I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind

Chapter 333

“Ugh…”

Luna pulled herself out of the box.

According to Rezé, a giant presence was approaching.

But what was this? Instead of something massive, a small and adorable child appeared.

‘Her gaze is a bit sharp, but…’

There was no denying that the overall impression was irresistibly cute.

She was the kind of child you’d want to carry around in your pocket.

Luna slowly approached the girl.

“Are you lost? No, did you lose your parents? Or wait, is it both?”

“This big sister will help you. Stay here for a bit, okay? Don’t go anywhere.”

Luna gently patted Lowell on the head.

Lowell, utterly dumbfounded by the sudden and unexpected “attack,” was left speechless.

Not only was she being treated like a child, but now this person was patting her head?

“…How insolent.”

Thunk!

Luna leapt backward in a flash—or rather, she was forcibly pushed back. That was the more accurate description.

All Luna had done was instinctively raise her arm.

‘What just happened? What attacked me? Is the girl okay?’

Looking at the girl, Luna couldn’t believe her eyes.

The longsword she had been wearing at her waist was now firmly gripped in the girl’s hand.

This meant the one who had attacked her was none other than the girl herself.

‘I didn’t even see her draw it.’

To be precise, the girl hadn’t drawn the sword at all.

The blade was still sheathed.

That meant she had detached the scabbard from Luna’s waist, swung it, and hit her—all without unsheathing the sword.

Detach, grab, swing.

The entire sequence had happened as fast as Luna had raised her arm.

Even witnessing it with her own eyes, it was hard to believe.

“Hmph~ You’re pretty quick. I swung it just to knock you out.”

No matter how upset she was, her opponent was still a student.

She couldn’t use her full strength, so she had significantly held back.

Still, it was power that no normal student should have been able to withstand.

‘But she blocked it… impressive. Well, she’s rude, but that can be fixed.’

If properly trained, this girl might become a useful asset for the Lucid family.

She looked about the same age as Rodelin. They’d likely get along if paired together.

‘Let’s see a bit more of her skill.’

Lowell gave her longsword a light twirl.

Seeing that, Luna gulped audibly.

The way Lowell handled a sword larger than her own body as if it were a part of her—it was clear she was a skilled warrior.

And not just any warrior—a formidable one.

“…Are you an enemy?”

“Well, I attacked you, didn’t I? What do you think? You’re a bit naïve, aren’t you?”

“I already knew. I just needed confirmation.”

Crack.

Luna stretched her limbs lightly, loosening up.

She didn’t know who this girl was, but judging from her reaction, it seemed she wasn’t aware of Luna’s identity as a member of the Lester family.

That meant she wasn’t here to kill her.

Then…

‘Is she here to kill Zero?’

There was no reason for someone this skilled to come after Rezé.

If it were Zero, who always had secrets and enemies, then maybe.

Luna crouched, settling into a drawing stance.

There was no room for hesitation now.

She had to use everything at her disposal to take down the opponent in front of her.

Seeing Luna’s stance, Lowell’s eyes filled with curiosity.

‘She’s challenging me even though she knows the difference in our skill?’

It wasn’t the look of someone who had given up out of fear.

‘I will defeat you, no matter what.’

Her eyes declared this with absolute certainty.

“Hmph~ Alright then. Fine. I’ll give you a little lesson. Besides, it seems I have some time until that guy arrives.”

“…That guy?”

“That weirdo, Zero. I hear you’re traveling with him?”

The grip on Luna’s sword tightened even more.

As expected, the girl’s target was Zero.

A “lesson”? What a joke.

“You’re going to die by my hands today.”

Luna’s chilling warning.

But Lowell only burst into laughter.

Lowell didn’t dislike people like Luna, overflowing with fighting spirit. In fact, she quite enjoyed them.

Except—

“The only thing I can’t tolerate is people baring their fangs at me.”

As Luna drew her sword, Lowell lunged forward.

A streak of blinding light flew between them.

The classroom, bustling with morning commotion, was slightly noisier than usual.

I was resting with my head on the desk when I felt the desks on both sides shake. Someone had taken the empty seats next to me.

Even without looking, I knew who it was—Luna and Rezé.

“I’m back.”

“Keke, why didn’t you show up for breakfast?”

“…Sorry. I was a bit tired.”

Luna skipping a meal because she was tired? Is the world ending tomorrow?

I tried to study her complexion, but it was impossible. Luna’s face was hidden by her hands and arms.

“Why are you covering your face with your arms?”

“Because I’m tired.”

“That just makes you look even more tired.”

“Tch… No consideration for a lady, huh?”

Luna sighed in resignation and lowered her arms.

The sight of her face left me speechless.

Her face was covered in bandages, and small scratches dotted her body.

What the…? Did she get into a fight with a stray cat or something?

“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it. I just tripped, that’s all.”

“Did you trip and roll down a mountain or something?”

“Well, something like that. Even small mountains can pack a punch.”

Small mountains, huh? More like a small and feisty someone… Are idioms different in this world?

“Stop getting into fights. You’ll end up seriously hurt one day.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Keke, I’ve always been a peaceful person. It’s just the world that doesn’t leave me alone.”

“Same here.”

Hmm, I see. So a mountain just decided to charge at you?

What a fascinating mountain.

Well, it wasn’t unusual for Luna to get hurt while sparring with the other students.

Her level, stats, and skill grades often improved through such encounters, so there hadn’t been much reason to stop her so far.

But now—

“Please refrain from fighting for the time being.”

“Why?”

“Keke, because peace is precious.”

“You’re the last person in the Advanced Class who should be saying that…”

A troublemaker, huh? How dare you! I’m clearly a peacemaker!

Anyway, I was serious about her needing to avoid fights for now.

Not only was there an intense recruitment war raging between the factions of Teron, Yuridia, and Victoria, but—

‘If the Mad Lion takes notice of you, you’re dead.’

At best, you’d be forced into four weeks of recovery. At worst, you’d face death and a game over.

This episode was all about avoiding involvement with Lowell. That was the most important thing.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a particularly difficult task.

Aside from classes, there was little chance of running into her. Plus, I knew exactly where she tended to appear at different times of the day.

‘Lucid family connections are already secured through Lucia and Rodelin. There’s no reason to get involved with Lowell, who doesn’t even have a proper faction and is impossible to deal with.’

The once-boisterous classroom fell silent, as if a switch had been flipped.

Caron had appeared at the lectern.

“The substitute instructor has arrived.”

Without wasting a moment, he got straight to the point, stirring a slight commotion in the room.

“A new instructor? At such an odd time?”

“Well, it’s not surprising. Some instructors were seriously injured during the Carpathia Defense.”

“Still, something feels off. Shouldn’t they have just called them a new instructor? Why say ‘substitute instructor’? Feels suspicious…”

“Maybe it’s some sort of prep for the final exams?”

It didn’t take much guessing to figure out who the substitute instructor was.

Lowell de Lucid.

She was the substitute instructor and one of the key figures in this episode.

‘The story is progressing exactly as expected. Good, this episode shouldn’t cause too much trouble.’

There wasn’t much I needed to do. As long as I was careful around Lowell, there was no reason I’d die in this episode.

An episode filled with the peace I cherished so dearly, perhaps?

As I pondered what to have for lunch, a small girl entered the classroom.

It was Lowell.

“Ugh, this is seriously annoying. At my age, babysitting kids, of all things.”

Thunk!

The moment Lowell appeared in the classroom, every student straightened up in their seats.

Even Teron subtly unfolded his crossed arms.

Everyone had recognized who she was at a glance.

The roaring lion emblem on her cloak, the proud symbol of the Lucid family.

And in the entire Lucid family, there was only one person that small.

“I’m Lowell de Lucid. Ask questions, you die. Talk back, you die. Speak to me, you die. That’s all.”

…Then what exactly were we supposed to do? Was this really a teacher?

But no one dared to voice any complaints.

‘This is what they call the Mad Lion’s authority.’

As if searching for someone to pick a fight with, Lowell scanned the classroom with a sharp gaze.

“Judging by your reactions, you all know who I am. Well, there were some clueless ones earlier, but I suppose you’ve all figured it out now. So it doesn’t matter.”

Her gaze shifted in my direction—or maybe just past me. No, it must’ve been my imagination.

“She’s from the Lucid family? Then, is she a sister of my teacher? Did I just make a huge mistake?”

Luna muttered quietly.

A Lucid family member? A huge mistake?

She was speaking as if she’d met Lowell before… but surely that was my imagination.

It had to be. There was no way Luna—troublemaker though she was—could’ve gotten into trouble with Lowell in such a short amount of time.

Leaning slightly toward her, I whispered.

“Keke, be careful not to get involved. Whatever you do, don’t mention her height, pat her head, or pick a fight with her. Those three things are strictly forbidden.”

“…”

Luna turned her head away, avoiding my gaze.

What’s this suspicious behavior? Now that I think about it…

— Well, something like that. Even small mountains can pack a punch.

Small mountain. That phrase was nagging at me now.

“…Did you meet Lowell by any chance?”

“Well, uh… meet? Or should I say she came to find me…?”

“What exactly did you do?”

“You won’t get mad?”

Luna made an uncharacteristically cute face.

Judging by her reaction, she’d definitely caused some sort of trouble.

It must’ve been one of the three things I’d warned her about—something that had irritated Lowell.

If it was just one, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Even Lowell was willing to overlook minor offenses from students.

“Keke, did you comment on her height?”

“Yup!”

“You didn’t… pat her on the head, did you?”

“I did, though?”

“…You didn’t pick a fight with her, right?”

“Well, somehow that happened too.”

Oh, I see. Not one, not two, but all three things she despises most?

‘This crazy cat, seriously!’

This was bad. Not only had she drawn Lowell’s attention, but she’d also managed to ignite her fury.

Ah, why does this kind of thing keep happening to a peace-loving person like me?

“Lowell, the substitute instructor, will be handling sparring lessons. Since she may leave as early as tomorrow, make sure to receive her guidance while you can.”

“Come at me ready to die. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”

What was that even supposed to mean?

She’s not a Mad Lion—just a madwoman, surely.

‘Stay calm. If I handle this well, I can get through it.’

Besides, as long as I avoid seeing Lowell outside of class, there shouldn’t be any issues.

Let’s focus on maintaining inner peace.

Peace, peace. Double peace(?)!

Ding!

Was this some kind of reward for achieving inner peace?

A system notification echoed in my ears.

[Main Quest #8]

— Obtain the Proof Token!

Earn the Proof Token from Lowell de Lucid.

Each noble family possesses a Proof Token to recognize guests of the family.

Gain Lowell’s recognition and receive the Proof Token to establish a connection with the Lucid family.

Reward: 200 EXP, 30 Gold, “Lucid Family’s Secret” linked quest

Additional Reward: ???

Failure Penalty: Injury (4 weeks of inactivity)

Refusal Penalty: All stats decrease by 5, significant drop in Lucia de Lucid’s favorability

※ If Lowell resigns as the “substitute instructor” and leaves the academy, the quest will automatically fail.

As I stared at the frantic system window floating before me, I suddenly locked eyes with Lowell, who was glancing in my direction.

Forcing a smile, I looked at her, trying to appear friendly.

In response, Lowell raised her thumb as if to say “good job,” but immediately followed it with a throat-slitting gesture.

Rip!

I could almost hear the sound.

The sound of my peaceful academy life being utterly shattered.

–TL Notes–

Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!

If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /InsanityTheGame

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt