The Advisor and His Student (2)
Her long silver hair fell in a neat, orderly sweep. Crimson eyes like cut gemstones, lashes crisp and distinct, a clean jawline drawn out in a graceful line. Her height sat near the average—though after looking up at the tall Cecilia until a moment ago, she felt a little small to me by comparison.
She held herself with a refined grace, as if set on projecting the image of a gently raised young lady. Unfortunately, a flicker of mischief and that particular smile of hers called nothing so much to mind as a brat.
But I knew. It was an act.
And I knew this, too. It was nothing but a front.
For all the world like the daughter of some noble house, she covered a smiling mouth with one hand, laughed a delicate ho ho, and spoke.
"I'd like to amend my course registration. The Margin Structure Theory lecture I applied for in advance simply wasn't to my liking. I came to see whether I might be able to take Professor Neferna's class."
"Student recruitment is closed."
"I heard there were still seats remaining."
"Student recruitment is closed."
"If you fail to bring in three more students by the end of today, the class will have to be cancelled. Isn't that how it goes?"
"...How did you even— cough! Student... recruitment is closed."
"Will this do for the correction form? I'll take one. I'll submit it to the administration office myself, so you needn't trouble yourself."
In that unhurried tone, the silver-haired girl reached into the box and lifted one of the forms stacked there by the handful. I snatched it back at once. She, however, had no intention of letting go so easily; she bit down hard on her lip and held on.
"Miss Undine? I'd like you to let go now. I never gave you permission."
"What an amusing thing to say, Teacher. Did you think I would release it so easily? I have a right to take the classes I want, you know."
"There's nothing left for me to teach a student as excellent as you."
Perhaps the sight of the two of us wrangling over a single sheet made for good entertainment. Students began to gather, one and then another.
Ah, this is when I ought to be selling! Sales! Sales!
"Under the school rules, a professor is entitled to choose which students to accept. A student is free to apply for a class, and there is likewise no problem with my cutting that application off."
"Oh my. Teacher, you speak as though you wish to refuse me. If anyone else heard, they might misunderstand~"
"Misunderstand? I don't think they would be."
"Teacher!"
Unable to endure it any longer, Undine raised her voice.
Startled, I let go on reflex, and the form fluttered straight into her hand.
That alone seemed to satisfy her. She folded it neatly, hid it behind her back, and only then turned to Cecilia, who had been sitting there perfectly still, and asked.
"...By the way, this impudent— ahem! Who might this lovely young lady of the Fox Tribe be?"
"Cecilia? My assigned student."
"Aha, I see! A student! ...Assigned? An assigned... student?"
"Yes."
"An ass...igned student? Ehehe. My hearing hasn't been very good lately. I must have misheard."
"Nope. You heard right. Assigned student."
"Hmm... let's see... ass...igned... student?"
She didn't seem to take it in at once. A leisurely smile on her lips, she rolled the same words over her tongue several times.
"Assigned student...?"
"That's right."
"Then... Teacher, are you perhaps... this transfer student's advisor?"
"That's how it turned out."
"H... hmm. You do enjoy your jokes. If you thought I would fall for so obvious a lie, you are sorely mistaken."
"Why would I lie to you."
"A lie! You aren't even a full professor yet!"
"The Chairman's privilege."
"What kind of school is this! What did you do with the regulations you were quoting a moment ago!"
"Listen to you. Not a scrap of fear for the world, and not a word you won't say. That's the Empire's foremost academy of magic you're talking about. The Chairman made the decision after seeing what I can do. Obviously."
Undine chewed her lip as if wronged, her small mouth working.
"...When I asked, you wouldn't hear of it."
She had probably meant only to mutter it. Unfortunately, so long as I was awake, my hearing was sharp enough to pin down a mosquito whining in the dark.
"Uuugh~~! Never! I will absolutely never give up! You do know that the top student of the semester may choose their own classes, don't you?"
"There was a rule like that? First I've heard of it."
"Hmph! Too bad for you. Next semester you won't even be able to refuse! The rules will say so!"
She put on a triumphant air, but her voice was already trembling, soaked through.
One little poke, and those brimming tears would fall. The thought had barely formed before the clear shimmer at the corners of her eyes flushed and swelled red.
My mouth betrayed me. A short laugh slipped out.
Ah. I shouldn't have laughed.
Too late. She had heard it. Regret after the fact meant nothing.
"Hwaaang~ I hate you! I really hate you! I'm never looking at your face again!"
Undine bolted off in a clatter.
...And that makes the one hundred and fifty-seventh time she's declared us through this season.
The tears had softened me, true enough, but chasing her now would clearly accomplish nothing. Give it a day and she would reappear, triumphant, as if none of it had happened. No great need to worry.
"Got a little loud, didn't it? Sorry, Cecilia."
"...... You needn't concern yourself with me."
Come to think of it, she had been saying nothing but that since earlier. A habit, maybe?
I picked up the drumstick. Thanks to Undine, the students had gathered.
Thump. Thump.
I was just about to resume the pitch in earnest when, hard on Undine's heels, the voice of the second person I least wanted to run into drove itself into my ear.
"Ah, Professor Neferna."
I doubt anyone would sit through a lovingly detailed description of a man's face.
If I had to name what stood out, it was the silver hair—Undine's coloring, copied to the last shade—perched on his head as absurdly as a lid on a stew pot, and a handsomeness that, as a fellow man, was enough to make me angry. Blood will tell, I suppose.
The young man, who looked lazy to the bone, swung his long arms and asked with a slippery grin.
"Undine went off crying again. Something happen?"
"Yeah. Perfect timing."
"Huh?"
"You're taking top of the class this semester. As that girl's older brother, you can't very well lose to your little sister."
"...What are you on about now?"
As Ignis shook his head in disbelief, an unidentified female student—No. 1—happened to be passing and offered a greeting.
"Kya! Lord Ignis! Hello!"
"Hey, it's been a while. I haven't seen that outfit before. Did you buy it new? It suits you."
He waved gently after the girl as she fled in a fluster of embarrassment.
"Who was that this time?"
"No idea."
"Do you not even remember what you just said? You told her it had been a while."
"She greeted me first, so I acted like I knew her. You never know. She might have been the one sitting next to me at drinks last night."
...... Fuck. This is why I didn't want to see him.
If Undine's mask was a child up on her toes, this bastard Ignis's was closer to a fully armed persona.
Siblings, and appearance was the only thing they shared. In every other respect, their parents had clearly botched the distribution of genes.
"You made it back to the dorm on time yesterday, I trust."
"Of course. I don't break the rules that have actually been set."
Was I the only one who heard that little emphasis—the rules, the established ones—leaving everything else wide open?
Whether he knew, didn't, or was only pretending not to, Ignis noticed Cecilia and asked with a soft smile.
"Hmm. Is this one of the transfer students I've only heard rumors about?"
"...The rumors are out already?"
"Ah, the kids nearby told me. Since they're members of the 6th Holy Sword Party, it's become quite the topic, they said. Relaying every bit of it even to me—the students at this school really are kind."
"A man?"
"A girl, I think? I don't remember clearly. I'm fairly sure the voice was a woman's."
"Trip on your way and break your nose."
"Haha. Professor, you really do tell the funniest jokes."
If that sounded like a joke to him, that's unfortunate on several counts.
"I'll be going, then. She's your first assigned student, and I feel as though I'm making you neglect her."
"She's my student, you know? Don't lay a hand on my student. Don't come near her."
"Haha, standing guard and calling her yours already? ...Hmm, let's see. Sorry to interrupt, Cecilia. Let's share a meal sometime."
Where did he get her name already? Huh? I definitely never told him!
And don't you make plans with her before I do!
I haven't even known her half a day. I haven't bought her so much as a cup of coffee!
My student! She's my student!
But Cecilia only glanced at Ignis and loosely turned her eyes away. Well. This was a girl whose eyes hadn't gained so much as a spark of life even with Freyja standing right in front of her.
"...It's all right. You needn't concern yourself with me."
Hardly outside what I had expected. I seized on her words and all but shoved him out by the back.
"You heard her. Cecilia wants you gone. Shoo, shoo—hurry it up."
"All right, see you next time, Cecilia!"
What a day.
I let out a sigh and took up the hard drumstick again.
Now. For real, truly, it was time to start the pitch once more—
"Oh, right! Hey! Eugene! Huff... huff..."
The one sprinting in from a distance, gasping for breath, was Freyja. I knew her well.
Undine, then Ignis, and now Freyja.
Unless they had conspired beforehand to sabotage my recruitment, there was no reason for them to come raiding in one after another like links of sausage.
She didn't so much as think to tidy her tousled platinum hair. Smiling brightly, she spoke to me.
Smile like that, and I can't even bring myself to get angry.
"You haven't heard what the Chairman said yet, have you?"
"Said...? What did he say?"
"Tomorrow. There's the monster-hunting practical in the Snowfield, remember?"
"Right. ...I'd forgotten. Are you going along?"
"Why would I go. I wouldn't be any help at all... I'm not the problem. You have to go."
She said it while flicking a bead of sweat from the nape of her neck.
At that single word, Snowfield, I went slack as if seized by a fit and fought back with everything I had. The Snowfield? I would sooner die.
"...... Whaaaat? Suddenly? Again, why! The place is crawling with nothing but monsters! I don't want to!"
"Why are you throwing a tantrum out of nowhere? As of today, Cecilia is your assigned student. You need to tell her quickly and get yourself ready. The hero of the 6th Holy Sword, who transferred in with Cecilia, is scheduled to take part tomorrow too."
"If a hero is tagging along, for what that's worth, tell them to handle whatever monsters turn up on a practice outing. They ought to have at least that much strength, don't they? They're hauling the 6th Holy Sword around so they can get out there and smash monsters, aren't they?"
"That's true, but... you have to look after Cecilia. It's an advisor's duty."
An advisor's duty.
I turned those incomparably sweet words over beside my ear, again and again.
Advisor, is it. I see.
Heh... Nothing to be done about this.
I sprang upright as if a spring had let go.
"Hup! Well then, it can't be helped. Shall I give it my all?"
"That change of heart was quick."
"Heh. Isn't this the very heart of a teacher who has a disciple, Freyja? My proud disciple, Cecili—"
Our eyes went to Cecilia, and we shut our mouths as if on cue.
In the brief moment we had looked away, a girl I didn't know had planted herself in front of Cecilia and was talking at her, entirely one-sided.
"And who is that?"
"...I heard she came with Cecilia today. Isn't that the student? Her name was... Rebecca, I think."
"The lover of that 6th Holy Sword hero, or fraud, or whatever he is? Why is she hanging around Cecilia?"
"What else would it be... They're both in the 6th Holy Sword Party. They must be close."
"Why did your tone get so sharp all of a sudden?"
Freyja narrowed her eyes and fixed me with a prim little glare.
"Freyja, I don't really understand how women communicate."
"Of course you don't. You're a man."
"Right. And right now, whatever that hero's lover or whoever she is is whispering to my student sounds awfully sharp to me."
"Aha, in that case let me take a look— hey, wait a second! I-I'm a man too, you know?!"
Freyja's belated protest would have to be let go.
For a moment, I doubted my own ears at the words leaving Rebecca's mouth as she glared at Cecilia.
"...I'm sorry. ...Yes. I understand."
Cecilia's tail was drawn in tight, her ears frozen stiff. Her rigid expression, bled pale until the color had all but left it, withered as though she might collapse at any moment.
Freyja seemed to feel that the air had gone wrong. She looked up at me, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
"Uh, what do we do? Those two aren't fighting, are they?"
...If they were only fighting, that would be a relief.