How to ruin the original

Episode 9

Rudin greeted the young man with sharp features warmly. He had hair that was a deep navy, almost black, and wore thin-rimmed glasses and white gloves on his hands.

“Ah, you’re right on time. Come in…”

“…Jeron?”

Nigel immediately recognized the man’s name.

The man waved his gloved right hand dismissively at Nigel, who stood with a rigid posture.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other in person. Hello, Nigel.”

Jeron naturally sat down on the sofa opposite Nigel.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Thanks to you, I’m always busy. But I had to see you off to the academy.”

“That’s unnecessary interference.”

“The headmaster also asked me to take good care of you.”

“…Fine, then.”

Just in time, Su and Rina brought in refreshments.

“We’ll leave you to talk comfortably with your family, hoho!”

Creak.

The three of them closed the door and left.

Jeron poured tea into Nigel’s cup, then filled his own.

“You chose the dress I picked for you? I knew it would suit you well.”

“Well, Madam Rudin is so skilled that it turned out alright.”

Jeron smirked at Nigel, who turned away awkwardly.

“I heard you’ve already made a friend on the way here? That’s good.”

“Who told you that? Don’t tell me you have me under surveillance. Creepy.”

“Of course not. I got a letter from the orphanage a few days ago. Don’t feel bad if you haven’t received a letter yet. The kids are practicing their writing to send you a good one.”

“…”

Nigel smiled faintly.

“You’ve grown up. The kid who was always running away is now entering the academy and making friends.”

“Don’t treat me like a child. You’re not even ten years older than me.”

“If a seventeen-year-old isn’t a kid, then who is?”

“Sure, whatever.”

Nigel scoffed.

‘I’ve lived over thirty years in total.’

Though he had never been an adult in either his previous or current life.

“I’d draw you a map of Xienia if I could, but unfortunately, it’s been a long time since I graduated.”

Jeron shrugged playfully.

“Oh, right. You’re from there, aren’t you?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You owe your life to it, after all.”

“…”

Nigel turned away again.

He felt annoyed remembering how seriously he had considered asking Jeron yesterday if he knew where the Golden Dragon was.

“Oh, by the way.”

Jeron took a pocket watch from his pocket.

This seemingly ordinary watch was actually a soundproofing magic tool.

“By the way, you barely managed your mana release again this time, didn’t you? I told you not to let it go past a month. It might be okay now, but it will definitely strain your body.”

‘…Here we go again.’

Nigel frowned.

Jeron was always eager to lecture him whenever they met.

“I was busy preparing for winter and other things. And I know my body best.”

“I understand that, but you’re too nonchalant about ignoring your cycle. It’s a matter of your life.”

“…”

That was the problem; Jeron left him with no retort.

This was why Nigel hated meeting Jeron.

“What if you collapse at the academy? Most people would use potions or call a priest, but for someone like you, with mana intoxication, mana is poison.”

“Alright, I get it. I’ll keep to the cycle. There are holidays at the academy, anyway.”

“Good. You’re not a kid anymore, so you’ll stick to it, right?”

Nigel sighed deeply and nodded reluctantly.

Jeron’s eyes softened as he watched Nigel.

No matter how much he pretended to be grown-up, in moments like these, he was still a kid.

“So, what’s the real reason you’re here? You didn’t just come to see me off, did you?”

Jeron smiled and pulled out a ring case from his pocket.

Nigel’s face immediately twisted.

“…What’s this?”

Creepy.

The unspoken words were written all over his face.

“Open it.”

Nigel opened the case to reveal a thin silver ring.

“I worked hard on this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a ring that converts your holy power into regular mana. Holy power is also considered mana, but it’s mostly used for healing, so people tend to forget about it. It’s an underdeveloped field. So, what happened is…”

“Because of the purity of holy power, I guess.”

Nigel crossed his arms.

“Right. Mana has high resistance, making it difficult to use in magical tools, whereas holy power has almost no resistance. It absorbs anything like a child.”

“I hate that term. You’ve probably never taken care of children much, but thinking they’re pure is a misconception.”

Jeron’s eyes gleamed mischievously.

“Why, because of your Christmas wish when you were eight…”

“Now that I think about it, you’re right.”

Nigel quickly cut him off.

“Anyway, it’ll be hard to control mana at first, but as long as you wear this ring, you shouldn’t have any issues in daily life. Congratulations on your admission.”

Jeron’s eyes were dark with fatigue as he spoke casually.

“…Thanks.”

Nigel replied in a small voice.

It was the admission gift he needed most, though he hated to admit it.

“Yeah.”

Jeron smiled as he watched Nigel bow his head.

“Well, this unwanted guest will be off, then.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Hey, contact me if anything comes up. See you.”

Jeron waved his hand in the same dry manner as when they met.

Jingle.

He left the shop without hesitation.

“Hoo…”

Now it was really time for Nigel to leave.

***

The carriage that Madam Rudin, or rather Jeron, had prepared for him set off toward Xienia.

Xienia was located just east of the capital.

The academy was built in a royal forest on the outskirts for a quiet study environment and ample space.

As a result, the view outside the window gradually shifted from the lights and buildings to dense forests.

Seeing the tall trees, Nigel felt a sense of peace, as if he were back in Tilin.

“We’ve arrived.”

Nigel’s eyes widened as he stepped out of the carriage.

Beyond the large entrance gate lay a vast campus that couldn’t be seen all at once.

He hadn’t imagined such a huge place could exist in the deep forest.

True to its name, the Royal Academy of Xienia was expansive, akin to the vast territory of Arenium.

“Ah, are you a new student?”

A guard at the gate approached Nigel, who was standing there dazed.

Nigel nodded.

“What’s your name?”

Nigel silently handed over his admission certificate.

“Oh…!”

The guard flinched for a moment, but Nigel was too busy looking for the Golden Dragon statue to notice.

“Confirmed. Welcome to Xienia. We’ll take your luggage to your dormitory room, so please enjoy the banquet.”

Without even checking his list, the guard continued.

“The freshman party is in the banquet hall up ahead. Taking a walk around before the banquet is also a good idea. There are many beautiful spots in Xienia!”

“Thank you.”

“Have a pleasant time. Xienia will always be by your side.”

He bowed politely and opened the large gate.

“…”

With a strange feeling, Nigel walked through the gate.

Until now, he had felt indifferent, but actually entering the academy changed his perspective.

Belonging somewhere brought a significant sense of comfort.

Especially for Nigel, it was even more meaningful.

Nigel’s life had always been full of choices, and whether he was happy or sad, he worried more about the uncertain future than the present moment.

Having a status to be proud of was…

“Well, it’s not bad.”

Nigel smiled and walked forward.

***

However, Nigel’s smile didn’t last long.

“Where on earth is the Golden Dragon?”

Trusting Allen’s words that he would know immediately upon arriving at Xienia, Nigel walked and walked, searching for the Golden Dragon statue.

But even after more than twenty minutes, he couldn’t find any statues of animals, let alone a Golden Dragon.

Whenever he thought he might have found it, it turned out to be just another human statue.

In the process, he ended up cursing at eight statues, including the first emperor.

“Thanks to Allen, what a hassle.”

Moreover, fewer and fewer people appeared as he continued.

In front of him lay three paths.

“…”

He didn’t take long to decide.

Nigel chose to go straight.

And he walked.

Choosing to go straight had both a good and a bad outcome.

The good outcome was seeing a beautiful lake in the distance, just as the guard had said Xienia had many beautiful spots.

The bad outcome was that Nigel’s feet, unused to high heels, began to hurt.

“Damn uncomfortable.”

Since there was no one around, Nigel sat on a rock, took off his silver high heels, and walked toward the lake with them in his hands.

Having come this far, he decided to at least enjoy the view of the lake.

“…!”

As he approached the lake, he sensed a presence nearby.

‘Is it a person? Or an animal?’

Realistically, on the day of the party, the only one likely to come to the lake was himself, so he leaned towards it being an animal.

‘I’ll need a weapon to deal with an animal. Something suitable…!’

As he seriously looked around the forest, he glanced at the high heels in his hands.

The thin, high heels that had been annoying to wear now seemed reassuring.