The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 88: The Golden-Eyed And The Youko (2)

Chapter 88: The Golden-Eyed And The Youko (2)

<Darkest Academia> was the game based on this world that was released on Earth by the Goddess.

The title had ‘Darkest’ in it, so there was nothing more to be said. You didn’t need to actually play it to know that it was an extreme level of difficulty. That was how dark a future the Goddess predicted for the continent.

A single wrong choice in the game got someone killed.

There were these ‘Trials’ that, if they weren’t stopped or overcome, the world ended.

Plagues spread all the time. The state system was overthrown at every opportunity. The continent’s economy was hit by inflation.

Within those trials and tribulations, the characters who were supposed to be with you throughout the story until the Demon King was defeated dropped out early one by one.

If things went wrong, Freyr could be one of them.

“That’s where I live!”

With a bright smile, the Youko girl pointed to the village in the distance.

Thinking about how this smile could crumble in despair one day was pretty damn unsettling.

I had to think and act calmly, because I came here to stop Freyr from dying at Vermel’s request.

And obtain some uranium while I was at it.

I thought again about my agreement with Jǫrmungandr, and simultaneously recalled the discussion with Vermel.

Alright, I only had to stop one incident for now.

“There isn’t much compared to what the humans have built, right? But it’s still a pretty big village!”

Freyr tugged on my sleeve and said this loudly as if she was proud. That was when I broke out of my thoughts and took a look around.

The lush, green leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and a small village stood in the midst of such a forest.

You could tell that It was a village crudely built by those who led nomadic lives.

Fences were made roughly with knocked-down logs, and most houses were huts made from sticks and straws. The architecture that appeared to be in the best shape was a cabin.

The most noticeable thing was the livestock. Animals like cows and sheep were grazing in the small field within the forest.

“So it’s true that the beastkin are nomadic.”

“The Golden-Eyed are nomads, too. Don’t you live like this?”

“I’m not sure.”

Since we were ‘known’ to be a race that made ourselves comfortable in the tundras and munched on herbs. Now, I didn’t know what was what, exactly.

“Still, we’ve been farming recently. Look over there! That’s the garden I made!”

Freyr pointed to the high ground and said it triumphantly. As the brat said, simple vegetable gardens were scattered along the mountain ridge.

“Is there a point in farming when you nomadize?”

“I mean, we go around in an alliance, anyway. We hunt and gather our own food and set it aside; those are for the Mystical One or a higher tribe.”

In the story, those were all considered to be Freyr’s work as she was learning human civilization like crazy. It was easy enough for her to plow the field with Earth Magic.

Not only that, she made dirt walls and transmuted weapons. Freyr was the unparalleled genius who could exhibit the maximum amount of talent allowed by the Earth Elemental King.

But there seemed to be some people who didn’t recognize her worth.

“Hey, it’s the kid.”

That was what I heard as soon as I entered the village while talking with Freyr.

Freyr glared, showing her discomfort.

“What?”

“Did you deliver that mana grass thing okay? Kid?”

“You, you...! I told you not to call me kid!”

“You’re a kid if you’re this short. What else do I call you, then?”

The ones who were picking on Freyr were two Youkos.

One guy, one girl. Both possessed robust, alluring bodies.

“Maybe you forgot, but I’m the same age as you!”

“Pffft, same age with that small body? Do you think that makes sense?”

“You’re a kid if you’re that short. What a disgrace to the Fasstrand Tribe’s name.”

Freyr clenched her teeth and swallowed down the profanities in her throat.

Just then, other Youkos who heard the commotion came over and watched. Each one was well-developed. It seemed that this was the norm, not that these two Youkos were special.

There was a reason why they say that foxes mesmerized people1.

“And? Who’s the human next to you?”

One Youko pointed at me and questioned.

Ah, right.

Right now, I had the hat that Freyr gave me pulled deep over my head. It was to the point that they couldn’t see my eye color unless they looked up from beneath, and it seemed that it was misleading a few of the Youko.

Some of them pointed their spear blades at me.

“Now the kid’s bringing in humans who are completely unrelated. Do you actually want to be kicked out?”

“Hey, that doesn’t mean you can point your spear when you’ve just met them. They could have been sent by Count Saliere!”

“What does that have to do with it? The problem is that they came into our territory without permission.”

“The times have changed so get used to it! Until when are you going to be hostile towards humans?”

This was a pretty tiresome place, I thought. To prevent any further misunderstanding, I took off the hat.

“... A Golden-Eyed?”

Thanks to that, the Youkos who’d been quarreling amongst themselves fell silent.

The Golden-Eyed were considered friends to the beastkin. The dragon caring for this Youko tribe had gold eyes, too, no?

After seeing my eyes, the Youko put away their spears one by one, now embarrassed. Freyr, who’d been making noises like a boiling kettle at being called a kid, grinned and pointed at me.

“Yeah! She’s my friend from the Academy!”

“F-friend? A Golden-Eyed?”

“A noble Golden-Eyed befriending you? What nonsense!”

“Y-you...!”

Ah, she was about to cry again.

I had to make sure she didn’t feel stressed. Better make it clear in advance.

“I am her friend.”

“What...?”

“Freyr is a good friend of mine; we’ve gone to conferences together and even did love shots at pubs. I hope that you aren’t doubting the friendship between me and my dear Freyr.”

“Y-yellow...!”

Freyr giggled and sidled up to me.

“And you shouldn’t tease your kinsmen for being short.”

I mean, I do it, too, but.

But I had no choice. The Golden-Eyed were somewhat of a ‘composed and distinguished’ sage to the beastkin, and Vermel had mentioned that they’d back off on their own if I coaxed them using a gentle tone like this.

As he said, the Youko’s spirits–with the exception of Freyr–lessened a bit. They put away their spears and dropped their tails.

“I’ve never seen a Golden-Eyed before!”

“She’s pretty....”

And now there were some familiar reactions, not that this part really mattered.

“But what is a Golden-Eyed doing in our village...?”

“What else? I came to spend time with my friend.”

The biggest problem was the steps to be taken from here on.

**There weren’t any further commotions after entering the village.

I asked the chief if I could stay in the village for a bit and fortunately, he was an elder relative of Freyr. He was enthusiastic about not only a friend but a Golden-Eyed staying in the village, saying that it was a sign of good fortune.

Yeah, anyway.

Freyr lived in a cabin, not a small one but a fairly large log cabin.

A house like this was a luxury for Youkos who were regularly on the move.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Meaning, the tribal name of ‘Fasstrand’ that Freyr belonged to was reserved for the rich-ass ones. The brat’s family name of ‘Shelkany’ that I had first known was like a surname used separately within the family.

She had to have been rich in the first place. She paid for Tilette Academy’s tuition and drank all that alcohol with her own money.

“Mom, I’m home!”

Freyr shouted boisterously as she opened the door to the cabin, and a frail-looking woman came climbing down the stairs one by one.

“F-Freyr!”

“Mom!”

“Yes, my darling!”

“Mooooom!”

Freyr, who’d acted like a GPS to her home while holding onto the hem of my robe, scurried over once she saw her mother.

“Darl... kuhp, kup!”

Her mother covered her mouth and coughed repeatedly. She was sick.

“Mom... are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Freyr. How was your trip?”

“I sold tons of mana grass! Although I dozed off a bit on the boat this morning....”

It must be because she was small for a Youko; it was the same idea as children sleeping for long hours..

“I’m so tired in the mornings. I fall asleep at school, too, so I can’t pay attention in class....”

“That’s alright, as long as you graduate. You didn’t get caught with your ears or tail at the Academy, did you?”

“Yeah! I didn’t......!”

Pausing, Freyr glanced this way with a dumb face.

“Uh?”

I did, her face read.

Quickly, I bowed my head and did a self-promo so that her mother wouldn’t panic.

“I’m Aether of the Golden-Eyed, a friend of Freyr.”

I explained what happened earlier in detail.

In addition to that, I said that I wouldn’t reveal Freyr being a beastkin, swearing on my conscience as a Golden-Eyed. Freyr’s mother believed me faster than I expected.

“Well, if a Golden-Eyed says so....”

Well, no, it was just a species buff.

[Don’t you get confused at this point? If you’re human or Golden-Eyed.]

What difference was it? My body was that of a Golden-Eyed but I still thought like a human.

Unlike Freyr, her mother was a calm person. Was it due to her being sick?

“Oh my goodness, would you look at me. Showing up like this when your friend is here....”

Her mother re-tied her disheveled hair. She tied it up around the shoulder area and braided the rest of the hair below it.

What was commonly referred to as the ‘short-lived hair’.

According to Vermel, it was a cliché hairstyle that foreshadowed death.

That’s right.

Freyr’s devastation began when her mother passed away.

Footnotes

1. A reference to the universal idea that beautiful people are sometimes called foxes based off the lore that foxes (youkai) are capable of turning into a beautiful human form to lure other humans