I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

38 – White Tiger Under the Sun

The faces of the elders gathered for the meeting were not pleased.

Hadn’t the carefully planned work been overturned twice already, without even knowing why?

The wrinkles, like furrows, could have deepened.

Even so, is that all there is to it?

The problem that presented fatigue was not just that.

“Ugh…”

It was time to gather wisdom and come up with a profound answer to prevent the same mishap from happening again.

Recently, another issue had arisen that could not be ignored.

“Do you have any idea why the princess has been asking strange questions lately?”

“She has been doing the same to me.”

“Hmph! I wonder where she got such absurd ideas from…”

The elders always reacted the same way, thinking it was just occasional rebellion.

But the princess’s reaction was distinctly different from before.

Simply pushing her to focus on training as before did not make her back down gracefully.

Her persistent demand for answers was, to exaggerate a bit, enough to make even a leech flee in surprise.

“At this age, just encountering such reckless behavior is exhausting.”

“Seeing how she hits the most uncomfortable points… she truly is a Testarossa.”

“Heh, I thought the same.”

She suddenly insisted on attending the elders’ meetings as a member of the royal family, or at least demanded that the minutes be made and given to her.

Her sudden, impossible requests and her refusal to back down easily were quite bothersome.

“She said the same thing to me.”

When the princess was young, she did not forget the hastily concocted facts to gloss over the situation.

She wondered if the compatriots who had settled in a safe country were doing well, and where exactly they had been sent.

If possible, she even showed a desire to meet them and offer words of comfort.

“How can you meet the compatriots who returned to their mother’s embrace for the greater good?”

This was a matter that, if prodded further, would be even more troublesome than the previous issue.

The princess, showing an unprecedented attitude, seemed to need strong restraint.

“Great Elder, what should we do?”

“Hmmm… I told you to discard distractions if you want to become a weapon to reclaim glory. You have not yet fulfilled your duty.”

The bloodline of Testarossa meets the qualities and conditions to become a bullet that will pierce Frozenheart.

A being that must be embraced, whether liked or not.

However, such constant wayward behavior is not at all pleasant to the elders.

“Let’s put that aside for now. There is a more important matter at hand.”

“Khmm… It’s not easy to just put it aside…”

Tap! Tap!

The Great Elder struck the floor with his staff, cutting off the conversation.

The elders closed their mouths and focused their gaze on the head seat.

“With all this commotion, can we even get to the main topic today?”

“….”

“Let’s leave the discussion about the princess for the next agenda and address the most important matter first.”

The Great Elder, wearing a luxurious robe that did not match the background, took an item out of his bosom.

The old elf sitting at the head of the table took out a pitch-black, glittering coin.

Just touching it seemed to bring misfortune, and on both sides of it, human hands were depicted.

The elders gasped as soon as they saw it.

“oooh!”

“Are they helping us again this time?”

“Ahhh…! It feels like our long-cherished wish is finally within reach!”

The grand elder quietly observed the fuss of the elders.

Having enjoyed wealth and glory, they must be feeling thirsty in such a narrow place.

It was a predictable scene.

“Now that we have found the answer, we must prepare to show our sincerity. Otherwise, we might have to make another disadvantageous contract.”

“There are remaining treasures, so let’s select from there.”

Although they had promised painful future expenditures with the help of Tigrova, there was no doubt about their skills.

This time too, they believed that Tigrova would clear the blocked path.

The elders had no doubt.

*

A Saturday with no academy classes.

When Rohan finished his workout in the training room and came out, there was a message from Clara.

[Clara: The macarons you gave me are really delicious! ()]

‘You finally ate them.’

The girl, who had hesitated to eat them because they were too precious, finally tasted the macarons today.

A long message filled with appreciation and gratitude arrived, saying it was the first time they had tasted something like this.

The rainbow macarons I gifted Clara were 8P.

It was not a waste at all.

Just seeing her enjoy them was worth more than anything.

‘Even Ichinose praised them. The taste of the foods bought with points is indeed guaranteed.’

After replying to Clara,

Rohan packed his bag and left the training room, heading back to the dormitory.

As he walked, he reflected on Clara’s recent behavior.

“Hmm…”

When at the bookstore, she converses more comfortably than before and shows a bright smile.

The messages exchanged have become more playful and intimate than before, but Rohan noticed.

Clara’s recent behavior sometimes seemed strange.

‘It’s difficult.’

Her timid actions were within the normal range for Rohan, who knew Clara.

But the unusual gestures she showed since the day they talked at the caf were different.

The problem was that he couldn’t guess what it was.

During conversations, she often trailed off as if something came to mind, then gave up.

It was clear she was curious about something.

‘Well, I’ll have to wait.’

Even though he was curious, he knew he shouldn’t push her too hard.

This is the definitive answer regarding Clara.

Still, isn’t it nice to feel that the distance has significantly reduced?

The relationship with Clara is steadily progressing.

“.”

A weekend where I finished exercising more leisurely than on weekdays.

Walking down the academy city’s boulevard with the sound of footsteps echoing, the sun brightly shining.

Stores that weren’t open early in the morning have opened, and there are quite a few pedestrians.

Rohan slowed his pace and looked around.

It was to buy what he had thought of while giving Clara the macarons.

‘I should get a gift for the store manager too.’

He wanted to repay the various considerations.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t receive help in his relationship with Clara.

‘You said no hard things. Should I look for something soft?’

Rohan turned in a different direction on his way back to the dormitory.

Even if he remembered the buildings prominently shown in Abyss City, he didn’t know in detail what kind of shops were around here.

He planned to find out this time.

And when it comes to gifts, the main character who comes to mind.

‘Would the instructor accept something from a cadet?’

It’s difficult to give something to this person.

Regardless of preferences, it seems like they would refuse a gift from a cadet due to regulations.

Unable to make a decision, he set it aside for a moment.

He passed by the shopping district he had seen earlier and went deeper.

Rohan moved inward.

‘Oh! There’s a place like this.’

Just looking around made him feel like he was traveling abroad.

Rohan stopped in front of a wagashi shop that had opened from Samhwaguk.

He tasted the thinly sliced yokan offered as a sample.

It was pleasantly delicious. This sweetness would go well with the hot tea the shopkeeper always drank.

“Can you wrap this up as a gift?”

“Oh, of course!”

The man in traditional Samhwaguk attire nodded vigorously.

Rohan followed the guide into the shop.

He looked around at the neatly arranged products.

‘Samhwaguk chestnut yokan. The small size is 2 coins, not too expensive… This should be fine.’

Rohan wasn’t particularly wealthy.

But this could be considered a cost-saving measure.

“Please wrap this one.”

“Thank you!”

The employee’s skilled hands quickly prepared a neat paper bag and placed it on the counter.

After finishing the calculations and stepping out.

The sunlight was too good to just go back.

Since I was already out, I decided to continue my walk through the alley.

Then I saw a quiet park, and beyond the bushes, I heard a familiar voice.

Roll to the left.

Meow!

Look at that move! Roll to the right.

Meow!

With a sense of curiosity, Rohan quickened his pace.

He checked beyond the bushes.

“Don’t jump into the road ahead. Got it?”

Meow…

As expected, the owner of the voice was Noah Frozenheart.

Rohan’s guess was right, but the scene was so incomprehensible that he was at a loss for words.

?

In front of Noah, chubby cats were rolling around, being disciplined.

“You guys have better hearing than most people, right? But if you ignore the sounds you hear and just pass by, you could get hit by a car. Got it?”

Meow, meow!

When Noah growled and threatened them, the cats flipped over, showing their bellies.

It was quite a sight.

“What are you doing…?”

Rohan, who had been watching the situation, stepped out from the bushes.

Did the presence of someone break his concentration?

His eyes met with Noah Frozenheart’s.

“Huh?”

It seemed like Noah was also surprised to see him, as his round ears perked up.