Pandora -1-
Noah occasionally let her gaze and tail wander elsewhere out of curiosity.
But Ichinose, Sion, and Clara stared fixedly at Rohan alone.
Even as they moved, they never once let him out of their sight.
It looked like they were all heading to a nearby café together.
A café with wide-open views would make observation easy. But it was hard to feel purely happy about that.
'This is torture.'
Rohan casually touching and laughing with a woman he'd never met before.
It felt like mental torment—she didn't want to watch anymore, yet paradoxically, she couldn't look away.
Right now, the girls were in a position where they could only watch.
"Sion sis…"
At her little sister's pitiful voice, Sion silently reached out and gripped Clara's hand tightly.
This wasn't comfort. It was them propping each other up.
Sion herself was struggling too much to spare any reassurance for the whimpering Clara.
'…Did Rohan really accept an introduction to a girl?'
Sion's mind was a whirlwind.
Was that woman closing the distance so boldly because she aimed for something deeper with Rohan? Even if she did harbor such feelings.
'That woman… I can't read her.'
Unlike with Ichinose Yui, there was no calm resolve to talk it out later and steer things positively.
It was a visceral rejection. That person was uncannily hard to accept.
Something was off.
"…"
The story of Rohan kissing Ichinose? That had already been rationalized in Sion and Clara's minds.
If the context hadn't existed, Rohan wouldn't have returned alive, and it hadn't been his voluntary choice.
Whatever Ichinose's feelings, to Sion and Clara, that kiss was just emergency first aid—no count.
That fact gave the girls just enough breathing room.
But watching it unfold live like this was different.
It hurt like her heart was being carved out.
Even so, they couldn't resort to petty tactics and ruin the moment.
They didn't want to see Rohan flustered or showing discomfort because of them.
They didn't want to harm Rohan. Better to die than be hated by him.
That conviction formed a sturdy leash, binding their ankles and keeping them from charging out.
Maybe it was because they were all people who had already made—or wanted to make—martial arts their life's work, gathered in one place.
Even casual conversation would ride the flow and naturally shift topics.
And inevitably head in the same direction.
On the way to the café after a satisfying meal,
Rohan was listening to Nicholas Harbor talk about gear.
"The shirt I'm wearing now is made from Desert Shark monster hide mixed with aramid fibers."
"Oh, it just looks like a regular shirt at a glance."
"Right? Wanna feel it? The texture's pretty nice."
Nicholas spread his arms wide, inviting him to touch.
Curiosity piqued, Rohan reached out without hesitation and ran his hands over the fabric.
The sensation at his fingertips was unique.
Smooth like high-end silk, yet with a resilient tautness that wouldn't tear easily.
"Look closely, and you'll see the chest and abdomen are subtly different in color. That's because those areas have a higher proportion of monster hide."
Probably designed to protect vital organs.
Feeling it deliberately, those parts felt stiffer than the rest.
"How much does it block?"
"Hard to say for sure. But it'd shrug off bullets without mana infusion easy. Unless the caliber's too big, anyway."
"That's impressive enough."
"Since Desert Sharks hold a bit of Abyss, it'll offer some resistance to mana-based attacks too. Beyond that… well, I haven't tested it personally while wearing it, so who knows."
It was knowledge from Orion Academy classes—and what Rohan already knew from the game.
Monsters above a certain grade had an Abyss barrier.
Not only tough, it resisted mana, which was why hides from specific monsters fetched high prices as armor.
For some reason, offensive parts like teeth or claws had the opposite property, making them ideal for weapons.
Most top-tier weapons used high-grade monster materials.
"Rohan! Nicholas! Hurry up and order already!"
By now, the Gilbert couple had entered the café and snagged a table.
The two realized they'd stopped walking while chatting and headed inside.
Even while ordering and waiting for their coffee, the gear talk continued.
"I hear the Orion Academy uniforms you cadets wear use good materials too. And since the academy covers costs, they're distributed cheaply."
"That's what I heard. And yeah, they've helped me out a lot."
Soon, two iced Americanos arrived.
They grabbed them and headed to the table Gilbert's group had saved.
"After hearing about you, Cadet Rohan, I looked it up—turns out you've done some amazing stuff. Saw the online article about chasing down and wiping out a crime syndicate."
"Eh, that just kinda happened…"
"Haha! So humble."
As Nicholas laughed and sipped through his straw, Emily picked up the thread.
"When the news broke, our class was buzzing about it. Came up again with this exam too."
"Bit late to ask now, but which instructor's class is your girlfriend in?"
"I'm in Ed Instructor's."
"Ah."
The image of Ed cleaving bullets with a hand axe flashed in his mind.
"You met our instructor during that marble-snatching thing, right Rohan?"
"He handled my placement exam from the start."
"Yeah?"
Ed Instructor seemed laid-back and lazy usually, but he taught properly, Emily explained, clearing up Rohan's curiosity.
And he was apparently strict about weapon maintenance.
"Hearing my friends' stories makes me wonder what it'd be like if I'd pushed to join the academy anyway."
"Would've been fun if you'd come too, Nicholas."
"Hahahaha!!! Still, Emily and I think it's impressive how you've already stepped into society and made your place."
Emily smiled and nodded vigorously at Gilbert's words.
"Impressive? I'm just inheriting the family business…"
Subtle info and backstory trickled in.
Rohan quietly listened to the trio, and just as Emily's drink hit empty—the last one standing—
His phone buzzed.
Vrrr! Vrr!
Checking it, just spam ads.
But the conversation wrapped up neatly.
"Shall we head out now?"
At Emily's suggestion, everyone nodded and gathered their gear.
Gilbert took the tray to return the empties, and Rohan said goodbyes to the remaining two.
"Thanks for the great meal. Found a tasty spot thanks to you."
"Gilbert footed the bill, so I'm not the one to thank, but glad you enjoyed. If we run into each other at the academy, I'll introduce you to my classmates."
"Looking forward to it."
A polite distance with a friend's girlfriend seemed right.
As Rohan wrapped up thinking that, Nicholas shared his aspirations.
"Meeting you today was great inspiration, Cadet Rohan. Next time, even if brief, I'd love to spar."
"Anytime there's a chance."
Handshake to seal it.
The four exited the café.
"Rohan! When break hits and you've got time, come to the Sepia Archipelago for sure! Full course on me!"
"Yeah yeah. Don't know what a full course is, but show me if I go."
After sending off the Gilbert crew to the elevator for their errands, Rohan turned toward the escalator—
Click. Click. Click.
A woman in high heels struck the floor as she passed him.
She paid him no mind. Normally, he wouldn't have either.
Just another passerby.
But a prickling in his head made Rohan glance her way briefly.
'…'
A woman with a venomous impression as sharp as her stiletto heels.
But what caught Rohan's eye wasn't her face—it was her shadow.
His instincts screamed something sinister lurked within it.
'What is that?'
Definitely a first for him. Never seen anything like it, even in Abyss City.
Yet the sensation felt familiar.
'Feels like that time…'
Back at the other mall, when the dimensional rift erupted and he fell clutching Ichinose.
He'd sensed the ominous presence in the air before it formed into a rift.
Observed the monsters writhing on the other side, red eyes flashing as they tried to emerge.
'Ominous.'
Best not to stare, he judged.
Rohan forcibly turned his head away.
But the alert window refused to let him ignore it.
Encountered Human Traitor Pandora