Chapter 37
“…….”
An unfamiliar ceiling.
A white grid-patterned ceiling.
With the faint scent of alcohol in the air and my last memory, I could somewhat guess where I was.
“The infirmary, huh….”
As I sat up, I felt slight aches all over my body.
It wasn’t anything unbearable—just like the muscle soreness you’d feel the day after a hard workout.
It’s called “Tuigungahyeol”, where overworking the danjun and body moderately helps them grow.
You can think of it as gaining experience points.
“Ugh, ouch, ouch.”
I stretched lightly where I sat and looked around.
“…What the.”
Now that I was looking properly, this wasn’t just any infirmary.
It was a huge private room.
All sorts of things, like herbs known to calm the mind and body, and a magical air purifier, were placed here.
Naturally, a place like this isn’t one that a mere cadet can casually use.
“Why am I in a place like this…?”
“Professor Reina made a special request for you.”
A voice answered my question.
Just then, the door to the room opened, and a familiar face walked in.
“You’re….”
“Nice to see you again, Lan.”
Elma.
She greeted me with a complicated smile.
“What brings you here?”
“When something happens to a cadet, the student council is the first to know. Plus, Professor Reina requested it.”
Surprising.
I knew Reina wasn’t a bad person, but I didn’t expect her to be this considerate.
‘…Is this another benefit of the gender reversal?’
In the original world, no one would care if a guy passed out from sparring.
But now, you could say it’s a female professor who knocked out a male first-year during sparring.
With that in mind, this much caution doesn’t seem too excessive.
“Are you alright?”
“As you can see, I’m completely fine.”
“You never know. Internal injuries are scarier than external ones.”
Elma examined my body with a face full of worry.
“I-I’m fine….”
“Stay still. It’s the vice president’s duty to look after the health of the cadets.”
Does a vice president really need to go this far?
At this rate, she might start controlling my snack intake too.
“The bandage on your arm is loose… let me fix it. Also, this herb’s scent can cause headaches with prolonged exposure, so I’ll remove it… caffeine is a patient’s enemy! This coffee machine has to go as well.”
Watching her fuss over the room, tidying it up, I felt a warm emotion rise up from within me.
“Pfft.”
“Wh-why are you laughing…?”
“I’ve never been taken care of like this before. It feels a little awkward, but it’s nice.”
“T-that’s because you’re a male student! And since you were injured during an incident within Polaris, the student council also bears some responsibility….”
She stammered, her gray hair swaying like a tail.
‘How do I put this.’
I never had family in my past life, so I wouldn’t know, but—
“I wonder if this is what it feels like to have an older sister.”
Thunk!
At my words, Elma froze in place.
“…I see. An older sister….”
Her voice, for a moment, was tinged with sadness.
‘Uh, did I say something wrong?’
Maybe she has a complicated family situation.
“Did I say something I shouldn’t have…?”
“No.”
Elma wiped her eyes with her hand and returned to her usual self.
“Anyway, there’s another reason I came to see you.”
“What is it?”
“I heard about it. You matched evenly with Professor Reina.”
The rumour was already starting to spread.
It was a good sign for me.
That’s what I was aiming for from the beginning.
“Professor Reina didn’t use qi, though. If she had, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
“…It’s hard to believe that’s something a first-year would say.”
Even I found it ridiculous.
A first-year chick who had just enrolled, fighting on equal terms with a professor, even if she didn’t use qi.
It’s like a rookie soccer player winning the MVP of every match.
“The whole purpose of Polaris is to nurture promising stars.”
Elma spoke seriously, making a request to me.
“This year’s ‘Festival of Stars.’ Would you join me in competing?”
***
“…Alright. Then starting next week—.”
“You!”
Just as Elma and I were wrapping up our conversation, Angela burst into the room.
“A-are you okay?! Oh no… where does it hurt? We should take you to the royal infirmary…!”
“I’m fine…! I’m fine, Your Highness! Please calm down!”
After repeatedly assuring Angela that my condition wasn’t serious, I finally managed to calm her down.
“Haah… thank goodness….”
“I personally checked Lan’s condition. He’s in excellent health, so don’t worry.”
“You are….”
“We haven’t met in private before.”
Elma bowed her head slightly.
“I’m Elma, the vice president of the student council.”
“Uh… but….”
For some reason, Angela glanced back and forth between me and Elma with a curious look.
“Elma, your family is from the Old—.”
“…That’s not something I like to talk about. I’m not particularly fond of my family.”
“Oh… um….”
Angela looked like a puppy caught in the rain, clearly flustered.
‘Why is she acting like that?’
Is she worried that something strange happened while the two of us were alone?
“Don’t worry. Elma only came here to check on my condition at Professor Reina’s request. She’s been incredibly kind and helpful.”
“Hmph… is that so….”
Elma cleared her throat and subtly turned her head.
“Ah… I see.”
Angela’s tension slowly began to melt away.
Then she mumbled something quietly.
“…Yeah… there must be a reason. I suppose, since she was exiled from her family….”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, I’m really glad you’re not hurt.”
Angela gripped my hand, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Elma, was it? Thank you so much for taking care of Lan.”
“It’s nothing. It’s only natural for the student council to protect the students. And…”
Elma looked at me and smiled softly.
“Lan is also a precious junior of mine.”
“Huh?”
What was that just now?
It seemed like the veins on Angela’s forehead popped up and disappeared for a moment.
“Well… yes, because you’re his senior. This must just be a favor.”
“Though it may be a bit bold to say, I care about Lan more. He’s a talented and good-natured junior. In a school filled with only women, I imagine he feels uncomfortable at times.”
“Ugh…!”
“Well then, I’ll leave him in your care, Your Highness. It was a pleasure to meet you today, Lan. I hope we can meet outside the infirmary next time.”
Elma bowed to both me and Angela and left the room.
Now, only the two of us were left in the quiet space.
“Lan…?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Do you know the fear of hereditary diseases?”
“Huh?”
Out of nowhere, Angela started spouting nonsense.
***
At the end of a long day, the sun had set, and the stars slowly began to dot the night sky.
“Hoo…”
Having wrapped up most of today’s tasks, Reina started heading home.
The professors at Polaris had two choices.
Either be assigned a dormitory in Building B, specifically for professors, or commute from their own home.
Reina, having siblings to care for, commuted to and from Polaris while living at home.
“Today was quite eventful.”
But it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
The late hour meant the station platform was empty.
As she was gathering her thoughts while waiting for the magical train, a familiar voice called out.
“Reina~.”
Karen was approaching, waving her hand.
“Karen…!”
“Hehe~ Are you heading home now?”
“Yes, yes! That’s right!”
Reina’s voice raised an octave.
Although she’d been working at Polaris alongside Karen for several years now, her heart still raced whenever she was around.
‘That crimson hair and beautiful figure…’
It reminded her of the day.
The memory of Karen saving her from the flames of war.
When Reina had been consumed by despair, convinced only death awaited her, it was Karen who brought her here, who led her out of that hopeless situation.
“Don’t overwork yourself, alright? You’re worrying me.”
“Are… are you worried about me?”
“Reina, you’ve always been like this since you were young. You need to take care of yourself.”
Running into Karen at the end of the day had been a stroke of luck, and now, they were chatting, and Karen was even showing concern for her.
‘She even remembers the old me!’
Reina decided that she would treasure this day. Whenever she felt down, she would recall this moment.
She made up her mind.
“But… Reina?”
“Yes!”
“I heard you had a duel with Lan today. Is that true?”
“Yes. As expected from a student you had your eye on, he’s incredible!”
“…Is that so?”
Karen’s smile remained relaxed, but her eyes narrowed slightly.
They resembled the sharp gaze of a cat guarding its fish.
“You see, I’ve known since the entrance exam. Long before all the rumours started spreading.”
“Of course! Your insight is truly amazing!”
“I knew from the start… even before the other professors started to take notice… I already knew…”
A tremor, both large and small, stirred within Karen’s heart.
She knew what to call this feeling.
‘Anxiety.’
Today’s duel had made Lan’s name spread even further throughout Polaris.
Up until now, the stories about Lan had been mainly from outside the academy.
But today, it had all happened within Polaris itself.
The speed at which the rumours spread was different.
“Reina, can I ask you a small favour?”
“If it’s for you, Karen, I’d even bring you a dragon’s head!”
“Really? That’s reliable.”
Karen struggled to suppress the madness bubbling up inside her as she spoke.
“Tell me everything about Lan.”
It was something only Reina, his mentor, could do.
‘You have to be mine, Lan♥’
Karen’s obsession was growing stronger day by day.
But what she didn’t realize was…
‘Please… come to me…♥’
‘It has to be you.’
‘Ahh… I need you♥’
The one being moulded into a “disciple” was not him.
It was her.
—
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