give me an unchanging lively greeting.

Of course, her two best friends would always appear and drag her away soon after.

“Hmmm...”

This wasn’t part of my plan. There shouldn’t be a reason for her to be this interested in me... Did I make some type of mistake? Or was there an aspect I hadn't realized?

“Well... it should be fine.”

Through the forest, the sun had begun to set. And across the branches, I began to see my camp that had now comfortably become my home.

But it was still a long way home.

I had said this before, but I was a foreign entity in this world who would follow its authentic story.

If I were to become a variable that could change the flow of the world, then I would have lost my advantage of knowing the future.

Therefore, it was only right that I maintained a certain distance from the important people of this world. Well, it might have been awkward to forcefully try to become close, but it was easy to keep my distance.

I could do this!

The post-nut clarity from a while ago had begun to fade to some extent. And the hope that I would be able to do well took its spot.

Yes, one way or another, everything would work out!

I had been keeping my distance from other people, so much so that it had become so boring, but that's okay! I could do this!

With my heart filled with hope and the drive to live today to the fullest, I took a step into my camp.

“Zzz... Zzz...”

It was then that I found a girl curled up and sleeping in my simple shelter.

Her neck was covered by the brim of her witch's hat, so wide that it could cover the entirety of her face. And her breathing... that breathing that sounded as if everything was bothering her... I was able to figure out her identity as soon as I heard it.

I sat down on a rock.

“Sigh...”

It was a sigh from the depths of my heart.

“Just why... why is this girl sleeping here?!”

It was the first time meeting her, but how could I not know her? She would play an active part from the beginning till the end of ‘Silvenia's Failed Swordmaster’.

She was such an important person that she could be considered on the same level as the other four heroines. She was someone with an important presence in the main story.

It might be hard to judge by her appearance, with how she seemed lazy and uninterested, but she was overwhelmingly one of the most important characters.

So why the fuck was she sleeping here?

“......”

I looked around my camp.

We were in the northern forest of Acken Island. A faraway place where nobody went. But to a student who was as genius as she was, to use her magic power to traverse through space so quickly was as easy as breathing. This forest wouldn't have been that far for her.

First of all, her behavior could be likened to that of a street cat.

Due to her small body and her talent to bounce around using magic swiftly, she could go to the top of the clock tower, or the rooftop of Glockt Hall, or any great place for naps where she would get the perfect amount of sunlight... she could literally go anywhere.

So why the hell is she here?!

To this place where there were no people, which was far away from the academic buildings, where a shelter with a roof was, where you could hear the cool wind and the pleasant sound of the stream...

There was no better place to skip classes and take a nap.

......

“Fuck! It was my own fault!”

I shouted out too late, my monologue meaningless.

I could hear ‘Lazy Lucy’ gently exhale as she slept, as if in a whisper.

I covered my eyes with one hand in exasperation.

I had no choice but to sit still for a while.