Household Affairs (1)

"In the end, I didn't get a straight answer."

A night when stray thoughts lingered hazily. Lumina rested her chin on the windowsill of her dorm room, gazing at the ink-blue sky. Constellations filled the night, and a half-moon hung over the dormitory grounds, bestowing a serene glow. She always stared at the sky like this when she missed her hometown... but tonight was different.

Lumina was lost in thoughts of someone else amid that scenery. And the fact that it was some guy she barely knew? That was completely unprecedented.

Kyle...He's such an interesting guy.

Lumina thought about Kyle. The idea of climbing a tree during the entrance exam and hiding up there was refreshingly bold. She'd never met anyone so free-spirited. With thirty minutes left in the exam, just lounging around admiring the view—what kind of person finds that not boring? Not a hint of tension anywhere. Even after running into her, he had the leisure to joke around. Betray him? No big deal—he was utterly laid-back about it.

He seemed to have some serious skills. Otherwise, why act like that?

So Lumina had tentatively concluded that Kyle was her benefactor. No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one else fit the bill.

Today's clue was the most promising yet.

That light—it had to be from my benefactor.

The beam that hadn't just swallowed the black gale but obliterated it entirely. For it to appear during the Artina Academy entrance exam implied just one possibility: her benefactor was a participant. Or at least connected somehow.

But the faculty had insisted it was some unknown man, so the former seemed more likely.

And if so? Among everyone present, Kyle was the top suspect.

So I asked him... and bombed.

It was a hilariously clumsy failure...

The day's events overlapped in her mind. The silver-haired boy gazing freely at the night sky, then extending a hand to her. She remembered agonizing like an idiot over how to pry the secret out of him without spilling it. But even with her right there, Kyle focused only on the forest, stars, and moon. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It was so funny that her attempt to probe the truth fell flat. The words died on her lips, and she let it drop.

The more Lumina thought about it, the more she giggled.

That time had left such a deep impression... Suddenly, the dorm felt stuffy. She flung the window wide open.

Shhhh...

A cool breeze brushed past Lumina, swirled through the narrow room, and faded away. Only then did she exhale deeply and stretch her arms out.

"Nice and cool..."

Still, it wasn't quite enough. Memories of that boy's cozy cabin surfaced. A peaceful retreat that looked utterly free. Sitting on the log bench by the campfire... those recollections trickled in.

Honestly—really honestly—she wanted to go back...

Lumina loved nature. Her family had scolded her countless times that a noble lady shouldn't, but she'd played on hillsides with the village kids anyway. Those childhood memories were goading her now.

Should I send a scout?

So Lumina cupped her hands. A yellow-feathered bird stood at attention inside.

...She'd summoned it without thinking.

"You sure that's okay?"

Spirits didn't need day-night distinctions, but they rested at night out of human custom. She worried about that, but Prine insisted she could handle it and shot into the air.

Ten minutes later, the voice came through. Curious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about changes to the cabin and what Kyle was up to, Lumina synced her vision.

"Whoa, it's been a while. Good to see you! Hey!"

There was Kyle, the nature boy, casually waving.

"Eek—!"

The moment Lumina saw him, her face heated up, and she cut the vision link.

"J-just come back..."

Lumina barely managed the order to Prine, panting roughly by the window. Regrettably, she had zero immunity to guys.

The next morning dawned. I headed out first to check if the campfire embers were still alive.

"Lucky."

I'd covered them carefully with leaves to block air, so they were. Until I learned basic magic, this was a daily must-do.

"Dried clothes?"

Freshly dried outfits hung like jerky. I'd ironed out every wrinkle and aligned them perfectly. Separate from the smoke rack, I needed a dedicated laundry dryer. Noted in my mental memo.

Basic chores done.

Time for that.

As I said yesterday, today was hunting day. By lunchtime score reveal, I'd bag beasts and stock the shed. Then head to the academy, check results, get tuition and living expense loans, and buy an urgent butchering dagger plus sundries. Leftover cash? Splurge on low-grade mana stones. Anything else needed, I'd grab later.

"Let's roll."

I dressed, shouldered the sniper rifle, and stepped into the forest.

"First hunt today."

Targets: rabbits, deer, boars. But just rabbits for now. Deer and boars seemed like they'd need serious butchering skills due to size.

Ten minutes later, small animal movement nearby.

"Found one."

Beyond the brush, a lake. Rabbit drinking.

Sorry, but one shot...

I raised the sniper rifle. Aimed sights, neutral element. First shot: minimal mana.

Bang—!

"Huh?"

Instant kill. No body left—just scattered meat and blood. Proof it was once a rabbit.

"Oh crap...!"

Weapon issue. Sniper caliber dwarfed the rabbit. Even a human would split in two—what chance did a bunny have?

I tried alternatives: mana at 1, long-range shots, glancing hits. Everything. No progress. Poor rabbits ascended on impact.

Desperate, I pulled the last resort.

"This'll work for sure."

Attached a branch to the barrel. Bound tight with vines, gripped like a spear. Activated Concealment.

Blended into nature.

Easy does it...

No recoil, low mana. Pure physics.

Shk—!

"Success!"

Rabbit impaled on the barrel. My strength stat wasn't low—piercing rabbit hide was no issue. Over 10 meant knight department passing grade. Not weak.

"Good start."

Blown-up rabbits? Past tense. Skewered the fresh one and hunted more.

By homecoming, five more rabbits joined the tally.

Noon, Magic Tower entrance at the academy. Crowds swarmed the bulletin board. Passed students' names listed there.

Passers cleared out quick, but failures lingered, faces blank.

"I'm not there? Mistake?"

"Wait! Just surviving wasn't enough?!"

"Cutoff's 13 minimum? Too brutal! Last year max was...!"

Chatter, but results stood firm. I pushed through to eye the poster-sized notice.

Total: 350 passers. Rankings as expected. Named characters dominated.

The gap between top Siel Dunhart and runner-up princess Elena was insane. Five points per person—Siel soloed about fifty. Elena's thirty wasn't bad either.

There's always someone above the high-flyers. Merchant head Rien Roderan took third, spirit summoner Lumina Haloway seventh—canon as expected.

And at the bottom...

"Whew—"

Last place: me. Planned it that way—knew the 13-point cutoff exactly. Just scrape by, pass.

"Dodged a bullet."

I sighed in relief. Now everyone sees me as the ultimate extra. All according to plan. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠As long as my identity stays hidden, no one dreams the mystery man is me.

"Y-yeah!!"

"Sedric!! We did it!!"

Commotion beside me. The fool extra brothers, Sedric and Roden. Even at the exam's tail end, they bounced around thrilled.

I observed closely. True extra role models. Cataloging every move.

"Hm?"

Then, pink hair in the crowd. White ribbon ponytail, moon pin—Lumina's back.

I waved and approached.

"Hey, Lumina. Here for results?"

"Y-yeah."

Lumina seemed off, avoiding eye contact. Fingers twiddling, gaze on the ground.

Something wrong?

"Lumina...?"

I bent to meet her eyes. Her face flushed crimson as words tumbled out.

"Y-yeah...! G-good to see you...! Y-yeah...! Kyle...! Um, so...! I'm not feeling great today, might be hard to chat...! C-cold could be contagious...!"

"Cold?"

No way... Did climbing that high tree during the exam do it? Windy up there. Not surprising.

Suddenly guilty. Heroine or not, distancing or not—I caused it.

"How bad?"

"Eek!"

I touched her forehead. Burning up. Canon never mentioned colds specifically—wonder if meds exist here?

"Infirmary first. You're on fire. C'mon, I know where."

Infirmary was player's respawn spot in canon. No modern meds, but fantasy healing magic.

But Lumina just shook her head.

"K-Kyle! Thanks for worrying, but I can go alone! Don't wanna spread it...!"

"Still..."

"Really fine...! Goin' now!"

Lumina bolted to the infirmary. Kinda worrying, but her call.

Loan time now.

Exam passed. Time to handle why I came to Artina Academy.

Meet that famed merchant lord, Rien Roderan.