Sleepless in the Guide's Cabin
Stelle was born in a remote border village of the empire—a very small rural town. All the villagers were kind, and Stelle remembered spending her childhood without a single worry.
A normal, warm childhood spent roaming the village with friends all day and occasionally helping her father with his work.
What had carried Stelle all the way to this island, far from both her hometown and the continent itself, was the fairy tale book her mother used to read to her when she was little.
The story of a swordsman hero who defeated the evil demon king alongside his companions and became a legend.
Even as a young girl, something about that tale made the desire to become a hero burn inside her without ever fading. In the end she had pushed herself hard and come all the way to Arpia Academy.
Since it was a place where countless hero aspirants gathered, she had assumed it would surely be a romantic and beautiful place. That was her guess.
Even after receiving an F-class assignment in the mainland entrance exam, Stelle refused to give up.
The other F-class passers decided they would rather skip the academy entirely than attend as F-class, so in the end only Stelle boarded the ship alone. Still, she believed this was the fastest road to becoming a hero.
But the academy was not the romantic and beautiful place Stelle had imagined.
The moment she stepped off the ship and met a boy named Hint, the barrage of insults she heard about him in the auditorium struck her like a slap.
As someone wearing an F-class brooch on her own chest, those words were anything but pleasant.
Of course, even after that there had been nothing but disappointments regarding the academy all day long.
She could understand why no meals or lodging were provided.
Because it was F-class.
She already knew she wasn’t an existence the academy particularly needed.
But robbing her of even the chance to learn was something she could not endure.
This… is our classroom…?
The moment she first laid eyes on it, Stelle’s legs gave out and she sank to the ground.
A tiny abandoned building tucked behind the academic hall, not even part of it.
It was so poorly maintained that she hesitated to even open the door and step inside.
She could skip meals. She could sleep uncomfortably. But if she couldn’t even learn, then why was she here at all?
At that thought, Stelle had nearly burst into tears.
Yet those tears vanished without a trace the instant light and wind exploded from the abandoned warehouse pretending to be a classroom.
The boy who had turned that ruined shed into a proper classroom.
Her only classmate.
Hint.
Talking with him felt strangely comforting. Even though they had only met that day, it was as if they had known each other for ten years.
He had helped her take first place in the academy’s first exam, repaired the warehouse into a real classroom, and now he had even given her a place to sleep.
It was far too much kindness to show someone simply because they were classmates.
While she was thinking that, the cabin door opened behind her.
“Eek?!”
“Oh dear, am I a little late?”
At the sudden appearance of the very boy she had been picturing in her head, Stelle let out a cute little shriek. When Hint chuckled at the sight, she fanned her burning cheeks with both hands.
“The room is fully prepared. Please come in.”
Following Hint inside, Stelle found herself staring at a space packed with furniture that looked expensive at a glance. Her eyes sparkled.
“Can I really use this room?”
“Hehe. Of course. We’re classmates, after all. Ah, I’ll be using a different room, so there’s no need to worry.”
Where could another room possibly be? No matter how she looked, she couldn’t see one.
Noticing her confusion, Hint sat down on the sofa in the center of the room.
“You seem to have quite a few questions.”
He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the snacks and tea bags he had taken from the classroom earlier.
“Then from now on, let’s hear those questions during our midnight tea party.”
The tea party lasted quite a long time. Hint answered every one of Stelle’s questions with genuine care, explaining everything from the Guide’s Cabin itself to its abilities and how to use them.
Before they realized it, the hour had grown very late. Hint stood up.
“Then I’ll head to my room now, Stelle.”
“Yeah! Sleep well, Hint. And thank you—for looking after me in so many ways.”
“It was nothing. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
After Hint left, the once-lively room fell silent. The quiet felt oddly eerie, so Stelle quickly stripped off her clothes. Her bare, untouched form was completely exposed. The cabin had windows on every side, so she would never have done this normally, but Hint had said the interior couldn’t be seen from outside, so it should be fine.
Stelle dove straight into the bed.
“So fluffy…”
An unimaginable softness wrapped around her entire body. Even when she had slept buried among the sheep back home, it had never felt this gentle. As expected, the furniture of a legendary relic really was on another level, she thought.
Normally she would have washed before lying down, but the sheer density of everything that had happened today was far from ordinary. She was so exhausted that the idea of washing never even occurred to her.
Buried deep in the bedding, Stelle closed her eyes. Tonight, sleep would come easily. It would come… it seemed… mm…
“…I can’t sleep.”
She had thought she had grown used to being away from home, but apparently she wasn’t there yet. From childhood, Stelle had always lived with her family and had never been apart from them for even a moment. She had always fallen asleep beside her little sister.
Only after leaving home had she realized how much she hated being alone. Normally she would have endured it and drifted off, but the new surroundings, new people, and everything that had happened today kept spinning through her mind, refusing to let her rest.
If Hint hadn’t been there, would she even have passed the test?
No, impossible. She couldn’t even catch that oversized sparrow—let alone anything else. She never would have made it to the academy.
If Hint hadn’t been there, would her heart not have broken in that abandoned warehouse?
No, it had already shattered once. Hint was the one who had pieced it back together.
If Hint hadn’t been there, where would she be sleeping right now?
Who knows. Maybe sobbing somewhere out in that forest.
Anxiety linked together like a chain, and loneliness sank its roots deep into her chest. Stelle’s gaze drifted to the bell beside the bed—a golden, shining bell that rang when pressed.
She remembered what Hint had said during their tea party.
If you can’t fall asleep, just ring this bell.
What is it?
It’s not exactly a telephone… but an artifact that uses the cabin’s special properties to let people in different rooms talk to each other.
Just how far ahead did Hint see? He might as well be a prophet.
The loneliness kept gnawing at her, and her eyes kept returning to the bell. It was the middle of the night—maybe it would be a bother—but he had said it was all right, so perhaps it was okay…?
It hadn’t been this bad on the ship to the academy, but the loneliness had grown too heavy to bear. Swallowing her embarrassment, Stelle pressed the bell.
Ding-dong.
A single touch.
The answer came instantly.
Hint: Hehe. Good evening, Stelle.
Stelle: Wow, it’s really you, Hint?
Hint: Of course. It’s me. You seem to be having trouble sleeping.
Stelle: Ah, no, it’s not exactly that! I just wanted to talk a little more.
Hint: Hehe. It’s perfectly fine to sleep if you’re tired, you know.
Stelle: No. Actually, there’s something I wanted to ask.
Stelle: Why… are you being so kind to me…?
Hint: …Because we’re classmates?
The moment she heard his voice, a wave of drowsiness crashed over her. Had the anxiety finally let go? The girl who had called him because she couldn’t sleep was now desperately fighting to stay awake.
Hint had always answered her without the slightest hesitation, instantly and clearly. But this time he paused for the first time, as if thinking something over. His reply came only after a long moment.
Stelle let out a small laugh at the obvious lie.
“Pfft, what kind of answer is that?”
Drained by the response that didn’t even try to hide its falsehood, she closed her eyes. Yes, everyone had things they wanted to keep hidden. Stelle decided she didn’t want to doubt the kindness the boy had shown her all day.
“Sleep well, Hint.”
With those final words the girl fell asleep. Fortunately, she didn’t feel lonely at all.
“Yes, I hope you have a good night as well, Stelle.”
There was no reply.
“She must have fallen asleep.”
Hint sat on the edge of his bed and gazed out the window. Why am I being so good to her? It was an incredibly difficult question to answer. There was a reason, but telling the person in question was an entirely separate matter. A faint blush colored his cheeks.
“Hehe. Then shall we plan for tomorrow?”
Hint rose and moved to the chair. The quiet mood of dawn was pleasant, but there were things that needed doing. Starting tomorrow, he would be very busy.