The Outer God Needs Warmth-Chapter 149: Nothing is going smoothly (4)

As we chatted, the sky outside the window turned yellow.

It was evening.

Victoria asked me if I wanted to have dinner with her, but since I had a place I needed to go, I shook my head.

Her dormitory serves dinner, so at least I wouldn’t have to worry about missing a meal.

Relieved, I said goodbye to Victoria and told her I’d see her tomorrow, then left the student dormitory.

I stepped out of the front gate and immediately turned left to see a large building.

That’s where I’ll be staying.

As soon as I entered, someone came out to greet me. It wasn’t just a caretaker; it was a real butler. Since this is a place that King Hipion provided for me to stay, it would actually be odd if there wasn’t someone like this.

Once inside, the tasks were simple.

I washed up, changed clothes, ate, and was left alone.

If there was a problem, it was that I didn’t show any personal initiative. And that I had absolutely no money.

No one has explained to me why I was enrolled in the Royal Academy. So, I had to guess, which was a bit frustrating.

It’s difficult to predict what will happen in the future or to understand the thoughts of people I haven’t met, especially considering how poor my intellect is.

But, it wasn’t enough of an issue to the point where I felt I needed to ask.

At some point, King Hipion will age, and as his body deteriorates, illness will come. Eventually, he’ll use a harvester’s ability for treatment. I don’t know when exactly he’ll use his one chance, but it’s inevitable that he will.

The harvester has been elevated, after all.

When that time comes, I can retrieve memories, so it’s better to wait for that moment.

Once I become a harvester, I won’t just be reading memories. I’ll be observing and remembering alongside the subject. It’s a subtle difference. Memories are shaped by the subject’s perspective, but when I observe alongside them, my perspective is added.

Of course, it’s not just a disadvantage.

I won’t be able to control their body, but I can still feel what they feel. In fact, I feel it even more acutely.

I can feel all the movements of the body, even the unconscious ones, from the surface of the skin down to the internal organs.

And so, I spent my day like that.

The next day.

Though the body was asleep, I didn’t sleep, so I woke up to the morning.

A maid entered, and when she saw me getting up immediately, her expression turned cold, as if she were shocked.

Is it really that strange?

I guess it could be because my form, based on how Soor’s body looked before it grew taller, subtly resembles Choseol’s. It might be the cause of the surprise.

My skin is so pale it looks almost white.

As I got out of bed, the maid approached. I followed her lead—washing up, putting on the clothes she gave me.

While eating breakfast, the butler—whose name I didn’t know—asked if I needed a carriage. I shook my head and declined.

If I didn’t walk at least a little, I thought I wouldn’t be moving enough.

So, I greeted the butler who was seeing me off at the entrance and headed straight to the Royal Academy.

From the main gate, a large road leading to the central building of the school was filled with carriages coming and going.

Students from the dormitory were walking to school as well. Some, like me, lived outside, while others probably stayed in the dormitory.

The building was built in a very classical style. There were stairs leading up to the entrance, and large columns stood in a row like in a temple.

Inside, there was a spacious area, and on both sides of the space, there were staircases spiraling in opposite directions, leading upwards.

But, I wouldn’t be going up there until next year.

The grade and floor are matched.

Since I’m in my first year, I headed to the classroom on the first floor.

Inside wasn’t like the classrooms in my faded memories, where desks and chairs were crammed together. Instead, it was much more spacious. There was a fan-shaped space, and at the apex, there was a stage like a lecture hall where the teacher would teach. Around it, tables and chairs were arranged like steps.

Considering the number of people, the classroom didn’t feel cramped at all—it felt quite open.

Several students had already arrived. There were both male and female students.

As I stood at the entrance and looked around, I saw four main groups. Well, technically five.

The last one was a group with no group. That’s where Victoria and I were.

Victoria hadn’t arrived yet.

She often wakes up late. She’s probably running late again today. I hope she isn’t late.

Thinking that, I headed to the seat I had sat at yesterday.

As I climbed the stairs, I saw someone already sitting there.

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“Eek!”

The girl was startled as soon as she saw me and quickly stood up, apologizing before running away. Since she was someone who had been in this class yesterday, it’s odd that she’s running away—why is she?

Before I could even say anything, she had already gone far away.

Since it was awkward to move to another seat, I went back to the seat I sat in yesterday.

Just to check, I scanned the area. The seat was clean.

If she had done something, I would have noticed, but it looks like she just sat there and got scared when I came, so she ran off.

I should’ve just sat in an empty seat.

The seat I sat at yesterday was empty, so I thought I could always sit there, but now I wonder if seats change depending on the day of the week.

Not long after, Victoria came in. Then, the teacher arrived immediately after, so she narrowly avoided being late.

Victoria sat next to me, as she did yesterday.

It’s probably because she was rushing, but I could feel the heat from her body.

She really should wake up earlier.

It’s a relief, but also kind of useless—she’s sweating and evaporating it as soon as it forms, so her clothes aren’t getting wet at all.

At first, I thought she might be out of breath, but the sweat evaporated immediately.

That’s when I realized she was using her abilities.

Although it was a small thing, after the first class that day, lunchtime arrived.

“I’m tired, Bell...”

While everyone else got up and went out, Victoria whispered to me. She looked mentally tired, not physically exhausted.

There are many people here who are in different positions from the people she’s used to. So, it seems like being here is tough for Victoria.

After all, Victoria isn’t a very social person.

She might have taken after her father more than her mother, enjoying working with automaton machines. For someone like her, being thrown into a place where she has to be cautious about relationships would be draining.

“If we eat, you’ll feel better.”

“I’m not that simple.”

But a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

I remember her eating a huge amount of food yesterday and saying it was delicious. It wasn’t just for the taste; it seemed like she was relieving stress as well.

Since the higher-ups usually leave first, we waited at our seats, not being from the noble class, when suddenly a girl approached me.

“You’re Bell, right? Follow me.”

She didn’t even introduce herself, standing in an overbearing posture. But I nodded.

Without saying anything, she glared at me in anger, but she didn’t say anything else.

She wanted to speak, but her restraint was stronger. In other words, someone must have sent this girl to bring me. The order to bring me was given, so she was forcefully holding back.

“Bell, is it okay if you don’t follow her?”

“Go ahead and eat first.”

Victoria asked me with concern. It’s funny—who’s the one worrying about whom?

I followed the girl who had called me.

She didn’t head to the dining hall but instead directed me to a place away from the classroom.

To the depths of the building.

She even turned 90 degrees at one point and went deeper.

As I entered, the smell changed. The outside smelled like a school, but inside, the scent was stronger. No, it wasn’t really a scent—it was more like a strong herbal smell.

“Shiodor-sama. I’ve brought him.”

“Good job. Now leave.”

Inside, a very sharp-looking girl was sitting. The unusual thing was that despite it being summer, she was wearing a much longer dress than the others.

Considering that the others were in relatively short clothes, this girl is likely someone who’s either behind the times or pays a lot of attention to tradition.

“Shiodor-sama. This is an unknown savage.”

“It’s fine. Or should I give the orders?”

The girl who had brought me lowered her head and passed by me, whispering as she did.

“Behave respectfully in front of Shiodor-sama.”

She then left the room. She truly seems to be a thoughtful person, not in a sycophantic way, but genuinely valuing respect.

Shiodor seems to be a well-regarded person.

“Now, sit here.”

Someone I didn’t know pointed to the seat in front of her. There was a table, and a cup of tea was placed on the empty seat.

So, I sat down.

“For someone who’s been treated so highly by the royal family, you’re quite quiet. You seemed sharper when I saw you on TV.”

She said as she looked at me.

To someone who didn’t know her, she might look like she’s glaring, but she was just watching me with curiosity, without any real emotion.

“I’m Kanna Temrane Shiodor. You’re Bell, right?”

Shiodor. That’s a name I recognize from Aurora’s memory.

“Yes. I’m using the name Bell for now.”

So I said the truth.

“That’s odd. Do you even have a real name?”

Her expression was full of doubt. And since her tone shifted slightly, I realized that her earlier stiff manner was an act. This was her real tone. I wonder if she’s not as clever as I thought?

“I usually use my real name, but this body doesn’t have one.”

This body was artificially created, so it doesn’t have a real name.

The girl in front of me thought for a while after hearing my words.

“Ah. Could it be that the body and mind belong to different people?”

I don’t remember hearing anything like this on TV or in the newspapers, but did she figure it out from what I said?

“Yes. How did you know?”

When I said that, she was more surprised than I expected, stepping back.

Fear, disgust, doubt, and curiosity.

Her expression was a mixture of many emotions.

“I just thought so. Your words matched what I imagined.”

I don’t really understand what she meant.

It felt like she had imagined someone whose body and mind were different, and now I was saying something she thought that person would say.

“You’re an interesting person.”

She blinked in surprise at my words.

“Aren’t you going to do something about it?”

“Why?”

“If the body and mind belong to different people... Oh. I see. It’s an empty body, right? So, you’re not stealing it and you can act so confidently?”

She quickly realized the truth and immediately asked me that.

This girl is smart. I was wrong to think she was foolish just because her tone changed so easily.

“Yes.”

She’s clever. Daegon and the Primordial Immortal were the same. Even though I have their memories, I can’t do what they could.

“You’re brief. Are you uncomfortable?”

“No. I’m not a very talkative person.”

When I talk too much, I tend to make mistakes. I’ve never been a talkative person since my faded days.

And I’ve already spoken more than I ever will, to the point that my tone won’t return to normal. I begged and begged, over and over.

Anyway.

“What do you want from me?”

She must have had a purpose in calling me here. I looked directly at her and asked what the matter was. She thought for a while before answering.

“I just wanted to greet you. And if anything happens in the future, tell them Shiodor-sama sent you and come find me.”

It was as if she knew something was going to happen. She said that with certainty.

I drank the drink in front of me. It was very bland. No, I should say it was clear, but it wasn’t to my taste.

She gave me a wry smile.

“You’re careless. What if that was poison?”

Her tone wasn’t really a joke but more of a warning. I suspect she called me here to test me.

Well, I’ll focus on that point.

Since I strive to speak only the truth, I responded accordingly.

“Monsters are hard to kill.”

After that, I stood up, saluted her, and left the room.