Misunderstanding (1)
“……”
A light, gentle voice sliced through the quiet air. The woman speaking so amiably created a relaxed atmosphere with her natural, warm smile. There wasn't a trace of wariness in her demeanor.
“Judging by the holy stone you're buying, you must be a first-year heading into the dungeon next week, right?”
With her words, faint sunlight filtering through the window cascaded over her long blue hair, creating a subtle shimmer. Her soft yet sharp golden eyes caught the light, growing even more vivid. In contrast to the mild air around her, those eyes held a piercing sharpness, as if they could see through everything.
“Yes.”
I answered naturally, but something about her felt oddly familiar. No, I knew exactly who she was. There was no room for doubt.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy, a third-year.”
The name from her lips turned my faint suspicion into certainty. Lucy Diotolpo. The final heroine of the game. Her Snow White-like white skin, neat appearance, and the wide, antique witch's hat that symbolized her—all drew the eye. At her waist hung a short, sleek magic wand, no more than about 30 cm long.
“I'm… Arnold.”
Matching her introduction, I placed my right hand over my chest and politely stated my name. Hearing it, she tilted her head slightly, then muttered to herself as if something had clicked.
“Arnold? Arnold… Ah, aha!”
As if she'd heard the name somewhere before, she scratched her temple. But soon her eyes sparkled, and she nodded as realization dawned.
“Do you know me?”
“Just the name. No hard proof, but I've heard the rumors about you topping the entrance exams.”
She replied, propping her chin with her thumb and forefinger. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity and interest, yet they gave the impression of hiding deeper thoughts.
Honestly, I knew the name Arnold Stenman carried quite the notoriety, so it wasn't strange that she'd heard of me, for better or worse.
“You're pretty well-prepared, Huh? The Deep Temple Dungeon is crawling with all sorts of undead and yin energy. so items infused with holy power are super effective there.”
She chuckled lightly, praising my foresight. Her tone was casual, but it carried a subtle undercurrent of intrigue and anticipation. And the reason she was engaging so proactively was clear: the golden badge gleaming on her chest. It was the mark of the top student, awarded only to the academy's highest achievers.
As I mentioned earlier, for the final evaluation, groups of five first-years were assigned a senior leader. That badge implied she was likely the leader for one such group next week's dungeon dive—and if things went as expected, it would be Varis's group.
“I'm leading a first-year team into the dungeon next week too. Who knows, maybe this is fate?”
Her eyes held a strange mix of expectation and playfulness.
“If there's some subtle connection between us… we might end up in the same group?”
She flashed a meaningful smile and turned to leave. Her calm, confident demeanor made even this moment feel calculated.
“Anyway, if it's meant to be, see you next time.”
She waved lightly and vanished out the door. But in that final instant, a faint sadness seemed to flicker behind her smile. Whether it was a trick of the light or something she was hiding, I couldn't tell.
But she's probably sad, right… for that reason—
“Here are the accessories forged from the holy stone.”
As I tried to recall the game's memories, the equipment shop clerk called out brightly. I stepped forward from where I'd been standing frozen and received my order.
Lucy Diotolpo…
Meeting her meant this journey was already quite far along. But my mind was filled with thoughts of the game's heroine I'd just encountered.
“Master, you're back?”
As I returned with my purchases, Eily turned with a delighted expression. The others, who had been about to stand, froze and turned toward her question. The room fell silent in an instant, all eyes on me.
“Yeah.”
I nodded lightly at her welcome.
“How'd the talk go?”
I glanced around at everyone and asked about the dungeon plans. Eily nodded with shadowed eyes.
“Yes, we've got a rough plan now.”
She bowed politely and calmly in response.
“But with the next class approaching, we were about to wrap up.”
She greeted me quietly, a fleeting look of concern crossing her face.
“By the way, Master… what's that bag?”
Eily eyed the bag in my hand curiously. Something shifted slightly inside, sparking her interest.
“Hold on—”
I reacted to her question right away, reaching into the bag and slowly pulling out an item to answer with actions.
“Elisha.”
“Huh?”
“A gift.”
I held out a single ring. It was a simple silver band with a holy stone in the center, gleaming like gold set as a gem. The reason I gave it to her was straightforward: sharing useful gear for the expedition.
“Wh-what? Arnold…?”
But when I handed her the ring, Elisha's eyes widened in shock, and she froze in stunned silence. Moments later, she couldn't hide her shifting emotions and bowed her head.
“Is this… real?”
Her voice trembled. Her eyes were dazed, but deep within them lay profound emotion.
“Hm?”
I didn't know why, but the item seemed to bring her world-shaking joy. She even started to quiver, on the verge of tears without realizing it.
“R-really? I… I'm so happy. To finally get a gift like this from you…”
Her smile mixed strange joy and sorrow. In that moment, a stifling sense of something being off filled me.
What did this gift mean to her? I just wanted to share something useful for the dungeon, but she was taking it completely differently.
“Master…”
But my questions were short-lived as an uncomfortable tension began to build.
“Th-that ring… what does it mean?”
Eily narrowed her eyes, directing a quiet, probing gaze at me. Sharp doubt hid within, laced unmistakably with unease. A shadow lurked in her faintly clouded eyes.
“……”
I paused to gather my thoughts and respond, but no words came.
The emptiness reflected in her eyes and voice went beyond mere curiosity.
“Ah, Arnold…”
Then Melina spoke up. Her expression darkened, anxiety plain on her face. It held a sense of quiet despair, deep disappointment and regret.
Her gaze on me was anything but ordinary.
“D-doing that so openly… in front of everyone… i-it's a bit… bold, isn't it?”
The atmosphere grew heavier and darker. I didn't know why, but the strong feeling that something was wrong gnawed at me.
“G-guys?”
Varis sensed the awkward vibe too and waved his hands as if to calm them. But his words scattered into the air, ignored completely. Amid the solemn, melancholic aura enveloping the women, Varis was thoroughly sidelined.
“Master?”
“You're going to explain, right?”
Eily's voice grew colder, and Melina tilted her head, staring at me. Their faces turned heavier, more serious.
“Master, tell me it's not true…”
“Arnold likes Elisha, huh…”
They murmured one by one, placing me at the center of something I never saw coming. Their eyes held not affection, but a strange sadness, like they'd been betrayed.
“Thank you, Arnold!”
Only Elisha beamed happily, lost in her own world of bliss.
“……”
This… something's definitely wrong.