139. The Stormy Transfer Student (3)
139. The Stormy Transfer Student (3)
"Hey, did you guys hear? The Saintess transferred in!"
"I heard she even has a fierce-looking Escort Knight with her."
"I actually saw him, and he was terrifying... I've seen an orc gladiator at the imperial capital's arena, you know? That thing was hideous, but the knight was no less intimidating."
"Oh, cut the crap. No person looks that bad."
...Honestly, my face was not that ugly, was it?
I knew I didn't have a picture-perfect pretty-boy face, but did I not at least qualify as ruggedly handsome?
Listening to the gossip drifting in from a distance soured my appetite. But doing something to counter the rumors was also a problem. It could negatively affect Karina.
Still, with time, my reputation would naturally improve. Once I got involved in the events that would unfold starting in the second semester, my standing would inevitably rise.
"Yohan, I'll go give them a piece of my mind!"
"Don't bother."
Millia's heart was in the right place, but there was no need to make her own image worse.
"Just finish your food."
"But..."
"I appreciate the thought, but it's not necessary."
Millia, still visibly dissatisfied, roughly cut her steak and shoved it into her mouth. I watched her for a moment before looking away and meeting the gaze of the lovely Saintess, who was looking at me with a worried expression.
"Yohan, are you really okay?"
"I'm fine. And you can call me Yohan. Aren't I your Escort Knight?"
"...Hee hee. Then I'll call you Yohan."
Karina didn't like attaching titles to names. It was a golden tip I knew from having played through her route multiple times back then. The fact that I only just now remembered it was ridiculous, but I supposed it was better than never recalling it at all.
"You said your next class is Basic Theology, right?"
"Yes. I'm not sure whether you'll be able to sit through it. It's a little awkward for me to say, but... it'll be boring for you."
"It's fine. I'm good at enduring boredom."
At least it was better than holding endless one-sided conversations with an imaginary friend who never answered. What had that bastard's name been again? I couldn't even remember anymore. Was that something to be happy about?
I mechanically picked at my food, and my plate was empty before I knew it.
Spicy pork rice bowls really were the best.
I was seriously glad there was a Korean on the development team.
"Yohan, is that tasty? It's super red—"
"Try a bite."
I nudged my plate forward slightly so Millia could take some meat. With eyes full of curiosity, Millia speared a piece of meat with her fork and immediately brought it to her mouth.
But was she really going to be okay?
To me, this level of heat only tasted nostalgic, but Millia was probably different. Worried, I kept watching her. Soon, the unusually red meat entered her mouth.
"You okay?"
"S-spicy."
Millia's eyes quickly grew moist. As expected, she seemed unable to handle the spicy pork bowl's heat. I immediately brought a napkin to Millia's slightly reddened lips.
"Spit it out if you can't eat it."
"No, I c'n eat it."
"Millia, are you sure you're really okay?"
See? Even Karina was worried. But apparently unable to spit out something she'd already eaten, Millia eventually swallowed the meat and panted. Where was the water?
"I'll get some water."
I immediately fetched some water and handed it to Millia. Millia gulped down the water I gave her and then spoke, wearing an expression that said she felt alive again.
"This is super spicy! But it's kind of delicious..."
"There was actually demand for it? I ate at the dining hall throughout the first semester, and I never knew they served anything like that."
"I-it's a menu item w-written small in the c-corner of the menu, and I-I've never s-seen anyone eat it... B-but, Yohan, you eat it without any trouble at all..."
Elisa stared at me as though I had done something remarkable. What was so impressive about eating a spicy pork rice bowl? After cleaning my plate, I grew uncomfortable beneath the sudden gazes of admiration and looked away.
...The thought of receiving those looks every time I ate a spicy pork rice bowl made my stomach feel heavy.
"...Eat your food."
And they needed to stop staring at me.
At my words, the group turned their gazes back to their plates.
---------------
"Old man, see you later."
"M-me too..."
Kalon Academy's schedule was divided into general-education classes in the morning and major courses in the afternoon. Consequently, the four of them had to split up for their afternoon classes.
Viola went to Alchemy, Elisa to Magic, Millia to General Studies, and Karina to Theology.
We all stopped on the path where we split off to our respective departments and looked at each other.
"S-see, see you in the e-evening..."
"See ya."
"I'll be off!"
After exchanging our final greetings, we each went our separate ways. I turned my head and watched the kids grow distant, then started pushing the wheelchair again. Karina, too, was now looking ahead with a complex and subtle expression, as if the separation bothered her.
"Now it's just the two of us left."
"We'll meet again in the evening, so don't worry."
"I'm worried about Elisa and Millia."
"They'll do fine."
Millia had been diligently participating in class all morning and actively conversing with students, after all.
Elisa was... hmm. She would need a great deal of time. A whole lot. I'd managed to get things started, but taking advantage of the opportunity was up to her. Still, if I looked after her throughout the second semester, she could probably make at least a few friends, couldn't she?
It seemed like a vain hope, but it was better than nothing.
Viola seemed secure enough in both standing and friendships that I didn't need to worry about her. Things had grown somewhat awkward after she lost an arm, but the prosthetic she had developed over the break had apparently made her popular again in the Alchemy Department.
After all, she was the only first-year student who had participated in product development and produced results.
The prosthetic was especially important to Alchemy Department students. Alchemists occasionally lost fingers or arms in experiments, so they immediately recognized its value and were apparently eager to place orders.
Remembering the strange expression she'd worn when telling me that after the department assembly before the second semester, I doubted anyone would criticize Viola now.
If anyone had a problem with it, I could simply refuse to sell to them.
"Yohan..."
"What is it?"
"Please understand even if the Theology students are a little... overzealous. They don't mean any harm..."
I couldn't hide my bewilderment at Karina's sudden request. What on earth did that mean?
Karina, what in the world was she talking about?
"Understood."
I answered Karina noncommittally and headed toward the Theology Department building. Fortunately, it wasn't far from Kalon Academy's main building.
I'd thought the same thing when I saw it before, but it was needlessly grand.
Even with a rough eyeball comparison, it seemed two to three times the size of the other department buildings. Considering that Kalon Academy was the continent's most prestigious educational institution for theology, it wasn't strange.
Wasn't this the institution where the Saintess herself came to receive her education, after all?
In that case, it deserved to be this impressive.
"To think I'd be coming here like this..."
Karina looked up at the department building with a deeply moved expression.
"When I woke up on that uninhabited island, I thought I'd be trapped there for the rest of my life."
"I also thought I'd be trapped on an uninhabited island forever. After living there for ten years, I lost all hope of ever escaping."
"...Ten years is so unimaginably long that I can't even fathom it. I spent barely over two months there, and it was so hard, but you, Yohan..."
"They were agonizing years. But I'm fine now."
Nearly half a year had already passed. Sometimes it felt so distant that my years on the uninhabited island seemed unreal.
Honestly, it was also because all kinds of incidents had been erupting nonstop since I arrived at the academy, so I'd had no time to linger on it.
"You've been through a lot."
"Thank you."
As we chatted, we were inside the building in no time. The sound of a hymn drifting from somewhere made me realize once again that this was the Theology Department.
"Is it prayer time?"
"Yes. It probably is. Normally, I should be over there praying together with them, but..."
Karina bowed her head deeply.
"Can't you just start from now on?"
"Heh heh, that's true."
Karina really worried too much. Though, I supposed it was impossible not to worry in a position like hers.
"I don't know where the lecture room is."
"Hmm..."
Neither Karina nor I had been inside before, so we didn't know the way to the lecture hall. I thought I'd heard it was on the first floor. We were studying the map mounted on the wall when—
"Th-the Saintess is here!"
"Saintess! Saintess! Sainteeesss!"
"Now I can die with no regrets..."
"You mustn't die!"
"Aaah..."
So this was what Karina meant by 'radical.'
I sighed, looking at the crowd of Theology students approaching us.
This lecture was definitely not going to be an easy one.