A Mesugaki Never Backs Down (1)
'Is Joy going to be alright?'
"She will be."
It happened out of nowhere.
On the way to the Academy's dungeon, I ran into Joy, and we stood together before the dungeon's entrance. The very next moment, Joy collapsed.
Her breathing turned ragged. Her eyes wavered. She kept muttering that she didn't want to die. Her eyes were open, and yet she wasn't seeing anything in front of her. She couldn't even hear the murmurs of the crowd around her — trapped inside her own world, she seemed sealed off from reality entirely.
Then, barely managing to come back to her senses, she mumbled that it must be because she hadn't slept properly and tried to rise — only for the strength to drain from her arms and legs, and she crumpled to the ground all over again.
I reached out my hand to help her, but it turned out not to be the wisest choice. The instant my hand extended toward her, I saw Joy flinch and start trembling.
"Girl, this was not your fault."
Grandfather sighed and told me it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't bring myself to nod along. After all, wasn't I the one who'd gotten all worked up about heading into the dungeon together without knowing a single thing about what Joy was going through?
"It is a common affliction. Those who suffer an accident inside a dungeon come to fear it. For anyone who delves dungeons, it's something of a rite of passage — hers simply arrived a little sooner than most."
I never knew such a thing happened.
In the game, nothing like this ever occurred. No matter what crisis descended, no matter if the party fell apart, no matter if a black screen rose up bearing the words "Game Over" — a character in a game was only ever a character. They never once complained of mental anguish. They simply moved exactly as I willed them to.
'Then what am I supposed to do?'
So I had no idea how to handle a situation like this. Having never been through anything of the sort, I didn't know how I could help Joy — didn't know whether I could pull her out of that nightmare at all.
"Do not try to do anything."
'I'm sorry?'
I'd asked Grandfather, of all people — the one who seemed like he'd have seen it all — and he answered with something entirely unexpected.
"No sympathy. No comfort. Nothing of the sort. Simply treat her as you always have."
'But—'
"Girl, do you truly believe the human spirit is so simple a thing that a single word from you could set it right?"
That was what Grandfather said. To escape the trauma tormenting you, in the end you must overcome it with your own strength. No matter how kind the words offered from the outside, however thoughtful the gestures, it means nothing — it only makes the sufferer all the more aware that they are trapped in their trauma. And so, he said, treat them as you always would.
"Until she herself asks for help, do nothing at all. That is the best advice I can give you."
'...Yes.'
Grandfather, who normally played at being solemn while spouting useless nonsense, had a voice that was oddly, unnervingly heavy today. And so I understood — he was giving me this advice in complete earnest.
'Grandfather, have you seen many people suffer like that?'
"Live long enough on a battlefield, and you'll come across it until you're sick to death of it."
'Did they all turn out alright in the end?'
"I cannot claim 'of course.' But the Airhead Lady will be fine. She has a rather stubborn core to her, and she is a girl loved by those around her."
Because Grandfather had to go and say Airhead Lady of all things, a laugh escaped me before I knew it. Haah, honestly. I was having a rare sentimental moment, and he had to shatter the whole mood. I knew he'd thrown out that joke because he was worried about me, so I didn't fuss at him for it. Instead, I drew in a long, deep breath.
That's right. She'll be fine.
"Young Lady."
While I was whiling away the time like that, Carl — who had escorted Joy to the infirmary — came back.
'Carl. How is Joy?'
"Incompetent Dog. How's the Airhead Lady?"
"She is well, my Lady. Thanks to the stabilization magic, her anxiety has settled. The infirmary's healer says that with a little rest, she will be right as rain."
The one who works at Soul Academy's infirmary is a healer of truly exceptional skill. If a person like that said she'd be fine, then I could rest easy. Thank goodness. Honestly, thank goodness.
"And, my Lady. Lady Patran says she wishes to see you again."
'Me?'
"Huh?"
"Yes."
Is it really alright for me to go see her again right now? Joy flinched the moment she saw my outstretched hand. If she has to look at my face again so soon, won't she just freeze up in fear all over again?
Just as that thought kept me frozen in my seat, Grandfather spoke up with a sigh.
"What did I tell you?"
"Don't go offering pointless consideration. Right, you said."
Yes, yes. I'd heard it mere moments ago and already forgotten.
I told Grandfather I understood, and rose from my seat.
On the way to the infirmary, I could feel it — the stares pointed my way had multiplied today. Apparently word of Joy's collapse had spread through the student body. Some of them whispered behind hands raised with textbook formality, practically begging to be overheard — and the content was that I had been bullying Joy.
Even if I were completely out of my mind, would I really pick on the Lady of the great House Patran? The rebuttal sprang to my lips on its own — but come to think of it, it wasn't such a far-fetched rumor. After all, hadn't I hammered the words Pitiable Prince straight into the Third Prince's face? No matter how insane a thing might be, once the words "Lucy Aln" get attached to it, it all starts making sense.
Ahh. Yeah. Let's just give up on salvaging my reputation. No matter how hard I thrash, the foundation underneath is already rock bottom — what can you do? Well. It's not like I need to be loved by everyone, right? As long as the people I like like me back, that's more than enough. So this is what they mean by needing the courage to be disliked, huh?
As I walked on, desperately playing the picture of composure, a cluster of female students blocked my path. Their faces were familiar. Not because they were any major NPCs from the game — they were simply the followers who always hovered at Joy's side, so naturally I'd come to recognize them.
Several sharp-featured young Ladies barring the road and glaring daggers — honestly, that's a little scary. A pressure of an entirely different flavor from staring down a powerful monster.
So this is the classic bullying scene from every villainess novel, huh? Yikes. This one's rough. If I were some sheltered little heroine, my breath would've caught right in my throat by now.
"Lady Aln."
The girl who seemed to be playing the role of representative called out to me. She had done nothing more than speak my name, and yet I could tell exactly how she thought of me. Anyone could read it from a voice absolutely brimming with irritation.
"And where might you be going?"
'To the infirmary.'
"Do I want to know? Because I'd rather not tell you. I don't answer questions from a scrub like you."
Thanks to the Mesugaki skill, I delivered my answer with a snicker, and a low murmur rippled through the young Ladies encircling me. The content was entirely predictable. How insolent.How rude. Roughly along those lines.
But even that murmur died the instant the girl playing representative knitted her brows. Good at keeping her people in line, isn't she? She's more of a villainess than Joy ever was.
"Do not be rude."
'Uh... my bad?'
"Oh? Did that make you mad? Emotionally incontinent little Lady. Telling me not to be rude while being rude yourself — what a dummy."
For reasons beyond my understanding, the Mesugaki skill simply would not stop giggling. And the more it giggled, the redder the face of the Lady standing before me became.
"You truly have not changed one bit since your days in high society, Lady Aln."
A voice that sounded as though it had chewed hatred to shreds and packed every fragment into the words. Hearing it, I understood that the bad blood between this Lady and Lucy was no light matter. She, too, was one of those on whom Lucy had left an unpaid debt.
"Lady Aln. You are headed to the infirmary right now, are you not?"
'Yep. Why do you ask?'
"What? You knew? Then why did you even ask? Dementia? Amnesia? A hole in your brain at your age?"
"Do us all a favor and get lost. Why does someone who tormented Lady Patran think she has the face to go and see her?"
Oh? So they believe that rumor with their whole chests? And that's why they're blocking me from reaching Joy? Going out of their way to pick a fight with someone who, by reputation, is a rabid cur of the highest order — I guess Joy really does matter to them. Well, good for her. Joy's having a rough time right now, so she deserves friends like these.
Of course, that's one thing. And this is another.
'I'm going because Joy called for me.'
"My, you certainly are fond of lying, aren't you?"
But this Lady didn't believe a word of it. Well, fair enough — if she believed the rumors were true, of course she wouldn't buy that Joy had called for me. Still, it was the truth.
How am I supposed to talk my way through this one?
"Um. Excuse me, but. The fact that Lady Patran wishes to see Lady Aln—"
Perhaps concluding that I had no hope of persuading them, Carl — standing at my side — raised his voice, but the sharpness carved into the Lady's eyes showed not the slightest sign of softening.
"Professor. Would you kindly refrain from intruding on a conversation between students?"
The moment I heard that, I realized I'd been laboring under one mistaken assumption. If this person truly cherished Joy, would she have cut Carl off mid-sentence? A man carrying a professor's credentials. Would she disregard the words of Carl, who had just carried Joy to the infirmary in his own arms? At the very least, she would have pretended to listen.
But this Lady hadn't even tried to hear Carl out.
Right. That's it.
Whether that rumor was true or not had never mattered much to this Lady. Whether Joy's words were true or not didn't matter either. She simply found the bare fact that I was going to see Joy unbearable.
Hmm. So you're not actually Joy's friend at all, are you? You're not someone who genuinely cares about her either. Right? Then I've got no reason to be considerate of you.
I pushed past the troubled-looking Carl and stepped forward. The nameless Lady's gaze locked onto me.
"What is it, Lady Aln? Did you have something to say?"
I didn't answer. There was no reason to. What answer does one owe to a girl who wants to vent her frustrations under the pretense of looking out for Joy? Instead, I shoved that Lady to the side.
"Kyaa?!"
Despite the fact that I hadn't used anything close to real force, the Lady crumpled gracelessly to the floor. What was that? I gave you the gentlest little push. That's Hollywood action at its most excessive. At this rate, even a soccer referee would be flashing the yellow card at you, not me.
I was thoroughly aggrieved, but apparently that's not how it looked to the other Ladies. The girl standing right beside the one who'd just gone down raised her voice.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?!"
"Pfft♡ Sorry♡ I just didn't know you were such a scrub♡ — so frail♡, so hopeless♡, a garbage♡-brained, irredeemable moron♡"
When I said it with a laugh, the other Ladies furrowed their brows. What? You gonna come at me? Go ahead, you trash. Garbage mobs who couldn't take down a single Frey even if you all piled on — you can't beat me. But if you want to try, be my guest.
I glared right back at them without surrendering an inch of nerve, and one by one the Ladies wavered and backed away.
"Well then, off I go♡ You losers♡? Next time, do try to know your place♡ Ah♡ Though if you had the brains for that, you wouldn't have picked this fight in the first place, hm?♡"
Deliberately laughing in the most exaggerated fashion I could manage as I slipped between them, I could see the Ladies' faces flushing a furious scarlet.