Chapter 150

After parting ways with Kanna Temrane Shiodore, I immediately headed to the cafeteria.

By the way, the cafeteria isn’t in the main building—it’s in a separate structure.

The Royal Academy has tons of buildings aside from the main hall and dormitories.

You’ll probably get to visit the others someday.

Inside the cafeteria, it works like a buffet—you can pick and choose what you want, so it’s great because you only eat as much as you need.

Otherwise, there’d be too much food waste.

Oh, and Victoria had already finished lunch and left by the time I got there, so today I’m eating alone.

As I was settling into an empty seat to eat, I could feel people staring at me—not just one or two, but a whole bunch of them.

Guess it’s because I’ve been heavily featured in the media lately.

I saw everything through the Harvesting System—broadcasts, newspapers, all of it. And remember, broadcasts include not just TV but also radio.

They aired that I’m some kind of special psychic who can heal people. It was mentioned that once someone is healed, they can’t be healed again, and those on the brink of death turn blue after treatment.

They even labeled the blue skin as a defect. At the time, when I first used the Harvesting System or healed Aurora, it seemed fine to call it a flaw, but now I know why they did it.

It was intentional—to strip away any religious connotations.

The Twilight Association has exploded in numbers since forming near the outskirts of Bern City.

Most of the Harvesting Systems created in Bern City belong to them, and many of the people saved by them have joined as well.

Right now, they’re more like a charity organization, but if this group ever turns into a cult, it could become a headache.

Especially since miracles are real and visible, making things even trickier.

I guess they wanted to balance things out by criticizing me for performing “miracles.”

And yeah, here’s the kicker—they’re actually running their charity properly.

Seriously, they’re doing legitimate charitable work centered around the Harvesting System, and countless people are rebuilding their lives because of it.

Aren’t humans supposed to be greedier? Or maybe they’re still drunk on the feeling of doing good deeds?

When reality hits and sobriety returns, will they start doing bad things just because they can?

Honestly, I hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

I’ve gained immense strength to hit others. I’ve acquired a brilliant mind to deceive others. And a few of us even obtained special psychic abilities.

Our egos should swell, we should deal with anyone who gets in our way violently, and grow arrogant.

Maybe it’s because it hasn’t been a few months yet?

I look forward to seeing how selfish everyone becomes once the excitement wears off.

There’s plenty of time.

Anyway, I left my dishes behind. Yesterday, I tried cleaning up, but here, you just leave your empty dishes and someone else takes care of them.

Despite being set in a gaslamp fantasy world, this place is surprisingly modest. I expected something fancier, but even memories from the Belle Époque era felt more luxurious compared to this.

Well, this *is* a world where massive magical monsters roam around, so maybe that explains it.

With thoughts like these swirling in my head, I left the cafeteria and returned to the classroom.

***

Later that afternoon, class ended with the announcement of tomorrow’s magic practical session.

I wanted to suggest using technology anyone can access, but here, everyone can use magic.

Even creating a small flame like a cigarette lighter is something anyone can do with a bit of practice. It’s so common that it’s almost like physical ability, similar to muscle strength.

In society’s eyes, wizards occupy a unique position somewhere between scholars and athletes.

In other words, it’s treated like physical training.

Of course, there’s actual physical training too.

How do I know all this?

Because one of the people I created through the Harvesting System graduated from the Royal Academy.

Bern City’s downtown area was full of elites, including nobles.

And the Royal Academy isn’t exclusively for nobles either.

Prominent figures or their children also attend—like me and Victoria. That’s why there are quite a few non-nobles here too.

From the memories of the person who graduated, I recall famous musicians’ kids and corporate heirs being around back then.

It’s a method to absorb talented individuals into the upper echelons of society—and also a way to keep them tied down.

Smart, right? Many places fail because they can’t reward people according to their achievements.

Rewards equal future prospects. If rewards are lacking, it means there’s no future, and leaving becomes inevitable.

Some places create mental prisons instead of offering proper rewards—it’s easier and cheaper, so they go that route.

Anyway…

“Go make some friends.”

“Bell, stop sounding like my mom!”

On the way back after class, I made a comment while thinking about how Victoria stayed isolated during meals while I was hanging out with Theodore.

Pointing at the school building with my finger as I walked toward the dormitory, I said:

“This place is designed for networking. You should take advantage of it.”

Whether you join small cliques or a big faction, it’s all good.

That’s the purpose of this school, after all. Groups formed early tend to stick together strongly.

“But…”

“You barely had friends at the Clockwork Knights Academy either, right?”

Her gaze, which had been fixed ahead, suddenly swung toward me and locked on.

“Wait, how do *you* know about that?”

Victoria’s voice dropped lower. She really didn’t know, huh?

“Beatrice was worried. She said you were too much like Maurice—too unsociable—and wondered if you’d ever find a decent husband.”

Victoria covered her face with both hands.

“No…”

She tried to say something but couldn’t continue.

“No. Not only does Mom know about this, but why do *you* know about it?”

“I overheard Beatrice talking about it while helping prepare dinner. You were the only topic she and I had in common, after all.”

“You cooked at our house?”

“I did the cooking the night before Maurice arrived. It was a chance to learn about this world’s ingredients.”

I knew the methods of cooking, but I wasn’t familiar with the ingredients.

Since I’m not a professional chef, trying to cook unfamiliar ingredients is impossible for me. But if I know the ingredients and recipes, I can follow them exactly.

Which is why my first meal for Soo-oh ended up failing. Yep.

Back in the first world, I confidently attempted to cook using memories of chefs, thinking I could whip up something delicious—but it all went wrong.

So I learned firsthand that having memories doesn’t mean I can automatically excel at everything.

Fortunately, Soo-oh ate it without complaint.

“What else did you do at our house?”

“Raise Victoria?”

“Was I the one being raised here?”

Her expression turned blank as if she’d just realized something shocking.

But honestly, I don’t think there’s much cause for concern regarding her social skills. Victoria thinks she’s shy and unsociable, but someone who isn’t afraid to approach others when necessary doesn’t qualify as shy.

If she were truly shy, she’d likely stay trapped in her self-imposed prison and end up turning into a Sahaquin. She simply lacks interest in things she finds uninteresting—that’s all.

Click.

When we reached the room, Victoria pulled out the key from her pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

“That was the most shocking thing I’ve heard today. So…?”

“What?”

“Earlier, it looked like someone important took you away. Did anything weird happen?”

She looked at me with concern.

“Victoria seems to have forgotten what I am.”

“Are you a monster or just an annoying classmate pretending to be my mom?”

Victoria gave me a skeptical glare.

“I’ve never pretended to be your mom. If you feel that way, maybe you should reflect on your own behavior.”

“That’s exactly what moms say! Are you dodging the question?”

I shook my head—I wasn’t trying to dodge anything.

“Kanna Temrane Shiodore. They didn’t summon me as an enemy. When something happens, they offered to lend their name.”

“Isn’t that suspicious?”

Naturally, she’s skeptical. There’s definitely some sort of plan behind it.

I shrugged.

“They just want a contract. That’s all.”

“Did the royal family impose any restrictions on you when you visited?”

Victoria lowered her voice. It might not seem like something that needs such caution, but the royal family itself demands careful handling. This is the right approach.

“Yes. None at all.”

It feels like they sought me out solely to save Aurora. From start to finish, their actions revolved around her.

The problem is, I don’t understand why they’ve kept me around afterward.

They expressed gratitude and filmed me a few days later, but there’s been no interference since.

When I came to the Royal Academy, I was transported like luggage and dropped off without further ado.

At first, I thought they were keeping me locked away in the castle for future use, but if that were true, they wouldn’t let me wander around so freely. The royals frequently visit Aurora, so they shouldn’t be too busy to meet me.

Whatever happens, I’ll deal with it.

“Don’t you know when you’ll return?”

“Nope.”

“Still, given it’s the royal family, nothing strange should happen…”

She didn’t outright call it sinister, but the implication lingered. Monarchial cruelty is a virtue—if converted into warmth via the Harvesting System, how much would it generate?

If they neglect me, so be it.

All I need is to be present when needed.

Since I don’t know whether this neglect is genuine or disguised surveillance, I’ll play it safe for now.

A vending machine lacking initiative.

Once you’ve experienced a great tool, it’s hard to go back to life without it.

“Don’t worry. Honestly, I’m more concerned about you, Victoria. Wake up early.”

“While I was running here today, I thought—why bother bathing separately when I can just clean myself with this? Meaning, I could sleep in a bit longer, right?”

Victoria turned her head away after hearing my advice but suddenly faced me again, conjuring droplets of water in her hand.

Psychic abilities are useful when used wisely, though.

“Wake up early.”

“Hnnng…”

Doing something even Soo-oh wouldn’t do, I placed my hand on her head and started petting her. Let her feel a little embarrassed.

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