Shocking declaration!
Chick #2 was actually a villainess?
At a truth that wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the most surprising of the year, Ihan felt momentarily bewildered.
Not anyone else, but.
'That sunfish is a mid-boss?'
More than anything, the mid-boss part is shocking.
Wasn't she someone who'd die from a light tap?
Even approaching from an assassin's perspective rather than a knight's, methods to kill her were plentiful.
'Where would they even use that?'
……A boss for events?
Well, spellcasters are naturally good for event use.
With the extremely conventional spellcaster discrimination remark, around the time Ihan's expression was growing increasingly bizarre—
"U-um…"
Taechang, flustered by his changing expression, was hastily spitting out excuses that weren't quite excuses.
Perhaps feeling his statement could be seen as sowing discord, he seemed to be quickly adding words to try and salvage the situation.
"I-it's of course a story from the p-past. O-or perhaps I may have misjudged the person. So please don't take it too much to heart, s-sir…."
"Making excuses like that makes it sound even more like sowing discord."
"…I realized that too, belatedly."
Whatever he might say, the seed of doubt had already been planted in his heart.
The fellow made a crying face as if to say this isn't it, but unlike his misunderstanding, Ihan could learn an additional new fact.
'…Now that I look at it, the situation is playing out rather oddly, isn't it?'
This status window guy.
'He doesn't know that Chick #2 is a possessor.'
What could be his intention in specifically bringing up Irene's name?
It would be because the Irene he knew and the current Irene were different people.
But Taechang doesn't grasp the reason Irene has changed.
Even though he possesses the cheat key called the 'Status' skill.
This means there are largely two implications.
'One is that the skill's performance might be worse than I expected, and another is that it might need quite a long cooldown.'
Balance patch.
Because it's an overly overpowered skill, if there are restrictions or a long cooldown making it unusable frequently, it would make sense that he doesn't know the chick's identity.
That was also the highest possibility.
'If that's the case, does this mean this guy came to find me even before the regressor or possessor?'
This guy is funny too.
Why would he waste that precious skill when there's nothing to feel suspicious about from a mere instructor?
'Anyway, both the chick and that insolent black-haired young master….'
They were all bizarre fellows without exception.
* * *
Even after that, the Q&A between Ihan and Derrick continued.
"T-then with Young Lord Roen as well…."
"I met him first at the Academy. Before that, there wasn't even any connection between us."
"I-I see."
"Why do you ask? Perhaps you were acquaintances with that insolent black-haired young master too?"
"…He is still the Grand Duke's son, is it fine for you to call him that way?"
"An insolent fellow is called insolent, what else should I call him."
"Mmm."
Derrick scratched his cheek and shook his head, saying he truly was an uninhibited person.
Even while doing so.
"…The Young Lord Roen I know should originally be in the North. It's an important period for him to become the complete successor of the Northern Grand Duke."
He steadily continued his answer.
"He's still the youngest son and a bastard at that."
"That doesn't matter. What's important to Lionel is only bloodline and noble soul. If only those are satisfied, anyone is given successor qualification. In that sense, right now in the North, political strife over the successor position is in full swing. But if Young Lord Roen remains in the Central region, it's the same as declaring he's stepped down from the successor position."
"He'll seek it later, well."
"…Even as a Grand Duke's successor, aren't you saying it's something that can be obtained too easily?"
"Easily, of course. Rather, if someone with that much ability still gets it taken away, that fellow's limits are exactly at that level."
"How merciless you are."
"I'm speaking the truth. Rather, you care too much about other people's business. It's not even something you can have."
"…I-It's just because it seems like a waste."
"What's a waste?"
"T-That's…."
"Haha, enough. Save your words."
"……Yes."
Judging from the reaction, it seemed the black-haired young master fellow should have become the next Northern Grand Duke if things went as originally planned.
'In this world's original setting, the chick was apparently a villainess, and the young master fellow should have become the Northern Grand Duke, meaning a hitch occurred somewhere.'
Through Derrick's reaction and the information obtained so far, Ihan roughly organized the information in his own way, and the organized information made many facts explicit.
'Unlike what the fellow knows, the original chick wasn't a possessor, and the regressor wasn't a regressor.'
There are errors in information, but the world hasn't changed completely either.
Seeing this concept.
'Did they call it a multiverse?'
It's a theme I once encountered often through movies.
It was an interesting story, and if it were others, curiosity would have burned fiercely.
'That could be the case, well.'
Ihan didn't take it more complicatedly.
Originally, the reason he tried to obtain information was to find out how many more troublesome incidents and accidents would occur, not to learn about multiverses and such.
"Then I should be getting up."
"…Yes?"
"The debate seems to be winding down, so there's no point in continuing the conversation."
"……"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"…Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
"What about?"
"……"
…Taechang's expression changed in bewilderment.
'……What kind of person is he?'
They certainly had various conversations.
It was in a Q&A format, but Derrick knew this conversation was closer to just ordinary conversation revealing inner thoughts rather than Q&A, and it was a situation where Derrick was unilaterally pouring out words.
'This person just silently listened.'
In reality, Ihan's questions during the conversation weren't much.
Generally.
He would tease with things like 'Are you dating that purple-haired one?' or ask only things that could be answered anytime like 'If you learned combat techniques, you should have come to the Swordsmanship Department, why are you in the History Department?'
It was like a friendly neighborhood older brother giving consultation, and Derrick actually got that feeling.
'…And even when I asked questions, I only had strange questions.'
The mention of Irene Windler and Young Lord Roen was like that too.
He even secretly let slip things about the temple and skills.
…He must be crazy.
Why did he throw out such suspicious questions?
If anyone saw it, wouldn't it look like he was desperately asking them to recognize he was an openly suspicious person?
But more strange than such a suspicious self was—
'He never looked at me strangely or suspected me.'
This person.
Ihan himself was clearly a stranger person than him.
He consistently listened to Derrick's story seriously and nodded his head.
Suspicion?
None of that was visible.
Even though he dared to mention the daughter of a Ducal House and the likely successor of a Grand Ducal House, he didn't define Derrick's claims as strange superstition or sowing discord.
Hence his bewilderment.
How could this person seriously listen to the story of a complete stranger he's seeing for the first time?
Also, how could he approach so familiarly?
'Like listening to me vent.'
Perhaps today, Derrick may have let out more than he thought.
He may have said things he shouldn't have said.
He might be dragged to the knight order tomorrow on grounds of being suspicious.
But inside, he felt refreshed.
Just by secretly pouring out his inner thoughts that he hadn't been able to reveal to anyone until now to another person, his chest felt clear.
…So he wanted to ask.
"Is there really nothing more you want to ask? I'm a suspicious fellow. Even though such a fellow keeps spouting strange words, why do you nothing—"
Not ask—just as he was about to continue those words.
"Did you utter any lies?"
"…Yes?"
"I'm asking if there were any lies among the words you said. Or did you approach me because you have hostility toward me?"
"N-no! T-that's absolutely not the case!"
He hastily gave an immediate answer.
"Right, that's enough then. There were no lies in our respective answers and questions. That's sufficient."
"……"
"You don't seem convinced. Then I'll tell you additionally. This is something I also said to that black-haired one you're so absorbed in, but sometimes people shouldn't live with too much curiosity. Curiosity is sometimes a 'monster' more frightening than poison."
"…Monster."
"And this is personal advice, but don't try to live too difficultly."
"?"
"I don't know what circumstances you have. I don't know what you're hiding either. But if you try to live too complicatedly, that too becomes a problem. Rather, living simply and intuitively is the way to raise the quality of life, yet people try too hard to live complicatedly."
"……"
"I'll say it again, try to live simply and intuitively. Don't stake your life on trivial things. I just met a cadet today who has a lot of curiosity and is a bit unique in various ways. And we had a conversation."
"……"
"That's merely all there is to it."
"…Hah."
Derrick found it absurd after hearing advice like a grand speech.
What was that.
"…That's not much different from telling me to live as a fool, is it?"
Because it sounded like he was telling him to live simply, or to just avoid difficult things.
Just as he was about to continue his rebuttal.
"But you can live happily."
"……"
…His words were stopped.
The bright smile he showed in that instant was incomparably refreshing, and somewhere—
'Ah….'
Not caring about others' gazes, simply living his own life with confidence.
That kind of life, so enviable.
'I wanted to live like that too.'
Because he was deeply impressed by the attitude toward life he admired but couldn't have himself.
* * *
'Even I think I was being pretentious.'
Cough….
Ihan coughed repeatedly after realizing he had said something embarrassing.
He must have felt a bit bothered seeing a young kid living so complicatedly.
'Sigh, is it because I'm doing instructor work?'
Even though he wasn't a real educator, he ended up spouting a grand speech as if provoked.
The status window was clearly a young fellow who hadn't been in social life for long.
A guy who must have been pushed around here and there.
On top of that, there were awkward parts in his speech, so he probably got pushed around even more than others.
Upon feeling that, Ihan ended up overstepping.
Like a company senior who lived with only regrets, drunkenly reminiscing about the old days and giving useless advice.
Perhaps it was because he saw himself in that kid?
'…I was exactly like that.'
To be precise, the me of my past life.
After my grandfather passed away, becoming an orphan.
Anxious and desperate about immediate life, going to the military, getting pushed around this way and that by superiors, and ending up dying at a young age.
So Ihan 'pities' his past life.
He doesn't regret it.
Because at that time, he had no choice but to live like that.
But he pities it.
Unable to become the subject of my own life, only able to live while caring about others' gazes, always living complicatedly and only suffering, not even knowing what happiness was—feeling sorrowful for that me.
'I hope you don't live like that.'
A young junior who might be a fellow countryman.
Rather than a younger brother who might only be swayed by others and living complicatedly, since he at least prided himself on having more experience, he gave advice and….
Ihan hoped he would change.
In a positive direction.
Still.
"…Sorry, I ended up acting like a boomer."
"No, rather my chest feels refreshed actually."
"Words you don't mean."
"I-It's true though…."
"Enough with the flattery. More importantly, you should hurry and go. That purple-haired one seems to be waiting for you."
"Mmm…."
At some point, the debate had ended, and people were swarming around the girl who performed splendidly, presenting her with bouquets.
But strangely, the girl's gaze was fixed precisely on the status window.
Even though he denied the relationship, they certainly didn't seem to be on ordinary terms.
"…It's not like that."
"Then I'll assume you're in a some-relationship."
"Ugh…!"
"Enough, stop being lovey-dovey and go quickly. If you don't want to be nitpicked later."
"…Yes."
Like that, Taechang got up and trudged away.
Like a husband who can't stand up to his wife.
Already acting like that at this stage, his future is somewhat pitiful.
……No, am I more pitiful?
At that moment.
He stopped.
"…Instructor."
"Aren't you going quickly?"
"T-that's not it, I-I felt like there was something I definitely had to say left."
"What?"
"I-I'm aware I'm saying strange things again, but I'll still say it. ……On the last day of the exam, an 'ogre' will appear. Please be careful."
"……"
"T-then I'll take my leave now."
"……"
…The fellow ran off in a hurry.
He seemed aware that he had said something pointless, but as if he had no regrets whatsoever.
Having declared what he couldn't say to anyone, his expression looked refreshed.
However, on the contrary.
"…That Taechang guy, dropping a bombshell at the very end."
The last day of the exam.
These words meant.
"It's our kids' exam day…."
Saying it was unlucky timing no matter what, Ihan's expression crumpled mercilessly.