I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 17: Encounter with Clara

Rohan was the first to arrive at the training facility.

Inside, the cozy temperature, purified air, and overall atmosphere made it the perfect place to work out.

“Ughhh!”

As he stretched his stiff neck muscles, Rohan resumed the train of thought that had been interrupted the night before.

“Next are those bastards... but when will they act?”

The broken line of communication with the Yard-Pound brothers.

Rohan was already anticipating how the elven elders would respond.

In Abyss City, even the protagonist eventually cut off contact with them. Although Rohan's actions had been more forceful, the outcome remained the same.

“This is where the real problem begins.”

Rohan knew the upcoming events.

However, trying to predict or calculate the timing of those events was a mistake.

In Abyss City, most quests were initiated at the player’s discretion.

Until the protagonist interacted with an NPC bearing an exclamation mark, the world essentially stood still.

What mattered now was paying attention to signs.

Just as Instructor Jooyeon had mentioned before, it was crucial to catch the subtle warnings that signaled an impending incident.

‘And then there are the unexpected and special quests that come out of nowhere.’

Rohan was intensely aware of the events that lay ahead.

Knowing the future, ignoring the dangers, and simply enjoying student life was impossible for him.

His inherent personality wouldn’t allow such complacency.

The thought of vile people targeting those he cared about most filled him with a sense of revulsion.

The girls he held dear were too pure and innocent to endure such injustices or to have their spirits eroded by cruel experiences.

“Bastards. As long as I’m alive, I’ll never let that happen.”

With that resolve, Rohan prepared himself to face any challenges.

But as he tried to devise detailed plans, the sheer number of uncertainties became overwhelming.

His thoughts were chaotic, his mind on the brink of overload.

“Run. Just run until you drop.”

Knowing that moving his body was the best way to clear his head, Rohan finished his stretches and stepped onto the treadmill.

“Phew!”

It was a treadmill designed for magic users, capable of handling speeds faster than cars. Hunters had trained with similar machines.

Whirr!

Rohan began to run. As his feet pounded against the belt, the treadmill gradually increased its speed.

Not bad.

He decided to run until the stiffness of the early morning melted away completely.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

It felt as though his heart had moved to his head, pounding loudly. His throat was dry, and his lungs were screaming for mercy.

But this was exactly what Rohan needed to sharpen his focus.

“I’ll definitely need Clara as we move forward.”

How long would it take to recruit Clara if he started working on it now?

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Could he bring her onto his side before a large-scale incident broke out—one he wouldn’t be able to handle alone?

“Borrowing someone else’s help, though...”

He considered the faces of those he knew.

“Noah’s out of the question. No matter what, not this time.”

In this storyline, Noah—the supposed target of many events—couldn’t be relied upon for this task.

It wasn’t a matter of her capabilities. With her current skills, Noah could resolve the situation as soon as she got involved.

The elven elders were well aware that Noah Frozenheart was an unparalleled prodigy among her peers, which was why they remained cautious.

They had even gone so far as to spend significant time observing Noah’s typical routes, behavior, and whether she had an unseen escort.

The primary reason Noah couldn’t be involved was simple:

“This quest resets if Noah becomes aware of the incident.”

Even the mighty Emperor of Tigrova, who had once sheltered the elves in the coniferous forests, would annihilate their entire lineage if they dared target Noah.

Rohan wanted to avoid such a situation at all costs.

There was at least one elf he wanted to save, regardless of the rest.

For that reason, Noah was excluded.

Who else could he rely on?

“Gilbert...”

The chances of controlling him, no matter how he was persuaded, were slim.

Wouldn’t he just start screaming and throwing a tantrum out of nowhere?

The real issue was that Gilbert didn’t seem to understand how loud his voice was.

“Dick Wikitree?”

The thought almost made Rohan laugh.

Dick could barely handle killing a single F-grade monster without his hands shaking. Expecting him to handle live combat was absurd.

He was someone who would barely manage to keep his head above water if he fell into a river.

Beep––!

Who knew how long he had been running? The treadmill came to an automatic stop.

Rohan stepped off the machine, his breathing heavy, forcing him to bend over instinctively. Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, he stretched his leg muscles and moved on to the next machine.

He pushed his body relentlessly, machine after machine.

“Urghhh!”

As he strained against a contraption that increased resistance in response to his magical output, Rohan's mind sought clarity amid the physical exertion.

“If I can’t recruit Clara in time, convincing Ichinose might be the best alternative.”

It was an ideal plan, but it wasn’t without complications.

Ichinose had the skills, no doubt about it, but Rohan wasn’t sure he could steer the situation in the direction he wanted with her involved.

Thud!

He finished a set and let the machine go, taking a moment to catch his breath.

“Ichinose...”

The name escaped his lips in a frustrated mutter.

It was a whisper that should have disappeared into the air unnoticed.

But instead, it brought an unexpected response from the empty room.

“Did you sense me? As expected, you’re no ordinary person.”

“!?”

Startled, Rohan turned his head sharply, only to find Ichinose standing there in her tracksuit.

“Good morning. You’re up early.”

“Uh... Yeah, training.”

Seeing Ichinose brought a strange energy to Rohan.

In the game, he had only ever seen her in the Orion Academy uniform. Her casual tracksuit made her look far cuter than any fan art he had seen.

“A model example. Diligence is something everyone can learn from.”

“You’re here too, Ichinose. I haven’t been here that long myself.”

“For someone who hasn’t been here long, you’re sweating quite a bit.”

As Ichinose continued their conversation, she casually stretched. Her petite figure and the way she sipped water from her bottle made her look almost playful.

“Well, I’ll get to my workout. Sorry for interrupting.”

“Running?”

“Yes. I only run in the mornings.”

“I was thinking of running again too. Let’s do it together.”

Ichinose opened her eyes slightly, studying Rohan as sweat dripped from his bangs. She nodded after a moment.

“Alright. It won’t be boring, at least.”

***

Ichinose’s pace was fast.

What seemed like a light jog for her exceeded Rohan’s maximum running speed.

Having built her endurance since childhood, her stamina was in a different league—well beyond anything Rohan could close the gap on through sheer effort. If she used her magic, her physical strength would easily surpass his.

“Huufff! Hahh... Hufff...”

By the time the machine stopped, Rohan collapsed onto the training room floor, exhausted.

Meanwhile, Ichinose, without a single drop of sweat on her, stepped off her treadmill and gave Rohan a surprised look.

“Rohan, is your condition okay?”

“Huff... I feel like I’m dying.”

“Here, have some water.”

Rohan gratefully took the bottle she offered and downed a few gulps before sitting back to catch his breath.

“I didn’t expect there to be such a huge gap.”

“...?”

Ichinose looked at Rohan, puzzled by his serious expression.

‘His form is good.’

Despite his impressive swordsmanship, his basic stamina seemed strangely lacking.

It didn’t make sense to Ichinose, who assumed he must have trained extensively with the sword.

“Rohan, can I ask you something?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Rohan looked up, wiping his face with a towel.

“Where are you from? It’s hard to believe someone with your skills went unnoticed. Feels like I missed something during my research.”

Rohan hesitated for a moment but saw no reason to hide it. He had been prepared to answer if asked.

“You’ll buy me a drink if I tell you, right?”

“Of course. I’ll get you two.”

Rohan couldn’t help but enjoy their conversation. He would have answered even without the promise of a drink.

‘She’s so endearing it’s hard to resist.’

After savoring her curious expression for a moment, Rohan gave his answer.

“From the Southern Hinterlands.”

“...!”

Ichinose’s pupils trembled, as if she’d realized she had touched on something sensitive.

Rohan smiled faintly, preempting her from apologizing.

“Impressive, right? Coming all the way to Orion Academy from the south.”

Realizing Rohan’s lighthearted tone, Ichinose closed her mouth.

After a brief pause, she nodded and offered a soft smile.

“It really is impressive.”

“Well, theory’s a bit of a wall for me, but I’ll work harder.”

Rohan stood up, massaging his legs.

Ichinose watched him thoughtfully and added in a gentle voice:

“Rohan.”

“What?”

“I’m confident in theory. So... ask me whenever you need help.”

“Anytime?”

“Yes. Teaching others is the best form of review for me, so it benefits us both.”

Hearing this, Rohan rummaged through his bag and pulled out his smartphone, handing it to her.

“Give me your number. I’ll text if I have questions.”