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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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In Tesha’s room.
Tesha’s eyes snapped open.
It was still dark outside.
Like a dream that fades upon waking, most of her memories of the dream were gone.
But the feeling remained.
A few fragmented phrases echoed in her mind.
And the black-haired man in her dream… it was Ethan.
‘Oh my god… Did I just have a… a dirty dream?’
Tesha didn’t know what to do with herself.
Just yesterday, she had been injured by Ethan’s telekinesis.
‘How can I even face him now?’
He was her friend.
They hadn’t known each other for long, and she knew very little about him, his personality, his preferences.
She was supposed to like kind and gentle people.
But lately, she had been feeling strange.
She closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. But her mind was racing, sleep eluding her.
She began to think about the demons.
‘I’ve encountered demons three times now…’
They seemed to be targeting her.
There was only one possible explanation.
‘They’re trying to assassinate me because I’m the princess.’
Ethan’s heroic actions in the dormitory flashed through her mind.
She couldn’t control her thoughts.
‘Could this feeling… be…’
Love?
Perhaps unrequited love was still love.
Perhaps love took many forms.
The thought embarrassed her.
‘…Pull yourself together, Arlia. Don’t forget why you’re here.’
Tesha pulled the blankets over her head and curled up in a ball.
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“That’s the guy who defeated two demons and wiped out a horde of zombies?”
“He looks so intimidating.”
“Shh, be quiet! What if he hears you?!”
I was walking down the hallway.
A few students glanced at me nervously.
Rumors about me had been circulating ever since I defeated the two demons.
And my actions on Arvis Island had cemented my reputation.
But it was rare for me to hear the rumors directly.
I seemed to have become the center of attention at the academy.
It was impossible to remain inconspicuous now.
[My lord, you’re quite popular.]
[I’m screwed…]
[Isn’t popularity a good thing?]
I couldn’t tell Lien that I was a transmigrator.
Being popular only increased the chances of being targeted by demons.
The demons in the original story had targeted Arthur relentlessly as he became more famous.
A notice appeared on the bulletin board.
It was the final exam announcement.
I walked over to the board to check the details.
And I was stunned.
The final exam was different from what I remembered.
Midterms had focused on written exams, while finals were supposed to be practical exams.
Mostly hunting.
It was a chance for the Hero Candidates to showcase their hunting skills.
But the announcement on the board was different.
It was a completely different exam.
‘Team Survival and Team Necklace Snatch.’
That was the title of the announcement.
Below the title, a detailed explanation of the exam format was provided.
Necklace Snatch.
It was the game I had introduced to Tia.
And I was receiving royalties from the necklace sales.
It seemed like the Erze Trading Company had successfully lobbied the academy to include the Necklace Snatch as a part of the final exam.
If the story had followed the original plot, I would have just hunted a few monsters and been done with it.
And then I would have enjoyed a relaxing summer break.
My small actions had created a massive butterfly effect.
And it had come back to bite me.
I had no one to blame but myself. I had been too focused on making money.
The only consolation was that professors would be stationed throughout the exam area to monitor the students and provide medical assistance.
That meant the chances of a demon attack during the final exam were low.
I looked around.
My eyes met Reus’s. He had been staring at me.
‘I still haven’t interacted much with Reus or Sonny…’
Reus didn’t look away. He walked towards me.
He was definitely staring at me. He was tall.
“What are you looking at?”
“You were the one staring at me.”
His condescending smirk annoyed me.
Reus.
Arthur Pendragon’s rival. He was handsome, with a physique like a Greek statue.
But unlike the kindhearted Arthur,
He was cruel and ruthless.
Why was he interested in me?
He was probably annoyed that I was stealing his spotlight.
The atmosphere in the hallway turned cold.
Even the usual chatter subsided.
“You’re the one who defeated two demons and wiped out a horde of undead, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
There was no point in denying it.
“Interesting. 45th overall, and you’ve already defeated two demons.”
“…”
“I’m looking forward to the final exam.”
His words were a thinly veiled threat.
I’ll find your team during the final exam and crush you.
So, stop showing off and prepare to be destroyed.
That’s what he meant.
Reus turned and walked away.
As if he had said everything he needed to say.
His arrogant attitude annoyed me.
[My lord, I can sense your emotions.]
[What?]
I hesitated.
[You truly are a warrior at heart, my lord. You’re filled with fighting spirit when you see a strong opponent.]
No, I’m just annoyed.
I had felt the same way when I was reading the novel.
Arthur Pendragon was the protagonist, so it was easy to empathize with him.
But Reus was his rival, and he was an unpleasant character.
He eventually became a tsundere, but…
He was like Vegeta from Dragon Ball.
And anyone who had encountered a tsundere in real life knew that they were just human patience testers.
And he was a male tsundere?
I wanted to punch him.
I imagined punching Reus in the face as I walked down the hallway.
“Ethan.”
Anya’s voice called out from behind me. She was smiling. I felt a surge of unease.
“Let me fight Lien again.”
Thankfully, we were alone in the hallway.
“What?”
“I want to fight Lien again!”
“Anya, we had a deal. No challenges for a year.”
“But the deal was with you, Ethan. Not Lien.”
That was true. But I didn’t want to summon Lien again. It was a hassle.
“No.”
“Ethan, you’re so mean!”
Anya continued to pester me.
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“Vivian, I’m done studying for today.”
Sepia slammed her textbook shut. Vivian approached her.
“May I check your work?”
“Go ahead.”
Vivian carefully reviewed Sepia’s work. She had promised to teach Sepia how to be a proper lady after the school trip.
But there was one condition.
Sepia had to dedicate herself to her studies. That included solving practice problems in Hunting and Magic, as well as memorization tests.
“Okay, my lady. I’ll give you a quiz. First, magic… Identify all the errors in this magic circle and explain why they are incorrect.”
Vivian opened the revised edition of the magic textbook. Sepia concentrated for a moment, then began writing her answers.
After about ten minutes, she handed her answer sheet to Vivian. Vivian reviewed it carefully.
“Very good. There are no logical flaws in your reasoning. Now, let’s begin your lesson.”
“Okay!”
Vivian sat down across from Sepia.
“Today, we’ll be learning about natural skinship.”
“Natural skinship?”
“Yes… like this.”
They decided to role-play. Vivian would play Sepia, and Sepia would play Ethan.
“I’ll play your role first.”
“Uh… o-okay.”
“Wow, Ethan, your hands are so big! Let’s compare hand sizes.”
Vivian took Sepia’s hand and placed it against her own.
“Wow, Ethan! Your hands are huge!”
She was doing her best to act cute and innocent. Sepia awkwardly played along.
“…Oh… really?”
“See, my lady? This is how you initiate natural skinship. The key is to be natural. What do you think? Wasn’t that natural?”
Vivian’s expression returned to its usual stoicism. It had indeed been a natural interaction.
Sepia’s eyes gleamed with competitive spirit.
“Yes! Thank you, Vivian! I think I can do that!”
Vivian moved on to the next lesson.
“The next technique is the ‘Walk Me Home’ strategy.”
“What… what kind of strategy is that?”
The name itself sounded suspicious.
“It’s a way to appeal to a man’s protective instincts.”
“Protective instincts…?”
“Men have a natural desire to protect vulnerable women. That’s what the book says.”
Vivian recalled the book she had read yesterday.
“So… how do I do it?”
“Tell him that you’re scared of walking alone at night.”
“Lie? But I’m not scared of walking alone at night.”
“Yes, lie. It doesn’t matter if you’re actually scared or not. It’s all about the performance.”
Sepia nodded.
“Ninety-nine out of a hundred men will offer to walk you back to your dormitory.”
“Really?”
“Yes, that’s what the book says…”
Vivian pointed to a passage in the book she had been reading.
“Okay, okay, and then?”
“And then you have to express your gratitude. Tell him that you felt safe walking with him. Thank him and ask him to walk you home again next time.”
“Ah, I see! Then I can naturally secure another opportunity to walk home with him!”
Sepia nodded, a look of understanding on her face.
“Now, my lady, let’s practice. I’ll play Ethan, and you can be yourself.”
“Okay, let’s start, Vivian!”
And so, the two women, both inexperienced in romance, continued their love studies.
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Is that really going to work on Ethan?
It might work if she starts getting targeted by demons. Idk tho