Chapter 298: Between Lover and Pet Dog (4)
Chapter 298: Between Lover and Pet Dog (4)
The dawn air held a quiet moisture.
Around this time, just as the sun begins to rise, the temperature hits its lowest point of the day. This remained true even in the height of summer, when the sun scorched the earth.
In fact, the deeper into summer it got, the more unique the fragrance of the dawn became.
It was a season dominated by blistering sunlight and torrential rains.
The moments spent escaping that stifling air were exceptionally meaningful.
That was why I woke up early every summer morning.
A disciplined body is forged through repetitive training.
Therefore, practice had to continue every single day without fail.
Neither summer nor winter was an exception.
However, I was a human before I was a swordsman.
It was only natural to want to avoid the sweltering heat if possible.
Since I couldn't skip swinging my sword altogether, it was better to move my body while it was at least a little bit cooler.
It was late summer, and the sun still sizzled at midday as if it would sear one's skin.
Though I had already grown strong enough not to yield to heat or cold, I maintained my routine of starting at dawn.
I wasn't sure if it was just a feeling, but I still felt a sense of aversion toward training under the blazing sun.
And so, the days repeated like a treadmill.
Finish dawn training, eat a meal, and then carry on with the rest of my daily life.
The schedule was no different from last year's.
The only difference was that one more task had been added to my routine.
Immediately after finishing my training, I would head straight for the forest next to the dormitory.
I didn't know why.
I would simply find my feet heading there of their own accord before I even realized it.
And when I detected a familiar presence, I would hold my breath and hide in the thicket.
This was my new daily routine.
In the clearing, the Lainella siblings were engrossed in a strange sort of training from early morning.
At first, it was hard to guess their intention.
Why on earth were they practicing how to apologize?
And of all people, it was Senior Elsie.
As everyone in the Academy knew, Senior Elsie possessed an incredibly strong sense of pride.
With her temperament, it couldn't possibly be easy for her to bow her head submissively to others.
Her repeated failures proved as much.
Nevertheless, Senior Elsie did not give up. Instead, she continued this training every morning for several days.
The reason was revealed before long.
"Sister, are you really going to apologize? Those lowly commoners..."
"That I can bully them and they won't even make a peep?"
Senior Elsie snorted and threw the question back at him.
Lupin, having been hit right where it hurt, had to shut his mouth.
Dissatisfaction still flickered across his face.
He looked as though he still found it hard to accept why his respected and beloved sister had to apologize to mere commoners.
At the very least, his love for his sister was genuine.
It was just a shame his personality was equally poor.
Senior Elsie seemed to internally agree with Lupin's sentiment, her eyes turning sharp and cold.
She crossed her arms, squinted one eye, and spoke in a haughty voice.
"...But what can I do? Master says he hates it."
"No, I mean, honestly... isn't that just an excuse...?"
"Regardless."
Senior Elsie instantly dismissed Lupin's logical deduction.
Slowly uncrossing her arms, a determined tone leaked from the girl's lips.
"If it's an excuse, I'll get rid of every single one... If I keep removing his excuses, eventually he won't be able to help but give me a proper answer, right?"
Lupin remained silent, perhaps impressed by Senior Elsie's resolve.
After a long pause, a cautious question came back from Lupin.
"What if you get dumped for real...?"
"...Hey! You! Are you going to keep saying such unlucky things?!"
When Senior Elsie shrieked, Lupin immediately ducked his head.
It was the usual bickering between siblings.
In the gaps of that heartwarming daily scene, I had to let out a faint sigh.
Every word Senior Elsie spoke felt like it was piercing my heart.
Lupin's guess was right.
In truth, I had merely spat out whatever excuse I could find. Because I didn't know how to answer Senior Elsie.
Because of that, my heart grew heavier by the day, and my true feelings became harder to discern.
Did I actually want to accept Senior Elsie's confession?
Or had I simply found a convenient excuse because I wanted to reject her?
I pondered and pondered, but no answer came.
There was one saving grace, however.
The Lainella siblings' ridiculous morning training soon came to an end.
Even when I visited the forest clearing, there was no sign of the two of them.
Perhaps they had given up after realizing it wasn't working.
Only then was I able to walk around the Academy with a slightly lighter heart.
At least, until a certain rumor reached my ears.
"Hey, did you hear that story?"
It was on my way back to refill my canteen after finishing my training.
The sound of two students chatting on a bench lining Central Avenue caught my ear.
As the end of the break approached, the crowds at the Academy were steadily increasing.
I had been focusing on my recovery, but I was just starting to think about visiting the people I hadn't seen yet.
Emma, for instance.
I heard that Emma had left for a while to sell potions because she ran out of living expenses.
She had endured for a while by eating mushrooms, but it seemed she had finally reached her limit.
To get a fair price for her potions, she had to go to the Alchemy Guild. Since there was no branch of the Alchemy Guild at the Academy, it was highly likely that Emma had left via the Warp Gate.
If so, she wouldn't be found at the Academy for at least a few days.
The new semester was about to start, so she should be returning soon.
It was while I was waiting for news of her that I heard the rumor.
"You know, that 'Little Villain' Elsie Lainella... I heard she's been going around apologizing lately?"
My footsteps came to a dead halt.
I remained silent for a moment before turning my gaze.
There, I saw a female student with an expression similar to mine.
As if speaking for me, she asked back.
"......Isn't that just a baseless rumor?"
"No, I thought so too, but there are already more than a few witnesses."
My throat felt strangely parched.
But no matter how much I tilted my canteen, only a few drops of water fell. I licked my lips, but the thirst wouldn't vanish.
The female students' conversation continued.
"I mean, isn't it hilarious? The great Lady Lainella bowing her head and begging a commoner... Pfft, that would really be a sight to see."
"Don't even joke about it. If she suddenly snaps and takes it out on us..."
"......I don't know for sure, but I doubt she will."
As she spoke, one of the female students curled her lips into a smirk.
As if she had imagined a scene that was far too entertaining.
"I heard she didn't say a word even when she was cursed at or hit a few times."
On the other hand, I felt my heart drop.
Imagining Senior Elsie suffering such humiliation made me feel terrible.
To think she was being cursed at and even physically assaulted.
My hand tightened around the canteen of its own accord.
Of course, regardless of my reaction, the female students simply continued their indifferent chatter.
"Tsk tsk, those people are something else too... a commoner hitting a noble."
"That's how badly they were tormented. You know how cruel she was."
With that, one of the female students shuddered, and the topic of Senior Elsie was brought to a close.
I remained frozen there, unable to say a word.
Only after some time had passed did a single thought flash through my mind.
I have to go find Senior Elsie.
Surrendering to that impulse, I walked and walked. I didn't even know my destination, but my steps never faltered.
It was a matter of emotion, not logic.
Thinking logically, Senior Elsie's actions were right.
She had bullied innocent weaklings until now.
It wasn't just once or twice.
Had she not maliciously assaulted commoners and lower nobles time and time again? It was so severe that her reputation for cruelty had spread throughout the Academy.
If so, it was only right that she pay for her sins.
A single apology wouldn't wash away all of her past, but it was the bare minimum. It was better than living as if nothing had happened.
Yes, that was how it should be.
I comforted myself with those thoughts as I wandered all over the Academy.
As time passed, my heart calmed down somewhat.
My only worry was what I should say to Senior Elsie when I met her.
My wandering, having barely regained its reason, continued for quite a while longer.
It was around early lunchtime when my steps finally stopped.
I heard a shout from somewhere.
"You—you expect me to believe that now...?"
It was a voice simmering with heat.
I quickly held my breath and moved toward it.
Before long, I was able to find the source of the voice.
It was a scrawny man.
Wearing glasses, he looked haggard to anyone's eyes. The man was glaring at the girl in front of him, his thin fists trembling.
The woman wearing a pointed hat was simply bowing her head in silence.
It was perfectly clear who she was.
Senior Elsie.
At last, I had found the girl I had been searching for so desperately.