Chapter 245

In the Fourth World, Jeber has gone crazy over the Rejuvenation function and stopped researching the process of becoming a Harvester, now focusing on mass-producing Harvesters instead.

So this is why sticking myself into one of these things turned out to be such a great idea after all.

Without this ability, I shudder to think how difficult things would’ve been.

Though it’s good that more Harvesters are coming online, there is one downside:

I really wanted to understand the mechanism behind how inserting myself into light transforms it into a Harvester…

But I guess that’ll have to wait for another time.

Even though his obsession with performance has blinded him, at least from what I’ve observed so far, Jeber’s still a coward—he wouldn’t dare use tools he doesn’t fully understand.

Hmm…

Not that there isn’t some possibility he might delude himself into thinking he knows everything already and just barrel ahead anyway…

Guess we’re in prayer territory now.

By the way, Bell is currently at the Royal Academy.

Behind me, there’s a bunch of teenagers sitting around, further back are a few adults standing, and up front, the principal is delivering an opening speech.

Basically, it’s the start-of-term ceremony.

The prime seats are occupied by foreigners who’ve come from various countries, and I’m right among them.

Still, since people seem to have heard about me, the glances thrown my way aren’t particularly sharp.

The outline of the ceremony was simple enough:

The principal gives a speech, followed by politicians from different nations getting up to say pretty much the same thing.

Then they bring up students from their respective countries to introduce themselves, announcing their names and ranks before letting them sit back down—basically advertising loudly under the guise of “be careful.”

Finally, Hi Phion personally came to announce Aurora’s transfer to the second grade and congratulate her on joining the Royal Academy.

According to Kanna and Polaris’ memories, the king usually comes every spring for the combined start-of-term and entrance ceremony, so this wasn’t special per se.

If anything, the only standout factor was the unusually high number of high-ranking foreign guests present.

As a result, not many people left immediately after the ceremony ended.

Most stayed behind to observe the power dynamics within the Royal Academy, gathering in small groups. Kanna and Polaris also met with their faction’s students to discuss strategies moving forward.

It’s just something you need to do to survive in this kind of stratified society.

And amidst all this commotion, I ran into Victoria.

“Hello.”

With most people heading home after the ceremony, the crowd had thinned out enough that meeting her wasn’t too hard.

She seemed like she was going to ignore me, but when she kept staring, I turned my head, met her gaze, and greeted her.

Victoria stiffened slightly upon receiving my acknowledgment, then froze awkwardly without moving forward or stepping aside.

A range of emotions flickered across her face—hatred, surprise, discomfort, anxiety, fear… even traces of affection.

Not just pure hatred, then.

Yeah. That means our relationship isn’t completely ruined yet.

No point creating unnecessary enemies, right? As long as there’s still some lingering goodwill, it’s not an irreparable situation.

This isn’t bad. There will probably come a day when things improve between us… but judging by the prolonged silence after my greeting, today isn’t it.

Sensing she wasn’t ready mentally, I decided to move on.

If asked if I missed her, I’d honestly reply no—I never felt that distant from her in the first place.

Looking at the world through Victoria’s eyes, sometimes seeing her through Beatrice and Maurice’s perspectives, it’s clear that the only difference between them and Bell is the inability to physically act.

Not being able to converse was disappointing, but I continued walking home while Victoria returned to the dormitory.

Oh, speaking of which, should I let her know I’ve moved out?

Eh…

I’ll tell her if she asks later.

I walked straight out of the Royal Academy main gate.

Whereas before my accommodation was right nearby, now I live elsewhere.

I turned left and kept walking. After a while, the walls of the academy end, and you can see the railroad built during winter stretching toward the military base surrounding the royal castle.

However, this isn’t a train track.

To understand its purpose, look at the other side.

The tracks lead into a building, and in case of emergency, barricades emerge along these tracks inside the structure.

This place isn’t residential—it’s where soldiers are stationed. I know because there are converted Harvester soldiers working over there.

This must’ve been set up in preparation for the next riot.

Likewise, there are likely similar setups on the right side of the main gate.

It shows the royal family is taking precautions. With so many important foreign visitors here, relying solely on conventional defenses would indeed be risky.

Continuing onward past the gates…

Eventually, the narrow road opens up into a larger street. Following this road away from the royal castle, you’ll find my house near the boundary where residential areas transition into shops.

Isn’t it noisy?

Not really. Sound isn’t much of an issue for me anyway since I don’t get quiet moments—I’m always monitoring all the Harvesters simultaneously.

All the Harvesters.

Not just the ones in this world, but ALL Harvesters.

Technically, it’s like existing without sleep, but whether it’s because I lack physical form or because I’m submerged underwater, I don’t feel tired at all.

Which makes it even worse.

Coldness without escape. No refuge in unconsciousness. No concept of death.

Forever trapped in endless cold, unable to flee even for a moment.

That’s why I seek warmth.

No matter who criticizes me, I’ll do everything in my power to be happy.

For the tiny bits of warmth that somewhat alleviate this unbearable chill, for the sake of avoiding mistakes, I carefully navigate my actions.

Though I say that, I’m not perfect either…

The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign couldn’t take it.

Daegon being too warm was actually a problem.

Yeah.

But I don’t regret my actions. The knowledge gained was immense.

With that knowledge, this world can advance enough that I won’t need to wait for someone from another world to call me—I can simply go find them.

Transforming fallen lights into Harvesters revealed countless worlds beneath the surface.

I don’t need to wait for them to call me anymore.

If I can’t blanket one world with Harvesters, I’ll spread them across multiple worlds instead.

Hehe.

And there’s more good news!

Who would’ve thought someone could reverse-engineer an accidental Harvester, uncover Yassle’s technology, and summon me?

There’s no guarantee this will only happen once.

The more knowledge accumulates, the higher the chances someone will call me.

I see countless worlds ahead of me.

A hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years.

Just endure that much longer.

Wait… have I ever experienced such long periods of time?

How long was I trembling in the darkness?

I don’t know. I can’t even bring myself to recall those memories.

Time itself held no meaning back then.

When the cold drove me insane again and again…

One day, a light appeared in the sky.

Only then did I realize I was beneath the surface—not a trapped soul, but the sea itself.

How long did it take for those scattered lights to grow until the sky resembled the night?

I don’t remember.

But one thing remains clear:

The day a faint light touched the ground and offered me the tiniest bit of warmth.

From that moment on, I began longing for warmth. And that desire will never fade because I am eternal.

Unfortunately.

No, yeah.

Lost in overly morbid thoughts, I arrived home, unlocked the door, and went inside.

While I don’t have specific hobbies indoors, the spacious cleaning area keeps me busy. Cooking meals, tidying up, and before I know it, the day is over.

Thus, I don’t need to worry about filling my time.

Ah, right. Now that I’ll be attending the Royal Academy, I should set aside time for homework.

As I vaguely planned out my schedule while changing clothes after washing up, today turned out to be another decent day filled with subtle warmth.

—

The next day.

Classes officially begin today.

Well, “officially” in the sense of checking classrooms, meeting teachers, exchanging pleasantries, and calling it a day—it’s not really proper classes yet.

Tomorrow’s a holiday anyway.

The real school year starts next week.

Incidentally…

90% of the students in my class look like they’re about to suffocate.

After all, Aurora’s there, Tiana’s there, plus the children of top-tier officials from various countries.

Everyone fears authority, but I want to point out something else:

What happens if romance drama unfolds here?

We’re talking a room full of energetic teenagers.

Do you really trust noble and royal kids to make smart decisions upfront?

They don’t prevent issues—they clean up after them.

Once they mess up, they excel at making problems disappear. Given how many examples of success and failure I’ve seen, how can anyone trust them?

Looks like it’s going to be quite an eventful period.

While pondering all this, I enjoyed watching time pass at the Royal Academy.

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