NOVEL NEXT chapter 60 - Your name is (1)
In the past, I once saw in an interview with a game developer something interesting.
Many overseas developers of console-type games said that when one project ends, they hold a celebration party to mark the completion.
But for most Korean games that are live service, the moment development ends is actually the beginning.
It was similar for people like us.
While others slept to replenish the energy spent during the festival after it ended,
someone had to clean up after the festival was over.
“There is an organization gathering those who harbor resentment against the Empire.”
At the serious words of Uncle Aerin, everyone’s gaze turned to me.
“Why, what is it?”
If someone didn’t know, they might think I was the head of that group.
“You don’t know?”
“How would I know that?”
Actually, I do know.
According to Boradori, behind several organizations are dark mages.
And behind those dark mages are cultists who worship evil gods.
Probably, behind the dark mages, the evil god worshippers are pulling the strings.
Well, according to Boradori, they called those evil god worshippers ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) simply higher-level dark mages.
They said this development would come out near the end of the academy part, so no matter the Empire, at this point, we wouldn’t know.
Even if we did know, nothing would change anyway.
“Really don’t know?”
Uncle Aerin asked seriously again, and I nodded.
“If you knew that, you’d be a real spy, right? Well, those evil god worshippers and the like?”
I gave a slight hint.
Picking that up would be Uncle Aerin’s and the Empire’s ability.
“Too bad. If you answered, we’d have caught you right away.”
Uncle Aerin, knowing that, teased me... or was it a joke? Why is he licking his lips then?
“Well, Adam, thanks to you, things have gotten easier.”
At Uncle Aerin’s words, Flame Follower’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What did you do now?”
“I caught a dark mage.”
Well, what else.
“Oh, right?”
As if he had forgotten because it was so obvious, Flame Follower said, and Uncle Aerin shook his head.
“Not that. I’m talking about the silence handling. I heard that it caused some confusion in their command chain.”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, Boradori said Silence was a villainous civil servant.
He was important enough to do bureaucrat-like work and was skilled enough to survive despite repeatedly showing up.
They said the enemies probably couldn’t easily find someone to fill that void.
“Don’t they get bonuses from the Empire?”
“Stop milking it already. You got enough last time!”
“How many dark mages did you catch this time?”
“I heard Daisy caught that one!”
True. If I had known, I wouldn’t have shoved all the credit onto Daisy.
“They take everything for themselves.”
“Don’t worry! Everyone got cuts this time because of the leaks!”
“Even you, uncle?”
“Yeah, me too!”
Then nothing can be done.
I’ll try to recover those cut amounts in my pocket at the next incident.
Patriotic activities through earning foreign currency!
Where else in the kingdom is there a loyalist like me!
“Since that’s how it is, you better prepare the field trip in advance. If there is a force targeting the Empire, they won’t leave this trip alone.”
Uncle Aerin said seriously it was a crisis, but Flame Follower seemed unable to understand at all.
“Then can’t we just not go?”
“I want to do that too! But the director says we have to!”
“You’re such a stupid Flame Follower.”
“Did you say I’m stupid?”
“You’re a stupid Flame Follower who can’t even handle dating.”
“...Ugh.”
I glared with a swordfighter’s expression, sinking Flame Follower completely, then told them what the director was thinking.
“Don’t you understand the director’s big plan?”
“No, what’s wrong with our territory...”
At Uncle Aerin’s pleading voice, I told the truth as it was.
“Even if we stay in the academy, it’ll be broken into anyway.”
“...”
“If it’s going to be broken anyway, isn’t it just that they want to slack off in Rias?”
“No, no matter what...”
That can’t be right.
Uncle Aerin’s head, which was about to say that, gradually started to bow.
“...Is that so?”
“What do you mean broken! Do you know what Rias is?”
Taylor shouted that Rias was different, but well.
Why did I feel like Rias would be just as full of holes as the academy?
“Adam, why do you have that expression?”
“Nothing.”
“Who would believe that face!”
Luckily, I held back the bad words about having more faith in the Empire than in myself.
After roughly handling some matters during the weekend to prepare for the field trip,
Monday came, the day most people hate, except for the yellow sponge.
The festival, just the Monday after.
Students, who had been relaxing and playing for a while, were all down because of the long-awaited classes.
“A field trip? To Rias territory?”
“Isn’t that almost a forbidden territory?”
“Are we really going?”
At the sudden news of the field trip, they started fluttering as if they had never been down.
“Rias is a forbidden-level place in the kingdom, right?”
“Not quite.”
Compared to Leon Kingdom’s forbidden zones, the dangers from monsters and dungeons might be higher.
But unlike Leon, which half-neglected the area except sending knights regularly,
the Empire entrusted the territory to the Rias family and managed it.
So, despite everything, people live in the Rias family’s territory.
...Taylor emphasized this several times.
“Really?”
Prince Ellen looked around with sparkling eyes.
“Then it’ll be fun.”
His smile was fresh, but inside it was the gene of Princess Hestia that gave me chills.
No, to say it’s fun to go somewhere slightly less dangerous than forbidden.
What naturally came to mind was Princess Hestia’s expression when leaving yesterday with the Leon exchange group.
She was glaring with a sulky expression after being beaten badly in front of Swordmaster.
Honestly, senior Lucia glaring next to her with an unfairly upset face was even scarier.
“Still, two weeks left.”
“Oh, right.”
No matter how irresponsible the academy’s fantasy-style development of the field trip was,
we couldn’t just leave the students alone, so some measures had to be taken.
In liberal arts class, they began lectures about Rias territory and the wild beasts and monsters frequently appearing nearby.
“Today’s class is simple.”
In swordsmanship and other classes:
“Beat me.”
The head professor Swordmaster declared he would fight the students wielding a sword.
“No!”
Surely, ten students fight at once.
Why do I have to fight one-on-one?
“Wow. Adam versus Swordmaster, is this real?”
“My heart is swelling…”
“For us pathetic ones, it’s more of a hindrance.”
“Just watching gives me a lesson, that’s Adam for you!”
“Don’t lose! You are our pride in swordsmanship!”
“Just help me out a bit, you bastards!”
In other groups, Swordmaster lost first, but why does he seem to let me win as if that’s good?
“Ugh!”
“Adam’s lost.”
“He was just our swordsmanship’s second-in-command.”
“Just get beaten up, I guess.”
Of course, Swordmaster just wanted to bully me unfairly.
The others watching soon rolled on the floor just like me.
“Next!”
Days passed with Prince Ellen and Little Swordmaster also rolling on the floor in the same way.
“What do we do with this?”
Pant pant!
On a weekend morning, I was woken by a dog. Holding up Belle’s front paw, I couldn’t help but frown.
“Isn’t it a bit off to make that face while staring at someone’s chest?”
Damn this dog.
“…You acted like a human till now, so why treat me like a person only now?”
Just a moment ago, sticking out his tongue panting, now he made a disappointed face like a dog.
“You want to look at the chest even in human form? Even if you’re the lifesaver, that’s too much...!”
“Fine, abandonment is the answer.”
I was debating whether or not to bring him to Rias territory.
I decided to just abandon him near the academy market.
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
Maybe sensing my sincerity, he started panting again and resumed pretending to be a dog.
“Aooh.”
He even showed his belly and whimpered, making me sigh involuntarily.
“When are you coming to pick me up?”
“Hmm. We run directly unlike humans, so it takes some time.”
“Even so, it takes a long time.”
“We travel at midnight, so it’s dangerous.”
“Why travel at midnight?”
“Because if we move in animal form during the day, we get hunted.”
That was a pretty convincing explanation.
“The problem is it’s way too late!”
“Argh! Save the wolf!”
I grabbed his hind legs and shook him violently, and Belle screamed.
“Just bring me then! You said you’re going to Rias! There’s a tribe nearby I know! Just tell them to come!”
“They decided to come to the academy. Who do I tell that to?”
“Don’t you know anyone at the academy?”
“I do. But only one person knows you’re a beastkin.”
“Tell that person then?”
“That one is coming with us this time.”
“Ah-ha?”
Watching Belle nod dumbly, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten.
“Come to think of it, that one wanted to see you.”
I forgot to ask for her name. Well, accidents happen in between, so whatever.
“A woman?”
“She is.”
“A woman who shares our secret... I see! A lover... Argh!”
After swinging the barking dog a few times, I was going to show Belle to Boradori today since I had nothing else to do.
“Her name is... Belle?”
“Yeah, um.”
“Why are you only telling me now?”
For some reason, Boradori — no, Violet — looked sharp, and Belle and I had no choice but to watch each other cautiously.
“What is it?”
“...”
With an expression full of things she wanted to say but was holding back, I closed my mouth.
“It’s not confirmed yet. I’m taking the kid.”
“Me?”
Forgetting her dog cosplay, Belle looked like she was questioning if it was really about her, and Violet nodded expressionlessly.
“You.”
Help me.
Even with a dog’s expression, the intent to speak clearly came through naturally.
“So, you’re taking her?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Woof!”
Because the atmosphere reminded me of telling Silence that I was about to get my stomach pierced,
ignoring Belle’s pleading look while being held in Violet’s arms,
“Shall we go train?”
“Woof! Woof woof!”
Hearing the dog sounds, I headed toward the training ground.