Crownless Reincarnation: New World? Nah I'd win-Chapter 46: Mana Theory [1]

’...’

Only to find Zaina crying in the corner.

She was curled up against the base of a tree, knees drawn to her chest.

Her long sleeves soaked with tears as she tried to stifle the sound.

Akamir hesitated.

His first instinct was to walk away.

This wasn’t his problem.

He didn’t like dealing with emotions he didn’t understand, especially when they weren’t his.

’I should just quietly walk away.’

Akamir took a step back—.

Crack!

Only to crush a patch of dried leaves.

"Huh?"

Zaina flinched, startled by the sound.

Her head snapped up, eyes wide and glassy from crying.

She blinked rapidly, trying to wipe her face, as if erasing the evidence would erase his presence too.

"I—Sorry," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "I didn’t think anyone came here."

Akamir shrugged. "Neither did I."

He didn’t move closer, just leaned against the tree across from her.

"You want me to leave?"

She paused, then slowly shook her head.

Akamir nodded slightly and glanced up at the dried-up leaves above them, the wind rustling softly.

"So...."

Akamir began, glancing at her.

"Are you crying because you got bullied by a narcissistic idiot on your first day?"

She groaned. "Shut up."

"So it is about that."

Zaina wiped her face again, more annoyed now than embarrassed. "Why are you even here?"

"I could ask the same question." Akamir said as Zaina curled up even further. "I think class started a while ago."

She buried her face in her knees.

"I was thrown out." She whispered. "The teacher said my clothes weren’t fit for the academy."

"Let me guess." Akamir rubbed the back of his neck. "That teacher is one of the goons of Lyselle?"

"..."

She remained quiet, confirming his guess.

Akamir exhaled sharply through his nose, crossing his arms.

"That pathetic girl still thinks she owns everything that walks," he muttered.

Zaina glanced up at him, surprised.

"You... know her?"

"Lyselle? Not really." He shrugged. "But I did beat her brother pretty badly."

Zaina chuckled softly. "Yeah... I was there."

Akamir looked around as he had nothing else to say.

There wasn’t any pep talk he had not heard or wanted to do so.

"...Hey." Zaina whispered softly, looking up at him. "Can you help me?"

"With what?" He asked, meeting her ember eyes.

"Lyselle." She mumbled, looking away. "Can’t you warn her—."

"And why should I do that?" Akamir asked, tilting his head.

She blinked. "Aren’t you my fiancé—?"

"Use my name all you want but don’t expect me to stand beside you." Akamir cut in her words.

"And you aren’t my possession that I need to protect, learn to do it yourself."

Zaina stared at him, lips slightly parted.

"...I see," she murmured.

"You don’t believe in helping others, do you?"

"I believe in people helping themselves," he replied, pushing off the tree. "Now, get up."

He walked closer and extended his hand towards her.

After hesitating for a while, she grabbed his hand and stood up.

A bell tolled in the distance, signaling the end of the first session.

"Hope the next class isn’t as bad." He said, taking a step back from her.

"....Yeah." She replied, turning around as she whispered in a soft voice. "Thanks."

Zaina walked away without any other words.

Akamir sighed as he looked up at Nayomi floating closer to him.

"What?"

"Pick a side." She said, tilting her head. "Do you want to help her or not?"

Akamir rubbed his temples. "I don’t know. Alright."

There were so many variables that Akamir could think of right now.

Variables that have definitely changed the entire plot that Nayomi told him.

But... the main change was him.

The one who tormented Zaina the most in the novel.

That alone was enough for him to confirm that she won’t turn into an evil tyrant that terrorized everyone in the game.

But just in case things go south...

’I need to keep my distance just enough for her to not affect me.’

Akamir wasn’t going to underestimate the girl.

After all, she is an Apostle of a goddess.

There is so much she can do, and he wasn’t strong enough to stop it.

Not yet.

’That’s why it’s better to be a fool.’

The wise hesitate because they understand complexity, while the fools don’t.

And mistaking ignorance as strength wasn’t something Akamir was going to do.

’I should go join the lecture as well.’

Akamir began to walk in the same direction as Zaina.

The lecture hall was inside a vast building assigned to the first-year students.

Rubbing his neck, Akamir walked inside the building as he noticed two people walking in front of him.

They both wore the same robe as him, ensuring that they were in the same class as him.

"Hey."

Akamir called, making them look back.

One was a boy with sea-green hair tied in a loose ponytail, a relaxed expression on his face.

The other, a boy with golden-brown skin and sharp amber eyes, blinked at him in surprise.

They slowed their pace, and the sea-green-haired boy spoke first.

"You’re the Vyavan heir, right?" he asked, tone casual but curious. "Princess Inara’s fiancé?"

Akamir gave a short nod. "....Yeah."

The boy grinned, extending his hand. "I have always dreamed to be like you. I’m Viros. And this is my cousin, Luca."

Akamir shook his hand. "Be like me?"

"Yeah, to marry a princess and live a lazy life after that." He replied, laughing softly.

Akamir’s lips twitched, but he kept his cool.

"...Viros. I will remember it. So are you going to basic of mana class?" he asked, looking at them.

"Yes." Luca replied, resuming his walk. "And why are you even here?"

"Don’t mind him." Viros quickly jumped in the conversation. "He is badly injured in his brain."

’You mean he is retarded?’

Akamir cleared his throat. "How was he injured?"

Viros nodded grimly. "Badly."

’Alright, that’s two retards.’

He rubbed his temples as he looked at them once again.

On closer inspection, they don’t look like nobles but more like commoners but not like them either.

’...Wait.’

"Wait, are you guys from the church?" Akamir asked, looking at them.

"Yeah." Luca replied. "Got any problem?"

"...No. Just surprised." Akamir mumbled, rubbing his cheek. "So, you guys don’t have any parents?"

Viros blinked. "Wow. That was blunt."

Akamir shrugged. "It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me."

"No. Well, my parents left me to my aunt’s house and never came back." Viros replied, with a light bow.

"And Luca’s parents died violently twelve years ago... We are living in an orphanage after that."

"...I see." Akamir mumbled. "Must be tough."

They reached the classroom as Akamir stopped in front of them.

"Well, good to know you guys." He said, patting Luca’s arm. "I hope you aren’t violently killed off one day."

"..."

Leaving both the brothers in stunned silence, Akamir began to walk up the stairs of the classroom and sat on the last bench.

"What was that?" Nayomi asked, looking at him curiously.

"Nothing." Akamir shrugged, sitting on the last bench. "By the way, I’m not a lone wolf type of guy so don’t expect anything—."

"Hey!"

His words halted as Viros shoved him inside and sat beside him.

"That was a nice joke."

Akamir grumbled. "I was genuinely worried."

"...."

Luca glared at him as he took his seat just below them.

"By the way....."

As if remembering it, Akamir narrowed his eyes.

"I am a noble, why aren’t you treating me like one?"

"Don’t worry about that."

Viros replied, grinning at him.

"We are a special case."

"....Right."

Akamir mumbled, surprised by how his prediction came true.

’So, are they really retarded?’

Before he could ask them—

The teacher arrived.

’...The fuck?’

Who was none other than their headmistress.