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

“I swear, Zero, I can never let my guard down around you.”

Rodelin muttered as she picked up litter with her tongs.

“Keke, isn’t that part of my charm?”

“That’s not the kind of charm anyone needs! Look—there’s a piece of plastic right under your feet. Pick it up, quickly!”

At Rodelin’s scolding, I quickly bent down to retrieve the trash.

Though the overturned garbage can had spewed its contents across the park, the cleanup wasn’t particularly challenging—not when I possessed an S-class [Clean] skill.

With just a few swipes of my rag, the previously sullied trash can gleamed like new, its surface now so polished it reflected my face like a mirror.

Rodelin caught her reflection in the newly shining can and spoke up.

“You know, Zero, I mentioned this before, but wouldn’t you consider becoming the cleaning manager?”

“Keke, I’ll have to pass. I’ve got too many other responsibilities, you see.”

“Is that so? What a shame. You’d be perfect for the role…”

Rodelin clicked her tongue in genuine disappointment.

The academy’s cleaning manager… Perhaps I should try it sometime if the opportunity presents itself. There might be a hidden storyline connected to Rodelin.

“Well then, let’s continue cleaning.”

“What?”

“If we’ve started something, we have to see it through to the end, right? From now on, we’re launching ‘Operation Garden Purification.’ We’re going to clean this entire park!”

Why purify a perfectly good garden? But I’m weak-willed when it comes to these things.

It was impossible to stop a force of nature like Rodelin once she got going.

And so began the cleaning—no, the military-grade operation that masqueraded as cleaning. We only finished as the sun began to set.

“Keke, this is going to be the death of me.”

I collapsed onto the bench beneath the statue of the unknown hero.

‘Could this be a hidden storyline that activates when you clean thoroughly? I’ll need to be more careful in the future.’

If I’m not vigilant, I might end up drafted into a ‘Purification Operation’ for the entire academy.

I was just resolving to be more discreet about knocking over trash cans in the future when—

“Here, catch.”

Something small arced through the air toward me.

The gentle trajectory made it easy to catch—a cold drink, its bottle covered in condensation droplets, perfect for cooling the sweat on both our foreheads.

“Ah, this hits the spot. Nothing beats rest after hard work.”

“Keke, you sound like an old man.”

“W-what are you talking about! Anyone would appreciate rest after working hard!”

Even Rodelin, with all her military aspirations, seemed wounded by the ‘old man’ comment. She became quite flustered.

When I smiled at her reaction, she composed herself and pulled out her notebook.

“Ahem! Excellent work on the purification operation. I’ll award Zero one merit point for his efforts.”

It seemed she’d just remembered her official duties.

Rodelin wrote in her notebook: ‘1st year Zero, perfect purification operation completed! 1 merit point!’

She wrote the merit point part especially large, taking up nearly an entire page.

“Keep this up, and you’ll definitely secure the top spot in the final exam. You’ve got real potential, Zero.”

Having completed her mission of ‘awarding Zero merit points and offering encouragement,’ Rodelin’s attitude turned somewhat triumphant.

But from my perspective, I’d missed the top spot because of demerit points and lost my precious break time.

I could forgive many things, but losing my small, precious rest period—my only escape from stalker Luna—that was unforgivable!

There was only one way to get compensation: to heal my wounded spirit by teasing cute Rodelin!

“Keke, just one merit point?”

“J-just one? Do you have any idea how hard merit points are to earn!”

“They would be if that’s all I received. But didn’t I just get a demerit point earlier for knocking over the trash can?”

“Th-that was your fault…”

“Besides, one demerit point cancels out two merit points, so I actually lost a point. Losing a point after cleaning for half a day. Wow~ That’s quite something.”

“Ugh!”

Rodelin hung her head. My logic was flawless.

“B-but, demerit points are given for a reason, and the closer our relationship, the more important it is to separate personal matters from duty… If the vice president of the student council compromises on this, it would undermine the academy’s rules…”

Rodelin seemed to shrink as she found herself caught between competing priorities.

The sight was quite endearing.

Her stammering wasn’t really about the recent demerit points. More likely…

‘She probably feels guilty because she thinks she contributed to me losing the top spot.’

True, Rodelin was responsible for a significant portion of my demerit points.

But she had never given them without proper cause. All twenty-eight points were earned through my own mistakes.

Well, some were because of others’ mistakes (Luna, Luna, or Luna), but I could live with that much.

Besides, I got an endgame item out of it, so I hadn’t really lost anything.

“Well… um…”

It seemed time to stop teasing her.

If she shrank any smaller, she might disappear completely.

“I’m just joking.”

“Huh?”

“I was just being playful because you made me clean for so long. Don’t worry, your discipline was fair, senior.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, even without the demerit points, Luna would have been at the top this time. Teacher Caron said so too.”

“I see. Teasing your senior… Zero, you’re such a troublemaker. Don’t do that again. You really had me worried.”

The burden seemed to lift from her shoulders, and Rodelin’s smile grew more relaxed.

She fiddled with her glass bottle as she continued speaking.

“By the way, is Luna doing alright?”

“Keke, she’s doing too well, if anything.”

“Still, she must have been shaken. More people than you’d expect can’t recover after a major injury. Actually, that’s the norm.”

Rodelin was talking about trauma from mental shock.

Luna’s brush with death could have left her traumatized.

All trauma is serious, but trauma related to Demons is especially problematic.

It could become a major obstacle on the path ahead.

‘Though… I haven’t noticed any signs of that.’

If anything, her hostility toward Demons had intensified, and she’d increased both her food intake and training regimen.

Even when she encountered the lowest-level Demon in the underground waterway, she was eager to fight. I probably don’t need to worry too much.

“I don’t think there’s cause for concern. I’m more worried about the food budget.”

“I see. I’ll check on her myself next time. What about you, Zero? Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“Mental shock doesn’t only affect the injured. It can also impact those around them.”

As Rodelin said, trauma doesn’t just scar its direct targets.

It often leaves deep wounds in the hearts of survivors.

That’s the nature of death.

Of course, I was fine. No one close to me had died, and with [Mental Defense] always active, such problems couldn’t touch me.

“I’m doing fine.”

“Is that so? As expected, you’re strong.”

Rodelin smiled slightly. Was it my imagination, or did her smile seem tinged with sadness?

Come to think of it…

“Senior, are you okay?”

Thirteen second-year students, twenty-five third-year students.

Thirty-eight people had died.

She had even memorized the face and name of the reclusive Rezé, so she must have known the second and third-years just as well.

‘Especially her fellow second-years.’

The people she’d spent over a year with were gone. Gone forever.

No matter how strong Rodelin was, that must have hit her hard.

“I’m fine. This is something that can happen at any time, so I’ve always been prepared for it. That’s what being a soldier means.”

“Senior, you’re not a soldier yet, you’re a student.”

“This time, we were classified as student soldiers. It’s only natural for us to dedicate ourselves to the country. I’m from the north, so I’m used to death.”

Yes, I know Rodelin is mentally strong.

I know she’s seen more than her share of death.

But still.

“You’re hurting too, senior.”

Whether it was because I’d caught her trying to hide it, or because memories of the fallen had surfaced, Rodelin flinched.

“I can accept death anytime. However… it should have been me who died, not them.”

“That’s the wrong way to think. You know there was nothing you could have done, right?”

“Still, still…”

Rodelin clutched at her chest—a telling gesture of someone in emotional pain.

The gesture doesn’t actually ease the hurt.

But what else can you do? Without even that small action, this aching heart—

There’s no way to contain a heart that feels like it might shatter at any moment.

“It hurts this much to lose just a few people… I wonder how Big Sister endured it.”

Rodelin’s sadness wasn’t just for her lost friends, but also from empathizing with Lucia.

Lucia, who had been sent to war even younger than Rodelin and became a hero through various trials.

How many comrades, friends, and colleagues had she lost along the way?

How much had it hurt each time she lost someone?

Perhaps Rodelin was remembering Lucia’s screams of despair.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“It’s okay to cry when you’re hurting.”

“S-soldiers… don’t cry.”

Rodelin raised her hand to quickly wipe away her tears.

But she couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice.

“Even soldiers feel pain. They’re people who hurt just like us.”

That’s precisely why they can fight so bravely.

Because they understand better than anyone what they’re protecting.

“I don’t know… I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to handle these feelings.”

Rodelin clutched her chest as if trying to squeeze out the pain. I placed my hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her into my arms.

I could hear the anguish in her quiet groan.

I whispered softly in her ear.

Just cry like this, let out your anger, and mourn.

“And then smile. Because we’re moving forward. Because we’re alive.”

Rest easy and don’t worry.

“H-huaaaah…”

Finally, Rodelin burst into tears.

All I could do was pat her back gently.

Misfortune is natural in life. We all live on a river of misfortune.

And just as a river flows inevitably to the sea,

Only by riding the river of misfortune can we reach the ocean of happiness.

Rodelin, I, all of us.

We’re just riding the river toward the sea.

Rodelin cried for a long time.

On the ship heading for the sea.

–TL Notes–

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