I Became The Academy’s Joker Character

Chapter 41

—–CROW—– 

Olivia being royalty explained how things had unfolded, but she wasn’t wrong. I was keeping a distance from Arieta. At first, it was a clear line, but now, it was true that we had grown closer.

[Erosion Blade 24%]

The higher the [Erosion Blade] climbed, the harder it became to maintain distance from Arieta. That’s why I was using honorifics, drawing a line. Arieta’s presence was dangerous.  Not that *she* was dangerous, but being involved with her made it easy to get swept up in emotions. Arieta and Oz’s relationship was too deep.  That’s why it felt awkward, like an outsider like me had intruded upon their bond.

“Do I need to keep my distance…?”

“What? From who? Why? More importantly, do you even have anyone close enough to call it keeping your distance?”

“…”

I turned my head towards the voice and saw a girl crushing candy with her teeth. It was our Headmaster, Tia, who had probably gone through the most trouble in this incident.

“…Headmaster, if you’re going to visit someone in the infirmary, at least make your presence known.”

And I also had friends close enough to call it keeping my distance.  So, I wished she would stop with those hurtful assumptions.

“Does a non-human need to announce their presence?”

Her excuses were varied.

“So, what brings you here? If you’re planning to break my neck, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t.”

“No, as long as you don’t provoke me, that won’t happen.  Don’t you have any idea why I’m here?”

“No.”

“I need to take your statement.  You have to tell me how things ended, don’t you?”

“You’re asking me this while I’m hospitalized?”

Wasn’t this too much?  At least wait until I was discharged.  I hadn’t had any time to relax during this incident, so I wanted to rest comfortably for a bit.  Of course, there were still many watchful eyes on me. I couldn’t relax completely, but in this chaotic situation, no one would be able to act.

“Well, you have a point.  But the situation is a bit complicated. I tried asking the others, but…”

“What happened?”

“The ones who are physically fine are either bad at explaining things, or the one who’s healthy is a bit… strange.”

Well, even I sometimes had trouble understanding what Eleanor was saying.  But here, I had to defend her honor.

“Noah isn’t strange. She’s just unique.”

“I didn’t say Noah.”

“Is that so?”

“No… Actually, yes…”

See? I knew it.  This prejudiced, wicked lizard!  Well, I could roughly guess how the others responded. Alexios probably didn’t even grasp the exact details of the incident.  Excluding Baekyang, Arieta, and Marie, who were all critically injured from the direct fight with the [Hades King], that left only me and Lucia.

“The only one who seemed capable of a proper conversation was that cat…”

“With a beastman’s heightened senses, she probably couldn’t even speak in front of the Headmaster.”

“It’s not like I’m going to eat her.”

Tia shrugged nonchalantly and chuckled.  Beastmen had exceptional senses.  But because they were *too* exceptional, they couldn’t even speak properly in the presence of an apex predator. Just like I had glimpsed Tia’s true form with [Observation], beastmen must have sensed Tia’s true power through their senses.  Moreover, as a spy, Lucia must have felt even more pressure facing Tia.

“Well, that’s what happened. I chose the one who seemed capable of communication through the process of elimination, and it happened to be you.”

“It would have been nice if you said it was because I’m the most trustworthy.”

“Honestly, you’re not exactly trustworthy, are you?  You should be grateful I’m not interrogating you about all your secrets.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that.”

So, enough with the small talk. It was time to answer Tia’s questions about the incident.  Of course, I wasn’t going to reveal everything.  I needed to keep Eleanor’s key and the divine magic hidden. Of course, Tia would likely see through any lies, so I had to be careful with my fabrication.

“First, the most important result is…”

There were many ways to hide the truth, but the most effective method at this point was…

“The Hades King’s key has been split in half.”

“What…?”

…to drop a bombshell so shocking that it was beyond comprehension.

“Wait a minute… What?”

This way, they wouldn’t question anything else.  Just understanding that one bombshell would be enough to occupy their mind.

“Well, that’s what happened.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s what happened’?! What did you do to split the key in half? No, wait… Then where’s the other half?”

“Marie Sistus has it.  And just in case you’re thinking about it, it’s not a good idea to try and take it from her.”

That was what I was worried about. Taking the key meant killing her.  Of course, Tia wouldn’t casually kill Marie and take the key, but…

“Do I look like that kind of person?”

“Weren’t you saying you weren’t human just now?”

“You’re sharp, Successor of the Mage King.”

She must have been considering taking the key.  That’s how dangerous the key was.  It possessed enough value and danger to warrant killing someone to retrieve it, just to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

“Well, it’s fine. Only those from the Underworld can use the Immortal’s Key anyway.”

“That’s true.”

Fortunately, only those from the could use the [Immortal’s Key] held by the [Hades King] Thanatos.  This incident would make Tia more wary of the [Hades King], so she probably decided there was no need to retrieve the key.

“Now, explain exactly what happened.”

“You’re overworking a patient.”

If she was planning to listen to such a long story, she should have at least brought a drink or something as a get-well gift.

“Well, isn’t overworking Arieta a bigger problem?”

“…Is it that serious?”

Although she spoke in a chiding tone, Tia’s voice was more serious than I expected.  Her displeasure was genuine.

“Yes, I can’t hide it for long anyway, so I’ll tell you. Arieta’s condition is quite serious.”

“…”

I knew Arieta had pushed herself too hard.  Olivia had just visited in her place, hadn’t she? But since Arieta had asked her to deliver the pot, I assumed she was just exhausted.

“Yes, while we’re on the subject, the reason I’m in such a hurry is because of Arieta’s problem.”

“What problem?”

“The Saintess is the symbol of the Church.”

The title of Saintess held a special significance within the Church. A being loved by God, a beacon of hope for all. The nicknames given to the Saintess alone showed how important she was considered. Then, what would happen if the Saintess was seriously injured in this incident?  If she was put in danger in Scientia, where she was sent for her safety?

“…The Pope is coming?”

“That’s right.”

Tia nodded with a sullen expression.  It was clear she wasn’t comfortable with the Pope’s presence.

“I’m warning you, don’t provoke the Pope.”

“I understand what you think of me.”

It was frustrating.  So frustrating that I felt like going to the Pope and causing a scene.  Oz would probably feel the same way.  After all, this whole thing started because the Pope took Arieta away. I had to give him a piece of my mind.

“No, seriously, don’t.  I’m the one who suffers the consequences of your tantrums.  I get tired just talking to him.”

“You’re stronger than you think, Headmaster.”

“No, don’t.”

Wasn’t the [Dragon Emperor] a being who could easily shake off such mental fatigue? That’s what I thought.

“I warned you. Don’t.”

“Don’t worry, Headmaster.”

Because I was a free spirit.

* * *

Around the time I finished explaining the detailed account of the incident (with some embellishments) to Tia and was thinking about what to do with the Pope, a new visitor arrived.

“Lots of visitors today.”

“Ah… Is it not a good time? Are you still in too much pain to talk?”

“No, not that much.”

“Hmm…”

The visitor was none other than Marie Sistus, who was at the center of this whole incident.  I had explained what happened, but I thought she would still be confined. I never imagined she would be moving around freely.  What was she thinking, releasing the key holder without any surveillance?  No, considering Tia’s personality, it might be confidence.

“So? What’s up? Ah, did you come to give me your answer?”

“N-No… I haven’t thought of an answer yet.”

I observed Marie, who was avoiding my gaze and stammering, with [Observation].  She was lying.  I didn’t know why she was avoiding the question, but I wasn’t that attached to the answer anyway.  There was something more important.

[KP Hades King]

Marie Sistus

[Observation] only revealed the rank and title of characters from the game or key holders.  Was it because she now shared the key? The term ‘erosion’ was gone, replaced by the title of Hades King.  It was good news that titles could change.  It meant I could still identify the key holder even if it changed hands.

“Um, are you okay?”

“Hmm?”

Marie hesitantly asked about my well-being. Had she simply come to visit? I honestly didn’t think she would visit me without a specific reason.

“I’m fine, except for the tingling sensation.”

“Ah… If, if you’re still feeling unwell, I can help you.”

“Huh?”

Was she offering to take care of me?  Considering her usual personality, it was unimaginable, but perhaps she was trying to change now that she had gained her freedom.  But wasn’t freedom something she had finally obtained?  It would be a shame to spend her first moments of freedom taking care of me.

“I was fine even when I shocked myself with lightning magic before, so don’t worry.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I was conducting a small experiment.”

“Sorry, I don’t understand.”

Even now, I thought it was a very interesting and innovative experiment. If it weren’t for the information I gained then, it would have been difficult to neutralize Gerard.

“…The world is much wider and more diverse than I thought.”

Marie nodded as if she had realized something new. I wondered if I had led her down a slightly wrong path, but all’s well that ends well.

“Well, that’s how it is, so you don’t have to worry about me.  Go see Noah.”

“I’ve already been to see Noah.”

“Don’t lie.”

If she had visited Eleanor, she wouldn’t be here talking to me.  Knowing Eleanor’s personality, she would have clung to Marie and wouldn’t have let her go.

“I’m not so weak that I need others to worry about me.”

“No, you died once… If I hadn’t retrieved your soul with the key’s power…”

The shocking truth sent a chill down my spine.  Really? Was I in a more critical condition than I thought?  Seeing Marie’s pale face, I knew she wasn’t lying.

“A-Anyway, I’m fine now, so you can go.”

“Why are you trying to get rid of me? Do you hate me?”

This kid… was annoying. It was hard to put into words, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Marie was a bothersome person.

“I’m saying go back because I’m going to sleep now.”

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

“Go back, it’s burdensome.”

“Okay…”

No, if she made that dejected expression again, wouldn’t I look like a jerk?  Seeing her slumped shoulders as she trudged away, my heart softened.

“…Stay for five minutes. I feel uneasy falling asleep alone.”

“Okay! I’ll protect you from close by.”

This was… With such a soft heart, I was worried about how I would handle Chapter 3, which was fast approaching.  Chapter 3, where the ‘outside existences’ would begin their full-scale intervention, would be far more dangerous than anything so far.  Unlike Gerard or the [Hades King], it would be indiscriminate violence.

“Ah, now that I think about it…”

I also appeared in Chapter 3.  The problem was that I appeared not as a comedic character like now, but as a powerful mage. I wasn’t planning to follow the original story, but it would be good to think of a way to fill the void left by the original me.

“This is troublesome.”

“Hmm…? Is something wrong?”

“No, just talking to myself.  And I’m going to sleep now, so you don’t have to respond to everything I say.”

Marie covered her mouth with her hand and nodded.  She was obedient at times like this.

—–CROW—– 

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