LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 11 - Is the penalty window talking? (1)
Vivian Karula.
As explained earlier, she’s pure evil to the extent that she can be described as a child who doesn’t care about moral or ethical views at all if she becomes interested but shows no reaction if she’s not interested.
So why is she in front of me?
And with all my limbs tied up.
“… Aaron? Aren’t you going to answer?”
Wow.
I feel fear from those words.
With my limbs restrained and Vivian saying such things, it feels like I’ve become a test subject…
Oh,
My situation is exactly like a test subject, isn’t it?
“I won’t be interesting to experiment on!”
The words came out before I could even think.
‘I don’t want to be dissected!’
By the way, she’s a woman who really does dissect people.
This is no joke.
“…Heh.”
What does that mean?
No matter how I hear it, isn’t that the sound she makes when she sees something interesting?
“I really have nothing special.”
Really, I don’t.
“…I haven’t done anything yet. Why are you acting like this?”
Maybe it’s because I keep overreacting.
Vivian makes an expression of incomprehension.
“Uh… I’m sorry. The rumors I’ve heard…”
“What rumors?”
“Ah.”
Damn.
I’ve dug my own grave.
“Uh… um…”
What should I say?
It feels like anything I say will be dangerous.
“Hehe.”
‘?’
What’s she laughing at now?
“It’s just a simple prank. Why are you so tense over a simple joke?”
When someone who’s really “sent” people away with such pranks says this, of course I’m tense.
Unable to speak, I just nodded.
“Um… Vivian Karul…”
“Vivian.”
“Pardon?”
“Call me Vivian.”
“Uh… yes. Miss Vivian-”
“Vivian.”
“…Right. Vivian.”
“Good.”
Why does she keep doing this?
I feel a sense of dissonance at this unfamiliar side of Vivian.
“Um… Vivian, may I ask a question…”
“What is it?”
“Why are you here?”
I couldn’t bring myself to use informal speech.
But let me ask this.
I remember that I was bleeding.
Then shouldn’t it be students from my class coming to see me? Why is Vivian here?
“Well… I saw Aaron collapse.”
“But I collapsed in the main hall?”
Surely, except for Gwen’s class, only our class was in the main hall.
How did Vivian, who’s in a different class, see me?
“Well… I was watching with magic.”
“What?”
“You… two?”
Why is she dragging out her words?
“Us?”
Is there a reason to watch?
As the disciple of the Magic Tower Lord, she must have seen far more interesting things, so why would she watch students fighting?
“Well… there were two ducal family members… using sword… in the hall?”
“That makes sense, but…”
Certainly, with two ducal family members, there’s enough reason to watch for information gathering.
But…
This person, why has she been dragging out her words?
“Well, let’s put that aside. So why are you here?”
I understand you saw us, but that’s not a reason to be here.
“Are you curious?”
…Oh.
That line, it’s used then.
‘That’s the line Vivian uses when she’s about to cut open a test subject’s st-‘
The moment that thought occurred to me, there was no need for other words.
‘No.’
“No.”
Let’s just say no.
It’s scary.
“That’s fortunate.”
What’s fortunate about this?
Let’s not be curious.
“First, to explain the situation, this is the infirmary, and you were restrained because you moved too much while being treated.”
“I see.”
I don’t think they normally tie people up with iron chains just because they move too much while being treated.
“I helped with the treatment.”
“Yes…”
Vivian, who has somehow walked up right in front of me
“Well, it’s good that you woke up.”
-Poke poke
She starts poking me with her finger as if touching a toy.
“Heh…”
“Um… Vivian?”
“What.”
“What are you…”
“I just felt like it.”
‘……’
I think I’ve become Vivian’s object of interest.
Am I a lab rat?
“Vivian! Didn’t you say you had to leave soon!”
As Vivian’s face was getting closer to mine, someone’s voice was heard from outside.
“…Should I burn them?”
‘Please calm down…’
If it was someone else, I’d laugh it off as a joke, but when Vivian says this, I can’t speak.
Because Vivian really would burn them.
“Vivian! That doesn’t seem right!”
Seeing Vivian’s magic starting to flicker, I hurriedly grabbed her hand to divert her attention.
“You shouldn’t just burn people like that!”
Why am I saying such obvious things?
-Sssss
The flickering magic suddenly diminishes.
‘I just saved your life.’
I don’t know who it is, but I feel like I’ve saved someone’s life.
“Well, if Aaron says so.”
-Tap
Vivian gets up from her seat.
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
-Sway sway
“Uh… yes.”
I don’t want to see her again.
-Pop
After hearing my answer, she disappears from my sight in an instant.
That must be teleportation.
‘Why would such a genius…’
There should be plenty of interesting things at the academy, yet…
-Swoosh
An elf wearing white clothes appears, clearing away the curtain that had closed again.
“Student Aaron, are you done talking with Vivian?”
“…Yes.”
Is it this person’s turn now?
Why are they all doing this to me?
“It seems your body has mostly recovered.”
“Yes.”
This old-looking elf is in front of me now.
“To be marked by Vivian from the entrance ceremony, you won’t live long.”
“Haha. I suppose so.”
Vivian’s teacher and the Magic Tower Lord of the Empire.
And the cause of Vivian’s personality becoming like that.
“I hope you can live without incident.”
One of the final bosses.
“Yes.”
The Seeker of Greed, Merlin.
‘Why is this guy here?’
Is there nothing for the Magic Tower Lord to do in the Empire?
He’s not even a magic professor, so what’s the situation with him being the infirmary healer?
“But, it’s quite strange. Your body, that is.”
“Pardon?”
“Someone who supposedly bled so much is conscious after just an hour, not even days, and speaking without showing any signs of pain.”
“Uh… that’s true?”
Come to think of it, that’s right?
Why am I fine?
Even the pain that remained until just now has suddenly disappeared.
“Well, I suppose Vivian fed you something.”
‘That Vivian?’
I guess it’s something like the healing potions she’s given to test subjects before.
“…I see.”
If Merlin of all people says so, then that must be it.
‘Have I become a favored lab rat?’
Is it because of Vivian’s unique personality?
I decided to stop thinking about it since I couldn’t predict anything.
That aside, you’re the problem here.
‘Your disguise is exactly as I remember seeing it, but it’s really impeccable.’
An old elf.
They say elves, being a long-lived race, are the best for hiding Merlin’s hundreds of years of life.
Wasn’t it said that hiding as one of the few extremely long-lived beings among elves, old enough to be described as aged, was the best?
‘This is more dangerous than I thought.’
Fortunately, Merlin is currently in a state where he can’t harm anyone due to some deal he made with someone, but…
‘Merlin isn’t the type to just sit still.’
He’s definitely the kind of guy who would always come up with ways to barely skirt around the terms of the deal.
‘It’s not good to be alone with Merlin like this…’
Given that even Vivian’s unique personality was learned from Merlin, his character is literally unpredictable.
Who knows what might happen in this awkward atmosphere.
“Hmm…”
“……”
A silence that feels like something might happen.
-Knock knock
At that moment, a knocking sound is heard.
“Aslan Reinhardt and two others, here to visit the injured classmate.”
“Alright. Come in.”
-Tap
He glances at me briefly before leaving without a word.
‘Nice!’
I don’t know if I’m unlucky or lucky.
Fortunately, someone breaks the atmosphere whenever necessary.
“Oh! You seem fine!”
Seeing me, Aslan waves his hand with a smiling face.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Although it was clearly Aslan who greeted me, the people behind Aslan concern me more.
“Hello.”
I bowed first to the two people.
“Hello.”
The Magic Tower Lord’s disciple, Ninian Torian
“Hello!”
And Arcana.
This is the first time I’m exchanging words with everyone after enrollment, given the situation.
That’s why it’s more regrettable.
“I’d appreciate it if you could get to the point.”
Because it’s become this kind of atmosphere.
If it had just been Aslan, I would have chatted with a smile, but from the moment he brought Ninian, that became impossible.
There’s no reason for them, who have no friendship with me, to visit me.
Well, Arcana seems to have just tagged along.
“Ninian.”
-Click
With Aslan’s signal, magic is cast from Ninian’s staff.
-Woong
A blue sphere appears in an instant.
“It’s Silent. Don’t worry, our upcoming conversation won’t leak outside.”
Aslan kindly explained the identity of the sphere surrounding us.
“First, I’d like to apologize for earlier. Because you received Gwen’s acknowledgment, I was curious about your skill level, and it seems I crossed a line.”
-Swoosh
Aslan bows his head along with the apology.
“Not at all. We were just dueling. There’s nothing more insulting in a duel than going easy on your opponent. You were just doing your best, Lord Aslan.”
This is why I liked Aslan.
He doesn’t blame others for anything and makes clear judgments, able to bow his head regardless of status.
He’s truly a rare high noble and a real man.
“Is it alright for a ducal family member to bow their head so easily?”
The Magic Tower Lord’s disciple, Ninian, asks in a voice that seems to be teasing him.
Of course, this behavior is possible because they’re childhood friends.
But this behavior is indeed strange in this situation.
Here, a ducal family is second only to the emperor.
In this class-based society, it means they’re in a position where even if they kill someone somewhere, the dead person would be considered the problem.
“What do I have to be mindful of here where only you are watching? As much as I made a mistake, it’s the responsibility that follows which makes one a superior person.”
That’s quite an impressive statement.
Although it’s irritating that such a guy swung his sword at me so crazily.
“That’s cool. Honestly, I thought ducal family members would be extremely arrogant.”
Wow… Look at her confidently saying such things before a ducal family member. That’s a protagonist for you.
But if she had said that in front of another ducal family, her head might have flown off for insulting nobility.
“Hahaha! I can’t argue with that. I’d probably think the same if I were you.”
And Aslan humorously brushes it off.
“Sigh…”
And Ninian, who seems used to such behavior from Aslan.
“Now that the apology has been accepted, you can begin.”
I understand the atmosphere is good, but we should start now.
“Then, I ask in the name of the Ducal House Reinhardt.”
-Kuguugugu
He invoked the name of the ducal family.
This is an order to speak the truth without lies.
An inexplicable pressure begins to spread in my mouth.
“What connection do you have with the Cabala family?”
As expected, it’s about that.
“I have no connection.”
As soon as his words ended, my mouth moved on its own before I could even think.
‘So this is the decree of a ducal family.’
It’s a bit stronger than I expected.
“Then how did you use Gwen’s characteristic?”
“I imitated the flow of aura.”
If it’s simple questions like these, it seems fortunate.
“Flow?”
“Yes. When I see aura or mana users, there’s a unique flow when they use them…”
“Wait, you can see that?”
“Yes.”
Is there some problem?
“Um… Lord Aaron?”
Ninian suddenly interrupts during the decree.
“Usually, the flow of mana or aura is something only the user can know…”
“?”
At that moment, a black window appears in front of me.
[Due to the additional effect of your trait: {Analyzer}, you can analyze the flow of mana and aura.]
‘…So that’s what it was?’
Wait a minute
[……]
You have a conversation function?
Translator’s Corner
Forgot to mention the daily is for the next week since I have free time.
-Ruminas