All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 6

3. Something Better – 2

Whether it’s a spirit of light or a cat, I need to participate in the Mass first.

Ian entered the temple with the cat clinging to him.

Perhaps because Head Nun Hestian had already informed them, the priests didn’t pay him much attention as he entered.

Soon, the doors closed, and the Mass began.

The priests and nuns chanted and emitted divine power as usual, and Ian quietly accepted the energy of the sun.

Meanwhile, the white tiger-striped cat settled on Ian’s lap.

‘The energy of the sun is easy to obtain… Kirke, is there a Temple of the Moon nearby?’

‘Okay, give it a try.’

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art requires a balance of yin and yang to be reborn.

Although I’m using the magic of the Sun Moon Divine Sect to gain internal energy.

If I only absorb the energy of the sun in such an unbalanced way, my growth will soon be limited.

‘I should look for ways to obtain the energy of the moon whenever I have time.’

The Mass ended.

As Ian rose from his seat to leave, Willis approached with a smile.

“Brother Ian.”

“I haven’t been baptized yet, so I’m not a brother…”

“Hahaha. To show such fervent faith in the Mass, and yet you’re not a brother.”

How could someone who has lived infinite lives have faith?

But he couldn’t exactly say to the priest, “I don’t have any faith, so be quiet!”

As Ian smiled silently, Willis turned his gaze to the cat that had made his shoulder its perch.

“But this cat… isn’t it a spirit of light?”

He’s saying the same thing Kirke found out.

When Ian nodded, Willis grinned.

“It’s very rare for a spirit of light to materialize and follow someone…”

“Do you know something about it?”

“Yes. Spirits of light are different from ordinary spirits.”

He stared at the cat intently.

“Ordinary spirits use affinity to hide their true form and make contracts. But those are contracts on very equal terms.”

But spirits of light are different.

They don’t look at affinity; they look at the soul of a person and approach them on their own.

“Spirits of light only approach those who shine. Throughout history, those people have…”

Willis gave Ian a warm smile.

“…mostly accomplished heroic feats.”

“Myaa~.”

He gently stroked the cat’s head with his large hand.

The cat didn’t seem bothered by the human touch and remained still as Priest Willis petted it.

“This little one. This little one.”

“If you like it, you can have it.”

It suddenly clung to me, so I don’t have any attachment or anything.

Ian offered, thinking he could get some holy relics in return, but Willis looked regretful.

“I’m tempted…”

He gently held the snow-white cat like a cotton ball.

But at that moment, it jumped back to Ian.

Was it expressing its desire not to be separated from him?

Willis stroked the cat again with a regretful expression.

“It seems to think of you as its owner.”

“Hmm… should I raise it then?”

“That would be better. Or would you like to try abandoning it?”

As he suggested, Ian placed it in the garden.

It was briefly interested in a butterfly flying by, but the cat quickly ran back and clung to Ian.

“It seems my guess was correct.”

“But I’m not in a position to keep a pet…”

He hadn’t even decided whether to stay at the Academy yet.

In such a situation, a pet?

As Ian was about to shake his head, Willis smiled.

“If it’s a matter of the lower-classmen’s rules, you don’t have to worry. Upper-classmen are allowed to keep pets. And frankly, it’s hard to see a spirit of light as just a pet.”

“But I’m a lower-classman…”

“The middle-class instructors seemed quite interested in you earlier.”

It was revealed that Ian hadn’t made a deal with a demon.

That meant defeating Isaac was purely his own skill.

That was enough to qualify him for the middle class.

“Of course, if you wait, other instructors will come looking for you.”

Willis explained the Academy’s ways, and Ian gave a wry smile.

Before he came, Ian had worked hard every day.

He swung his sword until his hands were torn and studied late into the night.

But there were no results, and as a result, he struggled at the bottom even among the lower class.

Not a single person reached out to him back then.

But just because he showed a little skill, people were reaching out from everywhere.

‘I guess so.’

Why are there more people at the morning market and fewer at the evening market? [A common saying implying people flock to where there’s opportunity.]

In the end, they’re just trying to get what they want.

“So, you’re saying I can decide where to go?”

“Yes. The instructors will offer conditions… so choose wisely.”

It didn’t matter where he went, but if possible, it would be better to go to a place that offered good conditions.

“With your skills, you might even be able to go to the upper class.”

“Hahaha. You flatter me.”

“Anyway, no one will blame you for having a spirit of light with you.”

“Hmm… should I?”

Ian picked up the white cat.

Its dazzling fur and eyes filled with starlight were pretty.

“Let’s raise it for now. If it doesn’t work out, I can just release it.”

“Please do. Spirits of light are especially loved in our order.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Do you know about our order’s holy beast? It’s a materialized spirit of light cat, just like this one. A lovely and strong cat that yearns for light and the sun.”

Moreover, many of the saints of the Sun Order had been with spirits of light.

As such, the owner of this spirit could easily have a good relationship with the Sun Order.

It wasn’t a bad story for Ian, who needed to absorb the energy of the sun.

“The Sun will bless you. Then you should give it a name…”

“A name…”

Nothing really came to mind.

“The pattern on its back resembles a tiger, so how about Tiger?”

“Myaa!! Myaaaa! Mya!!”

“Hodori, Hosooni, Hosiki Two-Chicken…” [Korean names, often associated with tigers or cuteness.]

Ian suggested a few names that came to mind, but the cat resisted, seemingly dissatisfied.

“Hmm… its cry is Mya~, so… Mya. One syllable is a bit much, so how about Myane? Myane.”

Ian was already thinking of other names, expecting it wouldn’t like this one either.

Then the cat suddenly raised its head.

“Myamyamya~.”

Only then did it wag its tail, as if it liked the name.

It pressed its white paws against Ian and rubbed its body against him.

“Myane. Myane. The sound isn’t bad. What does it mean?”

There was no such thing.

He just named it as he pleased.

“It’s a good name.”

“Myamyamya~ Myaaa~.”

Myane chirped in agreement.

Watching this, Ian stroked Myane’s fur.

“Does it understand its own name?”

Myane looked at Ian and stuck out its red tongue.

And it licked his fingers several times, expressing affection.

Willis, who had been stroking Myane’s back as it showed affection, nodded.

“Even if it has materialized, it’s still a spirit, so it should be able to understand human speech to some extent.”

Ian stared intently at Myane.

‘If it’s a spirit, it must have special abilities.’

Making eye contact with him, Myane climbed up his clothes and sat on his shoulder.

And it rubbed its fur against Ian’s face, acting cute.

The passing nuns were impressed by its lovely appearance.

“Myaaaa~ Myaaaa~ Myamya~ Mya~ Myaaaaa~.”

“It’s so cute!!”

“Haa… I wish we could raise a cat in our temple too.”

“I’m the only one without a cat…”

All the passing clerics seemed to have fallen for Myane’s loveliness.

As they rejoiced, Ian stroked Myane.

‘Will it gain some special power when it grows up a bit more?’

Kirke was right.

Spirits are fundamentally beings with various special abilities.

It had been a great help everywhere, so it wouldn’t be a loss to raise it with affection.

Having finished his thoughts, Ian stroked Myane.

“Myaa~”

As if it liked the touch, Myane rubbed its body even more against Ian’s face.

* * *

The service was over, and the Mass was attended.

The remaining time was for the priests and nuns to study separately.

So, there was no need to stay, and Ian took Myane and left the temple.

“The instructors were supposed to come… are they still holding back?”

“No, it’s okay. I just need to do my job. If I don’t like the conditions, I can just leave.”

His steps headed towards the dormitory.

With all the commotion, there were no more classes today.

Of course, he had no intention of attending even if there were.

Arriving at the dormitory, Ian went up the stairs.

-Creak… Creeeaaak…!

The sound of the old wooden stairs echoed eerily.

Making a spine-chilling sound, Ian arrived at the rooftop and smiled.

“Ha. These bastards.”

There was no one on the rooftop.

“I’ll have to tear their mouths apart. Kirke, where are they?”

Ian closed his eyes and recalled the memories left in this body.

He was threatened to go up to the rooftop and wait.

After spending all day on the rooftop, Rude and his gang beat him up, using that as an excuse.

“The one who hits can’t sleep with their legs stretched out? There’s no funnier saying than that.” [Meaning karma will catch up to wrongdoers.]

“Yeah. And that’s what happened to him too.”

The resentment and despair that remained vividly in his memory had become deep, unhealed wounds.

Recalling that, he walked to the door of Rude and Ainkel.

-Click!

As expected, the door was locked.

“Oh, you guys.”

Trying to stop me with a door like this.

Ian was about to break down the door, but he turned his eyes to the shabby window next to it.

Being a lower-class dormitory, instead of repairing the twisted window, it was roughly tied with wire.

Ian untied it, twisted it here and there, made a makeshift lock pick, and inserted it into the keyhole.

-Click, click, click!

The lock was easily released with just a few pokes.

-Squeak….

As the door opened with a low sound, Rude and Ainkel, with pale faces, were seen trembling.

“I, Ian? Wh, when did you… come?!”

“What did I say earlier?”

Who would have known that he would come back so quickly?

That’s why they didn’t go up, but they got caught.

“Ian… I, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“I was wrong! Huh?! Please, forgive me! Th, th, the things that happened until now were a misunderstanding! Huh?! Let’s resolve it now. I, I apologize for hitting you and leaving you unconscious before! I’m sorry!! Really! I’ve committed a truly unforgivable sin!!”

“Unconscious, huh.”

He did lose consciousness.

He just died in that state.

This possessed Ian also asked them to stop when he was being beaten by them.

But what did Rude, Ainkel, and Tribe do?

They laughed at him and trampled and beat him without a care.

Ian’s last memory before his death was the laughter, contempt, and violence of those three.

That’s why he laughed at their desperate pleas.

People are so fickle.

They are stronger and scarier than anyone in front of the weak.

But in front of a stronger power than themselves, they end up like that.

‘What I’m doing now is also bullying the weak.’

‘That’s self-justification. I’m not going to deny my actions.’

He had lived too long to live by rationalizing things like Kirke said.

He stared at the two trembling men with indifferent eyes.

“There are no misunderstandings between us.”

“Huh…?”

Rude and Ainkel’s expressions changed.

So, he’s just going to let it go?

With vague expectations, Ian said leisurely.

“And there’s no forgiveness to be done either.”

“Th, then… are we going to get along like before…?”

“Except for one thing.”

“Wh, what is it?”

Feeling uneasy and fearful, Ian took a step towards them.

“Now I’m the one who’s going to beat you.”