Chapter 34
This is a fictional story by realTensai
"Al… you are down bad if you joke about those things."
"I would never lie about this and you know that."
"Shit, I guess you are right."
Dane grabbed his head, trying to process the information he had just gotten. Right now, Alvis and Dane were at a playground casually hanging out. Alvis wanted to tell Dane about his marriage to Lia in person. He knew Dane wouldn't believe it right away, yet Alvis managed to convince him faster than he had initially thought. Though Dane still needed some time to let it sink in.
"Since the new school year started, the two of you have gotten along pretty well. But I wouldn't have thought you got along soo well."
"Well, one thing led to the other."
"Ahh, that is why you are married now."
Alvis laughed, realizing how insane this had to sound. He couldn't even imagine how he would react if Dane suddenly told him he got married to the most popular girl in school. Yet this was exactly what Alvis was doing.
"Why didn't you tell me how you feel about Lia?" Dane said, looking conflicted. "Did you think I would laugh and tell you she is out of your league?"
"Yes. This is totally what you would do."
"Well, you ain't lying, — but still! Going from not even talking to girls to straight up marrying one is too sudden."
"You must know I went through a lot of character development."
"Yeah, I see that. You ain't afraid of girls now."
They both laughed, delighted by their conversation. The two of them went through a lot so they could joke about everything. Every time they got together, they goofed around, which Alvis appreciated. He valued their friendship more than Dane probably thought.
"How come you even proposed to her? I could understand if you would ask her to be your girlfriend, but you skipped a few steps."
Alvis didn't answer right away. He thought about how to best convey everything that led to his decision. If he were to tell him every thought process of his, Dane wouldn't understand. In the end, he still wasn't the smartest. And marrying Lia was just as much a rational decision as it was an emotional one. Yet Alvis would try to explain.
"It just felt right, you know. I wanted to show her how serious I was, and it worked out in the end. Besides, I am an Arifuner, so marriage is the only right form of relationship."
Alvis hoped Dane could understand what he meant. Mentioning his religion was also a good move because he knew Dane's mother was an Arifuner too, so Dane would relate. Dane's nodding confirmed he at least got why Alvis did it.
"I guess you are a real man now," Dane said, looking into the sky.
"Why did that sound so epic?"
"Ah, shut up. Now that you are married, you better don't get into trouble again. Lia would be sad if some random assassin kills your ass."
Alvis gulped, wondering how Dane hit the needle on the head. The probability of him getting killed by an assassin sent by the main Assassin Organization wasn't low.
"I will try my best."
"Somehow I get the feeling you ain't confident about what you just said."
"Must be your imagination."
"Whatever. You are lucky you got me. When it gets heated, just call me and I will be there. I may not be the smartest, but you can bet I ain't losing no fight!"
Dane clenched his fist with a confident grin on his face. Seeing that, Alvis could only grin, too. Even though he knew his system and the Devil would only bring him into even more dangerous situations, he knew he could count on his best friend. It was reassuring to know he had Dane on his side.
——
Something unsettling caught Alvis' attention as he patrolled through the school grounds with his student council buddy Chao. Once again, someone had been staring at him with vicious killing intent. Even when Alvis met his gaze, the person didn't look away. He wanted Alvis to know about his hostility.
Alvis had already gotten used to the weird looks he got because of his white hair. Yet the glances he attracted since announcing his relationship with Lia were straight-up, frightening. It was as if he had put a target on his head. This was what happened when one dated the idolized Lia.
He could only sigh, thinking about how ignorant he had been. Lia had warned him about making their relationship public, concerned about how they would treat Alvis. Yet Alvis brushed it off, thinking he could handle some envious glances from time to time.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Lia's status within the school was far greater than Alvis could even imagine. The moment they announced their relationship, Alvis became the talk of the school. Someone as insignificant as Alvis started going out with the school's heroine, Lia. Of course, this would attract attention.
Alvis couldn't even walk through school without having to deal with people who clearly wanted to threaten him with their gazes. The number of boys who got their hearts broken after finding out their crush Lia went out was uncountable. And Alvis had become the target of their rage. They wouldn't go as far as to attack him, but occasionally, wishing him to die the most gruesome death possible was tolerable. There were even rumors that spread about him.
However, this was only one side of the coin. There was also another camp, containing people who reacted the exact opposite to the haters. Alvis didn't yet know how to deal with them, though they weren't less troublesome. Those people started admiring Alvis as if he were some kind of hero.
They were the ones who knew Lia was out of their league, so they didn't even try. But after seeing how Alvis got into a relationship with her, they started getting hope. They thought that if someone like Alvis could do it, perhaps even they could. As if Alvis went from rags to riches. Since then, they saw him as their leader, who showed them the way to success. Every time Alvis ran past one of them, they bowed, showing him their respect.
For someone like Alvis, who preferred a peaceful life and didn't like the spotlight, both groups were a pain in the ass. The thought of respawning and never exposing his relationship with Lia more than once crossed his mind. However, he couldn't enter his system because it was still updating. And killing himself just for that seemed extreme, even for him. Alvis could only hope that things would calm down after some time.
"Ouhh, this is scary. Just by walking next to you, I also get some nasty glares."
"I can't help my popularity."
"Ha, even in a situation like this, you can joke around."
Chao and Alvis were doing their duties as student council members when Chao painfully became aware of Alvis' situation. The dwarf also wasn't someone who strived for attention, so hanging out with Alvis wasn't the best thing he could do. But as a member of the student council, he didn't have a choice.
"You sure hit it big," Chao said, delight in his voice. "Your plan to join the student council to get closer to Lia paid off. Back then, I just found it funny, though now I admire your genius."
"Even I wouldn't have thought it would get me this far."
Alvis wasn't lying. He initially just planned to save Lia, but in the end, he married her. One thing went with the other.
It was when they talked about that three boys approached them.
One of them was a dangerous-looking bear beast man. He was at least two meters tall, and his paws were big enough to shatter a person's head. His thick black fur made Alvis wonder if he was really a beast man or just a bear that went upright.
However, the other two didn't look less frightening. One was a demon with black skin and four arms. Paired with his purple eyes and overly muscular physique, he seemed like a menace.
And the last one was a human? Alvis wasn't sure. He had some human features, though he could also be mixed. One couldn't see his eyes because they hid behind his long, greasy blond hair. With his slender build, long arms, and long legs, he could have been straight out of a horror movie.
As those people approached Alvis and Chao, they came to a halt. Chao was trembling slightly, his eyes fixed on those three boys. He was a dwarf and not the strongest, so his reaction was understandable. Though Alvis understood, they posed no threat. He just had to look at the boys' demeanor to know they were from the camp that admired him.
"How can we help you?" Chao said, hiding his irritation pretty well.
However, they ignored him, marching further toward them until they were a few meters away. Then, in sync as if they were the same person, they bowed before Alvis, their bodies forming a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Boss, please make us your disciples!"
"—Hah?"
Alvis could only tilt his head, dumbfounded at their approach. He knew they were from the camp that admired him, yet he never would have guessed they wanted to become his students. They took it way too far. Alvis wouldn't have thought they admired him that much.
"Puhaha!"
Chao laughed, holding his belly while doing so, his fear from before already vanished. The scene that was unfolding was just comical. Three dangerous-looking guys were bowing before Alvis, asking him to be their mentor.
"Boss, please make us your disciples!"
"I already heard you the first time. Are you some type of NPCs who just keep repeating the same question until I select yes? And why are you so in sync?"
"W-We are sorry, boss! We didn't want to anger you. We only wish to learn from the best."
"Hah? What can I even teach you?"
"Teach us how we can become real men. Teach us how we can be like you!"
Alvis couldn't even sigh after hearing their bold statement. They acted as if Alvis was the prototype of an alpha male. Their impression of him was way too good. Of course, he would reject them.
"No, thank you," Alvis said cold-heartedly.
Alvis could barely see their expression because they were still bowing, yet he noticed how they stiffened up.
"P-Please, boss! You are our only hope!" the bear beast man said, terror in his voice. "As you can see, we are the low of the low. Our classmates avoid us because we look scary. But we don't want to live like that! We want to transform our lives!"
Those last few words hit Alvis deep. Their genuine effort to become better versions of themselves and, by that, improve their lives resonated with Alvis. Their desperation was obvious. That was why Alvis hesitated before rejecting them again.
Chao, who also noticed that, used this chance to whisper something to Alvis.
"Hey, those people aren't half bad. Just accept them as your students under the condition of them joining the student council. We are still searching for more members and they seem like the perfect fit. They will do all the shit work we don't want to do as long as you tell them they need to do it to become real men."
A vicious grin formed on Chao's face, which once again reminded Alvis of his true nature.
"You cunning dwarf!" Alvis said, a vicious smile also on his face.
The two of them got along pretty well for a reason.
Alvis cleared his throat, having made up his mind.
"Fine, you can become my students. But only if you join the student council and do exactly what I say."
"O-Oh, of course! Thank you so much, boss!"
"You can stop calling me boss already."
"Oh, sorry, boss!"
With that, the student council acquired three new members.