UNWANTED LEGACY

“Garp,” Ms. Lorn’s voice was as sharp as the edge of a perfectly honed blade. “Sit.”

Ms. Lorn stared at me, her glasses reflecting the faint glow of her desk’s holo-screen.

“Explain.”

I began, sparing no detail—the robot in the cave, the crystals, the panty, and the ultimate sacrifice I made to protect it all.

When I finished, Ms. Lorn leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh, one that sounded like she was exhaling the weight of a thousand bad decisions… mine included.

“You know, Garp,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “sometimes I wonder if you’re just too confident or too stupid and cocky. But...” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “Your heart was in the right place. I’ll give you that. However, what you did was still idiotic, reckless, and, let’s face it, downright embarrassing.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told that a lot lately,” I said with a half-smile, scratching the back of my neck.

“But what I don’t understand,” she continued, crossing her arms, “is why you’re telling me all of this. If it was so important to keep a secret, why confess now?”

I leaned forward, meeting her gaze with a cocky smirk. “Because I trust you, Ms. Lorn. I know you’d never rat me out. And, honestly, how can I not trust my own club advisor?”

She blinked, clearly caught off guard by my response. For a moment, her stern expression softened, but only for a moment.

“Flattery won’t get you out of this,” she said, though her tone had a trace of amusement. “While I appreciate your misplaced faith in me, I still have a responsibility as the teacher overseeing this field trip. So, here’s what’s going to happen.”

“You’re suspended for a day.”

“Fair enough,” I said with a shrug, surprising even myself with how easily I accepted it. “Guess I’ll take tomorrow off.”

The next day passed uneventfully. I spent most of it lying low, avoiding further trouble. But when I returned to school the following day, it felt like I’d stepped into an alternate dimension.

Girls excluding Mirai and Meiroko avoided me like the plague. Some turned their faces away in disgust; others looked genuinely terrified if I so much as glanced in their direction. Whispers followed me wherever I went, and I caught snippets of conversations that made me wince.

“He’s the panty guy…”

“I heard he sniffed it right in front of everyone.”

“What a creep!”

“I feel bad for Remi.”

But that wasn’t the worst of it. During the lunch break, as I was walking down the corridor, a group of guys suddenly appeared, blocking my path. They stood in perfect formation, heads bowed in unison.

“Oh Lord, our savior has finally arrived,” one of them said, his voice trembling with reverence.

“What the…?” I muttered, utterly baffled.

The apparent leader of the group stepped forward. He was a tall, lanky guy with glasses that kept sliding down his nose. His name tag read *Mikron*, though he looked anything but intimidating.

“Lord Garp,” he began, his tone solemn, “we are your loyal followers. We have formed a humble cult in your honor: the Servants of Garp.”

“You… you did what now?”

Mikron’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Your act of boldness—stealing and sniffing a panty in front of the entire school—was nothing short of revolutionary. You didn’t just break societal norms; you obliterated them. You’ve inspired us, Lord Garp, to embrace our true selves without shame or fear.”

I stared at them, utterly dumbfounded. “You… you think that was *inspiring*?”

“Absolutely,” Mikron said, nodding fervently. “We even looked into your past and discovered your legendary exploits in middle school—the Primitive Arena! Bare-knuckle brawls without gadgets or tech? That was genius! Truly, you were a visionary even back then.”

The other cult members murmured in agreement, their eyes filled with a disturbing mix of awe and devotion.

“Okay, hold up,” I said, raising a hand. “First of all, the Primitive Arena was just a stupid phase. Second, what exactly do you guys want from me?”

Mikron smirked triumphantly. “We want your blessing, Lord Garp. We wish to carry your legacy forward. To spread your bravery tale to the entire world. The whole world shall know of your heroics.”

“Oh, for the love of… No! Absolutely not!” I snapped. “Do *not* do that.”

The cult members froze, their expressions shifting from shock to confusion. For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to them. But then one of them, a short guy with wild hair, spoke up.

“Don’t you see, everyone?” he said, his voice rising with fervor. “Lord Garp is truly a selfless genius. He doesn’t want recognition or attention for himself. He wants *us* to carry forward his legacy and become heroes in our own right. He’s a vigilante who operates in the shadows, shunning the spotlight for the greater good!”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” I muttered, but it was too late. The cult members had already bought into this new narrative.

“You’re right!” Mikron declared, his eyes shining with newfound determination. “Lord Garp, we swear to rise to your expectations. We will make you proud!”

Before I could protest further, they all bowed deeply and marched off, leaving me standing there in stunned silence.

I ran a hand down my face and let out a long sigh. “What just happened?”

Actions have consequences. I heard it plenty of times before. But this was the first time I practically experienced it.

CHAPTER 19 END