Chapter 37: It's You (1)

"Ah, I'm really exhausted."

I boarded the carriage bound for the dormitory.

It had been a hectic day.

"See you tomorrow, Theo~"

Before parting, Siena said that with a meaningful smile.

"How am I supposed to see her?"

Today's incident was resolved, and tomorrow is supposed to be a break day.

Of course, during the break period, Professor Rok, the head professor, suggested students attend lectures from other departments, stating there might be something to learn from them.

But it's just a suggestion, not mandatory.

In the original work, most students don't bother attending lectures from other departments due to the Hero Department students' superiority complex.

However, I plan to attend a lecture from the Knight Department tomorrow.

Aside from the Hero Department, Elinia Academy houses various departments such as the Knight Department, Magic Department, Alchemy Department, Exploration Department, and Management Department.

"Still, the knight department suits me best."

It will aid in improving my reputation, and I'll be able to observe the skills of students from other departments.

It's a win-win situation, far more productive than merely lying in bed.

Additionally, tomorrow, there's a gathering for the gourmet club.

[Sub Quest: Join at least 2 clubs and participate actively.]

Reward: 2 store gold coins

I can't give up for the sake of the reward.

There's a reason I joined 3 clubs instead of 2 for reputation management purposes.Rread latest chapters at n/ov(e)lbin(.)co/m

Why?

One shouldn't take the quest text in the original work lightly. The stated condition is joining "at least" 2 clubs.

If I join and participate in three clubs, there should be additional rewards. For instance, let's say there's a quest to hunt 100 cockatrices, and I hunt 200.

In that case, the reward isn't just double the stated amount.

It's more than that.

If the system remains the same as in the original work, I should receive at least 3 store gold coins as a reward.

"I still don't understand what it means to participate actively."

As long as I attend every gathering, I should meet the basic requirements.

Lost in thought, I arrived at the dormitory and immediately climbed the stairs.

"Welcome back, young master. You've returned early today," Amy greeted me as usual.

"Yeah, there was a minor incident. Can I ask you to prepare dinner?"

"Of course, young master. Leave it to me."

Amy smiled gently. I had always seen her with a stern expression, but lately, her expressions had become more diverse.

Just as I was about to enter my room, she asked, "...Young master, was it really just a minor incident?"

In an instant, Amy's expression hardened.

"It was merely a swarm of monsters we encountered during the practical evaluation in the magic dungeon. There were no casualties. Is there anything strange about that?"

"No, not at all. I apologize for asking such a needless question. You must be tired; please get some rest."

"Alright, I understand. Bring dinner to my room as before."

I wanted to ask why, but Amy's expression was so serious that I decided not to.

'But what is this uneasy feeling?'

Did something come from the magic dungeon?

Squeak-

After entering my room, I used Magic Nullification on myself as an emergency treatment.

***

'The thing that was lurking near Theo, no, near Young Master... it was definitely a spirit.'

Amy sat at her desk, deep in thought. She had a high affinity with spirits, so she could at least sense what kind of spirit it was.

It had been visible in the hallway and even when she brought food to the room.

As a fiancé, shouldn't you at least show your face to your worried fiancée?

Or, as he had said before... did you want to see me?

Mina said it's good to speak gently to a lover when you meet them after a long time...

"What's with you? How are you feeling?"

In the end, her words came out somewhat harsh. Theo, who had been lost in thought looking out the window, turned to Irene after a brief pause.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, Irene."

I'm glad to hear that..."

"It's been a while since I've seen you on the carriage."

"Y-yeah, it has."

Irene answered with a stiff nod.

After that, she and Theo had an awkward conversation.

But it wasn't all bad.

Ten minutes felt like one minute.

Time flew by so quickly.

[Attention passengers, the next stop is the Knight Department. I repeat, the next stop is the Knight Department. Please make sure to take your belongings with you when disembarking.]

Before they knew it, the carriage had arrived at the Knight Department.

'Ah, stupid, idiot.'

Irene scolded herself.

She hadn't asked Theo why he took the carriage, or where he was going.

Asking now would hurt her pride.

'Now that I think about it, they mentioned that Hero Department lectures were being substituted with visits to other departments.'

Naturally, she knew it wasn't mandatory.

At that moment, an idea crossed Irene's mind.

Could he be coming to the Knight Department?

However, the probability was low.

She had never seen a Hero Department student attend a lecture in another department.

Higher expectations only led to greater disappointment.

Soon, the students started to disembark from the carriage.

Regrettably, it was time to part ways.

"Well... see you later, Theo. I'm going now."

As Irene said her farewells and stepped off the carriage—

Clack, clack.

Theo got off with her.

"Huh?"

Irene looked at Theo, her eyes filled with question marks.

"I'm planning to attend a lecture at the Knight Department today too. If it's alright, let's go together."

"Uh, uh, uh..."

Irene couldn't form a coherent sentence in response to the unexpected situation.

Theo appeared somewhat gloomy.

"···Do you still find me awkward?"

"No, no, not at all! Let's go together!"

Finally, Irene cracked a small smile.

***

Bonus 3/6! Thank you Khuyen and Travis! The next three will be released tomorrow!

and in case you missed it: New version of the site is up. Might need a refresh if it's not there on the initial load. Biggest thing is light mode, it's a sun icon next to the navigation bar.

-Gotta fix google translate formatting, update should be tomorrow.

Enjoy the chappy!