Chapter 17: The End of a Day (3)
The moment I threw myself onto the bed, I couldn’t help but think how utterly exhausting the first day had been.
The daughter of the final boss suddenly transferred in, of all things, and she ended up being assigned the seat next to mine.
Then there was the whole ordeal of her catching me while I was trying to retrieve the World Tree’s fruit. Not to mention, getting cornered by her in that alleyway.
When I thought back on it, though, calling it “being cornered” might not have been entirely accurate.
For someone supposedly pressuring me, she hadn’t shaken me up or demanded anything in particular.
Having been through actual harassment a few times before, the experience stood out as odd.
Her demeanor and expression exuded the aura of someone pressuring another, but when I looked deeper, there was no substance—no real demand behind her actions.
Maybe it was just the atmosphere back then that had gotten to me.
After all, she was that Onbyeolbi’s daughter, and she did exude an intimidating presence like a form of pressure.
The more I thought about her, the harder it was to determine whether she was an ally or an enemy.
Could I even call her a “character”? She didn’t exist in the original novel that served as the basis of this world. Was it even right to label her that?
Regardless of what I called her, she was undoubtedly a threat. Trying to deal with her was like betting all in at poker with just a three-card hand.
With flimsy evidence, one failure would spell the end. If I had something more substantial—like a full house—it might be worth taking the risk. But her attitude was far too erratic to base any judgment on.
This was why I had to approach anything related to Baek Hoyeon with extreme caution.
She had the power to warp the story just by existing, and she’d already caused minor disruptions.
Ideally, I’d keep her close, isolate her from the narrative, and ensure she formed a favorable impression of this continent. But that was a pipe dream.
To see a happy ending, I couldn’t let Hoyeon ruin the events involving the heroines.
Stefania, the antagonist of the first arc, could be dealt with using the support of Gloria and Camilla. Onbyeolbi, however, was on an entirely different level.
One silly idea crossed my mind—an absurd notion, but perhaps worth a fleeting thought.
What if I simply avoided triggering any heroines as love interests? If I didn’t plant any flags at all, would that still count as “conquering all heroines”?
Knowing how fond the author was of wordplay, it might actually… No, that couldn’t be it.
It wasn’t worth considering further.
I’d rather just try to deal with Hoyeon.
At least I wouldn’t have to babysit her for all four years at the academy. By the end of the second year, I’d be able to leave, which was some small consolation.
Still, even with my tired mind seeking solutions, nothing came to me. The mere fact that such strange ideas occurred to me was proof of how drained I was.
And then there was Magi. It felt important, yet I had too little information.
Maybe I could look it up in the library or ask Georg. Ultimately, though, I’d probably have to ask Hoyeon directly. From what she’d said earlier, she didn’t seem intent on keeping it a secret.
My thoughts, hazy like a fog, refused to flow coherently.
…It’s the first day, so maybe this is enough for now.
Normally, I’d only lie down for about ten minutes before wandering around the academy, gathering information or building minor connections with the heroines. But today, I was far too exhausted.
I’d thought about buying Exipri some candy or fetching a scroll with a status window-like function after resting a bit. But at that moment, all I wanted to do was close my eyes.
It would be easier to sneak into the facility and grab the scroll later, before night patrols started. The item didn’t have an owner, and it’d be useful to gauge my current level objectively.
Still, why not just give the protagonist a status window from the beginning if you’re going to include an item like that in a novel? The thought, meaningless as it was, lingered briefly before I discarded it.
Reflecting on the knowledge I’d acquired today and trying to internalize Georg’s teachings was exhausting enough.
On top of that, I’d faced the daughter of the final boss multiple times—it had drained every last ounce of energy from me.
Surely I deserved sleep as a small reward for myself.
The bed, pleasantly cool when I first lay down, had now warmed to a comfortable temperature.
If I stopped forcing myself to stay awake, I’d pass out in no time.
The academy facilities were eerily silent compared to the bustling noise outside.
Magic-enhanced doors ensured that only the room’s owner could open them, and the soundproofing, combined with the en suite bathroom, made it feel more luxurious than a mid-tier hotel.
There was no TV or phone, but the packed schedule meant I wouldn’t have time for them anyway. Comfort was all that mattered.
Right. Just a little nap.
I knew I had things to do, but I simply couldn’t endure anymore. Even though I knew I couldn’t keep the promise, I couldn’t help but say it aloud.
“Alright… just 30 minutes.”
Knock, knock, knock.
…
I knocked on the door, but there was no sign of him waking.
He must have been in an exceptionally deep sleep. With only about 20 minutes left until dinner, I considered shouting, but that would’ve been rude.
The dormitory’s soundproofing was rather poor, after all. I could hear everything happening outside from inside the room.
Though the noise was slightly muffled compared to standing outside, people tend to care only about results.
…I couldn’t just barge in either. If we’d been close friends, I might have done so without hesitation, but we weren’t quite there yet.
Were we even friends? It didn’t feel like an equal relationship.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t reach a satisfying conclusion.
Then again, it’s not like I’d know what friendship felt like. The only person I’d called a friend was that guy.
Well, not entirely—I had acquaintances online. But calling them friends felt like a stretch.
While I was lost in thought, time continued to tick by.
Leaving him behind felt wrong, but dragging him along wasn’t an option if he wouldn’t wake.
…I tried. If he doesn’t wake, it’s not my fault, right?
Feeling lighter, I started heading toward the dining hall. But after a few steps, my feet felt heavy again. He had helped me earlier, after all.
Ah, screw it. If he doesn’t wake up, I’ll just grab him by the collar and drag him.
I grabbed the doorknob to Room 445 and turned it.
The door opened effortlessly.
He hadn’t even locked it while sleeping? Seriously?
Shaking my head at the absurdity, I glanced inside.
The room was sparsely furnished, with only the bare essentials.
For someone I’d pegged as an outgoing type, I’d expected a more personalized space, but it was surprisingly barren.
There weren’t even any unpacked belongings that might explain it.
In the middle of the bleak room lay Dogeon, blissfully asleep under the blanket.
He looked so content that I hesitated to wake him. But steeling myself, I spoke.
“It’s almost dinnertime. Get up.”
“…Five more minutes…”
“If you keep sleeping like this, I’ll leave without you. Are you okay with that?”
“…Just five more minutes…”
The way he weakly begged for five more minutes was enough to make me falter.
He clearly had experience with oversleeping. But giving him five minutes would lead to endless delays, so I decided to take a firmer approach.
I lightly tickled his nose with my tail. I didn’t barbarically rip the blanket off—doing so would’ve been incredibly unpleasant, and there was always the slim chance he was in his underwear.
Or worse, wearing nothing. One of my old friends had slept that way, after all.
Back then, I’d thought it was just a thing some people did. But after 19 years in this world, I’d come to realize that he was just a weirdo.
“…Achoo!”
With a loud sneeze, Dogeon finally woke up.
Thankfully, he wasn’t like that old friend—he’d collapsed on the bed fully dressed.
Watching him groggily twist his head around, still half-asleep, I wondered if I should’ve just let him sleep instead of dragging him to dinner.
No, he’s Korean. He needs food in his stomach for better sleep. He’ll thank me for this eventually.
“Why are you here, Your Highness?”
“I told you just now. It’s almost dinnertime.”
He had clearly just called me “you,” but since he’d just woken up, I decided to let it slide. I wasn’t in the mood to tease someone so obviously exhausted.
“No, that’s not what I meant… How did you even get in? I’m sure I locked the door…”
Locked the door? It opened just fine…
“You must be imagining things. You’re so tired you probably forgot to lock it.”
He muttered something about being certain he’d locked it, but I didn’t have the luxury to wait around. I could already hear movement outside—others were heading to dinner.
“Are you awake now? Then let’s go.”
“…Go where?”
“Where else? The dining hall. Lead the way.”
“But the dining hall shouldn’t even be open yet…”
“Don’t you realize? If we’re late, we won’t have the chance to leisurely choose our food.”
If we arrived late, we’d be left with scraps. I wanted to browse at my leisure and find something I liked.
With so many options, surely there’d be at least one dish I’d enjoy.
“Oh, I see…”
“Do you want to freshen up first?”
“No, I’m fine. Shall we go?”
As we stepped out of the room, I spotted students gathering and descending the stairs in small groups.
And in the distance, Anastasia was watching me.