30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 149

"I wonder if he’s already had lunch."

Ring-ring.

The faint sound of a bicycle bell echoed as the rider pedaled furiously.

Levi was once again riding her bicycle diligently. She had grown familiar with the path she now traveled daily. Strangely, even the once bumpy roads seemed to have been repaired, making her journey smoother than ever.

Clatter.

In the basket of her bike was a fairly large lunchbox, packed to the brim with food she had prepared herself. Having recently learned some cooking tips from Tristan’s chef, she was confident it wouldn’t taste bad.

"I hope he likes it..."

She had poured her heart into preparing this meal for one person.

As long as he appreciated her effort, all her hard work would be worthwhile.

More than anything, she knew him well—he wasn’t the kind of person who would dismiss such a heartfelt gesture. Quite the opposite; he was someone who would savor it with genuine appreciation.

"Hmm..."

Thinking about it made Levi’s cheeks flush slightly, and she pedaled faster.

Despite her delicate appearance, her body was well-trained from daily practice. Even maintaining a steady speed of 30 kilometers per hour for an hour didn’t tire her out.

A girl in love is always strong.

After pedaling for a while, she saw a familiar cabin in the distance.

The moment the cabin came into view, Levi’s face lit up with a radiant smile, and she picked up speed. It was as if all her steady pacing had been in preparation for this burst of energy.

But then—

"...Huh?"

Levi blinked.

Just three meters from the cabin, a man lay collapsed on the ground.

Recognizing the familiar figure, Levi immediately hit the brakes and rushed over to him.

"D-Damian Follett, sir?"

“...”

"What are you doing here?"

“...Ugh.”

"A-are you crying?"

“...Why is it only my life that’s so miserable? Why do I have to go through all this...?”

"Hmm."

...Ah, he’s acting like usual.

Levi nodded knowingly.

‘Master must be [educating] him again.’

The relationship between her instructor and Damian Follett was already infamous at the academy.

His daily regimen of constant running and paperwork had made him a legend of sorts, whether he wanted the reputation or not. It wasn’t hard to guess what might have happened.

And so—

‘...I envy him.’

Levi genuinely envied him.

She envied Damian for receiving such personal “tutoring” from her master.

Had Damian been able to read her thoughts, he might have gone mad on the spot, but Levi wasn’t jealous because he monopolized their master’s attention.

No, it was because despite everything, Damian Follett was undeniably growing stronger.

‘He’s improved again.’

Damian Follett was already one of the strongest among the cadets in the swordsmanship department.

As the heir to a prestigious knightly family, he had undergone rigorous training that put him above his peers.

The only reason he didn’t stand out this year was because the academy happened to be filled with abnormally talented cadets. In any other year, Damian could have easily been the top student in the department.

But under her master’s relentless "education," Damian’s growth curve had become strikingly steep.

If he continued at this pace, while he might not catch up to the black-haired “Young Lord,” he might one day rival one of the three prodigies.

‘They say people grow stronger in the face of adversity. Maybe that’s true for Damian too.’

A person forced to grow stronger to endure the "adversity" that was her master.

To Levi, who dreamed of becoming stronger as quickly as possible, Damian’s growth was something to admire.

...Even if, for him, it was undoubtedly hell.

"What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Master!"

"And what are you up to, Bear Cub?"

"Ah, I just... I thought we could eat lunch together if you haven’t already."

"With all that food you brought, if I’d already eaten, you’d be calling me a villain, wouldn’t you?"

"Hehe."

"Ridiculous... Lucky for you, I haven’t eaten yet. I was about to bake a pizza in the oven, but let’s eat what you brought instead."

"Yes, sir! Oh, but what about Damian, sir...?"

"Leave him. He’s just being dramatic. Lately, he’s been too disobedient."

At the words “If you’re not eating lunch, you’re not getting any!”, Damian, muttering “You’re too much, really...”, reluctantly got to his feet.

The scene was so comical that Levi couldn’t help but...

"Hehe."

...burst into a bright, cheerful laugh.

The documents that Trainee No. 1 had painstakingly retrieved occupied Ihan’s dining table, but Ihan was far more focused on his lunch than on the papers.

He quietly ate a wood-fired pizza, its cheese stretching with every bite, and the rice-shaped pasta that Levi had prepared.

"You’re too much, sir. Do you know how hard I worked to bring those papers...?"

"Enough. Is this all?"

"...Yes, this is all the information they could find for now. Oh, and Guildmaster Simon said to tell you, ‘I hope this means you’ll finally think better of the guild now.’"

"What a jokester."

"I’m pretty sure you’re the only person who can talk about the Guildmaster like that, sir."

It was impressive to see someone like Simon, the leader of the Royal Guild, being ordered around so casually.

Equally impressive was that Simon followed the commands without question.

‘I suppose big shots connect with each other.’

"For someone so cocky, his competence is mediocre at best. Is this really all he could gather? And yet he wants me to think better of him? Shameless."

"Hmm..."

...Or maybe Simon was just scared of getting beaten and had no choice but to comply.