I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City – Chapter 17

Rohan was the first to arrive at the Strength Training Room.

Unlike the outside, the warm temperature and the clean air from the purifier made it perfect for working out.

“Ughhh!”

Rohan loosened his stiff neck muscles and picked up the thread of thought that had been cut off last night.

‘Next are those bastards… When will it be?’

The communication cut off from the Yard-Pound brothers.

Rohan was anticipating what kind of response the old elf folks would have.

In Abyss City, the protagonist eventually blocked their communication too, so even though Rohan’s actions were rougher than the protagonist’s, the outcome was the same.

‘From here on out is the problem.’

He knew what events would unfold from now on.

But he shouldn’t try to easily predict or calculate the timing of the events.

In Abyss City, most quests progress based on the gamer’s will.

Until the protagonist interacts with an NPC with an exclamation mark and progresses, the world is essentially frozen.

So, what he needs to focus on from now on is the foreshadowing.

Like the one line from Juyun, he must be careful not to miss the foreshadowing that signals an event.

‘Additionally, watch out for sudden quests and special quests that pop up out of nowhere.’

Rohan was acutely aware of the events that would unfold.

Knowing the events that would happen in the future, it was inherently impossible to just turn a blind eye and enjoy his school days.

The temperament rooted in his heart wouldn’t allow such shamelessness.

‘Those bastards are targeting the people I care about?’

Just thinking about it felt like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

The girls I’ve cherished are too fragile and pure to experience being crushed by injustice and having their spirits worn down.

‘Those sons of bitches. As long as I’m alive, I won’t allow it.’

So, he prepared with all his might.

But when he tried to plan in detail, there were too many uncertain factors.

There was too much to think about. It was complicated. His already not-so-great brain was overloaded.

‘Let’s run. Just run like hell.’

Rohan knew that moving his body was the best thing to do in times like this.

After finishing his stretches, he got on the treadmill.

“Whew!”

A treadmill designed for magic users.

It’s said to handle speeds faster than a car. There was something similar in the machines Hunters used for training.

Vroooom!

Rohan started running. The machine gradually increased speed in response to his feet hitting the ground.

Not bad.

He decided to keep running until the stiffness of the early morning faded away.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart felt like it was lodged in his head, pounding loudly. His throat was dry and scratchy, and his legs…

Paga should stop and let out a groan.

This is how you really wake up in the morning.

“Clara is definitely needed more as things go on.”

How long would it take to recruit Clara if I started working on it now?

Can I recruit Clara before a big incident I can’t handle alone happens?

“Relying on others is…”

I ponder over the faces that come to mind.

“Noah is a no-go. No matter what, she can’t be involved in this.”

In this story, the actual target, Noah, can’t lend her strength.

It’s not that she lacks ability. With Noah’s current strength, she could wrap things up the moment she steps in.

Even the old elves know that Noah is an unprecedented monster among her peers, which is why they’re being cautious.

They’ve invested so much time figuring out Noah Frozenheart’s usual routes, actions, and whether she has hidden bodyguards in the academy city.

The biggest reason Noah, who meets all these conditions, can’t join is…

“The condition for this quest to fail and reset is… Noah becoming aware of the incident.”

Even Lord Seolho, who tried to accommodate the elves living in Tigroba’s coniferous forests, would personally wipe out their entire lineage if they dared to touch Noah.

Rohan doesn’t want that situation.

He doesn’t care about the other trash, but there’s one elf he wants to save.

“…”

For that reason, Noah is out of the question.

What about others?

“Gilbert…”

No matter how you coax this guy, there’s a high chance he’ll be uncontrollable.

He might suddenly scream and have a fit.

The fact that he doesn’t realize how loud his own voice is is the biggest problem.

“Dick Wikitree?”

He trembles just trying to kill an F-rank monster, so actual combat is out of the question.

Right now, he’s the type who would just float with his mouth open if he fell into water.

**Beep──!**

After running for who knows how long, the treadmill automatically stopped.

Rohan, panting with his back automatically hunched, stepped off the machine.

Wiping off his sweat with a towel, he stretched his leg muscles and headed to the next machine.

He kept pushing his body, over and over.

“Grrrugh─!!!”

Pushing against the insane machine that increases weight in response to magical energy, he searched for a way out through his consciousness.

“In the end, if I can’t recruit Clara in time, convincing Ichinose is the best option.”

It’s an ideal plan.

But there’s a catch here too.

Ichinose’s abilities are not lacking, but Rohan wasn’t sure if he could steer the situation in the desired direction with her around.

Kung!

One set done. I put down the machine and catch my breath.

“Ichinose…”

A mutter spat out in frustration.

It was a voice as insignificant as a speck of dust, meant to drift away without meaning.

But that voice flew through the air and brought back an unexpected response.

“You sensed my presence? As expected, you’re not ordinary.”

“!?”

Rohan turned his head in surprise, and there stood Ichinose in her gym clothes.

“Good morning. You’re out early, huh?”

“Yeah… gotta train.”

Rohan felt a surge of energy just seeing Ichinose.

In the game, he only ever saw her in her academy uniform, but her casual gym outfit was way cuter than any fan art.

“Such a model student. Diligence is inspiring to everyone.”

“You’re out here too, Ichinose? I just got here.”

“Just got here? You’re already pretty sweaty, though.”

Ichinose continued chatting with Rohan while casually stretching.

Her petite figure sipping water looked adorably cute.

“Well, I’ll go work out now. Sorry for interrupting.”

“Running?”

“Yeah. I only run in the mornings.”

“I was about to run again too. Let’s go together.”

Ichinose’s eyes widened slightly.

The girl, who had been staring at Rohan as sweat dripped from his bangs, smiled faintly.

“Sure. Won’t be boring then.”

—

Ichinose’s pace was fast.

Her jogging speed easily surpassed Rohan’s full sprint.

Having built up her stamina since childhood, it wasn’t something he could catch up to with sheer will. If she used magic, it was obvious her strength would far exceed Rohan’s.

“Huff! Huff…!”

Rohan ran until the machine shut down, then collapsed on the training room floor.

Ichinose stepped off the machine without a drop of sweat, looking at Rohan with a surprised expression.

“Rohan. Are you feeling okay?”

“Huuu… ugh, I’m dying.”

“Here’s some water.”

Rohan took the water from Ichinose, gulped a few sips, and sat down to catch his breath.

“Seriously, no joke. I didn’t think the gap would be this big.”

“…?”

The girl opened her eyes wide and looked at Rohan.

Her face, not seeming like a joke, made Ichinose question.

‘His running form is good, though.’

It was strange that his basic stamina was so lacking despite wielding a sword so fiercely.

Even if his swordsmanship style wasn’t traditional, he must have trained and swung a sword for years. Yet, to be this slow…

From Ichinose’s perspective, it was hard to believe that running could lead to such a dramatic collapse.

“Rohan. Can I ask you something?”

“Huh? What is it?”

Rohan, who had been burying his face in a towel, looked up.

“Where are you from? I didn’t know you were so skilled with a sword… It seems like there’s a gap in my information gathering.”

Rohan hesitated for a moment at the question, but there was nothing to hide.

He was ready to answer at any time.

“If I answer, will you buy me a drink?”

“Of course. I’ll buy you two.”

Rohan simply enjoyed having this kind of conversation with Ichinose.

Even if she hadn’t offered to buy him a drink, he would have answered.

‘Just looking at her makes me feel weak.’

After savoring Ichinose’s curious expression for a moment, he revealed the answer.

“Southern Zanhyang.”

“…!”

Ichinose’s pupils shook, as if she realized she had touched on something sensitive.

Rohan chuckled at her innocent reaction and quickly responded to prevent her from apologizing.

“Pretty impressive, right? Coming all the way from the south to Orion Academy.”

Ichinose, understanding Rohan’s casual tone, closed her mouth.

After a brief moment of chewing on her lips, the girl nodded and smiled faintly.

“…Yeah. You’re really amazing.”

“Theory is a bit of a wall for me, but I’ll work harder.”

Rohan stood up and stretched his legs.

Ichinose watched him and added her voice.

“Rohan.”

“Yeah?”

“Theory is something I’m somewhat confident in… Feel free to ask me anytime.”

“Anytime?”

“Yes. Teaching is the best way to review, so it’s good for me too.”

At her words, Rohan rummaged through his bag in the corner, asking her to wait.

He handed his smartphone to Ichinose.

“Give me your number. I’ll ask you if I have any questions.”

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