Shall We Make a Bet?
A darkened room with the lights switched off.
A bed far too large for one person, yet just a little too small for two.
"This is a bit uncomfortable…"
"It's fine."
"No, I mean…"
Adele ignored me entirely, tightening the arm wrapped around me and pulling me closer against her. A scent of soap and faint rose washed over me all at once, and a soft, far-from-small warmth pressed flat against my back until it was crushed snug.
I set my hand on the arm circling my waist and tried to pry it free, straining and squirming — but of course it did nothing.
…At this point, is it that Adele is strong, or that my physical strength is just absurdly weak?
It wasn't that I hated being held in a back hug like this, lying with my back to Adele. If anything, I liked it. But—
"You can't sleep properly in this position…"
I was already a light sleeper as it was! Being stuck to her like this, held so tightly, made falling asleep nearly impossible. I couldn't force my way free either, so I just stayed still, figuring she'd let go eventually if I waited it out.
Soft, even breathing.
"…Adele?"
"……"
"…Don't tell me you're asleep?"
She had fallen asleep just like that.
"……"
And so the day spent at Adele's house drew to a close.
"Do you really have to go?"
That was the first thing Adele said when she saw me wake up — already up herself and changing clothes.
"Hmm? Tania's waiting for me too, so I should go…"
"It's just a gangster den anyway."
"Haha…"
Probably the only person alive who could call the residence of the Shamash Family a "gangster den" and still walk away unscathed was this girl right here. I wore an awkward smile, but inside I was thoroughly impressed.
Last night I'd been certain I would never fall asleep like that…
I slept ridiculously well.
It might have been the deepest sleep I'd had in ages. My face felt so smooth I could practically feel the glow.
Is it because I bathed somewhere nice and ate something good?
By the time I woke, it was already nine in the morning.
"…What about the Academy, though?"
"You should rest."
"Why?"
"You're still hurt."
Huh? I thought I was fully recovered.
"Then why didn't you go to school?"
"I had to see you wake up first."
Fair enough. Watching her fasten the buttons of her uniform shirt made it clear she intended to head to the Academy now.
"What about Tania?"
"She's probably already there."
"Then I'm going too."
"What? Why."
"If you're not here and Tania's not here, what am I supposed to do all by myself?"
"……"
Apparently she couldn't quite bring herself to tell someone who was basically already healed to just stay home and rest. Adele let out a long sigh. Then she made a call somewhere, and before long a cute young woman in a maid uniform knocked, entered, and handed over a school uniform.
Just like the clothes I was already wearing, everything was perfectly tailored to my size.
"Adele."
"Hm?"
"How did you even know my size, though?"
"Haha. If we don't hurry, we'll be late. Put it on, Elysia."
She changed the subject so unnaturally it was almost impressive. I considered pressing the question, but something about her manner — yesterday included — carried a silent pressure that said don't ask, so I let it go.
"We're already late…"
I muttered under my breath as I carefully slipped out of the clothes Adele had given me and changed into the uniform.
"Shall we go, then."
Adele, already changed and waiting, held out her hand. I took it, and we left the room where I'd spent the night.
We walked down a ridiculously long corridor and descended the stairs one careful step at a time. Past a beautiful garden fragrant with every kind of flower, we reached the entrance, where the same car that had brought me to the mansion was waiting.
A guild member standing by opened the rear door, and Adele climbed in without a word, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Still, I was a guest — I didn't feel right treating it as a given — so I offered a greeting.
"Hello."
"…Yes."
The guild member looked briefly flustered, as if unused to being greeted, then answered a beat late. I dipped my head in thanks before climbing in myself, only to find Adele watching me with a look that said what are you doing, so I gave her an embarrassed smile.
The car started moving soon after.
"Finally, the Academy…!"
Aside from the entrance ceremony, this was basically my first real day of school, and my heart was pounding. I had gone yesterday too, but I'd left early before even seeing my homeroom teacher's face, so that didn't count.
Come to think of it, I still don't even know what my homeroom teacher looks like.
They don't announce who your homeroom teacher is on the day of the entrance ceremony. They only tell you which teachers are which, and where you can usually find them when you need to meet.
I wonder what kind of person my homeroom teacher is.
Anyone who became a teacher at a prestigious Academy like this was definitely no ordinary person. Without a doubt, they would be elite among elites.
Cradling that flutter of anticipation, I traded idle small talk with Adele and watched the scenery outside. On entrance day, Adele and Tania had kept me from looking out the bus window, so I'd been disappointed — at least this way I could… wait.
"Hey, Adele."
"Hm?"
"Do you usually take a car to school?"
"More or less."
"Then why did you take the bus on entrance day?"
I tilted my head, and Adele grinned. "Curious?" she asked. When I gave a small nod, she reached out and gently brushed the white hair that had slipped over my shoulder.
"Because I wanted to see you even a little sooner."
She said it with a sly smile.
"Ah… right……"
In the end, all I could do was nod and turn back to the window.
Before I knew it we had arrived at the Academy. I got out of the car, waved goodbye to Adele, and we parted ways.
Even thinking about it again, ending up in a different class from Tania and Adele was still a shame. Whether you have even one friend in a new classroom makes a huge difference. And since I was a transmigrator, even if I supposedly had friends, unless they were named characters from How to Become a Hero like Tania or Adele, there was a high chance I wouldn't even know their names.
It seemed to be break time — the hallway bustled with students coming and going. Before long I found myself in front of Class 2-1, my classroom, and peeked inside.
"Who are you?"
"Eek!"
A voice from right beside me made me jump and stumble backward. The young woman who had spoken raised a hand slightly in apology, looking sheepish.
"Ah… sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"N-no, it's fine…"
The reason I used polite speech was simple: she wasn't wearing a school uniform. That meant she was almost certainly a teacher.
"So, who are you?"
"I'm Elysia…"
"Ah, the one who left early yesterday? Mm-hmm. Got it."
Got it…?
I gave her a quick once-over. Black leggings — the kind even most teachers wouldn't wear — hugged her long legs, showing off the firm lines of her lower body. On top she wore a slightly oversized lavender sweatshirt. Healthy, gleaming pale skin; a sword at her waist that drew the eye; black hair with secret two-tone light-blue strands showing through. And most striking of all… her pretty face and those closed eyes.
Were they permanently narrowed? This was the world of the web novel How to Become a Hero, so a character with closed eyes wasn't out of the question. Every time a closed-eye character showed up in a comic, I'd always wondered something, so I decided to ask while I had the chance.
"Um, excuse me."
"Hm?"
"Can you see well even with your eyes closed like that?"
The woman went "Hm?" and tilted her head for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Of course I can't see!"
"Uh… then why do you walk around with them closed?"
"Because even if I open them, I still can't see."
She fiddled with her eyes, opened them, and showed me her irises — dull, pale gray pupils that reflected nothing at all.
"Ah…"
I let out a small breath of realization, and she smiled gently as she patted my head.
"No need to worry. My other senses are sharper than most people's, so it works out."
Well, in a world with ability users, even someone who couldn't see would find a way to become strong if they were meant to. Like in comics — other senses heighten until you can live normally without sight, or your ability turns out to be the mind's eye and you can see after all. The woman in front of me was walking around just fine, for that matter.
I wanted to ask what her ability was… but prying into that on a first meeting would be rude. Apparently, though, she had already seen straight through me.
"Curious what my ability is?"
"…Yes."
After a brief hesitation I answered honestly, and she grinned playfully.
"Then how about a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Yeah. I'll give you one week. In that time, try to figure out what my ability is."
She stroked her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke again.
"One week. If you guess correctly within three tries… I'll give you whatever reward you want. Anything, as long as it's not impossible."
"…And if I don't guess it?"
"Then you give me a reward."
"Anything, as long as it's not impossible?"
"That's right."
She smiled softly and nodded.
"So? You in?"
A reward from a young, beautiful swordswoman… it was a little tempting. And if the request was impossible, she could always refuse…
"Mmm. I'll do it."
"Good choice."
Looking thoroughly satisfied, as if she'd expected that answer, she patted my shoulder and walked past me.
"Ah, my name's Cecilia. Looking forward to the next year."
The next year?
I watched the back of her head as she walked away, turning the words over carefully, but I couldn't figure out what she meant. It didn't take long to find out on my own, though.
Class started, and the homeroom teacher who stepped up to the podium was none other than Cecilia.