CHAPTER 122: 122 - A CALM DAY

(Raven’s POV)

I had just told Alec and the others the good news I received from Sir Kendy when I met him on my way here.

But for some reason, I felt like I forgot something I was supposed to do.

So, I tried recalling what it was...

"And here I thought you were gonna ask about the article about you."

But then, Blake suddenly spoke and said that!

"Huh...?"

His words immediately caught my attention, so I snapped my head toward him.

Then, with a frown...

"What did you just say?"

I asked him.

"Huh?"

Blake seemed to be a bit taken aback by my reaction.

But still, he opened his mouth.

"I said I thought you were gonna ask about the article–"

"What article?"

I interrupted while he was in the middle of his explanation.

At my question, Blake, Alec, Adelle, Aoi, Eve, and even Curtis looked at me like I was weird.

I know they do that often because I’m already weird myself.

But their gazes now felt like they were saying I was ignorant about something everyone knew!

And it wasn’t just them— my other classmates who heard my question were also looking at me like that!

That’s when I realized...

’Something’s happening in my life without me knowing again.’

Then at that moment—

"...!"

My eyes widened.

’Now I remember what I forgot earlier!’

I exclaimed inside my head.

’I was planning to ask Alec and the others if they knew something about why everyone was looking at me more weirdly than usual.’

That thought had slipped out of my mind earlier because of the excitement when Sir Kendy told me the good news.

"You don’t know that there’s an article about you posted on the Academy’s page?"

Blake then asked me.

And before I could even reply...

"Actually, not just one."

Adelle spoke and said that.

"When the article about you gained a lot of attention after just a few hours of being posted—"

"Various new articles about you started popping up like wild mushrooms all over the internet."

She stated!

"So it’s actually surprising to know that you don’t know anything about it."

Then Adelle added.

Her words struck me in the head and made me feel like such an idiot.

"I didn’t know..."

I replied to her and Blake.

I was having complicated mixed emotions about the news I had just received.

"It’s a hot topic on the internet and it’s about you, but you don’t know anything about it?"

That’s when I heard Eve’s mocking voice. I looked at her.

And she smirked at me!

"Do you not know anything about the internet?"

She asked.

"Ugh..."

I groaned.

’I hate her nerve.’

I thought.

’I just wasn’t able to surf the internet yesterday because I was planning for the next event in the novel that’s gonna happen next month!’

I exclaimed inside my head.

"What an idiot."

Then I heard Curtis mutter that!

I was about to say something back to him—

"So you don’t know what people have been calling you?"

But Aoi suddenly asked me curiously.

"Huh?"

I asked her back like an idiot.

"People have given you many nicknames, you know!"

And I received a reply from Alec— he seemed to be pretty high-spirited too.

"They gave me what?"

I asked him with a deeper frown.

"Nicknames!"

Alec happily repeated his words.

He didn’t stop after that, continuing to speak.

"How cool is that?!"

"A nickname... I would like to have one too in the future."

He excitedly mumbled to himself.

I just kept looking at him with the same frown.

’You and the others will receive yours too in the future, so don’t worry.’

I thought as I glanced at Curtis and the others.

’Not sure about Blake though...’

Anyway, I shook my head and looked back at Alec.

"So, what are the nicknames that I got?"

I asked him.

Alec’s eyes twinkled at my question. And after that—

"It’s–!"

He Immediately started telling me the names people gave me.

...

Alec, Adelle, Blake, and Aoi also told me everything about the article about me that spread across the internet.

Meanwhile, Eve was just reading something on her phone.

I didn’t know what it was, and I wasn’t interested.

On the other hand, Curtis didn’t really care about me, so he just silently observed Eve, trying not to disturb her.

I had to applaud Eve’s concentration for still being able to read peacefully while a creep was watching her.

...

...

...

*****

"The black angel-like wings you used in the combat test were really eye-catching, so they became your icon."

"That’s why most people call you [The Dark Angel]."

Blake explained to me with an excited smile on his face.

It had been around 20 minutes since he and the others started telling me about the article about me and the nicknames I had received.

It seemed I was missing something bigger than I expected.

’You fucker, so this is what you were hiding from me earlier, huh.’

I said in my mind.

[Hehe, it was funny to see how conscious you were about other people’s gazes without knowing the reason.]

Sariel appeared and replied to me.

’Fuck you, Sariel.’

[Fuck you too.]

Anyway, while Sariel and I were arguing in my head...

"But still, why do you think the Academy made an article about you?"

Aoi suddenly asked me that.

"Now that I think about it, it was pretty random, huh."

Adelle followed.

"Maybe it’s because Raven did a good job?"

Alec suggested.

"Yeah, that’s the only reason I can think of."

Blake agreed with him.

The others started agreeing with Alec’s words too.

Not me though— I already had a rough idea why the Academy published an article about me.

’It’s mostly the headmaster’s idea...’

’He probably wants to take the people’s attention off the Academy’s scandal about Sean and his group.’

’And did that by giving me the spotlight!’

I exclaimed inside my mind.

’Damn you, Leo, I’ll make sure to remember this...’

The headmaster’s plan was working very effectively, seeing how Alec and the others weren’t even mentioning Sean and his group.

Though, this wasn’t really bad for me to be honest.

Because everyone’s attention was shifted to me, no one would notice their disappearance.

And even if someone did, nobody would pay attention to them at this point.

Also, my trait I Like The Spotlight was using all of the attention I was getting to boost my growth.

’I can’t really get angry at Leo for using me.’

With this, I could probably rank up again sooner or later...

Luckily, my face wasn’t clearly visible in my livestream when I was beating Sean and his group.

The picture everyone had of me was from my past appearance, before going through [Body Reconstruction].

So I could still go out without drawing too much attention.

(He actually can’t— Raven’s new appearance makes him stand out in the crowd. Unless he really tries hiding, he’ll still get a lot of attention.)

Swoosh–

Click–

It was then that a professor finally arrived.

It was Ruby.

We decided to act like proper student and teacher when she was teaching our class.

While she was preparing her things to teach...

I suddenly thought of something.

’Man, I wasn’t even able to visit my parents and Nisha last week, not even once.’

’And there wasn’t even Academy last week.’

This was because I had been taking care of Sean and his group and preparing a lot for the next big event...

’The second major event is destined to happen next month.’

I didn’t know if the time would change again because of the Higher Beings, so I prepared much earlier just to be sure.

’Oh, I just remembered...’

’I promised Nisha we would see each other often since our new house is just a city away from the Academy.’

But like I said, I wasn’t able to visit them or even call them last week!

I’m pretty sure Mom and Dad will be mad at me, and Nisha would probably sulk again...

’Just thinking about it makes me a bit sad.’

"Haaa..."

’I’ll just make sure to visit them as soon as I can.’

I promised myself.

Then, I focused back on Ruby.

She was still preparing something.

’She helped me a lot, and I was able to succeed in taking care of Sean and his group only because of Ruby...’

"I should probably pay her back."

I mumbled.

’Maybe I should give her another dungeon?’

I thought.

But I shook my head and decided to just ask Ruby herself what she wanted later.

Moving on...

Not long after that, Ruby started her lecture.

It was easy for me to learn even without listening, but I didn’t want to disrespect Ruby’s effort by not paying attention.

So I made sure to focus on her and her lecture.

*****

That day ended peacefully for Raven and the others without any problems occurring.

Now, what do we call it again?

Ah yes, the calm before the storm...