The Transmigrator Doesn’t Dream of Being the Protagonist – Chapter 35

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“So, I can teach him, right?”

Sepia smirked.

What was going on with her?

Countless questions raced through Ethan’s mind.

People said that sudden changes in personality were a sign of impending death.

Sepia was smiling.

A genuine smile, as though something wonderful had happened.

Ethan had never seen her smile so brightly since he had arrived in this world.

“Now, Ethan, look here. To control your mana, you must first…”

First, you must understand mana.

It was a basic principle, like learning how to breathe and float before jumping into a pool.

Sepia continued her explanation enthusiastically.

Ethan couldn’t ignore her, even if he wanted to. She was a talented mage, and she was offering to teach him.

He listened patiently, though his mind was elsewhere.

“Now, Ethan, what should you do in this situation?”

Sepia’s lesson continued for two hours. Tia and Tesha, their patience exhausted, began packing up their things.

Ethan pleaded with them silently.

‘Take me with you!’

But they were too busy chatting with each other to notice his desperate plea.

“Ethan, focus. Midterms are next week!”

“Wouldn’t it be more efficient to study the material instead of practicing mana control?”

Sepia glared at him.

Ethan flinched.

“Well, I think that’s enough for today…”

He glanced at the window.

The sky was dark, and night had fallen.

Being alone with Sepia in the club room was awkward.

“Ethan, if you’re only worried about passing the midterms, then studying the material would be enough. But you’re going to graduate… so…”

Sepia trailed off, biting her lower lip.

She seemed to be searching for the right words.

“Anyway! It’s important to build a strong foundation.”

“I know, I know, but… I’m tired.”

“……”

Another awkward silence.

Ethan yawned.

Being cooped up in the club room was making him restless.

“Ethan… You know… Um…”

Sepia hesitated, her words catching in her throat.

Ethan blinked, waiting for her to continue.

“…Would you…”

“What?”

“Would you… be my… friend?”

She asked the question as though she were confessing her deepest feelings.

Sepia averted her gaze, as though she didn’t know where to look.

“Your friend?”

“Y-yes! It’s… okay to be friends, right? You can wait until I graduate… no, that’s not what I…”

Sepia fumbled over her words.

“You’re asking me… to be your friend?”

Who asks someone to be their friend so directly?

Ethan wanted to laugh.

He bit his cheek to stifle his laughter.

“H-here…”

Sepia held out a sword.

It was the Arken steel sword Ethan had brought from the Logness territory. He had returned it to her when he left the Logness family.

“If you’re asking me to come back to the Logness family, then… I’m sorry, but I have to decline.”

“No! I… It’s a gift… to celebrate our friendship…”

Ethan could use a new weapon.

His standard-issue longsword was battered and chipped after yesterday’s incident.

“Okay.”

Friends with Sepia…?

He didn’t know what had caused this sudden change of heart, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He didn’t want to refuse and risk her holding a grudge against him.

“So… we’re friends now?”

“Yes. I look forward to being your friend, Sepia von Logness.”

Sepia’s eyes widened, and she nodded enthusiastically.

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‘I’m friends with Ethan!’

Sepia was lying on her bed, smiling brightly. Vivian watched her with a tray of tea in her hand.

“What’s with the good mood?”

“Heehee, Vivian, I became friends with Ethan!”

“You managed to join the club?”

“Yes! Thanks to you!”

Vivian suppressed a smile.

She had practically written Sepia’s club application essay for her.

“And I even taught Ethan about mana control today!”

Sepia was beaming, as though she were a child reporting her achievements to her mother. She excitedly recounted the events of the day to Vivian.

“You were right. Ethan, did have feelings for me. That little tsundere…”

Vivian nodded along, trying to keep a straight face.

Ethan’s reactions didn’t quite align with someone who had feelings for Sepia, but people expressed their emotions differently.

And…

‘Oh my god… My lady, you asked him to be your friend?’

Who asked someone to be their friend like that?

But Vivian didn’t want to say anything.

“If Ethan confesses to me after becoming a hero, I’ll have to think about it.”

Sepia kicked her blankets playfully.

To Vivian, Sepia looked like a girl who had just fallen in love for the first time.

‘Maybe she actually fell in love?’

Vivian was worried, but she couldn’t help but smile at Sepia’s happiness.

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72 Demon Generals.

When the novel was being serialized, many readers had questioned the absurd number of demon generals.

And there were seven Demon Kings.

Most web novels had a single Demon King with four powerful underlings.

Ethan couldn’t understand it either.

It was simply unrealistic for the protagonist to defeat 72 demon generals.

The author had even responded to those comments, saying, “I won’t make him fight all 72 demon generals!”

But true to the overwhelming number of demon generals, demon attacks were a recurring theme in the novel.

Sometimes the demons appeared in person, while other times they were revealed to be the masterminds behind certain events.

Eventually, the author, unable to handle the sheer number of demon generals, had revealed that only 50 of them were still alive.

It was a plot hole, of course.

It meant that the previous generation of heroes had done nothing to stop the demons.

But even 50 demon generals were a significant threat.

And the second demon attack in the novel occurred during midterms.

It wasn’t unusual for demons to appear frequently in a web novel, but…

‘It’s frustrating for me, since I know exactly when and where they’ll appear.’

Our clueless protagonist was currently immersed in his midterm studies.

The second demon would attack on the eve of the final midterm exam, while Arthur was studying with his friends in the library.

The empire’s top academy had terrible security. Or maybe it was just a convenient plot device.

The demon’s target was Princess Tesha.

Arthur, who had been diligently leveling up his stats, would defeat the demon.

It was his first heroic act, his first step towards fulfilling his destiny as the protagonist.

The scene had been exciting when Ethan had read it in the novel.

But now, facing the prospect of a demon attack, he was filled with dread.

“Ethan, I was thinking… maybe we could study together in the library during midterms?”

And as expected,

Arthur was dragging him towards danger.

He was supposed to say that to Sonny.

And then they would team up to defeat the demon.

It was a classic shounen manga trope.

The author had clearly been influenced by his childhood love for shounen manga.

A true web novel protagonist should be able to defeat a demon single-handedly.

But the original plot was already a mess, and Ethan had no intention of suffering needlessly.

“Why don’t we invite everyone from the club and study together in the library?”

“Invite everyone…?”

So, they could gang up on the demon, of course.

“It’ll be fun. We can motivate each other and help each other with the material.”

Our kindhearted protagonist was impressed.

“That’s a great idea! If everyone gets good grades, it’ll be good publicity for the club!”

I’m sorry, but I won’t be much help.

I’ll make up for my terrible written exam scores with my practical exam scores.

Anyway,

We started studying in the library the next day.

Most of the midterm exams were written exams.

Introduction to Hunting, Hunting Practice, Fundamentals of Magic, Fundamentals of Resistance Acquisition, Fundamentals of Hand-to-Hand Combat, Practical Combat Training, Fundamentals of Weaponry, and Fundamentals of Survival.

Eight courses with written exams.

It was ridiculous that a practical course like Hand-to-Hand Combat had a written exam, but what choice did I have?

I had to follow the rules.

I remember complaining about the written exam for PE in middle school.

Thankfully, the written exams had a low weighting.

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Tesha sat behind the library counter, glancing at Arthur and Ethan.

She recalled her conversation with Tia in the club room.

Sepia had interrupted them before she could teach Ethan how to properly control his mana.

Tesha and Tia had eventually left the club room.

‘Tesha, do you like Ethan?’

Tia had asked her out of the blue as they were walking back to their dormitory.

‘What? What did you say?’

‘I asked if you liked Ethan.’

‘Of… of course. He’s a good friend.’

Tesha had stopped walking.

Tia also slowed down.

‘No, that’s not what I meant.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I meant… do you like him… romantically?’

Ah.

Tesha finally understood.

‘Oh, no. I… I can’t date anyone…’

She had no time for romance.

She was a princess, the future ruler of the empire.

‘Then why are you so kind to him?’

Tesha thought about the time Ethan had defeated the demon.

If he hadn’t been there during the first practical exam, she would have been exposed to the demon’s attack.

‘I’m just grateful.’

Tesha told Tia about the incident.

Tia listened intently as they walked side by side.

‘So, you’re just grateful and want to help him because he saved your life?’

‘Yes, it’s only natural to repay a favor. And Ethan seems like a good person.’

Tia contemplated.

She knew that Tesha, having grown up in the imperial palace, was unfamiliar with normal human relationships.

But this was a bit much.

‘Tesha, that’s called “leading someone on”.’

‘L-leading someone on?’

Tesha blinked, her confusion evident.

Tia explained what “leading someone on” meant.

‘But I’m not leading anyone on…’

‘But that’s how it looks to others, don’t you think?’

Tesha was speechless.

Tia smirked, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

‘Then, do you like Ethan?’

‘What…?’

Tesha’s question caught Tia off guard.

‘I’m right, aren’t I? That’s why you’re trying to stop me from getting close to him, isn’t it?’

‘Is that how it seemed? I’m just… fulfilling my duty as a member of the Erze Trading Company… I want to hire Ethan.’

‘Ah, I see. I see. That’s what you want, right?’

Tesha’s tone dripped with sarcasm.

Tia was speechless.

‘Anyway, thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think about. See you tomorrow, Tia Erze.’

Tesha smiled and continued walking.

Tia was starting to realize that the princess wasn’t as naive as she had thought.

After that day, Tesha couldn’t stop thinking about Ethan.

To be honest, she liked him.

But she was a princess, the future ruler of the empire.

She couldn’t allow herself to fall for someone. It would complicate things for both of them.

She wouldn’t meddle in his life.

That’s what Tesha had decided.

But why was he in the library today? He rarely visited the library.

‘Had I misled him?’

Ethan, who had been studying, approached Tesha during his break.

She hadn’t been mistaken.

“Tesha, I was thinking. Would you like to study with us in the library during midterms?”

Ah, Now that she thought about it, Ethan was the one who had invited her to join the club too.

Did I really give him the wrong idea?

Tesha hesitated.

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