Threads of Fate
As I stepped out of the exam hall, my mind was a tangled mess of thoughts about Edward. The conditions shouldn't have been met.
The conditions for Edward—who was essentially a hidden character—to become an instructor were specific. First, you had to locate his spawn point and meet him before the exam. If your stats met his requirements, it would pique his interest enough to make him show up at the exam hall. From there, if you placed first in the exam, Edward was almost guaranteed to become the instructor for Class A.
Knowing this, I had deliberately avoided his spawn locations. We had never crossed paths, let alone spoken. As far as I was concerned, we were complete strangers until just moments ago.
"Sigh..." The reason I wanted to avoid Edward was simple: his sheer randomness. True to his eccentric and suspicious nature, he ran his classes entirely on a whim, changing the curriculum whenever he pleased.
In the game, regular classes were a reliable source of experience points. Just by attending them diligently, you could level up at a decent pace. For someone like me, who possessed a 500% increase in experience gain, classes were even more crucial. However, his classes—where literally anything could happen—were the polar opposite of 'reliable.'
Some of his sessions yielded zero experience, while others left you with severe injuries even if you did gain some. It wasn't that he lacked the merits of a hidden character; if luck was on your side, his classes could reward you with massive amounts of experience or rare items. Even so, I wanted to steer clear of him. Now that the game had become reality, the risk of leaving my life to chance was simply too high.
But then, why...? "See you soon, Zeto-gun." Why on earth did he leave me with such an ominous parting line?
Was it because of my Dispel? No, he was already at the exam hall before I did that. And as I established, I had never met him before. It made no sense for me to have drawn his interest beforehand. Which meant...
...Did someone else pique his interest? Right on cue, a prime suspect came into view. Whether by fate or mere coincidence, she appeared before me the very moment she crossed my mind, almost as if she had been waiting.
Her golden eyes shone brilliantly, undiminished by the pouring sunlight, and her gaze was fixed squarely on me, just as before. She was crouching down, perhaps admiring the flowers blooming in the garden bed. I briefly debated passing her by, but... I decided it would be better to strike up a conversation.
"Thank you for cheering me on earlier. Thanks to you, I managed to get a good result."
"...You seem to distinguish people remarkably well just by their presence."
"It would be troublesome if I accidentally attacked an ally, after all. I tend to tell people apart by the unique vibrations they emit."
"Vibrations... Like what, for example?" Eisel asked in a faint voice, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Like their heartbeat... or the sound of their breathing..." At my reply, Eisel stood up, straightening her knees. Then, she took a step closer to me.
"So that means you remember my heartbeat." Eisel leaned her face in close as she spoke. Her delicate, finely sculpted features were suddenly right in front of mine, close enough for me to feel her breath.
"W-Well, yes?"
"I hope you don't forget it."
"Pardon?"
"My heartbeat."
What on earth is wrong with her? One moment she was keeping her distance, and the next she was being incredibly forward. I was momentarily thrown off balance.
"...We might end up fighting together, after all. I wouldn't want to be cut by your sword."
"Ahaha... Then I'll make sure to remember it." I forced a gentle smile. Eisel stopped leaning in, gave me a brief, searching look, and then averted her eyes.
"I'm Zeto." I offered her my hand with a bright greeting. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to formally introduce ourselves.
"Eisel... Eisel Ludwig." Eisel, on the other hand, didn't even look at my outstretched hand. She simply muttered her name. Did she dislike physical contact? I didn't know enough about her preferences regarding physical touch.
She could have at least shaken my hand, I thought, pulling back my hand with a slightly awkward, bitter feeling. Then again, she was a regressor, so it made sense if she was wary of physical contact. Looking back at my memories of the game, she only ever spoke to the player; even the player never had much physical interaction with her.
Shaking off the idle thoughts, I spoke up to address the immediate question on my mind. "By the way... have you ever met someone named Edward?"
While no such event occurred in the game, the current Eisel was already deviating from her original path, making it highly plausible. Having witnessed her out-of-spec combat power with my own eyes, I knew that if they had met, she would have instantly captured Edward's interest.
"Edward..." Eisel traced her lips with a finger, as if searching her memory. As a regressor, there was no way she didn't know him. She had to be acting. After all, a regressor couldn't exactly go around announcing, 'I've regressed.'
"His voice practically oozes suspiciousness. Have you really never met him?"
"Hmm... Suspicious... Ah." Once I threw out a few simple keywords to describe Edward, Eisel let out a soft exclamation as if she had just remembered. She was an excellent actress; her performance was incredibly convincing.
"If you mean a suspicious man, I did meet one recently. He had white hair tied in a ponytail... and very sharp, narrow eyes. He acted strangely, suddenly demanding that I show him my magic, so I just ignored him and walked away."
Eisel's explanation finally made everything click. It was you. The one who had drawn Edward to the exam hall was Eisel.
Well, knowing Edward, he probably pulled some bizarre stunt to test her the moment they met, just as he always did. Intrigued by Eisel's existence, he must have followed her trail all the way to the exam hall. Edward was notoriously lazy about almost everything, but when his curiosity was piqued, his drive was unmatched.
"But why do you ask?"
"I ran into him at the exam hall earlier, and he mentioned you. It's nothing major. He just seemed... rather eccentric."
In truth, Edward hadn't mentioned Eisel at all when he met me, but since this was a one-sided flow of information, my little lie wouldn't cause any issues.
"He certainly was eccentric," Eisel agreed with a slight nod. I figured it was time to head back. There was no real pretext to keep the conversation going, and forcing one might make her feel uncomfortable. Since my ultimate goal was still to keep her alive, the last thing I wanted was to sour our relationship.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
"..." After exchanging a brief nod with Eisel, I turned and walked toward the dormitory. Yuri had probably headed back on her own by now, right? ...Just in case, I decided to check the bench on my way.
I watched his retreating back. The hand he had offered me lingered before my eyes. I was sorry. I was so sorry I couldn't take it. I hadn't even dared to look at it properly. I feared that if I let myself stare at his outstretched hand for even a second, I would have grabbed it in a moment of weakness.
But if I held his hand now, letting go of it later would be too painful. That was why I couldn't take it. ...No, I must not take it. Because when the time came for us to hold hands again, I never wanted to let go. Not this time.
I desperately wanted to listen to Zeto's sweet voice for just a little longer, but it was fine. I could meet him again tomorrow and talk even longer than we did today.
"Ahaha... Then I'll make sure to remember it." You don't remember a single thing. Fool. Foolish Zeto. ...My lovely, precious Zeto.
A chilling aura permeated the office. Every document and object on the desk was meticulously organized and perfectly aligned, a clear reflection of the owner's personality.
"Are you truly serious about this?"
"A lot of people seem to doubt my word today."
Juliut Klaus was deeply bewildered, though he kept his face perfectly composed. His son, Edward, who usually turned a deaf ear whenever told to do some actual work, was finally...
"Finally... you are willing to take on the role of an instructor..."
"I was merely waiting."
"For what?"
At Juliut's question, Edward leaned back in his chair, rocking it casually. "It seems a lot of interesting kids have enrolled this term."
"Interesting kids... Which cadets are you referring to?" Being the principal of Innocence Academy was an incredibly demanding job. Juliut rarely had the time to personally review the incoming cadets each semester. Besides, the truly exceptional ones always found a way to stand out on their own.
"There's one whose skill level is absolutely absurd. Honestly, it makes me wonder why she's even attending the academy... but anyway, that's one."
"And the other?"
"An entirely unexpected one. He pulled off a Dispel with nothing but a sword."
"A Dispel... with a sword...?"
"Yes. Of course, he didn't go so far as to shatter Father's illusion magic, but... still, isn't that incredibly intriguing?"
Knowing that Edward was not one to lie, Juliut accepted the claim, absurd as it sounded. "...So, what is it you want, Ed?"
As much as Juliut cherished his son and wished to accommodate his desires, Edward's willful nature was always a headache. "I want to take charge of Class A for this term."
"What? I believe Kaliman was scheduled to take that position."
"I've already spoken with Instructor Kaliman."
"..." Juliut stopped his paperwork, took off his glasses, set them on the desk, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "...And did he agree?"
"It turns out Kaliman was actually quite reluctant to take Class A this term. It worked out perfectly."
"I suppose so. With the heirs of all four of the notoriously stubborn elemental families enrolling at once... and adding the cadets you mentioned, it would certainly be a daunting task."
"I promised Kaliman fair compensation, so there won't be any issues."
"Whew..." Juliut sighed, falling into deep thought. Edward was his son, but he possessed more than enough skill to be an instructor. If anything, Juliut had been underestimating him simply because of their relation. Objectively speaking, Edward was exceptionally talented. Even compared to Juliut himself—a grand mage and the undisputed master of illusion magic—Edward's rapid growth had brought him to the verge of catching up at a remarkably young age.
However, public perception was the issue. A man who had never once taught was suddenly taking over Class A, the elite class. The fact that he was the principal's son would inevitably raise eyebrows. As Juliut wrestled with these concerns, Edward offered a proposal.
"I know exactly what you're worried about. So, how about this?"
"Let's hear it."
"Ultimately, Innocence Academy is a place where one must prove their worth. Shouldn't I simply prove myself as an instructor?"
"Prove yourself?"
"For the main exam this semester, I will ensure every single student in Class A passes. Zero dropouts. How does that sound?"
"Hmm..." Juliut let out a heavy sigh. The academy's main exam was a rigorous test that could alter a cadet's class ranking. Naturally, the exam for Class A—where the most elite cadets gathered—boasted the highest difficulty.
"There has never been a precedent for that."
"Which is exactly why it serves as proof."
"Sigh... Very well. We shall do it your way. But remember this, Edward: if even a single student fails, you may never be allowed to teach again."
"Understood. Now that we've settled that, I'll be off to see my wife."
"How on earth a slacker like him managed to get married..." Juliut muttered. Every time he saw how incredibly affectionate Edward was toward his wife, it felt utterly surreal. Before stepping out of the room, Edward offered a sly grin and left his father with one last remark.
"Well, Father, you managed to get married despite your personality, didn't you? I'll take my leave first, Principal Juliut."