Chapter 48

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on January 22, 2025

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4.

After the morning schedule ended.

While the arena for the finals was being prepared, the students headed to the dining hall in small groups.

Perhaps because it was lunchtime?

The dining hall was bustling with a large crowd.

The space was so packed that it was hard to find an empty seat. However, there were exceptions.

Right in the center of the student dining hall.

This area was oddly quiet. The reason was the two individuals occupying the table.

“Hey, look over there.”

“Huh? That’s an unusual pair.”

“I’ve never seen those two together before.”

“Were they already acquainted?”

Some students’ eyes lit up with curiosity.

Their gazes, filled with various questions, were directed at Ulan and Delia.

Ulan, exuding an intimidating aura.

Delia, with her cold and dignified demeanor.

Because of these characteristics, the other students didn’t dare to approach them.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Ulan, waiting for his ordered food, stared blankly at the empty seat across from him.

‘We were supposed to eat together, but…’

That didn’t happen.

After the finals bracket was revealed, Noa suddenly said she had something to do and skipped the meal, and Ivella also left abruptly, saying she had urgent matters.

‘So I was going to eat alone, but…’

I coincidentally ran into Delia.

Since we were both alone, we decided to eat together, and that’s how we ended up sitting side by side.

However, the seating arrangement was a bit unusual.

Instead of sitting facing each other like the other students, we sat side by side.

Of course, Ulan didn’t think much of it, but the students glancing at them had different thoughts.

“Don’t they seem kind of close?”

“Yeah. It’s a bit unexpected, isn’t it?”

“Are they dating or something?”

“Nah, no way.”

“Right. What would the Princess of the Arpen Duchy see in a barbarian like him?”

They could hear everything. Every word.

Delia’s pointed ears twitched. Then, she tilted her head in confusion.

‘Isn’t this how friends sit together?’

She had seen a scene like this in a book she recently read.

A scene where a male and female friend, who became friends with the premise of dating, sat side by side and ate together. So she just followed that. What’s so strange about it?

‘And…’

What’s wrong with dating?

There’s no rule against it.

Delia maintained a blank expression. Just as she was about to show signs of discomfort—

“Your food is ready!”

The food they ordered arrived.

On Ulan’s plate, a mountain of large meat chunks was piled high.

“Still, an enormous, amount.”

Well, given his size, it makes sense.

While Delia was convincing herself, Ulan immediately started eating.

Chomp chomp! Slurp slurp!

He didn’t need any utensils.

He just grabbed the bones with his hands and voraciously tore off the meat. It looked like a predator devouring its prey after a hunt.

A completely uncivilized way of eating.

Perhaps because of that?

Some students frowned and turned their heads away, as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.

On the other hand, Delia was an exception.

‘He definitely lacks manners, but…’

Somehow, it suits him.

Probably because it’s Ulan.

Delia watched him tear into the meat with a satisfied expression, then picked up her spoon.

After a while.

Suddenly, Ulan stared intently at her.

“Your food is unusual too.”

In front of Delia was a soup.

However, the color was quite unique. It had a purplish hue, like ripe grapes. But the color wasn’t the only issue. The contents of the soup were also a problem.

Specifically, plump, well-fed spiders.

She put a spider’s body into her mouth and smiled happily.

“It’s a personal, favorite, dish.”

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. Want to try?”

“If you’re offering, I won’t refuse.”

With that response.

Delia placed a few spiders on Ulan’s plate. Without hesitation, Ulan shoved them all into his mouth.

Munch munch! Crunch crunch!

A strange sound echoed.

Delia asked nervously.

“…How is it?”

“It gets stuck in my teeth.”

“No, you should, remove, the legs.”

She thought it was common sense, so she didn’t mention it earlier.

After teaching him how to remove the legs, Ulan continued munching on the spiders.

“Much better.”

Thanks to being soaked in the soup, the bitter and pungent taste unique to spiders was barely noticeable.

Compared to the cave spiders he had eaten to survive in his past life, these were much tastier.

As he mindlessly ate, the spiders were almost gone. Then, he suddenly felt Delia’s gaze.

“Why are you staring?”

“Just curious.”

“About what?”

“Bug dishes, most people, dislike them.”

Actually, dishes with bugs are familiar to those from the Arpen Duchy. The duchy has been famous for farming various edible insects since ancient times.

However, among those not from the duchy, she had never seen anyone who liked bug dishes.

“Is that so? Weird.”

But Ulan was different.

Not only did he fish out the remaining spiders to eat, but he also drank Delia’s soup in one go.

“It’s this delicious.”

“Hehe, right?”

Even though her food was stolen, Delia smiled brightly. It was the first time since leaving the duchy that she had found someone with similar food preferences.

Then, a certain person came to mind.

‘Right. Now that I think about it…’

There’s another person who likes bug dishes.

Three days ago, an uninvited guest who visited the special room with Ulan. Delia recalled her name.

‘…Noa Darshen.’

A girl from the same tribe as Ulan.

And also the opponent Delia would face in the upcoming finals. A moment later, she tapped Ulan’s arm.

“I, have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Noa, Darshen.”

Her golden eyes, calm yet sharp, stared intently at Ulan.

“What exactly, is your, relationship?”

“Like I said before, we’re from the same tribe.”

“I know, that, already.”

She wanted to know more about their relationship.

Delia pressed on.

“How long, have you, known her?”

“Not very long.”

“So, how long?”

“Hmm, we first met on the day I left the prairie, so it’s been less than three months.”

Less than three months.

Delia’s eyes widened. It was a much shorter time than she had expected.

“Really? You didn’t, know her, in the tribe?”

“I didn’t even know she existed.”

Ulan nodded.

It was the truth. After all the answers were given, Delia’s lips twitched.

‘What? So you’re not even close?’

If they’ve known each other for less than three months, it’s not much different from Delia’s relationship with Ulan. In fact, Delia might even be closer to Ulan.

‘Ulan and I are special friends.’

Friends with the premise of dating.

A smile bloomed on Delia’s lips. A confident, victorious smile. Meanwhile, Ulan seemed to realize something belatedly.

“Ah, your next opponent is Noa, right?”

“Right.”

Delia nodded.

She said with a smile.

“Tell her, I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because, I’m going, to win.”

A confident answer. And for good reason.

She had never lost to a mage or sorcerer before.

‘If the opponent starts casting…’

Delia reads the flow of magic.

She observes it and instantly figures out what spell is being cast, then takes countermeasures.

In chess terms, it’s like knowing what move the opponent will make next.

‘Besides, Noa is, a sorcerer.’

Sorcerers are slow at casting spells.

So, in a way, they’re easier to fight than mages.

That’s why Delia was confident.

She would never lose.

“By the way, what about you?”

“Huh?”

“Who’s, your opponent?”

“Some guy I don’t know.”

Well, of course, he wouldn’t know.

It hasn’t been long since the semester started.

“Can’t, remember, his name?”

“His name…”

He trailed off, trying to recall.

“I think it was Himel.”

“Maybe, Himel Deorg?”

“Ah, right. It was Himel.”

Himel Deorg.

A familiar name to Delia. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and Ulan immediately asked.

“Do you know him?”

“Yeah. Never, talked, though.”

She was aware of his existence.

If Delia was a talent representing the Kingdom Alliance, Himel was a talent representing the Empire.

Himel probably knew of Delia’s existence for similar reasons.

“He’s, a sword, genius, they say.”

Recalling what she had heard.

Delia looked at Ulan.

With a somewhat worried expression.

“So, be careful, not to get hurt.”

“Got it. You be careful too.”

“Okay.”

Delia gave a faint smile.

A satisfied smile.

Their lunch was over.

5.

Meanwhile, at that time.

In the forest, not far from the Military Department’s training ground.

Two individuals were on a rarely used forest path.

A girl with light blonde hair, Ivella Elea’ad.

She stared at the young man in front of her with a stone-cold expression.

Brown curly hair and emotionless eyes.

The young man, with an equally stiff expression, was Himel Deorg. A sword genius representing the Empire and her half-brother.

‘He suddenly called me out…’

What does he want now?

Ivella looked anxious. Because Himel despised and loathed her. So, it was rare for him to call her out like this.

Unless it was something special.

Just as she felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

“Ivella.”

Suddenly, Himel spoke.

And her anxiety became reality.

“I’ll keep it short. Withdraw.”

“…What?”

Ivella asked, dumbfounded.

Himel continued in a dry tone.

“If you make it into the top 10 and participate in the mock battle, it’ll cause a lot of trouble.”

“What are you talking about…”

“Tch, still as slow as ever. I’ve said this much, and you still don’t get it.”

After clicking his tongue.

His gaze turned cold.

“Listen carefully. Participating in the mock battle means exposing information to nobles from various countries.”

The purpose of the mock battle was to showcase talented individuals early, so nobles could invest in them.

In other words, they were like commodities.

High-value commodities with the potential to increase in value in the future. And such commodities naturally come with detailed information.

“Of course, sensitive information won’t be disclosed, but I’ve heard that some nobles conduct their own investigations.”

If Ivella makes it into the top 10.

There’s a possibility of being investigated.

“Meaning, there’s a chance our family’s secret of having a bastard child could be exposed.”

“…”

“Understand now?”

“But, that’s…”

“Shut up. I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

Himel’s eyes flashed sharply.

Along with a strong killing intent.

The aura of someone who has surpassed an intermediate knight and is approaching a high-ranking knight. Feeling suffocated, Ivella closed her mouth.

“This is final. You have no right to refuse. You haven’t forgotten where your mother is, have you?”

A cheap and blatant threat.

Ivella bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Watching this, Himel suddenly added a condition.

“Ah, and since you’re withdrawing, take that filthy barbarian with you. He’ll probably listen if it’s you.”

Ulan’s existence suddenly came up.

She immediately denied it.

“…He has nothing to do with me.”

“Really? Surprising. You’re always together, so I thought you’d already given him your body.”

After spitting out a low-quality sneer.

Himel turned away coldly. As if there was no reason to stay any longer.

“Anyway, that’s all I have to say. Withdraw quietly. Then nothing will happen.”

With a warning-laden tone.

Himel disappeared toward the training ground. His presence gradually faded. Ivella glared at his retreating back, her fists trembling.

If looks could kill, Himel would have been dead long ago.

But Ivella could do nothing but glare. Frankly, she was far inferior to Himel.

“Haah.”

A sigh filled with frustration.

Ivella slumped onto a rock.

With a dazed expression. Perhaps because she felt suffocated? Alone, she let out consecutive sighs.

No, correction.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t alone.

In the forest where Ivella and Himel were, there was someone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Big, wide blue eyes.

A girl covering her mouth with both hands.

It was Noa.

‘Wh-what do I do?!’

She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop.

In fact, the opposite. Noa had arrived in the forest before them. She had come to prepare for her upcoming match against Delia in the finals.

‘But…’

She ended up hearing everything.

Of course, as long as she wasn’t caught, it was fine. But hearing such a conversation was still unsettling.

However, there was an unexpected gain.

While listening to their conversation, she recalled a memory she had forgotten.

‘Himel Deorg.’

The young man who had been with Ivella just now. Himel, her half-brother, despised and loathed her, and was genuinely ‘jealous’ of her.

The reason for his jealousy was simple.

During the academy’s special exam, he realized that she was more talented with the sword than he was.

‘That’s why he keeps picking fights.’

Today’s incident is just the beginning.

Himel will become more blatant with his threats and warnings. All to drive Ivella out of the Arsen Academy.

‘And eventually…’

In the fall of her second year.

Ivella falls into Himel’s scheme, takes responsibility for an incident, and drops out of the academy.

After that, she wanders the battlefield as a mercenary, getting caught up in numerous incidents. After narrowly escaping death several times, she finally overcomes her trials and becomes a hero.

This is the original story.

The birth of the Sword Princess.

After recalling this.

Noa was conflicted.

‘What should I do?’

The simplest way is to ignore it.

Erase what she just saw from her memory.

Whether Ivella is bullied or not, just ignore it. Then she’ll drop out of the academy, and the Sword Princess’s fate won’t change.

Yes, that’s the safest path.

The only thing Noa can trust in this world is the predetermined future.

So, she turned to leave. She tried to leave.

But strangely, her feet wouldn’t move.

She didn’t feel like leaving. Why? As she wondered, Noa suddenly widened her eyes.

‘That’s…’

The scene reflected in her blue eyes.

Ivella was quietly sobbing.

Biting her lip in frustration, her shoulders shook intermittently.

After witnessing this.

Noa’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Not just because she saw her crying. Ivella’s appearance reminded her of a familiar face.

Her own past.

Specifically, her middle school self. The image of ‘Yoomina,’ who was utterly isolated. And at that moment, Noa finally realized.

‘That’s why.’

Why her feet wouldn’t move.

It was an extremely simple reason. The situation Ivella was in now was eerily similar to what she had experienced in the past.

Although the reasons were different, the fact that there was bullying and leaving school was the same.

Once she realized this.

Noa let out a short breath. A moment later, her eyes shone with determination.

Like someone who had made a decision.

‘…As a gamer, this might be disqualifying.’

This is a path that circles around the predetermined future.

It might even be a choice to step on a clearly visible landmine. In a novel, it might get flooded with comments about deliberately making things difficult.

But even if that’s the case─.

‘I can’t just leave her like that.’

I don’t want to leave her like that.

If I leave Ivella alone to protect the predetermined future, I’m no different from those who bullied and ignored me in middle school.

So, Noa took a step forward.

To approach Ivella, to comfort her. To wrap her trembling shoulders and think about the future together, to overcome it together.

But that was short-lived.

She stopped again.

‘But what should I say…?’

Noa has no friends.

She’s never been in such a situation, and she didn’t know what to say.

But she knew one thing. Awkward comfort could backfire.