I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 178

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Eek! It’s Assistant Erwin and Schlus Hainkel!”

“Are they dating?”

“They’re both men! That’s impossible!”

“Hee hee hee. They look good together, though.”

“Maybe commoners have a thing for each other.”

Walking with Erwin always resulted in ridiculous whispers.

Was it a woman’s instinct to pair up any two men seen together? This time, however, there was a difference.

“You should grow your hair out.”

“Shut up. What’s it to you?”

“You’d look pretty.”

“I said shut up…”

Erwin was a woman.

She was tall and had short hair, but her features were undeniably feminine… Or perhaps that was just because I knew.

To an unsuspecting observer, she might pass for an effeminate man.

“Why do you even dress like a man? The professors all know, anyway.”

“It’s a habit.”

“A habit?”

“Yeah. People don’t want to hire women for dangerous jobs. I got used to dressing like a man, and it just… carried over to school… Ugh. Why am I even telling you this?”

“…”

She’d mentioned supporting her younger siblings alone. She must have been working difficult jobs outside of school.

“Then why are you a graduate student? The pay is terrible.”

“I can’t do manual labor forever… I need to put my siblings through school and pay for their weddings.”

“Hmm… Do you need money?”

“What? Why? Are you offering?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Erwin stared at me, her expression serious. I felt a twinge of guilt. I’d placed a spell on her heart and was treating her like a slave, yet offering no compensation.

She’d probably spend all day plotting my demise. I needed to offer a carrot along with the stick.

“Hmph. How much? Are you going to give me, like, 100 Tirions for my siblings’ meals—”

“50,000 Tirions a month.”

“What?! Don’t be ridiculous. Are you trying to mock me? I might be poor, but I have my pride. I wouldn’t accept it even if you offered.”

“Get on your knees.”

“What?”

“I said, kneel.”

“H-Here?”

“…”

Did I have to repeat myself?

I glared at her, and she quickly knelt, glancing around. She must have realized resistance was futile.

“Do you still have your pride? Tell me.”

“I… I have no pride…”

“Good. Now take the money. 50,000 Tirions a month, in cash.”

“Okay…”

“You may rise.”

“…”

Erwin stood up, her body trembling. Her gaze, previously fixed straight ahead, was now glued to the floor.

Had the subtle pulse I’d sent through the spell on her heart frightened her that much?

“Don’t do anything dangerous. You’ll get hurt.”

“Okay…”

“And grow your hair out. You’d look pretty.”

“Okay…”

I patted her shoulder and walked away.

5 million won a month should be enough, right?

I hoped she’d use it to buy her siblings delicious food. I’d shown her my compassionate side; she wouldn’t try to stab me now.

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Tap, tap, tap.

Erwin sat on a bench, her foot tapping nervously. She took a drag of her cigarette, coughed, and exhaled.

“That crazy bastard.”

She hadn’t meant it literally when she’d said she did manual labor.

She hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously… to worry about her getting hurt… and to force money on her.

“What is he planning…?”

This had to be an advance payment for future tasks. Being a spy within that insane cult was already a nightmare.

What more could he want? And apparently, these tasks required a healthy body and long hair.

“Don’t tell me…!”

Erwin’s face flushed as she imagined the worst-case scenario. That lunatic. That madman. That devil.

“Cough! Cough!”

Cursing Schlus Hainkel under her breath, Erwin took another drag of her cigarette, though she rarely smoked.

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-We are at war. The wicked group that attacked the Imperial University is a cult that worships evil gods…

The Emperor had issued an official statement, informing the public of the cultists’ existence and declaring war against them. And he’d given them a name.

-They shall be known as Asylum.

Asylum.

The same name as in the original story. It was strange how some things remained the same, even though the story had deviated so much.

But it would be greedy to expect everything to follow the original plot.

“Finals are coming up soon.”

Tea poured into the cup in front of me. I watched Schlus’s reflection in the tea as Emilia added milk, clouding the surface.

A spoonful of sugar followed, and the spoon stirred.

“Time flies, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

Emilia was right.

Time seemed to be passing quickly now that things were peaceful. Of course, the peace was only on the surface.

Beneath it, a fierce and dirty battle raged. Erwin had apparently passed the initiation test and become a full member of Asylum.

She’d been on the verge of expulsion for not taking the test after receiving the Majin’s power.

This was good news. The test involved killing someone, and it had taken a while to console her. The intelligence agency was also busy, constantly on the move.

The Empire’s counterintelligence agency was frantically searching for Asylum members, putting the intelligence agency on edge.

I’d been worried they might foolishly cooperate with Asylum, but Hertlocker’s regular reports indicated otherwise.

Apparently, a similar group was emerging in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom was wary of Asylum, but since they were attacking the Empire, they weren’t actively opposing them.

“Are you going again today?”

“Yes. Thanks for the coat.”

“Who is this person you’re so fond of, brother? Lady Erica? Her younger sister? Or perhaps the acting countess?”

“It’s nothing like that. I’ve told you, I’m providing psychological counseling for Erica’s younger sister.”

“Hmm. Is that so? Well, I’ll pretend to believe you. Good luck.”

“…”

Emilia’s gaze was intense. I ignored her and left the residence.

With more free time, I’d been visiting her almost every day. It had become the highlight of my existence.

Lost in thought, I arrived at the Lichtenburg residence before I knew it.

“You’re here. Julia… I mean, Miss Han Ah-reum is in the garden.”

“Thank you.”

Erica opened the door for me. It felt like my own home now. The maids didn’t bat an eye as I barged through the doors. I hurried to the garden.

“Enjoy your time.”

“…”

The door closed behind me.

As always, she sat in a wheelchair at the table in the center of the garden. I pulled up a chair and sat down.

She opened her eyes and smiled faintly.

“You came.”

“Yes. How have you been? How’s your health?”

“The same.”

The usual exchange. It reminded me of our dates.

Though our dates had consisted mostly of strolling around the small hospital grounds. But something was different today.

The atmosphere felt… off.

“This brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

“It does. We were in a garden like this back then.”

“You’re not Han Ah-reum.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, brother?”

“What’s my name? Tell me.”

“Oh…”

“What are you doing here, Julia?”

“…”

Unbelievable.

It was Julia, not her. I’d almost been fooled. If her acting had been a little better, I wouldn’t have noticed.

“I just… wanted to get to know you.”

“Why me?”

“Isn’t it natural to want to know more about the person who’s… romantically involved with my body while I’m asleep?”

“…”

I was speechless.

She had a point. I hadn’t spoken to Julia much while using her body.

She must be curious about what kind of man the little Schlus she’d known had become.

“This book…”

“Oh, that. It appeared on my bookshelf one day.”

“…”

“I know, it’s hard to believe. I was surprised, too. It has such strange content, like it’s from another world.”

The book on the table was ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

A tragic tale of forbidden love, ending with both lovers taking their own lives, believing the other to be dead.

“It’s an interesting book.”

“Oh? Have you read it?”

“Yes. I’ve read a similar book.”

“So there are more of them. How fascinating. Speaking of which, in this book…”

I’d almost given myself away, but I managed to steer the conversation back to the book.

Julia seemed excited to find someone who knew the story. I spent the next hour discussing ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with her. It wasn’t boring.

Hearing her perspective, as someone from this world, was refreshing.

“Oh… I’ve taken up too much of your time. I should probably switch back now.”

“That would be great.”

Julia smiled sheepishly and leaned forward onto the table, her dark hair cascading around her.

“See you later.”

“…”

Julia’s eyes fluttered closed. Then, they opened again, looking up at me. The look in her eyes was different.

This wasn’t Julia.

“How was it? Were you fooled?”

“You taught her, didn’t you?”

“When did you realize? Hmm?”

“Immediately. Your aura is completely different.”

“Hmm…”

Her smile was adorable.

Which made it all the more painful. I could speak freely now. I erected a perception-blocking barrier so Erica and her mother wouldn’t hear.

“What shall we do today? I had a custom deck of cards made. We could play like we used to—”

“Brother. Let’s stop this.”

“…”

My throat tightened. I swallowed hard, fighting back tears.

“She might not show it, but this is taking a toll on her. She can’t rest properly because I keep waking up in her body. I’ve been trying to just lie still with my eyes closed when I wake up at night, but she’s still exhausted. Look at the dark circles under her eyes.”

“…”

I’d downplayed it as nightmares, but Han Ah-reum’s possession was a serious matter.

It was putting a strain on Julia’s already frail body. I knew. I’d known all along, but my selfishness had prevented me from stopping this.

“You know there’s no way to bring me back to life. Even if you manage to manifest me here, what happens when you reach the ending and return? I’ll still be dead in the real world. It’s pointless.”

“Wait. How do you know I can return after reaching the ending?”

“Oh…”

She’d slipped up. I’d caught her. She avoided my gaze, her expression troubled. It was the same look she always had when caught in a lie.

I picked up the book.

“You placed this book here, didn’t you? And you created this world?”

“…”

She remained silent. So that was how it was going to be. I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.

“What is this world? A dream? Can I wake up if I kill myself?”

“N-No! It’s not a dream!”

“Then what is it?”

“Ugh…”

“Answer me, Han Ah-reum.”

“It’s not a dream… But it’s not exactly reality, either…”

“Have you become a god?”

“No. I created it, but I’m not omnipotent. I saw you struggling to write after I died… You really wanted to finish this novel, didn’t you? So I made a wish for you to reach the ending, and… this happened…”

“That comment. It was you.”

“Yes…”

I laughed.

That comment that had infuriated me and sparked a keyboard war.

Of course it had been her. She knew exactly how to push my buttons. It was almost comical.

“What if I refuse to reach the ending? What if I want to stay here with you forever?”

“While torturing this child’s body? I know you’re not that kind of person. And the ending will come, one way or another. Even if you overcome every crisis, this world will eventually end. Then you’ll return to reality, and I won’t be there.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I’m already dead. Stop being foolish and accept it.”

“I know…”

“Then let’s stop this. You’ll kill her. What happened to your resolve?”

“…”

I gritted my teeth. She looked haggard, a bitter smile on her face.

“Let’s end this. It’s hurting both of us. You know that, right?”

“One… one last time.”

One last time wouldn’t hurt. She could grant me that much. I stood up and walked towards her.

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“Oh?!”

Erica, peeking through the crack in the door, gasped as Schlus kissed Julia.

She flung the door open and rushed inside, passing through the barrier. Schlus gently laid the now sleeping Julia on the table.

He raised his left hand, touched his ring, muttered something, and then turned towards Erica.

“What are you doing?! Who said you could kiss her?!”

“Your sister’s nightmares are cured.”

“What?”

Erica’s heart sank.

Cured nightmares… She knew exactly what that meant.

“You’re… joking, right?”

“That spirit will no longer torment your sister.”

“…”

Drip. Drip.

Tears fell onto Schlus’s shoes.

Erica stared at him, dumbfounded, then released his arm. He wiped his eyes and walked away.

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