My Master (End)
The Cranberry Soup Shop was structured with a long bar table running directly in front of the owner's kitchen.
"You kids are working hard so early in the morning! Since you're in the same year, why don't you sit together?!"
Since the owner suggested we sit together, and I had no real reason to refuse, I took the seat next to Kaen. I ordered the chicken soup. When visiting a restaurant for the first time, it is always best to try their signature dish.
As I sat down next to her, I felt Kaen's shoulders flinch slightly.
My Keen Senses provided me with plenty of information without me needing to look directly at anything.
Is this the first time I've seen Kaen up close?
Since we were in different classes, we rarely had the chance to cross paths. From her perspective, she was hiding her true strength, so it would have been awkward for me to approach her first anyway. In any case, the current Kaen was playing the role of an ordinary Class C cadet.
"H-Hello! I've been... keeping an eye on you ever since the placement exam...!"
Kaen spoke to me in an overly bright, cheerful voice. Her actual way of speaking was much more serious. While her acting was far clumsier than Eisel's, it was still an act, so I figured it was best to play along.
"Ah, I am Zeto." I bowed my head slightly to Kaen.
"I'm Kaen!" she replied, her pink hair fluttering as she bowed in return. Her emerald eyes stood out in stark contrast to her hair, making for a striking visual.
Meanwhile, Sierra, who was standing right next to Kaen, was causing quite a scene. She was waving her hand through Kaen's body, then suddenly staring intently at the crown of her head... It was a bizarre display. I was just glad I was the only one who could see it.
"Ugh..." Kaen, who was being thoroughly examined by Sierra, suddenly stopped eating her soup and clutched her shoulder.
"Is something the matter?" I asked out of pure curiosity. I wanted to know how Sierra's presence affected others.
"Well... I suddenly felt an inexplicable chill... Ahaha...! There's no reason for it, though..." Kaen scratched the back of her head.
A chill...? It sounded similar to getting goosebumps. I would have to tell Sierra to refrain from doing that in the future.
Before my chicken soup arrived, Sierra stopped examining Kaen and spoke to me in a low voice.
"My disciple, this woman is no ordinary soul. Yet... she seems to be playing the fool, pretending to be ordinary when she is anything but."
I couldn't reply to Sierra with other people around, so I just let it slide. It seemed Sierra had caught on. She didn't seem to know Kaen was the Sword Saint's disciple yet, but she would find out eventually. Every character had their own story arc. To guide things toward a better outcome, I would inevitably have to intervene and clash with them.
"Here is your chicken soup!" The owner set the bowl down in front of me.
That was fast. I took a spoonful of the soup.
"E-Excuse me, mister! Another bowl for me, too!" Kaen called out, watching me.
"I knew you had a healthy appetite, young lady!" the owner shouted back, clearly delighted by the extra order.
Another bowl...?
The Kaen I knew had a very small appetite. She wasn't a big eater at all. If anyone was a glutton, it was Yuri. Given Kaen's calculating nature, this meant she wanted to stay by my side a bit longer. I didn't know why. I had only recently realized she was spying on me, so I lacked information.
In the game, Kaen would have kept playing the role of an ordinary Class C cadet, never showing her face. She kept her presence to an absolute minimum, and even if you managed to find her and strike up a conversation early in the game, she would quickly brush you off and leave.
"Classmate Zeto, even though you cannot see, you handle the sword so well...! It must surely be the result of your 'effort', right...?" Kaen scraped her empty bowl with her spoon while waiting for her next serving.
"Well... it is all thanks to having a good master."
At my words, Sierra leaned her face right in front of mine. She came so close she blocked my view of the soup and whispered:
"A good master, is it...? This master has yet to teach her disciple a single stroke of swordsmanship. A mysterious master... what a terribly convenient excuse."
Of course, I didn't actually hear her with my ears, but her languid, tickling voice echoed clearly in my mind. Sierra seemed to have found a new hobby in nitpicking my excuses.
"A master... they must be a wonderful person!" Kaen murmured, turning the word over in her mind before offering a bright, goofy smile.
I nodded and took another bite of my soup.
"Pfft... Watching the two of you converse behind such thick masks is like watching a play. Quite an amusing way to kill time."
Sierra had caught on to Kaen's acting as well. I wondered what she had seen when she was peering into Kaen's body.
After that, Kaen and I ate our soup in silence. The soup was perfectly seasoned—a simple, comforting flavor that warmed the stomach. It was the kind of meal you could eat every day without getting tired of it.
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, I heard Kaen groaning beside me. She looked incredibly full.
Why did she order more if she wasn't even going to talk...
I had just finished my meal, so I decided to leave to spare her the struggle of forcing down the rest of her soup.
"Come back soon!"
I said goodbye to the energetic owner and stepped out of the shop. But almost immediately, someone came rushing out after me.
"Um... Classmate Zeto...!"
Hearing the hurried footsteps, I turned around to see Kaen panting for breath.
"Would you... perhaps be willing to spar with me sometime? I wield a sword as well... and though I am lacking, I would love to learn a thing or two from you!"
A sparring request with unclear intentions. While crossing swords could help her find her weaknesses and grow, Kaen was the disciple of the Sword Saint. Strictly speaking, she had no need to attend this academy in the first place, much like Eisel.
Sierra watched this play out with interest.
"Heh. How amusing, my disciple. What are you waiting for? Accept it at once."
I pondered Sierra's words deeply.
Kaen is the disciple of the Sword Saint, Sierra's rival...
But as long as she didn't use the Sword Saint's style, things should go smoothly. Besides, it didn't seem like Kaen was asking to spar just to beat me. There was no way she would reveal the Sword Saint's techniques in a casual spar.
"...Very well. Let us exchange blows sometime." I accepted her proposal.
Kaen's expression was hard to read—a mix of joy and surprise.
"Then I'll come find you when I have some free time!" Kaen waved cheerfully.
Perhaps I could use this opportunity to figure out her true intentions.
I watched him walk away, then let my bright smile fade.
Since he was blind, a cheerful expression was utterly meaningless to him anyway. It was just a stubborn habit of mine.
I lowered the corners of my mouth, my eyes turning calm and cold.
Was he watching me too? Since when?
How did he know I was a regular at this soup shop every morning?
It was only recently that I started coming here. Based on his behavior, it seemed like his first time.
Is it just a coincidence...?
Even so, he had noticed my surveillance. After that, I had tried to use a more stealthy technique, Shadow Erasure. I thought I was doing better, but instead, he had come right to me.
He sat right next to me and shamelessly exuded pressure.
He is definitely hiding his power. I'm certain of it.
The creepy, bone-chilling energy I felt after he sat down was indescribably goosebump-inducing.
I hated the timing of his appearance. He arrived just as I was finishing my soup, forcing me to order another bowl.
I'm so full...
How humiliating. But I had to do it to ask for a spar.
Still, accepting the spar so easily... what an amateur.
Normally, a spar between cadets is a pure contest of skill, but high-profile cadets are different. I plan to secretly spread rumors before the duel so a crowd gathers.
I'll force him to reveal his strength in front of everyone.
As an Class A cadet, he can't afford to lose to a Class C cadet. If I push him just enough, he'll have no choice but to show his true power. Then, I will also unleash my hidden strength and steal all the spotlight.
How dare you hide your strength in front of me? You're a thousand years too early, Zeto...
I have done all sorts of things to hide my own power, coming to Innocence Academy just for the thrilling climax of revealing it. I won't let him ruin my plans.
But... did he accept too easily?
It doesn't seem like the choice of someone hiding their power. That bothers me.
Currently, I suspect he is hiding his power to seduce women.
A few days ago, I saw Cadet Eisel entering the male dormitory for him. I waited to see if she would come out, but she didn't leave until morning.
I knew exactly what that implied. Just thinking about it makes my face flush.
What a shameless scoundrel...
Because of that, I stayed up all night, dozed off in class, and got scolded by Instructor Kaliman.
And Cadet Eisel isn't the only one. I suspect Cadet Yuri, who is close to him, might also be in danger.
Wait... is he targeting me next?!
I felt his evil clutches reaching out to me. After all, I am a woman too.
Whether they are cool, cute, or strong... are all women just the same to you?
I vow to thoroughly crush him in the spar.
I'll finish you without even having to use my grandfather's swordsmanship, Zeto.