Chapter 84: Ch 84: From the labs?

Once again, Noah had a feeling he was being treated like a doll to be fought over. Not one person was asking for his opinion about what he wanted.

Instead, they wanted to make decisions for him, which felt expected but left a sour taste in his mouth.

He was not usually one to show such emotions on his face, but since Professor Erin was from the labs, he must have noticed something on his face that made him sigh and turn back toward Riku with a slight glare.

"Should we not allow Noah to choose where he wants to stay tonight? Since he is the one who will be the most affected by this, it is only natural that he makes this decision, right?"

Erin’s words left an awkward air behind. Riku also looked at Noah with a sheepish look, but he nodded to show his support as well.

"Well, let’s do that. Noah, where do you want to stay the night? The medical wing? My rooms or with Professor Erin?"

Riku asked, and it was a hard decision to make. Honestly, the answer was none of these places. Noah just wanted to go back to his room, where he was alone and had no one to bother him.

But he doubted it would go over well if he said that.

"I-"

He blinked, finally ready to make a decision when the doors of the medical wing burst open and a few professors entered with their students. Noah did not recognize these students, so he was sure that they were super seniors.

Both the teachers and students looked incredibly hurt, to the point where even Riku cursed after seeing them.

"What happened? What are all these injuries?"

He asked while taking a few people and starting to heal them. His concerned voice made the other teacher sigh and answer.

"There was a dungeon exercise that went wrong. The gate suddenly mutated, and it ended up with a lot more people injured than we thought. We need to get them all healed up as soon as possible."

Suddenly, Riku looked busy, and it seemed like the medical wing would need a lot more space.

This sudden rush of patients made Riku look sour, and he turned toward Noah with a sorry expression.

"Well, it seems like the decision for tonight is made for you. Professor Erin, I will be handing Noah to your care for tonight. But only for tonight. Make sure you return him here in one piece."

Riku’s words sounded almost like a threat, but he looked too tired to make one anyway.

However, Erin took his words seriously, and with a nod, he grabbed Noah’s hand and started tugging him along.

"I promise I will take good care of Noah, so you don’t need to worry. I will have him back for a checkup tomorrow."

And that was how Noah reached Professor Erin’s room. But the uncomfortable feeling he was supposed to have did not come. Instead, this professor felt too familiar.

...

Noah settled down on the bed while the professor took the couch with a happy expression. The feeling of familiarity returned, and Noah blinked before looking toward his professor.

He was not trying to hide that he was staring, and yet, it took Erin some time to address him.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Erin asked while looking back at Noah, but his curious gaze made Noah hesitate to ask what he wanted to.

He did not want to expose the existence of the labs to those who had no idea...

’But even if he’s not from the labs, he is a professor. That means he knows about their existence, right...’

Seeing Noah so conflicted made Erin let out a laugh, and he decided to speak up first.

"Are you hesitating to speak because you are worried about saying anything about the labs? There is no need to worry. As you expected, I am from the labs. I will be stationed in the academy as a professor to keep an eye on you and your mission."

Some of the tension bled out of Noah’s frame at those words, and he nodded to show that he understood.

But he was still not sure if this man was telling the truth or if he was trying to trick Noah.

After all, if there was truly someone this young at the labs, then he should have known. Moreover, blue hair was too unique to not be talked about.

’So unless this man started working after I left for the academy...’

But that won’t make sense. The labs won’t trust a newbie with such an important mission-

Sigh

"What a shame! I was looking forward to meeting you again. But you don’t even recognize me? You are breaking my heart, Noah. I never expected you to be this cruel to me."

Erin made a crying face when he said that.

He was acting, but his expression was far too sincere, even if he was simply acting. It made Noah feel bad for not recognizing him.

"I am sorry, but I thought I knew the face of every person that worked at the labs. But I can’t recall ever seeing you, no matter how much I rack my brain. If you don’t mind, can you tell me who you are?"

Noah finally decided that it would be better to not rack his brain and simply ask this question. But it only served to make Erin’s face look sourer.

"What is the fun in me telling you who I am? It is only fun if you are able to recall it yourself. But I am sure you will realize who I am soon. Just know that I am not an enemy, and I will always be on your side."

That was a huge promise to make. Noah could not imagine anyone in the labs making such a promise, but it felt genuine.

He had no doubt that Erin would do everything in his power to help Noah if he needed it.

But...

’Can I count on someone from the labs, even if they seem sincere?’