*
It started to rain.
-Swaaaa.
The once clear sky now draped the resting winter ground with spring’s downpour.
-Swaaaa…
The students practicing started to grumble as they ran under the trees.
-Why’s it suddenly raining?
-Right? I was just about to catch my tenth!
-I guess today’s practice ends here.
-Damn it. That sucks!Seeing s for umbrellas.
“Hmmm…”
More and more students were approaching me.
Students swarmed towards me like a pack once they spotted the umbrellas, and I started waving my hand with a smile.
“Over here! I have umbrellas here!”
The first to arrive was the assistant professor from the swordsmanship department. I couldn’t remember his name.
All I recalled were his shiny bald head and foul temper, marking him as a young educator suffering from early baldness.
Not particularly skilled in martial arts.
Just a person quick to anger.
But I didn’t dislike him. People can be like this or that.
I directed a small smile at the approaching octopus and greeted him.
“Welcome.”
The professor said nothing, extending his hand.
Wiggling his fingers for the umbrella, his gesture was quite arrogant. I smiled and kept my mouth shut.
-…
A brief silence followed.
sea creature.
‘What do you want?’
‘What?’
‘So what?’
‘You little brat.’
Unable to bear the silence, the octopus spoke. He needed the umbrella I was holding to protect his remaining hair.
“Umbrella.”
Clapping almost slipped out of me, impressed by his effort to protect the human race, mirroring my nod as I answered.
“It’s 100 gold.”
“What?”
“It’s gone up. 300 gold now.”
The professor, with a bland look, stared at me. Raindrops began to drip from his bald head.
Watching droplets cling to the tips of his long mustache, I mumbled to myself.
“I heard rain accelerates baldness.”
“…”
“You might lose what little hair you have left.”
“…”
“Sorry, seeing the rain made me think of it. It wasn’t aimed at you, Professor.”
“…”
The professor, with a stiff face, questioned me.
“Is that true?”
Smiling cruelly, I replied.
“Yes, it’s true. I read in a medical book that rain accelerates baldness…”
The professor searched his pockets, pulling out a shiny gold coin.
“One. I’ll give you the rest tomorrow.”
With a sincere smile, I handed over an umbrella.
“A good choice.”
“Huhuhu…”
“Huhu…”
Indeed, it’s easy to trick a sucker.
*
Under the rainy sky.
Michail, Yuria, and Histania Hanna huddled under a tree to escape the downpour.
“Ah…! I wanted to share an umbrella with Mr. Butler!”
Hanna stomped her foot in disappointment.
Michail clicked his tongue at Hanna’s behavior, while Yuria’s ears twitched at Hanna’s regretful words.
“Me too…”
“Hm? Yuria, did you call me?”
“No, just talking to myself.”
No monsters present here could challenge the three of them with their superior skills.
Ordinary orcs couldn’t withstand Michail’s aura-infused sword, nor could they match Hanna’s swift swordsmanship.
ned area, conducting their practice in a separate, isolated place.
Of course, stepping out of Ricardo’s designated zone was to be expected. Both had confidence in their abilities, and Yuria thought everything would be fine. It was an impulsive decision.
-Swaaaa.
The rain continued to pour heavily.
No passersby, no students; it was just the three of them quietly sheltering from the rain in a secluded corner.
An awkward breeze blew in.
The admired person.
The one who was admired.
And Yuria.
The three waited in silence for the rain to stop.
After a long period of stillness.
Seeing no end to the rain, Michail cautiously spoke.
“The rain isn’t stopping.”
“Indeed…”
“Yes, it is.”
“I hope it stops soon.”
No response came back.
Seeing Hanna’s uninterested face, Michail gave up continuing the conversation.
Since it was awkward with Hanna, who was close to Ricardo, Michail turned to squatting Yuria and started a light conversation.
The weather had warmed recently.
This year, it snowed a lot, and other light topics led to the story of the first night at the lodging.
“What did you do yesterday, Yuria?”
“I was just resting at the lodging.”
“Really?”
“And you, Michail?”
“I…”
Seeing Ricardo’s face flash through his mind made Michail frown slightly, he answered with an awkward smile.
“I was also resting.”
“I see.”
Yuria turned her head to observe Hanna, who was drawing on the ground with a twig.
Sketching a familiar man’s figure, curiosity welled up in Yuria, but she held back and asked Hanna the same question Michail did.
“And Hanna? Were you resting at the lodging too?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Hanna shook her head in response.
“I went to see Lady Olivia.”
“What?”
“I thought she might be bored, so I went to visit.”
Laughing at the memory of last night, Hanna continued drawing with the twig.
-Did you bring the chocolate?
-Yes!
-Oh…! Good girl. I’ll praise you.
-Instead of praise, can’t you pamper me?
-No.
-Why?
-Just. Too much hassle.
I hated Olivia back then.
Hanna was beginning to understand why Mr. Butler served Olivia now.
Hanna’s words closed the mouths of the two. Olivia’s presence was a nightmare for both of them.
Evil.
A self-centered, selfish villainess, the two victims of her malicious acts remained silent.
Michail spoke coldly to Hanna.
“How do you know Olivia?”
“We became friends when I went to submit my re-enrollment form.”
“You became friends with Olivia?”
“Yes, she’s very… not quite kind, but fun.”
Hanna smiled happily, seeing herself becoming more like Ricardo.
Michail, with a hardened face, wanted to warn Hanna to stay away from risky people. But as he slowly opened his mouth to advise her.
-Rumble…!
“Don’t associate with Olivia….”
-BOOM!!!!
With a blinding flash.
A dark figure appeared before Michail.
“Found you.”
An ominous man.
Dressed in white priest robes with deep scars across his eyes and sharp features, the man smiled at Michail.
Overflowing wi Michail’s skin crawl as he stared intently at him.
Hanna instinctively grasped her sword’s hilt.
Reacting to the intense killing intent, Hanna adopted a stance, drawing her aura in preparation.
Thinking she would die if she let her guard down, Hanna clenched her sword and swallowed nervously.
Likewise, Yuria started channeling her magic for buffs.
And Michail.
From the moment he saw the man’s face until now, his body remained cold and stiff.
The man ignored both Hanna and Yuria, keeping his eyes only on Michail.
Taking out a photo from his pocket, he carefully compared Michail’s face to it, then nodded.
“Your face looked familiar.”
Smirking, the man dropped the photo on the wet ground.
The photo soaking in the rain was the one awarded to Michail at the previous dungeon.
Looking at Michail, the man spoke.
“It’s you, right?”
With a cruel smile, he spoke chillingly.
“You’re the one who killed your friend to save yourself.”
Michail’s expression turned cold and hardened.
*
A very long memory.
No.
An old nightmare.
When disaster struck in the dark slum, being called a villain.
It rained that day, just like now.
And that man was standing there.
-You should have run when I told you to. Now this kid is going to die because of you.
-N…no…!
-No, what?
I was scared.
The large man swinging his fists, being hit by someone for the first time in my life, it was all terrifying.
That day, smiling like now, the man said.
-I just thought of something fun.
He made us choose a cruel option.
-Fight each other. I’ll let the survivor live.
-…
-Why just stand there? Move.
That day, I made a choice.
A choice I regretted for life.
I did it with my own hands.
End of Chapter
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