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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Michelle’s first stop was Adrian’s office, but she confirmed he wasn’t there.
So, turning on her heel, Michelle’s next destination was, naturally, to check on Charlotte.
She found her in the training grounds.
“Charlotte,” Michelle called out, but, as expected, there was no response.
The failing class students now had access to various good facilities.
Clear sunlight streamed through the windows, refracting into hexagonal shapes and illuminating the equipment with a sparkling glow.
With the all-out competition fast approaching, the training grounds were bustling.
The students’ faces were etched with tension, knowing they had to perform well.
“Charlotte,” Michelle called again several times, but Charlotte still didn’t react.
It would be more accurate to say she couldn’t react.
Charlotte seemed to be staring blankly at something in another world.
Finally, Michelle walked right up to Charlotte, who continued to stare vacantly into space.
Michelle struggled to find the right words, while Charlotte wore an expression of indifference.
It was a complete reversal of their usual dynamic.
Yes, it used to be the exact opposite.
Charlotte was always the one searching for words, while Michelle remained apathetic to everyone and everything around her.
But now, things were different.
Friendship?
Was this because of friendship?
But neither Michelle nor Charlotte truly understood what friendship meant.
“I entrust her to you.”
The only reason Michelle was going to such lengths was Adrian.
Because he had asked.
Because he was special to her.
She still didn’t fully grasp the sincerity he had conveyed, but it was undoubtedly there.
His sincere desire to see Charlotte grow, no matter the circumstances.
‘Come to think of it, where does that sincerity towards his students come from?’
She wanted to ask Adrian directly.
Ordinary humans would give up if there were extenuating circumstances.
But what was this unwavering will that refused to give up despite the difficulties?
Lost in thought, Michelle was startled by Charlotte’s voice.
“…What is it?”
Charlotte’s voice was darker than Michelle had ever heard it.
Only then did Michelle snap out of her reverie.
She unconsciously glanced at the clock in the corner of the training grounds.
Right, the all-out competition was just around the corner… and Adrian wanted Charlotte to improve, so this wasn’t the time to be pondering such things.
Using her telekinesis, Michelle neatly arranged the materials she had brought.
Adrian had given them to her with a hidden code, but at face value, they were excellent study materials.
Most of them were related to fire magic and mana circulation, directly relevant to what Charlotte needed to learn.
“Here,” Michelle said, offering the materials.
“What’s this?” Charlotte asked.
“It’ll help you train.”
Help with training when she couldn’t even train properly?
Charlotte shook her head.
“It’s okay. I’ll figure it out…”
“Professor Adrian gave it to you.”
“……?”
Charlotte’s body began to tremble at those words.
“Professor Adrian…?”
“Yes, take it.”
Charlotte silently accepted the materials.
Up until now, Charlotte had received much kindness from Adrian, but she had also made many mistakes.
The Mana Sprint representative.
Charlotte didn’t understand why she had been chosen.
She had actually planned to ask Adrian to remove her name, but…
…If Professor Adrian had given her these materials, she had to do something with them.
The reason she hadn’t asked to be removed was simple.
Adrian had told her to stay away from him.
She had been diligently obeying that order.
But what if Adrian ordered her to disappear completely?
Adrian was Charlotte’s only reason for being.
He was the only one who helped her climb the ladder of her dreams, one step at a time.
She couldn’t bear the thought of him giving her such an order.
The mere idea terrified her.
Various fears assaulted the girl, but these materials felt like a lifeline.
“Ah…”
Charlotte swallowed hard.
The fact that Professor Adrian had given her something brought tears to her eyes.
But she couldn’t cry.
He might disapprove of that too.
Michelle pressed her index finger against her temple, then forced her lips apart.
“I know you must be confused. It’s difficult to explain everything, but I’ll try to explain it step by step…”
“I’ll do it. I will.”
Michelle’s head tilted as her words were cut short.
Charlotte had accepted far too easily, even before a proper explanation had begun.
But Charlotte, her eyes glued to the materials, continued in a low voice.
“I… I can do it. I can definitely do it, so don’t worry. I will.”
Michelle began to contemplate.
Her biggest worry had been Charlotte giving up without listening to any persuasion.
But now, she sensed both anxiety and determination in Charlotte.
Was this good?
No, she couldn’t deduce everything based solely on emotions.
“It’s good that you’re going to do it, but don’t be too concerned about how Professor Adrian is treating you right now. Things might look different later on.”
Just as Michelle was about to subtly explain the necessary points, just in case…
“…Michelle.”
Charlotte’s voice was so serious that Michelle couldn’t help but fall silent.
The Charlotte from when Michelle first entered the room, and the Charlotte she was talking to now, felt like two completely different people.
Charlotte continued,
“I… want to be alone. Yes. I know what I need to do now.”
Charlotte seemed to think Michelle was offering clumsy consolation.
Well, she needed to clarify this point.
“I think there’s a misunderstanding, so let me explain further. Look at the underlined parts in the materials. They look ordinary, but Professor Adrian hid some tricks in them.”
Michelle began to explain step by step.
From the fact that Adrian had thrown these materials, to her visit to the library, and how she deciphered the codes one by one.
“How long are you going to treat me like an idiot?”
But in the end, their wires crossed again.
“……?”
Michelle stared at Charlotte, bewildered.
No matter how much she explained, Charlotte seemed convinced that Michelle was just trying to appease her.
“What I just said is all true.”
“…I believe you about him giving them to you.”
Why wouldn’t she believe her?
The answer was obvious.
Charlotte had low self-esteem and believed she had given Adrian plenty of reasons to dislike her.
So, she couldn’t accept the idea that Adrian was actually looking out for her.
“No… you, really…”
Michelle had a lot to say.
Countless explanations raced through her mind.
But she couldn’t voice them.
This was fundamentally a problem that could only be solved by raising Charlotte’s self-esteem.
Charlotte needed to believe in herself and feel worthy of being cared for before she could accept that someone was looking out for her.
That slightly skewed conclusion weighed heavily on Michelle’s mind.
‘What do I do now?’
But Charlotte quietly turned her back and muttered,
“Just go. I’ll… I’ll study this even if it kills me.”
“Hmm…”
Did it matter if she couldn’t convince her right away?
Adrian’s primary objective for Michelle had been to “make Charlotte study.” And Charlotte herself was saying she would definitely study…
And more than anything, Charlotte’s attitude annoyed Michelle.
Inferiority, victim mentality, low self-esteem—these were the things Michelle despised the most.
It couldn’t be helped.
She forcefully suppressed the sharp retort that threatened to escape her lips.
“Well… do what you want. Just make sure you study that.”
After emphasizing several times that Charlotte needed to study the materials, Michelle turned to leave.
This problem wouldn’t be resolved without meeting Adrian.
Charlotte’s back disturbed her, but Michelle began to walk away.
And she began to search for Adrian, as if possessed.
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[Charlotte arc is real]
