After leaving the classroom, Espen began an exploratory journey through the academy, wandering through corridors that reflected stunning architectural luxury. He admired the engravings and patterns, enjoying those quiet moments until he reached a long glass walkway connecting two massive buildings. To his left stretched a vast garden, its trees so enormous they looked like guardians of ancient secrets.
As he passed by quietly, his eyes caught a strange sight: from behind the trunk of a nearby tree, a human hand protruded from the soil, twitching feebly as if pleading for help.
Espen stopped for a moment, shot the hand a cold look, then turned his face away and continued walking with unbelievable indifference, muttering to himself in a practical tone:
"I'm not going to investigate that now. I'll explore the rest of the school facilities first. Once I've satisfied my architectural curiosity, maybe I'll come back to see the story of this hand.. or what's left of it."
He walked for a few more minutes, only to find himself in a corridor that was almost a carbon copy of the previous one. To the left was the same garden, the same tree.. and the same hand still emerging from the earth, waving slowly.
Espen stopped this time, placed his hand on his hip, and addressed the void with a mocking tone:
"Hello again. I said I wasn't going! Fate, stop trying to shove this 'side quest' in my path. You won't succeed in dragging me into such a cliché mystery right now."
He resumed walking with faster strides, trying to ignore the feeling of déjà vu.
However, as if the world had shrunk into a single never-ending hallway, Espen found himself for the third time in front of the fence overlooking that cursed garden. The hand was there, and the dirt was moving around it with sickening persistence.
At this, Espen's patience finally snapped. He stood in the middle of the corridor, narrowed his eyes in annoyance, let out a sharp sigh, and leaped over the fence with a graceful motion, landing on the dewy garden grass. He shouted as he stomped toward the tree in frustration:
"Damn you! Fine, I'll see what your pathetic problem is! It seems the 'plot' refuses to move forward unless I stick my nose into the business of this hand. I don't know why there's all this insistence; I'm absolutely sure it's something trivial, unimportant, and a total waste of my precious time!"
Espen stood near that pale hand protruding from the dirt like a demonic sprout, but instead of panic, he raised his head to contemplate the giant tree shading it. He knit his brows with sarcastic curiosity as he eyed the strange fruits hanging from the branches:
"What exactly is this? Is it a giant berry? No, no... it looks exactly like a potato! But wait, aren't potatoes supposed to grow underground? Why are they dangling over our heads like Christmas decorations? Truly bizarre; it seems the laws of nature took a vacation here!"
While he was lost in his agricultural philosophy, the buried fingers suddenly moved, gripping his ankle tightly. Espen looked down at the hand clutching him with a flat expression and thought coldly:
"Ah right, I almost forgot the buried victim. It seems someone still has a heartbeat under this rubble."
Espen knelt and began digging into the soil with his hands, trying to extract this unknown body. But with the very first handful of earth he cleared, he froze. Suddenly, a full chest appeared, pressing against a tight school uniform, as if the earth were hiding a very specific kind of treasure.
Espen stopped, a cynical look crossing his face as he stared into space:
"Wow... really, Story? I dig to save a soul, and the first thing that pops up is this? Now I'm in a moral dilemma; do I keep digging from the middle and risk an accidental touch, or do I dig from the side? Either way, I'll look like a creep! Will 'Censorship' allow this scene, or will I find myself kicked out of the novel before the chapter ends?"
Espen smartly decided to dig a bit further ahead, assuming the head was located there. As his hands struck the soil faster, the features of a girl began to emerge slowly, like a statue rising from the depths of the earth.
The girl rose from the pit, dusting herself off with a confident, feminine motion. The sunlight broke against her body, highlighting an overwhelming presence.
She possessed a deep bronze complexion, a warm tan that glowed under the light as if cast from ancient gold. Her long, wavy hair was a dark crimson, like burning embers, cascading over her shoulders down to the small of her back like a waterfall of fire. Her eyes were a striking violet, wide and gleaming with intelligent mockery, framed by a light shadow that emphasized their sharpness.
She wore a dark blue blazer with a white lapel, which looked so tight across the chest that the buttons seemed to be fighting for their lives with every move she made.
She had a blatant "hourglass" figure; a slim waist and full hips, accentuated by the shortness of her pleated blue skirt.
She wore sheer black stockings that clung to her powerful legs, and short leather boots that struck the ground firmly, announcing a personality that knew no hesitation.
She sat before Espen, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him with a tone that mixed flirtation with condescension:
"Espen... why did you ruin my peace and dig me out? Didn't you notice I was enjoying my time, lying here in peace?"
Espen raised his eyebrows in sarcastic disbelief:
"Enjoying yourself? Are you trying to turn into a Pharaonic mummy, or did you just decide to try out the lifestyle of a worm?"
She answered in a soft voice that carried a distinct edge:
"My motives are none of your business! Leave me alone now and don't try digging again. I know well you aren't trying to rescue me, but are trying to lay a hand on my body as usual—but that will never happen, Espen!"
Espen laughed out loud, shaking his head in despair:
"Fine, fine.. listen to me, you spicy girl. I didn't come here of my own free will; the story practically shoved me toward you. But before you go back to burying yourself again, since you clearly know me, may I know your name? I've lost my memory and no longer remember anyone in this overcrowded world."
The girl's expression instantly shifted from condescension to genuine shock:
"Lost your memory? That's impossible! Since when have you been in this strange state?"
Espen stood up, brushing the dust off his trousers:
"Since only yesterday. And how about you stand up too, instead of sitting in this filthy hole?"
The girl finally rose, carefully dusting the dirt off her clothes and her bronze skin. She gave him a look that pierced his soul and said:
"It seems I actually will get out, for your words today carry a different tone. It is truly strange that you forgot everything... let me bring you back to reality then. My name is Rosaline; the girl you spent your life wishing you could just touch the hem of her dress... and you never could."
Espen crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Rosaline with a mix of appreciation and indifference. He said in a mocking tone:
"Wonderful! It seems I've become an official target for the Bullying Club; yesterday it was 'Melda' and now it's you, Rosaline. Anyway, don't strain yourself; I'm not interested in you at all at this moment, even though you look like a bronze version of 'Rias Gremory'.. same overwhelming chest with a bonus feature in your hips. It seems the 'Author' insists on making you an icon of provocation in my path, but unfortunately, I have other priorities!"
Rosaline blinked at him in bewilderment, tilting her head at his mysterious terminology:
"Who is this 'Rias' you're rambling about? You're talking in a completely foreign language today. You aren't the Espen I know.. that one couldn't even finish a sentence without panting after me!"
Espen turned to leave and continue his exploration, waving a hand coldly:
"Whatever.. it was a pleasure to meet you, Rosaline. Perhaps we'll meet later in a more logical scene."
Rosaline stood her ground, placing a hand on her slim waist, watching his silhouette fade away. She muttered to herself with burning curiosity:
"You're suspicious, Espen. It seems you didn't just lose your memory; it feels like the 'Espen' we knew has truly died, and a completely different person has taken his place."
A while later, Espen stood at the massive academy gate, watching the departing students until his eyes spotted Nira approaching. She looked shocked to see him still there:
"Espen! You actually waited for me? I thought you'd vanish the moment the ink on your promise dried. It seems you were honest for once. Well, since you remember nothing, follow me.. for my house is not on the way to the palaces you inhabit."
Espen walked behind her. As she carved through the crowd, his mind worked like a calculator trying to decode this world:
(So, the currency here is called 'Dexel.' And since I'm the son of 'Atterman,' the ruler of the state of 'Ralnor,' I'm practically swimming in gold. My father gives me 10 gold coins a week.. comparing that to my old world, one gold coin is worth roughly $1,000. That means my weekly allowance is $10,000! Silver is worth 500, copper is 100.. what power!)
Nira broke his train of thought, looking at him with surprise:
"Espen.. you're suspiciously quiet. Where did your narcissism go? Where's the bragging about your influence? And strangest of all, you haven't tried to harass me or touch the hem of my dress since we started walking!"
Espen stopped, his mouth hanging open in total shock, and he shouted in despair:
"What is wrong with this kid?! Was he a demon in the form of a student? I just want one person in this world to tell me one good quality about this idiot whose place I took!"
Nira burst out laughing, placing a hand over her mouth to regain her gentle smile:
"It seems amnesia has made you a fierce critic of yourself! It's hilarious to see you cursing the old 'Espen' because of all the shameful things you did to us."
Espen felt a slight ache in his jaw from how often he'd dropped it in shock. He thought bitterly:
(Truly! I must learn to keep my mouth shut; my jaw is going to cramp from the weight of these surprises! Damn this narcissist who stuck me with this filthy reputation!)
They finally arrived at a modest home that breathed an air of poverty and dignity. As soon as Nira opened the door, three children rushed toward her—two boys and a little girl, like small angels, throwing themselves into her arms with overwhelming longing.
Nira dropped to her knees, hugging them to her chest with extreme tenderness. The mask of defiance and harshness she wore at school vanished, replaced by the face of a "big sister" fighting the world for them.
Espen stood in the corner of the room, watching the scene in silence. He felt something stir inside his chest.. it wasn't just pity; it was a genuine desire to cleanse the name "Espen" from the filth of the past by saving this family.