Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Episode 15
After Oz left, Arietta slumped back in her chair and rested her head on the desk. Olivia Blue, the girl with neatly tied blue hair, approached her.
"Saintess."
"Thank you for waiting, Olivia."
"No, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I can't cling to past relationships forever, can I?"
Arietta lifted her head. There was regret on her face, but no remorse. However, the pain lingered.
Saying she was fine was a lie. How could she be fine?
"So, we can just start over. We've changed too much anyway."
The [Saintess of Hope], Arietta Domine, never lost hope, no matter what. She had to be someone's hope. The guide who had to stand at the forefront and lead others couldn't remain slumped over like this.
"We just have to start over."
"...Saintess."
Olivia hesitated for a moment, as if in thought, before speaking to Arietta.
"Excuse me, but would it be alright if I went out for some fresh air?"
"Yes, it's fine. Go ahead."
"I'll be back as soon as possible."
Olivia bowed her head to Arietta and carefully left the room. However, contrary to her words, Olivia slumped against the door as soon as she stepped outside Arietta's office. Arietta would have noticed if anyone was present in the Disciplinary Committee room, but Olivia didn't care.
-Liar...
A moment later, a sobbing sound came from the other side of the door.
-You said you would come back for me.
Even though she had moved on from the past relationship, even though she had accepted reality, it didn't mean it wasn't painful. Olivia, slumped on the floor, pretended not to hear the sound and guarded Arietta, separated by a small door.
-Oz is a liar.
The person she served must never cry in front of others. She occasionally gave Arietta time like this. Even though she couldn't cry in front of others, it was too heavy a burden to bear alone. So, separated by a small door, she let out her emotions.
"Sigh..."
If only Oz had disappeared. Olivia thought that, but she also respected him. Oz had already noticed Olivia's hidden presence when he was talking to Arietta. It was impossible not to notice. Even if it wasn't Oz, anyone would have noticed. Even within Scientia, the Saintess Arietta couldn't be left unguarded. Moreover, the lights were on in the Disciplinary Committee building. There was no need for the lights to be on if Arietta was alone.
"This is tiring."
Oz pretended not to know, even though he knew everything. Both his relationship with Arietta and Olivia's vigilance. He focused solely on Arietta. It was the last consideration he could offer, but for Arietta, who had been waiting for him, it was a disappointingly indifferent response.
"What should I do...?"
Arietta wanted to intervene in Oz's life. Even though she had moved on from their past relationship, she couldn't give up on Oz. That was her nature. On the other hand, Oz wanted to distance himself from Arietta. He was well aware of his precarious situation, walking through a minefield. That's why he didn't want to involve Arietta. That was his nature.
Arietta, who could never sever ties, and Oz, who could sever all ties if necessary.
"This is so difficult..."
Olivia couldn't take either side. Her heart wanted to help Arietta, but rationally, it was right to respect Oz's wishes. That's why she couldn't do anything. She did nothing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I left the Disciplinary Committee room with a lingering sense of unease. The erosion rate that had surpassed its limit, and the unfamiliar emotions that bloomed after seeing Arietta's smile, constricted my heart.
"Tsk..."
Let's go eat. It was already late, but there were many places open late within Scientia. Some were aspiring chefs, others were outsiders simply trying to make money.
I randomly chose a nearby shop that still had its lights on and entered. The NPC I saw was from the game. He wasn't an important character, but I occasionally saw him when I bought stamina recovery items. However, even seeing such game-like elements didn't lower my [Erosion Rate], which had surpassed 20%.
"May I take your order, sir?"
"...This."
I was still not used to speaking informally to strangers. But I was the [Successor to the Mage King], even if I was currently on the run. Speaking formally to commoners might make them uncomfortable. So, it was better to maintain an arrogant tone. I was thrown into such a world.
However, it was harder than I thought to maintain that tone, so I often trailed off at the end of my sentences.
"Let me confirm your order. One sirloin steak. Is that correct?"
"And are there any dishes available for takeout...? Something that can last until tomorrow would be nice."
"Hmm... I'll ask the owner. Please wait a moment."
The brown-haired employee left after a moment of contemplation. Speaking informally was still difficult. How was I just now? Did I act like Oz?
I mechanically ate the steak that came out a little later, not really tasting it, and packed the takeout food. They were dishes without easily spoiled vegetables. Meat was good. I liked the extravagance.
"Thank you, come again!"
As I walked through the academy, the world suddenly felt dark. There were streetlights and brightly shining stars, but it felt like dark clouds had gathered.
[Erosion Rate 21%]
A dream. Yes, this was a dream. The [Erosion Rate], having finally surpassed the limit of 20%, was showing me a dream. So, I was dreaming. But it wasn't my dream. It was Oz's dream. A dream of living an unremarkable life in an unremarkable monastery.
"Oz!"
Someone called out to me, who was sitting quietly reading a book. No, they called out to Oz, not me. I turned around and saw a girl with pure white hair and sparkling mint-green eyes.
"Arietta, you're loud."
There were only four children in the monastery: Oz, Arietta, and the red-haired siblings. Their lives were nothing special.
They woke up in the morning, prayed, and ate breakfast. They cleaned the monastery, received simple education, prayed again, and ate lunch. They did their assigned chores, played during their free time, prayed and ate dinner when evening came, read books, and went to sleep.
That was their daily routine. It might seem monotonous and unremarkable, but they were undoubtedly happy. Oz, perhaps because he had that personality since he was young, didn't outwardly express his emotions. Arietta, on the other hand, was bright and cheerful. It was quite a contrast to her current demure self.
"This child."
"Yes, this is the child..."
"We'll take her from here."
"I understand..."
And that seemingly eternal, unremarkable world began to be tinged with peculiarity. The peculiarity seeped into them, uninvited. Arietta was separated from everyone because of that peculiarity. The one who came for her was none other than the Pope. The head of the small monastery couldn't possibly refuse.
"Hey, Oz."
"...What."
"I, I have to leave tomorrow. God chose me, so I have to go."
"I see."
"Oz, you won't forget me, will you?"
"..."
"Promise? Don't forget me, and come get me later, okay?"
Oz was indifferent. He didn't even turn his head at Arietta's words, who was leaving tomorrow. He seemed callous. He just answered briefly and curtly.
"Yes."
But I could understand. I understood what kind of arrogance Oz held back then, what a truly Oz-like sentiment it was. Oz, that arrogant and talented boy, answered without turning his head, engrossed in his book. He was pretending to be calm, but inside, a storm of emotions raged.
After saying goodbye to Arietta, Oz muttered quietly. His eyes never left the book, as if he wanted to absorb everything within it.
"...I'll definitely come back for you."
If the being who took Arietta was God...
He wanted to surpass God.
[Erosion Rate 20%]
Morning came as usual. The difference from before was that I didn't feel tired. Oz's body was surprisingly robust.
"Ha...!"
The dream I just had... I didn't want to learn about the game's backstory like this. Was it too late?
[Erosion Rate 15%]
Perhaps because of the dream...
[Erosion Rate 10%]
The [Erosion Rate], which hadn't decreased since the incident with Arietta, started plummeting again.
[Erosion Rate 10%]
However, it didn't go below a certain level. I wasn't sure if the minimum value had changed or if I was still struggling, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
"Sigh..."
I put on my uniform, attached the Disciplinary Committee armband, ate the takeout food I packed yesterday, and left the dormitory. It might seem late, but I felt alienated by the fact that I was alone. I was starting to accept this world.
As I walked through the academy, I saw a familiar face. Our attention-seeker, Eleanor.
"Hah!"
Eleanor was unusually practicing, swinging her greatsword. Seeing her like this, when she was usually preoccupied with how to get attention, felt strange.
"Noah, what's up? It's not like you to be training in the morning."
"Ah, Master Oz... Huh? M-Master joined the Disciplinary Committee?"
Eleanor, approaching me with a bright smile, froze when she saw the white armband on my shoulder. Did she look like a thief with a guilty conscience? Was it just my imagination?
"Confess. What trouble did you cause this morning?"
"I didn't cause any trouble."
"...Are you planning to later?"
"Master tends to see me as a criminal."
Your criminal record is quite extensive. The mere fact that she, who usually strived to attract attention, was swinging a sword was chilling. I hated to say this, but her actions made me think she was preparing for future mischief.
"Then why are you training?"
"Isn't the freshman welcoming party coming up soon?"
"That's right."
"But at a party, everyone wants to be the center of attention, right?"
"I don't think that's necessarily true, but let's assume it is."
"The noble kids will probably wear pretty dresses... Anyway, they'll definitely dress up, right? Isn't that unfair?"
"But you're..."
I almost said, "But you're royalty." What amazing camouflage skills. Was it an act so convincing that she even fooled herself? Why did you of all people hate nobles? It was rather sad, when I thought about it. Yes, Eleanor was probably thinking about the times she enjoyed parties at the Chrysos royal palace. She was a beloved princess, so she must have been happy. Perhaps this kind of party reminded her of the past. In her current situation, even getting a dress would be difficult. And even if she could, it would be hard to be the center of attention because of the people around her. Perhaps that's why she was trying to rebuild the Chrysos Kingdom as soon as possible? That might be why she was training, swinging her sword from early in the morning.
Perhaps I was mistaken. She was an attention-seeker, but she was also royalty with a noble mission. I felt guilty.
"So, I'm going to turn the party, where I can't be the center of attention, into a mess. Yes! I'll destroy it! That's what this training is for. You'll help me then, right, Master?"
No, I didn't need to feel guilty. Eleanor was simply crazier than I imagined.
"...Shall we discuss the details at the Disciplinary Committee room?"
She was speaking with a bright smile, but her mindset of destroying what she couldn't have was chilling. Having achieved an early morning accomplishment as a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I decided to quietly attend class, leaving Eleanor behind.
After the common classes in the morning ended, Eleanor approached me again, seemingly with a complaint.
"Master Oz, don't you think this is strange?"
"Yeah, it is strange."
Mainly your head.
"I've been wondering for a while, but do the members of the Disciplinary Committee not attend classes? Why do they always hold me back until I'm late? This is the third time already! My mornings and afternoons are filled with tardiness! I've already started getting warnings!"
Three times... Once on orientation day, once today, and one more time somewhere I didn't know about? Technically, there were only morning classes on orientation day, so she messed up every single time. It hadn't even been that long since the semester started. The fact that she was already a regular at the Disciplinary Committee was a problem in itself. What was she doing to get caught by them so often? What was she doing where I couldn't see?
"They probably have free time since there are no common classes from the second year onwards."
Putting aside Eleanor's strange head, I answered her question.
"Are their credits okay?"
"They get credits for Disciplinary Committee activities."
"That's unfair. Then only I get penalty points."
"Sometimes, I admire your shameless mindset..."
The problem was that she only did things that warranted penalty points. I got up, ignoring Eleanor's absurd complaint.
"Are you skipping afternoon classes and going out to play again today? That's unfair. I'm jealous. I want to be a noble too."
"..."
I barely managed to swallow the words that were about to come out of my mouth. How could she, who was born royalty, have such natural animosity towards nobles, unlike me, who was a symbolic noble? If it was an act, it was incredible.
"I'm going to class today."
"Is that so? Then Master's schedule for today is... Basic Combat, right?"
"How do you know that...?"
"Ehehe..."
[Contemplation - Activated]
This was strange. There was no reason for her to memorize my schedule. I had never shown it to her. Moreover, even if it was the same class, the schedule would be different if the instructor was different. There was no way she could know unless she investigated separately.
"Are you investigating the Disciplinary Committee's movements in advance to cause trouble at the freshman party?"
I looked at the silent Eleanor with [Contemplation]. Say something. I'll see through all your lies.
"...Ahem."
"Noah of Class 1-4. By the authority of the Disciplinary Committee, I'm giving you penalty points."
"Oh no...!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As Noah informed me, my afternoon class was Basic Combat. Since it was a combat class, it was held outdoors. There weren't many students. Those aiming to be warriors or guardians, whose main weapons were combat skills, started from the beginner or intermediate level, where the subjects became more specialized, skipping the basics. Similarly, aspiring mages also skipped the basics and started from the beginner or intermediate level. Of course, I skipped the beginner level as well. There was no reason to spend time on it since I could already copy it.
"Hahaha! I never imagined the famous Oz would attend my class."
"Ah, yes..."
The one who spoke to me so casually was Gerard Oren, the instructor who taught Basic Combat and Intermediate Fighting Techniques. He was a muscular man with a friendly aura.
"You made a wise decision. No matter how strong your magic is, close combat can be dangerous. Learning simple self-defense techniques can help you catch your opponent off guard."
"I agree."
There wouldn't be much I could learn from Gerard Oren. As he said, it would only be at the level of self-defense. Most of the students attending this class probably had the same thought. But I had another reason for attending this class.
"Let's warm up first. If you make sudden movements with tense muscles, you'll regret it later."
Gerard Oren, the boss of Chapter 1 of the main story, was from the Chrysos Kingdom. He was an instructor at Scientia, so he was safe, but his family, trapped in Chrysos, was killed. The outline of Chapter 1 was him directing his anger and resentment towards Eleanor. The reason Gerard attacked Eleanor was because of a rumor circulating that the Chrysos royal family had incurred the wrath of the heavens and was being punished. It was unlikely for an instructor to easily believe such rumors, but Gerard chose to believe it. He needed an outlet for his anger and resentment.
[Contemplation - Activated]
I looked at Gerard with [Contemplation] and saw a burning rage hidden behind his friendly smile. Unfortunately, it seemed difficult to intervene beforehand. Judging by the circumstances, he had already noticed Eleanor's presence. He couldn't possibly miss her, since she loved being among the commoners. A simple haircut couldn't fool those who knew her well.
"Hmm? Is something the matter, Oz?"
Gerard Oren was strong. It was only natural since he was an instructor who taught up to Intermediate Fighting Techniques. In terms of game characters, he was probably an SR-rank character. I wouldn't be able to beat him even if I was resurrected, considering I had just started learning intermediate-level magic. So, I couldn't use a direct approach.
"I'm currently being targeted by numerous assassins."
"..."
"I want to know if the techniques you teach will be useful to me. Whether they're worth learning."
It was a class I chose myself. But I had to act arrogant, as if it was a natural question, like Oz. I declared to Professor Gerard,
"Show me your skills. Are you capable?"
I needed to know his fighting style in advance. Even though this was a world inside a game, it was obvious that he wouldn't move like a game character. He wouldn't simply follow a monster's pattern.
"...Very well, Prince Oz. Considering your situation, such a question is understandable."
His address changed from "student" to "Prince." [Contemplation] read Gerard's emotions once again.
"However, I hope you understand that you're not the onl
y one attending this class. Shall we finish this quickly?"
The emotion hidden behind his friendly smile was still a burning rage.
"This will hurt a little."
And contempt.
I wasn't sure about other things, but I could guarantee this: I had played my role perfectly this time. Gerard started running straight towards me.