Chapter 4 - The Distance Beetwen Friends

“That was close,” Van said as we walked away from Professor Jamund’s office.

I frowned. “What do you mean ‘close’? You mean ‘almost expelled’?”

Van chuckled. “Yeah, almost got kicked out. Only two days in and already about to graduate.”

“That’s not graduating, idiot. That’s an expulsion. The disgraceful kind.”

We walked side by side through the school corridor. Some classes were still in session, but most had already ended.

If you’re wondering what just happened, we had just gotten out of a long lecture—no, a scolding—from Professor Jamund after the duel incident. More precisely, after the crystal explosion that I caused.

Ah right, I forgot to explain. That crystal was the same kind used for testing magic attributes. The only difference was the size. So, why did it explode?

Good question. To understand that, we need to learn about how crystals work. They absorb mana from magic users. After absorbing mana, they store it within themselves. However, crystals can't absorb mana forever. They need to have an output to maintain their shape. So, when a crystal has too much mana, or absorbs too much, it struggles to maintain its shape. Because of the change in shape, the stored mana is released. Unfortunately, this released mana can't be magic. So the crystal releases this mana in the form of an energy explosion, as just happened.

Also, the crystals used in attribute testing are essentially the same. However, because they're larger, they can store more mana. I'm sure those crystals are replaced periodically. No one wants to see them explode in the middle of school.

And how do I know all that? Hehe, proudly I’ll say it—it’s from the game. I once read the item description. If not for that, who knows how bad things could’ve gotten.

“Hey, Nolan. Why are you grinning like that?” Van elbowed me.

Can’t he just let me enjoy this little moment of pride?

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about what happened.”

“You mean getting yelled at by Professor Jamund?”

“Not that,” I scratched my head.

That said, Professor Jamund’s scolding was legendary. He’s not the type to shout, but more the lecture-you-for-hours type. We finished just before sunset. I’d guess it was around 8 hours long. Impressive for someone that old—he even skipped lunch.

“Anyway, I’m starving. Want to grab food?” I groaned.

“You’re right. Now that you mention it, my stomach’s growling too,” Van said, holding his stomach.

Of course it is. We haven’t eaten all day.

“Think the cafeteria still has food left?” I asked, picturing empty tables and cleaned-out counters.

“Definitely not. And even if there were leftovers, the lunch lady would scold us. Remember the rules—no meals outside mealtimes,” Van said, mimicking the lunch lady’s pose.

Grrrr. My stomach answered for me.

Van turned and stared. “Hahaha. You really are hungry.”

I punched his shoulder. “You’re hungry too, idiot. We’ve been in a scolding marathon since—”

Grrr.

“Ack, what was that? Hahaha,” I teased.

Van rubbed his stomach. “Of course I’m hungry. What normal person could survive that long listening to an old man rant?”

“Careful what you say. We might get called in again for gossiping about him.”

Van laughed. “Let’s not. I’d rather die of starvation than that.”

We laughed together. It had been a long time since I laughed that freely. It reminded me of my childhood.

“Hey, Nolan. Stop,” Van said. His voice turned serious.

Hearing that, I tensed. “What’s wrong?”

Van didn’t answer. He just remained silent and pointed ahead with his chin.

I looked in the direction Van was pointing. At the end of the corridor leading to the dormitory, stood a woman wearing our school uniform. She seemed to be standing still, leaning against the corridor wall, as if waiting for someone. I couldn’t tell who it was because they were still a distance away. “Who’s that?”

“Alya,” Van replied curtly.

“Huh, really?” I asked, confused. Van’s eyesight was unmistakable. Beastmen are indeed blessed with above-average sensory abilities.

“What was she doing there?” I asked.

Van shook his head, unsure. Of course, he didn’t know Alya well.

Could she be targeting us? Was she angry about what happened in class earlier? Was she out for revenge? Well, that made sense. We, or more precisely, I, had almost killed Sheela, who was currently her closest friend.

Gosh, this is getting even more complicated.

“He’s running this way, Nolan,” Van said.

“What?” I squinted at the figure. Sure enough, it was running toward us. “Run, Van,” I said curtly.

We ran in the opposite direction. Or so we planned.

Thud.

We collapsed. My energy was gone.

Van and I exchanged glances. Van must have been exhausted from the duel. I personally don't train physically. All that running and throwing crystals had drained me. Especially since we'd just listened to Professor Jamund's lecture for eight hours.

"Wow, looks like we're all exhausted," Van said as if it weren't a big deal.“Welp, looks like we’re out of energy,” Van said like it wasn’t a big deal.

“What do you mean? We have to—”

"Nolan, Van. Is that you?" the person shouted. Van was right, it was Alya. Oh my, what's she doing approaching us? And what's with that physique of hers? She's running so fast.

"Come on, Nolan. Let's just let Alya do what she wants. We can't do anything anyway." Van planted his feet on the corridor floor. He made himself as comfortable as possible.

What is this idiot doing? We should be running, you know?

However, it was too late. Alya was already in front of us.

"Huh, you guys are avoiding me," Alya said. She looked at us in turn.

Wow, she's running that fast and doesn't seem tired at all. What kind of monster is this in front of me?

"I just wanted to give you this." Alya opened her backpack. I just realized she was carrying a backpack. Wait, running with a backpack?

"Here, are your notes from class," Alya said, holding out her book.

"Huh?" I was confused.

"Hey, don't you guys need it? You missed your afternoon class, right?" Alya was confused by my response.

"Hahaha." Van laughed. This idiot, can't read the situation?

"Oh, so funny. Ouch, ouch, my stomach hurts. Hahaha," Van laughed heartily. I don't know what was so funny about it.

Alya stared at him in confusion.

"Forget this idiot," I said, trying to distract her from her confused gaze. "You were waiting for us and then ran all the way here just for notes?"

She blinked. “Ah, no. There’s more. One sec.” She dug back into her bag and pulled out two wooden lunch boxes.

“You guys haven’t eaten, right? I got extra lunch for you. Don’t worry, I told the lunch lady already,” she added with a smile.

I stared. She… did that for us?

“What do you mean by doing this?” I asked.

“Eh? What do I mean?” She looked puzzled.

This girl might be an airhead too.

“I mean, why go this far? What do you get out of it?”

“Huh? Get what? Why would I get anything?" Alya tilted her head. "You’re my friends, right? Is it wrong to help friends? Or… did I misunderstand?”

Huh? What… did she just say?

“Hahaha. Look at this. Too funny.” Van burst out laughing again.

I smacked him.

“Ow! What was that for? She’s helping us, and you’re angry?”

I ignored Van's chatter. Instead, I stared at Alya's confused face. There was only a childlike innocence there. I couldn't detect any hidden motive. It seemed like she was telling the truth. Well, it was natural for me to be a little suspicious. Maybe Alya was doing this because Sheela forced her, right? There's no way someone you don't even know would help you.

I took a deep breath. "Ah, never mind. Thanks for the notes and the lunch." I accepted the book and lunch from Alya.

"Pfft. What did I just see? Oh, shit, I'm going to laugh again." Van covered his mouth, trying hard to hold back his laughter.

"Do it again, or I'll eat your lunch too," I threatened.

"Hey, don't. I was just joking," Van said pleadingly. I glared at him before handing him his lunch box. Van took it gladly. He quickly opened the lunch box, inhaling the aroma of the food, which I was sure was gone.

I opened the lunch box, containing the food from earlier. It was better than starving to death. I started eating.

“Hehe, you two seem close,” Alya said, looking at us both. She was sitting cross-legged to my left, while Van was on my right.

“Cough,” I coughed reflexively.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Alya said.

“You. Can you stop saying weird things?” I said.

“Hey, just leave it. You don’t know how to be grateful, do you? She’s already gone to all this trouble. Why are you scolding her?” Van said. “Besides, we’re close, hehe,” Van chuckled as he looked at Alya. Alya, who had been frightened by my reaction, seemed to calm down a bit.

“Relax, Alya. I’m not as serious as this kid. He’s been a bit sensitive lately. Maybe, this happens because he lov…”

I elbowed Van in the stomach.

“Ohok. Hey, you. My food is spilling out.”

“You started it. Don’t spread weird rumors.”

Van chuckled.

Alya laughed too. “Hmm, I wish our friendship was like yours,” Alya said, wiping away tears from her laughter.

“Hmm, what do you mean, Alya?” Van asked.

Alya played with her hair. “Well, maybe you guys don’t realize it. But, Sheela is too serious sometimes.”

Oh, she was talking about Sheela.

“Yeah, I can feel that. He’s similar to Nolan in many ways,” Van said, nodding.

“What do you mean similar?” I probed.

“Hey, this is serious. I mean, you two seem to be quiet a lot. I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Van said. “It’s like you’re both thinking about something really hard.”

Alya agreed with Van. “Yeah, I agree. Sometimes I catch Sheela daydreaming. In class or in her room.”

“Room? You mean? You?” I asked, confused.

“Ah, we’re roommates.”

Oh, so that’s how Sheela got along with Alya.

“Hmm, that’s the gist of it. I often joke around to lighten the mood, but Sheela’s only reaction is a smile. That smile, too, somehow, feels forced,” Alya continued. “That’s why I envy you guys. During that duel, you instantly understood each other. Then, when I saw you chatting earlier, you seemed to be enjoying it. It was as if neither of you had anything to hide.”

I seemed to be starting to understand Alya and Sheela’s predicament. It’s true, it’s not easy for elves to socialize with people outside their race. They’re used to living in isolation, so they’re used to keeping their problems to themselves. In this academy, which has just opened its doors to students from outside the human race, it’s natural for other races like elves to have difficulty socializing.

“Hmm, I think I understand your problem, Alya,” I said.

“Wow, do you have any plans, Nolan?” Van asked. "Get ready, Alya. The genius Mr. Nolan is about to come up with a brilliant idea," Van said.

Alya stared at me in amazement.

Damn Van. You're exaggerating. Moreover, what I'm about to say has nothing to do with their friendship.

I'm more worried about one thing. About Sheela, who will become the Boss of Act 1 . She's the main villain of the current act. And one of the reasons for that is her background as an elf.

So far, Alya's story remains consistent with what happened in the game. Luckily, it hasn't changed much. However, I don't know how quickly this plot will change. I need to gather more information.

I turned to Alya.

“Alya, can you tell me more about Sheela?”