NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
“…So, unless it’s a truly private setting, please refrain from clapping your hands.”
So that’s the backstory.
In summary, clapping for a stranger was equivalent to hurling a severe curse like “Go die” at them.
It wasn’t that clapping was entirely forbidden. It was simply a common act of celebration in this world.
Until an assassination group started using the sound of clapping as a signal to commence their deeds. The existence of such an assassination group was absurd, but for some reason, their success rate was 90%. They even managed to assassinate the Emperor and the Pope, so I could somewhat understand the need for a ban.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder. Why not ensure better security instead of telling people not to clap?
But the most absurd part was that the assassination group fell apart once clapping was prohibited.
However, even though the assassination group was gone, the fear they instilled lingered on, so clapping remained off-limits. Even 200 years later, the act was still taboo, especially since it was done to my mentor, which left me feeling uneasy.
I felt disappointed that no one clapped when my name was mentioned in the morning, but looking back, it was a relief that no one did.
Aside from that, there weren’t any particularly strange rules. Don’t slurp your food, don’t cross your legs, don’t laugh frivolously, and so on.
There wasn’t much else to worry about other than clapping. It was all common sense, really. Though I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being unjustly treated in a strange place, it was still enjoyable to read.
When I returned the book to the recommended reading list, the clock was already indicating that gym class had ended.
Has it really gotten this late? It didn’t feel like the book was that thick. I was about to leave the library but wondered if it was really necessary.
Even if the air was somewhat unpleasant, I had so many books to read, was there really a need to go outside for no reason? I thought not.
Though I said that, my body was already headed towards the window. Perhaps due to the conclusion of the scheduled classes, a few students seemed excited, while most appeared quite tired.
I could see a small girl being led away by a group of female students and Golden Sun, who was keeping his distance from them, which suggested our class had also ended.
It was surprising that Dokan was nowhere to be seen, but soon something occurred that caught my attention enough to forget about him.
Golden Sun entered a dim alley and naturally approached a woman who looked like a nun. As he stood in front of her and said something, she seemed to move reluctantly.
This clearly had to be what I thought it was, right? A punk trying to catch the nun off guard in a secluded alley for some dirty deed.
No, wait, I promised not to judge people based on preconceptions. So I shook off my bias and observed them again.
It seemed like I was right, though. Should I go intervene? But what could I possibly do in this situation? It’s not like I could take on Golden Sun, who was quite the hefty guy.
It felt like I had inadvertently witnessed the darker side of the academy. I knew it wasn’t just a cheerful place, but seeing it directly didn’t sit well with me.
…What if I walked by them under the guise of coincidence? In a lewd manga, people would get even more brazen if someone walked past, but this world isn’t a lewd manga, so it should not be that bad.
The academy values social reputation. If Golden Sun had any shame or awareness, he might stop his actions. It wouldn’t solve the twisted relationship, though.
Even amidst my doubts, they were heading deeper into the alley. While Golden Sun walked casually, the nun seemed a bit awkward in her gait.
My suspicion soon turned into certainty.
Should I ‘casually’ pass by and try to stop what they were doing? I’m not a man, but it would gnaw at my conscience to just walk past such injustice.
Even an introvert has a sense of justice.
I certainly didn’t plan on going up to him and yelling “Stop!” What if I misspoke and got hurt?
If I got hurt, that would be fortunate; the worst-case scenario was too grim to think about. Is it really right for me to go? Maybe I should just call a teacher instead.
But the teachers seemed to avoid me. If I hesitated and it got too late, who knows what humiliation the nun might face while I stood by?
…Alright. I made up my mind. I’ll walk at a distance that’s not too close but not too far, making sure to be conspicuous.
If I don’t intervene, it’s not my fault, and if I do intervene, I’ll contribute to the situation, so in the end, it would be a win-win. If I could save the poor nun with just a small step, it would be worth it.
With my thoughts settled, I felt lighter on my feet. I headed towards the alley where they were.
—
Ethan had no idea why he had been sent to this academy.
All he knew was that the goddess had decreed to send another Apostle to the academy where Ena was.
He had no doubts about the goddess’s will. However, he couldn’t help but wonder why the church had chosen him.
How could someone with insufficient skills and achievements like him be honored with the task of fulfilling a command delivered directly from the goddess herself?
It didn’t take long for him to figure out why he was there, having only an utterly useless ability to sense mana.
The newest transfer student was Bai Hyo Yeon, who hailed from the eastern continent and didn’t even try to conceal her mana.
Among the people there, it seemed the instructor also sensed the mana, but that wasn’t of great importance to him.
But what if he harmed her?
Rising in status would be a sure thing, and he might even get a chance to be a higher-ranked Apostle. It was a sweet temptation for someone like him, who was the 13th Apostolic seat.
He might get expelled from the academy, but that didn’t matter to Ethan. If he could draw closer to the goddess, it was a trivial issue.
However, if he failed, it wasn’t just expulsion; he would be cast out by the church as well. The 13th Apostle position could be replaced quickly.
Using mana blatantly would indicate he was skilled, so he couldn’t act recklessly. With his mediocre mana-breathing technique, he didn’t think he could kill her.
He could only watch as Hyo Yeon left the gym. Even when a student entered and revealed that the instructor had rigged the kettlebell, he didn’t feel much excitement.
The extreme class didn’t impress him much, just enough for him to think, “So there are people who teach like this outside the church.” All of Ethan’s senses were focused on Bai Hyo Yeon.
As soon as class ended, he took out the pendant. It was an item given to all Apostles so they could communicate with one another, but he had never used it.
The other Apostles never needed to reach out to him, as the tasks assigned to him could always be handled alone.
This might finally be the opportunity to use the communication pendant, but Ethan hesitated.
If he requested help from Ena, he could surely capture Bai Hyo Yeon, but it was clear she would take most of the credit. On the other hand, acting alone felt like an uphill battle.
“…Sister Gloria. I urgently have something to discuss.”
He was someone who knew how to restrain himself. It was better to act reliably than to ruin things out of selfish desires, so Ethan decided to seek help from the first Apostle.
– Decatria? Please call me Ena. There are many ears here.
“Yes, Ena. To cut to the chase. A user of mana has appeared.”
– …Mana? Here at the academy?
“Yes. Do you know a student named Bai Hyo Yeon?”
– The one who just transferred here today? The one from the eastern continent?
“Yes. She openly used mana.”
– …I’ll head there shortly. I’ll get the details in person.
Ethan walked along silently. Among the noisy kids around, he easily spotted Gloria. He found her waiting at the entrance of the alley and went straight to her.
“Decatria. I believe this is the first time you’ve reached out first.”
“I felt I couldn’t handle it on my own.”
“I thought you’d devour all the credit for yourself. Your judgment is excellent, but… don’t you think it’s important to present yourself properly? Maintaining dignity as a representative of the goddess is also crucial.”
As they headed deeper into the alley, Ethan briefly wondered why she was critiquing his appearance at that moment, but he soon answered her.
“The task assigned to me may be the will of the goddess, but it is not something she has commanded. As someone who serves the goddess, I do not wish to tarnish her glory. It would be more fitting to look like a rogue.”
“…I respect your intentions. However, Decatria, it seems we have someone tailing us.”