Chapter 19

◈ Chapter 19: Commoner Girl Rine (2)

After leaving the training ground, I immediately headed for a deserted place.

It must have been well past the time for students to leave, as there was no one in sight.

After checking my surroundings and confirming that no one was around, I took out the pill from my pocket with trembling hands.

'I thought I was going to die trying to hold on.'

I poured the pill into my mouth and chewed it.

A bitter yet refreshing sensation hit my tongue, and a powerful surge of magic spread through my mouth.

'Phew. I'll live.'

As the effects of the pill spread and magic flowed into my brain, my deteriorating condition gradually returned to normal.

The ringing in my ears, which had been subtly bothering me, disappeared as if someone had turned off a radio.

I sat down on a quiet bench to catch my breath.

The first signal came when I visited the second training ground.

My fingertips were slightly trembling, and my head felt heavy.

This was a kind of chronic condition that had developed since I came to this world.

'If I hadn't had the pill, I would have been in big trouble.'

I thought I could endure it, so I only checked up to the first training ground before planning to take the pill.

I never expected that a fight among first-year freshmen would break out there.

Or, should I even call it a fight? It was more like one side was planning a surprise attack, which can't really be called a fight.

School bullying.

It was a situation where the victim and the perpetrator were clearly defined.

So I intervened and barely managed to prevent the situation from escalating.

After that, when I was talking about disciplinary actions, I felt a sudden surge of the wave that had subsided.

My body was signaling me to quickly take the pill.

I quickly tried to wrap up the situation and leave.

The problem was,

Who would have thought that someone would boldly call me a fallen noble right there?

'Why did you have to say that at that moment?'

If it had been a soliloquy with no one around, I could have pretended not to hear it, but there were too many witnesses.

As a teacher, I had to say something to maintain my authority, but with my mind not functioning well, I couldn't come up with a convincing response.

-Your actions were a clear challenge to my authority.

-You could be referred to the disciplinary committee according to school rules.

-You might receive demerits or even have your case brought to the attention of the principal.

I should have said something like that, but it didn't come to mind.

'So I just blurted out whatever came to mind.'

In a panic, I spouted whatever came to mind, trying not to damage my image too much.

I don't know how much effort it took to manage my nearly collapsing expression.

My face must have been a bit distorted, and my eyes might have been bloodshot.

'Hopefully, it won't cause any major problems.'

Anyway, when Selina arrived late, I handed over the aftermath and managed to leave the scene quickly.

I swallowed the pill lingering in my mouth and stood up from the bench.

Fortunately, it was just the early symptoms.

If it had gotten worse here, others might have noticed my abnormality.

'This is the last pill, isn’t it?'

I sighed, confirming that the pill bottle was empty.

I had packed extra pills in my bag, but I never expected things to go wrong like this.

'The meeting with him is next weekend. It seems difficult to hold on until then, so I'll have to send another letter and urge him to come earlier.'

If not, I would have to borrow a personal laboratory to make more, but that would leave a record, which would be a big problem.

Judging from my current state, I can probably hold on for about five days, but I'm not sure.

The period will shorten if I have to use magic.

'I hope everything goes smoothly until then.'

With my mind gradually clearing, I took a light breath and resumed my patrol.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

"Actually, this is my job."

Despite Rine's insistence that she was fine, she bowed her head to Selina, who had brought her to the infirmary.

Selina waved her hand with a warm smile, but Rine was sincere.

"Um, Miss Selina."

"Uh-huh?"

"What will happen to that student?"

"Duinma, right? Hmm. I can't say for sure, but since I've only been here for a short time—"

"Oh, right..."

"According to the rules I was briefed on, even though it wasn't a fight, since she provoked someone unilaterally, she might receive some form of punishment, though not expulsion."

Although I wish the academy would impose a strong punishment on someone as proud and arrogant as Duinma.

Both of us vaguely felt that wouldn't happen.

Partly because she was a new student, but more importantly, because she came from a family as prestigious as a baron's.

"Why? Are you worried?"

"No, just curious."

Honestly, I don't feel sorry for Duinma, who attacked me so openly.

It's all self-inflicted. I'm even surprised she didn't get expelled for going that far.

I just asked out of restlessness.

"Are you worried?"

"Huh?"

"Your expression gives it away."

"Oh..."

Rine nodded slightly. Her short gray hair swayed with the movement.

"Just, it seems more intense than I thought. I thought Seolron would be a place overflowing with dreams and ideals."

"..."

"But after talking to that noble student, it doesn't seem to be the case. Even if the wrongdoer is punished, there's no guarantee this won't happen again."

"True."

Selina agreed with Rine.

Seolron claims to treat royals and commoners equally, but that has rarely been the case.

Even if teachers try to remain neutral and mediate as much as possible, problems often arise when students are alone.

Some noble-born teachers even discriminate against commoner students and subtly favor noble students.

As a result, some nobles with strong pride look down on teachers who are commoners or fallen nobles.

This time, Duinma's insult to Rudger was a direct extension of such attitudes.

"Right. I also thought it was too harsh what she said to Mr. Rudger."

Selina puffed her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips, as if to prove she was angry.

Seeing Rine's wide eyes, she smiled softly.

"But since Mr. Rudger let it go, we can't do much more."

"Are you not angry?"

"Of course I'm angry. I'm just trying to hold back. But Mr. Rudger must have been the most conflicted at that moment."

"Oh."

Rine recalled the expression Rudger had shown.

Though she couldn't see it clearly due to the shadows on his face, it must have been terrifying.

Duinma's face had turned pale from the look in his eyes.

Rudger is already intimidating when he sets the mood, so it's hard to imagine how terrifying he would be if he truly lost his temper.

Yet, he let Duinma's mistake slide this time, despite being the angriest.

He held back.

It wasn't just a matter of bowing to the authority of her family.

Rather, it was closer to mercy, trying to guide a truly lacking student.

After all, he had looked at Duinma with a cold gaze, not cowering before her.

He wouldn't have backed down just because of her family's authority.

When he called her out and lectured her, saying he was a fallen noble,

Rine found it completely unexpected.

And, in a way, impressive.

"So I decided to give her a chance. She clearly did something wrong, but she's still a young student. I believe there's a chance for her to change."

"Ah."

Selina scratched her head.

"Hehe. Sorry. Did I sound too much like an aunt?"

"No, Miss Selina is still young. Honestly, if I met you outside of Seolron, I would have called you a big sister."

"Oh, thank you for the compliment. Rine is such a good girl."

No, it's true.

Selina might think she's getting old, but to Rine, she looked like a senior student, even in casual clothes.

Beautiful and always smiling, Selina was already the object of affection for several male students, though she was unaware of it.

I guess being in her mid-twenties isn't that old.

"Uh-huh. Big sister. It sounds nice. I wish I had a sister like Rine."

"I wish I had a big sister like Miss Selina."

"Really? Oh, you're so sweet~."

"Hehe. Then can you give me a few extra points in the elemental studies class?"

"Sure, for your hard work~."

Selina laughed and playfully responded to Rine's joke.

"It's already this late. I'll go check the rest of my patrol area. If you feel anything strange, you must tell me, okay?"

"Yes, I will."

Selina waved and left the infirmary.

Left alone, Rine checked her condition and, feeling fine, got out of bed.

'Now that I think about it, Mr. Rudger called me by my name.'

She had worn casual clothes to clean the training ground, fearing her uniform might get dirty.

Naturally, no one knew her name at that time.

But Rudger Chelisi called her by name naturally.

Rine.

'Did he remember from class?'

To Rudger Chelisi, she was just one of 80 students, and a commoner who didn't stand out.

Yet, he remembered her name.

Suddenly, the words he said to Duinma came to mind.

'In Seolron, everyone is equal.'

Like a stone thrown into still water, those words created ripples in Rine's heart.

If he had just said it without action, she wouldn't have believed it and would have been greatly disappointed.

But Rudger didn't just say it.

His actions, his unwavering beliefs, his voice—

They instilled hope in Rine for Seolron.

'He was definitely a scary teacher at first.'

Even when she first heard his class, she didn't expect much from a new teacher.

But the innovative source code he showed surprised her, and she realized he wasn't just here to talk.

Still, thinking about how he had treated Flora, he seemed inconsiderate and arrogant.

In many ways, he was a tiring type.

'But he didn't act that way.'

While mediating the situation, even though he had been insulted, he ended it with a warning to the student.

He even asked if she had been hurt, despite saving her.

In that moment, when he suddenly appeared and saved her, it felt like seeing a prince on a white horse from a fairy tale.

Her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

'No, Mr. Rudger probably didn't think much of me.'

Right. It's embarrassing to get excited over nothing.

I came here to learn magic, not to seek dramatic encounters.

* * *

After the incident at the first training ground, nothing unusual was found during the rest of the patrol, so I could return to my dormitory with peace of mind.

Back at the dormitory, I immediately wrote a letter to him.

I asked him to come earlier because I couldn't wait until next weekend.

The next day,

The reply came early in the morning.

The content was simple.

The matter he was handling ended sooner than expected, and he would set out immediately.

We would meet tomorrow, which was the weekend.

The meeting place was the industrial area beyond the eastern commercial district of Leathervark.

I thought it was a suitable place where no one would see us and burned the letter.

'It's Friday today. Tomorrow is Saturday, so I can probably hold on for one more day.'

It's the first weekend since the start of the semester, so the students must be excited, but I doubt an incident like yesterday will happen again.

Thinking that, I heard a strange story from Miss Selina while having lunch together.

"Werewolves, you say?"

"Yes, werewolves."

Rumors about werewolves were starting to spread in Seolron.