Chapter 103: Awakening
“Good to see you all, everyone. Due to the tragic incident during the midterm exams, this time, the physical education test will be conducted indoors for safety.”
At Georg’s words, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Our group wasn’t particularly affected, so there wasn’t much of a change in mood.
Well, at least for Hoyeon.
She didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow, looking as if she was simply wondering when this would be over.
“…Haaahm. I don’t get why humans always add unnecessary remarks.”
Though she had spoken quietly enough that no one around could hear, she let out a yawn and openly revealed her thoughts.
Well, technically, she wasn’t human—she was an elf.
But I supposed in Hoyeon’s eyes, there wasn’t much difference.
“People are always curious about why things happen. Maybe that’s not the case in your homeland, but still.”
“…We’re curious too, you know? Like… how the stars move, or how to make chunks of metal fly in the sky… things like that.”
That’s… a bit different, don’t you think?
Seeing her kick at the dust on the floor instead of responding, I figured she had no real counterargument.
“…Hmm. In your homeland, are there no people who ever question the will of the gods or rulers?”
I could already guess the answer from what she had told me before, but hearing it directly from her would be more informative.
“…Why would they question it? If you just follow them, everything works out smoothly.”
There wasn’t the slightest hint of discomfort in her voice.
Only pure curiosity.
That was a relief, in a way—but at the same time, a little bitter.
So she wouldn’t even consider questioning absolute authority.
Then again, if someone provided me with a perfectly structured schedule, I probably wouldn’t question it either.
“I see… Oh, look over there. They’re demonstrating what we’ll be doing.”
It seemed they were being extra cautious this time. There were no direct competitions.
Hoyeon still didn’t seem particularly interested, but since the instructor was explaining, she at least paid enough attention to listen.
“…Obstacle run, long-distance running, pull-ups… What is this? Are they that scared? Sure, things went badly last time, but… this feels overly passive. I wonder if they can even properly assess us like this.”
I found myself agreeing, but I also understood why they were so cautious.
The reason the academy could treat students equally was because of a treaty.
And that treaty included a clause guaranteeing student safety.
The complaints from the parents must have been overwhelming.
And these weren’t just any parents—they were all high-ranking figures.
Even the academy couldn’t ignore that kind of pressure.
…Come to think of it, the Eastern faction wasn’t included in that treaty.
Well, it made sense.
They were a virtual enemy nation, so there was no reason to include them in the treaty.
And neither side was going to send an envoy to negotiate it either.
That must be why the teachers couldn’t exert much control over Hoyeon.
Aside from Georg, the rest of the instructors seemed to be accommodating her more than anything.
“Well, thanks to that, the test will be easy for us. No complaints here.”
“If you say so… then I guess that’s that.”
As I chatted idly with Hoyeon, students began gathering on the track for their turn to run.
They had at least considered fairness—students who practiced mana breathing techniques were grouped together, while regular students had their own category.
And their scores were graded separately.
It seemed they had gone to great lengths to ensure that regular students wouldn’t feel discouraged.
That being said, there were always outliers—people who, no matter whom they were grouped with, would make everyone feel inadequate.
For example, Anya, standing right next to me.
Eric was here too, but even in the original story, he had never been able to match Anya’s level.
Once again, I found myself in awe of her sheer physical prowess.
“Oh? Lady Hoyeon! And Sir Dogeon. Fancy seeing you two here…?”
But the real surprise was Hoyeon.
I understood why I wasn’t placed with the regular students—I had used mana breathing before.
But Hoyeon had never shown any sign of it.
“…Hmm. Feels like I see you too often.”
She seemed just as confused as I was about her placement.
Still, seeing a familiar face seemed to snap her out of her daze.
“Participants, take your positions.”
But Georg wasn’t going to give us time for idle chatter.
He quickly urged us to get into place.
Hoyeon tossed her outer coat onto the grass beside the track and got into position.
I wondered how she was planning to run in that outfit, but… well.
She’d figure it out.
“Ready… Start!”
And with Georg’s command, everyone shot forward like the wind.
***
“…Huff… Huff… Lady Hoyeon. Are you actually a mana breathing user?”
“No.”
While everyone else was left panting and drenched in sweat after the test, Hoyeon didn’t have so much as a single drop on her.
Her speed was only mid-tier—even slower than mine.
But that just meant she had managed to outrun weaker mana users without using any breathing techniques at all.
What she did display was ridiculous endurance.
Even through the obstacle course, long-distance run, and pull-up test, she never once seemed tired.
So that’s why she could push me so mercilessly.
“Hahh… Hahh… I see… Your stamina is no joke…”
Even Anya, who was a monster in her own right, had been exhausted by the time she got to pull-ups.
Did Hoyeon even have a limit?
For the first time, I felt real concern for my future.
“…Sigh. So, my love isn’t the only thing I lack compared to others. This is quite the rare sight, Lady Hoyeon.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! Are you saying my intelligence is lacking? The one with the real issue here is you!”
“My love… This is something even I cannot overlook…”
As Eric and Anya bickered, I felt both amused and slightly bitter.
“…Dogeon. Why are you staring so intently? Are you jealous?”
At some point, Hoyeon had silently crept closer and was now warming my side with her presence.
“…Not jealous, exactly. Or—actually, yeah. I guess I am.”
I tried to find a different word but gave up.
I had Hoyeon by my side, so there was nothing to be jealous of.
But humans were greedy creatures who always wanted more.
“…I see. Then, pet me.”
Hoyeon said this while placing her tail in my hands.
I hadn’t asked, but I appreciated the gesture.
It was kind of funny how she offered it like she was doing me a favor.
Still, we were in public, so I had to be mindful of others.
As I absentmindedly stroked her tail, I found the texture fascinating.
Smooth and silky when I stroked in one direction, but rough and bristly—almost like touching a hedgehog—when I stroked in the opposite.
The only difference was that it wasn’t sharp enough to hurt.
She seemed to prefer the smoother strokes.
Whenever I brushed against the grain, she’d flick her tail lightly as if telling me to stop.
But the rough texture had a strangely addictive feel to it.
I felt bad, but I couldn’t help myself.
At first, her tail only twitched slightly.
But as I kept going, it began to swish more and more aggressively—until I finally gave in and stroked it the way she wanted.
That’s when I realized something.
The background noise—the childish argument between Anya and Eric—had gone silent.
When I glanced up, I found them both staring at us.
Faces flushed red.
“…A-Ah, no. We weren’t trying to spy or anything…”
“…Ahem.”
At some point, they had stopped fighting and were just… watching.
Was this really that unusual?
I turned to Hoyeon—and immediately understood.
“…Hnn.”
Her cheeks were tinged pink, and her breath was laced with something dangerously suggestive.
It didn’t take me long to realize it was because of how I had been stroking her tail.
“…My apologies, Lady Hoyeon. I’ll stop—”
“Keep… Hnn… going.”
It seemed I had flipped a dangerous switch.
***
Where… am I?
She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar place.
Her body, still sluggish and unresponsive, barely obeyed her will as she forced herself into a sitting position.
Her mind remained hazy as she struggled to recall what had happened.
Right… After invoking the goddess… that wretched girl…
That’s right. What happened to Stefania?
Attempting to stand, she was suddenly struck by dizziness and swayed.
That was when she realized multiple tubes were connected to her body.
She was about to rip them off, finding them an annoyance, when she saw a familiar face enter the hospital room.
"Ena, you’re awake!"
"Ethan, where were you running off to in such a hurry…? And that person…?"
"…My head is pounding. Please speak a little quieter, Decatria."
Dragging along some strange elf was one thing, but there was something far more pressing on Gloria’s mind.
Shaking off her grogginess, she focused on Ethan and asked,
"More importantly, what happened to Stefania? Decatria?"
She didn’t ask how much time had passed.
Her first concern was what had happened to her enemy.
Ethan found himself admiring her resolve as he answered without hesitation.
"She has disappeared. A large amount of blood was discovered in her room, so we believe she is dead."
I see. Good.
Yet, for some reason, an uneasy feeling lingered in her chest.
She had nearly killed Stefania with her own hands, and yet…
A foreboding sense crept into her mind, whispering that she might still be alive.
"…Is that so."
"You have been asleep for several months. Please do not overexert yourself and rest."
"…What? Several months? And just who exactly is this…?"
"…I see… In that case, perhaps I should rest for a while."
As Cecilia’s doubts continued to pile up, the apostles carried on their conversation.