Chapter 72: Baron Ashro’s Estate 3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Baron Ashro’s Estate 3
I suggested to the other Special Class students that we go around and mess with the rest of the student body together, but no one took me up on the offer.
"I guess it’s just the two of us then, Lucas. We’ll have to go around and tease them ourselves."
"And here I was planning on just taking a normal walk," Lucas sighed.
Leaving the classroom, Lucas and I exited the basement and headed toward the first-year wing.
"There’s no one here."
"You’re right."
Perhaps because classes were in session, the hallways were deserted.
This isn't any fun.
I glanced at a classroom where the muffled sounds of a lecture were leaking out.
"Lucas."
"Yeah?"
"It wouldn't be okay to just barge into a class in progress and mess with the students, would it?"
"You already know the answer to that, don't you?"
"Well, I’m the type to act first and worry about the rules later."
"And what if Professor Elicia just continues the lecture like usual?"
"If we want to watch a class, I guess we have to go outdoors. Come on, let's head outside!"
Realizing we wouldn't be able to watch the students in the indoor classrooms, Lucas and I headed for the grounds.
"We’re out here, but..."
The problem was where to go. There were many outdoor classes, and their locations were scattered all over the place.
"How about going there?" Lucas suggested.
"Where's 'there'?"
"The forest where Professor Idra held her class last time."
"Oh! That’s a great idea."
I didn't know if there was a class going on there now, but it was better than just standing around. Lucas and I headed toward the forest where Professor Idra had conducted the exam.
Fortunately, Professor Idra was there.
"Student Loki? Student Lucas? Isn't it class time right now?"
"Well, the thing is..."
I explained to Professor Idra that Professor Elicia had given us free time until lunch and that we had come to watch the other students' lessons.
Professor Idra smiled. "You've come at the perfect time. You remember the exam Loki won last time? We're doing that right now."
"Can we sit nearby and watch?"
"Of course. I was getting a bit bored myself."
Professor Idra looked at Lucas and me as we sat down and spoke.
"I'm so jealous that you can just wander around freely. I used to skip class and wander around back in the day, too..."
We were wandering around with permission, but Professor Idra probably skipped without it.
"It was so much fun dodging Professor Gedra while sneaking around," she reminisced.
Lucas and I sat there and listened to Professor Idra’s stories from her student days.
"Professor Idra, would you like a candy?"
I pulled a piece of candy out of my Pocket Dimension and offered it to her.
"Oh! How did you know I love candy?"
Professor Idra immediately popped the candy into her mouth.
"You have one too, Lucas."
"Thanks."
While the three of us were enjoying our candy, a student emerged from the forest.
"The—The Crown Prince?"
Following that student, others emerged from the forest as well, and they all looked shocked to see Lucas.
"What is the Crown Prince doing here?"
I had originally intended to eat candy while watching the other students struggle, but the exam had already ended while we were listening to Professor Idra’s stories.
"Lucas, let's move on. Doesn't look like there's anyone left to tease here."
* * *
As I was walking around with Lucas, he suddenly stiffened as if he’d spotted something.
"Did you find something?"
"It's nothing. Sorry, but I have to go somewhere for a moment. See you at lunchtime."
Leaving those words behind, Lucas hurried off.
Left alone in an instant, I thought to myself, Should I just go to the dormitory and sleep?
I had intended to watch students in class, but it was impossible to enter a room where a lecture was already underway. Finding another outdoor class was also proving difficult.
As I walked through the Academy grounds, debating what to do...
"What are you doing here?" someone called out, stopping me.
It was the elderly swordsman, Professor Gedra.
"My professor told us we could have free time until lunch, so I was just walking around."
"I assume that isn't a lie?"
"There's no reason for me to tell a lie that would be so easily exposed if you just asked her, is there?"
"I suppose so. If you have nothing to do, why don't you come and observe for a bit?"
I never expected Professor Gedra to make the offer first.
"I'd love to."
"Follow me."
Step, step.
Loki walked behind Gedra. They stopped once they reached the outdoor training ground.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The training ground was filled with the loud shouts of students and the sound of clashing blades. These weren't first-years, but second-years. They were so focused on their opponents that they didn't notice Loki and Gedra entering.
The students were paired up, sparring with weapons. Among them, Loki spotted a familiar face.
Platinum blonde hair, tied back for ease of movement, swayed back and forth every time the woman swung her sword. Even a child who knew nothing of swordsmanship could tell that her skill was overwhelmingly superior to the other students.
The woman was Johanna.
Johanna was sparring with her best friend, Jenna.
"Huh? You're...?"
A student who had finished their spar noticed Loki and Gedra. They weren't surprised to see Gedra, but they were shocked to see Loki standing beside him.
Once one person noticed Loki, their partner looked over, and then the student next to them noticed him as well.
"Isn't he a first-year? Why is he here?"
"Maybe Professor Gedra brought him?"
The students began to chatter quite loudly. The training ground, which had only echoed with the sound of clashing steel, suddenly became noisy.
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang!
However, Johanna, focused with sword in hand, did not hear their voices. Right now, Johanna saw only her sword and her opponent, Jenna. As a swordsman who was already essentially a master of her craft, she wasn't the type to lose focus over mere background noise.
At least, that would have been the case for the Johanna from before she fell for Loki.
"What was his name again?"
"You don't even know that? It's Loki."
"...!"
It was instinct—something Johanna couldn't consciously recognize or control. Upon hearing Loki's name, Johanna's instinct caused her to lower her sword and scan her surroundings.
It was a critical mistake that Johanna would never normally make, and above all, the timing was terrible.
Whoosh!
"Ugh?!"
Jenna’s sword, swinging downward from above, headed straight for Johanna’s defenseless head. Jenna was startled to see Johanna lower her guard and tried to change the trajectory of her blade, but it was beyond her strength to stop it mid-swing.
"Ah."
Johanna also realized her grave error and squeezed her eyes shut. It was impossible to dodge or raise her sword to block in time.
Thud.
But for some reason, the blade didn't strike. Johanna cautiously opened her eyes and saw why.
"Senior, no matter how glad you are to see me, you shouldn't look away during a spar. You could have been seriously hurt."
There stood Loki, having caught Jenna’s sword with his bare hand.
"......How?"
Loki had moved the moment he saw Johanna flinch during the spar, just in case. Because of that, he had been able to reach Johanna faster than Gedra. There hadn't been enough time to grab Johanna and pull her away, so catching the blade with his hand had been the best he could do.
However, because he had stopped a fast-moving blade with his bare hand, blood was dripping steadily from Loki's palm.
Seeing the blood flowing from Loki's hand, Johanna felt as if her mind was snapping.
Loki was hurt.
Because of me...
Because I made a mistake, Loki's hand is bleeding.
What if Loki is seriously injured?
What if Loki hates me?
If Loki says he dislikes me...........
No, there's no way Loki would say that to me...
But he got hurt because of me.
"I'll take him to the infirmary—"
"I'll take him," Johanna cut off Professor Gedra, her voice urgent.
She carefully took Loki's hand and began walking toward the infirmary. Johanna didn't say a word on the way there, but Loki could feel her trembling through the hand she was holding.
"Senior, I'm not that badly hurt, so..."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It was my fault. I'm sorry. I'll never do it again. Please don't hate me."
Loki tried to tell her he was fine, but Johanna continued to mutter in a voice so small it was barely audible.
The priest wrapped a bandage around Loki's hand and explained what to watch out for. Fortunately, Loki wasn't seriously injured. It was the kind of wound that would disappear after a day of rest.
Even though the priest in the infirmary said he was fine, Johanna was still muttering in a low voice.
"Senior, shall we sit over there and rest for a bit?"
Loki pointed to a bench on the Academy grounds, and Johanna nodded weakly.
"Senior, you don't really need to feel so sorry. It's not like I'm badly hurt."
"But!"
"Senior, if I were in danger, would you help me?"
"Yes. I would," Johanna answered Loki's question without a moment's hesitation.
"I just acted on the same thought. If it bothers you that much, you can just help me once later, like I helped you."
"I'll definitely help you. But why were you there?"
Loki told Johanna everything, from having a mission tomorrow to running into Gedra.
"You mustn't get hurt on your mission."
"Like this, you mean?"
Loki pointed to his bandaged hand with his uninjured one and spoke playfully, but...
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Johanna hung her head and spoke in a trembling voice. Her eyes were red, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.
"It's a joke! A joke! I'll come back without a single scratch."