The Transmigrator Doesn’t Dream of Being the Protagonist – Chapter 98

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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“I noticed Ethan was wearing a ring with the Linchester family crest.”

Tia spoke, testing the waters. Sylvia didn’t bother denying it.

“Yes, I gave it to him. Why do you ask?”

“I heard rumors of a marriage proposal involving you circulating in high society recently.”

Tia was asking if the proposal had involved Ethan. Sylvia, with her sharp intuition, understood the implication.

“The rumors have already spread? It seems it’s best to avoid high society… Ah, I didn’t mean you, Tia.”

“I know. I’m just curious.”

“It’s true. There was talk of a marriage between Ethan and me.”

Ethan glanced nervously between the two women, trying to decide if he should interject and explain the situation.

“My father was being… overzealous. He’s eager for me to get married. Ethan and I were both quite surprised.”

Tia gulped.

‘The Linchester Family Head himself suggested the marriage?’

It seemed Ethan was more highly regarded by the Family Head than she had thought.

“So… what happened?”

“I rejected the proposal.”

Sylvia didn’t want to elaborate. But Tia was persistent.

“Is… is that all?”

Sylvia blinked. Tia realized her mistake.

If Sylvia hadn’t been interested, she wouldn’t have asked.

‘She’s cute. She really likes Ethan.’

Sylvia felt a pang of amusement rather than jealousy. Despite her mature demeanor, Tia was still a young girl.

“I promised to give him my heart when he becomes stronger than me. The deadline is three years.”

Ethan surpassing Sylvia in three years.

Anyone hearing that would think Sylvia wasn’t serious. It was a difficult, almost impossible feat for a first-year student to surpass Sylvia in strength within three years.

But Tia thought differently.

She quickly calculated the possibilities.

‘Ethan could surpass Sylvia within three years at his current rate of growth. But Sylvia’s skills are also improving, so it won’t be easy.’

Tia was also aware of the loophole in Sylvia’s condition. Surpassing Sylvia meant defeating her in combat.

So, Sylvia could simply lose the duel if she wanted to marry Ethan.

‘Three years… that’s not a lot of time…’

She felt a surge of anxiety. But she maintained a calm facade.

“I see.”

“Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I have some work to do.”

Sylvia wanted to talk to Ethan, but she had to prepare for tomorrow’s lectures.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yes. Thank you for the tea. The pancakes were delicious. And the child is adorable.”

Sylvia smiled at Hessia. Hessia, hiding behind Ethan, looked at Sylvia curiously.

‘Is she higher ranked than Ethan…?’

Even though she was a hatchling, Hessia was still a child. And a child believes their parent is the strongest. She had never met anyone stronger than Ethan.

So, naturally, she established a hierarchy:

Hessia > Sylvia > Ethan > Everyone else

Ethan walked Sylvia to the door. The chirping of crickets filled the autumn night.

“It was nice seeing you, Ethan. Go back inside.”

“Safe travels, Master.”

“Dan-ah… come here for a moment.”

Did she sense Lien’s demonic energy? I felt a surge of anxiety. A guilty conscience betrays itself.

“W-what is it, Master…?”

I approached her cautiously. Sylvia smiled and hugged me.

‘You’re mine, Dan-ah. Tia might be cute, but I won’t let her steal you away.’

I was surprised by the sudden hug. She stroked my hair.

I felt like a child, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“Master… this is a bit sudden…”

“Do you dislike it?”

“N-no…”

It was actually quite nice. A faint scent of herbs lingered in the air.

“Fufu, I’m giving you a special reward for defeating the demon during summer break.”

Her words sparked inappropriate thoughts.

“You should go back inside now.”

I returned to the apartment, feeling drained. I had been tense the entire time.

I could sense Master’s killing intent with my Combat Intuition, but sensing it and dodging it were two different things.

It was a powerful skill, but my Combat Intuition level was still low.

Tia was still sitting in the living room.

“She seems like a good master.”

“Yeah, she is.”

“Ethan, I have a question. My hobby is songwriting…”

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It was the academy festival.

A school festival was a staple of the academy genre. It wasn’t the main event of the second semester, but it was still a big deal.

It was a large-scale event.

Even nobles from other territories came to visit.

Eastvan, along with the Logness territory, was the largest city in the eastern region. And Neydia Academy had a close relationship with the city.

The students’ spending contributed significantly to the local economy.

But during the festival, the citizens of Eastvan came to the academy to spend their money.

The Neydia Academy festival lasted for a week.

During that time, the academy gates were open to the public. The citizens could walk around the campus and enjoy the festivities.

I could see the citizens exploring the academy grounds, their eyes wide with curiosity.

“A festival… how exciting.”

I stretched and grumbled. I had never been a fan of school festivals, even in my previous life.

“Arthur, say ah~”

Arianna held out a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Arthur chuckled awkwardly.

It seemed like Arthur and Arianna were back together.

Well, they hadn’t really broken up, so was it even a reunion?

“Anne, not here…”

“Arthur, my hand is tired. Say ah~”

Arthur opened his mouth and ate the ice cream.

The girls who had a crush on Arthur must be heartbroken.

He had a girlfriend now. And she was his childhood sweetheart.

They had no chance against Arianna.

‘They’re even more lovey-dovey than in the original story.’

It was probably because Hessia wasn’t between them.

Hessia was currently clinging to my side.

In the original story, the festival had been a lighthearted, slice-of-life arc. It was essentially a date arc for Arthur and Arianna.

And it was the arc where Arianna, the unexpected newcomer, became a serious contender for the “best girl” title.

‘What are the demons doing? This is the perfect time to attack…’

The academy gates were wide open. It was the perfect opportunity for a terrorist attack or a kidnapping.

And it was a once-a-year opportunity.

Of course, security was tighter during the festival. There were twice as many guards patrolling the campus.

There were even plainclothes guards, disguised as ordinary citizens, monitoring for demonic energy.

The festival arc was usually a peaceful one, but the plot had changed. There was no telling what kind of demon might appear.

And…

‘It’s about time for demons who can conceal their demonic energy to appear.’

That’s why I had assigned Lien and half of my undead army to protect Hessia. But she had wanted to come to the festival, so I had brought her along.

“Ethan, this is so good!”

Hessia grinned, her face covered in ice cream.

“Really? You like it?”

“Yeah! It’s yummy!”

I wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

She was holding a cotton candy in one hand and a vanilla ice cream cone in the other.

I had been spoiling her, buying her everything she wanted.

“Here, Ethan, have some.”

She even shared her ice cream with me. She had asked if I wanted anything when we were buying the ice cream.

“Ethan, are you watching the performance tonight?”

“Performance? Ah…”

I wanted to go home and relax. I wasn’t interested in watching the Hero Candidates’ talent show.

Especially not while being sandwiched between Arthur and Arianna.

Buzz.

My communication crystal vibrated. It was a call from Sepia.

[Ethan, are you watching the performance tonight?]

[I don’t know.]

[Don’t tell me you’re not coming! It’s a once-a-year opportunity!]

I hesitated. The “once-a-year opportunity” line was tempting.

[Maybe I should take Hessia…]

[But we have to make reservations, right?]

The academy festival performances were surprisingly popular. The citizens could watch the Hero Candidates showcase their talents.

There were all sorts of performances.

Strength demonstrations, mana demonstrations, sword dances, spear techniques, telekinesis shows…

It wasn’t that exciting for the other Hero Candidates, but the ordinary citizens seemed to enjoy it.

The tickets were expensive. And most of the profits went to the Hero Candidates.

The students received free tickets for the back row.

[I already made reservations.]

[Reservations? Where are our seats?]

[Front row.]

Front row?

[So don’t be late!]

[…Okay.]

The call ended. Arthur looked at me.

“Was that Sepia? What did she say?”

“Yeah, it was Sepia. She wants me to watch the performance with Hessia.”

“Then you should go.”

Arianna was still using formal language with me. When Arthur asked her why, she said it was because she was so grateful.

She was probably just scared of me.

“What about you two?”

“We’ll be on a date.”

“Okay.”

Hessia and I went to the auditorium.

I gave our names to the guard at the entrance, and he confirmed that we had front-row seats.

“Enjoy the show.”

The auditorium was dark, like a concert hall. There was even a large screen and speakers.

Hessia sat beside me, munching on popcorn. I waited for Sepia, but she didn’t show up.

She wasn’t answering my messages either.

‘Did she make reservations for just Hessia and me?’

The red curtains opened, revealing the stage. The performance began.

There were strength demonstrations, telekinesis shows, and sword dances.

They were essentially magic shows disguised as talent shows. A magic show in front of a dragon? It felt like a children’s performance.

But Hessia seemed to be enjoying it. She ate her popcorn faster whenever she was engrossed in the performance.

Her eyes were wide with wonder.

The performance was nearing its end.

“And now, for the grand finale! This team has prepared a song and dance performance! Let’s give them a warm welcome!”

I wondered how good they could be.

A song and dance performance at a public event? They had to be incredibly talented for it to be entertaining.

“Team TTS! Please come on stage!”

The final team walked onto the stage amidst applause. Hessia giggled and pointed at the stage.

“Ethan, look! It’s Sepia, Tesha, and Tia!”

My jaw dropped.

What were they doing there?

And was TTS an acronym for Tesha, Tia, and Sepia?

A familiar melody filled the auditorium. The details were different, but I recognized the song.

“TTS is performing ‘Into the New World’!”

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Woooo! It’s my favorite girl group Text To Speech!!!

Jokes aside, ‘Into the New World’ is the debut song of the iconic K-Pop Girl Group, Girls’ Generation. If you want to have clearer understanding of what TTS are performing, go give it a listen.