Damn Academy - Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Black Footprints (6)

“Do you think they’ll attack us?”

“No, they just seem to like us!”

I’m reminded that my strength and weakness lie in spirits. The spirits are chasing us as if surrounding us, yet I didn’t notice a thing. My training is still lacking.

If they possess a powerful spiritual energy that can harm people, I would be able to see their form, but that’s about it.

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“We’re heading to Rigved.”

“What are we going to do there?”

“To have fun with you.”

Trisha’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Really? We’re just going there to have fun? Nothing else?”

“Yes.”

“Damian, you’ve really decided to serve me! You’re so sweet! Come here! I’ll give you a hug!”

Trisha opened her arms wide with excitement. Honestly, I didn’t expect her to be this happy.

“There are people watching, so let’s restrain ourselves a bit.”

“There’s no one to see except those crows!”

“How do you know whose spirits they are?”

“Maybe the blonde’s?”

Trisha never calls Luna by name. Luna is always ‘the blonde.’ Luna carefully pronounces Trisha’s name, though.

“It’s possible.”

“Now I suddenly don’t like the crows.”

“They might just be following us because they’re glad to see us. Luna releases spirits on campus, so they’d unknowingly run into each other.”

I tried to explain it nicely to Trisha, but I was curious as well. Why are the spirits swarming? Could it be a hidden message for me?

“I don’t like it. It’s supposed to be just us having fun. Why is the blonde involved?”

“It’s just a vague guess. It doesn’t have to be Luna. We can’t know unless we ask the crows directly. They might have been sent from the labyrinth to protect you.”

“…Fine. Let them do what they want!”

Surprisingly, Trisha accepted it quickly. I expected her to question it thoroughly, but this made me suspicious.

Trisha lost interest in the crows and started humming while watching the scenery outside.

“A pair of sparrows is looking for a place to love. Hmm hmm—”

Then she took off her shoes and rolled down her knee socks, tossing them beside her. It was familiar. She did this every time she rode in a carriage.

I pondered how to make Trisha happy. A meal? A play? A party… but there was no invitation. I wasn’t sure if Trisha would be satisfied with something so ordinary. She didn’t seem vain.

T h i s w a s c o p i ed f ro m k in g m t l . o r g
“The mill is already occupied by another sparrow. Hmm—”

I couldn’t think of anything to pass the time. Maybe it was because I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy a date while the misunderstanding with Luna remained unresolved.

Even if I wanted to run to her now, what would it accomplish? Luna would avoid me for a while. All I could do was wait.

“The windmill, too, has another sparrow. We’ll lie in the barley field and love—hmm hmm.”

“Who taught you that song…?”

Distracted by the odd song, Trisha tried to remove her disguise artifact from her finger.

Suddenly alert, I stopped her.

“What are you doing?”

“Why? I always undressed inside the carriage.”

“What if that spirit belongs to Luna?”

Though I wasn’t sure, a large number of spirits like that likely belonged to Luna. If not, it could be an even bigger problem, as an unknown person might be watching.

“I don’t care.”

“What do you mean?”

Trisha replied nonchalantly.

“I saw her at the Philaion Library. She works there as a librarian. She’s involved with the labyrinth too, so what’s the difference?”

…

“What would knowing my true form accomplish? Just admire my prettier self.”

Luna isn’t someone who would exploit Trisha for her own gain. Hearing Trisha’s reasoning, it seemed plausible.

More importantly, Trisha’s resolve to reveal her true self appeared unyielding.

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want to waste my precious time worrying about others. I’m sick of it!”

…

“I can’t even go out freely… If I have to be watched and cautious, what’s the point?”

Trisha deliberately removed the artifact.

This wasn’t an impulsive act. Accumulated emotions had finally burst.

I changed my mind too. It might be better to visit Rigved another time.

I asked the coachman to change course. Nothing in Rigved seemed to promise joy.

If provoked, she might roam Rigved in her true form. This was much safer.

The carriage diverted toward the banks of the Eternia River.

The scenery outside unfolded beautifully.

The winding river and the sunlight sparkling on the water. The forest embracing the river had grown lusher with the warm weather.

The river had recently overflowed, smoothing and thickening the sandbars.
Th i s w a s co pi e d f rom k i n g m t l.o r g

Trisha, gazing out the window, buried her face in her hands and exclaimed.

“Beautiful!”

Trisha stopped singing and admired the riverside scenery. At the beginning of the semester, we passed this way daily on the way to Silveryn’s mansion. It held some fond memories.

When the carriage stopped at a rarely traveled riverside, Trisha looked puzzled.

“Why here?”

“I changed the plan.”

“Are we playing here?”

“Yes. Plans changed. In Rigved, we would have had to watch for others.”

I got off the carriage and offered my hand at the door. She peeked outside, surveying the area. Despite being used to living in hiding, she instinctively covered herself when showing her true form.

“Should I… get off?”

“There’s no one around.”

T his w a s c op i ed fr o m k i n g m t l .o r g
“Really?”

“And, there’s a secret place here, out of sight.”

If we moved a little further on the winding path, we’d pass a steep hill beyond which the riverbank view was blocked by the forest and hills. My plan was to run quickly to that secluded spot.

She showed anticipation.

“Great. Great!”

“The problem is, the carriage can’t go there, so we’ll have to run a bit.”

If the carriage went in, it might get stuck in the sand.
T h is wa s c o p i e d fr om k i n g m t l . o r g

“A bit?”

“Yes, a bit.”

“Sounds fun!”

A mischievous smile spread across her face. She reached out and took my hand. I intertwined my fingers with hers, holding tightly.

I checked again for passing carriages and gave a signal. She swallowed nervously and nodded.

“One, two, three!”

Together, Trisha and I dashed across the flat ground.

“Kyah!”

The river breeze swept over us. While running, I glanced at Trisha. She was holding her skirt and hair fluttering as she bounded forward.

“Pfft, hahaha, ahahahaha!”

For some reason, Trisha burst into laughter as we ran.

I looked ahead and kept running. Then suddenly, our linked hands snagged on something.

Looking back, I saw Trisha had tripped and fallen to the ground. Luckily, she had landed face-first in the soft sand.

“There! Shush, shush.”

I heard the distant voice of the coachman. Though he wasn’t visible yet, he might appear if we lingered on the path.

In haste, I scooped Trisha into my arms and ran.

Trisha brushed away her white hair covering her face. Despite a cheek full of sand, she laughed gleefully.

“Hahaha! Ah, it’s so funny!”

I set her down on the white sand, well away from the road, and caught my breath.

Unable to suppress her laughter, she lay on the sand, trembling with giggles.

“What is it? Share the joke.”

“It’s just funny!”

“This?”

“Pffft, Damian, idiot, idiot.”

Without warning, I lifted Trisha onto my shoulder.

“Kya! What are you doing, idiot!”

Trisha slapped my back, but without strength, it didn’t hurt at all.

I ran into the river with her.

***

We swam for a while before coming ashore.

Both of us were dripping, having jumped in fully clothed. Trisha waddled out like a drenched mouse, trailing behind me.

As she wrung out her white hair like a towel, she spoke.

“But this place is amazing. The sun and sand are warm, there’s no one around, and the water is so clear.”

She dashed to a spot and lay down on the sand.

“We need to dry our clothes. What are you doing?”

“The sand is so warm! I’ll dry off like this.”

“Fine.”

I took off my shirt. Trisha watched me and began to remove her clothes as well.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re undressing too!”

I turned away, embarrassed, but when I looked again, she was wearing underpants and a camisole, so it wasn’t overly indecent. Though more of her pale skin was visible.

I summoned Peep and set it on Trisha’s belly. It seemed sleepy, nodding off in the sunlight.

“Are you just going to lie there?”

T h i s wa s c op ied fr o m k i n g mt l . or g
“Lie down too!”

“I’m going back into the water.”

“Go ahead!”

I dove back into the river.

While swimming alone, Trisha called out from a distance.

“Damia-an!”
T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm tl .o r g

“What!”

“There’s a wild horse over there!”

In the direction she pointed, a herd of wild horses was grazing. Last time it was unicorns, now wild horses.

“Don’t startle me!”

“I’ll go feed them!”

She seems to only hear what she wants.

Trisha squatted in the weeds and picked grass.
T his w a s co p i e d f ro m k in gm t l. o r g

After leisurely swimming again, Trisha called for me once more.

“Hey, Damian!”

“…?”

“Come here! Hurry!”

She hadn’t been kicked by a horse’s hind leg, so why the commotion? Had she been bitten by a bug?

I swam over hastily, approaching her still dripping.

Trisha, looking tearful, held out her clay-covered palm.

“Ugh. I got this all over!”

A stench hit me. She must have touched horse dung while picking grass.

…
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r om k i n g m t l . o rg

“What do I do! Eww!”

“Come here.”

Do I have to handle this too? I grabbed Trisha’s wrist and led her to the riverbank. Then I dunked her hand in the water.

“Shake it until it’s all gone.”

“…Okay.”

Trisha wiggled her hand as instructed. As the filth washed away, she spoke to the fish swimming nearby.

“Eat up, fishies.”
T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g

…

I should be used to this world by now…

***

After our water play, we lay on the sand to dry. I sunbathed in just my underwear.

Next to me, Trisha slipped one leg over mine.

I nudged it back, and she quietly crossed it over again.

I felt at peace. It seemed wise not to go to the bustling Rigved and play here instead.

Though it was a good time, I still couldn’t understand why Calios specifically instructed me to spend time with Trisha.

“Trisha.”

“Yeah.”

“Are the white crows still there?”

“Hmm… No! They’re all gone now.”

“Really?”

So the spirits weren’t related to Luna.

“Yeah.”

“And the professor called you a Calamity Collector. Why is that?”

“That? I used to bring calamities wherever I went!”

“Even unintentionally?”

“No, I did it on purpose. I caused trouble deliberately.”

“Why would you do that?”

“No one would get mad at me. I wanted to test how far they’d go.”

“Did you have no manners?”

“No. I was furious because no one got mad at me!”

“I don’t get it.”

“Exactly. I wondered why they wouldn’t get angry. Was it because I was scary? Would they retaliate when I grew up? Was I precious? None of that.”

…

Trisha’s expression turned solemn.

“They just pitied me. Because what I had to bear in the future was so heavy and painful. They felt guilty about leaving the world’s most important duty to me. That’s why they accepted everything and couldn’t get angry.”

“Those high-ranking people? Like Professor Calios?”

“Yeah. But I don’t cause trouble anymore. I’m a lady now!”

How great a burden must she bear for even people like Calios to feel indebted? It’s unbelievable. Who is this gentle and pure girl lying beside me?

T h is w as c o p i e d f r om k in g mtl . o rg
“…Who are you?”

“Goddess?”

“That’s blasphemy.”

“I’m the goddess who came to trouble Damian!”

“What does our goddess want to be when she grows up?”

“I want to become a mom soon!”

The peaceful sky suddenly felt clouded.

Trisha’s wish was just like what Liza had once hoped for.

End of Chapter