LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Trollian Roulette (2)
“Seong Jinyu is a Multifaceted Ability User.”
The ripple effect of Stinson’s declaration was massive.
“Kruk?”
“What are you saying now?”
“A Multifaceted Ability User? A language academy teacher?”
The room erupted into murmurs, and no one was more shocked than me.
‘…How?’
The first thought that crossed my mind was that Stinson might be bluffing.
After all, he’d never said anything like this before.
But would he gamble his life on uncertain information in a situation like this?
There was that incident with Stone Grunder…
But no, that couldn’t be it either.
Even if Stone Grunder had told someone about my ability to see in the dark—
‘There’s no way Stinson could have found out within a single day.’
So how had he figured out that I was a Multifaceted Ability User?
A fragment of memory from the battle came to mind.
[“Could it be that you…!”]
Ah, damn it.
Was it then?
“Kruk, seems like you’re just spouting nonsense to save your skin.”
The future was crystal clear to me now.
[Survival Instinct] was screaming at me, signaling danger.
I went over the rules of the [Totem of Judgment] again in my head.
[Those who speak the truest and most valuable information will be protected by the totem. All others will face punishment.]
‘Saying something like, “He attacked me first,” won’t cut it.’
Even if it was true, the totem’s judgment would factor in the value of the information, making it far more likely for the arrow to come from my side.
It was obvious.
Stinson had essentially played an asymmetrical trump card.
‘…Damn it.’
It was despairing.
Whether he was bluffing or not, the fact remained that I was a Multifaceted Ability User—a card far too powerful to dismiss.
Worse, I hadn’t seen Stinson since the first day we were dragged here.
I knew next to nothing about him.
“Next, it’s your turn. Stop wasting time and speak,” growled the deputy commander.
I needed a counterstrike. Back to square one—what did I know about Stinson?
“Human! Can’t you hear me?”
He had infiltrated us as a spy for the trolls the moment he was brought here.
He’d probed us, probably questioning our loyalty and motives.
“Seems like you’ve got a lot on your mind. I’ll give you five more seconds.”
From the start, Stinson’s status as a Moiran aligned with the trolls.
He’d claimed Pedro was hiding something and stabbed him.
Then, after leaving the shaman’s house, both he and Pedro had vanished.
“Five.”
The next time he appeared was after half a year, ambushing me with [Ice Spike].
It wasn’t an attempt to capture me; his attacks carried clear intent to kill.
“Four.”
[“Alive.”]
[“…He’s alive and unharmed. Don’t ask me anything more.”]
He had guaranteed Pedro’s survival, even though I’d been sure he was dead.
“Three.”
Piecing it all together, a theory began to take shape in my mind.
It was circumstantial at best, but in this situation, I didn’t have many options.
Spouting half-truths would end things for me right here.
“Two.”
Fine. Damn it.
Let’s bluff.
“One.”
“Stinson is…”
…
…
…
As soon as I finished speaking, silence filled the room.
It didn’t last long.
Pssssss…
Bang!
The [Totem of Judgment] glowed briefly and let out a short vibration.
***
Life went on.
After finishing lessons with Human Class B, I’d exchange books with Evelyn.
“Goohh!! I can’t see anything!!”
Once a week, I visited Stone Grunder’s house for our "lessons."
Oh, and the misunderstanding was resolved.
I’d managed to convince him that humans’ eyes had a function called “dark adaptation.”
...It took over two hours to get him to understand, though.
“Teacher! I’m here!”
At noon every Saturday, Evelyn would visit.
We’d have a simple meal and then focus on our respective tasks.
Her reading comprehension had improved so much that she rarely asked questions anymore.
I felt a bit lonely, but hey, she was naturally bright.
Two months had passed since the day I faced three life-threatening situations within 24 hours.
Unfortunately, I still hadn’t found any clues about returning home.
At some point, I stopped assigning specific themes to the books I borrowed.
Instead, I simply read everything I could, amassing knowledge about this upside-down world.
…
There was still so much I didn’t know.
“Ah! Teacher, did you hear the news?”
“Hmm?”
“You remember that Stinson guy from Canada? The one who rode the same wagon as us?”
Of course, I remembered.
The memory of having my head shoved into the [Totem of Judgment] was still fresh.
“Well, it turns out he was a spy for the Empire. For almost five years!”
“…Really?”
“Yep! I feel bad for badmouthing him so much… but I had no idea!”
“…How did that come out?”
“Rumors have been spreading. Apparently, he got caught by a shaman and was executed on the spot.”
Ah, so this is how they cover things up.
Makes sense—no way they’d admit to using something like that totem in a routine investigation.
At least they’d buried the incident, which meant I didn’t have to get dragged into it again.
“Hmm… Makes you wonder what he was really doing while living undercover, doesn’t it? And if there are others like him. I wonder what the Empire is like.”
“…It’s impossible to know anything for sure.”
“Right? Ah, do you think we’ll ever get out of this village? Say yes! Quickly!”
Three months after that fateful day, my ambitions had become far more modest.
It was bittersweet, but there was no choice.
“Of course. We’ll get out.”
[Hidden Trait: Survival Instinct is warning you!]
Throb.
A sharp pain pierced my head.
Ah, damn it. Not again.
***
Lunchtime at the Troll Language Academy
“Brilliant and diligent human, Seong Jinyu! Sit down!”
As always, the boisterous Lactomar greeted me.
“…Why does ‘teacher’ sound cuter as ‘teacher’ in human slang? I don’t quite understand,” mused Toka, who had recently taken an interest in slang.
Evelyn’s K-POP idol comparison for Toka resurfaced in my mind as I watched her eat.
From this angle, she did have a bit of that vibe—
Wait. What the hell was I thinking? I needed to get a grip.
Clatter.
As I exchanged lighthearted chatter over lunch, the door to the staff room opened, and a troll entered.
This troll stood out, adorned head to toe in extravagant, high-end jewelry.
‘Aisona?’
She was the daughter of the Shadowrock Tribe's chief.
Though she had just reached adulthood, she already held the Swahali rank—a noble title among trolls.
“Oh! Aisona! What brings you here?”
Lactomar, ever undaunted, greeted her confidently, even in the presence of nobility.
Well, given that this was an academy and we were teachers, it made sense.
“I’m here to see Seong Jinyu. May I enter?”
“To see Seong Jinyu? Not your homeroom teacher?”
Lactomar glanced between me and Toka.
Toka, meanwhile, wore an expression that screamed, I knew this would happen eventually.
Right, the time had come—
“…Come in.”
Toka answered in my place.
Parting the beaded curtain, Aisona stepped into the staff room and stopped directly in front of me.
“Three months have passed, as promised.”
“……”
“As you can see, I haven’t graduated yet. I’m here to request private lessons.”
Unlike Bragnar and Tormag, Aisona still hadn’t passed the graduation exam.
When I first heard about this from Toka, I couldn’t believe it.
‘With her skills, she should’ve been able to pass in three weeks, maybe a month at most.’
Even with lofty goals, Aisona was a talented student.
Yet three months had passed, and now here she was.
“No response? Are you planning to break your promise?”
“No response! Are you planning to break your promise!”
Lactomar, ever helpful, translated her words into human speech with unnecessary enthusiasm.
I glanced at Toka.
What was with that expression?
Was she leaving the decision to me?
“...Have you been attending classes diligently?”
“Pfft, of course. Are you mocking me?”
How could a lowly Moiran dare mock a Swahali?
It was a reasonable suspicion.
From what I’d heard, she frequently skipped classes, using her busy schedule as an excuse.
“Fine. Aisona, but you must be diligent.”
...My mouth always got me into trouble.
There wasn’t much choice, really.
“I’m only free on Friday evenings,” Aisona declared. “We’ll start this week. Oh, and I’ve already informed the headmaster. I quit the academy as of today. Just so you know.”
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Toka, who avoided eye contact and focused on her empty plate.
Then Aisona’s piercing eyes returned to me.
“I’ll send my address along with a token of thanks. Expect it soon.”
“...Understood.”
Aisona’s confidence was unwavering now that she had a solid reason for her actions.
***
A few days later, I arrived at Aisona’s home and found myself standing in an opulent hallway.
‘...Is this really the same house?’
Her home, adorned with lavish jewelry and expensive magical artifacts, resembled a modern luxury villa.
It was likely thanks to her father, the tribal chief.
Not every Swahali lived like this.
To my surprise, I encountered a familiar face.
“T-Teacher.”
“...Who?”
“You’ve already forgotten? I’m James, the one who graduated a month ago.”
Ah, right. Scotland, wasn’t it?
“Haha! New Zealand, actually.”
Ahem. There were too many Jameses to keep track of.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m working as a servant under Lady Aisona.”
“...Wait, what was your ability again?”
“[Organization].”
Ah.
That explained the immaculate state of the house.
Seeing a former student working in the outside world should have made me feel proud, but…
The circumstances were awkward, and all I could do was offer a polite smile.
Cheering him on with something like, Way to go! Keep it up! would’ve been weird.
“This way, please.”
At least he seemed to be doing well.
...Maybe even better than me.
At the end of the hallway, Aisona met me and led me to her room.
While it wasn’t ostentatious, it was far more comfortable than the “happy housing” provided by the academy.
To me, it felt cozier than most hotel rooms.
‘Sigh. The wealth gap really does exist everywhere.’
“...What are you staring at, human?”
“Oh, uh, nothing.”
I quickly set the special materials I’d prepared on her desk.
I’d already reviewed her grades through Toka and tailored the lessons to address her weak points.
Her main weakness was speaking.
On the other hand, her comprehension and grammar were strong, meaning she had solid fundamentals.
“Ahem. Let’s begin.”
With my bilingual expertise, a little guidance should get her to graduation in no time.
Finally, I could conduct a proper tutoring session.
“Toka already mentioned your strengths—reading and writing are excellent, but speaking needs work.”
“...That’s because I haven’t had many opportunities to practice.”
“Good observation. Let’s address that directly.”
A teacher-student feedback loop like this always enhanced the quality of lessons.
“From now on, all our lessons will be conducted in human language, including questions. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask—only in human language.”
Ah, the privilege of being bilingual.
Shifting into a native-speaker role when necessary was one of my best tricks.
“Fine.”
“The lesson has already begun. In human language!”
I raised my voice slightly, not wanting to lose control of the session.
Given her assertive personality, it was crucial to establish authority early on—
“...Yes, teacher…”
Wait, what?
“Yes, teacher! Sir!”
Oh.
Was this her new “persona”?
Really? She’s pulling this now?
Sigh.
Kids these days.