SWNOVELXO Chapter 26 - Meal (5)
✦ Chapter 26 – Meal (5) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
“Oh dear, are you all right? It’s not a good idea to sleep in a place like this.” I said, offering a hand to the still-unconscious lackey.
But despite my kind gesture, the guy didn’t move a muscle. Hmm… maybe he was actually knocked out.
“Just how hard must you have studied to fall asleep right in the dining hall? Truly, the academy seniors are remarkable. Not that I want to follow their example.”
“Phffft!”
A few students watching the spectacle chuckled.
They were all academy students; they knew exactly what had happened.
Simply tripping over my leg wouldn’t have knocked him out cold.
The reason he was unconscious was that he’d been using mana to enhance his physical strength when he tripped.
“You bastard!”
Enraged by the mockery directed at his friend, another of the worm’s lackeys moved towards me, yelling. His burly physique and the sword at his waist made it clear – this one was a swordsman.
He lunged at me, his hand outstretched, ready to grab me.
But his hand never reached its target.
Before I could even react, someone grabbed the man’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.
A slender, pale hand, seemingly delicate and fragile, had intercepted the swordsman’s powerful grasp. He struggled to break free, his muscles straining against the unexpected restraint.
“Ugh…”
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake off that slender hand. The woman holding him tightened her grip, her voice low and dangerous.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“J-Johanna! Let… let go!”
It was Johanna.
She had moved from her seat across the table to my side in the blink of an eye, intercepting the swordsman’s attack before I even had time to register what was happening.
‘When did she…?’
I could have sworn she was still sitting in her chair mere moments ago.
Johanna tightened her grip, forcing the burly swordsman to his knees; the sight of a man his size kneeling before a woman, his face contorted in pain, was… surreal.
This guy, like the others, was one of the prince’s lackeys, and likely among the stronger third-year students. The fact that he couldn’t break free from a second-year like Johanna could only mean one thing.
She was significantly stronger than him.
Johanna was the strongest student in her year.
And if you included the third years, she was the second strongest in the entire academy.
The implication of this was clear — excluding Jorden, there was no one in the entire student body who could defeat Johanna.
Johanna, her face betraying no emotion, calmly snapped the swordsman’s arm with a sickening crack.
He screamed in agony, his face contorted in pain.
“Aaaaargh!!”
His screams echoed through the stunned silence of the cafeteria.
Johanna, unfazed, released the man, turning towards me with a concerned expression.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” she asked, her voice filled with concern, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor when dealing with the man.
“I’m fine. Thanks to you, I’m perfectly unharmed. But… I can’t say the same about him,” I gestured towards the swordsman, who was now writhing on the floor, clutching his broken arm.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Ignoring the whimpering swordsman, Johanna stepped closer, carefully examining my arms and legs for any sign of injury.
“Do you want to go to the infirmary?”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine!” I insisted.
I hadn’t even had a chance to get hurt.
Jorden had frozen the first attacker, and Johanna had neutralized the second before he could even touch me.
The worm prince, witnessing the complete and utter failure of his lackeys, turned his rage upon them.
“What are you idiots waiting for? Get these useless fools out of here!”
““““Yes, Your Highness!””””
The remaining lackeys scrambled to gather their fallen comrades, dragging the unconscious one and supporting the other, who was still whimpering in pain.
“My apologies for my men’s … behavior, Johanna,” The prince said, forcing a smile. “Perhaps I could make it up to you with dinner sometime?” He ignored me completely.
“Johanna?”
She continued to fuss over me, completely oblivious to the prince’s attempt at flirting.
A few stifled giggles erupted from the surrounding students.
The prince, hearing the laughter, glared at the crowd, trying to identify the source. But with so many students watching, it was impossible to tell who had dared to laugh at him.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, then turned and stormed out of the cafeteria, his entourage trailing behind him.
He paused beside me, leaning down, his voice a menacing whisper.
“You… be careful,” he hissed, his hand resting on my shoulder.
The touch sent a shiver down my spine, a wave of disgust washing over me. It felt as if a swarm of worms was crawling all over my skin.
“Thank you for your concern,” I said, forcing a smile. “You be careful as well, Your Highness.”
I would have loved nothing more than to sever the hand resting on my shoulder, but for now, I couldn’t act on that impulse.
“I’ll make your time at the academy very enjoyable.”
But I had to restrain myself. For now.
“Wow, I’m looking forward to how you’ll make it enjoyable for me. I’ll make sure your time at the academy is just as entertaining.”
That’s the advantage of the mask—I didn’t have to worry about managing my expressions, just my voice.
As I countered each of the worm’s provocations, I could hear the students around us swallowing nervously.
“Let’s go.”
Finally, the worm removed his hand from my shoulder and exited the cafeteria, followed by his lackeys who glared at me on the way out.
Curiously, none of them dared to glare at Johanna or Jorden as they left.
I suppose, among us three, I was the easiest target.
As I sat back down, I surveyed the cafeteria.
Every single student was staring at me.
Lucas, though concerned, seemed to be contemplating his next move.
As the Crown Prince, he couldn’t simply ignore the blatant disrespect shown to a foreign royal, no matter how insignificant the kingdom.
Even Sepia, who had haughtily ignored me earlier, now looked at me with a worried expression. It seemed seeing me targeted by the prince had softened her stance.
Clara, who had been visibly trembling since Jorden’s arrival, now seemed… almost relieved. Perhaps she was thinking, ‘Well, at least it’s not me causing trouble this time.’
And the other special class students? Every single one of them was looking at me with concern. It was heartwarming to see such concern from people I’d only just met.
Professor Elysia had definitely chosen her students well.
To show I was fine, I raised my hand and waved towards them. However, the anxious looks didn’t change.
I suppose those reactions were understandable.
Being targeted by a prince – any prince – was a serious matter.
But what they failed to realize was…
I wasn’t the one who had been targeted.
The worm had stumbled into my web.
“Everyone, back to your meals,” Jorden’s voice cut through the tension, restoring order to the cafeteria. The students, obediently, returned to their seats and resumed their lunches.
No one dared to challenge Jorden, especially after witnessing his display of power.
As he walked past me, he leaned down, his voice barely a whisper.
“You’ve mellowed out quite a bit.”
“Ahaha…”
His comment left me speechless; all I could do was let out a small laugh.
Jorden knew the old me, which made things awkward.
How would I have acted back then?
I fiddled with my nearly empty lunch tray, having already finished my food.
If this had been the old me… the moment that worm touched my mask, I would have caved his skull in with my tray.
Consequences? What consequences? The old me didn’t think about consequences. The old me acted on instinct, a feral beast driven by primal urges.
“……….…”
I shuddered, pushing the dark memories away.
I felt a gaze upon me and looked up to find Johanna staring, a frown marring her usually impassive face.
“Do you know him?” she asked.
She’d been close enough to overhear Jorden’s words, no matter how quietly he’d spoken. And his use of honorifics must have made her even more curious.
“Yes, I owed him a lot back then.”
“How long have you known him?”
Hmm… we first met right after I arrived here, so…
“About six months. Why do you ask?”
Johanna repeated ‘six months’ to herself like she was trying to make sense of it. What was she thinking?
Then, out of the blue, she asked, “You’re not joining the Student Council, are you?”
What? Where did that come from?
Why bring up the student council all of a sudden?
“I was asked to join, but…”
Johanna leaned in closer, her face inches from mine. “When?”
What’s going on with her?
“On the day of the entrance ceremony, before heading to the inn. I refused, of course.”
She seemed relieved that I had declined. Realizing how close she had gotten, Johanna stepped back a bit, her face slightly flushed.
But she still had questions.
“What did he mean by ‘you’ve mellowed out’?”
I could tell she was still bothered by Jorden’s comment.
“It’s nothing important!”
Even if I could explain everything, talking about how I acted like a beast back then wasn’t something I wanted to share.
Perhaps sensing my reluctance to answer, she pouted, her gaze intensifying as she stared at me.
Then, out of the blue, she said something unexpected.
“After graduation, come join my family.”
“W-what?”
— End of Chapter —
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