I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

『Name: Rohan
Stamina: 100%
Mana: 79%
Nation: Echo of the Southern Ruins (殘鄕)
Affiliation: Orion Academy
Attributes: [Physical] [Fire]
Status: ─
Remaining Points: 2304P』

“Phew.”

The lingering effects of mana exhaustion had completely disappeared by the time Rohan woke up the next day.
The sticky, heavy feeling that had clung to him, making him dread how long it might last, was gone.

Whether it was thanks to the strangely blue infusion he received at the infirmary or the most satisfying meal he’d had since arriving in Academy City, one thing was clear: he owed Jooyeon another round of thanks.

“Looks like I’ll be able to train properly.”

Rohan slowly pushed himself up, his upper body lifting from the bed.@@novelbin@@

Though a bit groggy from just waking up, it wasn’t a problem.

After a quick preparation, Rohan opened the door of his dorm and headed for Orion Academy’s training room.

As he walked along the streets, he glanced up at the sky.

“Feels like it’s warming up a bit.”

The biting chill of early mornings, something he’d grown accustomed to, seemed to be easing.
A subtle scent of spring was starting to drift through the air in Academy City, Elysium.

When Rohan arrived at the training room and set down his bag, a voice called out from behind.

It was Ichinose, who had just arrived. Seeing her in short sleeves today made it feel like the weather truly was changing.

“I didn’t expect to see you here again today. Aren’t you overdoing it?”

“I woke up feeling fine.”

“Hmm… Your recovery rate is pretty impressive.”

Rohan had exchanged a brief message with Ichinose the day before.
She was the first to check on him, asking if he was alright.

“The only thing bothering me is theory. I couldn’t focus enough to review properly.”

“Makes sense. Mana exhaustion makes even holding a pen hard. I’ve been there, so I understand.”

As their casual chat continued, both finished their stretches and headed to the treadmill together—a routine that had become almost second nature.

“Rohan, want to hear something interesting?”

“What is it?”

“Noah started studying yesterday.”

“...!”

The very day they’d agreed she should put effort into theory, she had immediately gotten to work.

What a straightforward girl. That honesty was impressive.

A Noah Frozenheart sitting at a desk, studying...

Even in the flood of fan art proving her popularity, Rohan had never seen such a scene depicted.

For Rohan, who had spent countless hours enjoying Abyss City, the thought felt completely out of place.

“The instructor’s going to be thrilled.”

“Right? I told her it’s fine to ask me questions, but if she’s curious about anything, she should ask the instructor too.”

“Oh… If I don’t step up my game, I might end up at the bottom of the rankings.”

It was rare to hear tension in Rohan’s voice.

Ichinose silently smiled as she asked,

“How’s it been lately? Are you starting to enjoy studying?”

“Thanks to someone who’s a good teacher.”

“Fufu.”

The two continued their conversation as they ran on the steadily increasing speed of the treadmill.

After finishing their workout, they headed to the academy.

When Rohan opened the door to Class 1, he was greeted by Gilbert’s boisterous face.

“ROHAAANNNNN!!!!!!!”

“Ah, damn it, you almost made me throw a punch, you lunatic!”

Rohan’s heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and his ears were ringing from Gilbert’s volume.

“Whoa! You’re this jumpy? Is this still the aftermath of mana exhaustion?”

One cadet from another class, passing by, was so startled they collapsed on the spot.

After apologizing and helping the unfamiliar cadet up, Rohan turned back to Gilbert.

‘This guy’s lungs are no joke.’

Trying to talk sense into him wouldn’t change anything.

Honestly, it felt more like part of his charm.

“I’m fine. Now move so I can get inside.”

“Hmm!!!”

Gilbert stepped aside with a deliberate motion, like a pillar shifting out of the way.

Rohan set his bag down and exchanged greetings with his friends, including Dick, who was sitting in the back.
Finally, he let out a long breath and settled into his seat.

Looking back, he realized he might’ve overdone it with his morning training after an unproductive day before.

“Haa.”

The sound of Rohan’s sigh instantly caught the attention of Gilbert, who turned to him with sharp eyes.

“A sigh?! As I suspected, the aftermath of mana exhaustion still lingers—”

“No, it doesn’t. Why are you making such a fuss?”

“Gahhh!! Rohan, conduct a self-diagnosis immediately! Don’t think you’re invincible just because you’re young!”

“This is driving me crazy...”

What was remarkable was that the other cadets in Class 1 had already adapted to Gilbert’s antics.

Most of them either ignored him or went about their own business.

“The fact is, Rohan wasn’t the only one who collapsed from mana exhaustion yesterday. Before that, someone else went down after swinging a shield around like a maniac, and Rohan had to carry them off the field.”

Dick Wickedtree’s sharp comment made Gilbert’s head swivel toward him.

Sensing the onset of a loud back-and-forth, Rohan prepared to slip away, but both Gilbert and Dick fell silent.

Click, click.

Jooyeon’s sharp footsteps echoed as she approached for the morning assembly.

***

Jooyeon’s class remained as engaging as ever. Time seemed to fly.

If there was anything special about today, it would be seeing Noah visibly struggling with the theory lessons for the first time.

The practical training proceeded as usual, but Jooyeon announced that once the formation drills showed improvement, the frequency of sparring sessions would gradually increase.

After a fulfilling day at the academy, Rohan settled for a cheap meal at the cafeteria and headed to the Red Spider Lily Bookstore, as always.

On the way, his mind churned with thoughts.

“I need to grow stronger, and faster.”

Once he saved up enough money for a decent sword, he planned to explore outside the city.
He had already made up his mind to do so for the sake of accumulating points.

“If I can find monsters whose parts sell for good money, I might be able to make some extra income...”

His thoughts stretched even to financial constraints. He wasn’t in a position to focus solely on earning points without worrying about funds.

“Manager, I’m here.”

“Ah, you’re here, Rohan.”

Lost in thought, Rohan reached the bookstore before he realized it.

He placed his bag in the corner and donned his apron.

“See that box of snacks on the table?”

“Yes, I see it.”

“It’s a gift. Eat some while you work. The missus and I can’t handle hard snacks with our teeth anymore.”

“Thank you! I’ll enjoy them!”

Rohan bowed his head deeply, and the manager began gathering his things to leave for the day.

“Well, take care now.”

“Have a good evening!”

As the manager left, Rohan took his place at the counter.

Time passed. Clara arrived later than usual today.

It was, as always, a quiet time with no customers in sight.

When their eyes met, Rohan asked lightly, still recalling her trembling figure from the previous day.

“Feeling better?”

“...Y-yeah.”

Clara, recalling the scene of her embarrassment, avoided his gaze and mumbled her response.

Rohan, anticipating what she was about to say next, beat her to it.

“Let’s not bring up apologies again. You already said sorry in your message, didn’t you?”

“Ah!”

Caught off guard, Clara stammered before disappearing into the shelves.

Buzzz—!!!

Almost immediately, Rohan’s phone vibrated.

When he checked, it was a message from Clara.

[Clara: I have something to ask you. (X﹏X)]

Looking up, he saw Clara peeking at him from a distance.

“Um, did you clear the weekly boss at level 5 yet?”

“I’m still under-leveled, so I’ve only done up to level 3. This week, I’m planning to grind more levels and attempt level 4 on Sunday.”

“Ugh… I see.”

“Even with a support, my characters’ stats are a bit lacking, so it’s been tough.”

Clara nodded before slipping away again.

Rohan wasn’t sure if his answer had satisfied her.

Buzzz—!!!

Expecting another message from Clara, he glanced at his phone, but this time it was an unknown number calling.
Curious, he answered immediately.

“Yes, this is Rohan speaking.”

A low hum came from the other end, followed by a familiar voice.

‘The princess!’

Rohan turned away from the counter, lowering his voice as much as possible.

“I was wondering when you’d call.”

─ I’m in Academy City now. Tell me the time and place.

“It’ll take me about two hours. Be near District 2.”

─ Very well.

“Do you have a place to wait in the meantime?”

─ Doesn’t matter. I’ll call again in two hours.”

The call ended with the distinct click of a payphone receiver being hung up.

Rohan stared at the phone screen briefly before tucking it into his apron.

“I’ll have to decide how much to tell her.”

As he reviewed the day’s book deliveries, Rohan let his thoughts swirl.

He finished ringing up a magazine purchase for a customer and stepped away from the counter to organize the shelves.

“U-um...”

“Yes?”

Clara, having approached silently, spoke hesitantly.

Rohan stopped what he was doing and straightened up to meet her eyes.

“Uh…”

“Take your time. No rush.”

Without pressuring her, Rohan continued tidying up the books as Clara gathered her courage.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she spoke from where she had seated herself in the corner of the bookstore.

“T-today! After work, do you want me to help you clear the weekly boss... together?”

Rohan’s eyes widened in surprise.

This was a significant step forward for Clara.

But...

“Um, today might be difficult. I have plans.”

“...!”

The revelation of his extensive social connections left Clara’s mouth agape in astonishment.