The sound of my voice reached Beatrice as she suddenly stopped.
She slowly turned her head toward me with a raised brow. "Are you talking to me?"
For a second, it felt as if the air around me disappeared.
Even though I wasn’t proficient in mana, I knew one thing.
The lady standing in front of me was dangerous.
Her gaze alone seemed to weigh down on me.
The lady in front of me was neither a child nor newly awakened.
That meant not only did the world change Jake Kim’s gender, but also his role in the story.
’I guess that explains the news headline.’
However, there was a problem greater than her domineering presence.
And that was the fact that she was a girl.
A gorgeous woman at that.
She wasn’t exactly a milf, but close enough.
But what unsettled me was the difference between what she was and my previous imagination of her.
If I fell for her, did that mean I was gay?
Did that mean that even if she was Jake Kim, I would have fallen for him too?
I tightened my jaw, not from pain, but from the disgust of falling for another man.
Taking in an unsteady breath, I finally replied, "My lady, I don’t think you should be doing this in public."
As if only then realizing her aura was leaking, she snapped back to reality and shifted her gaze.
She clicked her tongue.
Letting out a sigh, I continued, "Miss Beatrice, as someone from another continent, do you think it’s right to attack a hunter from the continent you’re in?"
"I can do whatever I want," she said flatly.
I smiled faintly. "Okay."
The young lady stared at me with furrowed brows. "You’re not planning on pushing it further? You know you can ask for compensation."
I shook my head. "You seem to be in a bad mood. I guess you were a bit sensitive, especially to the words of a weak child who just awakened."
I exhaled slowly. "I don’t plan on telling anyone, but knowing the chairman I’m going to meet, he’ll surely notice."
My gaze shifted briefly to the young woman, who held no expression.
"But I suppose you can get away with it, since you’re not only a professor at the academy but also a grade-two citizen."
I held Quincy’s arm and moved forward.
Of course, my steps had to be a little uneven.
After a few steps, she called out:
I turned slightly so our eyes met.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It was irrational of me to pour my frustration on a child, so what do you want?"
I grinned, not internally but in a way even Beatrice would notice.
"Why don’t you grant me a favor when I ask you?" Google seaʀᴄh ɴovelfire.net
I already had a monthly favor from her sister and one large wish, so what harm was there in getting one from the other sister?
Beatrice’s eyebrows twitched at my words. "You’re very ambitious, aren’t you?"
Her face returned to blank indifference. "Okay, I will grant you a favor. And if you die before then, I’ll bring some snacks to your grave."
’That’s very ominous.’
Still, I smiled. "Thank you, Lady Beatrice, for your wisdom knows no bounds."
"Stop it before I kill you."
I nodded. "Yes, I’ll stop here."
Quincy, who had been watching with a confused expression, suddenly asked, "So you’re a big shot?"
Beatrice stared at the young girl, and I could have sworn I saw the faintest blush on her cheeks.
Her expression practically said one word:
She quickly shook her head and started walking with her assistants.
Turning back after a distance, she nodded at us before entering the Hunter Association building.
’So Jake Kim isn’t the MC.’
Did that mean most of the plot I knew had changed?
And how was I supposed to fit into the story now, since it centered around an academy professor?
It wasn’t a bad progression. At least the plot wouldn’t actively target me or a certain class.
And since she was a female teacher, my interactions with her would be limited.
Quincy’s tug on my sleeve pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Are we going in or not?"
We came here for a different reason.
I nodded. "Lead the way."
I had been talking about entering the academy when I hadn’t even registered yet.
Okay, let’s get this over with.
The moment we reached the building and Quincy opened the door, I was greeted by the fresh, alluring scent of lavender.
Everything inside the large reception hall was either white or glass-made.
"Register over here!"
"I’m telling you, it was twenty bags of mana stones I got from the rift!"
"I need an extra fire mage for our team’s raid!"
Inside the massive hall, different hunters moved about in varied gear.
Some wore armor, some clothing meant for stealth, and others simple casual attire.
It was then that I truly understood I was in a fantasy world.
In the entire building, there wasn’t a single ordinary person.
Even the receptionists were hunters, albeit of a lower rank.
My gaze, which had been roaming the room, finally settled on the strange robot in front of Quincy and me.
It was about waist-high, shaped like a dispenser or a weirdly shaped toilet.
"Hellos~ Welcome to the Hunter Association. How may I help you?"
Quincy stepped forward the moment she noticed my confusion.
"Quilbot, we have an appointment reserved by Professor Naomi Blake. My friend here came to register."
"Your appointment has been confirmed. Proceed to the room at the end of the left side."
Quincy nodded, then turned back to me. "Let’s go. It seems a lot of hunters conquered rifts today."
Shaking off my earlier awe, I replied as we walked past various people, "I guess that’s why the princess of the Othia Empire came here."
The more I walked, the more I noticed the differences between hunters.
In this world, there were nine general ranks, and nine for each of the two classes.
As such, all hunters weren’t treated equally.
My eyes briefly landed on a man in tattered clothes being thrown onto the floor.
"You F-rank trash, why are you always leeching off us?"
The world was never fair, no matter which one it was.
If you awakened with a low prospect rank, your future was limited from that moment on.
Even if you had a high prospect rank, there was still the chance you’d never meet the advancement requirements.
And since F-rank’s Tier 9 spells were naturally weaker than E-rank’s Tier 8 spells, no one wanted an F-rank.
Plus, an E-rank would also know how to use Tier 9 spells.
The same applied to knights with their nine stages of combat arts.
I sighed, and so did Quincy.
She shook her head. "The world is unfair."
I nodded, but my thoughts had already shifted to something else.
The door in front of me, and the place that would decide if I became a legend... or just another name forgotten.