NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 79
79th Chapter. Gollum?
If the protagonist possessed the title of the strongest in this world, the likelihood of the story becoming frustratingly stagnant was low.
Because they’re filthy strong.
Thus, up until Chapter 3, Lyman could be considered the protagonist… more like a mentor guiding the main characters.
Even if he had a dirty temper, he couldn’t help but feel his heart swell when meeting the daughters of his former comrades.
Thanks to this setup, Lyman became intertwined with other characters. The Artificial Golem also had to be assigned to the same group, considering its relationship with them.
[Group A-12]
★Combat Department – Lyman Begilius
However, unlike in the main story, he was now sealed away in isolation.
The reason for this could be deduced with a little thought. The time spent conversing with them was less than in the main story.
The cause of that variable was none other than me.
In other words, I effectively made Lyman a loner. He already liked being alone, and now after my appearance, he had become even more solitary.
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter, does it?’
If Lyman were a traditional growth-type protagonist, he would have been freaking out about this situation, but this guy is ‘that’ Lyman.
I can’t even imagine that even an S-rank mission, tougher than A-rank, wouldn’t be cleared.
On the contrary, since he aimed to be a lone wolf, it might be all the better for him.
Compared to that, I’m currently…
*
We, assigned to Group A-3, sat around the round table, face to face.
Among us, the chosen leader, Trisha, spoke without a hint of awkwardness.
“Alright, then. Shall we start with self-introductions? You, the blue friend over there.”
“I’m Jenny Chain Silver from the 1st year Combat Department. You’re the head of the Newspaper Department, Radon, right? I look forward to working with you.”
“It’s me who should be looking forward to it.”
Jenny stood up slightly and gently shook Trisha’s hand, as if in front of someone she needed to impress.
“Next, the pink friend over there.”
“Hi hi! I’m Mary Ryudshiel!”
“Oh my, you’re the famous 1st year from our department? Nice to meet you. You’re so cute up close!”
“Stop it! Ah, I hear you like Nobel Records.”
“That’s right.”
Mary was full of energy while talking. Their shared hobbies seemed to click well.
“I borrowed two Nobel Records from a friend before, and I heard it was a gift from a senior?”
“Uh…? Ah! Those two?”
Insane. I immediately recalled what those awful records were. The horrifying scenes from them were too much to imagine.
“What was it like? Was it interesting?”
“At first, I couldn’t adjust, but I forced myself to keep watching, and now I’m used to it. I lose track of time when enjoying them.”
Has she lost it?
Why not put that effort into something else?
“Then, how about I gift you a new record next time? You can experience another incredible world with them.”
“Absolutely! You’re the best, senior! Yay!”
“Yay!”
The girls held hands, and it didn’t end with a handshake; they linked arms with determination, as if pledging beneath a peach tree.
Tsk, it was bound to turn out this way.
“The reason I set foot on this great path is all thanks to friends like you! I’m really grateful, my friend! I’ll never forget this.”
I felt embarrassed enough to die, but I was in no position to curse at this moment.
In fact, I was the one who led Mary into such hellish flames.
I ought to apologize profusely to her family.
“Radon, what kind of records did you gift her that made Mary so thankful?”
“You don’t need to know.”
I replied with a voice that completely lost its vigor. At that, Jenny tilted her head with a question mark floating above her head.
Please, don’t become interested in that. It’s of no real help in life and just makes your eyes rot away.
“Now, the next members… are people we all know, right?”
Having surveyed the other members, Trisha decided further self-introductions were unnecessary.
As for me, well, with the same club, they’d know me well, and then there’s Luska…
“Hey, little sister! Long time no see!”
“Hmph.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, look over here.”
“Hmph!”
Trisha spoke as if they were old friends, but Luska would turn her head away, wearing a thoroughly displeased expression.
Having to share a space again with a roommate she never wanted to see again must have driven her nuts.
“I should mention something while I’m at it. Just be careful around this senior. From my experience sharing a room, managing the rising impulse to kill from this senior is tougher than the difficulty of missions.”
It’s true that Trisha was a bit off her rocker. But Luska so openly asserting that just made me feel ominous for no reason.
The problem didn’t stop there. The group included more than just ‘humans.’
『Hehe. I felt some lowly energy, and what do I see? A bunch of kittens?』
『Ha! How dare you, a spirit, challenge us with your safety!』
『Haven’t you already seen your level? Those who swarm together like that are weak, like ants squirming around.』
『Ants…? You should retract that statement right now!』
『What to do? I lack the ability to communicate with insects.』
『You little…!!』
Turning around, I found beings born of the will of nature engaged in a war of words.
An intermediate fire spirit with the form of a leopard, Megra.
An advanced wind spirit resembling a cheetah, Dolgan.
An advanced lightning spirit taking on the form of a tiger, Blitz.
Along with several other spirits of corresponding elements.
In contrast, representing the spirit side was Muto, who held his ground with enough strength to rival Blitz, the strongest among the spirits, without feeling much of a gap between them.
『You wanna try?』
『Sure! Then here…!』
“What do you mean, try you idiots!”
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!—
Just before those lines that sounded straight out of a cringey second-rate battle tale could come out.
I immediately summoned my fishing rod and whacked their heads.
I had to rein in the cringe.
『You spirit sorcerer! How dare you…!』
『I’ll handle all of you at once!』
No matter how lightly I hit them, it was only natural they’d get upset. Spirits and the spirit wielder tend to view each other as childhood enemies.
But we now had to cooperate, and here was the nemesis, frozen to death!
“Hey, come back in.”
『Are you really interrupting this sacred battle?』
“I don’t care about any sanctity.”
As I said that, Muto disappeared on his own.
“Kids! Don’t fight; you need to get along. Come in already!”
『….』
『Tch!』
Upon Mary’s words, the spirits also withdrew their forms, albeit reluctantly.
Both spirits and elemental spirits cannot defy their master’s will.
A sigh escaped me already.
I never thought this seemingly decent combination would turn out to be troublesome.
“Anyway, let’s finish our meeting.”
『Hey, you pile of vomit.』
“What’s gotten into you now?”
Just as I was about to get to the main topic, Muto spoke again.
『I feel a spirit’s energy from somewhere else! Seeing how hot it is, it should be a fire spirit!』
“Hey, can you stay still before I turn your long body into twisted dough? Okay?”
『Tch! You sarcastic pile of vomit.』
Finally, when Muto quieted down, the meeting proceeded more smoothly.
Since Jenny valued the mission the most, she had the most to say.
“As you all heard, our mission is to escort a prisoner. The goal is to depart from Aramos Town and reach Kreuz. We need to interrogate each and every prisoner, so they better still be alive.”
“Then, it should be easy. After all, the prisoners will be transported in cages on a cart, and we can just walk alongside them.”
Just some mere thieves. Luska expressed her thoughts with that in mind.
Then Jenny spread a map she had prepared in advance on the table.
“Setting the thieves aside, the issue is the route we have to take. Just looking at this shows that it’s not simply rated as an A-rank mission.”
“It’s worse than I thought.”
As if to prepare beforehand, Jenny explained detailed information along with the basics.
The map depicted the long road we had to travel to escort the thieves. Just estimating, it looked to be a journey of several weeks, causing Luska to stick her tongue out.
“We even have to stop at a village along the way to use a rest area. Plus, it’s near the Crevasse Snowfield.”
“If we’re not careful, we might end up with frostbite and be unable to move forever. I can withstand the cold, but I don’t know how you all will fare.”
The area around the Crevasse is quite cold, to the point that in the game, I’d lose 10 HP every second while walking around.
However, with the blessing of Sun Red, the elemental spirit of Crona, we wouldn’t suffer from that damage. That was our only method of keeping warm. But currently, there was no Crona in our group.
“Does anyone here have a magical device to withstand the cold?”
As soon as I asked, the group fell silent. Just as I was about to feel disheartened thinking there wouldn’t be one, Jenny stood up excitedly.
“Oh, I do have that! I borrowed it from Crona before… what was it? It was something you put on your finger…”
Is she talking about a ring?
*
Meanwhile, someone was stealthily hiding behind a tree, observing Group A-3.
With her bright golden hair and beautiful appearance, the girl was Crona Delaware.
The first-year queen of the Magic Department and also dubbed the blazing sun, she was clenching her fists tightly at the tree as she recalled the external mission group she had been assigned to.
[Group B-3]
★Magic Department – Crona Delaware
Magic Department – Elena Gipul
Magic Department – Roa Megrin
Alchemy Department – Luca Justiana
Alchemy Department – Camila Holust
All were fellow students, and she definitely knew them well. They were all those who had always served as pawns nearby, ruling just like a queen.
“That damned Artificial Golem! Tin can! Baldy! Bulb! Octopus! Avocado!”
The result derived from none other than the Artificial Golem.
Why couldn’t she end up in the same group as Jenny, when she had always been by her side? It wasn’t as if the time spent was shorter than with her subordinates.
Who’s fault could it possibly be?
‘Mary Ryudshiel? Luska Mad Eye? Or that bespectacled glamour woman?’
None of the three.
She felt no significant aura indicating that Jenny was being drawn away by them.
The cause was none other than…
‘Right… Radon Crawler. It’s that guy!’
Everything changed after he appeared.
At some point, it felt as if Jenny was prioritizing him and pushing her own feelings aside.
She had once followed them when they went out, and there, she got to see Jenny’s happy face.
Back then, she managed to steady her heart, but now, it felt emptier than before.
Even if it meant being taken away, as long as it was with Jenny, that would have been enough. Hence, she wanted to be grouped together.
Currently, Crona’s heart felt like the mood of an exam taker who had been booted out over a simple mistake after having prepared for a long time.
That evening.
Returning to the dorms, Crona felt as weak as a dying mosquito.
As soon as she entered and lay on the bed, her long blonde hair fanned out like a peacock’s tail.
The anxiety was so great that she couldn’t even eat dinner properly.
Even though the fluffy, golden-edged bed was supporting her body, she didn’t feel at ease.
Anxiety crept in.
What if Radon Crawler took Jenny away like this?
She heard that they exited the same cart when the new semester started.
Eventually, if things continued like this, Radon Crawler would slip a ring onto her finger.
Then what…?
-Crona. I’m sorry, but let’s break up. You’ll only be a hindrance to the time I have with Radon.
“No way!!”
Crona jolted up as if jolted by an electric shock.
Even if it was just her imagination, Jenny’s cold expression was nothing short of shocking.
Her heart felt as dark as the deep abyss.
Her first friend ever and her eternal rival… and her idol.
Would she really be leaving like this?
Would Radon Crawler put a couple’s ring on her and no longer look her way?
The anxiety made it impossible for her to sleep.
As Crona looked around, her gaze fell onto the mirror in front of her desk, reflecting her haggard face and the various accessories lying beneath it.
As the daughter of a baron, she had a plethora of luxuries to adorn herself.
Among them, one thing caught her eye…
“R-Ring!”
Crona’s eyes widened as she grabbed the display stand showcasing the rings.
And at that moment, she was about to dispose of it somewhere.
Knock knock knock!—
As soon as she heard the knock, Crona calmed her heart.
She couldn’t let anyone see her hideous appearance. She had always managed to maintain such throughout her academic life.
She couldn’t let anyone find out.
“Who is it…?”
But as soon as she opened the door, her eyes bulged.
It was none other than Radon Crawler, the object of her contempt, standing there.
“Hello.”
“What are you doing here?”
Radon cheerfully greeted her, but upon seeing the wary Crona, he felt an unfamiliar vibe.
But he soon got straight to the point.
“I came to borrow something. It was… what was it again?”
“…?”
“It was a ring….”
“C-Cough!!”
Suddenly, Crona rolled her eyes and sprang up, bubbling at the mouth and collapsed on the spot.
Even in her struggle, she groaned ‘ring…’ as if in distress.
“Is… is that Gollum?”
Shocked by her state, Radon muttered with a dumbfounded expression.