Chapter 123: Smiles Hide Dread

The next day.

Today is Saturday, and it’s the day for Professor Radbisin’s private lesson.

So, I’m heading to the Aether Attribute Enhancement Lecture room, but I doubt the lesson will actually take place.

Just like how the birthday party was held the day after the possessed body’s birthday.

I get the feeling there’ll be a party to celebrate my good result in the tournament today.

It wasn’t a victory, I only made it to the round of 16, so maybe I’ll just get a few quick congratulations and that’ll be it…

If I suddenly walk into a surprise party without being mentally prepared, I might freeze up and fail to hide my agitation, just like I did in chapter 40.

So, it’s better to assume there’s a surprise party waiting for me.

If there isn’t, then so be it, I’ll just let it go.

With my thoughts in order, I carefully opened the classroom door.

As expected, the sound of fireworks popped loudly.

“Karvald Austri! Congratulations on making it to the round of 16!!”

“That was incredible! You were awesome!!”

“Hahahaha. You’ve worked hard all this time. You achieved a great result thanks to your efforts.”

Because I’d prepared myself, I didn’t fall into a daze like last time, but a ticklish feeling welled up deep in my chest.

How many times do you have to hear these words before you get used to them?

Just as I felt my face grow slightly hot and opened my mouth to thank everyone—

“It all worked out~! Aren’t you glad you learned Whip Technique from me~?”

Suddenly, a figure jumped out from the shadows holding a cake, saying those words.

With that uniquely drawn-out way of speaking, it could only be Skadi.

Every Saturday evening.

She had subtly joined us whenever I ate with Professor Radbisin and his graduate students.

Before I knew it, she’d gotten close enough to help prepare the party.

“Judging by your reaction, you expected the party, but you didn’t expect Professor Skadi to pop out from the shadows, did you!”

“Exactly! Look at you, freezing up in surprise again~! So innocent, so pure!”

Actually, I just paused because I was uncomfortable seeing a supporting character (destined to die) from the original story appear so suddenly.

But the two grad students didn’t know that, and were happy they’d managed to surprise me.

Honestly, I was relieved.

“…Yes, I really didn’t see that coming.”

Not wanting to spoil the mood, I forced a smile and glanced at Skadi’s face.

She, too, was smiling awkwardly.

Maybe she’d sensed that I wasn’t happy about her appearance.

“Karvald. Shouldn’t you blow out the candles?”

Before the grad students could pick up on the awkwardness between us, Professor Radbisin intervened at the perfect moment.

Only then did I turn my attention to the cake.

There were two candles shaped like the numbers ‘1’ and ‘6’ standing side by side. Must be for the round of 16.

“Thank you all so much for celebrating with me.”

Even if Skadi made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, I was sincerely grateful.

If she hadn’t volunteered to teach me Whip Technique, I wouldn’t have dared enter the tournament at all.

Nor would I have joined the training sessions led by Reysir.

And my combat skills wouldn’t have improved to where they are now.

So, expressing my genuine gratitude, I made brief eye contact with Skadi and bowed my head slightly.

Then I blew out the candles on the cake with a strong breath.

“But you know what? We cheered for you a ton, too!”

“That’s right, that’s right! We even shouted, ‘Karvald Austri! You can do it!!’ I wonder if you heard us?”

“Thank you for your support. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear your voices, but I believed you were cheering for me in spirit.”

The two grad students beamed with pride at my polite reply.

It was a lovely sight.

With the protagonist of the original story absent, I thought maybe I could relax and laugh here.

But then again, with a supporting character from the original present, maybe I should hold back.

Conflicting thoughts battled in my head and I didn’t know what expression to make.

And so,

“He talks so smoothly, but why does his face look so bashful?”

“Seriously! Isn’t he just adorable…!”

To others, it must have looked like I was simply overcome with embarrassment.

If the protagonist from someone else’s novel were here, I’m sure they’d be teasing me mercilessly.

Fortunately, the only people here were a bunch of young men and women in a “some” relationship.

“Se-senpai?! I’m your cutie, Elska! How can you call someone else cute right in front of me?!”

“Trying to compete for cuteness with a fresh first-year, when you’re just a tired old grad student! Have you no shame!”

“Grad students can be cute too! Just look at Blida right here!”

“You—! Can’t believe the things you say with professors and juniors watching!”

Instead of teasing me, the grad students quickly fell into their own silly, flirtatious banter.

Thanks to them, I could clear my mind and just enjoy the moment.

“Let’s all sit down now, shall we?”

Professor Radbisin gently patted my back and guided me over to the silver picnic mat spread out in the middle of the classroom.

Skadi had placed the cake atop a foldable table right in the center and sat down.

Once again, I marveled at the bizarre worldbuilding of this novel’s universe.

‘Isn’t that a traditional Korean low table…?’

But the table was covered not with Korean food, but with all kinds of snacks.

Well, they were the same snacks I’d seen in Korea, so I guess you could call them Korean food after all?

“By the way, you really fought well, didn’t you?”

“Yeah! Your movements were so quick and graceful, like a cat!”

Maybe they felt a bit guilty for losing themselves in their own world at my celebration.

The two grad students took their seats and started to compliment me.

The comparison to a cat made me feel embarrassed, but since it was just about my movements, I accepted it graciously.

“I wish I could have gone to see the tournament, too…”

As I crunched on a stick-shaped snack to hide my embarrassment, Skadi placed a plate with a slice of cake in front of me, sighing with regret.

“Oh?! Professor Skadi, you couldn’t go? Why not??”

“Well, I’m not allowed to leave the Academy grounds…”

“Oh…”

Elska looked puzzled at first, then, hearing the answer, made an ‘oh right’ expression.

Skadi’s usual bright, friendly demeanor seemed so far removed from the word ‘criminal.’

He must have completely forgotten about that, only just now remembering.

“Then we’ll tell you all about it!”

“Really…?!”

Blida jabbed Elska in the side, trying to liven up the mood.

Skadi’s face immediately brightened, her jet-black, shadowy eyes sparkling with anticipation.

‘It’s hard to tell who’s the student and who’s the professor!’

Visually, Skadi and Blida didn’t look that far apart in age, which made it even more striking.

Anyway, I was relieved Skadi was back to her usual self.

But my own situation was far from comfortable.

“If there’s one highlight in our junior’s match—!”

“It’s definitely the finishing pose!!”

Blida and Elska took turns enthusiastically describing it.

“Standing on the fallen opponent’s shoulder. Snatching up the dropped sword and aiming it at their neck in round 1—it was so cool!”

“I do get jealous when Blida calls another man cool… But I’ll make an exception today! Even I have to admit it was impressive.”

“At first, it seemed arrogant, but somehow there was this noble air about it… Like you were saying, ‘You and I are worlds apart!’ with your whole body.”

“Totally a nobleman through and through!”

Strictly speaking, I was born outside the world of this novel, so from that perspective, I really was different by birth.

As those silly thoughts drifted by, I tried to distract myself, but I couldn’t cool the growing heat in my face.

It wasn’t the compliments that embarrassed me. It was those cringe-inducing descriptions making me feel mortified.

“Nyaaaah…”

Yor patted my back to comfort me.

But it didn’t help at all.

Because I’d made it all the way to round 2. I should’ve just lost in round 1 and been done with it.

“And the finishing pose in round 2… it’s better to just show you. Blida? Stand up for a second.”

“Wa-wait… Senpai, there’s no need to—”

Swallowing the urge to crawl into a hole, I barely managed to protest.

But Elska ignored me and got Blida to stand, then reenacted ‘that pose from chapter 117.’

“For reference, Blida is playing Karvald Austri’s role here.”

“Ehh…? You struck a pose like that with your opponent in the middle of the fight~??”

Skadi widened her eyes in disbelief.

Can’t blame her. Seeing the grad students reenact the pose, I thought the same thing.

It seemed odd in my imagination, but seeing it live, it was just plain weird.

I wanted to grab the original story’s protagonist by the collar and shake him, demanding to know why he did that.

Even though I already knew the reason.

“Well, um… My condition was visibly deteriorating, so I tried to finish the match as quickly as possible. That’s how it ended up that way.”

“Oh! So the nosebleed was because you weren’t feeling well, right?”

“Uh, senpai… can you please stand up properly now…?”

On behalf of the absent Reysir, I offered an explanation for the round 2 ending pose.

The PhD student nodded as she realized something she hadn’t known, while the master’s student pleaded for her partner to let her stand straight.

I guess, as a grad student who’s always sitting, it’s hard to hold someone’s weight up with one arm for too long.

“Huh? If you want to really reenact it, shouldn’t you pick me up and carry me to the mat, like your opponent did for you after the match?”

“What? Th-that’s a bit…”

“Why? Am I heavy?”

“No, no! Blida is light as a feather!”

“Then hurry up and carry me!”

“…”

Elska looked at me with desperate eyes.

He was silently asking for a buff so he could lift Blida up.

Even though I realized it, I pretended not to notice.

It was payback for making me relive something I’d rather forget.