138. The Stormy Transfer Student (2)
138. The Stormy Transfer Student (2)
"Oh, it was the year 546? In 536, Prince Florence attempted to assassinate the emperor!"
"That's right. You must have mixed them up."
Professor Galleon wore a satisfied expression. Judging from the students muttering among themselves asking what the answer was, more people than I'd thought didn't know it.
History evidently wasn't a popular subject here, same as in my old world.
"Millia. I'm told you scored 82 on the history portion of the transfer exam. I have high hopes for you."
"Heehee, thank you!"
An 82. High, but also a slightly ambiguous score.
If the professor was this pleased, the students' grades in history must not have been great. Professor Galleon's eyes brimmed with admiration for her. A student who actually studied history diligently—wasn't that the rarest species in every history lecture?
He might even have been thinking of taking her on as a graduate student.
The professor seemed to like her, and the students' mood wasn't hostile, so it looked like things would wrap up on that warm and fuzzy note.
If Millia hadn't shot her hand straight up.
"Professor! I have a question about the drought event of Imperial Year 656 you mentioned earlier!"
Millia, stop.
At that rate, she really might end up a graduate student.
At Millia's question, the professor's eyes curved into crescent moons. By any standard, it was a face that screamed he was absolutely delighted. The students stirred restlessly at the sight of Millia raising her hand and firing off questions.
"Someone's asking questions in History of the Continent?"
"First time this year, isn't it?"
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"Nope, nobody did it at all in the first semester. Wouldn't be surprised if she's the first among the first-years."
"Figures, she's a transfer."
Were these people really elites? Were elites not supposed to raise their hands and bombard the professor with questions? I felt horror at the state of education in this world—and a deep sense of kinship.
But at least I went to a school on the outskirts of Seoul. Wasn't this place supposed to be the Harvard of this world?
...Well, whatever.
People lived here too, so of course some lectures were unpopular. History of the Continent was simply one of them.
I glanced back and forth between Millia, who was peppering him with questions, and Professor Galleon, who was answering each one kindly with a practically sparkling face, then leaned my back against the wall.
My position only required me to watch over Karina, so it didn't matter to me if Millia kept firing off one question after another.
The next lecture was at least an hour away anyway.
Millia could do whatever she wanted.
------------------------------
No people within the safe perimeter. No abnormalities on the walls. No abnormalities on the ceiling. Numerous hostile gazes detected—but none directed at Karina. Entrance to the Secret Passage in good condition. Emergency evacuation route confirmed and memorized.
"Heehee, look at this! I asked a crazy amount of questions!"
Once the barrage of questions ended and the professor left, Millia came over to where I was surveying the area and opened her notebook for me. It was packed with notes in slightly crooked handwriting. Judging by those notes alone, anyone would have taken her for a student overflowing with academic passion.
"You must've had a lot of questions."
"Yeah! It's fun!"
"Millia doesn't much like homework, but she's full of enthusiasm for studying."
"But homework's just kind of annoying."
As her wheelchair rolled along, Karina quietly praised Millia. I'd never really seen Millia study, so I hadn't known how hard she'd worked. She had essentially entered a prestigious academy after studying for only a few months. Karina's teaching had helped, of course, but...
"I-I was s-surprised... It's the f-first time I've s-seen someone raise their hand and a-ask a question..."
"If you're curious about something, you just raise your hand and ask, don't you?"
Millia looked genuinely baffled that no one else did the same. The sight made me chuckle. There was no professor who disliked a student eager to ask questions.
"True. You're right. Still, it might be better to ask him privately."
"Why?"
"Because other students don't like it when the lecture drags on late."
"Is that so?"
Karina, who'd been quietly listening to us, tilted her head. It looked like school life was new for her too, and she didn't really get it. Anyway, Karina was the Saintess, so unless she suddenly went insane and went on a rampage, people would probably love her no matter what she did.
Objectively speaking, Millia was merely a female student of unknown background. If she drew attention for no reason, she might become the subject of malicious rumors.
The world was the kind of place where people badmouthed you merely for standing out, even when you had done nothing wrong. Since this world was packed with people armed to the teeth with elitism, it was hard to judge whether standing out was a good thing.
Did I need to accomplish something and wring a noble title out of them?
If I saved up a decent amount of money and bought a title, it'd probably make things a lot smoother going forward.
...Perhaps it was worth seriously considering.
"Yeah, yeah. Like he said, a lot of kids kinda hate it when a class runs late."
"That's fascinating."
"You'll understand once you've been to a few more lectures, Saintess."
"You can call me Karina."
"Ah... calling the Saintess by just her first name is still way too high a hurdle for me, though..."
"R-Right..."
Viola had only known Karina for a few days and still seemed awkward around her. Elisa chimed in agreement, so it looked like Karina was still rather intimidating to her too.
Which was understandable.
Their relationship with Karina felt less like friendship and more like being friends of a friend. Even Elisa, who had known her longer than the others, saw Karina more as a benefactor, so speaking casually to her must have felt awkward.
On top of that, the problem was how the people around them made it hard to speak casually.
She wasn't merely a noblewoman. She was the Saintess, the sole person in existence treated on par with the imperial family.
You never knew what kind of mess you'd get into if people saw you speaking casually to the continent's one and only Saintess.
Fanatics existed everywhere, so Viola was right: caution was better. The Theology Department students were reportedly gnashing their teeth at Millia and Elisa. Still, as long as Karina and I kept watch, they were unlikely to come to real harm.
"Is that so..."
A slight shadow crossed Karina's face. Viola's words seemed to have bothered her. It wasn't happening to me, but I understood the feeling all too well.
Knowing the original story, I had some idea of what Karina's inner thoughts were like around this time.
'The weight of the title Saintess. The distance that kept even those close to her from calling her simply by name.'
Loneliness.
"Is it not okay to call you Karina? I'm gonna call you that!"
Millia blurted it out without the slightest concern for the looks around her. Seeing that she genuinely did not care what anyone said, the corners of Karina's lips rose. Millia's words had clearly pleased her. Hoping to lift her spirits further, I spoke.
"Karina, don't be too disappointed. You only met Viola a few days ago. Once you know each other better, you can drop the formalities."
"That's true, it has only been a few days..."
Karina's expression visibly relaxed. Good. She should have stayed like that instead of needlessly creasing such a beautiful face.
Ridiculously enough, the moment our Saintess's expression changed, the looks from everyone around instantly softened. They were plainly, obviously dazzled by Karina's face and couldn't get their heads on straight. Our Karina really was too pretty.
Anyone who could look at that face without losing their mind possessed tremendous self-control.
"It's about time to move to the next lecture hall. Millia, pack your things."
"'Kay!"
At my words, Millia began clearing the long table. Her hands moved deftly. Had Karina taught her that too? Perhaps Karina truly had a talent for teaching.
"Yohan. One moment."
"What is it?"
Was there something left to do? Karina slowly looked around the area, then carefully made a request of me.
"Would it be all right if I talked with my fellow students for a moment?"
From an escort knight's standpoint, this was exactly the kind of thing I should say no to, but I had no intention of refusing Karina's earnest request. To hell with it—I'd just have to be a little more meticulous in my guard duty. I naturally took two steps back and said,
"...If that's what you want."
"Thank you."
Karina's fresh, bright smile turned toward me. That alone was a sure return on accepting her request. I carefully tapped twice with my finger on Rue, who was hidden inside my clothes, and spoke.
[Yaaawn. Is the boring history lesson over now?]
"...Rue. Stick to the back of Karina's chair and notify me immediately if you detect any hostility."
[What a hassle...]
"If you want to be stuck in a corner of the room forever, you can certainly sleep longer."
[That's power harassment!]
A so-called Grimoire Alarm.
Rue possessed unusually strong self-awareness even among Grimoires, which made it possible to assign her tasks like this. True to a Grimoire specializing in mental and summoning magic, she was also adept at sensing the emotions around her, so she could perform splendidly as an alarm.
Rue immediately bounced up and attached herself to the bottom of the wheelchair. It was acrobatics made possible by her tentacles, but with everyone's eyes fixed on Karina, nobody noticed.
"Saintess, I am Neville of House Moore. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Y-yes, it's a pleasure to meet you too."
Where did that bastard get off leaning in so close? I seriously considered striking him with my shovel, but restrained myself and memorized the oblivious fool's face as he withdrew under the hostile stares around him.
If he did that again, I would have no choice but to step closer myself.
"I am Martina Raymond. It's a pleasure to meet you, Saintess."
"You may call me Karina."
"I am..."
"I'm Millia Quartz! Nice to meet you!"
A fair crowd had gathered around Millia too. I shifted my fixed gaze from Karina slightly and looked sidelong at Millia. People who didn't have the nerve to talk to Karina herself seemed to have latched onto Millia since she looked close with Karina.
Millia chatted nonstop, greeting people with her usual boundless energy. She seemed genuinely delighted that so many people had gathered around her. When I thought about it, that was only natural.
Millia's goal was to make a hundred friends, after all.
The very gathering of people must have been a joyful event.
I approached Viola and Elisa, who had been pushed to the fringes and were watching the two of them with worried eyes.
"Mister, is it really okay to leave them like that?"
"I attached a Grimoire to the wheelchair. If she detects hostility, she will send me a message immediately, so there's nothing to worry about."
"You're thorough..."
"A-amazing. I-I heard it was d-difficult to use a G-Grimoire that way..."
"Once you get a Grimoire, you'll be able to use it like this too."
No. I'd make sure she could.
Given her personality, a strong-willed Grimoire might overwhelm her, but I had no intention of letting them do so.
I'd throw the Grimoire into a fire pit if that was what it took to make them obey.
"A-a Grimoire... H-how could someone like me..."
"You're more than qualified."
Being able to use Second-Class Magic at her age was rare enough.
On top of that, considering a Witch's Unique Magic, Elisa was a talent with more than enough potential to become an Archmage in the future. I placed a hand on Elisa's shoulder and said firmly,
"Have some confidence. You are already a remarkable Wizard."
"Right, right. If the runner-up in the Magic Department says that, what about the other students? You scored highest on the final exam again, didn't you?"
"W-Well, that may be, but..."
Could nothing be done about this loner aura? If it vanished completely, I wondered whether she'd still be Elisa, but some improvement was necessary. Silently, I swept her gloom-incarnate hair back and secured it with a hairpin.
"Y-Y-Yohan?!"
"Wait. Viola, do you have a comb?"
"Here."
I tidied Elisa's hair with the comb Viola handed me. Her bangs usually hid her face, but when properly dressed up, Elisa was a striking beauty. She had a rather voluptuous figure too. The problem was that her constant hunch concealed it.
I combed her hair, secured the style with a hairpin, and applied some of Viola's cosmetics. In an instant, gloomy Elisa transformed into a refined-looking female student who would make any man look twice.
"Mister, have you done this kind of stuff a lot? You're really good at it."
"Who do you think has been combing Millia's hair?"
"Oh."
I didn't do it every day, but I handled it about half the time.
"Uh, um..."
With her view suddenly unobstructed, Elisa covered her face with both hands. The skin visible between her fingers had turned red, so she seemed embarrassed. I slipped my hands beneath her arms and lifted her.
Raised into the Long Cat pose in an instant, Elisa looked back at me in shock, but I ignored her and charged into the crowd. At my bizarre behavior, the students parted before us like the Red Sea.
"Y-Yohan?"
I subtly pressured the noblewoman beside Karina, who had been trying to ingratiate herself, into leaving, then seated Elisa in her place. At our sudden appearance, every student's gaze converged on the two of us.
I smirked and said,
"There was something I'd forgotten for a moment."
I patted Elisa's shoulder a couple of times and backed away. At the same time, I didn't forget to send a silent message to Martina when our eyes met. Her nod suggested that she understood.
Then I withdrew completely and watched the situation unfold.
Elisa stood frozen, her face rigid with tension. Viola watched her anxiously after what I'd done.
"Will she be okay?"
"Sometimes, bold action is a must. Nothing changes if all you do is huddle there like a terrified animal."
I listened again. Some of the gazes that had been directed at Karina shifted toward Elisa. The overall mood was one of bewilderment.
"Was there a girl like her?"
"Why did he suddenly sit her down here?"
"Elisa, you look lovely when you wear your hair like that."
"M-Martina..."
"Martina, are you two acquainted?"
"This is Elisa from the Magic Department. She was the first-semester runner-up."
Gazes filled with amazement poured onto Elisa.
Being the runner-up in the fiercely competitive Magic Department meant she was someone worth befriending, professionally or personally.
Elisa's mouth opened and closed as her face reddened. Then she gave a shy smile and spoke in a voice that sounded squeezed out.
"Y-you're giving me too much credit..."