I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Chapter 42

Rohan wanted nothing more than to leave the counter and check on how Clara and Noah were doing.

But it wasn’t possible.

Just as Clara had agreed to watch manga with Noah, the once-quiet bookstore was suddenly flooded with customers, like a wave crashing ashore.

"That’ll be 3 coins and 20 tokens. A paper bag is 1 token; would you like one?"

"Yes, please include the bag."

"I’ve put the receipt inside. Thank you!"@@@@

Why did the customers have to come in at this exact moment?

Since starting his part-time job, Rohan had never experienced such a busy day, to the point that the sales for the Flower Spider Lily Bookstore could have set a record.

"Do you have any books for teaching kids to read? My child’s just starting out..."

"Has Pascal’s new release gone out of print?"

"I’m looking for a book about how to talk to women—it’s for a friend."

As customers kept coming in with various requests, Rohan assisted them one by one, occasionally glancing toward the corner where Clara and Noah were.

Though he couldn’t see them clearly, the silence suggested they were doing fine.

And yet, he realized something profound.

Looking back, he understood how arrogant it had been to think he truly knew Clara.

That Clara would voluntarily spend time with Noah and agree to her suggestion was a situation Rohan couldn’t have predicted in the slightest.

As a gamer who had immersed himself in Abyss City, he had never envisioned, let alone imagined, such a scenario.

And yet, here it was, unfolding right before his eyes.

I’ll need to be more careful moving forward.

This wasn’t just about Clara. It applied to Ichinose, Noah, and maybe even the princess.

Reality was free from the constraints of pre-defined rules.

It wasn’t bound to the rigid framework he thought he knew.

Rohan etched that truth into his heart once more.

***

"Hm~ hm~"

"..."

Clara was starting to question where she had found the courage to accept Noah’s invitation earlier.

Now, just sitting next to Noah, who was humming a tune while flipping through a manga, Clara felt her mental energy draining in real-time.

She couldn’t even focus on the contents of the manga in front of her.

"What’s your name?"

Noah’s sudden question caught Clara off guard, making her flinch.

"M-my name is Clara..." she stammered.

"Ah, what a cute name. You can just call me Noah."

"O-okay..."

The name Noah, associated with her striking beauty, snow-white fur reminiscent of eternal snow, and the faint, chilly aura she exuded—

Clara thought for a moment and came to a conclusion.

Is she Noah Frozenheart of Tigrova? What is Oppa even doing...

Noah was undoubtedly the most significant person Clara had ever encountered.

Even so, she managed to suppress her nervousness.

After all, she wasn’t here to assassinate or gather intel.

Unlike last time, she felt confident that she could run away if things got too overwhelming.

The tiger girl’s pages fluttered as she quickly flipped through the manga.

Noah lingered the longest on pages featuring food rather than those packed with dialogue.

After visually savoring the illustrations, she spoke again.

"I was surprised at how fast you moved earlier. Wanna race me sometime?"

She nodded easily.

"Yep! My eldest brother has, uh... ten? Maybe more wives? I forget."

"Gasp!"

Clara’s shocked expression made Noah laugh.

"Well, if you’re from a country without polygamy, it probably seems unusual or even fascinating."

"I was just wondering... how do you feel about it?"

At Clara’s question, Noah crossed her arms, pondering for a moment.

Her blue eyes glinted with a spark of realization before she grinned, as if finding the perfect answer.

"I like it because I get more big sisters who bring me lots of delicious food!"

"T-that’s not what I meant..."

"Huh? Why not? That’s a huge perk!"

Clara had been curious about Noah’s deeper thoughts on the system.

But Noah’s casual remarks seemed to reflect an ingrained acceptance, with no signs of discomfort.

"Are there men in Tigrova who don’t practice polygamy?"

"Yeah, but society doesn’t think highly of them."

"Why?!"

That was truly baffling to Clara.

Shouldn’t such devotion be celebrated as a virtue?

"In Tigrova, strength is everything. Anywhere in the world, strength brings wealth and honor, but in Tigrova, it’s even more straightforward."

"And how does that relate to polygamy?"

"Having only one wife is sometimes seen as a sign that you lack the resources or capacity to support more. People might even say it shows you’re not fit to be a ruler! That’s how the thinking goes."

"..."

"It’s just how society works differently in each country. Besides, Tigrova’s people don’t really care if outsiders understand or not."

As a powerful nation, Tigrova was likely advanced in many aspects.

Yet, the reasoning behind its traditions felt primitive, almost like a throwback to a hunting society.

Perhaps it was better to frame it as the rugged charm of a people thriving in harsh, frozen lands.

Their indifference to others’ opinions was something Clara couldn’t help but admire in its own way.

"So, Noah unnie... you wouldn’t mind if your partner or husband practiced polygamy?"

"Not at all! It’d be fun to have more people to hang out with!"

"..."

"In Tigrova, rejecting polygamy is seen as holding your husband back from success. Like I said, if a man only has one wife, people might criticize him for lacking what it takes to lead."

Maybe it was the way she had been raised that made Noah so accepting of it.

Clara, on the other hand, felt bewildered.

Listening to Noah’s cheerful tone made her feel like she was the odd one for not being able to take it in stride.

"Ugh..."

Hiding her face between the open manga, Clara felt Noah’s tail gently tap her back.

"Is Tigrova really that different from your country?"

"Y-yes..."

"Then I don’t think you need to force yourself to understand another country’s customs. Even Nosé said it was exhausting attending all my brothers’ weddings."

"..."

If only things could be concluded that easily.

Clara sighed, her weary gaze dropping as she pulled out her phone.

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard as she began composing a message.

Bzzz!

In the middle of helping customers, Rohan’s phone buzzed.