"You're free to go," the professor said with a hint of malice as he peered at us over the book he was reading. "Keep in mind that the notes you took today could be vitally important… or completely useless. There's no middle ground in my class. Go eat, and make sure you read the supplementary material."
"Arghhh," one of my classmates groaned in frustration.
I couldn't blame him.
I glanced at the relatively thick book on Ioann. Learning everything about him was going to be a massive pain in the ass, never mind all the other things I still had to do.
I hadn't even finished the [Tome of Fortitude] yet to get the strength buff. Reading about muscles and proper posture was mind-numbingly tedious.
"They're only two stupid stat points…" I muttered, stifling a yawn behind the back of my hand.
I also needed to look for quests I remembered from the game to improve some attributes and get useful items.
At the same time, I couldn't abuse my meta-knowledge too heavily. Because of me, Aeono had already missed his chance to fight the tutorial boss. Just how much weaker was he right now because of that one small change?
A shiver ran down my spine. If Aeono couldn't keep up with the enemies ahead, he might actually die…
"Shit." I bit my thumbnail. The first boss he was supposed to face was getting closer.
The image of the "YOU DIED" screen from the game flashed through my mind, freezing me in place.
It wasn't a good idea for this world's hero to be weak.
I didn't even know how strong Aeono truly was. I was a cockroach compared to the heavy hitters in this academy, but even they weren't the pinnacle of this world.
Damn it.
I felt the weight of the Ring of the Destined on my finger. I really should have been more careful with what I took.
The flap of a butterfly's wings could cause a hurricane somewhere else, after all.
Aeono would need every possible item and upgrade he could get.
There were quite a few options, but even so, I couldn't just snatch whatever was convenient right now.
I needed to figure out what kind of warrior he was…
Fuck. The consequences of my actions were already catching up to me.
I let out a heavy sigh. Aeono seemed like a decent guy, but his life was about to become a living hell.
Well, at least he'd have a beautiful, sexy girlfriend who would wring him dry the first chance she got.
I supposed that made up for the wars, tragedies, and fighting gods.
"I need a break," I muttered. I was already starting to think nonsense.
I was starving. Without exaggeration, I could have eaten a horse and its rider.
That was why lunchtime felt like divine mercy.
"We need to get a good table," a girl complained.
Good luck with that. The high nobles had probably already claimed their territory and would defend it without mercy.
"Honestly, let's just keep our noses out of certain people's business." At least some students still had common sense.
I'd follow that line of thinking. They could play politics without me.
"Professor Niali is going to destroy us in physical training," someone said. Poor kid had no idea what kind of monsters were in the Gold Hall.
I looked up and scanned the classroom.
It was gradually emptying out. I noticed Yoko had already disappeared.
Quick and elusive. Possibly superhuman.
Looking at it that way, I knew more prodigies and monsters than normal people.
I mean, there was Conlaoch, Primrose, Armine, Rodrigo…
My stomach growled.
Well… time to go.
The moment I turned around, I found myself face-to-face with Plumshire's smiling face right beside me.
"Motherfucker!" I jumped back from her and that nightmare of a smile.
"You're eating with us," she declared. Her expression made it clear refusal wasn't an option. "And you're joining the group."
Her eyes sparkled with a touch of madness that made me glance at the closest person to me.
Which was, of course, Oswyn.
"Am I really doing this?" If the two of us teamed up, maybe we could resist this agent of chaos known as Plumshire.
"Yes." He looked serious, but his eyes were begging me. "Please."
I ran my right hand through my hair. I didn't really have any reason to refuse.
"Fine," I said with a small smile.
Oswyn sighed in relief. "Thanks. She already had a sack ready to drag you along if you'd said no."
I looked at the redhead, who was smiling without a shred of shame.
"It was only if you refused. You seem like the type who needs to be forced into things," she said, making little gestures with her fingers and wearing a cat-like grin. "A bit like my mother."
I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about that comparison.
"Excuse me." We all turned toward the new voice. Cedric approached with a calm serenity that felt slightly out of place. "I'll join if the table isn't too noisy."
Plumshire let out an excited squeal, clapped her hands in the air, and looked even more animated. "It'll be moderately noisy."
Cedric narrowed his eyes, glancing between Oswyn and me to read our expressions before turning back to Plumshire.
"Define 'moderately.'"
"No."
Cedric's face was a poem. He let out a sigh and seemed to resign himself.
"Fine." The smallest, most subtle smile appeared on his lips.
That was when I noticed Florence hovering nearby, lurking like a ghost.
She seemed to both want and not want to be part of this potential group.
Poor girl. Wanting friends while being an introvert must be tough… Now that I thought about it.
For a moment, Elen's image overlapped with Florence's.
…Yeah. I remembered. She had been a loner too.
"Hey." I extended my hand toward Florence with a smile. "Want to join us?"
"Eeep!" She let out a high-pitched squeak. Her face turned bright red. She spun on the spot while murmuring something unintelligible, then blurted, "I'd love to!"
"Aaah!" Plumshire let out a battle cry, pulled a sack out of nowhere, stuffed Florence inside it, and hurled the whole thing at Oswyn, who watched everything with an incredulous expression. "Carry her, big guy. If we lose sight of her, we won't be able to bond as a group."
Cedric, Oswyn, and I stared at her with completely flat expressions.
"Let's go!" Plumshire shouted, pointing forward. "For the food!"
With a dramatic kick, she burst out of the hall. In the corridor she let out an evil laugh and started marching ahead.
"Hey," I said, looking at Oswyn and Cedric. "Am I the only one who feels an impending sense of doom?"
"No."
"Nah."
I sighed. At least they were reasonable.
"Come on." I followed Plumshire's giggling figure.
"Hey, what's with them?" A girl pointed at us.
"Shhh." Her friend slapped her hand down. "Ignore them. Don't make eye contact and they'll pass without doing anything."
Ouch. That one hurt.
"I'm going to be a knight someday…" I heard Oswyn muttering under his breath.
"They look like a gang of delinquents," a boy said with all the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop.
The group we'd formed must have been a bizarre sight for everyone else.
A serious-looking redheaded girl leading the way with an evil grin.
A burly guy carrying a sack with a person inside.
Said person looking strangely calm within the sack.
An expressionless young man who didn't quite fit with the rest.
And me.
Yeah. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
"Food!" Plumshire shouted, leaping into the Banquet Hall.
Everyone who was eating turned to stare at us with expressions of wary fear, clearly nervous at seeing madness given human form as a group.
"There!" Plumshire pointed at an empty table.
I looked around. None of the students present seemed interested in intervening. I'd even say time itself had stopped for them.
Then Plumshire dashed over and quickly took a seat. "Come on."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Cedric, Oswyn, and I exchanged glances. There was no turning back now.
I sighed and sat down. Plumshire's smile widened.
"Hihihi." She looked so excited.
Oswyn placed Florence—still inside the sack—on the seat next to me before sitting across from Plumshire.
Cedric took the spot beside Oswyn and gave us all a look full of quiet resignation.
"What will you be ordering?" An academy maid approached with an unfocused gaze.
I understood. That kind of reaction was to be expected when faced with the bizarre spectacle we made.
But I was hungry.
"I'll have three bacon burgers, two plates of meat pasta, a black coffee, and two pieces of bread," I said. The maid looked at me like I was insane. "Please."
That made her blink. She glanced at Florence still in the sack, then at Plumshire's amused smile.
"I'd like a plate of mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and chicken," Plumshire said after a moment's thought. "And a cup of emerald tea, please."
"Please, some vegetable soup and a bit of bread," Oswyn said, looking slightly embarrassed by his order. "A glass of water would be fine."
"I-I'd like some meat, vegetables, and rice," Florence spoke from inside the sack, her nervousness less pronounced now. "And some juice, please."
"Whatever," Cedric said, ending the matter quickly.
The poor girl blinked slowly. Her gaze unfocused again, making her look dangerously like a barista from my old world who wasn't getting a tip.
"Thanks for your hard work," I said. I couldn't even imagine the daily stress this girl dealt with.
She didn't seem to care. "…I'll bring your orders shortly."
She left.
"Well…" A few seconds later, Plumshire spoke with a voice full of fake innocence. "…What do you all think of our beautiful academy?"
"Optimal," Cedric answered immediately. "For those of us born here in Gwyndon, it's the most important and prestigious institution. A diploma from here can open doors everywhere."
Cedric leaned back in his chair and didn't seem interested in saying anything more.
"It's beautiful," Florence said, gesturing with her hands. "It makes you want to walk around and get lost in its mysteries. It truly was created by God."
… She sounded genuinely excited.
"It's also expensive," Oswyn said absently. I noticed his distant expression. "Paying the tuition requires an amount that's incredibly difficult for commoners to gather."
This was interesting. I settled into my seat and looked at Oswyn.
"… Don't you have a backer?" Plumshire's voice had grown gentler.
Oswyn smiled weakly.
"I don't have any special talent or ability," he said, staring into the distance with a sad smile. "My family isn't particularly wealthy either, so I had to earn the money myself."
'His soul is truly one of the great ones,' Friedrich added. His tone revealed a new respect for Oswyn.
I agreed. In my previous life, I had always admired people who poured everything into achieving a goal.
"…You know that to become a knight, you need to be appointed by someone, right?" Cedric said carefully. It was clear he had also changed his opinion of Oswyn. "You'd need a noble, a knight, or someone higher in the hierarchy to grant you that title."
And you're a commoner.
"I know it's difficult," Oswyn said, crossing his arms. He looked strangely solemn with that smile. "But impossible things are only impossible until someone achieves them. Besides…"
"Besides?" Plumshire looked more interested.
"I believe the King of Souls favors those who take risks," Oswyn said cheerfully.
The rest of us remained silent, processing his words through our own filters. To me, there seemed to be potential tragedy waiting in Oswyn's path, but…
It wasn't like I could do anything about it.
"You should try to build good relationships," Florence said seriously. "Strong enough connections can open possibilities you can't even imagine. It might be difficult at first, but everything starts small."
In the distant—or not-so-distant—future, that could determine Oswyn's fate.
"…Well," Plumshire pumped a fist into the air. "Let's stop talking about serious things for a moment. Florence, what do you think of ice cream?"
"Ice cream," Florence sounded slightly puzzled. "I like ice cream."
"We all do. Only a soulless being could say they don't like ice cream," Plumshire declared with such seriousness that it reminded me my favorite flavor was chocolate.
I leaned back in my seat and observed my companions. It was nice being with them.
Not like with Conlaoch or Primrose.
The moment I thought that, a static sensation spread across the back of my neck. A presence was approaching. I moved my hands and caught someone's fingers.
I turned to see who it was.
"Hi, Jakob." Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she looked cheerful. "Are you okay?"
"Primrose." It took me a second to process what had just happened… Had I really intercepted her? "Hello."
"…We wanted to see how you were doing." Her eyes stayed locked on mine.
"We?" Her green eyes seemed especially captivating right now.
"Oi." That was the wet dog's voice.
I spotted him a few steps behind Primrose. He looked slightly bored.
"Don't get too cocky just because you caught her hand," Conlaoch said, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Sorry for not letting myself be felt at the last minute. It seems Primrose can't control herself when she's near you."
… I felt my cheeks heat up. I looked away, searching for a way to change the subject.
"We came to say hello," Primrose said with a smile. Her cheeks were still red. "Also, Conlaoch wanted to give you a friendly threat before our shared practical classes."
I looked at my friend, who was making his best threatening face.
"I'm going to kick your ass today," I could hear the seriousness in his tone. His look made it clear he wasn't entirely joking.
"I know that if you try hard, you can last a few minutes," Primrose said, bringing our intertwined hands closer to her face. "So give it your best effort."
She wasn't saying I could win… Well, at least she was being realistic about my chances.
"Hey, why does it sound like I've already lost?" Primrose had the audacity to look at me like I was stupid.
"I'm just saying," she closed one eye and gave me her brightest smile, "do your best. I'll be cheering for you."
Her brilliant smile warmed my cheeks again. I was momentarily enchanted by her expression.
"Ahem." Plumshire's fake cough snapped me back to reality. When I looked at her, she was grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
I looked at my companions. Everyone except Florence (still in the sack) was watching me with varying degrees of suspicion and amusement.
"…You might really not be a womanizer, but…" Oswyn muttered something I barely caught.
"…I suppose it's one way to escape the tradition of inbreeding." I wasn't sure how to interpret Cedric's comment.
"Everyone, this is my friend," I said, gesturing toward her. "And that over there is a wet dog."
"Arf," Conlaoch barked with mock indignation at my introduction. "Always so eloquent."
I ignored him with the dignity of an adult.
My favorite killing machine approached the table and smiled with her eyes closed.
"Hello everyone, I'm Primrose Tahearth. Thank you for taking care of Jakob in my place." She gave a slight bow and smiled brilliantly. "I know it can be difficult, but please keep helping him."
"Ey!" I felt my ears burning with embarrassment.
"Yeah," Conlaoch said, standing beside me and putting his hand on my left shoulder. "Please watch him carefully. He's too much of an idiot to understand basic things."
"Hey, wet dog." The amused smile on my friend's face made me want to punch him. "Don't act like Primrose doesn't take care of you too."
"Ha!" He squeezed my shoulder harder. "You'd do well not to forget how you were during our training."
That serious tone again made me uncomfortable.
"I…" I had to bite my lower lip when I couldn't find a response.
As much as I hated to admit it, it was true. The first few days of our training I had been a total disaster.
"It's no problem," Plumshire said cheerfully. "Jakob reminds me a lot of my mother. I'm sure he'll eventually find a way to become more self-sufficient… or find someone to take care of him."
Ugh. Low blow from Plumshire, but I suppose there was some truth to it.
"Ahh!" Primrose let out an excited squeal. She approached Plumshire and took her hands with joy. "That's great! You seem to understand the situation better. Can we be friends?"
"I'd love that!" Plumshire looked thrilled by the proposal. "You look like a super cool girl. I'm sure we can make a great fire together."
An ominous feeling washed over me. I was witnessing the birth of a friendship, but my instincts were screaming that this was a potential apocalypse.
'You've condemned us all, brat,' Friedrich said in a resigned tone. He almost sounded like he was taking a drink. 'You have no idea what horrors you've unleashed upon this world now that that human-shaped beast and chaos incarnate have joined forces.'
I'd like to say he was exaggerating, but… looking at my companions and friend, I saw the same existential terror I was feeling right now.
"Hey Pale One, whatever comes from this friendship, I'm blaming you," Conlaoch said. His nervous gaze showed clear dread.
"…I can't blame you for that." I didn't know if this friendship existed in the original game, but it was likely a result of me being here.
"You know, any normal person would feel happy to have a girl like Primrose worried about their well-being," Oswyn said with a kind expression. "It reminds me a bit of my father and mother."
I felt my cheeks heat up even more. Oswyn had said it without any apparent malice, but…
"I like it," Conlaoch said in an amused tone.
"Hey," I started, my voice barely controlled by the embarrassment. I had to look away because I was sure my face was red as a tomato. "Stop talking about me like I'm a problem child."
"Heh." Plumshire let out an amused giggle and made a slightly arrogant hand gesture. "You should be a little more considerate toward her. She went through the trouble of coming all the way here just for you."
"Ey!" My voice came out as a ridiculous squeak and I almost stood up from the embarrassment.
"Ehehehe." Primrose brought both hands to her cheeks and looked especially delighted. "Saying it that way is very embarrassing, but you're right. Jakob is very important to me."
"Okay." I slapped the table, my face burning and my voice barely under control. It now sounded like a mouse that only knew how to ruin franchises. "How about we talk about something else?"
Everyone at the table looked at me with obvious amusement. It seemed my embarrassment was comedic.
'It is,' Friedrich said in a bored tone.
"Pale One, that was incredibly pathetic," Conlaoch said incredulously. "You're supposed to be better than that."
"Shut up, wet dog!" I shouted as I turned around.
"Hey, hey, hey." Conlaoch raised his hands in a gesture of fake surrender. "I'm just giving my opinion."
"As if I'd believe that," I said, and then I noticed something…
"Orders ready!" The maid interrupted by placing the food on the table.
"Well, it looks like you're about to eat," Conlaoch ruffled Primrose's hair with a friendly smile. "Let's go, Prim. The Pale One probably needs to say some prayers before we have class together."
I noticed the serious, slightly severe look Conlaoch was giving me.
Shit.
"See you later," Primrose smiled brilliantly and gave a slight bow. "Take care, Jakob."
"Get ready for later, Pale One." Conlaoch turned his back to me. I could see his eyes grow cold as he gave me a slight look over his shoulder. "I'm going to give you the beating you deserve."
I wasn't stupid. I understood exactly why he wanted to beat me…
I watched them both leave. Without meaning to, I focused on Primrose's back.
'Aeono—or whoever ends up with her as a partner—will surely be very happy.' The further away she got, the more I thought about the morning we had spent together and how her hand had brushed the hair from my face.
For a few seconds, the image of a smiling Primrose appeared in my mind.
Then Armine's face replaced it.
I remembered two men then: Jakob's father and my own.
Both had had multiple women. My original mother had suffered because of that—especially because of that man's shamelessness.
Jakob's mother hadn't been so cruel to him at first. It was only after they named the heir that she started treating him like trash.
All because the father hadn't found any value in a child who had the misfortune of being born into that family.
… I…
I felt dirty.
'Brat.' Friedrich's voice cut through my mind with authority. The image vanished instantly. 'Focus on my voice.'
'Friedrich,' I said mentally. 'What was that?'
'Nothing.' There was severity in his tone. 'Don't think about that.'
'But—'
"Hey, Jakob." Oswyn grabbed my shoulder. "Are you okay? You froze up."
I looked at my companion, swallowed the nerves I hadn't realized I'd accumulated, and sat down.
"Sorry," I said distractedly. "I don't know what happened to me."
I grabbed the nearby bacon burger and took a bite.
It was delicious.
I felt desolate, yet I kept eating.
While chewing, I observed my companions.
"Once, my father made a laboratory mixture become gaseous and liquid at the same time," Plumshire was saying, gesturing with her whole body.
Oswyn ate like a man trying to replace lost structural materials.
"That's not scientifically possible," Cedric corrected Plumshire's story about that chemical possibility.
Florence silently pushed a small wrapped sweet toward me.
I blinked.
"Eating something sweet can help with nerves," she whispered.
I wasn't even going to question how she'd noticed.
"Thanks." This was the second candy I'd been given today…
Florence remained silent for a few seconds.
"Sometimes," she said in a whisper, "it's not good to keep everything to yourself."
… Heh. It sounded like something a big sister would say…
No, that wasn't true. None of my sisters—in either life—had ever extended a hand to help me.
I just had to keep moving forward.
'Maybe,' Friedrich began weakly, 'there's more merit to that idea than you imagine.'
…Maybe…
"Are you sharing secrets?" Plumshire inserted herself into the conversation.
"No."
"Yes," Florence said.
"I have to admit, you're not exactly what the rumors paint you as," Cedric said, looking me in the eyes.
Oswyn nodded solemnly.
"Yeah, you mostly look tired." He smiled. "And it's clear that what you have with Tahearth is genuine."
"We're friends," I responded quickly—maybe with too much intensity. "Just friends."
Oswyn looked at me as if I'd told a very bad lie.
"I see." He exchanged glances with Cedric, who shook his head, and Plumshire, who looked unusually serious. "…You're good friends."
He smiled.
Plumshire leaned toward me.
"Are you stupid?"
I smiled hollowly. "I'm not sure."
"Sometimes history favors fools and dragons," Florence said, still covered by her sack.
We all looked at her.
Plumshire gasped as if she had said something incredible. "Dragons. I wish I could see one before I die."
"…Knights fight dragons," Oswyn said with wonder in his voice. "They must be difficult to defeat."
You have no idea.
I remembered a black dragon with golden eyes sleeping while guarding a relic of the Creator, and a Chinese dragon that shone like green jade.
Those two are nightmares.
Both were optional bosses. They dropped two of the best weapons in the game. I doubted I would ever see them in this life.
"There are very few dragons left alive," Cedric spoke bluntly. "Some even doubt they ever existed."
"Aaah." Plumshire let out an annoyed groan. "How boring are the people who say that… Dragons, gods, and monsters of all shapes and sizes—that's everyone's dream."
"Not mine," I replied dryly. "If possible, I'd like a quiet life without incidents."
"Boooooring," Plumshire exaggerated her response while staring at her food. "Hungry."
And so she continued eating. Shortly after, we all followed suit.
….
…
..
.
The moment arrived.
Niali gathered us shortly after lunch back in the classroom. She was now wearing a white t-shirt that clung to her body in what should have been an illegal manner, along with tiny red shorts.
Being that sexy was fucking unfair and illegal.
"Brats, put on your gym uniforms," the professor ordered with all the authority of someone whose current outfit completely undermined it.
How does the logic of this world even work?
We obeyed anyway.
"Hey, Jakob," Oswyn said in the changing room, looking at me with disbelief.
"Mm?" I was halfway through pulling on the white gym shirt when I noticed his stare. I looked around the room and realized the others were giving me unusual attention. "What's up?"
"Those scars," Luciano said, staring at the marks the Rat King and the demigod had left on me. "They're pretty noticeable."
"Ah, it's nothing," I said, finishing getting dressed. I really didn't want to think about my past fights right now.
"But…"
"It's nothing," I repeated, my voice harder this time. I noticed a small shift in their attitudes.
"Are you sure?" one of my classmates asked doubtfully.
"It doesn't matter," I said more firmly.
"Alright," Bastian said with a steady voice. "Jakob doesn't want us prying into it. Leave him alone."
And with that, my classmates seemed to drop the subject for the moment.
Good.
Once we were ready, we walked through the hallways with slow steps and an unnecessary amount of seriousness.
It might have been more impressive if I wasn't certain we were about to get crushed in a classic anime training arc scene.
For God's sake… It felt a little ridiculous to think about, but this was an experience many people would kill for.
I was grateful I didn't have protagonist syndrome.
After all…
Our gym uniforms could only be described as the stereotypical anime physical education outfit.
That is, the boys had to wear white t-shirts and red pants with running shoes.
"Hey, you guys look good," we saw the girls' group approaching during an intersection. They had amused expressions.
"Brats," Niali said, leading the girls with a wolfish, amused smile. "I'll give you a moment to enjoy the view. Don't hold back."
"Understood! Let's see the goods!" Plumshire ran toward us. The smile on her face made several of my classmates turn bright red with embarrassment. "Big guy!"
She stopped in front of Oswyn and started poking at the muscles on his arms and abdomen. "Not bad."
The poor Oswyn froze while Plumshire examined him.
"You heard the professor, girls," Maribel's voice sounded far too entertained. "Take a good look at the boys."
And like a military unit, the rest of the girls dispersed toward us.
"Not bad."
"Way more muscular than I expected."
"Hehehehe."
Many of my classmates froze from sheer nervousness.
I was sure there were multiple factors contributing to their embarrassment.
One was that the girls—obviously—were wearing shorts so small it felt like an insult to the academy and its teachers. Another was undoubtedly how their bodies moved, defying gravity with every step.
Having beauties of this caliber around was bound to wreak havoc on boys like these.
I curse you, eroge world.
"Brats," Niali said in a calm, slightly bored voice. "Enough nonsense. Let's move."
She led us confidently through the academy's hallways.
'Conlaoch said he was going to kick my ass. I don't think he was lying,' I thought as we passed under the great entrance arch. 'Honestly, I probably deserve it.'
Primrose's smiling face appeared in my mind.
Right then, I felt my chest tighten.
I tried to remember the night before, but my memories grew hazy as soon as Primrose started talking about a house.
'Rebecca.' My mother's name suddenly came to me. A chill ran down my spine.
Had I said her name while drunk? And if I had, what else had I let slip?
So far, only Zofia knew my origin. But that was because she was a being who understood reality in ways I couldn't comprehend.
If Primrose had that information…
'What should I do now?' A cold rationality settled over me with every step I took.
I could trust her… Only someone like her father or the man she chose as her partner could turn that information into a way to hurt me.
In the hypothetical case that Primrose ever became my enemy, I would have to…
I remembered her boss version.
The Wild Hunt. The group that swore loyalty to Primrose. The questline to encounter her involved hunting down her lieutenants until you faced her in the middle of a forest.
{Congratulations,} she would begin the cutscene with a cold voice. {You're the first hunter I've met who matches my caliber.}
After that, I usually skipped the dialogue.
From the context, she had become ruthless.
I had never really thought about it before, but there was a huge difference between the Primrose who became the player's partner and the boss version.
She never even ranked in the top bosses as an enemy, and now that I knew how good she was… it didn't make sense…
"Also…" I muttered. The boss version of Primrose looked very different from her usual cheerful self. "What could have driven her to that state?"
I remembered her illustration. She had lost an eye, her rifle had been heavily modified, and at one point she didn't even care about destroying it to kill the protagonist.
That went against everything I had seen of her.
'Jakob,' Friedrich's voice echoed in my mind. 'This isn't the time to lose yourself in thought.'
"Brats," Niali spoke with authority, stopping right in front of an open field. She stood with her arms crossed and a savage smile. "I hope you at least give those monsters from Gold Hall a decent fight."
A phantom weight settled on my shoulders. A strange anxiety dried my lips.
I couldn't stop a smile from forming. Maybe my encounters had affected my personality more than I realized.
I took in the scene. We had arrived outside the eastern wall of the academy, past the last colonnade. The terrain opened into a wide training field battered by the wind, situated at the edge of the inner forest.
No roof, no walls—only four tall stone pillars at the cardinal points, each crowned with a floating orb that emitted a soft golden light.
On the green grass, concentric rings of white stone marked the combat circles.
In the center stood a low platform of black basalt, covered in scars and smoothed by generations of use.
Along the northern side rose dark wooden racks loaded with practice swords, spears, and staves.
Simple stone benches lined the gentle southern slope for spectators.
Gold Hall students were already there. They were chatting animatedly among themselves, and a bit of my usual cynicism crept in.
Don't they look annoyingly perfect? I noticed several of them surrounded by their followers. "The perks of being rising stars."
Rows of Gold Hall students had already gathered near the opposite end, forming scattered groups of the important, the ambitious, and the merely present.
I recognized several silhouettes before my brain could fully process their shapes.
Aeono was laughing at something with a group of his classmates. His hand was raised in that easy, open gesture of his; the sun caught his blond hair and gave him the frankly unfair impression of having stepped out of a painting.
They were all the future of this world. Now more than ever, I understood the difference between them and me.
My gaze instinctively searched for my friends.
"..." Primrose's green eyes met mine with a curious sparkle. Her happy smile made me feel strange and…
Conlaoch stood a little further away, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised in the expression I recognized as his "this is going to be fun" look.
He saw me at the same moment I saw him and gave a lazy tilt of his chin in greeting.
I ignored the coldness in my friend's eyes as best I could.
And then—
I saw her.
Armine was standing near one of the pillars, half-turned, speaking with a professor. Her pink hair was tied back with a simple black ribbon.
She wore the same plain training clothes as everyone else and yet somehow seemed to belong to an entirely different scale of existence.
I stopped.
The dull, constant tension I had been carrying—the Moon, the demigod, the alleyway, the nights of broken sleep—vanished all at once.
Without drama. It simply… disappeared. As if I had finally set down something heavy I hadn't realized I was still carrying.
I was breathing normally again.
She finished her conversation, thanked the professor, and turned.
Her golden eyes found mine across the field.
We looked at each other for several seconds that felt longer than they were.
Her expression softened, just a little. The careful composure she always maintained around others relaxed at the edges.
Her shoulders dropped a fraction. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She looked away first, then glanced back at me, as if she couldn't quite help herself.
I realized I was smiling.
I started walking toward her. The ground felt solid beneath my feet again.
I stopped a few steps away—close enough that she couldn't pretend she hadn't seen me, far enough to let her choose.
"Jakob," she said.
Just my name. Softly. Warmly.
"Armine." I said hers with some hesitation. It hadn't been that long, but it felt like much more.
Her hand twitched slightly at her side, as if she had been about to reach out to me and stopped herself.
"You look tired."
A small laugh escaped me.
"I am."
I saw her gaze turn slightly stern.
She had entered teacher mode.
"Have you been eating?" She examined me carefully before looking me straight in the eyes.
"Yes." I smiled. My appetite had only grown since the last time we spoke. "Abundantly."
I saw the relief on her face and felt bad for making her worry.
"…At least you're telling the truth about one thing," she added. "But I'm sure you've neglected other aspects of your body. After training, you'll give me a report on your routine. I don't want to hear that you've gotten too relaxed."
I felt an almost absurd amount of relief hearing her scold me again.
"Well, if we're going to do that… how about we do it at a café I think would be perfect for catching up?" I didn't know how busy she was these days with her duties, but I wanted some time together.
I had far too much to talk to her about.
"That…" Surprise crossed Armine's face before it turned red. Then a shy smile appeared on her lips. "I'd be delighted."
Her smile made me relax.
For the first time in weeks, I felt like the world had returned to the size it was supposed to be.
"Hey." A familiar voice cut in from the side. It was friendly, but it sounded forced.
I turned toward the voice.
Primrose was walking toward us, smiling in a way that didn't reach her eyes.
"Don't you think… you two should keep a little more distance?"
"Primrose," I said with all the gentleness in the world, giving her a warm smile, "I'm sorry, but could you give us a moment alone? I'd like to chat with Armine privately for a bit."
I saw Primrose's face freeze into an unreadable expression.
Her empty face and unfocused gaze made me look at Armine, who seemed as confused as I was.
"Why…?" Primrose whispered.
"What?" I stepped closer to her.
"Why do you suddenly look happier just by seeing her?"
I froze, unsure how to interpret what my friend had just said.
I opened my mouth.
"Alright, brats!" Niali shouted cheerfully. "Everyone get ready. This is going to be a lively event."