134. I Have No Friends (2)
134. I Have No Friends (2)
I lightly knocked on the door three times with the back of my hand, scratched my head, and waited for an answer.
"Who is it?"
Fortunately, she was inside.
"Me."
"Huh? The old man's here? What's up?"
"...I came to see whether your research was going smoothly."
I couldn't tell her that I had pressed the emergency escape button and wandered here without a destination. Even with my poor social skills, I knew there were things one should and should not say.
"Mm, there's not much progress."
"The prosthetic?"
"Way better than before."
Viola raised the prosthetic as she spoke. It looked like an ordinary arm from the outside, but inside it was still a conventional prosthetic. This was the result of her work throughout the break.
She had separately developed a lightweight prosthetic for daily life and another for special purposes.
Because its materials prioritized lightness, its durability left something to be desired, but it felt reasonably similar to a real arm. Its grip and other strengths were weak, though those could be improved over time.
"Glad to hear it. The last one had an issue with the joints breaking too easily."
"Making the joints like a doll's was the right call, I told you. Simplifying the joints makes them easy to repair and they break down less..."
"Though the load-bearing strength on the joints is a little weak."
"That part is a bit inconvenient. Whenever I try to lift something kind of heavy, the joint can't support it. I nearly dropped a box full of empty potion bottles just a bit ago, you know?"
It supported less weight than I had expected. The daily-use prosthetic had been developed in spare moments between dungeon trips, so the shortcomings were understandable. I'd even had to make a round trip to a city a week away because of the dungeon.
The real problem was that we hadn't found even the first trace of a holy relic.
I knew holy relics were rarely found in dungeons, but if the system had assigned a mission, could it not have provided at least one? At this point, it felt as though the system was deliberately preventing Karina's recovery.
...It was only a passing thought, but was the system's true intention really the True Ending?
"Old man?"
"Ah. Sorry. What were we talking about?"
"The joints. How about we just swap the joint material for something else? Like, for example..."
Viola talked without pause as she explained each material she'd considered. She wasn't normally talkative, but nobody spoke more than her when this subject came up. I responded where appropriate and passed the time.
All I had to do was be back by dinner anyway—
"U-um... Y-Yohan...?"
A familiar voice came from behind me while I was speaking with Viola. I turned and blinked at the purple-haired girl peeking through the doorway.
Why was she here?
-------------------------
"...So, you're saying they're friends."
"Yeah."
"F-f-friends..."
Why the sudden creepy laugh?
I stared at Elisa—whom I had seen before, but who remained gloom incarnate—then looked at Viola and silently asked a question.
What was wrong with her?
Beats me.
While we exchanged silent messages, Elisa repeated the word "friends" like a video looping on XTube, wearing an expression that could have been laughter or tears.
Still, it was surprising that Elisa had a friend at all.
Or perhaps it was more surprising that I had never once seen Elisa and Viola together.
"So, what brings you here?"
"U-um, the semester is starting soon, so... I was wondering what l-lectures you were taking..."
"Me? Hmm... I haven't decided on anything except my Alchemy Department courses."
Major courses. That reminded me of college. Back then, I had definitely...
What had I done?
I was fairly sure I had attended, but I could not remember. I must have gone to lectures, hung out, and had a campus relationship... Had I? Fragments surfaced, but I had no memory of ever having a girlfriend.
Did that mean I'd been single since birth for at least thirty years?
"Dungeon Exploration Studies is a required first-year general course, so you need that. Then Basic Mathematics, Semiotics, Monster Ecology, Etiquette, Languages..."
"A-are you taking all of those?"
"The upperclassmen told me it'd be easier later if I took them all in first year. They said if I spread them out, I'd go through hell for all three years..."
Apparently there was some interaction between upper- and lower-year students here. The game had never given me that impression. Was this another difference between the game and reality? I listened curiously to their conversation while looking around the laboratory.
Unknown liquids glittered in glass containers, countless bottles were stacked in a corner, and rows of drawers bore the names of materials. Unlike the usual image of a laboratory, Viola's was quite tidy. Since she brewed tea well, perhaps she could cook too. It was a baseless guess.
"...Th-then I should revise my schedule too."
"You'll suffer later if you leave it like that. Redo it. I'll help you."
"Th-thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? You saved my life—"
"Saved your life?"
"U-um, you know about it, Yohan, don't you? The Squad 3 leader..."
"Ah, that incident."
So Viola had been the student who nearly got kidnapped. At the time, I'd focused only on Elisa and the Squad 3 leader, so I hadn't realized it. I never imagined the two were connected that way.
"Huh? Old man, were you the one back then?"
"If you mean the person who subdued the Squad 3 leader, yes."
"So you saved me then too."
"Then too?"
"It's nothing."
Was she referring to the prosthetic? Viola wouldn't explain, so I could only guess. Elisa looked between us in surprise as we spoke. What was with that reaction?
"Elisa, is there something you want to say?"
"U-um... I didn't know that the old man Viola mentioned was you, Yohan."
"I never imagined you two knew each other either."
"Ah, I think I understand. Elisa certainly..."
Viola apparently decided not to finish and looked away. Elisa tilted her head, seemingly unaware of what she had meant.
"Elisa."
"Yes?"
"Do you not have any friends in the Magic Department?"
"F-friends..."
Viola's head drooped like a ripened stalk of rice.
"Old man, isn't that too much? Why attack her weak point out of nowhere?"
"...Sorry."
Still, I wished she wouldn't kneel on the floor and mutter incomprehensibly.
"N-no... I-it's my fault for not having friends..."
"Elisa, raise your head. Having no friends is nothing to be ashamed of. I went more than twenty years without any myself."
I had probably had friends before my transmigration, but I couldn't remember them, so I decided they did not count.
"I-is that so...?"
"It is. In that sense, you and I are the same kind of person."
Viola's stare stung. I desperately ignored the look that said, 'What the hell is this lunatic talking about?' and continued.
"You can make friends one at a time from now on. Start with Millia. You are already familiar with her—"
"U-um, what about you, Yohan...?"
"Wouldn't it be strange to call me your friend?"
There was an age gap, and unlike Viola—who was merely gloomy and could look beautiful when she dressed properly—I resembled a gang boss.
"That would create a rather dangerous picture."
At Viola's words, I looked at Elisa, closed my eyes, and imagined the two of us standing side by side.
"...Can't deny that."
"U-um... I think you're a wonderful person, Yohan! Y-your face is sc-scary, but you're k-kind... capable... and..."
"There's no need to squeeze out compliments."
Maybe it was time to return.
I'd passed enough time—
I stood and stretched. Sitting still for so long made my body ache. Remaining idle still made me uneasy. Habits were frightening; sometimes merely resting like this filled me with anxiety.
What if all of this was a dream or illusion?
What if I fell asleep and woke in my house on the uninhabited island?
The prison where I'd lived for ten years remained alive inside me. Life on the island had completely changed who I was, so forgetting it would probably require just as many years.
...Though I might die before then.
"I should return now."
"Hmm? Since you're here, why don't we grab lunch together? I know a decent place—"
Viola's suggestion was tempting, but I shook my head. I'd left in a hurry without finishing my work, and there were things in the workshop that still needed attention.
"Thank you, but I'll pass. Someone is waiting for me—"
"I wanna come too!"
Millia?
Why was she here too?
I stared at Millia after she flung open the door and entered.
"Millia, how did you get here—"
"Ah, she visits my laboratory sometimes. She seems interested in alchemy, so—"
Could someone explain how this social circle had formed?
Please.