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Chapter 98: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 98



After some time had passed since losing my arm, I received a call from the hospital asking me to come in for a regular check-up to ensure there were no complications with my body. Today, I revisited the hospital where I had previously been admitted.


After completing various tests, I headed to the consultation room to discuss the results. I found the doctor looking at the chart with a serious expression and muttering to himself.


"Hmm... This is strange. It shouldn't be like this... Ah, it's been a while. Please, have a seat."


I glanced at the chart the doctor was examining and saw my name at the top.


It seemed he was looking at my test results.


The doctor's unusual expression made me anxious, so I cautiously asked a question.


"Excuse me... Is there a problem? Has my condition worsened since last time...?"


One of the guardians who created my body, an authority in the medical field, had given me a prognosis of no more than three years to live.


I had mentally prepared myself for any bad news about my health, so I was ready to hear whatever the doctor had to say. Contrary to my expectations, however, the doctor shook his head.


"Worsened? Not at all. On the contrary, your condition has improved. Even though you have an artificial arm, your physical functions are better than before, and most importantly, your healing ability has significantly improved. Of course, that doesn't mean you can go around getting injured all the time, but you won't need to rush to the hospital for every minor injury as before."


Although the doctor said my condition had improved, he had a somewhat puzzled expression.


It was a look of disbelief mixed with happiness.


I was curious about his expression and was debating whether to ask when the doctor, noticing my hesitation, smiled awkwardly and spoke.


"Ha ha ha... I'm sorry. This is such an unusual case that I forgot my manners in front of the patient. I've been practicing medicine for a long time, but I've never seen someone improve so dramatically in such a short period. Even though superhumans have different bodies compared to ordinary people, this is astonishing. Ha ha, did you eat something good after being discharged?"


I had been eating better since moving in with Sylvia's family after surviving on sprouts every day...


Could it really be because of that?


I nodded, still bewildered, and the doctor laughed, saying, "I thought so. Regular meals are crucial for health. Even if you're busy, always make sure to eat."


...Judging by his words, he seemed to skip meals frequently himself.


"That's why you need to take care of your health too, doctor. You seem very busy these days, but you should take care of yourself first."


I might have been meddling, but given recent events, I couldn't help but say something, as the doctor looked much more haggard than before.


It was clear he hadn't been getting proper rest.


Hearing my words, the doctor smiled weakly and replied, "Ha ha, don't worry about me. We've been very busy recently, but things have calmed down a bit now. Compared to our friends in the psychiatry department, we're not that busy at all. Compared to them, my job is easy."


The reality where they compare who has it worse instead of who has it better was just pitiful.


It seemed the psychiatry department was really struggling, as even the tired-looking doctor glanced towards the door with a look of sympathy and muttered, "Some of them have collapsed from overwork and are lying down with the patients. Thank goodness Eve came to help... It would have been a disaster otherwise."


I remembered hearing from Mei that during the academy's break, Professor Eve was using illusion magic to treat people.


So she was working at this hospital...


While I was debating whether to show my face to her since I was already here, the doctor said, "By the way, you're an academy student, right? It's almost lunchtime, so there should be some time to chat. She cares about her students, so she'll be happy to see you."


*


"I can't forget the feeling of my son's body growing cold in my hands."


A man with a dark expression muttered in a hoarse voice.


"Do you know what that feels like? Even though it wasn't my intention, I killed my own child with my own hands. At that moment, I wanted to die... I thought about following him, but I couldn't because of my wife and the child in her womb..."


The man, looking at his trembling hands, sobbed.


His voice, thick with grief, seemed like the embodiment of his tears.


"Since that day... Every time I try to sleep, my son appears in my dreams. He asks why I did it... tells me it hurts... asks why I killed him... Even if I say it wasn't my fault, he comes every night... Every night... It drives me mad... I shouldn't be like this for my wife and child... but his voice won't stop..."


The man clutched his head in agony.


And then, someone gently took his hand and asked in a soft voice, "What's your son's name?"


"Jamie... His name is Jamie..."


"Jamie was a good boy, right? I'll help you talk to him properly. You can rest now. He will understand that you didn't want this."


With a snap of fingers, the man's eyes slowly closed.


After some time, a small voice escaped his lips.


Jamie... I'm sorry. I didn't want this...


Oh... You know it wasn't my fault...? You forgive me? No... It's all my fault you're dead... I'm sorry, Jamie... Please wait a little longer... I might be late because of your mom and siblings... Can you wait without crying...?


Holding the child, who nodded brightly, the man mumbled for a while.


...Jamie, you must have been a good boy as your father said.


Watching the illusion reflecting the man's subconscious dream, Eve confirmed the man's expression gradually relaxing and stretched.


"Ahh. I've finished with the patients before lunch. Dwight, please take care of this patient!"


"Understood, professor."


At Eve's words, her assistant, Dwight Neinhart of Class 1-B, carefully lifted the sleeping man with magic.


Seeing him move immediately after her command, Eve smiled slightly, thinking,


He's quite diligent despite always looking sleepy.


When he suddenly showed up and asked to observe her treating patients and work as her assistant, she had her doubts. But now she thought it might feel a bit lonely without him.


Thinking that she shouldn't judge people based on appearances, Eve called out to Dwight, who was laying the patient on a bed in the ward.


"Let's go eat lunch! Since we worked hard, it's on me today!"


"You don't always have to, but if you're offering, I won't refuse."


"Haha, that's right. I have plenty of money, so no need to refuse!"


As they were about to leave the ward laughing, there was a knock on the door.


Eve saw a familiar student peek in and cheerfully shouted.


"Oh? Not sure why you're here, but perfect timing! Let's have lunch together, Evande!"


*


"Ah, so you came for a regular check-up, Evande. I thought you came to ask me for a favor, and I got a bit nervous! Anyway, it's nice to see you after a while!"


"Ha ha... Yes."


Eve's welcoming words filled me with a bit of awkwardness, and I responded with an embarrassed laugh.


I had just intended to say hello but suddenly found myself joining them for lunch, which felt a bit overwhelming, especially with a student I wasn't very familiar with.


I wondered why he was with the professor.


I glanced at the blonde male student with a languid expression, quietly picking at his side dishes.


It was Dwight Neinhart, Yoon Si-woo's rival and the greatest magic genius from the original story.


Seeing my puzzled look, Eve, noticing my gaze, put her hand on Dwight's shoulder and said,


"Haha, you were curious about why Dwight was with me! Dwight works as my assistant! Oh, the food is here. I'll go get it. You two chat for a bit!"


As Eve left to get the food, an awkward silence filled the table.


Hmm... She said to talk, but I've never really talked to him before, so what should I say...


As I was feeling flustered, Dwight looked at me and started a conversation.


"You're Scarlet Evande from Class 1-A, right?"


"Oh? Oh, yes... You knew my name?"


I replied, surprised that he knew my name.


From what I knew, he was a magic enthusiast who rarely showed interest in anything else, so it was surprising that he knew the name of someone he hadn't really talked to.


"One of my noisy classmates wants to get to know you and has been talking about you and a few others from your class all day. It’s impossible not to remember after hearing it so much."


"Ah..."


The phrase "noisy classmate" immediately brought to mind someone from Class B.


Florene Dolos.


From the moment we first met, the pink-haired, twin-tailed girl with a super my-face attitude persistently asked me out, and the image of Dwight frowning at her loud chatter was vividly clear in my mind.


Having read the original work, I didn't feel as awkward around him as I would with a complete stranger.


After all, we had encountered each other a few times during training and while treating people who were being controlled by monsters at the academy, so we weren't entirely unfamiliar.


So, I cautiously asked him the question that had been on my mind since earlier.


"Hey, what do you mean by 'assistant'? Are you just volunteering?"


To be honest, the word "volunteer" didn't quite fit Dwight.


Although he wasn't entirely devoid of a sense of justice, the Dwight I read about in the original work was a complete magic fanatic.


His intellectual curiosity about magic and his relentless drive to uncover what he didn't know.


Those traits defined the character in the novel I read.


He wasn't the type to help people at the expense of his own magical training time, so I was curious why he was working as Professor Eve's assistant.


In response to my question, Dwight answered matter-of-factly.


"Volunteering? I just wanted to observe Professor Eve using illusion magic up close, so I decided to work as her assistant. The more I see, the more I realize it was a good decision. Observing closely, I'm even more amazed."


Seeing his eyes light up when he talked about magic, I chuckled inwardly.


Yeah, that's the Dwight I know.


With that thought, I asked him about Professor Eve's magic.


"I know Professor Eve's magic is amazing, but I'm not a mage, so I can't grasp how amazing it is. Can you explain it from a mage's perspective?"


"Not at all, I have no idea even after watching it up close."


"What...? Then what's so amazing about it...?"


His confident response left me dumbfounded. Dwight tilted his head and replied.


"The fact that I can't understand it even after seeing it up close is what's amazing."


He continued speaking.


"I'm not bragging, but I'm considered somewhat of a genius. I can usually figure out most magic just by seeing it once."


Though he called himself a genius, he had the right to do so. Any mage who had seen his magical abilities couldn't deny his immense talent, as the novel often described.


"Illusion magic as known to the world is just about showing hallucinations or creating curse-like illusions in dreams. But Professor Eve's magic is on another level. It projects the subconscious, creates illusions, and some illusions even have physical effects. It's a mysterious power that truly deserves to be called magic. The more I see, the more I am filled with awe."


"I don't quite get it, but it sounds really amazing."


"Yes, it shows the difference between her and others. Also, it means I still have a long way to go to catch up with the time and effort she has invested in magic."


Dwight nodded in admiration.


Listening to him, something struck me as odd, so I asked.


"Isn't it a bit rude to say 'the long years she has spent' to such a young professor?"


"Which part?"


"Well, no matter how you look at it, calling someone so young is a bit..."


Dwight tilted his head and replied.


"Young? Are you serious?"


When I tilted my head in confusion, Dwight, looking genuinely shocked, said.


"It seems you really don't know. I can't believe an academy student is so ignorant. Let me explain briefly."


Seeing Dwight's eyes light up, I sensed a familiar vibe.


One of my friends would get really excited and loud when talking about his favorite manga, and Dwight was giving off that same energy...


Hoping his explanation would be brief, I listened intently.


"Where to start... About 400 years ago, the great hero Aegis founded the academy. He brought peace to humanity by defeating the Witch of Gluttony with his companions. Among his companions were my ancestor, Viole Neinheart, who set up a barrier against demonic energy in this city, and Abigail, the greatest illusionist of her time. After defeating the Witch of Gluttony, Abigail accepted Aegis's request and became a teacher at the academy. Since then, her direct disciples have traditionally taken on teaching roles at Aegis Academy. Professor Eve is the fifth successor of Abigail's secret illusion magic, accepting only one disciple per generation."


Listening to his lengthy explanation without a break, I felt something off about the last part.


Wait, fifth successor?


"Are you saying Professor Eve is the fifth successor, a disciple in a line from Abigail? Isn't that strange? Wasn't Abigail from 400 years ago?"


Dwight nodded.


"As far as I know, Professor Eve officially succeeded the position 80 years ago. I've heard that even during my grandfather's student days, she looked the same as she does now."


"No way..."


I stared at Professor Eve, who was walking back to our table with the food.


Who would have thought that such a secret lay behind her youthful appearance...


Returning to our table with a cheerful smile, Professor Eve asked us.


"Oh? You two seem to have gotten to know each other. What were you talking about?"


"Uh... Nothing much! Just a bit about magic!"


Not wanting to mention we were talking about her age, I hastily replied.


Professor Eve laughed joyfully.


"Ha ha, that's such a Neinheart conversation topic. Understandable, given their family's dedication to magic through generations. Dwight really takes after his family."


"R-really?"


Feeling the weight of centuries in her words, I answered nervously, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.


Having always been taught to respect my elders, I felt an urge to be even more polite, making sure to follow proper dining etiquette.


“Wow! It’s Yoon Si-woo!”


Yoon Si-woo?


Turning towards the voice, I saw people in the restaurant staring at the TV screen showing Yoon Si-woo.


He's really popular, huh.


Thinking that, I resumed eating, only to see some people clasping their hands in prayer, watching Yoon Si-woo on the screen.


"Oh, Yoon Si-woo... Please avenge my family."


"Defeat the evil witch..."


This wasn’t just about popularity.


These people praying fervently to Yoon Si-woo seemed like devout followers of some Yoon Si-woo cult.


“What’s... going on?”


I whispered, perplexed by the strange sight. Professor Eve, wearing a wry smile, answered.


"These days, it's not uncommon to see people like that. It's an expression of the hatred from those who lost family in the recent incident, hoping Yoon Si-woo will avenge them. They see him as a hero, like the ones who defeated the Witches of Arrogance, Jealousy, and Gluttony in the past. They want him to avenge their loved ones."


“That’s...”


"It shows just how much they hate the witch. It's inevitable, I suppose. To prevent their anger from turning towards the city or the heroes, those in power are heavily promoting Yoon Si-woo to appease their hearts."


Professor Eve watched the praying people with a troubled expression and muttered.


"Hopefully, this doesn't become a problem..."


Beyond her muttering, I could hear the people's earnest prayers.


"Please, hero, kill the witch."



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Comments

  1. Thanks for the chapter

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  2. Wait, didn't Scarlet already knew about Eve being old since the beginning, was that exposition or is scarlet just saying that to make conversation?

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