Chapter 9: The extra just wants to live (2)

Around midnight, I was sitting on a bench in a quiet courtyard. I gathered my scattered thoughts, gazed at the stars, and made resolutions for the future.

Um, but I don’t understand the situation right now. How could the timing be so unfortunate and strange?

“Hey, could you give up your seat?”

Long blue hair falling to her waist, neatly groomed, with clear, bright golden eyes, a slender jawline, and striking features.

Her outfit, consisting of navy blue tracksuit leggings and a cropped t-shirt, was so captivating it almost seemed unreal. Her elegantly shaped legs formed a perfect curve from top to bottom.

The spring breeze was still a bit chilly, so she wore a beige cardigan draped over her shoulders like a cape, and a Claymore in a white sheath hung from her waist.

I hadn’t noticed her during the entrance ceremony since I had only seen her from a distance, but seeing her up close made me pause. Her appearance was so surreal that the standards of beauty seemed to shift before and after seeing her.

While I was momentarily stunned, Abel stared at me. Her intelligent, yet somewhat distant aura made her look like the moon shining solely on her.

However.

Wasn’t there room for both of us on the bench?

It was, after all, academy property. I wondered if there was some unwritten rule that prohibited students from the special education class from sitting on public benches whenever they wanted. This crazy academy wouldn’t surprise me at all. I couldn’t believe how accustomed I’d grown to the social hierarchy here.

‘Ugh.’

But right now, for whatever reason, I didn’t want to get involved. I had just decided to avoid getting caught up in any political matters. Meeting a beautiful woman is always pleasant, but in my current position, it wasn’t something I could embrace happily. There’s nothing more dangerous than getting entangled with the main characters.

Moreover, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone after what had happened with Chloe last time. Every time her clouded eyes briefly crossed my mind, my hands trembled slightly.

Well, she wasn’t extorting me or anything, just asking me to give up my seat, which wasn’t a particularly difficult request.

That was the moment I was about to stand up.

“There’s no need for you to leave. Just scoot over a bit.”

Abel slightly tilted her head and approached me. She motioned for me to shift a little, and I slid to the corner of the bench. Sweat beaded on my forehead like dew after a workout.

“…”

“…”

Silence settled in the calm dawn air. The insects had already ceased their work, and the only sound was the trees swaying in the wind.

I turned my head slightly to the side. Abel wiped sweat from her brow with her sleeve, her eyes fixed on the night sky. The allure of the heroine was so strong that my gaze automatically followed hers.

“This is the best spot to see the stars.”

Surprisingly, Abel was the first to break the silence. Her eyes remained on the night sky.

I couldn’t help but be taken aback seeing Abel, her eyes shining as she gazed at the stars.

Was this really the granddaughter of the Sword Master, Abel von Nibelung?

In the game, Abel was a character who couldn’t be described as having a good personality, even with empty flattery. Isn’t she supposed to be one of those characters? Someone who draws people in with her unapproachable nature, only to slowly build emotions after overcoming all sorts of difficulties.

Even the handsome protagonist struggled to exchange a few words with her at first due to her hostile attitude.

So, I wasn’t familiar with this side of her, where she was speaking to me in a relatively friendly manner. Abel, who was still looking at the sea of stars, turned her gaze toward me.

“Is your weapon a sword too?”

I responded with a slight nod. Her clear voice tickled my ears.

“Grandfather used to say that a swordsman’s eyes are a bit different.”

Abel observed me closely, her eyes narrowing slightly. Her long hair flowed gently over her shoulder, brushing against her chest. Tilting her head slightly, Abel touched her chin, then took the sword that had been resting on the arm of the bench.

“Want to hold it?”

“I’m not really interested.”

At my response, Abel pouted. One of her cheeks puffed out before she sharply turned her head away. Was she offended? Abel stayed silent for a moment before speaking again.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

“More or less.”

“But I don’t know who you are.”

Huh?

“That’s not fair, is it? You know my name, but I don’t know anything about you.”

“We just met, and you already want to know my name?”

I squinted at her, but Abel continued talking, unfazed.

“For all I know, you could be a Demon King spy disguised as a student, infiltrating the academy. I mean, you don’t seem to have a good reason to be sitting here alone at this time of night.”

While I stared at her with a bewildered expression, Abel tapped the hilt of her sword with her fingernail. Her gaze was sizing me up. Just by looking into her eyes, it was hard to tell if she was joking or being serious.

“And what are you?”

When I responded coldly, Abel looked puzzled for a moment before letting out a short sigh.

“Isn’t it obvious? I was training and came here to rest, while you were just sprawled out on the bench.”

“I was exercising too.”

“What kind of exercise?”

“Breathing.”

“…”

Abel twisted her mouth into a wry smile, then brought a hand to her temple and shook her head. I noticed that her hand was covered in bandages and gauze. When she realized I was looking, she quickly hid her hand behind her back, awkwardly scratching her cheek.

It was hard to believe this was the same cold and distant Abel I knew from the game. In the original story, she was the typical aloof and unapproachable character, but the girl in front of me showed a surprising range of expressions.

Abel fidgeted with her fingers while sneaking glances at me, brushing the hair away from her face.

“You’re very dedicated.”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

Her expression darkened.

“People don’t get it. They don’t understand what it means to carry the Nibelung blood. I always have to be the best, perfect in everything. Even the smallest mistake is a chance for them to pounce on me. You know, I’m not the top student this year, right? Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve ever lost to someone.”

Abel pursed her lips and bit down hard. Immediately after, she smiled awkwardly.

“But you know what? In a way, it was kind of refreshing.”

As Abel kept talking, I didn’t bother to interrupt.

“But, you know, in a strange way, I also feel relieved.”

As she continued, I remained silent. There was no need to say anything.

“Still, I’m curious about who beat me. I want to surpass them next time. No, next time, I’ll crush them.”

“That serious?”

“Of course. It’s a matter of pride. I asked my grandfather, and he said the top student isn’t even in our class. And, on top of that, they didn’t even attend the ceremony for the top students. How infuriating!”

She mumbled under her breath, then shook her head as if trying to shake off those thoughts.

“I shouldn’t be telling you this, it’s ridiculous that I am. I guess it bothered me more than I thought.”

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Huh? Because you seem weak. My family has a saying, ‘Be tough with the strong and merciful with the weak.’ And besides, my classmates are all unbearable, so I don’t have any friends.”

‘So that’s why she was so cold to the protagonist,’ I thought.

Abel stretched, dusted off her leggings, and stood up.

“It’s time for me to go.”

“Oh, take care.”

“So, when are you going to tell me your name?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Hey!”

* * *

Although we had never met before, he was a very interesting student. For some reason, I felt comforted by a conversation that lasted less than thirty minutes.

“It’s been fun, for the first time in a while.”

I could barely remember the last time I shared my true feelings with someone.

On the outside, there was the heavy burden of being the descendant of Nibelung and the granddaughter of the Sword Master.

At the academy, I was sick of the mix of awe and jealousy from my classmates.

Then, on a whim, an unknown student spoke to me and just stared at me. They say silence is a form of conversation too, don’t they?

Plenty of conversation went back and forth. However, this student’s attitude had a way of bringing out honesty.

He had a bit of a rough personality. No, maybe a bit unfortunate. He didn’t even tell me his name until the end. Even classmates would exchange contact information just to start a conversation.

“It’s strange, I feel like I was rejected without even confessing…”

Abel smiled bitterly and walked down the dark path back to the dormitory.

Her steps were lighter than usual.

***

The next morning, I went to the library as soon as the sun rose.

It was an imposing structure, fitting for the most prestigious academy in the world. Standing eight stories high, it reminded me of the Tower of Pisa. If there was one thing this world did well, it was size and scale.

The interior was even more impressive. Books lined the walls in circles around a large cylindrical atrium in the center, stretching all the way up to the top floor.

I briefly admired the quiet library—it was the weekend, after all—and then settled into a corner.

“This really makes me feel like a proper student.”

I had never had a close relationship with books. Not only because I dropped out of school after finishing high school, but also because printed letters always made me dizzy.

With my heart still racing a bit, I went over what I needed to look for first books about the history of this world and survival knowledge. I had to prioritize finding information on how to handle blessings and study the demon beasts I’d face in the upcoming hunting trials.

In my previous life, I always left beast hunting in auto mode, so I didn’t know anything about their attack patterns. Whenever I got stuck, I’d just pay to move forward. That’s why all of this was new to me, and I needed to study.

Additionally, I planned to keep training my body and learning normal sword skills. I didn’t intend to rely on the divine blessing of “pain insensitivity” unless my life was on the line. Although, I wasn’t sure it would be as easy as it sounded.

“In dangerous situations, I’d probably end up drawing the sashimi knife out of instinct.”

But what else could I do? Even if things didn’t go as planned, I had to try.

I calmly explored the library’s categories. Soon, a poorly placed book on a shelf caught my attention. Its title was “The Secret Life of the Perverted Director♥”, printed on a red cover.

The book was so worn that the cover’s color had nearly faded away. I laughed to myself, realizing that some things never change, no matter where you are, and I picked it up.

“How lucky am I.”

Studying was important, but for a young, energetic man, there were other things even more important.