NOVEL NEXT chapter 6
6 – Black? Curtain
The symbol of betrayal is a black cat humanoid,
And the hair tied at the front symbolizes determination.
If we’re talking about black characters, what comes first to mind?
I will answer that question with ‘Silnoun’.
One cannot read the inner thoughts of someone whose pupils are not visible,
and if someone has a gloomy smile, they cannot be more ominous than that.
Silnoun is a symbol of blackness and when it comes to blackness, Silnoun comes first.
This is a well-known formula passed down since ancient times and used in the Academy Series as well.
Kerrion Windall.
The only Silnoun character in the Academy series,
a character who is unmatched and whom every user may have suspected at least once.
With his unique silnoun and an eerily unmatched smile,
he even leaves the place whenever an incident occurs.
All users were wary of him because everyone could see he was a black character.
And there was no reason not to be.
An antagonist appeared who resembled Kerion.
As if trying to hide its identity, it soon became clear that Krion Windal was behind the mask.
If they defeated the antagonist, they chose to commit suicide by splitting the clone as their final decision.
As a result, all that is known about them is that their corpse which no one can recognize even after interacting.
The antagonist’s true identity remained unknown.
However, since Kerrion disappeared from the community after the event,
some had speculated that “Kerrion Windall” fit him perfectly.
If that was the end of it, this might have been spoken: Kerrion Windall was indeed a black character.
When two weeks had passed in-game time,
they met Kerrion again in the academy without any issues, as if nothing had happened.
Perhaps it was a bug.
Since the Academy Series had such a reputation,
some users had reported discovering bugs, but the response was always the same:
-It is not a bug.
It was a brief response, but it was enough to confuse people.
Then who exactly is he?
What is Kerrion Windall’s relationship with all of this?
Many questions arose, but the production team did not reveal any information.
To put it nicely, they left it up to the user’s imagination,
But if we speak bluntly, it was nothing more than a declaration that they would release it as DLC when they see an opportunity.
The problem was that they were so focused on developing the next installment that they even forgot to release that DLC,
And thus, the day when the truth of “Keri’on” would be revealed never came.
After that, Keri’on was described as a man who did not betray, using the phrase “a man who betrayed betrayal.”
***
Of all people, my roommate turned out to be Keri’on Windal.
Just when I thought luck was on my side, the backlash already caught up with me.
I quietly lifted my head and faced him as he entered the room,
And I glanced at him, sensing something different from the illustrations.
If the illustrations merely raised suspicions,
Now, those suspicions turned into certainty.
I know very well that he is not the dark figure because I can see the future.
Yet, instinctively, doubts prevailed.
“You have an intense gaze. Did something happen to my face?”
He did ask.
That aura of darkness.
With a face resembling a parasite or a crow, Keri’on questioned me.
When I shook my head denying it, he responded with an answer just as dark, saying, “That’s a relief.”
Yes, that’s how it was in the game too.
Every word uttered sounded like a lie, with that peculiar way of speaking.
Because of that, the weight of Keri’on’s dark figure settled upon him.
“I am Keri’on Windal. It seems I want to get close to you for once.”
Keri’on extended his hand without hesitation.
If it were someone else, I would have accepted it right away, but it’s Keri’on we’re talking about.
I wondered if, by any chance, contacting him would result in being pricked by hidden thorns and poisoned.
Or perhaps he would attach a tiny tracking device to monitor me 24/7.
Unable to resolve these anxieties immediately,
Carrion withdrew his hand with a sad smile.
“Aren’t you fond of nobles?”
He knew well why she reacted like that.
Beyond just disliking nobles among commoners, there were even those who hated them.
Mostly, it was because they had been tormented by nobles,
or because they envied the lives of those who lived as nobles.
For me, coming from a rural village, I had no special feelings towards nobles.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m Ron. I came from the remote Fuji village.”
This time, as I reached out my hand, he quickly grabbed it without missing a beat.
As we held hands, I felt a softer sensation than I had expected.
“Why is his hand so smooth? Does being a fop mean he delegates the dirty work to others?”
Still unable to dispel my suspicions,
I already confirmed in my mind that he was indeed a fop.
“Hmm?”
This should be enough.
Thinking that, I let go of his hand, but his hand didn’t let go.
Contrary to me releasing my hand, Carrion held it tightly.
Surprised, when I stared at him, Carrion smiled mischievously and replied.
“You don’t have to hurriedly withdraw your hand, do you? It’s for fostering friendship. What do you say?”
“Are you gay?”
Frowning, I questioned him with a question bordering on insult.
Despite that, Carrion just lightly brushed it off with a poker face.
“I am undoubtedly heteros*xual. I simply enjoy physical contact with other men. I truly love women.”
“Then let go of my hand! I prefer women too!”
No matter how delicate and feminine his hand might be, why would I hold onto another man’s hand?
When I resisted roughly, I finally managed to escape from Carrion’s grasp.
In less than two minutes of a short time.
Within that brief period, Carrion’s perception of me was modified.
From being a fop to being gay.
It wasn’t a particularly favorable change, but for me, neither side is the worst.
“Maybe…”
“I like women, especially those with big breasts.”
Even before the question is finished, he preemptively answers.
My preference is for voluptuous women.
As a man, it’s only natural to be more attracted to curvaceous bodies than flat ones.
Compared to that, Lili has just surpassed the elementary school level in terms of curves.
Although she is far from my preference, Lili is still my favorite character.
It’s like preferring celebrities without curves but always searching for buxom ones when watching adult movies.
s*xual preferences and favorite characters are completely different realms.
And no matter what happens, I shouldn’t date Lili, and I never even considered it.
“Hmm, your tastes are firm.”
For some reason, she answered with a smile tinged with regret.
Could she have had thoughts of pulling me into her own world if there was a chance?
Now that I think about it, it gives me goosebumps all of a sudden.
“Since we’ve become roommates, how about having some casual conversation?”
“My s*xual preferences won’t change, so give up on that.”
“hehehe, then let’s exclude that topic.”
Does that mean she had intentions to bring it up in the first place?
Letting out a light sigh, I took the initiative.
“We have a practical exam tomorrow. Are you prepared?”
“As for me, I’m perfectly ready. After all, I was originally in the Department of Magic.”
If she had been in the Department of Knights, she would probably be sweating in the training room by now.
Being in the Department of Magic, taking a good rest today should be enough to prepare for full power.
By the way, I’m in the Department of Knights.
I don’t expect high grades anyway, so I decided to just enjoy fighting to a reasonable extent.
“In that case, I won’t be able to see your face unless it’s a public lecture.”
“Oh, I see. It’s a pity that you’re in the Department of Knights.”
Although the lectures of the Departments of Knights and Magic are different,
they can accidentally meet in general lectures.
In short, the bottom line is that I’ll never see him again unless I attend the public lecture he offers! That means it’s goodbye to Keryon forever. Even if he comes during break time, I can just run away. If I make it through today safe and sound, it’s my victory. “Today is the last day. Shall we sleep together in one bed….” “Of course, I refuse!” He’s a man who can’t be trusted even for a moment. I can’t help but admire his quick judgment and ability to pounce on any opportunity. I must not let my guard down, for even a moment, or he’ll come slithering in like a snake after its prey. I’ll stay alert and change the subject, shrug my shoulders. “Do you happen to know who my opponent is for tomorrow?” “Well, for now.” It’s the practical test tomorrow. Since the interview is already over, there’s no way not to know. My opponent is an extra just like me, but a major character in the ＜Academy Series＞. It’s Bester Klein. He lost to the protagonist and occasionally shows his face to pledge his revenge, eventually selling his soul to become one of the bosses in front of the hero. At first glance, he doesn’t appear to be pitiful. He’s certainly become stronger and even the heroes have a hard time against him. There’s even an immortal setting, so he’ll revive in just 24 hours, which is nothing short of amazing. The problem is, it’s his immortal setting. All the bosses in the ＜Academy Series＞ are one-time-only, so once they die, they can’t fight again. It’s a natural result that the difficulty level drops if you can fight them multiple times and earn good items during boss battles. However, Bester’s immortal, so he can fight again after 24 hours in the same item drop list. And he can be hunted once a day.
And he scatters good items like a boss.
As a result, if Vester becomes the boss, it is not an exaggeration to say that infinite farming will begin.
In the end, Vester can only taste the eternal pain called farming.
To think that Vester is my opponent.
Tears are already clouding my vision.
In the early stages, Vester cannot be considered very strong.
But that is from the protagonist’s perspective.
From my current standpoint, it is difficult to face Vester as well.
No, on the contrary, it may be even harder to fight because it is the early stages.
That’s because in the early stages, he flaunts his family’s wealth like a king.
Because of that, he clashes with the protagonist, but that’s a separate story from me.
Anyway, tomorrow Vester will probably use some tricks.
For now, let’s put aside the thought of winning and just focus on surviving.
“Vester Klein, huh? The opponent doesn’t seem too good.”
“It’s not like we can change that. Let’s just fight roughly.”
Since there’s no way at this point, we can only accept it.
“Cut off the power!”
“Oh no, time has already…”
Looking at the clock, it’s already time to sleep.
Since I’ve already finished preparing, all I need to do is lie down and it will be over.
Carryon must feel the same way because we exchanged greetings before going up to the upper floor bed.
“hehehe, have a good night then.”
“Yeah, you too.”
Without any hesitation, I immediately covered myself with the blanket and lay down on the bed.
The more I talk with Carryon, the faster my energy drains.
Since tonight is the last night anyway, I should sleep quickly.
“…No, wait a minute.”
I didn’t think about it earlier,
What if Carryon ambushes me while I’m sleeping?
A feeling of uneasiness rushed through my mind in an instant.
I haven’t even shed a tear yet, so I can’t let go of my virginity!
Even though I may seem well-behaved now, who knows what I’ll do when I fall asleep.
“Please! Please! Please!”
Oh God! Buddha! Bodhisattva!
Please let nothing happen!
Drip, drip, drip, drip.
“Good morning. But your face doesn’t look good…”
“Don’t talk to me.”
There is a god in this world.
Just now, He granted my wish.
But if He granted it, He should have given an answer.
Tonight is important!