Chapter 134 — Confusion, Utter Confusion

1

Unfamiliar things tend to become barriers for everyone.

Especially when it involves people, the psychological pressure can be even more intense.

What if someone with a faint presence suddenly found themselves under the gaze of countless eyes?

What if someone who had always been overlooked suddenly became the center of attention?

Even a normal person would start to feel awkward in their movements and speech.

And what if that person was naturally shy?

“Hah, hah, why, why is this happening?!”

Trace, the one now under all that sudden attention, gasped for breath.

In the dim light of the night, his figure was barely visible.

Here… no one would come here, right?

Leaning against the wall in an empty corner, Trace tried to catch his breath.

A cold, unsettling feeling washed over him.

Awkward and itchy, how could he even describe this feeling?

“–So here you are.”

“Eek!”

Step.

Despite how exhausted he should be, the person chasing him had followed him even here.

In reality, there were few who could actually see him.

And among those few, only one had such a cold voice.

Blue eyes pierced through the darkness.

Trace instinctively recoiled, like prey standing before a top predator, unable to say a word.

Those eyes looked right through him, staring as if seeing his very soul.

“What… what do you want?”

“How did you enter the distortion zone?”

“I just… I just could.”

Manus nodded slightly.

Could this boy also be one of the chosen?

In the original work, this character hadn’t appeared, so Manus had no knowledge of him.

He wasn’t a villain, nor a common monster, nor a guardian, nor even an Apostle.

How many times had he played through it?

No matter how much he searched his memories, there was no information on this boy.

‘Was he added as part of a DLC character?’

It seemed plausible as he considered it, and Manus spoke gently to the boy, recalling the things Alano had said.

“Still wandering alone?”

“Well, Senior Alano is around, but…”

“Will you continue wandering alone?”

Trace shut his mouth.

Was this a mockery? Or what?

Hiding his confusion, Trace met Manus’ gaze.

For a brief moment, Manus felt something familiar in the depths of Trace’s eyes.

Familiar, yet unpleasant.

Suppressing the rising emotions, Manus spoke to Trace.

“If you want to make friends, come to the distortion zone.”

“Oh… okay.”

“Can you use a sword?”

“A little.”

Trace had two swords strapped to his back, their ends connected by a chain. They seemed useful for throwing, or close-quarters combat.

Manus had been thinking about strengthening their melee power, and bringing Trace in would be a good excuse.

In the distortion zone, everyone could see Trace, after all.

What was this boy’s goal?

What was the reason for him being able to interfere?

“If you don’t like being alone, join us when we climb the tower. Or you could just stay in the distortion zone.”

“…Why are you going out of your way to care?”

“There’s nothing more dangerous than a human driven to their limits. At least, not in my experience.”

Without hesitation, Manus turned and disappeared.

Trace stood there for a long time, staring in the direction Manus had vanished.

When he entered the distortion zone, he could communicate normally with others.

It had all been a coincidence, born out of simple curiosity.

He had sensed, vaguely, that they were different from others.

After all, they had noticed him when no one else ever had.

“Together…”

Trace repeated Manus’ words in his mind.

For him, words like “together” or “with others” felt distant and foreign.

He had always been alone and expected it to stay that way.

But Manus, Alano, and the distortion zone were a huge turning point for him.

He instinctively knew.

This choice would change his entire life.

“Can I really… live normally?”

No answer came, but it was as if he had already heard one.

Trace walked under the night sky, his steps heavy.

It felt like the burdens weighing on his shoulders might finally burn away, just like the end of this dark night.

---

2

Morning arrived.

The world moved forward, as if nothing had happened.

Kael was on her way to school, reflecting on the events of the previous night.

That boy.

He was certainly the strange boy she had seen before.

How had he entered the distortion zone?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come to a conclusion.

The end of April was approaching, which meant evaluations were just around the corner.

Now was the time to focus on that.

‘I’m at 4th-Class now… 5th-Class still feels far off.’

Was it because she had witnessed such an awe-inspiring display?

Manus’ figure kept flashing in her mind today more than usual.

When had he started grasping at the edge of 6th-Class magic?

His talent and abilities were beyond extraordinary.

How could someone just a year older than her reach such a level?

Suddenly, a memory from her childhood resurfaced.

A faint voice from the past, long forgotten, echoed in her mind.

[Your talent will eventually touch that of an Archmage.]

[So survive and grow stronger. Few will be able to surpass you.]

That memory had driven her to slowly hone her magic over the years.

She had believed in her own potential.

And, in truth, none of those who had bared their fangs at her had achieved anything meaningful in the end.

The world was vast, and true power resided in the heart of the continent.

Here, she had learned that the real elite, the truly strong, didn’t even have the time to care about the outskirts.

Just looking at Alano, Manus, and Anais, their overwhelming skill was proof of that.

‘So… I have to go to the tower.’

She recalled Manus’ words.

The answer was always in the tower, he had said.

Holding onto that, she felt a surge of determination to climb it.

The desire to grow as strong as Manus became even firmer in her heart.

A voice called out to Kael, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see Anais and Pearson waving at her.

“Kael!”

“Did you sleep well? We knocked out cold last night.”

“I also passed out yesterday.”

The three of them naturally fell into step together, walking side by side.

The attention they drew was enormous.

The stars of the first year.

Two people who had shown extraordinary magic walking together was bound to attract attention.

The two who walked with her shone brightly, like stars.

The stars of the first year.

From today onward, Anais was going to be extremely busy.

After all, as the Student Council President, she had to manage all the Academy’s affairs, both large and small.

“You think you’ll be able to choose a good student council?”

“What’s there to worry about? Just picking from the kids who made it through the tournament would give me a good group. As for me, I’ll pass. I still want to keep my freedom.”

“…I wasn’t thinking of picking you anyway.”

Kael suddenly remembered someone and asked Anais about it.

A fellow student who was both arrogant and rude, yet whose skills were undeniably real.

If Anais managed to bring that student’s faction into the student council, she would hold untouchable power.

What did Anais think of that?

Her voice was thick with curiosity.

“What about Castro or Duarin… how do you plan to handle those strong commoners?”

“I don’t want Castro. But Duarin… I’d like to bring him in if he’s willing.”

The two strongest warriors among the first-year guardians.

Anais’ response was surprisingly decisive.

When they entered the classroom, countless gazes locked onto them.

There was a brief moment of silence before chaos erupted.

She recalled what Alano and Nia had said to her the night before.

[I bet starting tomorrow, it’s going to be a madhouse.]

[It’s not just about your magic anymore; you’ll have to manage people too.]

“Student Council President! You’re picking the new student officers soon, right?”

“Yeah, can you pick me too?”

“I’ll be loyal! I’m a really hard worker!”

One after another, people from the houses marked with golden snakes clamored for attention.

It was to be expected.

The Student Council held significant power, allowing its members to form connections with influential people outside the Academy.

Even just having experience in group leadership was a major advantage.

It was similar to how various extracurricular activities helped build résumés back in Korea; the same logic applied here.

Since their class president was Anais, they had the first chance to make contact.

And what should they do?

“Wait—.”

“If there’s anything bothering you, just say the word. I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m part of a baron house that serves under the Flois family, you know that, right?”

The scene was like a chaotic marketplace, with everyone talking over each other.

Anais’ face quickly paled.

Pearson and Kael were swallowed up in the commotion before they could even react.

It wasn’t just students from Class B, but those from Class C to F as well who had crowded in.

This wasn’t just an internal power struggle within the Academy.

It was about becoming a key player in the continent’s most prestigious educational institution.

“Anais! The Flois family and my family—mph!”

“Shut up! Who does a lowly commoner think they are, trying to join the Student Council? Anais! Don’t bother with commoners like them.”

“Exactly. Shouldn’t you only fill the council with capable nobles?”

“The Academy doesn’t divide people based on status, you know? That’s a pretty dangerous thing to say.”

Tensions began to rise.

It was absurd how everyone was making a fuss without even considering what Anais wanted.

Anais’ nerves were on edge, especially from the condescending comments aimed at the commoners.

What did they mean by commoners?

What about Kael, who was standing right in front of them?

Did they even realize what they were saying?

“Quiet—!”

Anais shouted at the top of her lungs, her voice louder than anyone else’s.

Her face was no longer just cold—it was filled with fury.

The noisy crowd fell silent in an instant.

Some, realizing how embarrassing their behavior had been, clamped their mouths shut.

Others held their heads high, while still others glared at Anais with dissatisfaction.

It was the first time Anais had ever seen such a raw display of emotions, each one laid bare.

She remembered something Manus had once said.

[-I’ve never met even a single person I could trust.]

Now, she understood a little of what Manus must have felt.

People who moved solely for their own gain.

People who hid their ugly feelings behind fake smiles as they approached her.

‘I get it now.’

“Everyone go back. Whether you’re a noble or a commoner, I’ll choose who I want. And by the way—.”

Anais’ bright red eyes swept across the room.

Her instincts, inherited from her noble lineage, were awakening.

The foolish ones who dared to voice their demands disgusted her.

The council she would lead wouldn’t just consist of the most capable individuals.

It would consist of people she could trust, people who could handle the right tasks in the right places.

And, above all, people who would be bound together by strong loyalty.

“The ones who just fought among themselves? I’m not picking any of you, so don’t bother.”

“Whaaat—?!”

“Do you have any idea which family I’m from—!”

Who dared to throw around the name of their family?

Anais’ eyebrow twitched.

With a smile reminiscent of Manus, she lifted her chin.

She tilted her head back slightly and looked down with a sharp gaze.

She crossed her arms naturally and spoke with the weight of a truly great family behind her.

“Who would dare mention their family in front of Flois?”

No one dared to challenge her.

Anais had them all wrapped around her finger with just her presence.

Pearson, who had been shoved to the back of the room, leaned over to Kael and whispered.

“…Manus probably trained her to be like this, didn’t he?”

“…”

Kael couldn’t deny it.

–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt