Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Tomorrow Comes☆ (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I see…☆ So Freyja is the temporary class representative… Huh? No~ that's good for me—☆ It's not like I wanted them to be destroyed or anything…♪ Not everyone joined the fight because they wanted to—☆”
I switched the phone to my other ear because of the sweat forming on my face. As early summer passed, the truly hot winds began to blow.
The ether-receiving phone, as large as a payphone, was heating up under the scorching sun. The summer in the Academy City was dry, but the sunlight was brutally hot.
Summer had finally arrived here, too.
“Yeah, uh-huh…☆ I see… So in the end, all the kids from the noble faction are heading to the outside world… Yeah, no, I get it… It couldn't be helped… Right. If anything, it must have been tougher for the —♪”
Switching the receiver from hand to hand, I was using the wired ether phone in the corner of a tailor shop in the shopping district.
The bell on the door behind me rang as a customer came in.
*Tinkle~*
The owner of the tailor shop, Old Man Hwata, who had been sitting on a chair in the distance, got up nonchalantly. He tossed the newspaper he was reading into a corner, dusted off his apron, and greeted the customer.
“…Welcome.”
“I'm here to drop off another coat for cleaning, just like last time...”
“Give it here.”
The customer who came in glanced at me with an indifferent look and spoke.
“That young lady is on the phone here again, isn't she? Is she a part-timer here, by any chance?”
“Part-timer? Nah. She's just a student from around here.”
“Ah… I see.”
*Awkward...*
The customer was a dwarf resident who always came around 1 PM to drop off a coat. He ran a small office in the neighboring shopping district.
‘I've come to realize that I can pretty much figure out the personal details of the people who come and go just by eavesdropping...’
I'd been taking calls here for so long that I'd even gotten to know the faces of the regular customers. Of course, they had also come to remember me as the totem in front of the phone.
‘I came right after lunch, so it feels like about an hour has passed...’
As I glanced to the side and continued the call hesitantly, Hilde spoke with concern from the other end. And so, to ease her many worries, the conversation would continue.
“Yeah, yeah…☆ I know… Huh? A past life? No, not that—♪ It's more like, I just had a feeling it would be that way~ you know—☆”
The call stretched on endlessly.
Old Man Hwata's gaze grew increasingly sharp. But just when I thought it was time to wrap things up, a new topic would always pop up.
“…I see. Lara, don't worry too much about your gender or identity. I love you, including all of that. I can wait until you are completely sure of your own feelings.”
“…Yeah☆ Thanks.”
“Anyway, while various May events, including the midterm exams, were canceled, the new opinion from the representatives of each school is for the united representatives to gather for a meeting...”
Plus, it was about cleaning up the mess from the recent commotion, so I couldn't just tune it out. These daily calls with Hilde weren't just for sharing sweet nothings.
They were also for properly dividing the roles between the two of us, who now knew about the Academy City, ... and the knowledge of the original story.
In fact, thinking about the future,
I desperately wanted to install an ether phone at school, but...
‘Even if we wanted to install an ether phone at school, we'd have to start construction from scratch because of the communication lines and base station locations... doesn't have that kind of money yet, so it's not even a dream we can entertain.’
In the month since the incident.
With the now-stronger underclassmen actively exploring dungeons, the school's financial situation had improved significantly. However, we still didn't have enough money to freely carry out facility construction.
If I told Hilde about this now,
she would probably offer to pay for the installation out of her own pocket, but...
‘…I don't want to burden Hilde any more.’
Hilde was already shouldering countless problems of the Academy City by herself.
Just the fact that she was being considerate enough to let me focus on the things left behind by [The Three Heroes]... I already felt like I was burdening her enough.
This was something I, as a senior of , had to resolve someday.
‘No matter how I think about it, once you start relying on your partner financially... there's no end to it. That's a real no-go...’
I was afraid of becoming numb to asking for favors myself. I didn't want to become someone who cunningly exploited Hilde's love and the shamelessness of the Pretty Filter.
The sensibilities of a working adult, rearing their head for the first time in a while.
I stopped twirling the phone cord with my finger and organized my thoughts.
“…”
We had already talked enough. Continuing the call like this would just be an inconvenience to Old Man Hwata at the tailor shop.
I decided to wrap up today's regular call. Just as I was about to hang up after one last check-in on each other...
“…”
“…”
...Hilde on the other end of the line didn't hang up, but remained silent. Her faint breathing seemed to be waiting, filled with anticipation.
Hmm.
No matter how I looked at it, it was *that*.
A month had already passed since we became a community of fate and, officially, something akin to lovers. I was slowly starting to recognize the signs of when she wanted to be coddled.
‘I thought she was always so cool, but she's surprisingly possessive and needs a lot of affection... It's even scarier because she doesn't say it outright.’
If I had formed more diverse relationships in my past life, I might have been able to catch more of these signals. But even this was a pretty revolutionary development for me.
“…”
I glanced around before performing the finishing touch of affection.
*Awkward...*
No matter if I was wearing the skin of a beautiful girl and had the help of the Pretty Filter... it was still embarrassing to be seen by others.
“…”
The coat guy and Old Man Hwata finished their conversation and went their separate ways. Now, there was no one around watching me.
“Well then…☆”
Like a sparrow pecking at water, I brought my mouth to the phone. And then, I pressed my lips against it, as if stamping a seal.
*Smooch—☆*
“…Let's talk again soon—☆”
“…Okay.”
*Click—*
“…”
Honestly... Hilde's sensibility, actively requesting such cringey acts of affection even though she knew my past self was a man who'd lived a full life... was, in a way, terrifying.
But well…
It's not like my lips will wear out, so what's the harm in doing it?
After wiping the phone, I approached Old Man Hwata and thanked him.
“…”
At that, Old Man Hwata glanced my way and spoke.
“You in a relationship?”
“Ooh—☆”
Oops, busted—☆
But I never openly said 'I love you' or anything on the phone...?
I even used my perception ability to make sure no one was around for the affection part... and most importantly, I thoroughly wiped my saliva off the phone.
Old Man Hwata shot a look at my slightly surprised face, then chuckled and shook his head.
“It's obvious, you little brat. Totally obvious.”
“Oh my☆ Were you eavesdropping on a lady's entire conversation—♪ That's something a very bad adult would do~☆”
“You were chattering so much I stopped paying attention a long time ago.”
“Oh my…☆”
Old Man Hwata waved his mechanical hand in front of his face as if shooing a fly and said.
“Heh heh... Your face, brat. Your face is different.”
“My... face...?”
“The brat who was always grinning like an idiot without a care in the world is suddenly trying to hide her demure little smiles, and the fact that you're trying not to show you're grinning makes it obvious. Heh heh heh...”
“Ahaha…☆”
Is that so?
At Old Man Hwata's words, I rubbed my face with my palm and…
Indeed.
I realized the corners of my mouth were slightly turned up.
“…”
As I touched my face and fidgeted awkwardly, Old Man Hwata spoke in an indifferent tone.
“This is a good time for you. So don't feel burdened, and just enjoy it for what it is. Clara.”
“…Ahaha☆ Thank you—☆”
“Before you're a senior, you're a student, aren't you?”
“Thank, you...”
The tailor shop's Old Man Hwata waved his hand dismissively.
I bowed my head deeply, then got on my Red Hare parked in front of the shop. Then I headed back to school, following the hilly road to .
*Ch-ring—☆*
“…”
Old Man Hwata's last words kept replaying in my mind on the way back.
***
The temporary office of the .
The main student council building, which had survived the attack from [The Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle], was opened as a shelter for those who had lost their homes in the Golden District.
The executives of the were handling administrative tasks in a small, rented office nearby. However, a sudden sound of thunder began to echo from the student council president's office next door.
*Ruuuumble—*
*Ruuuumble—*
*Ruuuumble—*
“…”
Vel, who was organizing a mountain of documents, plugged her ears with cotton balls. As this was not the first time this had happened, her movements were perfectly efficient.
“…”
*Ruuuumble—*
*Ruuuumble—*
*Ruuuumble—*
The sound rang out ceaselessly, like thunder during an unseasonable monsoon. And right next to her, Sieglinde, who was also organizing documents, was muttering like a wailing ghost.
“The President... for the President to make such a... such a face... How could this be... That pink-haired girl, what in the world...!”
“…”
Vel remained silent, even hearing those words through the cotton balls.
She and Sieglinde were the same age, but she couldn't understand that endless admiration for their boss. After all, wasn't the boss also just a girl in the prime of her youth?
‘Just what does she think the Student Council President is...’
Vel looked at the trembling black wolf ears and thought of the only sane person, who was currently dispatched to .
‘Erda... why did you have to leave the vice presidency to that muscle-brained wolf... Thanks to you, I'm the only one left to do any work.’
Vel sighed, recalling the situation in the eastern district, which had now been completely reorganized around .
‘When I was out there by myself, it was peaceful and nice.’
To be precise, she was missing the days at the eastern garrison, which had now been completely handed over to 's jurisdiction. Being the head of a snake back then was much freer and better than being the tail of a dragon now.
“*Sigh...*”
*Creek—!*
As if on cue with Vel's sigh, the door to the temporary student council president's office flew open. At the sound, the executives and even the regular students handling administrative work all stood up.
Student Council President Brynhildr stood in the doorway with a blank expression.
“…!”
“…!”
*Perk!*
The moment Sieglinde saw her face, her gloomy expression vanished, and she quickly reported with the sharp posture of a soldier.
“No issues with the current work progress, President!”
“…Sieglinde.”
“Yes, President!”
“Have you... have you ever been in love?”
“Ma'am...?”
...?
What in the world was she talking about?
For the regular students from , who had only learned to command and obey, that question was too difficult.
Ignoring their confusion.
Brynhildr staggered into the office and collapsed into a chair. Then she stared blankly into space and muttered.
“Love, love is... a great thing.”
“…?”
“…?”
“To think the world could look this beautiful...”
“…”
“…”
“*Phew...* All of you, hurry and find your own destiny. To think that love could be such a boost to morale...!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
“Yes, ma'am!”
While everyone moved their mouths to repeat the command in unison.
Vel silently mouthed the words, thinking desperately to herself.
‘Erda... please come back...! There's nothing but idiots here...!’
***
Back at school.
The underclassmen, who had already returned from their dungeon exploration, were taking off their gear and washing up at the water pump.
“Yahoo—☆ Welcome back~!”
“Oh, Senior!”
Alvitt, who was in the middle of washing the dirt off her knee pads, threw them aside and ran over barefoot, only to quickly dash back to the pump.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch...!”
“Honestly... I told you not to walk barefoot over there, it's been baking in the sun.”
“Hehe, I thought it'd be fine since I wet it with water.”
“What are you talking about...”
*Meeeoow—!*
As if on cue with Lotha's scolding, an orange cat appeared from somewhere, running over with a pair of slippers in its mouth.
Alvitt slipped her wet, glistening feet into the slippers and ran over again.
“Welcome back, Senior! Are you done with your call?”
“Yep☆ The Academy City is peaceful today, too—☆”
“I still can't believe you're on those terms with the United Student Council President. And to think you've been recovering your strength all this time...”
“Ahaha…☆ That's why I told you to believe me~”
“No matter how I look at it, it's just hard to believe.”
Alvitt looked at me with a complicated expression.
“…”
I gave a bitter smile at her expression.
Hilde was the only one who had heard the story of [The Golden Witch], and I didn't have the confidence to tell the underclassmen the whole truth myself. In the end, rather than telling them the complete truth, I just let them know that the situation had improved.
That I was slowly growing strong again.
And that [The Faded Spiral] was a distorted version of the story of the Beast God...
‘In truth, it's not a complete lie, just a slightly different perspective.’
That alone was enough for them to believe my words, for now.
‘Someday, when all of this is over, I want to tell you my story, too.’
Not yet.
It didn't feel like the time was right.
At least, when all the armaments of [The Three Heroes] were gathered...
I felt I would be able to have a conversation with the [Fate] of this world.
“…”
I looked at Alvitt, lost in such thoughts.
She was wearing a short-sleeved summer uniform due to the now-warmer weather. Her student council coat was tucked away in her closet.
Alvitt moved her pale arms, exposed by the short sleeves, and spoke.
“Anyway, the summer uniform is nice and all, but without the coat, it gets visibly dirty so quickly, which is a pain...”
“Really? I actually like it because it's easier to do laundry—☆”
“If you're so afraid of getting dirty, why not just go without clothes...?”
“Hey, do you really think that makes any sense?”
Lotha, Kara, and I... we had all changed into short-sleeved summer uniforms. Only Alvitt, the student council president, wore an armband with the school's crest on her right bicep.
Our student council president.
Alvitt suddenly looked at me and said.
“By the way, Senior, are your preparations for the final exams going well?”
“Ahahahaha…☆”
Heroes don't do things like studying~