NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 44
Chapter 44: Just a Day Out (1)
The 1st Star Hall was luxurious enough that one might think gold was poured all over it.
Naturally, it had to be extravagant since it was used by royalty and high-ranking noble students.
The corridor was adorned with dazzling walls and floors, and even the furniture like beds and desks were so valuable that their worth could rival the salaries of the faculty.
I really wanted to experience living in such a dormitory. Anyone residing within the academy probably thought of it at least once, students and faculty alike.
Not just the exterior, but the thoroughly trained servants and maids reflected a dedication to their roles.
“I just can’t comprehend this.”
Crona Delaware was strolling down the corridor of the 1st Star Hall.
The floor beneath his feet was smooth enough to shine, but his expression was troubled.
Things weren’t going well, and he found himself rubbing his chin and muttering to himself.
Aligieri Town had its own branch of the Delaware Upper House. Even with their influence summoned, they couldn’t find Luska Mad Eye.
Unlike a military force that applies pressure through sheer power, the Upper House specialized in gathering information. The range of insights the Delaware Target Group’s investigation team could gather was proportional to the scale of their organization.
They not only had a market in the town but also excelled in various other fields. One could say the Upper House had its eyes everywhere in Aligieri Town.
How could it be that such an organization could thoroughly sweep through the town and still not find a trace?
Perhaps there was a sealed location? He briefly pondered this but quickly dismissed the idea, deeming it unreasonable for a mere student to enter a place even the investigation team couldn’t access.
“Could it be that there’s someone pulling strings behind the scenes…?”
It was highly unlikely that Luska had snuck out of town with that kid in such a short time. If that’s the case, there must be something special about the hideout.
What if someone cooperating with Luska secretly sheltered her? In that case, it would make sense why they couldn’t find her, especially if they were of high standing enough to evade the investigation team’s scrutiny.
“Luska Mad Eye. How dare you harm my Ice Queen? I can’t forgive that!”
Though not as close to Jenny, Crona felt a sense of responsibility for not being able to protect Angela.
Having developed a bond while caring for her, it felt like raising a child together with Jenny.
Seeing Jenny’s sorrowful expression, he resolved to find her by mobilizing the Upper House’s resources.
However, as a member of the Delaware Family, she was also a merchant. One couldn’t expend resources without potential profits.
Ultimately, after a week, the mobilization was retracted, and he admitted to himself that he had acted on impulse.
“It’s been a week now. I wonder how Jenny is doing…”
Curious about Jenny’s condition, he arrived at her room. Just as he grasped the doorknob and was about to open it slowly,
“Hum hum hum~”
“Hmm?”
A humming melody floated through the crack of the door. The voice was as refreshing as a gentle breeze.
Crona let go of the doorknob for a moment.
‘Did I hear that wrong?’
He pressed his ear against the door for a clearer listen. It was undeniably Jenny’s voice, and it was strange that she wasn’t sighing in despair as one would expect.
Following the humming, he finally heard her speaking.
-What should I wear tomorrow?
-This doesn’t seem to fit…
-Should I call Crona to help me choose?
-No, that might lead to misunderstandings.
She sounded cheerful and unsure of what to do.
How could she go from being gloomy to this in just a day?
And misunderstandings? What on earth did that mean?
‘Could it be… No way? It can’t be a date or anything.’
He hoped fervently that this wasn’t the case.
Was there someone else besides him who could lift her spirits?
And a man, no less. That was utterly impossible…
-I’m going out with Radon. I wonder if he’ll like this?
‘Gasp!!’
His heart sank. He barely restrained himself from collapsing with shock.
Crona, regaining his composure, couldn’t contain the boiling emotions.
He simply couldn’t sit idly by.
*
With Lyman absent, this was a period unrelated to any major events of the main story.
During this time, it was more about other playable characters.
Among them, the one closest to being the protagonist was undoubtedly Jenny Chain Silver.
If Lyman was a fully developed munchkin, she could be seen as a character who grows by overcoming adversity.
She may get overshadowed by the characters added in the next grade, but for now, Jenny was the representative.
Originally just a disposable extra, I had become recognized as an acquaintance.
My role was to adjust the flow of the main story, but one could also say I was facilitating a path for the protagonists to grow.
Considering that the ending changes according to the characters’ psyches, my role was quite significant.
“Radon! You’ve been waiting long, huh?”
In the central fountain of Aligieri Town, basked in the bright summer sun, she came running from afar.
Given the hot weather, Jenny’s casual wear fared brightly.
The sleeveless dress she wore seemed perfect for a day where the cicadas sang.
Maybe it was because I was used to seeing her in a formal uniform that her casual outfit felt as lively as Mary’s.
The straw hat she wore not only shielded her from UV rays but also added to her girliness.
The fountain sparkled in the sunlight, failing to overshadow Jenny’s radiance.
“Do you recognize who I am?”
Jenny removed her hat, trying to imprint her new look in my eyes.
Her blue hair shone like a waterfall illuminated by direct sunlight.
I had thought she only knew how to swing a sword, but she had talents hidden in this area too.
“I knew you’d wear casual clothes, but I didn’t expect you to wear a short-sleeved top and shorts.”
“That’s only for when I’m training. Right now, I’m strictly going out to have fun.”
Jenny posed by lifting her arms or pulling one leg back, as if to show off her outfit.
As she glanced at me, I figured out what I should say in this situation.
“You look good. Like a mermaid by the seaside.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t lying. If I did, the erosion rate would have decreased.
“It’s lunchtime! Where shall we go first? I know all the local specialties.”
“Let’s go to wherever Radon wants.”
“Okay? Then how about checking out the Aligieri Tower, known as Horror Spot?”
“Uh… that’s a bit…”
I knew very well that Jenny was scared of ghost-like phenomena. I expected this kind of reaction.
Once I told her I was joking, she let out a sigh of relief.
“By the way, Radon… Isn’t it a bit risky if the grade representative finds out? He doesn’t like A class and C class mingling.”
“Kent, you mean? To be honest, he’s notorious for being rigid and inflexible.”
Kent Egist, the representative of the first year.
He had a mindset that the strong should stick with the strong, and the weak with the weak. Considering I was still in Class C, he wouldn’t let us off the hook as soon as he found out about this outing.
“But he’s quite busy these days. Not just Kent, but everyone is preoccupied preparing for exams, so would they even have time to care about us?”
“Now that you mention it… we’re the only ones going out during the exam period…”
It seemed he hadn’t set his sights on me yet, but there was a possibility that Kent would point his sword at me one day.
Thinking I should prepare for that possibility, I walked alongside Jenny through the town.
‘Jenny… What are you really up to…!’
Meanwhile, Crona Delaware, who had been secretly watching them, gasped.
The shock of discovering that what she had overheard last night was indeed true hit her hard.
What if my Ice Queen, who had been there since childhood, was taken away by that scammer? It was a genuine worry.
‘While I understood they reconciled… I never expected… it would progress to that level… Ugh!’
Crona trailed behind them.
As they shared drinks while happily slicing up their steaks at a renowned steakhouse in Aligieri, Crona pretended to be a customer in a corner table.
With a hat, wig, coat, and sunglasses on, she was sure not to be recognized. However, seeing them laughing and chatting made her blood boil, and she chewed painfully on the meat she had ordered.
The excessive excitement made her adrenaline spike. The blood of the steak she had chewed dripped from her mouth, making her look like a cannibal.
Once the meal finished, it was off to shopping.
They seemed to be contemplating whether to buy useful magic items or a rusty practice sword.
Thinking about it, Crona was from the Magic Department while they were happily from the Combat Department. Along with the feeling of being left out came the sense of loss of having lost Jenny to Radon.
However, the place they ended up at was the Nobel Record Store. Turns out Jenny had dropped by because she was interested lately.
She likely would have picked genres related to action, but unexpectedly, she even browsed romance titles.
Had she known she could get a bunch of records as gifts using the Upper House’s influence, she would have jumped at it. She felt foolish for not realizing it.
But there, she ran into Mary Ryudshiel. Naturally, both were startled, and so was Crona.
Asked what she was doing there, Mary said she was there to develop a new spell.
Hearing about a new spell piqued her curiosity, and she perked her ears up.
‘It’s going to be the most beautiful spell in the world.’
As she said that, Mary was buying a large number of records… and somehow the titles exuded a thick darkness.
[Me and My Tico 2]
[The King of the Locker Room 2]
[The Ruler of Deep Darkness]
[A Brother’s Hot Day]
While Jenny curious about what genres these were, Radon’s eyes bulged red upon seeing those titles, blocking Jenny’s view.
He then hurriedly pulled Jenny away from the scene.
Jenny found herself dragged out to the outskirts of the town in utter confusion. When she questioned why they had to flee, Radon simply replied,
“To protect you from being a deadly hazardous material.”
It was just a record shop. What could be so deadly?
Jenny couldn’t comprehend, but for some reason, Radon wore a look of self-blame.
But, how long had they been running around? They ended up in the eeriest spot on the town’s outskirts.
This place had no people, and there wasn’t even a trace of animals lurking anywhere… Aligieri Tower. The most infamous place in town.
The fence surrounding the tower was overrun with wilted roses, creating a tangled thicket of thorns.
As soon as she touched the gate to enter, one could expect a ghost to speak.
Jenny, desperate to leave this place, urged Radon to get out immediately.
And Crona watched from the shadows as they left.
Though tempted to follow them further, she felt mentally drained and decided against it.
It was her wish for Jenny to return to her usual cheerful self. After observing Radon for some time, there hadn’t been a trace of Jenny’s moroseness to be seen.
Even without Crona around, it was clear that Jenny’s slump had recovered just fine.
“I should head back.”
In the end, her wishes had somewhat been fulfilled. Though bittersweet, the surveillance had basically been in vain.
As long as her childhood companion Jenny was a happy presence, that was enough for her. Now she could return to the academy with peace of mind.
[Wait for me, Crona!]
“Sun Red?”
At that moment, an unseen entity spoke up. The presence that could only be seen by those with heightened affinity was the fire spirit, Sun Red, contracted with Crona.
Suddenly appearing, Sun Red was seated on her shoulder, smaller than usual.
“Why so sudden?”
[I sense a familiar energy within… this place.]
“What do you mean?”
Sun Red pointed its beak towards Aligieri Tower. Suddenly, Crona recalled what she had overlooked.
A place even the Upper House’s investigation team couldn’t breach.
There were rumors of a hidden chamber for the deceased buried within the tower’s basement, but what if those rumors were not just tales…?
*
“Was it really that scary?”
“I-it was scary! It’s just that it wasn’t my kind of place!”
Jenny was acting innocent again, but there was no way she would openly admit to being scared.
“But it’s almost summer. Why are you shivering? It seems like you were really frightened.”
“Do you want to freeze?”
“No, I won’t tease you anymore.”
I wouldn’t want to be played for a fool again in the Silver Age.
Aligieri Tower is an incredibly important location in the main story. Just stepping in and leaving traces wouldn’t yield any benefits.
That very spot is where Luska kidnapped and imprisoned Angela.
Moreover, it’s also the place where Prince Totema manipulated Elder Enviel to bring Angela to a rampaging state.
While I would love to sneak in and secretly bring Angela back, it’s impossible to locate the hidden chamber cloaked by that barrier.
“Where should we go now? I feel like it’s a shame if we just head back.”
“Hmm…”
Jenny wanted to find a place that was fun for a date without being too boring. As she pondered, she spotted a bulging terrain.
Beyond the town, that mountain that constantly spewed smoke… was none other than Purgatory Volcano.
“How about that? If we just stroll through the park, that should be fine, right?”
Not a bad choice at all.
Since it was rich in natural tourism, it would certainly provide a perfect day out vibe. Also, they said that most of the practice monsters for the finals were derivatives of the critters inhabiting that area, so it was a decent chance to observe.
“Sounds good.”
As I agreed earnestly, Jenny walked along cheerfully, humming a tune.
After all, this was likely the only opportunity to look around with good intent. The Purgatory Volcano was where we would settle our scores with the Season 2 final boss.