NOVEL NEXT Chapter 274: Freshmen Orientation
༺ Freshmen Orientation ༻
– Ring, ring…!
The alarm clock on the bedside table rang loudly.
“Hmm…”
The noise abruptly awakened me. As the sunlight streamed through the window, I struggled to focus my groggy mind.
– Srrrk…
I glanced at the ceiling of the inn where Serena and I had been staying, which had temporarily become our base.
We had to keep changing our location for security reasons, but we were somewhat confined with the Main God of this world bound in the corner of the inn.
‘Should I have slept earlier?’
Yawning and stretching, I tried to shake off the stiffness and began regretting my decision to sleep late.Today was quite an important day.
It was like the beginning of the 2nd year episode or, in other words, freshman orientation day.
Planning to participate in the orientation, I had stayed up late to check my plans. Consequently, I only got about two hours of sleep.
I felt a bit dizzy, yet I was relieved that the constant anxiety and pressure of the past few days seemed to have lessened.
“Are you awake, Master?”
Sitting halfway on the bed, I heard a soft voice coming from under the bed.
“…Lulu.”
Of course, it was Lulu.
Recently, she had been asking for my permission to leave during the day and quietly came into my room to sleep on the floor at night.
– Sssskk, sskk…
“Hehe.”
She resembled a pet getting released and nurtured and a loyal vassal pledging allegiance to me. Proud of her, I gently patted her head, and a quiet smile graced her lips.
“Haub.”
Then, she closed her eyes after biting and nibbling on my finger, carefully wrapping it with her tongue before gently rolling it inside her mouth.
“Master, may I go out again today?”
I silently watched her familiar actions while my finger was still in her mouth.
“…Sure, just make sure to come back at night.”
“Thank you!”
Initially, I had planned to take her to the orientation today, but the presence of the Demon King thwarted that plan.
“Still, be sure to have breakfast before you go.”
“Yes!”
I couldn’t let her go without breakfast. When I gently mentioned it, Lulu, releasing my finger from her mouth, smiled brightly and replied.
“I’ll control the lesser demons… I mean, watch over the Demon King’s army with all my might today!”
“…Sure.”
Clearly, she had said ‘lesser demon’ just now, but did I mishear her?
The place she had been going to recently was none other than the meetings for the Demon King’s Combat Executives, and there wasn’t a single lesser demon she could control.
“…Whatever.”
Come to think of it, lately, those Combat Executives of the Demon King’s army had been oddly kind to me, and the army seemed unusually well-organized. Something felt off.
What was Lulu doing there?
“Hoaaam…”
Thinking about Lulu, who had gone downstairs for breakfast, a yawn escaped my mouth.
– Knock, knock, knock.
“…Hmm?”
Being this sleepy in a scenario that could decide my fate was unreasonable, so I got up to wash my face. Suddenly, I heard a knocking sound on the door.
“It’s me, Young Master.”
It was a very welcoming voice.
“Long time no see, Kania.”
“Yes.”
It felt like ages since I last saw her. Kania stood there with a plate in hand, clad in her customary formal attire, with a smile.
“Is that… breakfast?”
“Yes, your favorite dish, Young Master.”
She had just arrived at the inn and unpacked only hours ago. Still, she was as diligent as ever. That was Kania, indeed.
“Did the inn let you use their kitchen? The landlady seems rather strict.”
“I’ll explain later. For now, please eat your meal before it gets cold.”
Following Kania’s warm gaze, I opened the lid on the plate, revealing neatly placed sandwiches and coffee.
“Young Master, is this enough?”
The appetizing sight made me realize my mouth was watering. I reached out to take a bite. However, Kania calmly asked.
“Hm?”
“I’ll take care of the ingredients and preparations, so… wouldn’t you prefer a more delicious meal?”
“Hmm…”
“During the investigation period, I learned several Western Continent dishes. I’ve also learned some Eastern Continent dishes. I’ll happily make them for you if you’d like.”
The way Kania said this made her look oddly earnest.
“…Of course, I’d like to.”
I nodded, sensing that refusing would disappoint her. Plus, I genuinely wanted to taste her dishes. Kania secretly clenched her fist.
“Alright then, enjoy your delicious meal.”
Then, she turned around with balled fists and struck a pose as if saying, “You got this” to herself.
“…Pff.”
“Young Master? Why are you taking the plate…”
As I chuckled at her amusing gesture and carefully stood up, holding the plate, Kania tilted her head in confusion.
“I’ll eat with you on the first floor.”
“…Ah.”
Kania suddenly began to look troubled.
“Sigh, you know… Young Master.”
She began to speak after sighing heavily.
“…Right now, there are guests on the first floor.”
“Guests? Well, it’s an inn, so there can be guests, right?”
“We’ve already bought this entire inn. We’ve compensated the guests twice what they paid.”
Kania’s words momentarily stunned me.
“What? You purchased the entire inn? Wait a minute… ‘we’? You didn’t come alone, did you?”
Confused and still tired, I fired questions incoherently. Kania responded with a furrowed brow.
“It would be quicker if you see for yourself.”
She then silently opened the door and bowed her head.
“…”
I didn’t know what to expect, but it seemed I had to go to the first floor.
.
.
.
.
.
“…Indeed, they’re real guests.”
“Sigh…”
Kania hadn’t lied.
The central dining area of the once-bustling inn now accommodated only Lulu and two additional guests.
“Clana, what are you doing moping like this? Straighten up.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Irina stood with her arms folded and a scowl on her face, lecturing. Clana quickly straightened up.
“Uh, um…?”
Meanwhile, Lulu was zoning out and stiffening in silence.
Leave out Irina, but her encounter with the Imperial Princess during breakfast seemed to have drained her spirit.
‘It’s good that I instructed Alice to go directly to the orientation venue after finishing her errands.’
Brushing aside the thought that it could have been a huge problem, I began to scrutinize the behavior of these girls. Kania was also with me, clung to my side.
Thinking about how it could have been a big problem again, I quietly patted my chest in relief.
“So… why did you come here?”
“We’re here to provide personal protection. There are too many assassins targeting you, Young Master.”
As I nodded in understanding, Kania, who appeared displeased, moved closer to my side.
“I’m also confident in combat, Young Master.”
“Is that so?”
“Physical activities… In any case, I’m confident in all of it.”
I tilted my head and watched Kania, who turned her head quietly after saying that. Then, I fixed my gaze forward.
“Hmmm…?”
Irina frowned as she sat at the dining table.
“This is strange…”
I wondered why she was acting that way. After observing her, I realized she was frowning at Lulu.
“Hey, why don’t you bring your head closer.”
“P-pardon?”
As Irina stared at Lulu, she eventually frowned and, with a stern expression, snapped her finger at Lulu, who had been staring blankly at Clana until then.
“Hurry up.”
“…Y-yes.”
Lulu hesitated for a moment before bringing her head forward. Irina scrutinized Lulu’s head with her chin resting on her hand.
“Hey, look at this.”
“Ouch! It hurts!”
Irina tapped Clana’s arm, who had been sitting beside her and cowering. Clana was caught off guard and cried out in surprise.
“You seem to have forgotten, but I-I am… the Imperial Princess! If you keep doing that… ummm… I’ll make you regret it a hundred times more…”
“I said, look at this, please.”
“T-that’s why I have said if you keep hitting me… huh?”
Irina ignored her warning and slapped her arm again. Clana, murmuring timidly, finally looked at Lulu’s head.
“……..”
And then, silence ensued.
“Research… it’s a sense of research… I must delve into this. No matter what happens, definitely.”
“Heeiiikkk”
Breaking the silence, Irina, with her eyes completely rolled back, grabbed Lulu’s head.
“This… i-if this is done well, it might be the key to solving the situation. Is this possible? How could a human…? No, surely you’re human…”
“Haeuhhh…I-if you put it that way, then you too…!”
When Irina, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, continued touching Lulu’s head, Lulu grabbed and pushed her away.
“P-Please, don’t fight…”
“This is not a fight! This is the discovery of the century! I’ll get Frey’s permission to research you!”
“I-I belong to Master!! I’m not some research subject!!”
“Please, don’t fight… Eikkk…”
As Clana tried to stop them, she became increasingly restless, unable to do anything as their voices grew louder.
“If your Master orders you to be studied, what will you do then?”
“M-Master cherishes me very much! Unlike someone who ended up tied up in the yard after attacking Master on one wild day, I’m not like that!“
“W-what did you say…?”
“Even if I were to be studied, I would receive it from Master! He is the only one who can touch my flesh…”
I couldn’t hear them because they were quite far away. However, the lively atmosphere still reached my ears.
“Young Master… Why are you eating here…?”
“…Kania prepared some really delicious dishes.”
I felt like I was watching a game. So, I absentmindedly ate the sandwich, hastily gave Kania’s food an evaluation, and walked toward those girls to stop them.
“…Enough.”
With her eyes ablaze in golden radiance, Clana muttered a command, instantly controlling the situation.
“Let’s eat.”
“…Yes.”
Her awakening ability, ‘Aura of Domination,’ was even more potent than I thought.
“Um, girls.”
“……!”
With the situation mostly resolved, I stepped forward, and the girls eating their meals all turned to stare at me with wide-open eyes.
“Uh… I appreciate you coming here, but we must leave now.”
I expressed my apologies with a rather remorseful expression.
“Our carriage has already arrived. So, you see…”
I heard Irina had faced thousands of demonic monsters alone for a few days and that Clana had been overwhelmed by the paperwork she had handled recently.
I wanted to suggest that they take their time eating and rest a bit before joining us later. However, the girls’ expressions suddenly sharpened.
– Bump!
There was a light sound.
“Huwa.”
“…This feels strange every time. I just can’t get used to it.”
As the sound diminished, the food on Irina and Clana’s plates disappeared suddenly.
– Srrk, ssk…
“Ugh…”
Irina and Clana simultaneously became a bit pudgy and gently patted their slightly bulging bellies. Seeing this, I calmly asked.
“What did you just do…?”
“We teleported the food into our stomachs. We always used this method in the research team because we never had enough time.”
“We also used pulverization magic, so it won’t come out later.”
Their response was beyond what I could have imagined.
Teleporting food directly into their stomachs?
Surely, the creator of teleportation magic would have restricted teleportation stuff inside bodies for ethical reasons, right?
Yet, didn’t Irina use magic to transport continents to continents forcefully? At a young age, didn’t she unleash a large-scale tracking spell? Didn’t she manage to wound the Demon King, who would be hard to injure without the Hero’s Armament?
I could no longer grasp Irina’s limits anymore.
“Well then… Let’s depart.”
As I looked at her in amazement, Kania opened the inn’s door and said with an unpleasant expression.
“Master.”
While looking at the carriage with a tense expression, Lulu, who had finished her meal by now, approached me cautiously.
“I pray that your mission today is successful.”
She spoke with a determined tone.
“If it fails, then I will lead lesser demons to raid the orientation venue.”
“…Please, don’t.”
I replied, fearing the consequences, but she started looking sullen.
– Click…
Afterward, she loosened the leash around her neck and handed it to me.
“But I am your dog.”
“……”
“Rather than living as an abandoned dog, I would die as your loyal companion.”
Saying so, she slightly pulled her leash, then turned around, took a few steps, and suddenly disappeared.
It seemed she used a spatial portal created by Dmir Khan around the inn.
“I won’t say much.”
I quietly observed the traces left on my hand by the leash, but Clana passed by and whispered.
“Now I have the power and authority to protect you.”
“……..”
“I’m only going to demonstrate that today.”
After saying that, she quietly boarded the carriage.
“…How reassuring.”
Even though I was still quite tense, I felt my heartbeats calm down. I smiled as I walked toward the carriage.
“Frey.”
“…..?”
Irina, who had been standing quietly behind me, suddenly grabbed me.
“About that girl Lulu… there’s something you should know.”
“Hmm?”
“Well, that is…”
Wondering if it had something to do with the earlier argument with Lulu, I listened to her attentively with a serious expression.
“…What is it?”
Suddenly, I couldn’t help but look bewildered.
“Horns?!”
I couldn’t believe it. It was so absurd that I would never have believed it if it hadn’t come from her, a woman with the qualifications of an Archmage.
.
.
.
.
.
Several hours later, at the orientation venue for Sunrise Academy’s new students.
“It’s an honor to meet you! Freshmen!!!”
A girl stood in the spacious outdoor hall amidst the bustling figures of the empire’s important individuals, envoys from across the continent, and various high-ranking nobles.
“I, representing all of you who are entering as first-year students in the 1001st batch this year…”
She could see the tension and excitement of the Sunrise Academy’s freshmen.
“…My name is Ruby.”
As the girl, Ruby, said this, the hall fell silent.
“… And the world also calls me ‘Hero.’”
She added with a witty tone, prompting cheers from different parts of the hall.
“Before taking the oath on behalf of you all, I want to say something.”
Ruby continued speaking without intentionally suppressing the cheers.
“All of you, who will become first-year students and part of the 1001st batch…”
Her ruby-colored eyes calmly shone.
“…are no different than members of the Hero Party. In fact, you are the Hero Party itself.”
After this statement, a different type of silence descended upon the hall.
‘Frey… What do you think? How do you plan to handle a situation like this?’
Delight, shock, excitement, hope, fear, and worry.
She wore a bright smile as she observed the freshmen reacting with various expressions and wavered at her words.
‘I already know you have prepared something for today. But what would you show me?’
She shouted with joy internally.
‘What kind of desperate act are you planning, Frey!!!’
– Crreeeaakk, crreeeaakk…!
A horse-drawn carriage arrived at the far end of the outdoor hall.
“W-what’s… going on?”
“All the participants… should have arrived already, shouldn’t they?”
“S-stop right there! Reveal your identity!”
The guards and the knights, sweating profusely, rushed toward the carriage. They had tightened the security due to the appointment ceremony incident, yet an intruder was here.
– Clatter…!
The carriage’s door slowly began to open.
– Creeakkk…
The slowly parting doors, the vigilant gazes of the guards, the curious freshmen, and the subtle smile on Ruby’s lips all seemed part of a slow-motion scene.
“……….!!!”
In the atmosphere filled with such anticipation, the intruder’s identity became apparent to those gathered there.
It was not just the Empire; the appearance shocked the entire world.
“It’s been quite a while… for you to reveal your real face to the world.”
The person who appeared unscathed at the freshmen orientation was none other than Frey Raon Starlight—the same human the world had declared dead.
“………?”
In the tense and silent atmosphere, frozen without allowing any room for panic, Ruby stared with a dumbfounded expression and tilted her head.
‘Is he crazy?’
She hadn’t expected this, so she was also surprised.
‘But …This is kinda fun.’
Nevertheless, in the end, Ruby concluded that it was also amusing.
“Nice to meet you all.”
‘Indeed, you are very interesting.’
The one hated by all and the one loved by all.
The False Evil and the Pretender.
And thus, the full-scale confrontation between the Hero-turned-Demon King and the Demon King-turned-Hero began.
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