Chapter 42: Crisis(1)
Chapter 42: Crisis(1)
After Aira deserted the group, the project proceeded so smoothly that my initial worries felt misplaced.
As the saying goes, a single muddy loach can foul the entire pond; once that loach was gone, the murky water naturally cleared up.
I’ve said it before, but while I could have easily handled the assignment on my own, this was strictly a group project, so I put in the effort. Whenever Benjamin and Leona came up with plausible hypotheses, I would either refute them or flesh them out.
Thanks to that, we produced a very satisfying result. Since I had only added the finishing touches to their organized theories, I took it upon myself to handle the presentation.
"But didn't you say the Xenon Biography was boring? From what I saw, you seemed to have read it quite deeply."
"S-Shut up! I was just curious about what happened next!"
When Benjamin was away, I had the chance to talk about various things with Leona. I realized that despite her words, she was actually an avid reader of the Xenon Biography.
The way her ears atop her head twitched whenever she got excited was a bit distracting, but since Leona only showed her true self when she was with me, it wasn't a big problem.
"Are you sure you can handle the presentation? I can do it if it's too much for you."
Having calmed down for a moment, Leona asked me in her characteristically cynical tone. She was looking at me primly with her arms crossed, but her eyes held a mix of worry and concern.
I wasn't sure if she didn't trust me or if she felt guilty that I ended up with the presentation duty as well. Knowing Leona's personality, I assumed it was the latter.
"I can do it. Just trust me. Or do you want to try?"
"Forget it. The presentation is tomorrow; what could I possibly do now? Anyway, I'm off. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
As Leona walked away with a wave, I waved back to see her off. The spot where we had been was secluded, allowing us to talk to our hearts' content.
A moment later, once Leona had disappeared from sight, I started walking. Now that the final check was done, I planned to spend my free time relaxing and writing.
I hope I become a third-year soon. I'll have plenty of time then.
Returning to my room, I threw myself onto the bed and thought about the future. As Professor Virus had explained during the first class, students must maintain a certain grade until the end of their second year to advance.
However, once you become a third-year, you simply choose the major you want to focus on and dive deep into it. This was information I had picked up incidentally last Monday when I went to see Professor Virus privately to report Aira's behavior.
If the first two years were a mix of high school and college, the third year and beyond made you a university student focusing on a single subject. Credits and all that didn't matter; the only thing that counted was focusing on your major and getting good marks.
As for me...
Naturally, my goal was History. There was no major in this world as interesting as history.
I wanted to become a third-year as soon as possible so I could finish the Xenon Biography quickly and start on my next work—a modern-day story that would be treated as fantasy in this world.
Instead of heroic deeds like in the Xenon Biography, it would deal with the tragic history of war.
No, no. Instead of thinking about the next work, let's focus on the Xenon Biography for now.
If I dabbled in too many things at once, I might end up overextending myself. That could lead to a drop in quality, so it was better to immerse myself in the Xenon Biography for the time being.
Of course, I planned to slowly establish the setting for the next project once I was down to the last two volumes of the current one. That should be fine.
...I should write while I'm thinking about this.
Even this time spent idling felt like a waste. Lately, between Aira's issues and various other things, there were many things to worry about, making me a bit tired, but it was manageable.
More importantly, if I closed my eyes now, I felt like I wouldn't wake up until tomorrow morning. It would be better to finish at least one part before sleeping.
Dragging my weary body, I sat down at my desk. The manuscript paper I had been writing on right before leaving the room was neatly laid out.
I wonder how those people are doing?
As I infused mana into my magic pen, the "Total Chaos Party" suddenly came to mind. They seemed okay on the first day, but as time passed, the cracks became clearly visible.
Lina, who always wore a relaxed expression, had turned expressionless, and Cecile's face, which used to brighten whenever she saw me, had darkened significantly. As for Mari, she seemed to have half-given up, occasionally letting out a hollow laugh.
But the most impressive of them all was undoubtedly Jackson. Jackson, who had been clinging to them to form a connection, was increasingly finding them uncomfortable.
Furthermore, he would occasionally send me envious(!) glances. I could roughly guess how serious the situation was.
It seemed he had been badly burned while doing the group project. In the first place, they were a combination that could never mix, like oil and water.
I do feel a bit sorry for them. We only had one person...
Drip—
In the middle of my thoughts, liquid began to flow from my nose. Snapping out of my reverie, I put my hand to my philtrum. It felt slightly sticky.
With a sinking feeling, I pulled my hand away to see bright red blood staining it. It was a nosebleed.
I had felt unusually weary today, and it seemed my body had finally sent a warning.
Plop. Plop.
As I stared blankly at the blood on my hand, it began to drip onto the manuscript paper. Startled, I hurriedly moved the paper away.
Fortunately, it had only landed on the edge and not the center, so I avoided the catastrophe of having to rewrite the manuscript. Still, I needed to plug my nose quickly.
"Ti-Tissue..."
It looked like I would have to skip writing for today.
*
Time passed, and the day of the presentation arrived. It meant the end of the group project that had been fraught with so many words and troubles.
"Hey. Did you guys actually prepare everything?"
"We did."
"Hmph. Really? Fine. Since I'm the group leader, if you apologize, I'm willing to take you back..."
"Fuck off."
And just before class started, Aira suddenly showed up and acted shamelessly, but I hit her with a harsh curse once again.
Mari, sitting next to me, looked surprised when I swore, but I didn't care.
After flipping the table over herself, how dare she try to stick her spoon into someone else's meal? Aira's beyond-imagination shamelessness made me feel nauseous; I felt like I couldn't stand it without swearing.
"You...! You just wait! I'm really going to send a letter to my father!"
"Do whatever you want."
Anyway, after that, Aira returned to her seat, leaving only the words that I would regret it. I shook my head as I watched her walk away on her short legs.
Just how rotten did someone have to be to act like that? In a different sense, she was an even more remarkable woman than Jackson.
"Did you fight with her?"
While I was sighing inwardly, Mari, sitting next to me, asked a question. Her voice was full of curiosity.
Without even looking at her, I answered in a low, cold voice. Just thinking about that shamelessness made my blood boil.
"We did. She said something she shouldn't have."
"What did she say?"
"A few weeks ago, my brother joined the Navy Knights. And she's the daughter of the Mathews Marquis Family. You get what I'm saying, right?"
"I think I have the gist of it."
Even with just that, Mari nodded as if she understood. Well, since it was such a famous family, it would be stranger if Mari didn't know.
I watched her nod and asked, just in case. I was worried if she, like Aira, looked down on soldiers.
"Mari. What do you think of soldiers?"
"Huh? Why that all of a sudden?"
"The reason I fought with Aira was partly because of my brother, but she also treated soldiers like guard dogs. I was wondering if all nobles thought that way."
Of course, I didn't think Mari had that kind of mindset. But I was concerned that most nobles, not just Mari as an individual, might think so.
If the daughter of a military family could say such reckless things, I couldn't even fathom what other nobles would be like.
Mari frowned deeply and spoke as if asking if I was serious.
"...Are you crazy? If someone said that, they'd be forcibly enlisted."
"Forcibly enlisted?"
"Yeah. It's one of the famous punishments among us nobles. If a noble's child insults a soldier, their parents forcibly enlist them as a private. Most of them can't last a month without crying their eyes out, but they have to serve mandatorily for two years. It's prescribed by law, so being a noble doesn't mean anything."
Now that was a novel and effective punishment. Anyone who had served in the military would know just how terrifying the punishment Mari mentioned was.
They would poignantly realize how warm their home was, how good their family and society were, and finally, just how shitty the military was.
Moreover, since this world lacked smartphones or televisions, there would be an incredible amount of absurdity. For children of noble families raised like flowers in a greenhouse, there was no punishment more efficient than this.
"What happens if the parent, not the child, insults a soldier?"
"That rarely happens, but they probably wouldn't face a good end. And if the daughter of the Mathews family really insulted a soldier, the fallout would be enormous. Enlistment would be a given, and in the worst case, she could be kicked out of the family."
Enlistment... that sounded quite interesting. Soon, Aira might poignantly feel the emotions of the second day at a training camp.
I chuckled, hoping that moment would come soon. She needed to suffer once to come to her senses.
"Anyway, is your group all ready?"
While I was smirking, Mari asked me in a cautious voice.
Hearing the question, I replied to Mari, who was tentatively gauging my reaction.
"We're all done. What about you guys?"
"...I don't feel the need to answer that."
Judging by her hollow laugh, it seemed they had spectacularly failed, as expected.
Still, I was curious, so I took the liberty of asking.
"Did you at least participate?"
"We participated, but we didn't actually do anything. We just gathered and chatted, and that was it. And even that was only twice."
"Then what about the research and the presentation?"
"Who do you think did it all? For the record, I didn't do anything."
"..."
When Mari asked back, I found myself speechless.
No wonder Jackson's expression was so dark; that was why. I felt a surge of sympathy, as I could somehow relate.
"Actually, I gave up the moment the groups were assigned like that. The grade will hurt a bit, but it won't be too bad. If it doesn't work out, I'll just focus on another major."
"A major... What major are you going to take when you become a third-year?"
I suddenly became curious and asked. I had chosen a definite major in History, but I didn't know about the others.
Of course, since the first semester wasn't even over, it might be considered a bit early to ask. But surely she had something in mind.
Hearing my question, Mari rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and then spoke quietly.
"A major... I don't know. I'd like to go into Political Science, but Lina will be there, so pass. For now, nothing in particular comes to mind. I'm fine as long as I graduate. What about you?"
"History, obviously."
When I answered without a moment's hesitation, Mari looked at me as if she had heard something bizarre.
"Is history really that fun? I just can't understand it."
"You might not, but I do. Do you have any idea how interesting history is?"
"Fine, fine. I guess that's why you're so knowledgeable about it. Why don't you just write a book? You were even praised by Professor Elena for your writing skills before."
"Uh..."
The sudden, sharp remark made me pause for a moment. She probably meant it as a joke, but for the person involved, it couldn't be dismissed as one.
Mari observed my face and spoke with a peculiar expression.
"What's with that look? Are you actually writing one?"
"No?"
"Hmm..."
When I denied it, she stared intently at my face before lowering her gaze. Mari's eyes were fixed precisely on the writer's callus on my right hand.
I almost hid my hand instinctively but barely managed to suppress the urge to avoid suspicion. Perhaps Mari had stopped doubting me, as she turned her gaze forward and spoke.
"Well... if you say no, then I guess you aren't. But if you ever do write a book, show it to me. I'm curious."
"I told you, I'm not writing one."
"Who said you were? Oh, of course, I could ask my father to provide some sponsorship."
"Oh, come on."
Even as I grumbled for her to stop, Mari just giggled. Fortunately, it seemed she was joking rather than being serious.
Still, it sent a chill down my spine. It was very difficult to respond when she hit me with such unexpected remarks.
How long do I have to live in this state of anxiety?
I wanted to just come out and reveal it, but I was afraid of the aftermath. Moreover, I had to endure for the sake of my father, who was working hard to hide my identity.
Anyway, class began, and the presentations—the highlight of the group project—started. As I expected, the presenter for Mari's group was Jackson, and he looked so exhausted that he evoked pity.
You've really had a hard time.
I suspected his pestering would decrease after this. I looked at him with a pitiful expression as he walked back to his seat dejectedly.
Did he feel my gaze? Jackson, whose eyes met mine, only let out a hollow laugh and didn't react at all.
And so, after all the presentations were over, the Humanities class ended, and other classes proceeded normally without any incidents.
After all the classes were finished, I had a meal with my group members and returned to my room.
"Hmm?"
When I opened the door and stepped inside, I saw a letter envelope lying alone on the floor.
Picking it up, I saw it was a letter from home. Since I hadn't sent any mail to my parents recently, I couldn't help but wonder.
What's going on?
I sat on the bed, tore open the envelope, and pulled out the letter. And the identity of that letter was...
[Your tail has been stepped on. Be careful for the time being.]
It was a warning written in my father's handwriting.
"..."
I blinked as I stared at the warning.