Gathering (4)

How many instances are there in which time seems to pass relatively quickly? Everyone has different standards, but broadly speaking, there are two.

The first is when you're doing something extremely enjoyable or entertaining. Just as people say they enjoyed themselves without realizing how quickly time passed, time flies when you're focused on something. Afterward, they regret the lost time and lament that there wasn't enough of it.

The second is when the same daily routine continues day after day. This case is slightly different. The process is unbearably dull, but when you look back, you realize that an incredible amount of time has passed.

And I was experiencing both phenomena described above. Time passed quickly because I enjoyed the lectures I wanted to hear, while the boring lectures flew by because I zoned out.

As a result, it seemed like just yesterday that I had bought formalwear with my sister, but it was already Friday. Since I didn't attend the last lecture on Friday, economics, all my classes ended at three.

"That's all for today's lecture. I hope you have an enjoyable time at tomorrow's gathering, everyone."

As the short-haired professor politely bowed, the lecture hall filled with applause. I, too, responded to his excellent lecture with enthusiastic applause.

The lecture I had just attended, 'military science,' was nothing more than a class I had taken to earn a grade, but the professor explained things so well that I naturally became interested. Whenever I asked questions based on the historical knowledge from my previous life, he explained things in a way I could understand.

"And Isaac?"

"Yes?"

Just as the applause began to die down, the professor called my name. I stopped clapping and froze when he singled me out.

The professor maintained his characteristic stern expression as he spoke with an emphatic tone.

"As I said earlier, naval battles fought at sea are entirely different from battles on land. Even if there were an 'avatar,' as you put it, the strength produced by an overwhelming difference in physical size would still be impossible to overcome."

"Ah... Yes."

"Still, it was quite a good question. How to turn around an unfavorable battle using nothing but command, without any troops possessing notable force. But keep in mind that a wise commander wouldn't have entered that battle in the first place. Well, then."

The military science professor gave his concise explanation and left the lecture hall. Even after he had gone, I couldn't help feeling dumbfounded.

'Then how did Admiral Yi win the Battle of Myeongnyang?'

The subject I had asked about during the lecture was the 'Battle of Myeongnyang.' It was an achievement accomplished by the revered Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a national hero, and a historical truth no Korean could possibly be unaware of.

Of course, I hadn't explained the detailed historical background and had adapted it to fit this world as best I could. Although the Joseon navy was lacking in numbers during the Battle of Myeongnyang, its overall capabilities were excellent, so I hadn't forgotten to add various details. I had quietly attended lectures for two weeks just for this, and only today had I finally asked the question.

However, the military science professor had stated flatly that victory was absolutely 'impossible.' It might be possible to inflict heavy damage on the opposing side, but victory was impossible—even if the commander were an 'avatar' chosen by a god.

'Did I make the analogy too strange? If not...'

I couldn't tell whether it was because Earth and this world were simply too different, or whether Admiral Yi's very existence was truly impossible.

In fact, the situation in real history had been even worse than the naval situation I described to the professor. I had made the background and circumstances somewhat more favorable just in case, yet the professor had still declared it impossible.

"Why are you making such a serious face? Even I can tell it's a ridiculous story."

While I was agonizing over how to make it a little more realistic, Marie, sitting beside me, snickered and spoke to me. I stopped thinking for a moment and looked at her.

Marie had one corner of her mouth raised and wore an expression that said I should say something that made sense.

"...You think so too?"

"Of course. How could twelve ships possibly defeat a force of more than a hundred ships? If I were in charge, I would have cut off the head of any commander who dared to undertake such a battle. It would be better to preserve those troops and combine them with another force. From a soldier's perspective, there couldn't be a more pointless death."

And yet Admiral Yi had won. Even though he had been half abandoned by the king, the navy he had built with his own hands had already been completely ruined by Won Gyun.

But of course, I never said any of that. I simply smiled foolishly and agreed with her.

"Hahaha... I suppose you're right? It is a ridiculous story, isn't it?"

"You do have a strange side to you sometimes."

Marie said that as she stood up. I also stood up to return to the dormitory.

"You're leaving?"

When the two of us stood up, Rina asked in her gentle voice from behind us. Cecily was sitting beside her, for the record.

Cecily had originally decided to sit separately from Rina until she finished reading Volume 8 of The Chronicle of Xenon, but that was no longer the case. It seemed she had finished reading Volume 8.

"You know that Isaac and I aren't taking economics. Why are you asking?"

Marie answered in a prickly tone. I had sensed it before, but as time went on, Marie seemed to become increasingly uncomfortable around Rina. Before, she had merely been subtly wary of her, but now she was practically being openly hostile.

Rina, however, merely shrugged with complete composure. The small smile at the corner of her mouth clearly showed that Marie's behavior didn't bother her in the slightest.

"I just felt a little disappointed. I wanted to talk with you two a bit longer."

"Could you stop saying things you don't mean? Come on, Isaac."

"Uh... Yeah."

"See you both at the gathering tomorrow~"

Before I could move, Cecily smiled brightly and waved at me. As though enchanted by her greeting, I waved back, then hurried after Marie.

Even as I followed behind Marie, I didn't forget to greet Rina. When I bowed my head slightly to her, Rina's smile grew even deeper.

That smile made me feel a little uneasy, but I forced the feeling away.

"Honestly... I hate that irritating smile no matter how often I see it."

After leaving the lecture hall and heading back to the dormitory, Marie grumbled. Rather than simply grumbling, she was practically badmouthing Rina.

I was curious about why Marie disliked Rina, but I didn't bring it up. I usually refrain from asking about such things until the person involved asks me directly.

Instead, it would be better to change the subject and lighten the mood. I watched Marie's expression, then cautiously spoke up.

"You're attending the gathering tomorrow too, right?"

"Even if I don't want to, I have no choice. I'm Duke Lequilis's daughter. I need to build connections in advance."

Nicole had described the gathering as an event where freshmen laughed, chatted, and had fun, but judging from Marie's explanation, it seemed to have another purpose as well.

As Marie said, the most important thing for nobles was connections—in other words, their network of contacts.

Without connections, there would be no one to help them in a crisis, and politics was an issue nobles could never ignore.

To commoners, the freshman gathering was merely an event, but to nobles, it was a place to build connections. Put simply, it was practice for the future.

"You said you're attending too, right? I heard it from Rina."

Marie looked at me as she asked. I didn't know when she had heard, but it was true, so I nodded.

When I confirmed it, Marie's delicate brows drew slightly together. Her discomfort was plainly visible.

"You really do have a talent for making people uncomfortable. Rina didn't pressure you, did she? Tell me honestly."

"Absolutely not. I'm attending of my own accord."

"Hmm..."

At my denial, Marie opened her blue eyes wide and stared directly at me. As Cecily had mentioned before, my thoughts tended to show clearly on my face.

Marie couldn't read my expression with Cecily's mind-reading ability, but she was good at guessing based on my complexion. So I was doing my best to calm myself and control my face so its color wouldn't change.

A moment later, after staring intently at my face, Marie backed off with an uncertain expression. Fortunately, my complexion didn't seem to have changed.

"It really was voluntary? Rina didn't say anything with the nuance of, I wish you'd attend—did she?"

"Absolutely not."

Marie knew Rina well precisely because she disliked her so much.

"And you even bought formalwear?"

"Formalwear?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm..."

After hearing that I had bought formalwear, Marie let out a strange hum and looked me up and down. Her gaze felt like she was evaluating me, which made me slightly uncomfortable.

Eventually, apparently having finished her assessment(?), Marie nodded and spoke. Her voice sounded satisfied.

"It should suit you pretty well. Who made it?"

"Uh... I don't know. My sister picked it out for me."

"How much did it cost?"

"Was it seven gold and ninety-nine silver?"

"Huh? That's all it cost?"

I suppose that was the standard for a duke's daughter. She treated formalwear costing eight gold—800,000 won—as 'not much.'

I was reminded once again of her family and asked her in return.

"What about you?"

"I brought mine from home. My father gave it to me as a birthday present, and it's a dress made for me by the famous Jelt."

Marie spoke proudly and confidently, but I didn't even know who Jelt was. Perhaps he was a craftsman specializing in tailoring.

In this world, the fabrics used to make clothing were quite advanced, as evidenced by athletic wear and leggings. Alchemy could replace chemistry, and recipes were widely circulated, making a certain degree of mass production possible.

However, making clothes was a separate matter.

Not even sewing machines had been invented here, so everything had to be stitched by hand, one stitch at a time. Whatever the case for commoners, noble garments were made by artisans and cost an outrageous amount.

"That must have been incredibly expensive."

"Of course. Even a rough estimate would put it comfortably above 100 gold. Well, it's cheap for something made by Jelt."

A single dress cost ten million won? As expected, the world of the rich was impossible to understand.

Marie seemed to get mischievous as she talked, because she gave me a bratty smile. Then she declared with overflowing confidence,

"Don't fall for me when you see me wearing my dress. Even my brother was forced to admit that I looked pretty."

I answered her prank with a single sentence.

"You're pretty even now."

"...Huh?"

"You're pretty enough even now."

"Uh... Uhh..."

Perhaps she realized that I was blunt but sincere. Her snow-white, rice-cake-like skin instantly turned red. My answer seemed to have caught her quite off guard.

But it remained an undeniable fact that Marie was a beautiful woman. I had merely stated that fact as it was.

"Uh... I... That's... Ugh..."

After that, Marie fidgeted for quite some time and couldn't easily get any words out. Her face had turned so red that if someone pressed it with a finger, red drops might have dripped out—drop by drop.

Seeing that, I wondered if I shouldn't have said it, but she had started the teasing. And honestly, it was questionable whether it could even be called teasing, since I had meant it sincerely. I had no intention of taking it back.

"Uh... Um... Thanks. Hearing that from you, of all people, is a little embarrassing."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You're, well... You're blunt, and when you lie, it shows all over your face. So... Anyway, that's why."

Marie nodded with her flushed face, then closed her mouth again.

After a little time passed, Marie, who had been walking while staring only at the ground, sneaked a glance at me.

"...Isaac."

"Yeah."

"Am I really pretty?"

"If you really can't believe me, ask someone else. Every single person will say you're pretty."

"...Hehe."

Was it really that pleasing to hear?

Marie smiled bashfully after hearing my blunt answer. Contrary to her boisterous first impression, a girlish freshness was beginning to show through.

Her unexpected side felt so refreshing that I found myself smiling fondly without realizing it.

"Isaac."

"Yeah."

"You'll definitely come to our estate during vacation, right?"

Was I imagining that her words had taken a strange turn? The warm atmosphere and Marie's reaction both felt oddly suggestive.

In any case, I had a reasonable excuse to go, so I had no intention of refusing.

"Of course I'll go. You said the author of The Chronicle of Xenon was coming too, didn't you?"

After hearing that from Marie, I sent a letter to my father. He replied that there was no trace leading back to the man at all and that it was highly likely he was an impersonator.

That reassured me, but it made me even more curious about the impersonator's identity. What kind of audacious bastard would try to swindle a duke, of all people?

Marie blinked as though thinking for a moment, then told me in a voice that suggested she had only just remembered.

"Ah~ That? I forgot to tell you. Dad says he was an impersonator."

"What?"

"He was an impersonator. There were several suspicious circumstances, so when we investigated, we found out he had already been a famous con artist. Now that The Chronicle of Xenon is famous, he tried to impersonate its author and got caught by us."

The result was both rather embarrassing and anticlimactic, but it was only natural when I thought about it. A duke wouldn't easily believe him, so he must have ordered someone to investigate him thoroughly.

In effect, the impersonator had dug his own grave. He had probably intended to make a huge profit, but he had chosen an exceptionally bad target.

"And Dad met him once, but apparently he suspected him from the beginning because he didn't have the calluses that only people who have been writing for a long time develop. You have one too, don't you, Isaac?"

"This?"

I raised my hand and showed her the 'pen callus' she had described. Marie checked the callus on my middle finger and nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Yes, that's it. My father developed one there from doing paperwork too. But yours looks worse than his."

"I study hard."

I could handle things like this skillfully by now. Marie looked at me with an unsurprised expression, then asked in an anxious voice,

"...Then you're not coming to our estate?"

"Hmm..."

I thought deeply about her question. I was sorry to Marie, but now that the invited author had turned out to be an impersonator, I had no reason to visit her estate.

'There's no need to take a risk just to go...'

Although the duke had had someone catch the impersonator, Marie's story showed that he was naturally an observant person. Therefore, the moment I met him and shook his hand, there was a high chance he would notice my pen callus.

I could answer, as I had to Marie, that it had developed because I studied a lot, but suspicion only grew once it had been planted.

The duke would consider every possibility, and he certainly wouldn't simply assume that the author of The Chronicle of Xenon was an elderly sage.

More importantly, I wasn't a pervert, and there was no reason to stick my head into a tiger's open jaws while knowingly taking a risk.

I glanced at Marie, whose face was full of anxiety, then cautiously answered. I felt bad, but I had to refuse what needed to be refused.

"...Probably?"

"Damn it... I shouldn't have said anyth... No, wait."

Marie grumbled in disappointment, then muttered softly as though she had suddenly thought of something. She gently stroked her chin, and her expression was utterly serious, as though she were devising a plan.

What sort of scheme was she plotting to look that serious? It was the first time I had seen her wear such a serious expression, so I couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"If it won't happen, make it happen... If he says he won't come, make him come..."

"..."

"...All right. Isaac?"

Marie muttered in a voice that was barely audible, then called to me with a bright smile. A sense of foreboding welled up inside me, and I answered stiffly.

"Why?"

"If my father invites you instead of me, will you still refuse?"

"...Hey."

Now she was using her father's backing to play an unavoidable card. Even when I spoke with an incredulous expression, Marie only smiled cheerfully.

"And I didn't mention it before, but my father is interested in you too. He said he wondered how broad a student's knowledge had to be for that student to teach history. Besides, if I get a good grade in history here, he'll become even more interested, won't he?"

"..."

"What will you do? Will you come when I ask you, or will you come when my father asks you?"

"Fine. I'll go. That's all you wanted, right? Honestly, this is so underhanded."

"All right!"

When I answered with the implication that I had given up, Marie clenched both fists in delight. I shook my head as I watched her celebrate.

I had reluctantly agreed because it was Marie; if it had been anyone else, I would have refused without question. Marie hadn't realized it, but what had just happened was undeniably an abuse of 'power.' It was completely contrary to the ideals of her family, the Lequilis.

But if I told her that now, it might shock her badly. It would be better for both of us to bury this incident in our hearts.

Besides, seeing Marie jumping around in delight made even my negative feelings melt away.

"So that means you've agreed? If you suddenly say you can't, you'll be in trouble."

"Got it. Don't worry, that will never happen."

"Good. Then see you at the gathering tomorrow! Bye~!"

Marie waved energetically as she headed toward the dormitory reserved for female students. I waved back and returned to my own dormitory.

As soon as I got back to the dormitory, I roughly stripped off my uniform and threw myself onto the bed. The softness sank into my entire body, filling me with a powerful desire to rest just like this.

'Setting the duke's estate aside, as for tomorrow's gathering...'

The gathering was an event where not only liberal arts students but also martial arts students would come together. Nicole had said there was no need to worry, but I was still concerned.

Jackson was already desperate to devour me. I wondered what kind of insulting remarks I would receive at the gathering. Of course, since I regarded Jackson as nothing more than a childish brat, I wouldn't care at all.

Even if a kid still wet behind the ears shouted at the top of his lungs, it wouldn't affect me in the slightest. His elitism felt like nothing more than adolescent delusions, so I couldn't take it seriously.

'Come to think of it, will Leona attend?'

I suddenly thought of Leona, the beastfolk girl. Would she attend the gathering tomorrow? Honestly, given her circumstances, there was a high chance she wouldn't.

I lay on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling before turning my head slightly. The formalwear I would wear tomorrow was hanging on the clothes rack. That single outfit had cost more than 800,000 won.

'I hope it proves worth the price.'

Thinking that, I sprang up from the bed. It would be too wasteful to kill time like this. At times like this, it was better to work on my manuscript.

Then I sat at my desk and opened the notebook where I organized the plot, rather than the one I used for lectures. It contained meticulously organized plot developments and episodes, along with the characters' traits and rough descriptions.

'For the Seven Deadly Sins, let's make Wrath beastfolk. If I add the setting that his family was massacred by humans and that he was even betrayed by his fellow beastfolk...'

I took the magic pen my father had given me as a gift from my front pocket and began to write.