Chapter 69

After that, I continued to have conversations with Isabella, but most of them were about trivial topics.

That dangerous, expressionless face that seemed capable of anything was the last of its kind.

Still, I couldn’t let my guard down.

What’s the point of feeling anxious over something I can’t do anything about?

As soon as I parted ways with Isabella, I rushed to the health teacher and asked about her.

Specifically, whether I should let my guard down or not.

“Isabella Wharton?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, you should be cautious.”

“I thought so…”

The teacher spoke firmly, clearly intending to keep an eye on her.

“First of all, the timing of her volunteering is suspicious. She didn’t come right after Alberto’s death, and there’s no reason for her to join at such an ambiguous time. She definitely has ulterior motives.”

After laying out an objective analysis, the teacher trailed off. She always gave some kind of signal before expressing personal, subjective feelings.

“Besides, she’s the type that gives off a bad vibe. You know, the kind where you can’t tell what they’re thinking and they’re always scheming.”

“So, how should I respond?”

“You don’t need to think of it as some grand response. She’ll probably pick up on any clumsy acting or caution from the patient and try to use it.”

“Clumsy…”

It was a harsh but accurate remark. A real killer line.

It’s kind of comforting not to have to worry when there’s nothing you can do.

“You said she approached you in a friendly manner? Then just be friendly back. But make sure to report any actions or questions she makes to me immediately.”

“…Come to think of it, she asked about you.”

“Me? In what way?”

“Just asked what you were like… I said you seemed fine.”

“Hmm…?”

The teacher, seemingly caught off guard, tilted her head repeatedly.

I felt unnecessarily anxious.

“…Will it be okay?”

“Don’t worry too much.”

The teacher’s lips curved into a smooth arc. It was a benevolent smile meant to reassure me.

“I’m Kayan. Whether that woman is Alberto’s successor or not, I’m way above her. I just need to be a bit cautious since I can’t read people’s minds, but dealing with her is easy.”

However, her eyes weren’t smiling.

“If she dies, that’s that.”

It really hit me then that this person was a high-ranking member of the organization. Given her profession of saving lives, she must have taken just as many.

She didn’t even seem to have the self-awareness of wanting to be a good person. Rather, it felt like she wanted to reveal her origins and misdeeds to those around her. To the point of casually mentioning killing in front of me, whom she doted on excessively.

Seeing her like that made me suddenly curious.

“Arlegienne.”

“Why?”

“What do you think about death?”

“…Out of the blue?”

“Just tell me. Even if it’s just a feeling.”

Thinking about it, maybe it wasn’t so sudden. It was a question I’d had for a long time, every time I saw her.

The teacher, though looking puzzled, answered sincerely.

“It’s the final thing given equally to everyone. Whether I do it, someone else does it, or they go alone, I think that moment was destined for the deceased. Even if it’s not true, you have to think that way. Death is the end. There’s nothing to gain from dwelling on what’s already over.”

“So, even if someone dies right in front of you, you wouldn’t feel much.”

“That’s right.”

“Even if I died?”

“……”

Her mouth closed tightly. Her gray eyes, reflecting my face, began to tremble slightly.

“That… probably not.”

“What do you think you’d feel?”

“Regret, anger, sadness… I probably wouldn’t cry, though.”

This is it.

If there’s one exception to her treating death as something natural, it’s probably me. When I first sensed this, I thought it was just self-consciousness, but the more I dug into it, the more certain I became.

“…I’ve been curious for a while. Why am I the only one different?”

There was no particular reason. She just treated me that way. I don’t even know when it started.

To me, the teacher was both a benefactor and someone I couldn’t understand at all. Everything that could hint at her true feelings was veiled, invisible.

“I don’t remember ever repaying you for anything.”

Even if it wasn’t pure goodwill, she clearly cared for me. So, I had resolved not to cross each other’s boundaries. But in the end, I couldn’t overcome my curiosity.

More than curiosity, it was suspicion, or perhaps anxiety. When you look into a dark hole, even if there’s nothing there, it’s easy to imagine something bad.

I was scared.

It felt like there was a monster waiting to drag me down.

Still, I wanted to believe.

Because I wanted to believe, I chose to jump down before being pulled. It was the only way to prove there was nothing there.

The teacher stared blankly, her mouth agape. It was an expression I’d never seen before. Like a machine overloaded.

“Out of pity…?”

“Among those you’ve killed, there must have been unfortunate people too. Is that really all there is to it?”

“……”

After a long pause, her uncertain remark was immediately refuted.

That was the end. The teacher hung her head as if she had done something terribly wrong.

She never continued. I never got my answer.

Even after mustering the courage to jump, I was rejected by the pit itself.

What a comedy.

***

The Academy holds a festival every year on October 7th.

The official name is much longer, but it’s roughly called the Gratitude Festival, derived from a lengthy opening speech expressing deep gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor.

Ordinary.

This academy, which is more than just a school, doesn’t have your average festival.

It’s not for students to have fun or to showcase their achievements over the year.

If you think about it, it’s more like a self-promotion event.

Depending on how well you impress the high-ranking nobles visiting during this time, your life after graduation could change completely.

What you choose to showcase is entirely up to you.

The academy neither recommends nor forces anything.

As a result, the types of booths you see on the day are incredibly diverse.

Some hold exhibitions to flaunt their artistic skills, others participate in martial tournaments to show off their combat prowess, and some even half-abandon their booths to mingle with the nobles.

But the most common approach is to make a profit and flaunt their business acumen.

For the commoners who make up half of the academy, there’s really no other choice.

Thanks to this, even though the academy only provides the space, the festival has become a semi-official attraction, living up to its reputation.

In other words, it’s a great time to have fun.

It’s hard not to enjoy watching kids at the age where they love to play, especially the talented ones, rack their brains to make money.

Sure, it’s a bit of a flaw that the smarter ones, like Hans, target middle-aged folks, but overall, it’s a high standard for this world.

For an academy cut off from the outside world with nothing to do, this festival is like rain in a drought.

With a date planned with Sena, I was unusually excited, even during the principal’s boring opening speech.

I had been hanging around since the students started setting up their booths a few days ago.

I even planned out the order of booths to visit and where to eat.

I can’t deny I was being a bit extra.

It’s my first and last time, so I guess I got carried away with anticipation.

But it still felt great.

The word “first” carries a special meaning, after all.

“Wow…”

“This year, they even have lights.

Those must be expensive.”

“Yeah…

I never thought I’d see incandescent bulbs again here…”

“Incandescent bulbs?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

The first sight of the festival after the opening speech was a stark contrast to the usually dull academy—vibrant and dazzling.

The scenery was as expected, maybe even better.

I exchanged smiles with Sena, hand in hand, and talked about how today was going to be a fun day.

…Or so I thought.

Right from the start, I faced a huge obstacle.

Just me, not Sena.

“…Are we really going to ride this?”

“Yes! We even planned it last time, remember?

If we don’t ride now, the line will get longer.

Let’s go in quickly.”

But I had no idea it would be like this just from the description.

I thought it was just a sightseeing train circling the academy grounds.

I broke out in a cold sweat as I stared at the familiar-looking train in front of me.

The rails it was on stretched out long and far.

Not just stretching, but soaring into the sky, twisting, turning, and even doing a few loops.

It was clearly a roller coaster.

I must have underestimated the madness of students desperate for success.

Why are they building a roller coaster in a medieval fantasy setting?

Was I supposed to feel uneasy when I saw the incandescent bulbs…?

A girl with an armband noticed us hesitating and walked out from inside the booth.

“Welcome to the Hell Express!

Are you two together?”

Hell Express…

What is with this brutally straightforward name?

Is it a threat to send us straight to hell?

“Yes. Can we board right away?”

“Of course.

Please come this way.”

“Wow, it was worth coming early. Let’s go in?”

“Umm…”

Sena looked so excited that I couldn’t refuse.

No matter how much I thought about it, the description was misleading, but I had agreed when we made the plan.

I guess there’s no choice.

It’s not like I was someone who couldn’t handle rides in my past life.

A little motion sickness is something I can endure.

Alright. Let’s give it a try, why not?

Having experienced modern scream machines, how could a shoddy medieval fantasy ride possibly hurt me?

I took a deep breath and followed her onto the Hell Express.

Five minutes later, I literally went through hell.

***

I buried my head in the toilet bowl.

The sensation of my stomach churning made me nauseous.

Unlike usual, the nausea didn’t stop at dry heaving.

It felt like I needed to vomit to feel better, but nothing came out, so I finally stuck my fingers down my throat to force it out.

“Ugh… Ugh… Kehk…”

“…Are, are you okay?”

“Do I… look okay…?”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at her, and Sena pursed her lips and patted my back.

For a while, all I could hear was the sound of retching and the toilet flushing.

Thinking I’d be fine was pure arrogance.

Looking back, my body condition and everything else are completely different from my past life, so I don’t know what I was basing my confidence on.

After experiencing five consecutive 360-degree spins, I was practically on the verge of passing out as Sena helped me out.

I was too embarrassed and felt too sick to go to the Health Teacher, so I ended up in the bathroom, which led to this situation.

I feel like I’m going to die before I can do anything else.

Save me.

I’ll never ride that again.

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