Chapter 26. Freshman Welcome Party (2)
I headed to Croy Bakery, located on the outskirts of the central plaza.
This bakery, unlike most shops limited to the dormitory district, was situated near the main building — a result of aligned interests among professors, students, and the shop owner.
Because of its convenient location, the bakery was housed in a tall, narrow building. When I reached the rooftop, the entire central plaza spread out before my eyes.
As always with prime spots like this, someone had arrived first.
In front of me lay a male student, resting with his arm behind his head.
He had green hair similar to Ridipin’s and wore a sleep mask, yet his handsome features still stood out.
I pulled a paper bag from my coat and casually struck up a conversation as I approached him.
“I thought this spot had a great view, so I came up… didn’t expect someone to already be here.”
He snorted and replied,
“Don’t lie. You clearly came here knowing I’d be here. I could tell from your footsteps, your gaze, your breathing. And what’s that in your hand? A bribe?”
The unfamiliar text, never once seen in the game, made me smile.
Just as I’d hoped.
“As rumored, you’re extraordinary, Senior Lestar Lightzers.”
Lestar Lightzers.
Although from a branch family of House Lightzers, he was acknowledged for his brilliance and treated as a direct descendant of the main family—a genius.
Even his mother was the current Commander of the Knights, making his influence no joke.
But Lestar isn’t defined by his background or his family.
Though not officially recognized, Lestar was the strongest second-year acknowledged by all the second and third years. As an adult, he was consistently brought up in community debates about the strongest in the world—his power was overwhelming.
Incidentally, among the strongest candidates in the game’s world, he was the only human.
Surrounded by dragons, demons, angels, and other non-humans, Lestar’s humanity made him unique, and many players adored him for it.
Yet, despite this, the consensus was that Lestar could never be the strongest in the world. Why?
Because he was the laziest being in the entire setting.
The headmaster, Castro, was no slouch either, but at least he had people who could make him move. No one could move Lestar. Or more precisely—no one could anymore.
Lestar, a sworn enemy of hassle, didn’t join any faction. Meaning—he was prime recruitment material.
So I sat beside him, unfazed by his thorny attitude. He turned away from me, annoyed.
“You can do whatever you want, just don’t annoy me.”
“You sure about that? If you don’t listen to my proposal now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Lestar chuckled mockingly.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to reveal the truth behind ‘that incident’ from four years ago?”
“…Excuse me?”
“So you are.”
I knew his instincts were sharp, but this felt like precognition.
Still, the fact that he guessed my proposal wasn’t that surprising.
“Some first-year brought it up earlier too… Who let that slip?”
Lestar slowly sat up, his drowsiness gone, replaced by fury.
“You thought I’d let it slide after you brought up that incident in front of me?”
As his emotions flared, a black aura rose from his body.
“You thought I was an easy target?”
The ominous aura radiated instantly, wrapping around me and pressing down like a physical weight.
Exerting force without any defined technique, purely with aura — he was already beyond a student’s level.
“Ugh…”
“If I wanted to, I could crush your limbs and force it out of you.”
“Ha… Even if you did, I doubt you’d get anything.”
I fired back confidently, but what on earth was going on?!
For Lestar, that incident was a trauma—he lost the one person who saved him from breaking down. I expected anger, but someone else already mentioned it?!
In the story’s setting, Lestar was the sole survivor. The incident was so thoroughly covered up that even Lestar himself couldn’t dig up anything.
So who on earth mentioned it to him?
It couldn’t be the perpetrators — they’d hate even bringing it up. Meaning someone else entirely, someone I didn’t know.
And if characters were acting outside my expectations… perhaps, just like me, they too had been possessed by another player.
But this wasn’t the time to focus on that.
I struggled to steady my shaking knees and met Lestar’s gaze.
“You want to know, don’t you? The reason you’ve stayed here all day… It’s because of that, isn’t it?”
“You… know a lot more than you should, huh?”
His smile didn’t ease the pressure. The black aura formed blades in midair, aimed at my throat.
Still, I smiled back, unfazed.
“Go ahead. Kill me. If I’m gone, even if you destroy the empire, you’ll never know the truth.”
“…”
Despite his actions, I knew Lestar too well — he’d accept my offer. I wasn’t afraid at all.
Seeing that I didn’t budge, Lestar raised his mask and looked at me with crimson eyes.
“So it’s you… the empire’s greatest troublemaker? This is getting interesting.”
Lestar withdrew the aura and lifted my chin to meet his gaze.
His eyes didn’t hold any special power. But they felt like they pierced right through me.
“In that case, I’ll ask you the same. What proof do you have that you know the truth?”
I took his arm with one hand and handed him the paper bag in the other.
“You asked earlier if this was a bribe. It’s not wrong, but it’s more like an offering.”
“…An offering?”
Lestar looked puzzled as he checked the contents, pulling out a piece of bread.
He stared at the bread as if possessed, then gently tore it in half — revealing a yellow custard filling inside.
His pupils trembled as he looked at me.
“This is…”
Custard cream bread — common in any bakery across the empire, but for Lestar, it was an irreplaceable memory.
It was the favorite food of the person he loved most.
I smiled meaningfully, and Lestar chuckled bitterly.
“I guess I have no choice but to believe you now.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and nodded.
“Fine. I accept your proposal.”
“You don’t even want to hear what it is?”
“Doesn’t matter. If it means I can learn the truth of that day, I’d even become your dog.”
I expected this, but still — such willingness was surprising.
As I smiled, he suddenly handed me half the bread.
“Take it. This kind of bread is meant to be shared.”
I accepted without hesitation and took a bite.
The soft, sweet custard filled my mouth.
Lestar finished his piece in one go and asked me,
“So, when do I get to hear the truth?”
“How long can you wait? I was hoping… maybe the year after next.”
“So you’re planning to wring every last bit of use out of me until I graduate.”
“Isn’t that what you just agreed to? Or should we forget the whole thing?”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t take back my word. Besides…”
He lowered his mask back over his eyes and added,
“…I’ve already wandered for two years. What’s a little more waiting? So, what do you need me to do?”
“There are three favors for now, but before that…”
I grinned brightly.
“Do you like causing a scene?”
