I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 83: The Girl’s Sanctuary

"Can I go to Tigrova today? I'll return as soon as possible."

"Of course. Do whatever you want."

Rohan responded casually, watching as Shion's excitement practically radiated off of her.

And then, he turned toward Ichinose and Noah, expressing his gratitude.

"Thanks for the help. I'll make sure to repay you."

Both girls fixed him with a steady gaze, clearly expecting an explanation.

But Rohan had nothing to say—so he did his best to act clueless and let it slide.

Whether or not Noah noticed something off,

The beastkin girl was now even more curious than before.

"Hmmm..."

Unlike Ichinose, who could hide her emotions,

Noah, who had grown up in the free-spirited lands of Tigrova, wasn't good at suppressing curiosity.

She was clearly conflicted, caught between politeness and blunt honesty.

Her gaze lingered on Rohan, lips parting as if she was about to ask something—

But before she could—

"Noah. Since we're done here, shall we head to the restaurant?"

"Ah!"

Ichinose, having read the situation first, grabbed Noah’s arm and swiftly led her away.

After all—this was exactly the kind of situation her father had asked her to handle.

— No-se! Wait! Just a second—!

— It's exactly because it's just a second that we’re leaving.

As the two girls disappeared into the crowd,

Rohan exhaled deeply.

"Haa..."

He had never expected an encounter this random to lead to such an instant result.

In Abyss City, where Shion wasn’t even a playable character,

Something like this would have been impossible.

Rohan wasn’t too worried—he knew plenty about the Great Tiger Emperor.

But still, there was always some uncertainty.

"Shion. Should we all go to Tigrova together?"

"No. I'll go alone."

Shion smiled softly as she shook her head.

She understood now.

This wasn't something she couldn't handle alone.

And if Rohan accompanied her, it would disrupt the daily routine he had built for himself.

She didn’t want to become a burden.

"I'm still inexperienced when it comes to life outside, but... I can at least handle traveling by myself.

I'm not a child."

"..."

"Besides, Rohan—your academy exam is coming up. You absolutely cannot come."

Her firm tone made both Rohan and Clara immediately reconsider their approach.

They were worried, of course.

But at the same time, she seemed perfectly capable.

"Then at least buy a smartphone before you go.

You'll give us enough time for that, right? And lunch?"

"U-Unnie! I'll find a travel route for you, so let’s eat together first...!"

Even if she had just declared her intent to leave today,

There was no way Shion could refuse this.

She agreed to prepare properly before leaving—

And with Clara pulling her along, she followed Rohan.

As they walked—

Shion’s lips pressed together tightly.

Then, she finally spoke again.

"And... I know this is inconsiderate, but... can we reschedule our dinner plans?

I'm... really sorry."

The excitement of solving one of the biggest problems that had been weighing on her.

It had clouded her judgment—she had completely pushed aside the dinner Rohan had promised.

She remembered it too well now.

She had been looking forward to that time with them.

She wanted them to know that she hadn't taken it lightly.

'How... do I even explain that...?'

A sense of guilt tightened her throat, her mind blanking out.

But—

"Why are you apologizing? We’ll just celebrate when you get back."

"Exactly!"

Both Rohan and Clara responded at the same time, as if they had shared the same thought.

"..."

Every time she faced their kindness,

Shion felt her emotions spiral out of control.

Their warmth—so opposite from the life she had known.

It was too much for someone who had just barely gained freedom.

"Then let’s make sure we eat something delicious for lunch before you go."

"...Mm!"

The three of them walked in good spirits.

And when they finally sat down to eat—

Rohan and Clara kept the conversation light,

Filling the air with warm laughter and comforting warmth.

After the meal, they headed straight to the next stop without hesitation.

Rohan registered a new smartphone under his name and handed it to Shion.

"..."

Shion cradled the device in both hands, staring at it as if it were something sacred.

Her lips remained neutral, as usual.

But her sparkling eyes betrayed her true emotions.

'With this, I can stay in touch even while traveling to Tigrova!'

The only registered contacts—Rohan and Clara.

But that wasn’t lonely at all.

To Shion, just having those two names made her phone feel complete.

She had already learned the basics from them over lunch—

She could now call and message without issue.

"Make sure to check in often. We'll be waiting."

"If anything’s confusing or not working, call me anytime...!

I-I can look things up quickly too...!"

A group chat was formed, just the three of them.

Shion flooded the chat with random letters, using it as a test.

Then, she looked at them both, the corners of her lips curving slightly upward.

"I’ll report every little detail."

"Good. Here, take this."

Rohan handed her a card and cash.

Shion, whose hands were empty, accepted it without hesitation.

She clutched them close to her chest, firming her resolve.

"Today’s trip is a personal matter.

I will repay every cent when I return."

"I won’t charge interest, so do it however you like."

Now, all that was left was to return to the dorm,

Collect her gear and usual clothes, then head out.

"Shion unnie, Tigrova is really cold—make sure to dress warmly...!"

"Mm, I’ll keep that in mind."

Without hesitation, Shion hugged Clara—

Something that now felt natural, as if they were real family.

It was a bit ridiculous.

She hadn't even spent a full day here—yet she was already leaving.

'Stupid. I went and declared I’d leave today, right in front of Frozenheart...'

Now, she had no choice but to go and settle this unfinished business.

Yet, Shion felt the weight in her steps.

Her body refused to move.

She stalled, holding onto Clara just a little longer.

And then—

"Shion."

"Mm...?"

Rohan, who had been watching quietly,

Reminded her of something obvious.

"The sooner you leave,

The sooner you’ll see us again."

A simple truth.

A fact she already knew.

Yet, hearing it out loud—

Shion’s eyes widened.

"Shion unnie! This is the bus!"

Having finished her final preparations at Rohan’s dorm,

Shion and Clara arrived at the bus terminal together.

Clara had insisted on seeing her off.

Rohan had offered to go too,

But both girls pushed him back, telling him to attend his afternoon class.

'Of course, it would’ve been nice if Rohan came too.'

But she knew this was the right way.

Even knowing that, her heart wouldn’t settle.

For a moment, she regretted not asking what kind of cologne Rohan used.

But then—

Inside her bag, packed just before leaving,

Was Rohan’s outer coat, brought along under the excuse of keeping warm.

Just remembering it calmed the storm in her heart.

'The Sky Train...'

On the bus, Shion checked her travel itinerary once more.

There were several ways to reach Tigrova.

The land route had both cars and trains,

But compared to flying, it was exponentially slower.

It also wasn’t particularly cheap, making it a last resort for most.

There were icebreaker ships that traveled along the coastline,

Cutting through Tigrova’s frozen docks.

The view was spectacular, and many tourists loved it—

But for Shion, who wanted to finish things quickly, it was out of the question.

So the only answer left—

Was the sky.

Using the app Rohan and Clara had set up for her,

Shion booked a seat on the floating train.

A transport system powered by floating stones from the Sepia Archipelago.

Unlike airships, it still had a direct route and was significantly faster.

Some people complained about the turbulence—

But Shion didn’t care.

To her, it was just another form of training.

"Estimated travel time... 11 hours."

A full day, just on travel.

Longer than the time she had spent as a free person.

Tigrova also had a significant time difference from Academy City.

"..."

Various thoughts swirled in her head.

Rustle.

Shion pulled out Rohan’s coat—

And buried her face in it.

"U-Unnie!?"

Passengers who had already been stealing glances at her beauty

Now gawked in shock.

Even Clara, sitting right next to her, was stunned.

Shion’s breath was heavy.

Her movements—bold.

The elf girl trembled slightly—

Not with nervousness, but with something else entirely.

"Sniff...!"

She took a deep inhale.

Then another.

Filling her lungs and mind with Rohan’s scent.

Her resolve solidified.

She had to move quickly—

But not recklessly.

She had to learn everything about her parents.

If the Tigrovan elves had tarnished the name Testarossa,

She would wipe away the stain.

"Huu..."

She exhaled, letting her breath mingle with Rohan’s scent.

And then—

She reminded herself of a simple fact.

Her home—

Was not in Tigrova.

Her nest was here.

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With Rohan and Clara.

Shion lifted her head,

Her golden eyes glinting sharply.