[601] A Rootless Tree (3)
"Nade, it's so good to see you! How have you been?"
Even as Liz came up and shook his shoulder, Nade stood dazed, unable to pull himself together.
'How is this possible?'
She was supposed to be in the capital, Bashka—so how could she be here?
'No, that's not the point.'
After the graduation exam, at the party, Nade had confessed his feelings to Liz.
She'd said he was a good junior but she didn't see him as a man, apologized, and then left the school.
That day was still vivid in Nade's heart, yet here she was, smiling as if nothing had happened, and he couldn't understand it.
"...When did you come back?"
Shirone looked at her in puzzlement while Nade forced the words out.
"This morning."
"But I heard you got a job at the capital armory..."
"Yes. I took some leave and came down. Had some business."
"Oh, I see."
Nade couldn't hide how crushed he was and bowed his head. Liz grinned mischievously.
"I'll probably sort out my job and move down here soon."
Nade snapped his head up, but Liz's next words hollowed him out all over again.
"Actually, I'm engaged."
"Huh?"
Even though Liz's voice echoed in his head dozens of times, Nade found himself asking again.
She moved closer, arm linked with the neat-looking man behind her.
"This is him. Say hello. He's Cleed Oskar, a certified Grade-8 mage. He's been assigned to the Creas Mage Association."
"Ah, nice to meet you."
Shirone bowed hurriedly, but Nade was so stunned he forgot to greet them.
'Engaged? Engaged?'
Oskar, unconcerned, greeted them both with a genial smile.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Oskar. So you're Nade. Liz's told me a lot about you."
"Oh..."
Only when Oskar offered his hand did Nade come to his senses and slowly take it.
It was a soft, warm hand.
"Come on, let's actually go eat somewhere. We met some juniors—we should treat them to something good."
Nade waved a hand to refuse.
"No, we need to get back to school soon..."
Until a moment ago he'd been adamant he would never go back to school, but Shirone was quick to pick up on it and nodded.
"Yes. We should go back to school."
Liz pretended not to hear.
"Quit lying! Don't think I don't know. If you're in the city at this hour, anyone can tell you're slacking off."
"It's true. I should go, but I have to—"
Shirone tried her best, but Liz ignored her and leaned in toward Nade.
"Come on, okay? I'll buy you whatever you want."
"I'm not really craving anything in particular..."
"I just really want to introduce you to him."
Only then did Nade look Liz square in the eyes and see earnestness there.
'She remembers me too.'
Perhaps she thought the feelings from back then had faded—because they were young and time had passed.
'Still, this is cruel.'
What had Liz told Oskar about him?
Maybe she said he'd once chased her as a junior, or that he was a spiteful little brother.
'Tch, what the hell.'
By introducing her fiancé, Liz seemed intent on shaking off even the last burden of the past.
"Huh? Nade, let's gooo."
The more he thought about it, the more wronged he felt, but her face looked so desperate—like a lost kitten—that his heart thudded and he couldn't refuse.
"All right. But I'm ordering something expensive."
"Of course! Not just any junior—one from your research club."
"Research-club junior."
Those words seemed to explain everything.
* * *
Because it was morning, the upscale restaurant wasn't crowded.
The four of them took a table by the window.
"So, what should we have?"
Liz hummed, flipping the menu and bobbing her shoulder. Nostalgia made Nade's head spin.
'Dangerous.'
Her voice, tone, glances, even small gestures—he couldn't say why, but everything about her was unbearably lovely.
"Let me introduce properly. I'm Oskar, and this is my fiancée, Liz."
Seeing Oskar's victorious smile sent a rush through Nade, but even that didn't pierce the surreal shock of meeting Liz again.
"I'm Nade. This is my friend Shirone."
Shirone bowed, and Nade added, "She's pretty famous."
"Oh my, really?"
There couldn't be a student at the Toramia Kingdom's School of Magic who didn't know Shirone's name.
Even if Oskar was a professional mage, he would understand what it meant to be the focus of the kingdom's attention.
Honestly, Nade wanted to wipe that smug look off Oskar's face, but Oskar deftly shrugged it off.
"Ha! Excuse me. After graduation I spent a few years dealing with spirit hunts and the like, but I haven't heard much school news lately."
Essentially he was saying they were just students. It came off petty toward juniors, so Liz quickly changed the subject.
"If she's famous, you must be graduating soon. You're in your final year, right?"
"Yes."
"Tough, huh. I still dream about being a final-year student sometimes."
"Well, I'm okay. I gave up on the second-round graduation evaluation."
"Oh, so that's why you came to the city today. There were quite a few like that in my day too. So did you give up too, Nade?"
"No. I really have business this time..."
"Is that so? Then what rank are you now?"
A flicker of fear washed over Nade, but lying felt worse than admitting the truth, so he said it.
"I'm dead last."
"Pfft!"
Oskar pretended to spit out his drink.
"Ah, sorry. That was unexpected. You don't look like it."
In truth, once Shirone mentioned giving up the evaluation, expectations had been low. Even in his day at the School of Magic, giving up evaluations was chosen when nothing else could be done.
'Of course I didn't expect him to be dead last.'
Even without showing it, Oskar's expression had subtly shifted.
"Hmm, I see."
Liz looked at Nade with a sympathetic expression, as if she'd guessed something.
"There must be a reason."
"There's no reason. Last is last."
Since his face was already ruined, Nade spat it out like it didn't matter.
"Heh, why the long face? Got into another fight with someone?"
Only then did Nade remember the scars still on his face.
'Today really is the worst day ever.'
As Nade lowered his head, Oskar added,
"Whether you gave up the evaluation or your grades are low doesn't matter, but if you want to be a mage you shouldn't be going around picking fights. If you start overestimating your skill, you won't improve."
It was advice from a senior who'd already become a pro, but today Nade took it bitterly.
"It wasn't a fight. It's just... I got angry, and that's why."
Even knowing each word would become regret after leaving Liz, he couldn't hold it back.
Liz, watching the marks of self-harm, smiled bitterly as if she understood.
"You haven't changed, Nade."
An awkward atmosphere settled as the meal continued.
Liz steered most of the conversation, and Oskar chimed in now and then.
The food was good, but Nade didn't know where it was going.
"Oh? Really? Shirone is also in the Paranormal Psychoscience Research Society? It's so hard to recruit a single member. Do you have talent?"
"It's only the three of us. You know Iruki, right?"
Liz laced her fingers and looked up at the ceiling.
"Ah, meeting you really brings back memories. We used to debate all night about the secrets of the upper ranks. Still not solved, huh?"
"Yeah, well..."
Shirone, who'd cut herself off from the upper echelons entirely, had nothing to say.
When their old alumni chatter continued, Oskar felt left out and changed the subject.
"There's not much time left. The graduation exam is coming up. Are you prepared? It's the most important test of your life."
Knowing Oskar's words always carried intent, Nade felt like the ugly duckling in the room.
"I don't care about exams. I don't even want to be a mage."
It sounded arrogant, and Oskar didn't let it pass.
"Judgment's your business. But staying at school while thinking that way seems odd, no? If you're running away like this..."
"I'll pass."
Liz cut in.
"You'll pass. Nade is strong, after all. Right?"
Caught by a gaze full of certainty, Nade turned his reddened face away in embarrassment.
'Damn it. What am I supposed to do with that look?'
"Ahem."
Oskar cleared his throat and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
"If you're finished, let's go. I have business."
"Really? I haven't even finished my tea."
"Liz, you said you had an appointment with the association people."
"Oh, right."
Liz rose reluctantly, as if regretful.
"It was great to see you today. I'll cover the bill."
"Thank you. The meal was delicious."
Shirone and Nade rose and bowed.
"I'll come by to pay my respects to the headmaster soon. See you then, Nade."
She said it while holding her fiancé's hand, and Nade's heart started racing as if it had broken again.
"All right. Take care."
When Liz and Oskar left together, Nade finally sighed and slumped back into his chair.
"Ah, I'm losing it. Shirone, let's stop by the apothecary. I feel like I'm going to throw up."
"Who is she, anyway? She can't just be a senior, right? I've never seen you this nervous—even in front of teachers, as head of the research society."
Nade, usually unbowed even before teachers, looked small.
"That's... it's a long story. I'll tell you on the way."
"All right. Let's get going."
As Shirone prepared to leave, Nade reached out.
"Wait! Ten minutes, just ten minutes—stay right here."
"Why? We have to get medicine."
"Maybe Senior Liz is still around."
"..."
Shirone thought he'd lost his mind.
* * *
"Why did you do that?"
Oskar asked after walking in silence for a while.
"What do you mean?"
"You were fawning all over your juniors. Think of my pride. I was giving advice—what if you'd interrupted?"
Liz flashed a coquettish smile.
"What? Jealous?"
"Who would be jealous? Of that brat?"
"Then why care so much? Just think of it as me buying food for cute juniors."
"Honestly, it irked me. You know what? Nade kept provoking me."
"Aww, aren't you overreacting? He did nag a bit, I admit. They're doing their best, too."
"See? You always take their side."
Determined not to start a fight, Liz relented.
"Okay, I was wrong. I probably got carried away seeing him after so long."
Once she yielded, Oskar's temper eased.
"I'm sorry. Hearing you'd once confessed to him—how could I not be unsettled?"
"Oh, that was ages ago. Three years. Nade was sixteen then."
"You say he's strong? From what I've seen, neither of them look likely to make it as mages. They don't seem very persistent."
"Nade is really strong. I don't know much about Shirone, but Nade should be able to pass."
Oskar blinked.
Although he'd known Liz a long time, she had never used the word "strong" for someone like that.
"What's he like? Nade, I mean."
"Hmm. Actually, I don't really know."
"You don't know?"
Liz lifted her gaze and rifled through her memories.
"Electric blue light..."
"Huh?"
"Even though he's right in front of me, it feels like I only see an afterimage. That's how Nade felt as a junior."
Oskar didn't understand what that feeling meant.