The Academy's Time Looper-Chapter 42: Kai’s Turn

Glancing backward and seeing the training hall far away, Athen finally slowed down and turned to Kai.

"I get why you think she’s so scary now..."

"..?"

However, Kai didn’t seem to buy Athen’s excuse for running away, as he instantly replied.

"All she said was your name!? What do you mean?"

Trying to change the topic, Athen thought for a moment before replying.

"But... why are you, the son of the grand duke, so scared of her?"

"...why are you so clueless?"

After taking a deep breath and silently trying to comprehend how someone with no political knowledge like Athen got accepted into the academy, Kai finally continued.

"She’s the emperor’s niece...or part of the royal family."

Kai paused before resuming, allowing the weight of his words to drift into Athen’s ears and making sure he heard them.

"When I was young and visited the castle, she would always be there, pestering me and trying to take off my mask that my father insisted I keep on."

Holding in the urge to say, "Well, it was all for nothing," Athen nodded his head and responded.

"Anyway, do you believe me when I say she and Delphi saw your face?"

As the two aimlessly walked through the forest path with no destination in mind, Kai nodded his head and replied.

"Well, they know that you’re not me, and since I’m you, they know I’m me."

Seeing the familiar massive dorm building pop into sight from above the trees, Athen paused and replied.

"Are you trying to blame this on me?"

Without responding, Kai strolled through the dormitory doors, not realizing that he didn’t have the key to unlock their dorm.

...

...

...

Stretching his hands upward and cracking his knuckles, Athen reluctantly got out of bed and walked to the edge of the loft, placing his hands on the railing.

Down below, Kai was also fast asleep on two large couches that he had moved together to form a bed.

As soon as they returned to the dorm, Kai had passed out on the couches, and with nothing better to do, Athen decided to nap despite not being that tired.

Slowly shifting his gaze upward, Athen stared out the windows at the pitch-black sky full of milky-white stars.

"It’s only 7...why is it so dark?"

As he rested his hands on the railing and continued staring out the window, entranced by the void of darkness outside, the memories he had been trying to suppress suddenly rushed to the forefront of his mind.

All the things he had seen when possessing those...no, himself.

From the doomsday scenario in the first version of himself to the colorless world and war-stricken worlds of his second and third versions....the future was grim.

Was that why his former self had regressed over...and over again?

But what was he supposed to do?

Was it his job, as a regressor, to fix this horrid future that seemed to be awaiting him and this world?

He was just a brat on the outskirts...why did he, out of everyone, possess this power?

Recalling his experience of being suddenly sucked into the sky, Athen stepped away from the railing and began descending the ladder.

Although Athen’s mind was in internal turmoil as he tried to decipher his new identity as a regressor, one goal remained clear and unperturbed.

Athen wanted...to learn magic.

His previous memories seemed to align with that goal as well.

The only reason he had been sucked into that void in the sky and seen all his previous selves in the first place was that he had used the ability three times in a short period of time.

And that only happened because he had decided to enter Aetherhelm Academy to learn magic.

If he had decided to stay in his hometown and not pursued his dream of learning magic, he would have never used his ability three times and, therefore, not learned about the grim future awaiting him.

"So, passing the entrance exam, it is."

Thus, after a couple of minutes of awkwardly pacing around the room, Athen returned to his bed.

...

...

...

As the sunlight beamed through the windows directly onto Athen’s exposed face, his eyes suddenly fluttered open.

Without skipping a beat, Athen immediately hopped out of bed and glanced down...but Kai wasn’t there.

Had he been chosen for the artificial environment already?

Stepping down the ladder and jumping onto the floor, Athen scanned the area below his loft, but he did not find Kai there either.

It seemed like he had...

While this meant Athen had no one to rely on for his turn in the artificial environment, Kai could provide some information before it was his turn.

After picking up a folded paper on the table next to Kai’s makeshift bed and grabbing his briefcase, he took one glance around his room before opening the door.

Experience is the best teacher, isn’t it?

Speaking of teachers...he was on his way to fight one right now.

Since the plaza was the center of the entire academy, Athen believed that most teachers would be there.

As Athen walked through the lobby and unfolded Kai’s map, he was surprised to see that it was just as crowded and jolly as yesterday.

Was this really an exam?

Pausing before he reached the doors, Athen leaned against a wall, pretending to look at his map while eavesdropping.

"What are your plans for today?"

"Eh, I’ll probably buy some decorations for my room and mess around at the shopping center."

"Really, Agor? I was planning on trying to take on a professor test today."

"On the first day? I’ll wait till the second week when the professors are tired and more lenient because they just want to go home."

"Didn’t you hear that Hybris and some other top-ranked student already completed their requirement? What if the invitations run out by then?"

"Yeah, Celestia is probably right...I’ll probably spectate the tests at the plaza for a bit just to see if there are any easy ones."

"Suit yourself, Neil. I’ll just head to the...karaoke shop with someone else, then."

As the students continued to gossip around him, Athen let out a heavy sigh before glancing at the nametag on his shirt.

Kai’s reputation...was going to die today.