.｡.:✧ Chapter 8 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“But that’s great’
Honestly I was surprised.

The female students who had followed Ares were not only strikingly beautiful but also showed remarkable skill. Among them, a particular girl who had given me a direct warning stood out. She displayed not only her beauty but also her exceptional abilities, from well-defined muscles to posture and confidence.

“Whose caught your attention?” Tana inquired, taking a sip of her coffee as she discreetly glanced around. Despite the apparentness of the situation, I replied without hesitation.

“The redhead.”

“Arni?”

Tana raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into an amused smile. “Arni Duratan, the eldest daughter of the Duratan lineage. She’s consistently held the top spot in practical skills in our year.”

‘I really haven’t been paying much attention.’

Partly because I was expelled shortly after enrolling, but I hadn’t realized I had someone from the prestigious Duratan lineage as a classmate. The Duratan lineage, known for their red hair and their ancestors’ legendary feats, was famous throughout the continent, especially for their martial prowess.

“But this year, she was defeated by a male student who entered through a special admission.”

“Hmm? Are you talking about Ares?”

“Yes, Ares defeated Arni in the practical combat exam and took first place. Didn’t you know?”

Of course, I didn’t. At that time, I couldn’t even participate in the practical exams due to interference and ended up at the bottom of the rankings, leading to my expulsion. If things had gone as planned, I would have already been on a carriage heading to the Demon Forest.

‘But was Ares really that strong?’

He did have exceptional skills; even when we lived in the village, we occasionally sparred under the guise of training, and my record was all losses. Of course, I was timid and averse to wielding a sword against others at the time.

Still, the fact that he had defeated the Duratan family’s eldest daughter was quite surprising.

“Breaking a two-year unbroken record, it was quite a historic moment,” Tana reminisced, savoring the thought of Ares’ combat.

Ares, Rin, and I had entered as special admissions, starting from the third year according to our ages, while the other students had already joined as freshmen two years ago.

‘Because of that, there were some rather aggressive bullying issues.’

Of course, the two companions who came with me were somewhat extraordinary, quickly adapting to people and exuding charisma, but I was different. The more exceptional my friends were, the more my flaws stood out.

I received the brunt of the venting and accusations, often being blamed or forced into difficult situations due to their actions.

“Well, Daniel has his own charm.”

“Really? Is that so?”

I chuckled, then asked, “Care to share?”

“…y-you’re good at reading books.”

“That’s right, not being illiterate is an advantage,” I replied calmly to Eve’s attempt at consolation from the side. When giving compliments, it’s best to make them sound somewhat convincing.

“Anyway, you won’t be bullied anymore.”

“That’s true.”

Even though she responded that way, Tana’s expression wasn’t too pleased. While the bullying had disappeared, she had also lost her friends.

Various emotions must be swirling within her, but I wasn’t particularly worried. With her social skills, couldn’t she make new friends easily?

“Now it’s my problem, but…”

Sipping my coffee, I muttered as Eve handed me a book with a peculiar expression. The book had a rather straightforward yet uninteresting title, “Alchemy and Magic,” but I could immediately understand Eve’s intention.

“While you two were on the rooftop, I went to the library. This book contains recipes and explanations about transformation potions.”

I had told Rin about Charlie Kraush’s characteristics, and she seemed to have promptly taken action.

“It mentions ingredients that are quite easy to obtain, but… here, the key ingredient, Demina’s Whisker, is actually hard to come by for students.”

“Demina’s Whisker? How can a student get that?”

Demina resembled a goat in appearance but was a magical creature that walked on two legs, making it challenging to hunt. According to her, it meant that Charlie Kraush couldn’t make the transformation potion after all.

“Demina’s Whisker can be substituted with a combination of a few other ingredients. By neutralizing the potion in this way and then boiling it again, you can create a similar elixir.”

“…Huh?”

I calmly began to explain to Eve, who looked at me as if she didn’t quite understand.

“You see, if you follow this method, you’ll create a similar potion.”

Eve stared at me, puzzled. I couldn’t blame her; it must have been hard to understand just from words. I shrugged and replied,
“I trust this because someone reliable told me. I’m more curious about how Charlie Kraush learned this method.”

Of course, I trusted it. Because this was knowledge from my past life.

Demina’s population might be scarce in places where people tread, but it was different in the Abyssal Forest. As a resident of the forest, I had experimented with various methods involving these creatures, and this was one of the results.

“I… I should try it later.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Eve said, her eyes shining with curiosity, while Tana, who had been quietly nursing her headache, shook her head.

“Now that you know the method, you need evidence.”

Even if you know the method, without evidence that Charlie Kraush used it, it’s pointless. Assuming he’s the culprit just because he has extensive knowledge of potions would be a stretch.

Eve raised her hand again and cleared her throat. “How about this?”

Her face had a slight blush to it.

***

Five days until expulsion.

In E-Class, where there had been a big commotion yesterday, another uproar was happening today. However, the atmosphere was different from the chilly one of yesterday; it was now heated.

At the center of it all was a girl with deep blue hair. The glasses she always wore were absent today, and with minimal makeup and her long bangs tidied up, her beauty was on full display. Her school uniform was well-kept, not violating any rules, and it accentuated her shapely figure.

The girl who used to read books in the corner suddenly transformed into a stunning beauty and walked into the classroom.

The male students were excited and either regretting not approaching her earlier or mustering up the courage to make a move.

Eve went over to Daniel, who had been waiting, and folded her arms.

“Hehe.”

The innocent smile that broke out seemed to evoke images of happiness, and everyone in the class could tell what was going on.

The two of them are dating now.

The girl who had been dubbed the class loser was now dazzling, and male students were glowing with excitement.

The news spread rapidly.

“Ah, I’m so tired.”

Tana, our teacher, who had transformed Eve overnight like a gemstone, lay exhausted on her side in the adjacent seat.

***

Rumors about the girl who had appeared in E-Class like a comet had naturally spread to Class A as well. Some students even went over to take a look, curious. Most of the male students returned with satisfied smiles, while the female students turned away with inexplicable feelings of defeat.

But the rumors didn’t stop there.

“I heard she’s dating some guy too.”

“Wow, doesn’t that guy have a keen eye?”

“But I heard he sexually harassed someone.”

Thump, thump.

Whenever stories about sexual harassment came up, Charlie Kraush’s heart raced as if it was about to explode. The warmth and weight of her voluptuous body that still lingered in his hand seemed to be there, yet not.

“Dating?”

I felt a sense of confusion. If they were talking about someone who sexually harassed others, wasn’t it likely Daniel, the one who got blamed?

The victim of Daniel’s sexual harassment had not been revealed to protect their identity, so no one knew about the bizarre situation where the victim had fallen in love with the perpetrator. Nobody knew except the mysterious figure, Charlie Kraush.

Could it be that Eve had developed feelings for the man who harassed her? Heat rushed to his head, and he started to wonder why and how such a thing could happen. Eventually…

“Could it have felt good?”

Thoughts of an inexperienced boy who had never really been in a relationship began to circulate. When he had committed the sexual assault, he had been shocked and reported it to the professor, but afterward, he couldn’t help but think about that touch. With these thoughts, Charlie Kraush was overwhelmed by emotions that made him feel like he might vomit.

From the moment they started their conversation in the cafe, he had been anxious and agitated. However, he was now consumed by the foolishness of his own thoughts. An overwhelming sense of regret!

‘It was me!’

In reality, it was he who had initiated that touch that made her feel good. He couldn’t believe he had been fooled by a fake, allowing his heart to be stolen. Wasn’t he indirectly connecting Eve and Daniel by doing so?

Charlie Kraush suppressed the urge to rush out and reveal the truth. He desperately searched for a way to expose the truth. Could he tell her that he was her true prince? But there seemed to be no way. Exposing himself as a sexual harasser would be unwise, wouldn’t it? So, Charlie Kraush wracked his brain.

In the same Class A…

A charming girl with black hair stared blankly into the distance, trying to ignore the snippets of conversation that reached her ears. She had lost her focus entirely, but then…

“Ah…”

Thud.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

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