“Anyway, thank you. For coming to say hello like this, and for telling me you have no ill feelings…. It’s made me feel a bit more at ease. It is truly a relief that Karbaldr is healthy in both body and mind.”
Professor Radbisin spoke with a warm smile.
I did not quite know how to respond to that.
As I hesitated, he continued.
“If nothing comes to mind, you don’t have to force an answer. I was just talking to myself. Don’t you already know? This old professor has a habit of rambling.”
I must have looked quite troubled.
Since the professor had said so, it would not be rude to remain silent.
However, because he had been so considerate, I felt uneasy just letting it pass.
I wanted to say something that might be helpful, so I spoke with some difficulty.
“I…, I hope you always stay healthy, Professor…”
“Hahaha, then I must cheer up quickly for the sake of my admirable student!”
I could already hear the vitality in the old professor’s voice.
His complexion seemed to have improved slightly as well.
I felt glad that I had braved my embarrassment to speak up.
“In that sense, I should change my work environment. Shutting myself away in a small room alone only brings negative thoughts; it’s too detrimental to my mental health.”
I suspect Professor Radbisin had been working in his private room because he was worried his research students would be concerned if they saw him suffering from guilt.
Therefore, what he just said was a reversal of cause and effect.
‘But there’s no need to point that out.’
Thinking this, I approached Professor Radbisin’s desk.
I wanted to help him organize the various materials he had been looking at so they would be easier to move.
“Oh, right. Now that I think about it, Karbaldr, you’ve awakened as well, haven’t you? Just like Professor Skadi.”
I received this question just as I was finishing the organizing.
I thought it was nothing more than a foundation for small talk.
So, without much thought, I replied, “Yes,” and was about to lift the stack of materials I had neatly piled up.
“Then, through the Status Window, you must have checked the exact usage conditions for the second Buff Skill?”
“……!”
I nearly overturned all the documents I had just organized.
“That, that is… well…”
“Were the skill descriptions perhaps unhelpful? Still, the Attribute should be written there. With your mind, Karbaldr, I imagine you could have deduced the answer…. Come to think of it, I’m curious what is written for your Attribute as well.”
“……”
Why on earth did the ‘me’ from Chapter 18 write those reports so diligently?
I regretted it so much I could hardly contain my lamentation.
“Is it perhaps difficult to answer?”
“Well, that…. Um… matters regarding the Attribute are personal…, so it’s a bit difficult to say…”
“Oh, my! This old professor was being too insensitive. I apologize.”
“No, no. It’s nothing you need to apologize for. It’s just that I’m a bit…, sensitive…”
I waved my hands dismissively while thinking it over.
Unless I intended to keep this [Encourage] skill hidden forever, applying it only to myself and Yor, wouldn’t it be better to come up with usage conditions that I could disclose publicly?
Furthermore, wasn’t I planning to receive help from Professor Radbisin in many ways to grow my Aether Characteristic Skills in the future?
In that case, it would be better to explain things to some extent to this old professor.
“The condition is likely… that a relationship must be established with a specific word? Oh, and it seems a certain level of closeness is also required. Yes, that’s the feeling.”
“Then shouldn’t you hurry up and acknowledge your friends as friends?”
I knew I would hear something like that.
“Even if I do, the stat increase isn’t that high. It’s only 3, so it’s practically the same whether I use it or not. And I don’t necessarily need to be ‘friends’; I think the buff would apply just fine if we were simply ‘acquaintances’.”
“Karbaldr, do you perhaps have some sort of… related to ‘friends’… ahem! No. Please act as if this old professor didn’t say anything just now.”
At my heated defense, Professor Radbisin started to ask something but suddenly retracted it.
However, since the introduction had already been given, it was easy to guess what was to follow.
He probably wanted to ask if I had some kind of trauma regarding ‘friends’.
‘Is the fact that a transfer student approached me before the first period started saying they wanted to be my friend, only to cancel it during lunch that same day, also a trauma?’
Back then, that kid said, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were that kind of kid.”
I still don’t know what “that kind of kid” refers to.
I never worked up the courage to ask what they had heard from whom.
But I don’t resent that kid.
Perhaps they didn’t hear some rumor, but simply realized through the atmosphere that I was ‘the kid being bullied’.
It was possible they ran away because they were afraid of being caught up in the harassment if they stayed by my side.
Thinking about it that way, I could understand.
I felt sorry, thinking that I might have almost caused them trouble.
‘Yet, seeing this memory surface at this timing… I suppose I was hurt back then…?’
I can no longer remember that kid’s face or voice.
Only those words they said at the very end remained stuck in my mind like a thorn that wouldn’t come out.
‘Would it have been better to ask what that meant back then?’
While I was having such thoughts, Yor meowed and rubbed his face against my cheek.
Only then did I snap back to my senses and escape my thoughts.
I don’t know what kind of expression I had been making, but the old professor’s face was filled with pity as he looked at me.
“A buff that can only be given to those close to you… It seems that while Karbaldr does not open his heart easily, once he accepts someone as his own, he is the type to cherish them with all his heart. Hahaha.”
Just as I had pretended not to notice when Professor Radbisin made a comment that reversed cause and effect, he also changed the subject instead of mentioning whatever he had realized.
I was grateful for the sentiment, but the content was embarrassing enough to make my face flush.
‘No, wait. The one who created the [Encourage] skill wasn’t me, it was the real Karbaldr, wasn’t it?’
This didn’t feel like something I should be embarrassed about.
The word ‘encourage’ carries the meaning of ‘supervise,’ and among the synonyms listed in the dictionary is ‘lashing.’
Until now, I had thought Karbaldr was quite a character, but looking at it from Professor Radbisin’s perspective, the original owner of this body seemed somewhat pitiful.
“By the way, did you only come to say hello today? Won’t you join me for a meal?”
After I moved the stack of materials to the desk in the research lab, the professor asked that question.
Since there were still more than 2 hours left until lunchtime, he probably wondered if I had come early on purpose.
“No. I didn’t know what time you ate during the break, Professor. I came early because I thought it might be rude to suddenly show up at lunchtime and ask to eat together.”
“I don’t know about others, but Karbaldr is welcome whenever you visit. So don’t worry about things like that.”
Professor Radbisin said this and looked back at his research students, seeking their agreement.
At that, the research students let out strange groans like, “Uhh, uuhhh~!”
“You heard them, right?”
I suppressed the urge to ask “What?” and simply replied, “Ah, yes…”
Fortunately, the old professor continued without noticing that I had only agreed out of politeness.
“And regarding mealtimes? In the past, I would lose track of time focusing on my papers, so I often ate at irregular hours or skipped meals entirely…. Thanks to Professor Skadi, I’ve been able to lead a regular life even during the break. I leave the lab at 12:00 PM every day, so keep that in mind for future visits.”
“Does Professor Skadi go with you to eat…? Or does she just tell you the time?”
Listening quietly, a question suddenly occurred to me.
When I voiced it…
“Oh, to say something Professor Skadi would be so upset to hear…!”
“That’s right — ! I’m upset — !”
Hearing those words, I had to quickly offer an explanation.
“The dining hall isn’t operating because it’s break, and Professor Skadi can’t leave the Academy, can she? That’s why I asked.”
“Aha, was that it? You don’t have to worry about that anymore. Professor Skadi is now able to go out.”
“An official notice came down saying I can go out as long as I’m accompanied by at least one fellow professor — ! And I have Grandpa Rabi — ! So, the life of buying tons of instant and frozen food from the convenience store to survive all break is now ‘goodbyeee — !!!'”
I had wondered how Skadi, who couldn’t leave, handled her meals during the break, and that question was now answered.
‘Seeing as she bought things from the convenience store, she must receive a salary!’
But it was truly too much to stop the operation of the dining hall and convenience store while also restricting her from leaving the Academy during that period.
Since she couldn’t go out and had nowhere to spend money anyway, they should have just provided meals during the break instead of giving a salary.
However, now that the restrictions were partially lifted, receiving a salary might be better, so perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
“And — ! I’m told I can attend all sorts of events now — !! Not only can I proudly watch the Graduation Ceremony, but I can also watch the Bimu Tournament held outside the Academy — ?! Isn’t it great — ? Isn’t it amazing — ??”
“Yes, it really is. Congratulations.”
“Hehe! Oh, but Karbaldr, are you going to dance at this year’s Bimu Tournament too — ?”
“I’m not dancing. And I didn’t dance at last year’s tournament either.”
“That’s too bad… I wanted to see it…”
“……”
A look of genuine disappointment briefly flashed across Skadi’s face before vanishing.
It was a shame she couldn’t see what happened at the last tournament in person, but the anticipation of what she could see in the future was likely far greater than that regret.
“Right! Did you practice your Whip Technique and Dagger Arts a lot during the break — ? Should I take a look before we go to lunch — ?”
It wasn’t just an offer I had no reason to refuse; it was a deeply grateful proposal, so I decided to accept.
‘By the way… I had always kept a wall up and tried to maintain psychological distance because I thought Skadi would leave the Academy and meet her death in some Demonic Realm, just like in the Original Work… How should I treat her from now on?’
This wasn’t a problem I could reach a conclusion on right now.
It wasn’t even certain whether the progression of the Original Work still held influence or not.
For now, I decided to watch the situation and think it over slowly.