.｡.:✧ Chapter 30 ✧:.｡.

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Isn’t it ironic?

Here I am, a veteran sherpa of the Demon Forest for a solid decade, being challenged by creatures from the same forest. It’s almost laughable.

It’s no joke – I’ve roasted, boiled, and steamed Dopple Slimes, I even tried fermenting them into liquor, and I once thought of keeping one due to its cute appearance.

*Whoosh.*

I set ablaze the body of the creature who was already unconscious. Its small size meant it burned up quickly, without even a scream.

“……”

For a moment, I felt like I was back in my sherpa days, letting out a sigh as cold emotions slowly settled, relaxing my body.

Firstly, these people are from an organization called ‘Tudogs’.

Servants to high nobles, doing their dirty work – I suspected such an organization existed.

A rival to the Chokugen Faction Sen belongs to, maybe?

This incident can be summed up simply.

Firstly, an internal test by Tudogs.

They caused this commotion to field-test the troublesome Cockactrice’s magic, which turned out successful.

They managed to deceive even the reputed academy professors and the dean.

Hare, who was supposed to disappear without a trace, became a non-entity due to our interference, though ultimately they got their hands on the King’s treasure.

Secondly, the Leiros family.

They hired the Tudogs to crush me, a commoner who had humiliated the dean and Fenil Leiros, and used this incident as a cover.

Fenil Leiros, in his clumsy ways, lost his life.

“A monster.”

That was the last thing he called me as he died.

I had been enjoying my life as a normal student lately, forgetting my past, but in reality, I never felt much different from them. After all, how normal can someone be after spending a decade in a forest known as hell?

*Groan.*

Glancing sideways at the academy, I noticed the sunrise. Time to be a student again.

***

“……”

With Fenil Leiros assassinated in his room, all classes today were self-study.

The culprits were the Tudogs, but it wasn’t my job to deal with that – it was Heini’s problem.

She ended up bearing the blame for killing the heir of the Leiros family while he was under arrest.

‘Let her handle it.’

She tried to arrest and kill us without proper investigation. Now she must face a similar situation herself.

I wish her luck.

“……”

But more pressing was the piercing gaze of two female students looking at me.

Though it was self-study, without a professor, the classroom was noisy.

Tana and Eve seemed to have something to say but held back.

“Sigh, what’s up?”

Finally, I broke the silence, prompting them to ask simultaneously.

“Do you have a thing for stalking?”

“Do you like Rin?”

Different questions, but the same topic. I sighed and shook my head.

“Neither.”

Anticipating further explanation, I hesitated before speaking.

“I just did what was necessary. That’s why the dean helped me. I can’t tell you more than that.”

In truth, even the dean didn’t know the reason, but mentioning him made them think deeply.

After a series of uncomfortable questions, my image degraded from garbage to someone with strange tastes.

‘Rin knew she was being watched.’

Somehow, her exposure always seemed a bit too timely and flattering.

“……”

Thinking about it gave me a headache.

Deciding I needed to sort things out with her, I started walking.

Echoing laughter and chatter filled the empty corridor.

Despite being self-study, the noise from each classroom spilled into the hallways, as loud as ever.

Peeking into Class A, the students were too busy chatting and playing to notice me.

“What’s going on?”

But two people recognized me.

May and Rin.

May, with a candy in her mouth and hands in her pockets, trudged towards me.

“Here to stalk again?”

“Go and hear it from Tana and Eve. I’ve already explained everything to them.”

I waved my hand dismissively, and May frowned, thinking I was brushing her off.

“You talk like that to someone who’s been fighting with the other students all day because of you?”

“Fine, what can I do for you?”

It was a nuisance, but since May had moved at the right time and saved me from being arrested, I asked her. But it seemed she hadn’t really thought of anything in return.

“Uh, um. I’ll tell you later.”

“There’s a time limit.”

“Ah, come on!”

Ignoring May’s grumbling, I walked past. Her followers glared at me from behind, but I ignored them too.

They still don’t realize who the real power is here.

“Can we talk for a sec?”

Rin, who had been talking to May, looked at me with puffed cheeks and then smiled and nodded.

The place Rin and I headed to was the school rooftop.

I just wanted to talk in a nearby empty classroom, but Rin insisted we come here if we were going to talk.

A cool breeze was blowing.

There had been several incidents, and they were not yet resolved, but now I finally felt that things had stabilized, at least for the moment.

“Are you okay?”

I was asking Rin, but also myself. The pain in my chest was just a sting now.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

Rin seemed unfazed despite the emotional toll she must be facing after her close friend Hare’s disappearance.

Of course, she had other friends, but she would still be hurt.

What should I say?

As I fiddled with my hands, Rin gently urged me with a smile.

“Didn’t you call me here to say something?”

“Right.”

I took a deep breath.

Strangely, this felt more tense than fighting.

“I have someone I like.”

“…What?”

Her expression changed.

Her voice, cold enough to be felt as a chill.

The liveliness in her eyes faded, and the sharp pain in my chest turned into a stinging sensation, eventually feeling like it was crushing me.

‘As expected.’

Reflecting on the situation when Rin had changed, I found an answer.

Her emotions, when intensified, emitted an aura similar to the Commander. Comparing it to that time, it was faint, but undeniably present.

‘In that case.’

She must be killed.

If the extinction of humanity on the continent depends on her emotions, I thought there was no choice but to kill her.

“……”

Rin took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, clenched her fist, and then looked at me.

“I want to ask you something first, it’s not me, right?”

“……Yes.”

Her emotions surged again.

But she was restraining them. Clearly controlling her emotions to suppress the evil presence.

With effort, she began to speak.

“Lately, I’ve felt a bit strange. When you’re with someone else, I feel so jealous. I get upset, angry. Sometimes, I even have bad thoughts.”

“……”

“Driven by these impulsive emotions, I acted out that night and caused you harm.”

Rin, who had suddenly rushed at me when Hayun went to confess to Ares. Remembering that time, Rin, with trembling hands, took mine.

“I’m sorry. I’ve said it before, but I’m sorry. I understand you like someone else. And that you don’t like me.”

“……”

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

Now back to her usual self, Rin was shedding tears.

She asked me, almost pleadingly.

“Do you hate me?”

Her lips slightly parted.

There was no need to ponder the answer. I had already responded instinctively.

“I’ve never hated you.”

Although I always thought she was a burden, a threat to be eliminated, and someone who put my heart and humanity at risk, I had never hated her.

That was my honest answer.

Rin, even while crying, smiled brightly in response.

“That’s a relief.”

There were many misunderstandings.

I intentionally avoided her and unilaterally ended our connection.

Even as she was falling apart, she still maintained her sanity.

“When we were young, I really liked you.”

That was the last thing I could offer her.

Then she, wiping away her tears, did not lose her smile.

“I’ve really liked you too, ever since we were children.”

“……”

“And I will continue to.”

The girl, smiling, slowly embraced me, and I naturally let myself be held by her.

For her, this was the confession of a long-held unrequited love.

But for me, this was a possibility.

If Rin could control the unknown entity within her, as she just did, if she could control it.

With that thought, I slowly embraced her in return.

‘It’s too early to give up on you.’

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