There’s Something Special About Her - Chapter 67

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 67.
Once I’d safely acquired the status of trainee, I finally had a moment to catch my breath.
‘Admission successful.’
After navigating countless obstacles, I’d reached my first objective at last.
Yet it was only the first objective.
The road ahead stretched far, far longer.
‘Now comes the task of finding the spy.’
I’d begun the mission under Killian Nox’s orders with no intel and no operational strategy.
It was a mercy that staying in temporary quarters gave me plenty of time alone with my thoughts.
I’d been able to map out a plan for what came after formal admission.
‘First, I need to blend in with the other trainees.’
Only then could I identify which of the forty-two other trainees—besides myself—was the spy working with the block-headed one.
Mid-program entry wasn’t going to make it easy.
But I’d decided to think positively.
This cohort wasn’t large, and the Training Facility’s closed environment would work in my favor.
For the remaining ninety-three days, I’d be confined here—but so would the spy.
In a box with no escape hatch, the hunt between us was just beginning.
“Runelk Ainsss, come here.”
“Yes, Instructor!”
I rushed over to Vice-Commander Schutalen without hesitation.
Rule number one for impressing superiors: bolt to attention when summoned.
I had no idea when, where, or how I might need the instructors’ help during my investigation of the spy, so I was banking favor early.
“Good work out there.”
Schutalen remained as wooden as a stone statue, but his tone had softened slightly from before.
It was a subtle shift, yet now that I was officially a trainee, he seemed to regard me as one of his pupils.
“The Commander sends word that you should rest today and begin formal training tomorrow, given the exertion.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Don’t take it as a holiday, though. What other trainees learned over several days, you’ll need to absorb in a single day.”
“I’ll work hard to master the material and not burden my peers or instructors.”
“Good attitude.”
Schutalen’s face showed the faintest hint of satisfaction.
Then he gave me a brief overview of the buildings’ names and purposes, and the daily routine of a trainee.
I nodded earnestly to show I was paying close attention.
The information was genuinely useful.
According to Schutalen, the Training Facility’s buildings—arranged in a neat rectangular grid—divided into three main zones.
With the Drawbridge as the dividing line, the Main Building ahead housed administrative offices where the instructors worked and lecture halls for classroom instruction, while to its right lay the Training Zone: an indoor training ground, armory, infirmary, and detention block all clustered together.
The Living Zone, opposite that, contained trainee dormitories, the Cafeteria, and quarters for the hired staff who handled cleaning and laundry.
A tidy, efficient layout—only what was necessary.
Then, as a large bell in the bell tower above the Main Building rang out—Dong!—Schutalen announced:
“Lunch break. Go get something to eat.”
“What about the dorms—”
I’d meant to ask if I should keep using the temporary quarters, but the Vice-Commander simply waved his broad hand dismissively.
“If you don’t hurry, you’ll have trouble finding a seat.”
Right, that wouldn’t do.
I bowed to Schutalen and sprinted toward the Cafeteria.
***
“Protein-heavy menu, self-service—perfection.”
I’d piled meat high on my tray, and the gratifying weight of it filled me with a satisfied smile.
“Ugh, I’m starving!”
“Meat, meat!”
Trainees whose classes had run long came streaming into the Cafeteria with eager shouts.
Schutalen’s advice had proven worthwhile—I’d rushed here and secured a seat ahead of the rush.
If I could just sit down at a table now and fill my stomach with this delicious food, how blissful that would be.
But I ran into one problem.
“Where do I sit?”
In a cafeteria without assigned seating, table selection was a matter of considerable importance.
Young people still brimming with energy over petty concerns loved to cluster together in tight-knit groups, using that arrangement to reinforce their sense of belonging.
I scanned the cafeteria quickly and made my choice.
‘That table looks good.’
I’d targeted a group sitting at a moderately crowded table toward the back of the cafeteria.
I’d also briefly considered the central table—the sunniest, most prestigious spot in the room.
It was where Maximilian Digrave and his clique sat.
But the moment I glanced that way, the young nobleman fixed me with such a menacing glare that I had to look away.
I’d steer clear of that group for now.
Even as I crossed the cafeteria with my tray, Maximilian’s gaze burned into my back.
‘He’s the one who lost control of his Aura, and now he’s glaring at me like I’m the villain?’
I’d meant to let him win, for crying out loud!
I deliberately didn’t glance at the center table and walked straight toward my target group with an easy smile.
“Hey, mind if I join you?”
“Huh? Us?”
At my greeting, the trainees who’d been chatting and eating happily all turned wide-eyed.
“I’m Runelk Ainsss. Would it be okay if I sat here?”
I figured they’d nod along awkwardly—you can’t spit in the face of someone smiling at you—so I continued:
“Thanks. I almost ended up eating alone—”
“That’s going to be a problem, actually.”
A trainee wearing thick glasses shook his head firmly.
“It’s… not allowed?”
“No. And sorry, but we’d rather you didn’t talk to us.”
“Why?”
Caught off guard by the response, I asked slowly. Another trainee at the table answered in a sharp voice:
“We don’t want Max’s clique to mark us because of you.”
He jerked his chin toward the back of the cafeteria.
I turned and saw Maximilian Digrave still staring daggers at me, his peers around him.
“I’ve got nothing against you personally. But I don’t want to make Training Facility life—which is already hard—into a living hell because we got on the wrong side of those guys.”
“I see. Got it.”
I withdrew gracefully and offered a light smile.
The first attempt had failed, but I wasn’t discouraged.
There were plenty of other tables!
Surely someone would welcome me!
And a moment later.
“Am I… an outcast?”
I sat alone at a large table, muttering blankly.
While the cafeteria buzzed with chatter all around me, my little corner stayed silent—like an island adrift in a sea.
I’d exhausted every technique I’d honed to win the trainees’ favor, only to fail spectacularly.
No one would include me at their table.
Even this seat had come about only after my first group finished eating and left—I’d simply planted myself here in their wake.
“An outcast. Me.”
Sitting here alone felt impossibly pathetic.
The other trainees weren’t as blunt as the first group, but they’d all shaken their heads just the same, looking uncomfortable.
They’d praised my duel performance, said I looked impressive.
Yet one and all, they’d rejected me with the same reason: fear of Maximilian’s crowd.
“Damned spoiled brat.”
From the scraps of information those who wouldn’t sit with me had tossed my way, I gathered that Maximilian Digrave ruled this cohort like a king.
The hierarchy wasn’t based on family background or status.
It was the rankings that emerged naturally from entrance exam scores and the past week of training—pure meritocracy, and those standings formed the food chain of this small world.
Since your rank at the Training Facility determined your assignment to important departments and posts after graduation, no one wanted to get on the wrong side from day one.
“Sigh.”
I picked up my fork with a deep, hollow sigh, but the food had already grown cold, and my appetite vanished.
Still, I couldn’t waste it, so I was just reaching to stab a chunk of meat when—
“Hey there, Runelk.”
Someone called my name from behind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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