WeTried Translations
Translator: Coughing Baby
Editor: Coughing Baby
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 32: By Chance, or Even If Not.
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“Where have you been? All night.”
The question sent a chill down my spine.
Javert stared at me with her usual cold, inorganic gaze.
“...”
Unable to answer rashly, I let out a brief breath.
The silence that followed was as perilous as treading on a blade.
I quietly bit my lip.
‘To think I'd run into Javert...’
Was it a coincidence?
What were the odds of us meeting like this?
Did she know I hadn't been in the dormitory?
Then did she know I'd gone outside the academy too?
‘...No.’
My worries swelled like bubbles, but I popped them at once.
There was no way anyone had discovered my movements.
I'd moved while avoiding the faculty's eyes.
I chose only routes where I couldn't be precisely detected, using methods that ensured no one could follow me.
‘It was a coincidence.’
I forced myself to think calmly.
Javert spoke as though she'd been waiting for me, but it was a bluff.
She must have simply found me while on night patrol.
If she'd known where I was from the start, she would've tailed me long ago.
‘Don't fall for it.’
In a situation like this, I had to act even more shamelessly.
I hid every hint of suspicious behavior.
Instead, I reacted like I'd been caught doing something bad.
Like an ordinary student caught enjoying a little rebellion.
“Oh... Professor Javert. I never expected to run into you at such a late hour.”
“Yes, I didn't expect to encounter Student Viktor at this hour either.”
“It seems you were on night patrol.”
“That's right. More importantly, answer my question first.”
“Um, well...”
I deliberately acted foolish.
I nervously gauged her reaction.
Every part of it was calculated.
I hesitantly answered her.
“Well...”
“I smell blood on you, Student Viktor.”
“You noticed that right away. I was just returning from a hunt...”
“A hunt?”
Javert furrowed her brow at the unexpected answer.
As if to show her, I showed her the wriggling creature in my breast pocket.
It was Carmilla in her bat form.
“Would you look at this?”
“This is... a Spirit Beast. The one you said you were taming.”
“You remembered! She's become my soulmate now.”
I proudly held Carmilla out.
Like a student desperate to show their pet to their homeroom professor.
Perhaps because of that innocent act, the sharp atmosphere softened somewhat.
“Though she may not look it, this little one eats quite a lot. And she's picky too, so I always have to feed her fresh blood. That's why I usually keep plenty of blood packs prepared for her. But...”
“But?”
“Yesterday, I forgot to stock up on food.”
“So you went out in the middle of the night to get fresh blood?”
“Normally, I'd have waited until morning, but she was especially fussy today. She kept making noise and wouldn't let me sleep at all. She looked ready to keep me awake until the problem was solved, so I left the dormitory, thinking I'd only be gone for a moment.”
“Where did you go hunting?”
“Ah, at the Student Hunting Ground near the main building. This little one likes the blood of rabbit monsters.”
“The Student Hunting Ground. Student access is restricted there after midnight. Did you sneak in?”
“I'm sorry about that too...”
I lowered my head.
Then I offered proof that my words were true.
“Ah... If you'd like, I can show you.”
Rustle, rustle.
I moved my hand as if pulling a bag from my waist.
With that bit of acting, I took out a case stored inside my robe.
It was packed with blood packs so fresh they looked as though they'd just been filled.
“You can see it too, Professor. They couldn't be this fresh unless the blood had just been drawn.”
Evidence.
Evidence that seemed to say I'd been at the hunting ground until just before this.
‘Of course... I only got lucky that it fit.’
Those blood packs had been prepared over a week ago.
I'd drawn the blood and immediately stored the blood packs inside my robe.
Time stopped for items in the inventory, so they never lost their freshness.
Drawing blood every time was a hassle, so I'd filled a bunch at once and carried them around. I hadn't expected them to help me like this.
“They do seem to have been drawn less than an hour ago.”
Javert closely inspected the blood packs, then nodded.
She handed the case back as though she'd seen enough.
Even so, she asked one more question.
Her gaze settled on the hand that took back the case.
“How did you injure your hand?”
“Ah...”
Right.
My hand was covered in small wounds and visibly swollen.
I had fractured my hand while beating up the ranch overseer.
I lightly brushed the injury and gave an embarrassed smile.
“Haha... This is embarrassing. While I was hunting, one of them suddenly jumped at me. It was dark, so my vision was limited. I threw a punch first, but I slipped up once, and this happened.”
“You're saying your hand swelled up like that just from hitting a monster?”
“You know my overall stats are around E-rank.”
“Hmm...”
“I've always had a weak body.”
“...”
Javert gave no particular response.
It was understandable that she found it absurd.
A guy who had toyed with the top student of Class C had been injured by an E-rank monster...
‘But what can I do when it's true?’
My body really was that weak.
My overall stats were unprecedentedly terrible.
As my homeroom professor, Javert must have already known about my miserable profile.
“...”
In the end, there was nothing she could use against me.
After a tense silence, she suddenly let out a long breath.
“Haah... Unauthorized departure after curfew and entering the Student Hunting Ground during restricted hours. Based on those two violations, I will assign you twenty Demerit Points.”
“Oh...”
Nice.
It looked like she was setting aside her suspicions and backing off for now.
I almost let my delight show, but swallowed it down with all my strength.
I was playing the role of Student No. 1, caught breaking the rules.
I asked with a touch of resentment in my voice.
“Couldn't you let it slide just this once?”
“No. Rules exist to be upheld.”
“How could this be? I've only been enrolled for fifteen days, and I already have twenty Demerit Points...”
“You brought this upon yourself. If you accumulate fifty or more Demerit Points, it may negatively affect your grades. Please be careful.”
“Urgh... You're as strict as ever, Professor.”
“I am only handling this according to the established rules and regulations.”
Of course. Absolutely.
Professor, you're right.
As I secretly savored my victory, Javert stepped closer and spoke.
“Give me your hand.”
“Pardon?”
“Your hand. I asked to see your injury.”
“Ah...? Yes, here it is.”
Squeeze.
The moment I offered my hand, her fingers interlaced with mine.
Her skin was rough with calluses, but warm as it wrapped around the back of my hand.
Before I even had time to be flustered, light bloomed from her fingertips.
Fwaaaash!
“Ugh...”
My vision suddenly brightened.
A faint warmth seeped in, and the small wounds began to heal.
The throbbing pain faded. Only gentle light remained.
Holding that light in her hand, Javert spoke without even looking at me.
“It's a simple measure.”
“Divine Power...?”
“Even if I let this pass because it's late, you must visit the infirmary by tomorrow. You must go even if you don't feel any pain.”
“The infirmary? I think I'm already completely healed from your Divine Power...”
“It's the rule. If I check later and find no record of you visiting the infirmary, I will assign additional Demerit Points.”
“That's harsh...!”
Her green eyes were cold.
Yet her warmth was gentle, and so was her touch.
After carefully finishing the treatment, she stepped back.
Was she about to return to her patrol duties?
“That will be the end of my lecture.”
“I'm sorry. It seems I made you worry for nothing.”
“It's fine. More importantly, you know that the year-level practical training begins next week, correct?”
“Of course.”
“From the day after tomorrow, group matching will begin in earnest. Take care of yourself. This practical training is directly tied to your grades. The other students won't want someone covered in injuries as a teammate either.”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
“Then I'll see you at the next lecture.”
Javert turned around and left without hesitation.
Only the warmth she had left in my hand lingered faintly.
As I touched it for a moment, Carmilla bit my finger as if displeased.
[...Viktor.]
“Ah, Princess.”
[I am not a glutton.]
“Ah... My apologies. I had no other excuse.”
[With no one else to sell, you sold your master. Your disloyalty pierces the heavens.]
I soothed the slightly sulking princess.
All the while, my eyes remained on Javert's retreating back.
‘Did I... get past it?’
It didn't seem like I'd completely cleared away her suspicions.
There was still wariness in her gaze.
That was better for me, though.
The suspicion she had developed would soon prove useful.
I drew in a deep breath of night air and headed toward my room.
“Haah... It was a taxing night.”
Footnotes:
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