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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
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51. Derssen Luabella & Rachel Luabella
***
Footsteps.
Footsteps….
Now, returning to the dorms after parting ways with Glaecia, my entire body ached.
Training with the artifacts in the A-Class training ground—which were absent from the C-Class one—had quickly caused my body to scream with fatigue.
I didn't feel like I'd trained for that long, but the level of exhaustion was on another dimension.
"…"
I yawned unconsciously, my gaze drawn to the academy buildings bathed in the red glow of the sunset.
The academy's majestic scale.
Compared to my original world, I wondered if there was any academy of such grandeur.
Even more, with the academy buildings used by students admitted this year, alongside those where upperclassmen from other years resided, all dyed by the sunset, it created a spectacle that could only be described as magnificent.
I chuckled faintly, staring blankly at the scene.
"Tomorrow's the weekend."
There were no lectures on Groa's weekends. Instructors and students alike sought rest to recharge.
So, weekends were usually a time for students to socialize. While some students still trained on weekends, most typically relaxed comfortably unless it was exam season.
In the case of Leonhardt, the protagonist, he was so popular that he spent his weekends with various characters, leading to many episodes….
'There's no way that applies to me.'
If anything, it made me feel more at ease.
"Maybe I'll just rest comfortably for one day this weekend."
My body was holding up quite well now, but rest was still essential.
I'd pushed myself with training, and aside from my Sunday appointment with Glaecia, there was nothing else to worry about this weekend.
As for Kali's private training room, we'd decided to properly schedule it for next week.
Footsteps.
As I walked, lost in thought, students gradually emerged into my peripheral vision.
They were not coming from the academy building that ordinary students frequented, but from another, very luxurious academy building.
Students clad in luxurious, gold-toned uniforms, clearly high-ranking at a glance, began to exit the building one by one. Despite the considerable distance, they stood out distinctly.
'S-Class….'
S-Class was composed solely of the children of royalty and high-ranking nobles with immense influence.
Their minimum attribute grade was restricted to Unique, and they were considered beings ordinary students dared not even approach.
Among them, two individuals particularly caught my eye.
A pair of dazzling blonde siblings, a man and a woman.
They possessed an overwhelming presence even among the S-Class students in my sight, and they were the current imperial family of the Empire.
The older brother was 'Derssen Luabella,' and the younger sister was 'Rachel Luabella.'
Gulp.
I swallowed unconsciously as I watched them, then immediately averted my gaze.
If they found fault with me for no reason by staring too long, I'd be in deep trouble. It was best to avoid any connection with them from the start.
"Only Leonhardt can deal with them."
While other heroines, like Luna who was in the same class as me, could be encountered by chance, the imperial family was different.
If it wasn't Leonhardt, there was no way anyone could properly converse with them.
Footsteps.
As I walked towards the dorms, I thought it would be impossible for me to form any ties with the imperial family.
In Rachel, the Imperial Princess's case, Derssen doted on her to a severe degree, leading to constant friction between him and Leonhardt.
'…'
Imperial Princess Rachel also harbored feelings for Leonhardt, and Leonhardt likewise felt affection for Rachel.
Yet, friction constantly arose between them.
All because of Derssen.
"...Well, I guess this is just one of the trials the protagonist has to face."
I muttered to myself and let out a small laugh.
Still, he'd probably handle it well on his own.
It wasn't something I needed to concern myself with. Besides, it would be a long time before Leonhardt became entangled with the Imperial Princess.
Footsteps.
As I continued walking, that's when it happened.
...A sudden chill ran down my spine.
Footsteps.
I hadn't noticed, lost in thought, but belated footsteps were approaching me from behind.
And it wasn't just one person, but several.
Footsteps. Footsteps….
For a fleeting moment, I considered hurrying straight to the dorms to avoid those approaching, but... that didn't feel right. Slowly, I turned around.
Praying they weren't who I thought they were…
"Oh, my."
But bad premonitions always came true. A blonde woman, looking surprised, gazed back at me.
Rachel Luabella, a woman of truly 'supreme' beauty, with dazzling golden hair that seemed to hold pure gold, and an innocent yet warm impression.
Seeing her up close, I felt my breath catch for a moment.
But... I couldn't show it.
Because right beside her, as if it were only natural, stood Derssen.
Behind them, several children of high-ranking nobles stood, and merely confirming their presence sent a wave of intimidation over me.
"What can I do for you?"
As I spoke, I had to be extremely careful to keep my voice from trembling.
Among academy students, there was no honorific speech based on status. As I spoke calmly, cold sweat suddenly trickled down my back.
"You are Han Cheonseong, indeed. It's nothing much. Our Rachel was just very curious about you. Since we've met like this, I was hoping you could spare us a moment. That would be alright, wouldn't it?"
Derssen's 'That would be alright, wouldn't it?' carried an unparalleled naturalness, even a certainty that I couldn't possibly refuse.
I nodded, my gaze shifting to Rachel as if stiffly.
"Yes... that would be alright."
Facing Imperial Princess Rachel, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity, I wondered what kind of bolt from the blue this was.
"Excellent. Then let's have some tea together. As for the others, you may leave. I believe Rachel might be uncomfortable if we all move together."
"Yes, understood."
"We shall take our leave."
At Derssen's words, the high-ranking nobles all bowed deeply and withdrew. Their departure only made my heart freeze further.
Once they had left, Derssen looked at me and strode forward, as if it were only natural.
Footsteps.
As I naturally matched his pace, my insides felt like they were shriveling up.
'This is crazy.'
How could something like this be happening to me? I felt an even greater sense of crisis now than when Luna had misunderstood me and false rumors had spread.
...This was an event that should rightfully be happening to Leonhardt.
But how was I getting entangled with the imperial family? No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.
"Han Cheonseong?"
"...Yes."
"I'll treat you to some rather good tea, so you can look forward to it. Not just Rachel, but I, too, was quite curious about you. Though I didn't expect to encounter you by chance like this."
"Is that so...? It's an honor for me."
"Glory, indeed... But truly, it's astonishing. You're a Common-grade, yet I heard you drew with Leonhardt, this year's top student, in a duel? Leonhardt, who surpassed me to become this year's top student, certainly wouldn't have intentionally lost, which makes you even more intriguing."
Derssen spoke calmly, but beside him, I felt like I was walking on thin ice.
I hesitated for a moment, unable to find the right words.
"Haha... My, my. You don't need to treat me so stiffly like the others. Aren't you and I both just students, after all?"
Derssen spoke in a rather friendly manner, but his words felt completely insincere to me.
In this world, where nobles naturally looked down on commoners, how would Derssen, a member of the imperial family, truly view a commoner?
Moreover, Derssen's attribute was Legendary-grade, making him one of only two students admitted this year—alongside Leonhardt—to possess a Legendary attribute.
...Compared to that, I was Common-grade.
No matter how strong my spear arts were beyond my grade, the prejudice against grades could never be ignored.
My attribute and my status—if I made even the slightest slip of the tongue regarding either, it would be the end of me.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but how could I possibly presume to do so?"
"...Is that so? If you put it that way, then I'm disappointed. I suppose I can't force you further."
He nodded lightly, but I saw the coldness in Derssen's eyes.
He had lightly probed me, as if testing me.
And knowing that, I tried to reply as calmly as possible.
This situation was almost identical to the questions Derssen had posed to Leonhardt.
"Um. Is your name Han Cheonseong?"
Then, an incredibly soft voice reached my ears, and I flinched, turning my gaze to my side.
There, Rachel was looking at me, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, that's right."
I didn't bother to say the foolish thing about my family name being Han and my given name Cheonseong.
As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' I had to consider myself without a family name in this world.
"Han Cheonseong. What a fascinating name. I've never heard it anywhere else... From the rumors about your duel with Student Leonhardt to your name, everything feels so new."
She smiled gently as she looked at me, and I forcibly restrained myself from staring blankly at her.
"I hear that often. My name is quite unique compared to others."
"Well, that's true. So, are you returning from training today? Your uniform seems quite dirty."
Derssen immediately cut into Rachel and my conversation, asking, and I naturally looked at him and nodded.
"Yes. I was so engrossed in my training... my appearance is a bit disheveled."
"Then, before we have tea, I'll have a maid attend to you, so it would be best to change your attire."
Derssen spoke as if it were the most natural thing, and I immediately accepted.
"Yes, understood."
As I tried to reply calmly, my heart felt incredibly heavy.
This wasn't a metaphor, I felt like I was walking with a ticking time bomb on either side of me.
An absolute sense of crisis, as if offending either of them would spell the end of my academy life.
'If this was going to happen... I should have just stayed in the training ground longer.'
Otherwise, I should have just turned around the moment I saw them, without even thinking. I regretted letting my curiosity make me stare at them for a moment.
"So, Han Cheonseong. I heard your attribute is spear arts. I, too, have handled a spear quite a bit in the past."
"Really?"
"Of course. Isn't the spear the king of cold weapons? Although spear arts don't receive significant power from any other attribute, the weapon itself is worth taking the time to learn."
Derssen suddenly made a curious remark, and I found myself interested in his words.
As royalty, it was natural that his childhood wouldn't have been ordinary, but I didn't expect him to have learned spear arts as well.
"I've also tried learning spear arts."
Rachel spoke, as if wanting to join the conversation, and as I unconsciously looked at her….
The sense of crisis I felt only intensified.
It felt impossible... like I wouldn't be able to easily escape this situation. No, it felt like an already predetermined future.