NOVEL NEXT Chapter 122
<122 - The Change of Oknodie>
Until last week, the person who could be dubbed the protagonist of the Academy was Oknodie.
Short stature.
Vibrant eyes.
Always energetically causing a ruckus.
An approachability that made strangers follow her for just some candy.
Skills that stood out in both written and practical tests.
There were countless reasons for everyone to like Oknodie.
However, the students’ reactions changed drastically in just a week.
Gulp.
A chilling child who appears without a sound.
An eagerness that makes one wonder what she might do next.
Creeping up in odd places, sending shivers down spines.
Too capable for a child, leaving one feeling uneasy.
Students close to Oknodie protested that it was just a false rumor, but biases are elements that the brain instinctively uses for quick judgment.
In an Academy overflowing with assignments and adventurous endeavors, there isn’t much time to spare on a single student.
A child who seems unpleasant might not actually be unpleasant.
A creepy child might just be a kind one.
Oh, how much information needs to be gathered to correct false information and eradicate prejudice.
And what a bother it is to accept that effort.
Most students, with time already scarce in the Academy, believed in their biases instead of making the effort to acknowledge their judgment was wrong.
“Bad guys. They praised Oknodie when she helped them!”
“Stop it, Dorothy. Our saying that won’t improve Oknodie’s reputation. Those who believe have already believed. The skeptics will only grow more resentful.”
“Isabel is right. The gossip and rumors of the noble families typically work that way. Rumors among commoner students won’t be much different.”
Princess Arcadia from the maritime power of Florence.
In a country overflowing with unrefined culture, gossip spread and multiplied at a speed comparable to the social halls of the Empire’s central region.
“I feel sorry for Oknodie, but I’m actually somewhat glad about this.”
“Why? You seem to cherish Oknodie. You even invite her to your expensive networking tea parties.”
“The less people seek Oknodie, the longer she can spend time with me. I wish she would become my little Oknodie. Hoho!”
Arcadia, fanning herself while mischievously smiling, had a charm that made her impossible to hate, even if slightly annoying.
“Arcadia, you really do seem like a proper noble lady at times.”
“Oh my. How rude! I am indeed a noble’s daughter, you know?”
“When it comes to caring for airheads like Xenia, Nise, and Jiang, you can be quite the mom behind the scenes, earning the nickname ‘Momdia.'”
“What?! Calling a maiden without a boyfriend ‘Mom’—are you trying to make me a spinster?!”
“Just kidding, just kidding. Arcadia, when you set your mind to it, you could easily choose a guy to date.”
“That’s a given!”
To Isabel’s eyes as well, Arcadia was a remarkable woman, fulfilling in charm, intellect, character, and charisma—all superior.
In fact, some men might be too intimidated to approach her because her excellence was overbearing.
‘Does Duke Andersen, the leader of Seoguyeon, suit her well?’
A self-flagellating individual.
Someone called the model student who only took the hardest lectures—Andersen came to mind as a pair that might fit together.
“Worry comes more from Oknodie.”
“Have malicious students appeared again?”
“Not exactly. I’m just worried about the shady students showing up.”
Isabel spoke with a concerned face.
“I mean, there are those men who think it’s an opportunity when a girl is down, approaching her, comforting her, and aiming to build emotional connections, trying to become her boyfriend.”
“Such impure men!! To think that ten-year-old Oknodie would have a boyfriend—aside from the age difference, the intent is impure and it doesn’t sit well with me!!”
“There are a few strange men lurking around Oknodie lately. So, could you…?”
Before Isabel could finish, Arcadia grabbed her hands tightly.
“Of course! Just leave it to me. I’ll drive away all the impure men lurking around Oknodie!!”
That was more than Isabel had asked for.
Wondering if she might inadvertently ignite Arcadia’s passion and create a misunderstanding, she began to worry.
*
The next day, Arcadia spotted a seemingly lazy-looking second-year senior chatting with her, instead of the red-haired pirate Jigoku.
“I’m told a certain senior promises to pay with products that bring supreme mental pleasure. Drug use is not permitted for the priests of the Thunderbolt Celestial Divine Church.”
“…Don’t misunderstand. I only gave catnip as a reward for cooperating!”
“Consumption of animal-derived drugs is likewise forbidden.”
“If you keep talking nonsense, just go away.”
“If you promise to retrieve a helmet beetle’s shell, I will extend my assistance.”
“As long as it’s something I can get with points, I’ll help you.”
In lieu of the bothersome Jiang, who was distracting her with meowing, Arcadia made an ally of Nise, a member of the upper class and a priestess of the Thunderbolt Celestial Divine Church.
Nise, who looked neatly like a doll, focused silently, causing Arcadia’s expression to soften.
‘If she just stayed quiet, she could be as cute as Oknodie.’
Nise, who always wore heavy chainmail and iron shoes, looked hot, heavy, and uncomfortable.
She didn’t even want to know about the sacred mechanisms of the Thunderbolt Celestial Divine Church that allowed one to achieve such speed only after enduring such discomfort.
Just wearing a school uniform was already humid and uncomfortable; why did she need to torture herself with such attire?
‘Anyone who wears that in this humid weather must be a devoted believer.’
The god of the Thunderbolt Celestial Divine Church, [Saint's Radiance Madeus].
The way he checks the faith of his believers seemed quite distasteful.
It made sense that someone like Duke Andersen, who attended the lecture titled [How to Use Sacred Arts Without Faith], might be drawn into religious matters in either a good or bad way, becoming a lunatic.
“That senior is named Bixton, and he’s currently part of the Alchemy-Chemistry Club. He’s looking to purchase a mosquito-attracting spray.”
“I see. Attracting mosquitoes… what? Not repelling but collecting?”
“Absolutely. The senior asked about the intention behind purchasing such a forbidden item, saying he plans to use the mosquitoes to fatten them up and turn them into giant mosquitoes for the Dark Nourishment Elixir.”
Excluded child.
A forbidden potion for growing monsters.
Already large enough, now even bigger mosquitoes.
Giant mosquitoes collecting blood in the Bloodstone storage.
Sacrificial offering.
A host of ominous imaginings unfolded in Arcadia’s mind.
“No, Di!! Even if you’re angry, using your classmates as offerings to mosquitoes to extract their blood—that’s not the right way to take revenge!!”
Suddenly, Arcadia dashed out.
Oknodie, caught in her clandestine dealings, waved her hands urgently.
“It’s not like that!”
“What do you mean, it’s not? Then tell me what your intentions were to make the giant mosquitoes even larger!”
“Giant mosquitoes won’t grow larger than 1 meter; if they get fat, they’ll become land-walking mosquitoes that can’t fly!”
“Goodness. You planned to create such horrifying mosquitoes to scare passing classmates on land?!”
“I told you it’s not like that! The Bloodstone storage is in the tree, so the fat mosquitoes can’t climb up there.”
Phew. Oknodie wasn’t plotting an evil scheme for revenge.
“More importantly, can you tell me why you’ve been tailing me, Arcadia? Why have you been following me since yesterday?”
“Eh. Did you already know?”
“Of course. You were meowing so much.”
“Ugh. Jiang is truly useless for covert operations… But why didn’t you tell me you noticed me?”
“Because I was curious why Arcadia was following me.”
Oknodie pondered for a moment before replying.
“If Arcadia were following with bad intentions, I wouldn’t know how to respond.”
Oknodie’s cautious demeanor, keeping distance, made Arcadia’s heart flutter.
“No way! I was only worried that you might fall prey to bad men while your heart was weak!”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Oknodie’s face brightened with a smile she usually wore.
“Come here, Di. I’ll hug you.”
“Hehe.”
Oknodie rushed into Arcadia’s embrace.
As she gently stroked Oknodie’s back, she whispered in a soft voice.
“Should I include Arcadia in the plan to get the carriage subscription?”
“What do you mean?”
“The plan to acquire the carriage subscription.”
Arcadia held Oknodie’s shoulders and maintained direct eye contact as she asked.
“I was curious since yesterday, but what do you want the carriage subscription for?”
“After heavy rain and mosquito swarming, there’s a high chance of a plague event happening. We need to use the carriage to get to the forest with the antidote.”
“Oh my. Were you planning to get the antidote ahead of time for your friends?”
Oknodie tilted her head.
“My friends all have plenty of points! They don’t need to go get the antidote separately. Is it the mobs that are awkward? It’s still fine because I can lend them some!”
Friends are okay.
No need for the antidote.
Then why exactly was she going to get it?
“Aha. You’re trying to get the antidote in advance to help your less fortunate classmates without points?”
Oknodie is a good child, after all.
Of course she would.
Such thoughts filled Arcadia’s mind, but Oknodie strangely did not answer right away.
Looking around.
Avoiding eye contact.
Whistling.
Despite her cute actions, Arcadia felt a tightness in her chest.
She has changed.
Just as the students’ attitudes toward Oknodie had transformed, so too had Oknodie’s approach toward students.
Arcadia felt that the image of the kind-hearted Oknodie she knew was fading away.