Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: 7: Whittling Down Recipes. Picking Up a High School Girl -2
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Working in psychological counseling, you end up meeting all sorts of people.
People have a lot hidden inside them by nature.
And when you drag those things out into the open, you get a glimpse of every kind of human drama imaginable.
So what kind of drama was that?
Hanging off the third-floor window, chasing the delicious smell.
What sort of human archetype did that reflect?
'...Gluttony?'
Gluttony, huh.
Coveting food that isn't even yours, chasing after it by any means necessary?
Anyway.
A heroine clinging to the window, just staring longingly at the food.
This game sure knew how to put on a show.
She stared at the soup for a good long while.
"...!"
Then, as if she'd finally noticed me, her eyes went wide.
She flailed her arms in a panic.
'Ah, she's falling.'
She slipped off the window and vanished.
It was a person falling, but I wasn't too worried.
I could see her flapping desperately, trying to work her wings.
She was straining with all her might to cling back on.
Straining so hard her face might pop.
"Guess I have no choice."
Slide.
I opened the window and said,
"Come on in."
"Eek!?"
"If you don't want to, don't bother."
She hesitated at my words, then charged straight toward the classroom.
A reckless flight, head ducked low, wings flapping wildly.
Hm, that reminds me of a kamikaze bird.
The kind that flies through the sky, then dives headfirst.
Yeah, she flew just like—
"Whoa, hold on."
Why's she flying at me—
Thud!!!
"Guhack!!"
My waist bent like a bow.
A dull pain exploded in my gut.
This... this was a gut punch.
'No wonder I feel like puking.'
I clutched my churning stomach and stood up.
There on the floor, sprawled out... no.
'Whew.'
I picked up Agnes, lying there on the floor.
Thanks to me tanking the hit, she looked fine.
"Hey."
"Ugh..."
"Got nothing to say?"
"Sorry... um, that is..."
Did she think she'd slammed into my stomach too?
After a long stretch of apologetic looks,
"Hmph, hrm! Your noble efforts in rescuing this dragon maiden are appreciated! I thank you for your dedication."
"Efforts? Dedication?"
"Dost thou not know who I am?"
Agnes declared this while striking a dramatic pose.
I knew she was the academy's one and only dragonkin.
And that her kind were originally the masters of Winchester Island.
The mystery of the surviving dragonkin, left as a MacGuffin in the first game.
Was that secret about to unravel?
"This dragon maiden is the academy's sole dragonkin and the dragon clan's diplomat to Winchester! Agnes!"
"..."
"I have specially enrolled as a third-year this time!"
"..."
"Serve me well, got it? You might even receive a special reward!"
She struck a cool pose, even throwing in "this one" to emphasize her dragon maiden status.
Was this girl really a diplomat?
Didn't her people have any standards?
I gave her a look that said, Are you for real?
I hadn't done anything special. Just watched, that's all.
Unable to withstand the pressure, she crumbled.
"Um... sorry..."
She bowed her head deeply in apology.
"...Nah, it's fine."
"Hmph, hrm! A dragon maiden's apology is a precious thing—be grateful."
And just like that, Agnes puffed up with pride again.
Was the third heroine's affliction delusions of grandeur?
'...That tracks.'
As I started pondering what to do,
Grrrowl.
"..."
"..."
"You hungr—"
"Nooo! I'm not!"
Agnes shook her head furiously.
She was getting weirder by the minute.
'A dragon clan diplomat starving on the streets?'
Wasn't that a bit too shabby for diplomatic treatment?
Diplomats had to make decent money, right?
"...Ugh, the guy who made the lemonade seemed like he'd be great at cooking, so I came... Didn't expect someone so scary."
"..."
"I never imagined."
What the hell did I do?
If anything, I was the victim here.
"...Sigh."
Fine. What good did complaining do?
She was a heroine, so she'd cross paths with me anyway.
That wouldn't change the fact she might rip me apart later if things went south.
So.
"Hey."
"What is it? And it's not 'hey'! This one bears the great name bestowed by Agnes, the supreme dragon of all creation—"
"Want some soup?"
"Yes, please."
I just had to treat her as best I could to minimize those odds.
"Hold on a sec."
I ladled out the soup from the pot, making two bowls.
"Sit here."
"Understood."
Her speech kept flipping back and forth.
Were Diplomat Agnes and High School Girl Agnes duking it out inside her head?
In the end, after that fierce internal battle,
"Here, eat up. Mushroom soup."
"Thanks, I'll dig in!"
High School Girl Agnes came out on top.
Over a single bowl of soup, no less. Easily.
'Is she really delusional?'
As I watched her with those thoughts,
"Hold on, are you crying?"
"N-no... I'm not."
Agnes was eating her soup, tears streaming down her face, mixing in with every bite.
Tears full of pent-up sorrow.
A sob escaped with every spoonful.
"Sob... Academy life is so hard... I just wanna go home to Dad..."
"..."
"Life's tough... Don't wanna get up in the morning... How do you even make friends...?"
The food I'd made with care tasted like nothing now.
Couldn't tell if it was going in my mouth or my nose.
'Ugh...'
Whether she was delusional,
or a real dragon clan diplomat struggling to adapt to academy life,
or someone who'd trapped herself in delusions to cope with failing to adapt.
'Poor kid.'
That wouldn't change the fact I'd be stuck dealing with her.
"Want seconds?"
"Yeah..."
"Eat up. People need food to keep their strength up. Dragonkin probably aren't any different."
"Humans aren't all just out to take your money or tease you..."
"...You got treated like that? Aren't you a diplomat?"
"No guards or anything. I don't even know why I became a diplomat in the first place..."
Agnes muttered that as she took the bowl.
She clammed up after, like she didn't want to say more.
It left a bad taste in my mouth for no reason.
Reminded me of a kid I'd counseled before.
'Hope she's doing okay.'
She'd refused school over failing to adapt to a new one.
Agnes looked just like that.
"Um..."
"Hm?"
"Can I have more...?"
Maybe that's why.
"As much as you want."
Looking up at me with those teary eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say no.
Agnes refilled and devoured bowl after bowl.
Until the pot scraped bottom.
True to dragonkin form, her appetite was insane.
After scarfing it all down,
"No more left. It's all gone."
"..."
"That should satisfy you, right?"
She still looked unsatisfied, a wistful expression lingering.
Lick.
"Hm?"
"Here."
"Here?"
"A little left here."
Agnes sidled up beside me and licked a bit of soup from the corner of my mouth.
"...Hey!"
"It was delicious... Wh-whoa!?"
"Back to your senses?"
"Th-that's... Ha, haha! Delicious indeed. So much so I'd appoint thee my personal chef!"
My head throbbed.
When the negativity lifted, she lost all reason and went wild.
'Sigh.'
What was I supposed to do with her?
As my worries piled up—
Pat pat!
'Pat pat?'
I heard footsteps running past the classroom door.
The door was slightly ajar too.
No way.
'...Someone saw?'
Pfft, probably not.
Nah.
"Ophiliaaan~"
I turned at the voice, and a finger poked my cheek.
Only one person pulled pranks like this.
"Sally."
"Hi~"
Sally grinned brightly.
She kept playing, weaving her golden hair with Ophelia's white locks.
"Sally, that's enough."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Always like this, you are."
Ophelia's cool response.
Sally huffed in mock offense.
"You're so cold. Seriously. Who else would be your friend if not me?"
In the old days, she'd have just stayed silent.
It was true, after all. No friends but Sally.
But now as second-years, things were different.
She had something to fire back with.
"Don't worry, Sally."
"Ophelia, no way."
"Yes, that Ethan. I have a friend too—"
"You didn't sign up for some service just to avoid eating alone, did you!?"
"Service...?"
What service was that?
Before she could ask, Sally looked on the verge of tears.
"Don't do that, Ophelia! I'll eat with you, I promise!"
"Sally."
"Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks! All with me."
"Sally!"
"Or I'll feed you myself—"
"Calm down, Sally!"
She wasn't listening.
"Sigh."
Ophelia sighed irritably and spoke firmly.
"Ethan Woodgate. I got to know a third-year senior."
"Ethan?"
"Yes. Know him?"
"Us knowing him well isn't a good thing."
"R-right."
"So? What kind of guy is he?"
Sally's question.
Ophelia thought it over before answering.
"Pretty good guy."
"Good guy?"
"Yeah. Let me elaborate."
About the senior.
"Great cook."
"Domestic type."
"In a tough spot now, but he's working hard on his own."
"Debts? Minus points there... but effort counts."
Their ideas of "good" seemed a tad off, but whatever.
'The senior's best quality.'
Ophelia pondered, then recalled one thing that impressed her most.
A while back, in the dungeon, ambushed by the theater troupe.
"Weak, but he never backs down."
"How so?"
"Last time, when the theater troupe attacked."
"Huh?"
"I thought the senior was pretty cool."
Thud!
"Ophelia."
"Sally. Why the sudden serious tone?"
"Explain properly."
"Huh?"
"Something happened to my precious friend... and I'm about to lose it."
Lose it? Over what?
Just chatting about a friend.
'That time, the senior.'
Pushing through the jungle to make medicine.
Showing up at just the right moment.
Saving her from injury.
'Said I just happened to butt in.'
In that cool voice...
"Ahem!"
"What's with that look."
"Anyway, he's a good guy. Don't worry, Sally."
"...Ophelia has a friend... No, wait, is that... a lie? Did he scam you? Right?"
"Persistent. Believe me."
Ophelia shook off Sally with a smile.
Grateful for the concern, but.
"Sorry. Gotta go see the senior."
"...It's real."
"Yeah. Don't worry."
"Looks like you're already past friends, a little."
"Hm?"
"Nothing."
Sally still looked worried.
What had she seemed like before?
Ophelia pondered that.
Then decided to drop it.
She could change from here on out.
"See you."
"If he's sketchy, don't meet him. Got it?"
"Don't worry. He's a good guy."
Ophelia headed to the classroom, feeling great about seeing Ethan.
...And that's when she saw it.
Ethan, with some girl stuck to him like glue, getting a kiss on the cheek.
"...!"
Ophelia bolted at the sight.
Or "bolted"—not sure if that fit.
The senior was spending time like that.
Probably with a lover.
That was all.
'My hands... are shaking?'
She couldn't understand why she felt this way.
Pat pat!
"Sally."
"Oph—Whoa! What's with your face!?"
"Sally."
"Y-yeah?"
"Is there a purple-haired dragon girl at our academy? Sally?"
"I'll check."
"Please. As fast as possible."
Likewise.
Why she wanted to find that girl... even Ophelia herself didn't know.