Obsession and Creepiness
"Hmm, hmm..."
As I walked along lost in my own thoughts, the regressor approached from the side and cleared her throat. When I pretended not to hear and kept my eyes fixed forward, she cautiously drew even closer. On the surface I acted oblivious, but I had known for a while that she had been staring at me the entire time. Her gaze grew especially intense whenever we had to share the booklet with the rest of the group. It wasn't a murderous glare, exactly, but... how should I describe it? She fixed the group member beside me with a creepy, expressionless stare. Unlike Hestia's vacant look, this one felt heavy with emotion.
Honestly, it scared me enough to remind me of the time she had secretly broken into my dormitory.
"Ahem, ahem."
The regressor was doing her best to signal that she was right beside me and had something to say. When I continued to stay silent, she finally spoke first, as if she could no longer stand it.
"Since we're... in the same group like this, it must be fate. Shall we introduce ourselves properly?"
"Sure... whatever."
"I'm Elisha. We'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so you absolutely have to remember my name. Got it?"
"I'll remember."
When I answered curtly, Elisha stealthily poked my side with her index finger. I tried to ignore the ticklish feeling, but she poked me again and whispered.
"You don't... really need to know the other kids' names. After all, you only need to remember mine. Right?"
"......"
I glanced sideways and saw her hanging her head. I couldn't make out the full expression, but from this angle I caught a glimpse. It was that same creepy, expressionless face as before.
......What on earth is that look she makes every time she talks to me?
When our eyes actually meet she pretends nothing's wrong and giggles, but does she really think I wouldn't notice? With each new round, Elisha seems to be getting stranger. Up through the second round she had actively encouraged me to get along with the other group members, even introducing their names and all sorts of details herself. But starting in the third round she began leaving everyone else out... and now she simply tells me to remember only her name. Whether she's aware of it or not, her tone and expression are practically threatening.
That face alone is bad enough, but the way she speaks would frighten anyone. And the way her words speed up uncontrollably whenever her emotions run high... I'm seriously starting to suspect regression-induced mental illness.
- Poke! Poke!
"......"
I sidestepped to avoid Elisha's persistent poking. There was no doubt about it—her condition had grown increasingly strange lately. She had grown strong enough to approach information about the Crucifix Necklace, yet for some reason she had become fixated on bizarre things.
- Poke!
Ah, she's so persistent...!
Recognition: Interferes with the mind of any entity in contact with me.
Cognition: The sensation is felt, yet the physical entity does not exist.
I fooled the senses of the annoying Elisha. She might believe she is poking my side, but in reality her finger is hovering in empty air just short of my body.
'Stay like that for a while.'
Unfortunately this was only a trick, so if I moved too far she might notice. I had to maintain exactly this distance.
I ignored Elisha as she continued jabbing at thin air and slowly scanned our surroundings. The rustle of leaves in the wind, the crunch of dirt and broken twigs beneath Elisha and her group members' feet—these were ordinary forest sounds anyone might hear. But my sharper hearing picked up something else mixed in.
- Sniff!
The sound of a hunting dog, or... a wolf catching a scent. It was still some distance away, but once it locked onto our smell it would close the gap in an instant. The monster was stronger than freshmen should face, yet I wasn't particularly worried. After all, our group had Elisha.
I had met her once while fleeing with the stolen Saint's necklace. Even then she had been far stronger than expected, and I was certain she had obtained the secret manual containing the 'martial arts that should have been forgotten.' Still, I needed concrete confirmation. After safely retrieving the necklace, I investigated later and found exactly what I expected: the manual that should have turned to dust on the first day of that round had vanished without a trace.
It seemed Elisha had succeeded in preserving it through some unknown method. Having learned those new techniques, she had grown strong enough to rival Hestia, even if she wasn't yet at the Saint's level.
......A monster like the one now rushing toward us after catching our scent would be easy for her.
"Huh? Looks like something's coming this way."
I pointed in the direction of the approaching monster. The other group members reacted instantly.
"What? Where?"
"I-is it a monster?"
The speed with which they armed themselves was impressive. As expected of the combat department. I was just about to draw the sword I had prepared when Elisha suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"Why are you suddenly—"
I tried to pull free with a slight tug, but her grip didn't loosen. She had no intention of letting go. I looked at her; she looked back at me. Her sky-blue eyes, meeting my dark ones, were trembling.
"Y-you, why do you keep avoiding me?"
"Excuse me...?"
"Is it because you suddenly rushed at me during the entrance ceremony? Are you still angry about that?"
"......"
"I-I was just happy to see you! W-we were actually friends before, right? Don't you remember...?"
......Friends? We had never even met before I enrolled in the academy. Why was she trying to distort my memories? And when had she released my ability?
I swallowed the sigh rising in my throat and spoke to her quietly.
"A monster is coming right now."
"H-huh?"
"I need to prepare to fight too. Miss Elisha, you should get ready for battle quickly."
"Ah...! Okay!"
She hurriedly pulled out the spear slung across her back. Despite her flustered movements, the moment the weapon was in her hands her stance became perfectly balanced. Just as expected from a regressor—she was thoroughly experienced in combat.
I also took up a position facing the direction of the approaching monster and waited. From here on I simply had to follow the group leader's orders. Soon she stepped in front of me and called out loudly.
"I'll take the vanguard! Rena and Tiara, cover the rear!"
"Phew... got it!"
"Ugh, I'm so nervous..."
The two immediately moved to their assigned spots. Elisha remained in front of me while Rena and Tiara positioned themselves behind me.
But...... why did it look like the three of them were surrounding me?
"Just in case, stay right behind me. If it's dangerous, run away by yourself. Understand?"
"Yes!"
"Understood."
Rena and Tiara nodded at Elisha's words. It seemed to be a general instruction—meaning she would handle any danger alone, so safety came first.
"......"
"......"
......Yeah, I get it, so please stop staring at me.
"I will."
"Good!"
Only after hearing my reply did she finally turn her gaze forward. We waited under her protection until the sound of heavy footsteps reached us.
- Growl!
With a low bark, the monster burst from the underbrush at terrifying speed. It opened its jaws wide and lunged straight for Elisha's throat, but she wasn't an easy target. She swung her spear shaft lightly and smashed the side of its head with brutal force.
- Whine!
The creature's head spun violently as it was sent flying. I thought it might be over in one hit, but it quickly recovered and began watching us warily. It looked furious, as if it believed it had been the one ambushed after attacking first.
"That's a..."
"Why? What does the booklet say about it?"
"Dire Wolf. It says they're more aggressive than normal wolves with superior physical abilities. This one looks slightly larger than average."
It was strong compared to what the other students would encounter, but not particularly dangerous for our group. A Dire Wolf was only a little stronger than an ordinary tiger. Any combat-department student at the academy had long surpassed ordinary humans and could handle it easily. The freshmen in the class might struggle, but our group had Elisha. There was no way a mere Dire Wolf could threaten her now.
- Thud! Thud!
As expected, the Dire Wolf was pummeled like a stray dog. The two rear members occasionally lent support. Under their relentless assault the beast finally drew its last breath.
And I...... did nothing.
Yes, not that I chose not to, but that I couldn't. Every time I tried to step forward, Elisha kept pushing me back with her arm. In the end I achieved a glorious contribution score of zero to the hunt.
"......"
From behind Elisha as she severed the dead Dire Wolf's head and stuffed it into a sack, I let out a deep sigh. It felt like I was sighing more with each passing day. I had no idea what that woman thought I was.
* * *
In every round I had ended up in the same group as Elisha. So had the monster we faced in practice always been a Dire Wolf? To answer from the conclusion, it was mostly true. In the previous round our group had also fought a Dire Wolf. But earlier rounds had been different. Sometimes we encountered small slimes, other times rare golems. The monsters changed because Elisha chose different paths each time. I didn't know what change she was trying to create, but she kept seeking out different creatures.
This round, however, was unusual. Elisha had chosen the same route as last time and was facing the same Dire Wolf. Had she seen something special in the previous round? I was curious, but since it was only a small change I decided it wasn't worth worrying about too much.
"O-oh no! I accidentally got tangled in the vines... It's unavoidable, so you can touch me anywhere, just please help me get out quickly...!"
"......"
"......"
"......"
"Ah, Rena and Tiara, keep watch for monsters."
......Up until just now, that is. In my opinion, she definitely has a mental problem.